Iron Maiden "Best of the Beast"

Best of the Beast was Iron Maiden's first "best of" album, released in 1996 in three formats: a 34 track (four disc) vinyl, a 27 track (two disc) CD, a 16 track (single disc) CD and MiniDisc. The vinyl edition is, to date, the band's longest record release, running for over three hours.

The track listings are mainly made up of the band's greatest hits (singles) and most well-known songs from their 1980–1995 albums, but they also include a new single, entitled "Virus", and an unreleased live version of "Afraid to Shoot Strangers". Both songs had promotional music videos, the latter of which was filmed during The X Factour and originally featured the band's previous lead vocalist, Bruce Dickinson.

The two-CD version contains two songs from the band's 1979 demo tape The Soundhouse Tapes ("Iron Maiden" and "Strange World," of which the latter was previously unreleased). The 4-disc vinyl pressing is quite rare and has increased in value steadily over the years in music stores and on online auction sites. The standard edition's value has not changed much although the Japanese pressings continue to rise in value. Best of the Beast has long since been out of print and has been "replaced" by Edward the Great in most countries as a 'best of' for the band.

The cover art was designed by Derek Riggs, known for having created most of Iron Maiden's early album covers. It is an amalgamation of his most famous works with the band, featuring Eddies from the Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere in Time and No Prayer for the Dying eras, as well as those from "The Trooper", Live After Death and a redesign of the Killers album cover.

Track listing

Standard edition CD and MD

1. "The Number of the Beast" Steve Harris 1982 ~ The Number of the Beast 4:49
2. "Can I Play With Madness" Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, Harris 1988 ~ Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 3:31
3. "Fear of the Dark" (Live in Helsinki, Finland 1992) Harris 1993 ~ A Real Live One (1992 ~ Fear of the Dark) 7:21
4. "Run to the Hills" Harris 1982 ~ The Number of the Beast 3:50
5. "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter" Dickinson 1990 ~ No Prayer for the Dying 4:44
6. "The Evil That Men Do" Smith, Dickinson, Harris 1988 ~ Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 4:35
7. "Aces High" Harris 1984 ~ Powerslave 4:31
8. "Be Quick or Be Dead" Dickinson, Janick Gers 1992 ~ Fear of the Dark 3:21
9. "2 Minutes to Midnight" Smith, Dickinson 1984 ~ Powerslave 6:04
10. "Man on the Edge" Blaze Bayley, Gers 1995 ~ The X Factor 4:18
11. "Virus" Harris, Gers, Dave Murray, Bayley New Track 6:30
12. "Running Free" (Live in Long Beach, USA 1985) Harris, Paul Di'Anno 1985 ~ Live After Death (1980 ~ Iron Maiden) 3:25
13. "Wasted Years" Smith 1986 ~ Somewhere in Time 5:06
14. "The Clairvoyant" Harris 1988 ~ Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 4:27
15. "The Trooper" Harris 1983 ~ Piece of Mind 4:11
16. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" Harris 1982 ~ The Number of the Beast 7:10

Total length: 77:53

Limited edition CD

Disc One

1. "Virus" Harris, Gers, Murray, Bayley New Track 6:30
2. "Sign of the Cross" Harris 1995 ~ The X Factor 11:17
3. "Man on the Edge" Bayley, Gers 1995 ~ The X Factor 4:18
4. "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" (Live in Gothenburg, Sweden 1995) Harris Previously Unreleased (1992 ~ Fear of the Dark) 6:48
5. "Be Quick or Be Dead" Dickinson, Gers 1992 ~ Fear of the Dark 3:21
6. "Fear of the Dark" (Live at Helsinki, Finland 1992) Harris 1993 ~ A Real Live One 7:21
7. "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter" Dickinson 1990 ~ No Prayer for the Dying 4:44
8. "Holy Smoke" Harris, Dickinson 1990 ~ No Prayer for the Dying 3:49
9. "The Clairvoyant" Harris 1988 ~ Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 4:27
10. "Can I Play With Madness" Smith, Dickinson, Harris 1988 ~ Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 3:31
11. "The Evil That Men Do" Smith, Dickinson, Harris 1988 ~ Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 4:35
12. "Heaven Can Wait" Harris 1986 ~ Somewhere in Time 7:24
13. "Wasted Years" Smith 1986 ~ Somewhere in Time 5:06

Disc Two

1. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (Live in Long Beach, USA 1985) Harris 1985 ~ Live After Death (1984 ~ Powerslave) 13:10
2. "Running Free" (Live in Long Beach, USA 1985) Harris, Di'Anno 1985 ~ Live After Death (1980 ~ Iron Maiden) 3:25
3. "2 Minutes to Midnight" Smith, Dickinson 1984 ~ Powerslave 6:04
4. "Aces High" Harris 1984 ~ Powerslave 4:31
5. "Where Eagles Dare" Harris 1983 ~ Piece of Mind 6:10
6. "The Trooper" Harris 1983 ~ Piece of Mind 4:11
7. "The Number of the Beast" Harris 1982 ~ The Number of the Beast 4:49
8. "Run to the Hills" Harris 1982 ~ The Number of the Beast 3:50
9. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" Harris 1982 ~ The Number of the Beast 7:10
10. "Wrathchild" Harris 1981 ~ Killers 2:54
11. "Phantom of the Opera" Harris 1980 ~ Iron Maiden 7:20
12. "Sanctuary" Harris, Murray, Di'Anno 1980 ~ Iron Maiden 3:13
13. "Strange World" (Unreleased Recording for The Soundhouse Tapes) Harris Previously Unreleased (1980 ~ Iron Maiden) 5:45
14. "Iron Maiden" Harris 1979 ~ The Soundhouse Tapes (1980 ~ Iron Maiden) 3:57

Total length: 149:40

Recording information:

Track 3 recorded live on August 27th, 1992 in Helsinki, Finland.

Track 12 recorded live on March 14th-17th, 1985 in Long Beach, California, US.