ORIGINAL HITS

This Machiavel compilation is very pleasant. Of course, several tracks available on prior ones sound redundant here, but I guess that if you should have one of their compilations this one is probably the best one to get.

Of course "After The Crop" is missing (one of their best song ever written), but this one is a good mix between their prog days (eight songs) as well as of their pop ones (five songs).

All their (Belgian) hits are here of course and this compilation stops at "New Lines" (thank god) : so, you'll get "Fly", Over The Hill" as well as "Champagne In Amsterdam".

The core of this work is made out of "Mechanical Moonbeam", one of their two best albums IMO. No less than five songs are featured, of which the very much "Genesis" oriented "The Fifth Season" and "Beyond The Silence" and the quite and Trespass-esque "Mary" (so, three genesis ones here). And it was difficult to avoid the superb rock ballad "Rope Dancer".

Their early days are less well illustrated with three songs out of their first two albums. But a song as "Jester" is always an enchantment to listen to. And "Wisdom" is also an excellent choice from this great album (their second best).

If you don't know the band, this is an excellent introduction to grab. Four stars for this very good collection of songs.