Box Set

Hurricane #1, Echobelly, Kula Shaker, Gay Dad, yes, everything we know and love (or was that dreaded and feared?) about 25 years of British music has returned in Rhino’s collection The Brit Box. Celebrating the innovative yet often self-congratulatory scenes that swept Britain in the ’80s and ’90s, this four-disc Anglophile’s paradise does more than bombard you with all six Menswe@r singles. Billed as "UK indie, shoegaze and Britpop,” the box amasses mostly fond memories, from the Smiths to Ride to Suede to erm, Dodgy, spotlighting trends that shaped many collections. Recognising certain omissions like Slowdive and Radiohead, which were beyond the label’s control, an impressive, photo-heavy booklet gives an informed band-by-band summary as well as quotes from some of the key players. My only beef — where’s Northern Uproar?