My dear Dr. Watson is correct in his assertion. This retrospective spans the band’s entire career in 27 songs from now back to 1980 (25 years!!) in almost 2 and a half hours. Essentially a pair of songs represents each album, save the debut, which has 3. Live versions from a few different points in time are substituted thrice (all with the Air Raid Siren), most notably on the oldest tunes here, “Running Free” and “Iron Maiden,” and one must ask if this is a jab at Paul DiAnno? If so, why not take a swing at Blaze Bayley, too, who appears on 4 songs? Regardless, this recording of “Iron Maiden” is a teaser for the forthcoming “Death on the Road” double live DVD/CD to be released later this year (2005).

In closing, if you are not already familiar with one of the most important bands in the history of Heavy Metal, shame on you. Oh, and go ahead and get this. If you already are in the know, as any Metalhead worth his or her weight in denim and leather should be, you can definitely pass on this -- especially if you already own the woeful “Ed Hunter” or even “Edward the Great.” Missing here is any depiction of Eddie and one must wonder if this was a record label decision. That said, this double album is fronted by a black and white photo of the current band line-up that is quite classy. Lest we forget, “Iron Maiden’s gonna get you!”

Yes, even if they seem to have turned their collective back on their real fans in a singular interview about Ozzfest with Bruce his damned self: “We didn't want to do a headlining tour to the same older audiences that show up every time.... In America, I'd say the average age of the audience is 30-plus. That's not great for us. And it's also not great for young kids who come to see the band in sheds [i.e., large venues] because they end up sandwiched between a bunch of fat old men drinking beer and eating hot dogs....” I wonder if Bruce knows who pays for the albums, merchandise, and concert tickets his band sells. Don’t forget who brung ya to the dance, ol’ boy.

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 147.32