Best of the 'B' Sides is a compilation of B-sides by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 4 November 2002 as part of the Eddie's Archive box set. Each track was remastered and the set came with a running commentary from Rod Smallwood. It covers all of their singles from their first (1980's "Running Free") to 2000's "Out of the Silent Planet", although several of the band's original B-sides were excluded from the collection: "Total Eclipse" (from "Run to the Hills", 1982, although this has been added to the album The Number of the Beast from 1998 onwards), "Mission From 'Arry" (from "2 Minutes to Midnight", 1984); "Bayswater Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (from "Be Quick or Be Dead", 1992); and "I Live My Way" (from "Man on the Edge", 1995). Also missing are the band's cover of Thin Lizzy's "Massacre" (from "Can I Play with Madness", 1988) and a number of live B-sides.
The album is described on the band's website as "a collection that not only reveals much about the band as individuals and the inherent character of the band, but also provides a real insight into who and where their influences came from." The cover, by the same Mark Wilkinson that drew the art on the Eddie's Archive metal box, has Eddie inside a tour bus, mooning and giving the finger to the viewer.
Track listing
Disc One
Disc Two
Personnel
Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.
Iron Maiden
- Steve Harris â bass guitar, producer (disc 2, tracks 5âÂÂ7 and 9âÂÂ14)
- Dave Murray â guitar
- Doug Sampson â drums (disc 1, track 1)
- Paul Di'Anno â lead vocals (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ3)
- Dennis Stratton â guitar (disc 1, tracks 2 and 3)
- Clive Burr â drums (disc 1, tracks 2âÂÂ4)
- Adrian Smith â guitar (disc 1, tracks 4âÂÂ15; disc 2, tracks 15 and 16), lead vocals (disc 1, track 9)
- Bruce Dickinson â lead vocals (disc 1, tracks 4âÂÂ8 and 10âÂÂ15; disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ8, 15 and 16), backing vocals (disc 1, track 9)
- Nicko McBrain â drums (disc 1, tracks 5âÂÂ15; disc 2)
- Janick Gers â guitar (disc 2)
- Blaze Bayley â lead vocals (disc 2, tracks 9âÂÂ14)
Production
- Guy Edwards â producer (disc 1, track 1)
- Will Malone â producer (disc 1, track 2)
- "Iron Maiden" â producer (disc 1, track 3; disc 2, tracks 15 and 16)
- Martin Birch â producer (disc 1, tracks 4âÂÂ15; disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ8)
- Nigel Green â producer (disc 2, tracks 9âÂÂ12)
- Mark Wilkinson â cover illustration
- Nick Watson â mastering
- Rod Smallwood â management
- Andy Taylor â management
- Merck Mercuriadis â management
References