Okay, so enough complaining.
If you are someone who missed the Queensryche explosion back in 1990, and you are curious as to what Queensryche is all about, you could do considerably worse than Sign Of The Times (like picking up the album Tribe for example). When they do their job right, hits collections like this one are a good introduction for the uninitiated. They can also be good for the longtime fan that would like a CD of the top tracks and doesn't want to put together a playlist from their own collection.
That said, this is not a bad set of songs by any stretch of the imagination. It shows Queensryche as a great band with an original sound I have yet to hear duplicated by anyone else. Geoff Tate has an amazing voice, that when paired with Chris DeGarmo is pure genius. DeGarmo himself is an excellent songwriter whose absence was sorely missed on the albums following his departure.
If you want the cream of the crop here, be sure to pay particular attention to "Walk in the Shadows," "I Don't Believe in Love," "Silent Lucidity," and "I Am I." Of course, you won't go wrong with any of the songs here, including the soundtrack offering "Real World" that appeared in The Last Action Hero.
Still, if you already have all of the remasters that came out in 2003, or the prior best of collection, you may want to skip this release. One final complaint. The 17 songs are really crammed onto this disk. With a total playing time of just under 80 minutes, the songs here are so tightly compacted, that as one song fades, the next begins. Each song transition is like a mini-train wreck.
For those interested, there is also a deluxe two disc edition of Sign Of The Times. The second disk contains 15 tracks of live, demo, and previously unreleased material. Leading off the set is a trio from the pre-Queensryche band Myth. Two of the three Myth songs were eventually re-written as Queensryche tracks. Other highlights of disk two are a previously unreleased acoustic version of "Della Brown," as well as three demos from The Warning era. There is also a new recording with Chris DeGarmo called "Justified." The only problem with most of the material here is that much of it appeared as bonus tracks on the remasters from a few years back. This means that completists likely have most of it already.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
I agree - and I haven't even bought this. The second disc is very disappointing to the long-time fan, who this version is obviously aimed at. The second disc should have been live material from throughout their career, IMO. They're a very strong live act and this was the perfect opportunity to showcase that to buyers who might not otherwise have any interest in live albums. Oh well - there's always a chance that another best-of will come out in a few years that will get it right. A band can never have enough best-ofs, at least according to the industry.
2 - Paul Roy
Gotta love that Rage-era photo.
3 - Eric Whelchel
For the record labels, it's always the right time for a best-of collection. They cost very little to prepare, and in most cases there is a core audience who will buy it regardless.
4 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I don't understand why they never released a CD or DVD for the MTV Unplugged they did back in '92?? That was the best f*cking unplugged...PERIOD!! (With a close second tie to Pearl Jam & STP)