IRON MAIDEN - Somewhere Back In Time

                           The Best Of: 1980-1989

Posted: 06/10/08

Reviewed by: Dirt

Category: Heavy Metal

Released: 05/13/08

Label URL: www.ilovethatsong.com

Artist URL:  www.ironmaiden.com

This new Maiden compilation serves to support the band's current Somewhere Back In Time Tour.  The tour's stage set and setlist are a throwback to days gone by.  The stage is a take on the set used during the 1985 World Slavery Tour.  The songs that are being played are culled from albums up through Fear Of The Dark.

This 'best of' cd features 15 of the bands best known tracks, all remastered.  Since the Somewhere Back In Time Tour features Bruce Dickinson on vocals, it only makes sense that this particular 'best of' features the Dickinson versions (from Live After Death) of the early Paul Di'Anno tracks ("Phantom Of The Opera," "Iron Maiden," and "Wrathchild"). Dickinson's best albums with the band (Number Of The Beast, Piece Of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere In Time, and Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son) are all featured, some more than others.  Beast gets the most air-time with four tracks, while Powerslave gets 2 (3 if you count the Live After Death version of "Ace's High"), and Piece and Time only get 1 song each.  Son gets two songs.

A review of an Iron Maiden album must include a comment about the the artwork.  Of course it's amazing as ever, especially in this day and age when album art appears to be a thing of the past.

The Bloody Truth:  There are other Maiden compilations out there, so do we need another 'best of' from them?  Well, from a marketing perspective it only makes sense and 'best of' albums are meant for those that just want the hits anyway.  People that see this tour will want a souvenir or might just want the songs they heard (the tour features more than these tracks though).  It makes little sense for fans that already have all the Maiden albums to purchase this 'best of' but I'm sure completists and diehards will buy it anyway.  From a song perspective, there isn't a bad song on this comp.  However, I might have made some different selections if I was in charge.  For instance:  I would have added "Prisoner" and "22 Acacia Avenue" (from Number Of The Beast), "Flight Of Icarus (from Piece Of Mind), "Running Free" (from Live After Death), and "Stranger In A Strange Land" (from Somewhere In Time).  What would I have not put on the disc...ooh that's a bit harder...damn....I would have just added another disc.