Classic Masters - Queensrÿche

With a pretty darn definitive Queensryche �best of' collection already released in 2000 (Greatest Hits), you have to wonder why another similarly styled set surfaced only two years later, �Classic Masters.' And to add to all the head scratching, it's pretty baffling that the �Classic Masters' Queensryche edition manages to leave out more than just a few of the band's most renowned songs. As most CD buyers know by now, each budget priced �Classic Masters' release focuses on Capitol Records catalog artists, and each edition contains twelve tracks total -- obviously aimed at the new fan. The Queensryche �Classic Masters' does manage to include a few expected favorites from throughout their career, including such metallic classics as �Queen of the Reich," �Warning," �Speak," and �I Don't Believe in Love," as well as more progressive selections as �Anybody Listening" and �I Am I" (as well as their mega hit ballad, �Silent Lucidity"). But with the absence of such classics as �Empire," �Eyes of a Stranger," �Walk in the Shadows," �Jet City Woman," etc., the �Classic Masters' Queensryche edition is far from definitive. Stick with the far better assembled Greatest Hits. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide