Best-of album by
Iron Maiden.
Although
hardcore Iron Maiden fans would
purchase it
anyway, there are a
few things on this album that make it really
worth buying.
First, there is
Virus, a song which was also
released as a
single, but which
can not be
found on any other Iron Maiden
album. The long
uncut version can be found on
Best Of The Beast, while a shorter, cut
version can be found on one of the cd-singles.
Secondly, there is a
live version of
Afraid To Shoot Strangers, recorded in 1995, with
Blaze Bayley on vocals. The original
studio recording can be found on 1992's
Fear Of The Dark, with
Bruce Dickinson on vocals.
Last but not least, there are the songs from the
Soundhouse Tapes. The cd version has
Strange World and
Iron Maiden, the
vinyl version (4 LPs!) has the two songs
mentioned before, and two tracks that were recorded, but that were not on the
Soundhouse Tapes:
Prowler and
Invasion (in the other
Best Of The Beast write-up by
vladkornea, it is probably mistaken by
Invaders, which is another song by Iron Maiden).
There are a few different formats of Best Of The Beast.
There is a limited edition double cd set, which came with a hardcover booklet and slipcase, with dozens of photos, lots of information and all the lyrics to the songs on the 2 cds. The double cd was also released in a normal edition, with a clear-plastic jewelcase. The booklet has less photos then the limited edition.
There also is a single cd version in a jewelcase, which has approximately half of the songs that are on the double cd version.
And there is a limited edition vinyl box set, which consists of 4 LPs. The tracklisting in vladkornea's write-up is that of the vinyl version. It has seven songs that are not on the double cd version: Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, Revelations, The Prisoner, Killers, Remember Tomorrow, the above mentioned extra Soundhouse Tapes songs: Prowler and Invasion. This set came in a case with a huge booklet.
The cover of this compilation is also quite good. It shows the various Eddies from different album and single covers, redrawn in one picture by Derek Riggs. On it are Eddie from Live After Death (in the back, getting hit by lightning), The Trooper (bald head, holding a flag), Killers (on the right, with the yellow shirt), Somewhere In Time (the futuristic one in the middle), No Prayer On The Road tour (on the left, with an iron claw), World Slavery Tour (in bandages, on the left), and Piece Of Mind (center front, in a straight-jacket).