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| | Label: Capitol
Salesrank: 166887
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| Our Price: $27.88 |
| Used Price: $1.33 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
1 No More Mr. Nice Guy 2 Breakpoint 3 Go To Hell 4 Angry Again 5 99 Ways To Die 6 Paranoid 7 Diadems 8 Problems
Hidden Treasures Reviews:
TRACK LISTING: 
2009-08-08 - 1. No More Mr. Nice Guy
2. Breakpoint
3. Go to Hell
4. Angry Again
5. 99 Ways to Die
6. Paranoid
7. Diadems
8. Problems
A much deserved re-release of a great rarities collection
2007-08-29 - Hidden Treasures (1995. (Re-released 2007.)), a collection of Megadeth rarities
The year 2007 has seen a number of great releases for the thousands of Megadeth fans out there. The band's new studio album, `United Abominations', is a fantastic release and the `That One Night, Live In Buenos Aires' DVD is excellent concert footage. To put the icing on the cake, the band's rarities collection `Hidden Treasures' was given a remaster and re-release. `Hidden Treasures' was originally released in 1995 however it had eventually gone out of print and had become increasing difficult to get hold of in CD format. The re-release (albeit only currently available outside the US) gives a new lease of life to very much an excellent `Megadeth fans' release. The work has been certainly remastered - the first eight tracks which formed the basis of the original CD sound crisp and clear with excellent bass depth and intensity. 3 Demos and a radio of `A Tout Le Monde' are also included on the CD. The tracks themselves span very much the `classic' period of Megadeth's career from 1989-1995 and are mostly releases for film/computer game soundtracks. Apart from the first song on the album, each track features the line-up of Dave Mustaine, Dave Ellefson, Nick Menza and Marty Friedman. Below is a little about the songs.
`No More Mr. Nice Guy' opens the collection. This is a fantastic cover of the 1970's Alice Cooper classic and is the only Megadeth song recorded as a 3 piece. It was recorded in 1989 during the band's search for a second guitarist to replace Jeff Young. Megadeth's version is faster than the original and contains some excellent vocals and guitar work from Mustaine. `Breakpoint' is a good follow up with some express riffs and a humorous interlude mid-way through. `Go To Hell' is an interesting song, in many ways very much Megadeth's take on Metallica's `Enter Sandman' as it features the `Now I Lay Me Down...' lyrics. I'm not sure if Megadeth released this before Metallica brought out their self-titled or if it is a humorous dig at Mustaine's former band but either way it is a pretty good and funny song. ` Angry Again' is for me the best track on this rarities CD. One of my personal favourite Megadeth songs, it contains some great melodies and an amazingly great chorus which really sticks inside your head. There also some Friedman guitar solo excellence in the song. '99 Ways To Die' is another CD highlight, with plenty of energy and another mint chorus line. The band's cover of Black Sabbath's `Paranoid' is well worth a listen as is the much more mellow and stately `Diadems'. `Problems' is a very well done version of the original Sex Pistols song. The most worthwhile song in the bonuses is the demo of `Symphony Of Destruction' which has an excellent extended solo section (the song can also be found on the `Countdown To Extinction' remaster bonuses). The demo/edit extras `A Tout Le Monde', `Architecture Of Aggression' and `New World Order' are all good versions of the songs in their own right.
Overall this is another Megadeth release which is well worth getting hold of if you're a big fan of the band. Personally I think the CD is worth it for `Angry Again' alone but the rest of the CD is a further collection of Megadeth excellence. The CD will no doubt be available in the US soon, this great CD is a fan must which has thankfully received a much deserved re-release and makeover!
MY RATING: 8/10
Hidden no more
2007-06-02 - This is the sort of release that hovers between three and four stars. While it's not a proper album it's various tunes are close enough in time and space and attitude to gel nicely. Also Megadeth have wisely steered clear of dogging this release with demos and alternate versions that have effectively stymied similar releases by other bands, bombarding the listener into apathy. Instead Megadeth have presented a clutch of tunes all played in the bands usual idiom and a few of which may be familiar already to long time fans in teh same what that many songs on Def Leppards RetroActive release were known to their more devoted fans.
