I already had all of the Cranberries CD's before I bought this, but I still think that it was well worth my investment. There are a TON of songs and all of them are excellent. Like the title says, the Cranberries are simply the best band out there in my (if somewhat un-objective) opinion.
The Cranberries Treasure Box is amazing! The box design is cute and charming. Even if you are a fanberrie and own all the c.d.s already you still need this to complete your collection. Every c.d. is remade and includes extra tracks from when that particular c.d. came out so that means you will get every c.d. again but with extra (hard to find) tracks. There are 21 total extras in the whole set. And they are all great, My favorite extra track is "So Cold In Ireland" There is also I really neat song it is a preformance by:Doloras and Pavarotti called Ave Maria. This is one of the coolest things I spent my money on worth ever cent!
To put it mildly, this is the best music purchase I've ever made. The Cranberries are, in my opinion, the best band out there right now. I cannot get tired of listening to their music! Most good bands have three or so really good songs per CD. Well, EVERY song on these CD's is great. If you like The Cranberries as I do, you may also want to check out Dido's CD, "No Angel".
At a time when the music played on the radio and TV seems to have become stale (the Cranberries addressed this idea in the song "Copycat"), it is great to have a release like this that shows how some bands are not afraid to evolve. This collection shows how the Cranberries have changed over time both musically and emotionally.
Being a band that has always written with their emotions, the Cranberries take us through major life events in this collection. Those life events include, but are not limited to, the hardships of intimate relationships ("Everybody Else Is Doing I..." and "No Need to Argue"), dealing with the deaths of those you love ("To the Faithful Departed"), and the feelings of having your own family ("Bury the Hatchet"). While these undercurrent themes arguably run through each album, all four of the albums possess various other themes.
Having already owned many of the b-sides, I questioned whether the collection would be right for me. However, the b-sides that I didn't own ("Reason," "Them," "Go Your Own Way," etc.) blew me away. I had already felt that some of the other b-sides ("Cordell," "God Be With You," "Away," "So Cold in Ireland," "Woman Without Pride") are some of the bands best songs and this collection just reaffirmed my belief in the band's talents. These b-sides in conjunction with four awesome albums makes this set a classic.
Whether the songs are political ("Zombie," "Bosnia," "War Child"), thought provoking ("Fee Fi Fo," "Paparazzi on Mopeds") or many other themes, the songs maintain a sound that is uniquely the band's own. So if you are not a fan of the sound of the Cranberries, this collection is obviously not for you. However if you enjoy any of their songs, I think that there will be a great deal in this collection that you will find enjoyable. Even if you already own all four of the albums, I believe the b-sides are worth it.