Covering the singles released from September of 1985 to June of 1987, the third five-disc installment of the
Themes boxes covers the Once Upon a Time era and stretches out to include the live-version single of "Promised You a Miracle" that was issued in support of 1987's
Live in the City of Light. Compared to the singles that preceded these, Virgin had a lot less material to work with, which is evident by looking at the track lists. "Alive and Kicking," "Sanctify Yourself," "Ghost Dancing," and "Oh Jungleland" (oh foghorn, more like) each appear in their album and extended versions, and remixes and numerous live takes also help fill out the discs. Odds are anyone who responded to this phase of the group in less than blind rapture was hesitant to pick up this volume. This and the other installments have similar graphic designs, making you feel as if you're missing significant pieces of the puzzle if you dared to purchase anything less than the complete set. If you're one of those all-or-nothing types with things like this, it'd be best to ignore this series completely and pick up something more practical. ~ Andy Kellman