Disco de Iron Maiden: “Best of the Beast”

First off, this is a GREAT buy to start you off on Iron Maiden. It features the band's best hits with Bruce Dickinson at vocals, and a couple of songs with Blaze Bayley. "Aces High", "The Trooper" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" are just some of the great hits on this record that keep me and million other Maiden fans faithful to the band.

The only REALLY BIG problem with this album, which is also the reason why this album doesn't get a 5 star-review, is the absence of the hits from their first two albums, which started them off on their journey! Sure, Running Free" is on there, but hits like "Iron Maiden", "Prowler", and "Sanctuary" (just to name a few) were all classic tracks on the albums that started Maiden off -- "Iron Maiden" and "Killers".

Still, this compilation is a GREAT BUY for those just starting on Iron Maiden, and those who have been fans forever, like me.

A very good introduction to the classic heavy metal band indeed, but I have a few complains, a major complain: This album is too messy. My first complain is: Why in all reasons in the world 'Virus' is the opening track of Maidens' greatest hits?! Don't get me wrong, 'Virus' is an excellent, creative song, and I also understand that it's a brand new song which only appears on 'Best Of The Beast', so maybe because of that they wanted to put it as the opening track, but come on, 'Virus' is too slow and too dark to open the album, and besides I'm sure all fans would be happier if any song by Bruce was the opening track and not the too slow-sung by Blaze 'Virus'.

Ok, when 'Virus' ends, 'Sign Of The Cross' is pumping up. Another bad way for the second track. 'Sign of The Cross' is another dark-sung-by-Blaze-song, and also Maiden's second longest song ever, so after the kinda dark and long 'Virus', it is obvious that a fast classic Maiden song should pump up. But no. We get 'Sign Of The Cross', but it's a good song anyway.

Ok, when 'SOTC' ends, 'Man On The Edge' is pumping up. Finally a fast song... but why is it on Maiden's greatest hits anyway?

A few more complains: where is 'Infinite Dreams', or 'Children Of The Damned', or 'Invaders', or 'Killers', or 'The Prisoner, etc? Instead of unnecessary songs like 'SOTC' or 'Man on...' (they should've been selected one of these 2 songs) or 'Holy Smoke' which vocally, is Bruce's worst song ever, which is a shame, or 'Heaven Can Wait' which is unnecessary too, instead of this song for exampe they could've been put other song from "Somewhere In Time", like 'Stranger In A Strange Land'. I just don't understand the silly arrangement and why some unnecessary songs was selected to Maiden's greatest hits too. I just don't understand it.

...But, after all it's contains 2 cd's of Maidens' greatest hits, classic metal songs which will forever remain classic. And if someone is really interested in Maiden songs from all periods, he really should get this album, because it contains most prominent songs of Maiden through all years of Maiden's existance 'til 1996. Let's leave the bad things behind, 5 stars anyway. UP THE IRONS!

Iron Maiden, for those who don't know, are the best British metal band ever! Steve Harris, the bass player and songwriter, is one of the most unbelievable musicians I have ever heard. The driving bass that plays as fast as the guitars (there are three now, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers), and the ripping guitar solos, along with the amazing voice of Bruce Dickinson, combined with Nicko McBrain's crazy drumming style make one hell of a memorable compilation. While lifelong Maiden fans may say that some of the songs should not have been put on this cd, I think it shows the different things the band has tried. While 34 tracks may be a bit much for the part-time metal head, songs like "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" (which they do as well live as the recording) show why Maiden has lasted this long. If you own all of Maiden's other cds, WHY DON'T YOU OWN THIS ONE? It has tracks that don't appear anywhere else. For those of you who own no Maiden albums, this is one hell of a good start. Maiden is the best metal band still in existance, and it is my humble opinion that they could kick Metallica's [behind] (in music AND soccer) any day.

This is an extremely difficult album to rate. The music on it is many of Iron Miaden'ts best tracks, which alone make for some outstanding metal. While not technically as proficient or fast as say Metallica, as a group, Maiden is arguably the most FUN metal band to listen to, the one I keep playing while my Metallica CDs get far more limited play.

So, on the one hand, you have a 5 star band playing 5 star music. So, why only 3 stars for the album? One word, and it's been said before. Slection. There is no way a group like Maiden can pack all their hits into 1 CD, and this one runs a whopping 78 minutes (a CD maxes out at 80). Still, though, one feels like it's not a good cross section. There are the songs that HAVE to be there, Aces High, Run to the Hills,The Trooper, Hallowed be Thy Name, Running Free (albeit a live version with Bruce rather than the Di'Anno roiginal), and 2 Minutes to Midnight. You can't do a Maiden "Best of" without those. At that point, however, questions arise. While commercially popular, Can I play with Madness and Bring Your Daughter (the Iron Maiden version, the Bruce solo version rocks) weren't that great. On the one hand, they were both "hits," but in a catalog like Maiden's they weren't up to par. Fear of the Dark is the highlight of its album, and probably deserves its spot, especialy the live version here, it's really good. Virus, as has been mentioned, is another big question. It's cool getting a new song (and an excuse to get Maiden fans who otherwise have every song on this CD to buy it), but it's nothing special. Man on the Edge is a far better Blayze track. Clairvoyant and Evil That Men Do are both good songs (I like Clairvoyant especially a lot), but again, Best Of? Same with Be Quick or Be Dead.

Then there's the overall feel of the album. It never slows down. It feels like Maiden is totally one dimensional, just variations on power metal, steady, punding beat that never lets up. Where's ballads like Revelations or Children of the Damned? Where is the most complex, almost symphonic song Maiden ever did, Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner? Most importantly, where is Iron Maiden, their banner song?

Best OF is certainly personal preference, but if I had been in charge of this albu, Virus could have waited for Virtual Xi (which it's not on), in its place would have gone Phantom of the Opera (either Di'Anno's version or the one from Live After Deathm they're both incredible). Clairvoyant, Evil, and Be Quick would have made room for Rhyme. And Can I Play and Bring your Daughter would have to step aside for Revelations. And Iron Maiden would have to be put in somewhere. That is overall more representative of Maiden as a group, but still covers them from beginning to end.

In all honesty, though, 1 CD is simply not enough. You could easily stuff a second CD as well. Murders in the Rue Morgue, Heaven Can Wait, Powerslave, Die With Your Boots On, Sea of Madness, maybe 7th Son of a 7th Son (you want to see Maiden complex and all over the place), Mooncild, a 2nd CD would be very easy to fill up indeed.

However, don't get me wrong here. I take issue with some of the tracks here as best, not as good. For someone who is just getting into Maiden, get this and Live After Death, that should cover most of the bases early on. However, don't do this if you're on a budget, because you won't stop there. As an intro to Maiden, this works, and it certainly still hits most of the high spots, but it could have been better. Given that we're talking about Iron Maiden here, as a best of album, this just falls short of what their best truly is.

A magnificent retrospective of twenty-odd years of the beast. I don't now what the "editorial reviewer" was smoking when he was listening to this but I don't think there's a single outstanding omission. "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" is not only not missing, it's in it's most perfect live expression. And the renditions of "Running Free" and "Fear Of The Dark" could simply send shivers up and down my spine.

What I like best about this CD is the feeling that the band was

100% behind it... the artwork is awesome, it features FULL lyrics (rare in a greatest hits compilation) and the discography and chart information rocks. You also get some stupefying photos that give some (albeit puny) inkling of the godliness that is Maiden onstage. This is the alpha and omega of the NWOBHM, and I dare say that no metal collection is complete without this masterpiece...

Period.