Yup! Another Iron Maiden compilation that follows up to 2008’s Somewhere Back in Time – The Best of: 1980-1989. While I’m typically not a huge fan of compilations, for those that missed Iron Maiden‘s reunion and Bruce Dickinson era part deux, as well as a couple of Blaze Bayley -era numbers―slyly delivered as live songs, so Dickinson sings them―From Here to Eternity: The Best of 1990-2010 is actually a pretty nice encapsulation of Maiden‘s return.
The two disc’s highlights are the best tracks from the band’s last four efforts, with the best of the material culling from Brave New World. Not surprisingly, considering the context, even the sub par albums like Fear of the Dark, No Prayer for the Dying―and my personal hell―The Final Frontier are all featured. As was already mentioned, Blaze Bayley gets completely thrown out of the picture as the songs “The Clansman”, “Man on the Edge” and “Sign of the Cross” (from Virtual XI and The X Factor) are all sung by Dickinson. A shame and a questionable attempt to whitewash history. Poor guy. “Tail Gunner”, a live version of “Fear of the Dark”, “Be Quick or be Dead”, “Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter” and “Holy Smoke” comprise the rest of the 1990-1999 era.
Essentially though, From Here to Eternity: The Best of 1990-2010 is a cliff notes of the band’s much ballyhooed reunion with Dickinson from 2000 and on. They’ve done a good job of selecting the standouts from those albums. From Brave New World you get “The Wickerman”, personal fave “Blood Brothers” and the title track “Brave New World”. From Dance of Death you get that album’s clear winner “Paschendale” as well as “Rainmaker”, “No More Lies” and “Dance of Death”. A Matter of Life and Death is represented by “Different World (lame choice in my opinion), “The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg”, and by the excellent duo of “For the Greater Good of God” and “These Colors Don’t Run”.
I’m not sure about the need for any tracks from 2010’s The Final Frontier ―”Coming Home”, “El Dorado” and “When the Wild Wind Blows”―not because I personally didn’t care for the album, but because it only came out a year ago. Guess they wanted a nice set of numbers; 1990-2010. Anyway. Here they are, trying to force it upon us one more time. At least they included “El Dorado”, but they missed a chance to put “The Alchemist” on here instead of one of those two other wandering, aimless tracks.
That being said, From Here to Eternity: The Best of 1990-2010 does what compilations are meant to do, ie. take all the best stuff and put it on one handy release. For the most part it’s a successful feature and one of the few worthwhile Iron Maiden compilations the band has churned out over the years. But as with any compilation, most real fans will already have the source material and this is merely doubling up on most, if not all the tracks.
However, maybe I have reason to sell my copy on The Final Frontier now…
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Holy Smoke? Coming Home? No More Lies? Anything from a Matter of Life and Death? Bad…
However I’d like to hear the Bruce-fronted versions of the Blaze-era tracks. Blaze was weaksauce but I thought the songwriting on X-Factor/Virtual XI was by far the guiltier culprit.
btw if you edit out about 3-4 minutes of Where the Wild Wind Blows it’s actually a damn fine Maiden track.
on Jul 7th, 2011 at 08:49Fear Of The Dark – “SUBPAR”?? You must be on dope son.
on Jul 7th, 2011 at 14:09I don’t think ‘Coming Home’ is wandering, aimless track. I love Dickinson’s vocals on that song, regardless of the somewhat silly lyrics.
‘Where the Wild Wind Blows’ is the worst track on that album , I think. That one is certainly aimless. Gaba is right about cutting 4 minutes off it, though. If we did that with most of the newer Maiden track, they would be instant classics. We just need to get Steve Harris to knock it off with the 2 minute acoustic/bass intros and 2 minute acoustic/bass outros.
on Jul 7th, 2011 at 14:38I will be buying the LP version of this, though, on the strength of the cover art alone!
on Jul 7th, 2011 at 14:39It really is surprising how bad Blaze was with Maiden. His voice just did not fit AT ALL. Yet his solo albums are fantastic modern metal. Weird.
Dickenson just IS the voice of Maiden.
on Jul 8th, 2011 at 11:17Are there fans who’ve not bought anything from Brave New World to Final Frontier??? I can’t imagine… and that’s why I find these new versions of greatest hits collections puzzling (and a bit lame).
And don’t buy the LP for the artwork: the most recent issue (or the one before it) of Metal Hammer has the artwork as a BIG poster inside. Admittedly, it’s folded, but if you just want a good version of that picture, there it is.
on Jul 8th, 2011 at 13:47Ace Barker, I’m with you… there’s no way in Hell Fear Of The Dark is a subpar album.
on Jul 8th, 2011 at 21:47Eh it’s better than Dance of Death and Matter of Life and Death (not to mention the two Blaze albums) but it’s still overlong, with a lot of dull filler. First and last tracks are excellent though. Why Maiden never did anything else as pissed off as Be Quick or Be Dead again is a mystery…
on Jul 8th, 2011 at 22:43Who the fuck listens to this irrelevant, weak band of grandpas anymore ??? Jesus fuckin christ.. TFF sucked hairy donkey balls and people need to stfu about how awesome Maiden’s albums from 20 years ago are!! Enough with the nostalgia juice already !!
on Jul 10th, 2011 at 08:10Uhhh make that 30 years ago, math whiz.
on Jul 10th, 2011 at 14:25No douchebag.. I was referring to the last point in time when they released an album worth giving a dong about viz. Brave New World.
on Jul 11th, 2011 at 01:43What.The.Fuck?????????????????????????
on Jul 11th, 2011 at 10:39Then your math is still shit, that album came out in the early 00s.
on Jul 11th, 2011 at 11:03My apologies Gaba.. this is the REAL Faust and I have no idea whats going on. I don’t know who posted the “X” comment and the first “faust” comment but it ain’t me !!
PS : Maiden rules, compilations are kinda lame, Brave New World was released in 2000.
on Jul 11th, 2011 at 11:20Lol sorry I was wondering why you were being a dick :)
on Jul 11th, 2011 at 15:08