Pekka In recent times Iron Maiden has built a reputation of a band releasing a new compilation every two years. But among all the greatest hits type of collections there is one gem for the hardcore fans: Eddie's Archive. This handsome metal box contains a family tree parchment, a shot glass (mine's still dry, better fix that some day) and six compact discs filled with Maiden treasures ancient and more recent. The three double albums are BBC Archives, which features live recordings from four different years, digged up from - surprise surprise - the BBC archives, Beast Over Hammersmith, a complete concert from the Number of the Beast era, and Best of the B'Sides, which is what the title promises.

BBC Archives

begins in November 1979 with Iron Maiden's first radio session, long before their first album was released. Two fifths of the album recording line-up is still missing, with a short time member Tony Parsons handling the other guitar and Doug Sampson playing some of his last beats for Maiden before being replaced by Clive Burr. The tracks were pretty much in their finished form and the band sounds a lot tighter than on the Soundhouse Tapes sessions a year previously. The oldest Iron Maiden recordings officially released on cd, definitely worth hearing if you're a fan. The other sample of the Paul Di'Anno era comes from Reading Festival in the fall of 1980, the debut album had been released five months previously and the British metal audience is clearly embracing the band. The band plays well and even brings out an early version of Killers, with different lyrics, that they almost mess up in the beginning with someone missing their cue.

The Bruce era starts on the same festival two years later with a fine performance from the Number of the Beast tour, but that's a subject we'll return to under Beast Over Hammersmith. The real treat of this double cd is an eight song excerpt from the 1988 Donington Monsters of Rock, Iron Maiden at the very top of their game after Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Two people had been trampled to death earlier that day during the Guns n' Roses show, but the band had yet to learn about it and they're firing on all cylinders. After the intro to Moonchild, the opening blast of the band kicking in is... I don't know what to say, devastating? With pure energy and burning drive the band rips through the set containing such rare pieces as Infinite Dreams and the Seventh Son title track, the only flaw being Bruce's road worn voice, which sounds very strained in places. I'm still waiting for the Maiden England re-release, but as this is now the only official live recording from this era that's available to me, I'm enjoying it wholeheartedly.

Beast Over Hammersmith

is a real treasure to any friend of the early Maiden. This full length concert recording was captured very early on the Beast on the Road tour in March 1982, in fact less than a week before the release of The Number of the Beast. So all the people in attendance that evening heard classics like Hallowed Be Thy Name and the Beast title track for the first time ever, only the Run to the Hills single with b-side Total Eclipse being released before. A lot of minds were blown that night, and we're lucky to hear it in retrospect. Imagine a band on the brink of breakthrough, just recorded the album of a lifetime, a future classic, kicking off the tour that will take them to stars. This album is the soundtrack of that scenario. The band is young, hungry and they damn well know what kind of an album they've just recorded. Everyone including the soon-to-depart Clive Burr gives their 110%, and what's especially great is that Bruce's voice, which is a problem on many of their 80s live recordings is in top shape with only less than a month of touring behind them. The entire new album except Invaders and Gangland is performed together with selections from the first two albums. Murders in the Rue Morgue and Killers especially are given a great treating. This is a wonderful piece of Maiden history and very much recommended to every serious fan.

Best of the B'Sides

shows the other side(s) of Maiden, as the title suggests. This album contains not only the best of their single b-sides, but most of them, and they can be divided into four categories: original non-album material, original live material, cover songs paying tribute to their influences, and the merry silliness. The band is made of a bunch of funny blokes, but as it may be wise, they don't let that fact shine through too much on their actual albums. Some unfortunate omissions are the Thin Lizzy cover Massacre, original piece I Live My Way from the X Factor sessions and the infamous Message from 'Arry, a secretly recorded confrontation between Nicko and Steve after a roadie was sent to tell something to Nicko in the middle of his drum solo, which he messed up because of the distraction. But the stuff that is included ranges from interesting to funny to quite brilliant.

This compilation fittingly starts off with the first song ever completely written by Steve Harris, aptly titled Burning Ambition, and the three song Di'Anno portion also contains a fine live rendition of Drifter and much more interestingly a re-recording of Invasion, originally found on the Soundhouse Tapes. The Bruce era contains a lot of cover tunes and a couple of originals, both new and re-recorded. Some of the highlights of this section are the Jethro Tull cover Cross-Eyed Mary, the Nektar cover King of Twilight, Reach Out (written by Dave Colwell for the project band called Entire Population of Hackney containing a couple of Maiden members) which is brilliantly sung by Adrian Smith with Bruce providing soaring backing vocals, the original piss-take tribute to their manager Rod Smallwood called Sheriff of Huddersfield and the budgie cover I Can't See My Feelings. Two early days tracks, Prowler and Charlotte the Harlot are reworked in 1988, but these versions offer nothing much, except Bruce's voice which lacks the madman charisma needed for Prowler, and a bigger sound.

Some of the most interesting tracks come from the Blaze era. Yesterday I complained in my review of the X Factor that the album could do with a couple of faster tracks, and here they are. Justice of the Peace and Judgement Day come from the same sessions, but the band decided to give the album a darker edge by leaving these up-tempo pieces out. After some thought I've come to the conclusion that it was a wise decision, as the tracks aren't quite up to the standards of the eventual album. The familiar pre-show tape track Doctor Doctor by UFO is great to hear in Maiden form too, and the compilation ends with a couple of good live tracks first from the tours with Blaze and then from the Ed Hunter reunion tour.

This box is a big investment to make, but if you're interested enough to consider it, I can't believe you would be disappointed. A must have for serious Maiden fans. Worth all the 1212 words I've just written, phew.