*** Greatest Hits: Back to the Start by Megadeth – Just Okay Because Some of Remakes Are Sub-Par

Let me tell you something. I have been a fan of Megadeth for a heck of a long time. One of the first compact discs I ever got was Countdown to Extinction back when it was brand new in 1993. That was back when compact discs used to come with extra cardboard paper packaging artwork. I put my picture of Vic in my Trapper Keeper notebook, as a proud statement that I was a fan of Megadeth, who for most of my life I have thought are one of the coolest bands on earth. I have seen Megadeth live twice. Really, Megadeth is one of my favorite bands of all time, along with Dream Theater. I even loved Killing Is My Business and Business Is Good.

So, by now you must be wondering, where did Megadeth go wrong on “Back to the Start?” That answer is entirely in the mix. I loved all the original mixes, and I detect that in this remake they tried to make the album sound better through doing a tad of things such as adding the effect, compression. I hate compression, probably, because it seems as if everyone uses it these days. Sure, the kids probably won’t know the difference, and maybe even will like it better, but Dave you’ve got to admit that you sold your soul to the devil on this one.

Of course, some of the tracks that were originally released with compression like Skin O’ My Teeth rock hard. It is just that I don’t like the touch ups on what I considered to be the old classic Megadeth albums. They didn’t need touch ups.

Additionally, while I don’t like this record mixed in with other discs, as I crave the original sound not the remix, as a whole the album mixes better with the touch ups. For example, Hanger 18 sounds hideous in this collection. Megadeth has been around for so long that technologies have changed, some for good, some for bad. What this means is that when listening to a bunch of music the technology on each album usually varies, and this hits package seems to try to overcome that, and it does so with a moderate amount of success.

**** Islands by King Crimson - Excellent Progressive Rock from One of the Genre’s Founders

Compared to In The Court of the Crimson King, and even In The Wake of Poseidon; Islands definitely measures up.  The band was essentially playing in the style of their earlier hits when they made this one.  If that was their aim, then I would have to say that they accomplished their aim.  Notice that the volume isn’t cranked on this one, and that is the sound of music before we had compressors.  I personally am fed up with the prevalence of compressors.  I think that they take away all the dynamic from music, and spoil it just to be loud.  In my opinion, if I want my music loud, then I’ll just turn up the volume, and there is no need to compress anything.

If you want to know where bands like Dream Theater and so many others got their sonic ideas, bands like King Crimson and Return to Forever were definitely influential to their sound.

Also, you may notice that I essentially wrote the same review for both Lark’s Tongues and Islands.  That is because I felt that the music of both of these cds is very similar.  Which is not to say that these albums are identical, but in my opinion, by the instrumental music alone, one would not be able to tell perhaps an unreleased B-side one of these cds from the other.  They are essentially the same in greatness.