So what's the problem? Let's face it, most fans already have the music collected in this box set. After all, Enya has released only five studio albums during the past fifteen years and fans (like me)eagerly bought each new release. So what is new here? Not much. There are only seven songs that --although all previously released--have never appeared on any of those five studio albums: "Oiche Chun (Silent Night)," "Eclipse," "Isobella," "Song of the Sandman," "Willows on the Water," "The First of Autumn" and "May It Be," the Oscar-nominated song from the film "Fellowship of the Ring." [Although it should be noted that "Eclipse" and "Willows on the Water" did appear on the 1998 3-CD collection A BOX OF DREAMS.] All seven of these songs were originally released as the A-side or the B-side of a single, but not included on any of her studio albums.

In addition the enhanced CD contains footage of "Oiche Chun," first aired on the BBC in 1996. Also included is a 48-page booklet with a complete discography, photos and liner notes by lyricist Roma Ryan. This box set is a real treat for both new and longtime fans. My only complaint is that the serious fan is being asked to pay a hefty price to add only a handful of otherwise hard-to-find songs to their collection. The dedicated fan would have been better served by a single disc update of 1997's PAINT THE SKY WITH STARS: THE BEST OF ENYA. [It's also worth noting that the two new songs--"Only If..." and "Paint the Sky With Stars"-- on THAT collection are NOT included here.] Those concerns aside, this is a thoroughly satisfying collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


Recycled "BOX OF DREAMS"box set   November 15, 2002
Distant Voyageur (Io)
93 out of 102 found this review helpful

Although this Box set was released in 2002, this set is basically a recycled "Box of Dreams" with new cover artwork and added tracks. Almost ALL of the content on this set exists on the Box Of Dreams trilogy released in 1998!

This is becoming a disturbing trend by record labels trying to to cash in on music buyers: Releasing already existing collections with new packaging artwork and added tracks! From a musical standpoint, this is a great multi-disc collection of music but this set could've been so much better. If it were possible they should've taken one of the discs and made it a total B-Sides collection instead of just including a few B-Sides and leaving out the rest. At least the amazingly haunting Isobella is available on here. It's a haunting track not too much different from Hope Has A Place or La Sonadora but better than both and Isobella would've propelled A Day Without Rain to a five star. Where are Morning Glory, I May Not Awaken, or Asbhaile(correct me if I misspelled it)? Enya has over ten B-Sides and they all should've been included on this set or on a single or double disc set. If they had all been put on here, this box set could've been the ultimate box set ever.

A thumbs down to the record labels where cashing in on the fanbase seems to have become a habit.


Only Time - money well wasted?   December 26, 2002
eveoflove (North York, Ontario Canada)
54 out of 65 found this review helpful

Made in GER in 2002, Serial# 0927-49211-2, Playing Time 176:13

Lyrics enclosed; disc 4 contains a multimedia section with a screen-saver, a photo gallery (actually a slide show of the pictures included in the booklet), and a video of "Silent Night". This box is limited to 20,000 copies (how many will actually sell?)

This 4-disc compilation literally floored me! Not because of the music (that's a topic for another day...), but because of what's been put together in this package; I won't comment on the songs themselves, because, after all, you already know Enya if you're considering buying this set.

The box (covered in purple velvet, oooh!) features a booklet that gives the lyrics to the songs, as well as some track-by-track comments (read "meanings") on each of them. No biography or truly interesting facts.

What's worse, the 4 discs arrive just short of 3 (gasp!) hours of music (when in fact, given some small effort, one could fit over 5 hours!)

I'm no mathematician (even if I'm going to sound like one!), but Enya has released 5 albums so far; here's what I would have done to please the fans (or, at least, myself!)

