8. Omega (from Accident of Birth)
I’ve read in a couple of interviews that there’s somewhat of a story arc between “Starchildren,” “Omega,” and “Arc of Space.” I can’t really connect the dots on them myself, but if, hypothetically, it’s true, then one star shines brighter than all the others. Which is fitting, I suppose, because “Omega” (in this case, referring to the Greek letter, which also means ‘the end’) is about a supernova. The penultimate song on Accident of Birth, it’s first couple minutes are pretty good. It’s nothing revolutionary, and not as captivating as, for example, “Taking the Queen,” but it’s all a prelude. The song really kicks off with one of H’s best solos, that leads into a roaring solo from Z and one hell of guitar harmony to cap it off. I’m not going to wax poetic about the rest of the song, because although it’s good, there’s nothing to say about it that I haven’t already said about others, and somewhat similar to “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Maiden, its spot on this list, and its elevation from merely ‘good’ to ‘awesome,’ is really due to a fantastic solo by Mr. Adrian Smith.
7. Wicker Man (from The Best of Bruce Dickinson)
Originally written and recorded (partially) for the Accident of Birth sessions, and finished during The Chemical Wedding sessions, it wasn’t until Bruce’s Best Of... came out in 2002 for “Wicker Man” to find its way to the general public. Which is a real shame, as its a fantastic song, and would’ve been a great addition to either album. Of course, it does feel a little rough and unfinished, and is not polished to the shining gleam of the songs on either of the two albums, but it almost adds to its charm. I don’t know how much of it’s production is a hodge-podge, but it sounds a lot like it was a transition between the two albums sound-wise. Either way, it’s a great song. There are a handful of great riffs, two great solos by Z and H, and a solid bass performance by Casillas. The lyrics deserve special mention, as they are some of the best Dickinson has wrote. Stanzas like this are simple in terms of construction, but have an elegance nonetheless:
Let the pendulum go
Let it sway away
Let the chimes ring out
On this solstice day
When the earth renews
When the seed reveals
When we are reborn
In every waking dream
Fantastic. The chorus is great, but the best moments of the song are in the final minute, which builds upon itself for a fantastic finish. Dickinson also puts in a great performance here. Awesome stuff.
6. The Alchemist (from The Chemical Wedding)
One of the very few instances of vocal effects occur during the first minute of “The Alchemist.” The vocals pan back and forth between a distorted and a clean Bruce, and it creates a really cool and creepy effect. Another great lyric, this one concerning alchemy. Once again, and something that has become somewhat of a recurring theme on this list, seeing how well Bruce does it, the music and lyrics work extremely well together. Another atypical, slow, building Smith contribution, the riffs are fairly simple, but very cool, and allows Casillas a lot of breathing room to meander on the bass. The mix between the heavy distortion and the heavy reverb is an interesting choice of effects. Of course, the reprise of “Chemical Wedding” to end the album, is absolutely genius, and lends a much greater feel of a concept than there actually is. This song is just cool to listen to, as its slow pace and interesting effects really allow itself to expand itself sonically. Awesome song. Note: if you have the normal version, stick around an extra minute and half for a final quote delivered by Arthur Brown. It scared the crap out of me the first time I heard it, because I thought the album was done, so I hadn't turned it off before I went to bed.
Topic: Bruce Dickinson Top 30 (Now Sharing: Wolfking) (Read 23802 times)
