It's that time of year again when the charts and record stores are packed out with Greatest Hits compilations. As I type the UK charts feature efforts from Westlife (think yourself lucky America that this band mean nothing in your neck of the woods,) Frank Sinatra, N-Dubz (see Westlife comment,) Rod Stewart as well as Pink Floyd amongst many others. So why shouldn't bands with no hits so to speak release a career-spanning disc (or double in Evergrey's case?)
It is entirely debateable whether long term fans of the band would want to shell out money for the whole thing in order to get the previously unreleased tracks – in fact I probably would myself but then I'd find myself slightly disappointed. That said this collection is an excellent place to dip into Evergrey's back catalogue to see if the band work is for you. My own personal favourites would be "A Touch of Blessing" from 2004's The Inner Circle and the title track from 2006's Monday Morning Apocalypse which tends to suggest that mid-period Evergrey works best for me but you're on pretty safe ground with any Evergrey album and A Decade and a Half is as good a place as any to investigate them for the first time.
TRACKLISTING:
CD 1
01. The Masterplan 04:46
taken from "In Search Of Truth"
02. Blackened Dawn ( Live ) 04:04
taken from "A Night To Remember"
03. Rulers Of The Mind 05:57
taken from "In Search Of Truth"
04. A Touch Of Blessing 05:50
taken from "The Inner Circle"
05. Frozen 04:57
taken from "Glorious Colission"
06. For Every Tear That Falls ( Live ) 05:22
taken from "A Night To Remember"
07. More Than Ever 04:13
taken from "The Inner Circle"
08. Blinded 04:34
taken from "Recreation Day"
09. Faith Restored 03:53
taken from "The Inner Circle"
10. These Scars 05:51
taken from "Torn"
11. Broken Wings 04:42
taken from "Torn"
12. Words Mean Nothing 04:11
taken from "Solitude, Dominance & Tragedy"
13. Wrong (live) 03:12 (unplugged - previously unreleased)
CD2
01.The Great Deceiver 04:19
taken from "Recreation Day"
02. Monday Morning Apocalypse 03:10
taken from "Monday Morning Apocalypse"
03. Wrong 05:07
taken from "Glorious Colission"
04. Waking Up Blind ( Live ) 04:05
taken from "A Night To Remember"
05. Solitude Within 05:32
taken from "Solitude, Dominance & Tragedy"
06. Recreation Day 05:21
taken from "Recreation Day"
07. Still In The Water 05:17
taken from "Monday Morning Apocalypse"
08. Leave It Behind Us 05:09
taken from "Glorious Colission"
09. Fear 04:15
taken from "Torn"
10. When The Walls Go Down ( Live ) 05:28
taken from "A Night To Remember"
11. Frozen (live) 03:14 (unplugged - previously unreleased)