Best of the Beast

Best of/Compilation, EMI Records September 23rd, 1996
"Best Of The Beast" is the first major Iron Maiden compilation. It contains a sampling of songs from Maiden's entire career, from the earliest Soundhouse recordings up through "The X Factor". Released as a limited edition digibook which is a fairly long booklet containing album and single cover pictures, diary entries, song lyrics, discography, and tour information. There are two major highlights of "Best Of The Beast", the new single "Virus", "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" (live '95) and two songs from the original Soundhouse Tapes, "Strange World" and "Iron Maiden", which were previously unavailable on CD. (The 4 LP version contains more & exclusive tracks like "Seventh son of a seventh son", "Revelations (Live), "The prisoner", "Killers", "Remember tomorrow", "Prowler - Soundhouse tapes" and "Invasion - Soundhouse tapes"). Former members when this compilation was released: - Doug Sampson - Dennis Stratton - Paul DiAnno - Clive Burr - Adrian Smith - Bruce Dickinson CD1: track 4 mixed by Steve Harris & Nigel Green. All tracks are re-mastered. "Best of the Beast" has also been released also as a limited edition 4 LP boxed set, standard double CD and a 1 CD version, with a very different tracklist. This compilation is now out of print. 1CD Playlist: 01. Number Of The Beast 02. Can I Play With Madness 03. Fear Of The Dark 04. Run To The Hills 05. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter 06. The Evil Men That Do 07. Aces High 08. Be Quick Or Be Dead 09. 2 Minutes To Midnight 10. Man On Edge 11. Virus 12. Running Free 13. Wasted Years 14. The Clairevoyant 15. The Trooper 16. Hallowed Be Thy Name
Disc 1 1. Virus (previously unreleased) 06:13 2. Sign of the Cross 11:17 3. Man on the Edge 04:13 4. Afraid to Shoot Strangers (live, previously unreleased)) 06:50 5. Be Quick or Be Dead 03:24 6. Fear of the Dark (live) 07:23 7. Bring Your Daughter... To the Slaughter 04:46 8. Holy Smoke 03:49 9. The Clairvoyant 04:28 10. Can I Play With Madness? 03:32 11. The Evil That Men Do 04:36 12. Heaven Can Wait 07:22 13. Wasted Years 05:08 Disc 2 1. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (live) 13:27 2. Running Free (live) 03:29 3. 2 Minutes to Midnight 06:05 4. Aces High 04:31 5. Where Eagles Dare 06:14 6. The Trooper 04:15 7. The Number of the Beast 04:54 8. Run to the Hills 03:56 9. Hallowed Be Thy Name 07:16 10. Wrathchild 02:57 11. Phantom of the Opera 07:12 12. Sanctuary 03:16 13. Strange World (The Soundhouse Tapes) 05:24 14. Iron Maiden (The Soundhouse Tapes) 04:03 Total playing time 02:30:00