Bob Geldof - Great Songs of Indifference The Anthology 1986-2001 (4CD) (2005)

4 CD box set. To celebrate Geldof, the musician, Great Songs of Indifference: The Anthology 1986-2001 brings together his 4 albums Deep in the Heart of Nowhere, the Vegetarians of Love, the Happy Club and Sex, Age and Death, with a wealth of bonus material, some previously unreleased. Universal. 2005.
This package has all four of his solo albums digitally remastered with bonus tracks.
Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere (1986): I saw the video for "This Is The World Calling" on MTV (Yes, when they used to play videos) in November 1986. I got this on cassette for my 14th birthday. The version of "This Is The World Calling" on that cassette is different from the cd versions, but not by much. This is my favorite Geldof album and it sounds fantastic digitally remastered. The track order on the cassette was different from the track order on the original cd and this remastered version. I always kind of liked the sequencing of the cassette and the version of "This Is The World Calling" on it as well. Standout tracks include "I Cry Too", "When I Was Young", "This Heartless Heart", "The Beat Of The Night", "Night Turns To Day" and "August Was A Heavy Month". The four bonus tracks are okay and do not detract from the rest of the album.
The Vegetarians Of Love (1990): I got this on cd when it was released in August 1990 (I Think). A major music style shift with a more stripped down effect. Still, I think this is also a great album, and my second favorite from Geldof. Standout tracks include "Love Or Something", "The Great Song Of Indifference", "Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things", "Big Romantic Stuff", "The Chains Of Pain", "A Rose At Night" and "No Small Wonder". The seven bonus songs here are probably the best of the four albums.
The Happy Club (1992): I got this on cd when it was released in April 1992. This remastered version omits "Yeah, Right" from the original release, but I went back and listened to it and felt that it was a good idea to leave it off the digital remaster. The track order is slightly different too on the digital remaster, and I think it works much better. Standout tracks include "Attitude Chicken", "The Soft Soil", "A Hole To Fill", "My Hippy Angel", "Too Late God", "Road Of Germany (After BD)" and "A Sex Thing". The three bonus tracks are okay.
Sex, Age And Death (2001): Obviously and intentionally bleak what with the suicide of his ex-wife and Michael Hutchence between albums. I don't like this one as much as his others. Standout tracks include "One For Me", "$6,000,000 Loser", "Scream In Vain", "Inside Your Head" and "10:15". The nine bonus songs are, again, just okay.
The reason to get this for those, like me, who already have them individually is that they're all digitally remastered and come with extra tracks. The booklet is informative with a review of each of the four albums followed by all the lyrics to each original album's tracks.

Disc 1
01.  This Is The World Calling  (4:23)
02.  In The Pouring Rain  (4:31)
03.  August Was A Heavy Month  (5:07)
04.  Love Like A Rocket  (4:52)
05.  I Cry Too  (4:28)
06.  When I Was Young  (5:01)
07.  This Heartless Heart  (4:05)
08.  Beat Of The Nigh t (5:06)
09.  Truly True Blue  (1:18)
10.  Pulled Apart By Horses  (4:29)
11.  Words From Heaven  (4:38)
12.  Good Boys In The Wrong  (5:18)
13.  Night Turns To Day  (4:54)
14.  Deep In The Heart Of Nowhere  (1:17)
15.  Life Is The Hardest Thing  (3:12)
16.  Friends For Life  (5:28)
17.  August Was A Heavy Month  (Instrumental)  (4:01)
18.  Dig A Ditch  (4:28)

Disc 2
01.  A Gospel Song  (5:25)
02.  Love Or Something  (4:32)
03.  Great Song of Indifference  (4:41)
04.  Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things  (8:20)
05.  Big Romantic Stuff  (4:06)
06.  Crucified Me  (2:09)
07.  The Chains Of Pain  (3:46)
08.  A Rose At Night  (5:42)
09.  No Small Wonder  (4:45)
10.  Walking Back To Happiness  (7:30)
11.  Let It Go  (4:38)
12.  The End Of The World  (1:53)
13.  Out Of Order  (Bonus Track)  (3:28)
14.  Hotel 75  (Bonus Track)  (3:55)
15.  One Of The Girls  (Bonus Track)  (2:27)
16.  The Original Miss Jesus  (Bonus Track)  (3:44)
17.  The Vegetarians Of Love  (Bonus Track)  (1:19)
18.  Sunny Afternoon  (Bonus Track)  (3:49)
19.  The Great Song Of Indifference  (3:37)

Disc 3
01.  Room 19 (Sha La La Lee)  (4:41)
02.  Attitude Chicken  (4:36)
03.  The Soft Soil  (7:29)
04.  A Hole To Fill  (5:05)
05.  The Song Of The Emergent Nation  (6:55)
06.  My Hippy Angel  (5:29)
07.  The Happy Club  (4:05)
08.  Like Down On Me  (5:58)
09.  Too Late God  (3:46)
10.  Roads Of Germany  (5:11
11.  A Sex Thing  (5:11)
12.  The House At The Top Of The World  (4:12)
13.  Shine On  (Bonus Track ) (4:10)
14.  Huge Birdless Silence  (Bonus Track)  (3:23)
15.  Maybe Heaven  (Bonus Track)  (5:52)

Disc 4
01.  One For Me  (4:56)
02.  Six Million Dollar Loser  (4:23)
03.  Pale White Girls  (4:59)
04.  The New Routine  (5:25)
05.  Mudslide  (4:51)
06.  Mind In Pocket  (4:38)
07.  My Birthday Suit  (2:58)
08.  Scream In Vain  (5:00)
09.  Inside Your Head  (4:39)
10.  10.15  (3:21)
11.  A Summer Day (London ´95)  (Bonus Track)  (2:49)
12.  Sighs And Whispers  (Bonus Track)  (3:10)
13.  Voodoo Child  (Bonus Track)  (3:57)
14.  Two Dogs  (Bonus Track)  (3:22)
15.  Harvest Moon  (Bonus Track)  (3:29)
16.  A Summer Night (London ´95)  (Bonus Track)   (3:12)
17.  Pale White Girls  (French Mix)  (3:47)
18.  Cool Blue Easy  (Bonus Track)  (4:56)
19.  Pity The Poor Drifter  (Bonus Track)  (2:!4)

Label - Mercury Records