Bruce Dickinson - Best of Bonus CD (27 tracks) +Album Reviews

Excellent Overview of Dickinson's solo career

Alain Fournier | Hamilton, Pembroke Bermuda | 10/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of you probably know that Bruce Dickinson was and is the lead singer of the legendary metal band Iron Maiden. For 2 albums he was replaced by Blaze Bayley who never managed to step out of Bruce's mighty shadow. Blaze issued an excellent solo album called Silicon Messiah in 2000, a must for any metalhead. But I digress. On to the matter at hand.The two CD version of The Best of Bruce Dickinson is suppose to a limited edition so hurry up and grab your copy. The first disc is a retrospective of Bruce's solo career. All but 2 of the tracks are taken from the following studio albums Tattooed Millionaire , Balls to Picasso, Skunkworks , Accident of Birth and Chemical Wedding and the 2 live albums Alive in Studio A and Scream For Me Brazil. The other 2 tracks are new and are exclusive to this CD.The two new songs are called Silver Wings and Broke. Silver Wings returns us to one of Bruce's favourite subject that is air combat in WW2. Silver Wings would fit right in the era that produced Aces High and Tailgunner. Its fast and melodic with great guitar work. Broken, could of come of the Chemical Wedding album an it is a slower crunchier song that will get your head banging in a second. The Tattooed Millionaire album is represented by its title song and by Born in 58 both are solid hard rock numbers. Including Son of Gun would have been nice since it's a very good track but no matter the selections included are top notch. Alive in Studio spawned the live version of Laughing in the Hiding Bush, originally on the Balls to Picasso studio album, not my first choice but a solid song none the less. I would of preferred the inclusion of Cyclops, Shoot All The Clowns or Sacred Cowboys or the already mentioned Son of a Gun but that's a minor quibble. Tears of the Dragon is from Bruce's most underrated album Balls to Picasso and is a masterpiece. Bruce's vocals are in top shape and the instrumentals are first rate. A very powerful song. I wish more songs from this album were included in this greatest hits.Skunkworks is which seems to be destined to be Bruce's most disliked solo album is only represented by the very good Back From The Edge. Personally I find Skunkworks to be a very enjoyable and would liked to have seen included its best track which is Solar Confinment. The album itself is a slight departure from Bruce's and usual style but the album itself is an unqualified succes.The excellent Accident of Birth is represented by four tracks including its title track. The other 3 being Darkside of Aquarius and Road to Hell and Man of Sorrows. All excellent choices. Darkside of Aquarius being the best among the bunch. I think its one of the best songs Bruce has done. Excellent guitars and Bruce's vocals are powerful and smooth.Bruce's best album, Chemical Wedding is only represented by 2 tracks including its title track. One of the 2 tracks , Book of Thel, is taken from the Live Scream For Me Brazil Album. In all fairness the whole Chemica Wedding album could have been included in the greatest hits CD.Easily one of the best heavy matal records of the 90's.Despite my slight quibble with the track selections this is one tremendous CD with nary a dud among the tracks. With only 5 solo studio albums it gives you an idea of Bruce's songwriting talent that he could of easily of had a second CD dedicated to his greatest hits. The second CD is more for completist and huge Dickinson fans. Highlights include a the live Jerusalem, the pre Maiden Bring Your Daughter to The Slaughter, the no relation to the maiden song of the same name The Wicker Man from the Chemical Wedding session and Bruces first ever recording called Dracula. Even back then he had the powerful vocals.If you are an Iron Maiden or heavy metal fan and are on a limited budget and want to give Bruce's solo material a try. I suggest you buy this album and the Chemical Wedding."

This Is A Masterpiece.....Bruce Rules!!!

Masked Jackal | Ft. Lauderdale, FL United States | 10/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love what Bruce has done during his solo career. All of his solo efforts have been original, and yet still hold that Maidenisc sense of power. Bruce and Roy Z along with the addition of A. Smith have a very solid linup now. If you have heard "Accident Of Birth" and "Chemical Wedding" you should already know that.This "Best Of Bruce" Cd takes you on a ride. There are songs from all of his solo CD's, and even a version of "Bring Your Daughter....". The second CD is full of stuff that you've probably never heard, and I'm sure you'll enjoy. One thing is certain about this CD....It's got everything. Even the ballads on this are great.I would highly urge you to get a copy of this. If you like Maiden, you should already be a Dickinson fan. Bruce is doing just fine as a solo artist, and the band members Bruce has put together make Iron Maiden look like a thing of the past. I hate to say that, but it's true. Bruce makes great music, and he has had no trouble proving that over the years. I can't wait for his new CD to come out. If it's anything like his last two releases, we're all in for a real treat!!!Keep it up Bruce!!!.....You Rule!!!P.S. Please tour South Florida, like Ft. Lauderdale or West Palm."

