Some reviewers were disappointed that Big Hits & Nasty Cuts had 10 studio hits and then 5 (or 6, more on that later) really rough and raw live numbers. It's best to think of this as a 10 track "greatest hits" CD with 5 (or 6) bonus live tracks for collectors. The 10 studio tracks contain nearly all of the major Twisted Sister singles and is a very satisfying side.
Yes there are songs that could have been on here, such as "Like a Knife in the Back", but as a casual singles collection this is darn near perfect. From "I'll Never Grow Up, Now!" to "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" (on some versions, anyway) all that feels out of place is the lack of "Hot Love", their final single from the ill-fated Love is For Suckers album. (That album, however, is actually a Dee Snider solo album and no members of TS aside from Joey Franco played on it.)
As I insinuated, there are two different versions of this CD out there, and I do not know which one amazon.ca is selling. Theoretically they should be selling the Canadian version although the tracklisting does not reflect it. The Canadian version subbed "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" instead of "Bad Boys (of Rock 'n' Roll)" which is the way I prefer, as otherwise no singles from Come Out and Play would be included. The Canadian version also omitted "Run For Your Life" and has only 15 tracks. The early Canadian version that I have also has a much-expanded booklet, with great liner notes about the history of the band, about each track, and the live gig where the "nasty cuts" were taken from. It also had more pictures of the early versions of the band. The US version that I have doesn't have any liner notes and far fewer photos.
The 5 (or 6) "nasty cuts" were originally released as the B-sides to 7" and 12" singles. This is thus far their first and only CD release, making them quite desirable to collectors. To casual fans, the raw out-of-control performances could be simply too rough and heavy for their tastes. Seriously, folks: These recordings are really raw, really rough, and the band is out of control getting faster and heavier with each song. Not for everybody. Dee Snider's onstage rants are still classic. For collectors, it's crucial to get the US version so you'll have all 6 nasty cuts.
I hope this helps. I personally love this CD. When I was a newew fan, I didn't appreciate the nasty cuts like I do now. I tended to just enjoy the first 10 songs. At this price, however, if you're buying it just for the first 10 songs, you're still paying the same money as you would to digitally download those 10 songs, without having to burn them to a CD and getting a booklet too. So buying this just makes sense.
4 stars.
