Back around 1996, Iron Maiden put out a greatest hits compilation, the first (?) of many, called The Best of the Beast. Immediately I got to thinking there needed to be another one called The Best of the Bruce, since Bruce Dickinson (who at that time was not in the band) had recorded so much great stuff, both within Iron Maiden as well as on his own. For one thing, it would probably sound a lot more diverse. While Maiden undeniably has legion of fans (going to a Maiden show is like a heavy metal version of the Rolling Stones crossed with the Grateful Dead), their sound has generally worked within the fairly narrow musical confines of what bassist/leader Steve Harris writes, or permits (only one song in the last four albums has not listed him as at least a co-author). Bruce's solo stuff tends to be a lot more gritty and heavy, less progressive than Iron Maiden. His albums aren't as carefully crafted as the Maiden albums, but they are a bit more fun to listen to. In writing and performance, his bandmates get a lot of latitude to have fun with the music and it shows, particularly on stage.
It took around five years to finally see something akin to a Best of the Bruce, and, of course, not all the tracks they selected were the ones I would have picked. However, to keep it from just being a glorified artist mix tape, they threw on two new songs, plus an entire disc of B-sides and other rare material. All of this considered, you've got an outstanding compilation here. The first and primary thing to keep in mind is that the compilation is 14 years old, so at this point the last three very progressive-leaning Iron Maiden albums and the solo album Tyranny of Souls had not yet been released. This is a snapshot in time.
Solo Bruce began in earnest in 1990 with Tattooed Millionaire. The big hit of the album actually never made it to the album. "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter", the song that effectively launched the entire album, was left off when Steve Harris decided to appropriate it for Iron Maiden and didn't want any competition from the Bruce solo version. Therefore, that song kicks off the bonus disc (more on the bonus songs later). Two other songs, the title track and the song "Born in '58" represent the album here. Frankly, I would have preferred "Son of a Gun" and "Gypsy Road" instead, but nobody asked me. The title track certainly captures the tone of the album very well and maybe the compilers felt like they needed more slow songs. Overall it's an interesting album because it explores the kind of sound the Bruce would never return to, as well as introduce the world to future Maiden-man Janick Gers, formerly from Gillan, White Spirit and other NWOBHM bands largely unknown Stateside.
Fast forward to 1994's Balls of Picasso and you have a new Bruce. This was his first album with Roy Z and his Tribe of Gypsies on board for the ride and it marks a powerful change in direction. Some have criticized Bruce for going too far outside the lines of metal on this album. He was fresh out of Iron Maiden and looking for a change in musical direction, freed from the militant musical direction of Steve Harris. Maybe the compiler had similar misgivings, as there is only one track here from that album, but it's Bruce's masterpiece: "Tears of the Dragon", a song that is a true metal "ballad" but without sacrificing the heaviness. If it was up to me, I'd include half the album here, but I would also need to invent a new CD format to hold them along with everything else.
Bruce's third solo album, Skunkworks, was released at the height of the 1990's post-grunge/alternative surge and was a continuation of his outside-Maiden wanderings. It is an album even more "out there" and introspective than Balls, with a lot of science-themed songs. Also apparent in the packaging is a haircut (!!!), an entirely new band, and the obvious submerging of Bruce's solo identity to this ad-hoc band creation called Skunkworks, just like the album title. At the time it seemed like Bruce was on a trajectory far away from the classic metal sound, but it would turn out to be a musical dead end. Nevertheless, there is a lot to like about Skunkworks, and they've included one of the best tracks here, "Back From the Edge". While there are other worthy songs, it's not the most representative album of the Bruce solo canon, so one song is probably enough here.
Ironically a stable "band" would not become a reality for Bruce until the next album, Accident of Birth. Unlike Skunkworks, Bruce made a dramatic decision (in the space of less than a year) to get back to real metal. Roy Z and most the Gypsies returned for duty and, out of nowhere, former Maiden axe-man Adrian Smith signed on as well. The new album went over so well, that another one, the gothic-flavored Chemical Wedding would quickly follow. Since these two albums are probably the best picture of where Bruce was "at" musically in 2001, they contribute five tracks (three from Accident and two from Wedding), plus two more tracks from the live Scream for Me Brazil join them on the compilation. Now in the heat of all this was a concern that there were effectively now two Iron Maidens, something voiced by Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain when he paid a visit to a Bruce solo show. I can't say if it was money or genuine warm feelings that healed the rift in the band at the end of 1999, but against all odds Bruce and Adrian Smith were back in Maiden for 2000's Brave New World, launching a period of unprecedented stability as a six-man band which exists to this day.
Alas, Bruce's solo career was a casualty of this reunion. While Bruce's contributions to the band have clearly re-energized it, the last four Maiden albums are far more under the sway of the strict Steve Harris songwriting formulas. However, especially on Dance of Death and Final Frontier, there are some unexpectedly different musical passages, and I think that's where Bruce continues to shine. Additionally, he was able to stitch together Tyranny of Souls in 2005 and the two bonus tracks included on Disc 1 on this compilation. All of these songs pretty much continue what was established back on Accident of Birth, although Adrian Smith is absent and the rhythm section are different guys. As far as I know there hasn't been any kind of Bruce solo tour since the 1990's so it is not likely that any of these songs ever were performed live. Additionally, given the rigorous touring schedule for Iron Maiden, Bruce has been on record saying that these songs were largely the result of tapes being passed back and forth remotely between Roy Z and himself.
In this whole mess, I forgot to mention the bonus disc. Thankfully the compilers were not content to just add the two bonus tracks and force the fans to eat the rest. The bonus tracks are definitely the other side of Bruce Dickinson. The second to last track ("The Voice of Crube") is actually Bruce telling the listener directly about the histories of these oddball songs. I won't duplicate his stories, but most of the tracks are B-sides and outtakes. One track of particular interest ("No Way Out Continued") is from a "lost" album that was originally intended as the sequel to Tattooed Millionaire. The last track is very special: a recording of Bruce's earliest known vocal performance on a song called "Dracula" from 1977. For fans of NWOBHM it simply must be heard! A few years down the road a lot if not all the songs (except probably "Dracula") ended up as bonus tracks of the individual album re-releases, alongside still yet even more bonus material. I've made a mental note to snoop around for this extra stuff and I'm very grateful for individual track purchases when available!
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