Hi Mark - I decided to answer your query under a new thread so it won't get lost in the PF thread.

Actually yes, I do have the Ian Hunter 'Stranded In Reality'box. I wasn't going to spend £250 on it from Proper, which seems the only place it's available from (other than Spin who are asking £260). However, idly entering titles on eBay a couple of weeks ago, I noticed someone had a sealed copy for sale. It was £99 reserve for bidding or £160 BIN. You know how thes things are. I considered putting a £130 max bid, but I just knew if one other person underbid on it so the BIN price was no longer applicable, other people would come along who didin't know it had ever had a BIN price and end up paying £200 or more believing they had still made a saving. I also thought if I don't buy this now, it won't still be there in the morning - the listing was only two hours old and had 6 days 22 hours left to run.

Well, I took a deep breath and clicked the BIN button. Five days later it arrives and it's a humungous sized box.It's LP sized but really deep and heavy. I only got it a few days ago so haven't played it yet - It took me more than 35 minutes just to get all the shrink wrap off - all the 30 discs are individually shrink wrapped as well as the box. It's such a deep box that when you put the lid back on it makes a satisfying 'shhhhh' sound as it decompresses the air from it!

It's a nice looking box though. It just has the picture you will have seen on the front and title down one side, nothing on the back or other side of the box lid, it's big and glossy though. The CDs are all card sleeved mini LP types. A bit like the recent David Bowie 'Who Can I Be Now' set in quality. Nearly all of them are gatefold sleeves, though some are not. They all have their own inner sleeves and inserts where applicable. The anniversary edition also have their own liner note booklets.

The book is hard back LP size with loads of pics and track commentry by IH as well as an introductory essay. I've not read it, just flicked through the pictures. The faux mmusic paper with all the reviews etc in it is good as well (similar to that which comes with the Family super deluxe set).

It's quite ammusing to look at the small, neat cubed box that holds 36 Bob Dylan Live in 1966 CDs on one shelf and this massive box with six less discs in it, but of course with much more detail in the packaging hence the size of the box.

So, just on visual examination and pleasure, it's certainly worth £160 that I paid no question, especially as I didn't have any of these albums other than the first three already. At £250? Yes, if you know his work over the decades (this goes from 1975-2015) you won't be disappointed by it. It really is a veritable treasure chest. I had to check two websites and the track list just to organise the right chronologial playing order, there's so much in it, live, demos, all the studio albums, Hunter / Ronson etc (other than 2016's Ten Crossed Fingers). I'll still be wading through this set this time next year even if I begin now it's so vast!

PM

Thanks for the very descriptive and entertaining review Paul! I'm going to reread it occasionally while I wait for xmas morning just to help build the anticipation...
You got yourself an excellent deal too!

Like you, I've only bought a few of Hunter's solo albums over the years - although I have everything Mott the Hoople released of course - so there will be much to explore. I still remember picking up his self-titled debut the week it was released and playing it non-stop for weeks afterward.
I was just thinking that what would have made this set just that much better would have been the inclusion of 'Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star'... man, I wish I still had that!