Eddie's Archive

As usual with Maiden's prolific live output, Eddie's Archive contains uniformly excellent recordings. The first set, "The BBC Archives", chronicles four concerts conducted between 1979 and 1988; it serves up expected hits including "Run to the Hills" and "The Trooper", the first four songs of Disc One featuring original singer Paul Di'Anno. The penultimate offering, "Beast Over Hammersmith", recorded in 1982, features stellar screamer (and longtime vocalist) Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Di'Anno in late 1981.

The gem of Eddie's Archive, however, is "Best of the B'Sides", which features 31 tunes (mostly studio recordings), including awesome covers of Jethro Tull's "Cross-Eyed Mary", Golden Earring's "Kill Me Ce Soir", two Montrose songs and cuts originally done by Chuck Berry and Led Zeppelin--as well as such obscure bands as Nektar and Beckett. "B'Sides" is almost worth the price of admission, though the package's "stash" box and shot glass are musts for militant Maiden devotees. --Katherine Turman