Iron Maiden - Best Of The Beast
Time for one of the things I've always dreaded. A Best-Of release. These especially. Of course it's nice to get a change to hear all the old material again. But if I wanted that, I'd take the albums out and listen to the song from them instead. I have never understood the concept of Best-of releases. Other than the commercial one! I can see a point in it, if there are loads of new and never before released material. But there usually isn't. As for "Best Of The Beast", there it is somehow managed Maiden to release something for every Maiden-fan. New and old. There are 3 releases. A Single-CD, with 16 tracks, a Double-CD and a Quadruple(!)-vinyl. The Single-CD is clearly for the new Maiden-fan.

All the hits are there minus a few. But it is all the singles they have on there minus a few. ("Sign Of The Cross", "Afraid To Shoot Strangers", "Holy Smoke", "Heaven Can Wait", "Rime Of The.", "Where Eagles Dare" and 5 last tracks on CD2 are the ones that are missing.) The Double-CD and the quadruple-vinyl versions are definately for fans and collectors. The last 2 tracks on CD2 are from the infamous "The Soundhouse Tapes". There are even more tracks on the vinyl version. Including never before released material from the before mentioned "The Soundhouse Tapes". The vinyl can be difficult to get, since it's a limited edition release, but you might be lucky. No doubt that it is by far the best of the 3 releases.

But how about the music? Actually there isn't much new. "Virus" is the only new number, and the live-recording of "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" have Blaze Bayley on vocals. Virus is an okay track, with a nice middle guitar part. But it is a little slow to start up. More power Mr. Zulu! All in all this review will end in a fairly low rating. And that is because of the lack of something extra for the fans on the cd's. More new numbers instead of old ones in a new live recording. We have heard enough live recordings for now. In addition, it has to be said, that the booklets are quite cool, with loads of cool pictures. And all this comes from a fan, that owns all 3 releases. Go figure.

Written by Ulrick
Monday, July 15, 2002
Show all reviews by Ulrick

Ratings

Ulrick: 6/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.


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RevelationZ Comments


Comment by I Maiden (Anonymous) - Saturday, May 22, 2004
The Double album version is good, except it is missing some key tracks
(Flight of I, Tailgunner, Purgatory, lord of the flies comes to mind) the single version pisses me off!
WHERE IS DI'ANNO???
Phantom?Wrathchild? Sanctuary? fuck whatever, even on the back of the single album they have a picture with Di'anno but no songs,
fuck at least Wrathchild, should have made the cut, why not it is short and a main staple at most of thier tours, I mean they have some Bayley, why not some di'anno



Comment by I Maiden (Anonymous) - Saturday, May 22, 2004
Fuck!!


Comment by i.Ron S. (Anonymous) - Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Maybe the single version doesn't contains something of Di'Anno, because it doesn't have the same style like the other albums. It has some punk-influences, while with Bruce, the songs became heavier. However, the version of Running Free they could have Changed. But You See the Running Time: Maximum music on one disc.
I think that they couldn't let these songs out.
I like it a lot, more than the 2 CD release, because the 2CD looks just stucked together. Some songs don't fix. Like why not the good version of Strange World and Iron Maiden and there are better songs than Wratchild, I miss Stranger in a Strange Land, Killers, Powerslave on this album.


Comment by I Maiden (Anonymous) - Wednesday, May 26, 2004
O.K if not wrath child
why not Sanctuary?
and they have to have some Di'anno, to go with the picture on the back, and also to show people what they were like before Dickinson, in my view a vital force


Comment by R H (Anonymous) - Saturday, October 23, 2004
There is no Dianno song better than "WRATHCHILD"!!!


Comment by yo (Anonymous) - Tuesday, February 15, 2005
amen











Review by Ulrick
Iron Maiden

Released by
EMI - 1996

Tracklisting
CD1:
1: Virus
2: Sign Of The Cross
3: Man On the Edge
4: Afraid To Shoot Strangers (live)
5: Be Quick Or Be Dead
6: Fear Of The Dark (live)
7: Bring Your Daughter.
.To The Slaughter
8: Holy Smoke
9: The Clairvoyant
10: Can I Play With Madness
11: The Evil That Men Do
12: Heaven Can Wait
13: Wasted Years

CD2:
1: Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (live)
2: Running Free (live)
3: 2 Minutes To Midnight
4: Aces High
5: Where Eagles Dare
6: The Trooper
7: The Number Of The Beast
8: Run To The Hills
9: Hallowed Be Thy Name
10: Wrathchild
11: Phantom Of The Opera
12: Sanctuary
13: Strange World
14: Iron Maiden


Style
Heavy Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Iron Maiden - Official Website

Iron Maiden - Trooper Sounds - The Iron Maiden collectors web site

Other articles
Killers - (Ulrick)

The Number Of The Beast - (Ulrick)

Iron Maiden - (Ulrick)

Live After Death - (Ulrick)

Piece of mind - (Ulrick)

Powerslave - (Ulrick)

No prayer for the dying - (Ulrick)

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son - (Ulrick)

A Real Live Dead One - (Ulrick)

Live At Donington - (Ulrick)

Fear of the dark - (Ulrick)

Virtual XI - (Ulrick)

Rock In Rio - (Ulrick)

Brave New World - (Tommy)

The X Factor - (Tommy)

Edward The Great - The Greatest Hits - (Ulrick)

Somewhere In Time - (Tommy)

Visions of the Beast - (Hashman)

Dance of Death - (Hashman)

Dance Of Death - (Tommy)

Live At Valbyhallen, Copenhagen - 12th November, 2003 - (Tommy)

Live At Godsbanepladsen, Horsens - July 27th, 2008 - (Tommy)

The Final Frontier - (Stuart)



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Ratings
1 - Horrifying
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

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