Bruce Soars Solo

Lars Swanson | Peoria, Illinois United States | 09/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A great mix of new and old from Bruce Dickinson the voice of IRON MAIDEN. Bruce has had a prolific solo career that is only recently getting the credit it deserves. This set is the best of his solo work and includes a few Maiden staples that were originally penned by Bruce (the air raid siren) Dickinson. Disc 1 is basically the best of portion and contains a wealth of great music with TWO new tracks (Broken and Silver Wings). The music is diverse and even if you don't like Maiden you will find something to like on this disc (i.e. Tears of the Dragon is beautiful and inspiring) Disc 2 is VERY COOL basically very rare tracks that have never been released (the original version of WICKER MAN and BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE SLAUGHTER). PLUS the liner notes are written by Bruce himself. All in All a 5 star production at a very reasonable price. I'm very very pleased with this CD and IMHO I think fans of Maiden and Bruce will be too. Up the Irons."

The many sides of the Air Raid Siren do all fit together.

DerWeg | 05/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A smooth ride for a compilation, especially one spanning different band musicians, different Eras in Bruce's life, and the varied styles of music he embraced.

It is striking that when the inimitable Iron Maiden vocalist works solo, he expresses a fresh creativity lacking in some of Maiden's music. His gift is not just his compelling voice.

With the Irons Bruce is only a part contributor; the collaboration creates moments of brilliance and yet (while I love that band so much) there seems to be an adherence to formula, going onto 'auto pilot' where they revert to safe devices that worked in the past yet were only exciting the first time. A bit too earnest to loyally be "really Iron-Maiden-y." The BEST Maiden always seemed like moments of nerve-edge discovery, as with Sabbath and Rush and all great metal. Chasing those past moments to try and keep a sound doesn't work, the same way you can only visit a place once "for the first time."

In a way Maiden can not outrun itself, like it were this big Komodo Dragon that just is what it is and can't be really different than the beast it is.

Bruce solo seems to have a greater freedom of movement and a more morph-able creative identity. Yet the music has a truth much closer to the surface which ties it all together (compare the lyrics of "Broken" and "Tears of the Dragon" for personal upheavals & the will to overcome.) There is really so much on these two discs... all I can say, is even the track selection & sequencing shows Bruce has a pretty good idea of where the successes & failures lie in songwriting.

And songwriting IS the triumphant key to why this Best Of is really so good, and a great album all in itself. It all works so deftly, no musical opportunity missed, yet nothing wasted or outstaying its welcome. This IS where Bruce D has now arrived and, in a sense, always was. Empowerment!

Some rarities that are major surprises, so the 2-disc version is a must."

Best....Compilation.....Ever!!

Jonathan | Canada | 12/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After I got all the Iron Maiden CD's, I wanted to check out Bruce's solo stuff. I got the 2 disc edition of this album, and I was BLOWN AWAY!!The first disc starts of with Broken, recorded exclusively for this set, and perfectly sets the mood. It shows that you're in for metal in a way you've never quite heard before. Then, you get some tracks from the first two albums:Tatooed Millionaire, a live cut of Laughing in the Hiding Bush, and Tears of the Dragon. The first two songs mentioned get your head banging and your feet tapping. TOTD however, slows down and gives you pure music of epic dimensions. Now that your heart beat has slowed down, you're surprised with The Tower. This song has a great chorus, and really sounds like great heavy metal. The lyrics really stand out, sounding like a tarot card reading. Next, Bruce presents Born in 58 and Accident of Birth. These songs, while very good, do not stand out as much as the rest of the CD, which is a real shame. Time to pick up the pace with Silver Wings and Darkside of Aquarius. While the former song was written just for this set, a few years before DOA, these two songs really seem like a pair, with fast beats, catchy choruses, and the same kind of groove. Now, you get another epic song: Chemical Wedding. This song stands out with its excellent vocal delivery, and its ability to keep your blood pumping, even though it is a slow song. The next track, Back from the Edge, has got to be one of my favorites. I love the vocals. I love the chorus. I love how the guitars sound like they're being played underwater. For this song, it is IMPERATIVE that you have a high quality sound systems. The last 2 tracks, Road to Hell and Book of Thel(live) are the same deal as tracks 6 and 7. Good, but they don't really stand out as much.The second disc is well worth the money, but my fingers are tiring, so I won't go into too much detail. The first track is Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter, the original cut. I personally think that this version is better than the Maiden version, but you may disagree. The other songs I really like are Wicker Man (not the Maiden song), Real World, Re-Entry, and I'm in a Band with and Italian Drummer. This disc also includes a track of Bruce talking about the second disc for about 15 minutes. Pretty cool.The bottom line, you MUST BUY THIS ALBUM! It is a pure representation of heavy metal, nay, music in general, in it's greatest form. And make sure you get the two disc set. It's worth the extra money. Trust me."

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