Sign of the Times: The Best of

Sign of the Times: The Very Best of Queensryche comes in two different editions, single and double disc. The single-disc version is pretty much the one folks need if they dug either or both versions of Operation: Mindcrime, or were passionate about the rest of the band's material. It contains 17 cuts covering the gamut, even including "Queen of the Reich" and "The Lady Wore Black" from the band's debut EP (in beautifully remastered stereo), as well as the title cut and "Take Hold of the Flame" from The Warning. A pair of cuts from Operation: Mindcrime, "Eyes of a Stranger" and "I Don't Believe in Love," and "All the Promises" from Operation: Mindcrime II are also here. "Real World" comes courtesy of the soundtrack to the flick The Last Action Hero, and was included as a bonus track on the remaster of Promised Land, which also boasts "Bridge" and "I Am I." Of course, "Silent Lucidity" is present (the band's biggest hit), and the awesome for different reasons "Jet City Woman," and "Another Rainy Night (Without You)," all from Empire (let's face it, the band could write slow and midtempo power ballads). A couple of cuts come from Hear in the New Frontier, and one from Q2K as well. That sums it up: pretty much everything you'd want in a hits package, though fans are sure to quibble over a cut or two. Of course, any true fan of this band has everything already, and the curious are heading straight for the Mindcrime records. However, for anyone who has missed out on the band, this might be a way in; Queensryche are among the most underappreciated hard rock bands from the '80s and '90s, and are among the most consistent as well. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide