The Collection

Upon splitting from Motorhead in 1982, guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke wasted no time putting together another band, Fastway. Those expecting another biker metal band must have been disappointed, 'cause Fastway smoothed out the rough edges of Clarke's previous band in favor of a far more radio-friendly sound. And the move seemed to work initially, as Fastway's 1983 self-titled debut outsold any Motorhead album in the U.S. -- spawning the MTV hit "Say What You Will." But the group was unable to sustain its initial success, and lasted for only a few more albums before pulling the plug. The 19-track overview Collection covers most of the bases, as it contains a healthy helping from the group's three best studio efforts: their aforementioned self-titled debut, 1984's All Fired Up, and 1986's Trick or Treat (the latter a soundtrack to an obscure, quite awful movie starring both Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne). Included are such highlights as "Trick or Treat," "The World Waits for You," and of course the aforementioned "Say What You Will" (not only their biggest hit, but probably the best of the bunch). Surprisingly, the set does not contain probably the best track from Trick or Treat, "After Midnight" (for which a video was filmed and aired on MTV's half-hour heavy metal show at the time). ~ Greg Prato