Revisiting Stranded in Reality – Five Years On
Five years ago, I unboxed and reviewed Stranded in Reality by Ian Hunter for the first time. I’ve looked at a lot of box sets since then, but this one has never really drifted far from reach. It’s something I dip into regularly, not just to listen, but to experience.
So I thought I’d try something a little different. Rather than another first-impressions unboxing, I wanted to revisit this set properly and ask a simple question: how does it feel to own this box set now, five years later? Has the magic worn off, or has it grown?
There’s also a very practical reason for revisiting it. At the time of recording this video, the price of Stranded in Reality has dropped significantly — to under £200 — despite there being only a relatively small number left in circulation. I’ve seen frankly ridiculous prices being asked on eBay, while brand-new copies are still out there if you know where to look. That alone felt worth talking about.
A Box Set With Purpose and Real Personality
From the moment you lift the lid, it’s clear this was created with intent. The scale of the box is impressive, but it’s the thought behind it that really stands out. The production values are right up there with the very best — and in many ways, this feels like a blueprint for what a truly artist-led career retrospective should look like.
One of my favourite elements is the beautifully designed newspaper, styled as a loving nod to Sounds, Melody Maker, and the NME. If, like me, you grew up devouring those papers every week, this is an absolute joy. Album by album, era by era, it charts Ian’s journey through contemporary reviews, adverts, tour coverage, and features from the time. It’s fascinating to see just how much press Ian received in those years — and how that coverage inevitably thins out as musical fashions shift.
The Hardback Book: A Labour of Love
Then there’s the hardback book — glossy, substantial, and packed with content. This is something I return to again and again. What makes it especially powerful is Ian Hunter’s direct involvement. His voice runs through the entire thing, guiding you from the Mott the Hoople years into the solo albums, offering context, reflection, and hindsight.
Each album is given space to breathe, complete with track-by-track commentary where possible, quotes from the music press, credits, and personal insight. This isn’t surface-level nostalgia — it’s deep, reflective, and often revealing. Knowing what Ian was thinking when he wrote certain songs, or what was happening in his life at the time, has genuinely changed how I hear some of these records.
And then there’s the signed print. Every single box includes a personally signed photograph from Ian Hunter. At the time of filming, Ian is 86 years old. Time moves on. That signed print alone makes this set feel incredibly personal and historically important.
The Discs: Detail, Care, and No Corner-Cutting
One of the things that still amazes me is how much effort has gone into the CDs and DVDs themselves. Wherever the original album was a gatefold, it’s replicated as a gatefold. Inner sleeves are included. Booklets are included. Lyrics are included.
In fact, even where albums had already received deluxe expanded editions in the past, those expanded booklets are recreated inside this box set. They didn’t have to do that — the big book could easily have been used as an excuse to strip things back — but they didn’t. This is fan-first thinking at its absolute best.
Some of Ian’s albums are notoriously hard to find individually on CD. Others were only briefly available or long out of print. Here, everything is gathered together in one place, thoughtfully curated, beautifully presented, and protected with proper inner sleeves. It’s exhaustive without feeling bloated.
Five Years Later: How Do I Feel Now?
Honestly? I think this is one of the finest box sets in my entire music library.
This is a set I use. I don’t feel overwhelmed by it. I don’t feel guilty that I haven’t played every disc. Quite the opposite — I love knowing that I can head off in so many different directions depending on my mood. Studio albums, live recordings, rare tracks, DVDs, documentaries — it’s all there.
Some people say they don’t understand why anyone would want a 30-CD, 5-DVD box set because “you’ll never get round to playing it all.” I think that misses the point entirely. The joy is in having the choice. In immersing yourself in an artist’s world, on your own terms.
I paid around £250 for this five years ago and I’ve never regretted it for a second. Seeing it now available for less, with brand-new copies still including the signed print, doesn’t bother me at all. If anything, I think it’s a gift to fans who may have discovered Ian Hunter — or rediscovered him — in the last few years.
If you’re sitting on an unopened copy of this set, my advice is simple: open it. These things aren’t meant to sit shrink-wrapped on a shelf waiting for a speculative payday. They’re meant to be lived with.
Five years on, Stranded in Reality hasn’t diminished for me — it’s grown. And that, for me, is the ultimate measure of a truly great box set.
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Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
Superb – thanks Phil – Mike in Cornwall