The purpose of most compilation albums with titles such as "The Best Of", "Greatest Hits" or "Live" is to take a few tracks from each album so it can give the listener a little taste of a band's musical discography without the listener having to buy every album. But there have been many times for me where after I bought these types of compilations, my interest was further inspired to explore those songs from the original albums that didn't make it. The end result for me is that I have purchased many of the original albums due to the little taste that a "Best Of", "Greatest Hits" or "Live" album had provided.

Which brings me to my next point. When it comes to track listings on "Best of's", "Greatest Hits" or even "Live" albums, there is always going to be controversy as to which songs should have been included as to those that should have been left by the wayside.

There is also the "cash grab" factor. Including a few unreleased, new, or bonus tracks of some sort with those that have been previously released; a record company's tactic to get you to buy something you already have a majority of.

For someone who is new to the music of a particular artist, all of the above just might be perfect for them and a good way to familiarize themselves with how a band sounds.

I have some mixed feelings about Judas Priest's "Metalogy". I upgraded all of my Judas Priest CD's a few years back when Columbia/Legacy remastered everything from "Sin After Sin" to "Painkiller". Each album included bonus tracks of unreleased studio material and live tracks. Now that "Metalogy" has been released, a Priest fan who may have already bought the remasters must ask themselves if the material on "Metalogy" warrants the purchase.

It seems to me Columbia/Legacy released "Metalogy" for a few reasons. With the recent reunion of Rob Halford rejoining the ranks of Judas Priest and a new album not due out until early 2005, they needed something to hold fans over during the interim. They also want to remind fans of the magic behind Judas Priest's music. "Metalogy" provides a very good overview of the Priest musical catalog. Four CD's cover material from every release since 1974 through 2001, including 4 songs from the Tim "Ripper" Owens era.. The box set mixes in some unreleased live versions, some of which are good but I would have preferred the studio recordings. There is also an unreleased demo of "Heart of a Lion", which Rob Halford re-recorded on his solo effort, "Live Insurrection". It's interesting to hear the Priest version, but Halford's blows it away. All in all, there are only 9 previously unreleased tracks out of 65 total.

The box set itself is smaller than most. It's black and square shaped with sliver leather "metal" studs on the sides. The CD's come in slip cases, somewhat of a disappointment. The booklet enclosed is very informative and discusses the career of Judas Priest through the various stages of their career.

The one thing that may warrant the purchase of "Metalogy" is the inclusion of the Live DVD. It's a concert of Judas Priest which was recorded December 12th, 1982 at the Mid South Coliseum in Memphis, TN. during their "Screaming For Vengeance" World Tour. It was originally released in 1983 as "Judas Priest - Live" by CBS-Fox video but has long been out of print. This DVD includes brand new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes with audio remixed to 5.1. The performance is flawless and the recording is one of the best live recordings I have ever heard. It's crisp, clear, just simply amazing. This is Judas Priest in their prime, at their peak, playing some of their best material ever!. The DVD includes over 90 minutes of music. It's the highlight of "Metalogy".

I strongly feel that Columbia/Legacy should have included all of the unreleased material (that was originally included on the Priest remasters) on "Metalogy". It just would have made for a much more interesting retrospective and justify the purchase. I was also disappointed that songs like "The Ripper", "Running Wild" "Saints In Hell", "Hot Rockin - studio version", "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise", "Hard As Iron", etc. didn't make it.

I think die hard Judas Priest fans as well as those who might just be discovering their music will want this box set. Overall, it gives the listener a great retrospective of their musical career. As with any compilation, there is only so much material you can fit and then make it available at an affordable price. I paid around $46 for it through the BMG music service. One thing I do want to note is that track 15 on CD 1, "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)" had what appeared to be a manufacturing defect. The song starts to skip around the one minute and nine seconds into the song. I had to send this disc back to Sony and I'm still waiting for a replacement.