Sleeve: Guess what? A mirror with the band posing in front!

Sleevenotes: It's hard to focus on that tiny writing in the gatefold while wiping tears of teenage angst from your eyes.

Content: Excellent, 33 rock-hard tracks for fresh-faced newcomers or battle-weary fans.

High point: Black, great start to "down side" second disc.

Low point: Realising the band would never reach those raw peaks of the early 1990s ever again.

Glaring omissions? Hardly, they've even dragged in Breath from Singles soundtrack.

Anything new: Black, Once and Alive have been remixed, but only nerds will hear the difference.

Justified or feeble excuse for release? Frontman Eddie Vedder insists their career is a work in progress, but this is surely the start of their death march.

Where might this end up at Christmas? On the bedroom headphones, as you clutch a mulled wine spiked with brandy.

Updated: 09:02 Thursday, December 23, 2004