As to specifics the collection kicks off with the bands cover of the Alice Cooper class No More Mr Nice Guy which appeared on the soundtrack for the Wes Craven film Shocker. The movie was dodgy but there is nothing dodgy about this number due in part to Mustaines affinity with the lyrics and the fact that more modern delivery and production values hugely benefit the song. Next up is Breakpoint which was a new one to me and ain't all bad. A densely played Megadeth number - apparently originally on the soundtrack for the film Super Marion Bros (no wonder I'd not heard it).
The next three tracks are also from soundtracks: Got to Hell (Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey), Angry Again (Last Action Hero) and 99 Ways to Die (The Beavis & Butthead Experience). The first two are great metal tunes with passion and verve with great axework. The latter though approaches filler status, missing some indefinable ingredient.
Next up is the cover of Black Sabbaths Paranoid. Recording for the Nativity in Black tribute to the Sabs the differences to the original is the modern production values and the more clipped playing style of the Megadeth boys. In a pinch I'd probably prefer to listen to Ozzy sing this as his unhinged style is just more fitting to the songs thrust.
Tales from the Crypt Presents Demon Night is the source soundtrack for Diadems which is a fairly stock metal tune. It's Megadeth so thers is a certain minium quality inherent but it's not got much personality of it's own. Last tune, Problems, is of a somewhat similar nature. It's a totally new tune recorded just for this collection - but while it has more space in it's arrangements it isn't a gotta have track.
All up this is a handy collection because it brings together a bunch of cool and OK tracks from disposable sources. Brilliant if, like me, you don't have stuff like the Super Mario Bros soundtrack on your birthday wishlist! Accept the disc for what it is and you'll be fine but remember this is a collection aimed more at the dedicated fans ans isn't a full album of new recordings.
Great collection of non-album tracks
2006-07-25 - The 1995 EP Hidden Treasures collects the various tracks that Megadeth contributed to soundtracks and tribute albums throughout the early 1990's. Here's what you get:
1. No More Mr. Nice Guy - This one is a cover of the Alice Cooper classic, and comes from the soundtrack to the movie Shocker.
2. Breakpoint - This is an original Megadeth track, and comes from the soundtrack to the movie Super Mario Brothers.
3. Go To Hell - Another original Megadeth track, this time from the Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack.
4. Angry Again - Another original Megadeth song. This one is from the Last Action Hero soundtrack.
5. 99 Ways to Die - Yet another Megadeth original, this time from the Beavis & Butthead Experience CD.
6. Paranoid - An ultra-fast cover of the Black Sabbath classic, taken from the Sabbath tribute album Nativity in Black.
7. Diadems - Another original Megadeth song. This one comes from the soundtrack to the movie Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.
8. Problems - A Sex Pistols cover that is exclusive to this EP.
This is a nice collection of material that saves Megadeth fans from tracking down half a dozen otherwise crappy albums (though to be fair, the Last Action Hero soundtrack was pretty good). I fully expected these songs to be included on the recent Megadeth remasters, but to my surprise they were not. Hidden Treasures remains the best way to get these songs. It's too bad the disc is out of print.
NOTE: There is a Japanese import version of Hidden Treasures that contains a few demos as bonus tracks. They're just demo versions of existing Megadeth tracks, so they may not be worth the Japanese disc's hefty price tag.
Find This Treasure 
2005-12-21 - I've been looking everywhere for this album, I found it in a used CD shop. The first Megadeth song I'd ever heard was on Last Action Hero. "Angry Again" is impressive enough to buy the album for, but you won't be dissappointed by "99 Ways To Die" or their cover of Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy". An excellent album, if you find it, GET IT.
