Search - Wasp :: Best of the Best 1984-2000

Where is volume 2?

S. Baker | Phoenix, Arizona United States | 11/16/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As with many "best of" compilations, I take issue with the song choices (which may be there purpose - after all, it pays not to put ALL the good songs from a record on a compilation). Namely, there are one too many cuts from 'The Last Command' (1985) and 'Helldorado' (1999) (why include "Sex Drive" and "Helldorado" on a best of?), not enough cuts from 'Inside the Electric Circus' (1987) or 'The Headless Children' (1989) (where is "I Don't Need No Doctor" or "The Real Me"?), and no cuts whatsoever from 'Still Not Black Enough' (1996) or 'KFD' (1999). A better choice would be to have made volume 1 a best of 1984-1989.The new cuts are mediocre. Although WASP is known for good interpretations of other band's tunes ("Paint It Black" and "The Real Me" are good examples), their take on Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is so-so.I recommend starting with the first record, 'WASP' (1984), and decide where you want to go from there. If you want to get into the more serious lyrical material, try (in order) 'The Headless Children' (1989), 'The Crimson Idol' (1992), 'Still Not Black Enough' (1996), and then 'KFD' (1999). If you like the raunchy, humorous stuff, try 'Helldorado' (1999). If you like the more poppish recordings, try 'The Last Command' (1985) and 'Inside the Electric Circus' (1986)."

Brutal, Blatant, & Blunt.... BEAUTIFUL!

James Walsh | New Jersey | 05/06/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Being a young teenager in the early 1990's, I was able to catch the tail end of a genre that seems to have become taboo in music history. The era of the "hair band." Well, I don't play the "I Hate Hair Band" game and never ever will. WASP is a very heavy yet very melodic genuine Metal band that has some, though few, elements of "Hair" in their music. Here's my synopsis of their "Best of" album.
The very first thing you will detect in the album is the snarling vocals that is very true to my, and my staff at MetalTrinity.com's form of Metal. After that, driving beats and powerful chorus based melodies will get your head banging pretty heavy. All the accentual WASP material is on this great disc and there's even a cover of Saturday Night's Are Right for Fighting. Wonder what that's like?
Imagine Elton Jon in the 1970's, before his Disney diluted music, and add an element of bipolar insanity to it. Great stuff!
This is the kind of Metal that was the way Metal is SUPPOSED to be. It was socially unacceptable and was complained about by ugly female politicians, and there was absolutely no rap influence at all. No Rap [Junk], No Weak Stuff, HEAVY METAL to the bone. You've gotta love it! You've just gotta love it so!"

Okay but lacking

jackofsometrades | Finland, EU | 04/03/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Half of this album is great as WASP can be. Another half is not. I wonder about some track choices... Why two tracks from Helldorado and less from Headless, Still Not... and KFD? The Elton-cover is okay, but not great. Then we get the great stuff, Animal, first album, second album. Then We only get one track from Electric Circus and down we go from there. Several good tracks and whole albums get dismissed and then we get two mediocre songs from Helldorado. Not good.Overall, I listen to this album almost daily, but never to the finish. I always change the disc, or start again from track 1, when the album is nearing it's end."