Eddie's Archives
Iron Maiden
(Santuary)

This huge box-set comes in a tin with Eddie's head on it, with its own shot glass, and a family tree held in place by an Eddie ring. There is music, too, 6 CDs worth of mostly unreleased (esp in the US) stuff. It ranges from a collection of every b-side the band ever recorded to 4 CDs full of live recordings. All versions of the band are featured therein, and it's very clear who is the best. Bruceís vocal range is even more apparent on some of the b-side tracks, ranging from a ballad or two to a Led Zeppelin cover. While this is nowhere near an essential purchase, unless you are a hard-core Iron Maiden nut, this is great value. Unlike the over-priced and chessy looking Eddie head (with all their CDs in it) that was for sale a few years ago, this is a pretty good value. And, unlike many rarities collections, other than maybe one or two exceptions, there isnít one bit of dross to be had here. This isnít a collection of discards that should have stayed that way, but a valuable collection of material tracing the entire history of the band. This set, as well as the new DVD video collection, should keep the masses happy until the new CD drops early autumn.

Rating: 4