Put in ALL of "Enya" (39:28) plus the "bonus" track included in its re-release, "Celts" (a re-recording of "Portrait", at 3:13); so we're at about 43 minutes;

Put in ALL of the second album, "Watermark", which lasts 43:10;

Put in ALL of the 3rd album, "Shepherd Moons", which clocks in at 43:33, and add the english version of "Book Of Days" for another 2:57 (the original release of the album contained that song but sung in gaelic)

Put in ALL of her 4th album, "The Memory Of Trees", which would consume another 43:53, plus the 2 previously unreleased tracks ("Only If..." and "Paint The Sky With Stars") from her "best of" entitled "Paint the Sky With Stars") which would take up 7:34

Add to the mixture ALL of her latest album, "A Day Without Rain", and there goes another 37:35

With me so far? I've used up, with ALL of the 6 albums (including the "best of") and their various editions, a little under 222 minutes... I have room for 80 (yes, EIGHTY) more minutes! More than enough for ALL her b-sides (there's a little more than a dozen), the "May It Be" track from the soundtrack to "Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship..." (which is included in this box set).

I would then have her WHOLE CATALOGUE! (who knows, maybe even squeeze in the soundtrack to "The Frog Prince", which lasts 35 minutes!)

Now THAT would have been money well spent...

After the record label has already released "Paint the Sky..." and the 3-disc "A Box Of Dreams" (IT lasts 159 minutes, so I could also talk about THAT), I'm now worried that a 5-disc compilation set might be released in 2005, as a 20-year retrospective of her career.

But because I love her work, I'll probably buy that too (and complain again?)


I love Enya, but...   November 17, 2002
T (Nowhere)
25 out of 29 found this review helpful

I love Enya, and I do have this collection, but there is something corrupt about it. Where are ALL the b-sides? Let me show you a list of them: Isobella, May It Be, Aniron (Theme for Aragorn and Arwen), I May Not Awaken, As Baile, Eclipse, Morning Glory, Oriel Window, Song of the Sandman, Midnight Blue, The Promise, Storms in Africa Part II, Willows on the Water, Oiche Chiun, Book of Days (Far and Away), An Ghoath on Ghrian (The Solar Wind)-although I know that's stretching my hope much, S'Fagaim Mo Bhaile, and The First of Autumn. WHY WAS WEA NOT SMART AND MAKE ONE ENTIRE DISC A B-SIDE COLLECTION! We fans, have been waiting for years!!! Not only does this collection not feature these rare beauties, but it does NOT have even some of her great hits! Like "On My Way Home" (ask me if I've ever cried during that song) and "Only If..." (a whimsical song without equal). I'm very disapppointed with this release, mind you the production value of the set is wonderful, especially the notations from Roma (she's a personal savior of mine), everything else about this collect is down right cheap. It's as if Enya has no control over these releases (there's been three of them), and the company just tells her what they're going to do. Or, I shudder to think, Enya actually WANTS to do make these releases cashing in on all of us, her poor noble fans.


The One-Woman Orchestra   June 17, 2004
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

There are a great many artists who have come out of the music world who are unforgettable: Frank Sinatra, Micheal Jackson, Elvis Presley...but there is no one, NO ONE, like Enya! No one has a voice as pristine or that carries so much beauty or feeling or virtue!

Each song on this collection denotes a distinct mood: anger, struggle and then on the other side of the spectrum, love, hope and faith. Her darker pieces such as 'Cursum Perficio' and 'Pax Deorum' denote almost warlike tones, struggle, defeat...Her softer songs such as the instrumental 'The Sun in the Stream' and 'Hope Has a Place' uplift the spirit and instill an unnamed calmness and sense of tranquilty. (What was the last song you listened to on the radio that did that?)

How one artist can cover such an array of feelings sure beats me! You know that she has nothing but pure talent! And what amazes me everytime I hear a piece on any of the 4 CDs, is that every instrument you hear, every voice-the deep ones,the high ones-EVERYTHING is performed by Enya alone! She truly is THE ONE-WOMAN ORCHESTRA!

I received this collection as a birthday present in January; it is now June and I'm still listening to it tirelessly. It's the most beautiful music I've ever heard in my life; sometimes (as silly as it sounds) I cry when I hear it!

Those of you who are pondering whether to spend "a lot of money" on what may seem mediocre music, think again. Listen to samples, borrow a CD from a friend and be carried away into a world full of nothing but beauty! Please buy it! You will love it and cherish it always!