I’m deeply considering making April the month of looking at compilations. It’s kind of fun to listen to them, even if finding background information can be hard. We’ve already looked at 2 neat releases early & mid of this month, so let’s end this on a nice note. The Ozzy compilation I looked at in 2017 was a gift from my folks, so this time around let me talk about a compilation I purchased myself a few short years afterwards, and one that holds up well at the same time. Let’s take a look at the mid 2000s Megadeth compilation Back to the Start, and what it’s all about shall we.
Background
Much like Voices Of Transgression from 2017, and the Ratt review from the middle of this month, there’s not much info about Back To The Start. However, what is around (Mainly from Wikipedia) is actually interesting. The songs on this compilation were picked mainly by fans, who voted in polls on Megadeth’s website (With the exception of 1, but more on that in a bit). Then, on the 28th of June, 2005, Greatest Hits: Back to the Start was released.
Back To The Start managed to get to No. 65 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 17,441 copies within it’s first week according to Nielsen SoundScan. By the 16th of December in the same year, 133,000 copies were sold. By July of 2011, Back To The Start was actually certified gold in Canada for 40,000 copies, and on the 23rd in Ontario, Megadeth was presented with gold plaques by EMI in recognition of the achievement.
Basic Description
A fantastic thrash medley.
Back To The Start is just one of those compilations that’s just fun to listen to. You’ve got stuff from the band’s start in the mid 80s, and things go all the way to the super early 2000s. This length of time allows for a wide variety of tunes to roost on this release, and thanks to the fan voting, it feels like a compilation that’s truly meant for fans rather than a simple cash grab. There’s plenty of classic songs that the longtime Megadeth fans will sink their teeth into, but at the same time this release acts as a great gateway for anyone even remotely interested in Megadeth! Definitely a spicy release if I do say so myself.
Best Track
There’s a pretty good buffet of songs from a wide stretch of time here. From their beginning days in the 80s, all the way to the super early 2000s, there’s something for just about everybody. However, I gotta go with a perfect middle finger to the man in the form of Kill The King. Ironically taken from another compilation (Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years. I’m definitely gonna take a look at this one during Compilation Month 3!), Dave Mustaine himself insisted that this track be on here, and I can see why: harkening back to some of Megadeth’s earlier work, it simultaneously has a more polished sound & feel thanks to the then modern recording technology available. The end result is a song that’s equal parts nostalgic & yet fresh and new.......fresh & new at the time at least.
Kill The King
Worst Track
Kinda like The Least Worst Of & Voices Of Transgression: A 90s Retrospective from 2017, Back To The Start’s only real flaw is it’s organization. One of Allmusic contributor Jason Birchmeier’s critiques of the compilation was that it came across as more of a sampler than an actual look at a career. To a certain extent this is true, as the selection of songs feels like they were singled out, despite what I talked about above. However, this release does share one thing in common with Voices of Transgression, and that’s the organization. Things definitely flow somewhat smoothly, as some songs seem to be alongside others from a similar timeframe.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, check out the link below:
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
Overall Impression & Rating
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start is a wonderful assortment. It could have done with some better organization, but at the same time there’s a nice vision of Megadeth’s career up till 2005. People who are new to the band are going to get a lot more from this what compared to those who’ve been following the group for a while, even though they’ll get a kick out of something on this CD. It’s easily an essential Megadeth record for the collection, and one of my favorite Megadeth releases period!
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start gets an 8 out of 10. Newer fans of Megadeth might give it a 1 point higher score, but longtime listeners will probably keep it at 8.
So that was Back to the Start. A fine selection of song from a respectable length of time within Megadeth’s career, new fans will like the width, and old fans will appreciate what’s here. Well, Compilation Month 2 is at an end, so I figured that I’ll take it easy in May before the summer festival I got planned. See you soon!
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