Stones, Depeche Mode boxed CD sets compile bands' hit 45s

The Stones' early singles reveal their evolution as a unique band.
By ERIC R. DANTON
HARTFORD COURANT
Singles are now mostly promotional tools for albums, but it's becoming increasingly common for veteran bands to compile their old 45s for release as CD collections. The Stones and Depeche Mode have done it with boxed sets this spring.
The Stones' collection, "Singles 1963-1965," is easily the more accessible, and essential, of the two. As the title implies, the set collects every Stones single from 1963 to June 1965, starting with "Come On"/"I Want to Be Loved" and continuing through the "Got Live if You Want It" EP. Like many similar reissues, these songs are fascinating for the evolution they document.
The band's talent was apparent from the start, and hindsight makes it a delight to listen as the Stones cast carefully about for an original direction. The group's identity begins to emerge on originals such as "Little by Little"/"Tell Me," and the Stones have clearly come into their own by "The Last Time"/"Play With Fire," released in Great Britain in February 1965.
Depeche Mode
The Depeche Mode collection, "Depeche Mode Singles," is a six-box, 36-disc set that assembles the band's hits from 1981 to 2001 and includes extended versions and remixes. The amount of material is overwhelming, and the set duplicates some of the band's previous collections, making this one essential only for completists.
Although it would probably be cheaper to condense both collections onto as few discs as possible, each presents the songs as they were originally released -- as two-song singles or four- or five-song EPs, with scaled-down artwork in the case of the Stones set. It's a nice touch, but it's also irritating to have to switch discs every five minutes.