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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: 425 on May 29, 2020, 08:20:18 PM
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As I mentioned in the main Iron Maiden thread, I thought it would be interesting to make a thread where users can share countdowns of their top 50 (or top 30, or top 70, or top however many) favorite Iron Maiden songs. Like other threads like this, I think it’s best to run this thread by taking turns doing countdowns. I’m going to go ahead and go first, and hopefully by the time I’m done with my list there will be other people ready to share theirs.
As bosk pointed out, there was another thread doing this about 7 years ago, but since the original poster isn’t on the forum much anymore, I decided to create a new one so that I can update the thread title and OP as new lists are added. Here is a link (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.0) to the previous ranking thread.
In this post, I’ll keep the waiting list and links to the beginning of each user’s list. I also have a waiting list with the names of people who already said they’d be interested in going (sorry if I missed anyone). Just let me know if you want to be added to the list or moved down if you’re already on it.
Please feel free to structure your list pretty much however you want to. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter whether you do a few songs and feature them pretty heavily, or do a longer list and spend less time on each song. The only thing is that I think each list should be completed within about four weeks so that people aren't waiting too terribly long.
Completed Lists (* = posted in the 2013 thread):
Scorpion (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1539831#msg1539831)*
Dream Team (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1546245#msg1546245)*
wolfking (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1556113#msg1556113)*
Mister Gold (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1570943#msg1570943)*
jingle.boy (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1579924#msg1579924)*
bosk1 (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1585297#msg1585297)*
TAC (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36365.msg1593438#msg1593438)*
425 (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=55309.msg2666675#msg2666675)
Current List:
wolfking v2 (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=55309.msg2684650#msg2684650)
Waiting List:
Mister Gold v2
DTA
cramx3
Stadler
My list will begin in the next post.
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When I was putting together my list for this thread, I went back and forth a while on how many songs to include. 50 is a pretty standard number, but for a band with as big a discography as Iron Maiden, it’s pretty selective. Depending on what you count, Maiden has somewhere in the ballpark of 160 original songs, so a top 50 includes less than a third of them. Personally, I think the Maiden discography is so strong top to bottom that I think it’s warranted to do a slightly longer list, which is how I settled on a top 60, which is about the top 37% of their songs. Seems to me to fit the balance between too selective and too inclusive, though mileage may vary.
I’m going to try to complete this list in 20-25 days by doing 4 songs per day for 60-21 (10 days), 2 songs per day for 20-11 (5 days) and either 2 per day or 1 per day for the top 10, depending on how the pacing feels. I’ll also probably count down my ranking of the albums when I reach an appropriate time to do so.
My list, I think, will be rather… unconventional. Iron Maiden is a very important band to me, as they were the first band I listened to seriously. They were also my gateway into progressive rock, and as someone who was drawn to a more progressive style from very early into my experience with rock music, I’ve always gravitated toward the latter half of the Maiden discography more than most. I certainly enjoy most of their classic 80s output, but on the whole this is going to be a reunion-friendly list, to say the least. That said, 15 out of their 16 studio albums have at least one song featured.
Here are the first four songs:
60. The Number of the Beast
from The Number of the Beast
This is one of a number of live staples that almost all serious fans of the band have heard a disproportionate number of times as a result of their prevalence on live albums (I count 10 official live releases of this song). I found it particularly hard to judge these live staples that I’ve heard over and over again against the rest of the band’s discography, especially songs that have received little or no live attention. I think I ended up placing most of these songs below where a lot of people would put them (outside of an unspecified number of favorites). I’ll also probably end up saying less about them than some of the others, because I feel like they’re so well-known and mostly speak for themselves.
The Number of the Beast is a well-constructed song with an excellent mounting intro, one of the most memorable screams in rock music, and a solo section that I like a whole lot (and that is written on the inside of my brain, by now). I always enjoy it live because of how big a moment it tends to be the stage show and how fast yet tight they play it. They have plenty of better songs in my opinion, but I can’t really argue against the decision to keep playing this one, because it’s just made for the stage.
59. The Prisoner
from The Number of the Beast
Like a number of fans, I think this is one of the more overlooked songs among the 80s classics, and I’d call it one of the stronger offerings on a pretty consistent album. The Prisoner is just strong all around, with a great anthemic chorus and excellent solo section. Every time I return to it, I like it more than I remembered. I’m happy to have a live version on Maiden England, and I’m glad they pulled it out at the one Maiden show I attended in 2012.
58. The Unbeliever
from The X Factor
The first of many, many (many, many, many) controversial selections on this list. I’ve always been a big fan of both Blaze and The X Factor, and I find this to be one of the strongest cuts from that album, though it was one of the last ones to really click for me. The song is tailor-made for Blaze’s voice, especially the slow choruses, and I like the instrumental section quite a bit. The Unbeliever doesn’t rise to the level of some of the later epics, but I think it stands as a successful attempt at the longer format and a cathartic closer perfectly suited to a weighty, emotional album.
57. Phantom of the Opera
from Iron Maiden
It will soon become very obvious that I generally enjoy Maiden’s long-form songs more than their short rockers. The first song of this type isn’t the best, but it’s remarkably well-developed for a track on a debut album where the songwriting is still rough in places. Of the two singers who’ve performed this one, I think I slightly prefer Bruce, but Phantom of the Opera is not a song where the vocals are front and center. The instrumental section is what I love most here, especially the melodic guitar lead shortly before the 5 minute mark going into the solo section. Harris’s bass part under that section is wonderful!
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Awesome to see this thread get started! :metal
Your list is off to a great start so far, 425! The only thing that I find particularly surprising so far is Phantom coming in this early, but hey, it's your list, not mine! :lol I definitely agree that Bruce sings the song better than Paul though.
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Phantom of the Opera would be in my top10 for sure! Otherwise I kinda agree with placing Number of the Beast fairly low. It's a great track and a good hit song, but having been overplayed I just think many of their other tracks offer more. Prisoner is great too!
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Looks like I better get cracking then.
Unbeliever. :metal love The Prisoner pick too.
I don't know if I should look back at my list from last time. I'm thinking not as it may influence my picks now.
60 songs is a big task too.
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Prisoner has a killer intro too. And :o at Phantom’s ranking. Agreed on Unbeliever.
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All great songs - though I think Phantom would be the only one that makes my top 50. The Unbeliever is a pretty underrated song, and even though I really dislike Blaze's voice, the musical portion is high-quality stuff.
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Wow, Phantom is about 57 spots too low.
Having the Unbeliever in a Top 60 isn't controversial. It's a great tune, with many excellent parts.
But it's a clear example of my overall problem with TXF. The verses are awful, and the transitions are so jarring. Really a missed opportunity.
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All great choices from the get-go. Kudos on including The Prisoner and The Unbeliever, especially the latter.
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Wow, great to see such a strong reception! I definitely understand why someone would put Phantom of the Opera higher. I think I would be more interested in it if it had somewhat more robust vocal parts. Not that there's anything wrong with it as is, but that would be the difference-maker between it and the higher songs on the list.
I'm glad that The Unbeliever is held in higher regard here than I thought. TAC, I'd agree with you that some of the transitions are somewhat rough, but I like the verses pretty well.
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When the band re-recorded Prowler and Charlotte, I wish they did Phantom too.
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I'm really excited about this list. I'll do one at some point too, if there's a spot.
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When the band re-recorded Prowler and Charlotte, I wish they did Phantom too.
That would have been cool to hear. But at least we have Phantom on Live After Death, while the other two are rarely played live.
I'm really excited about this list. I'll do one at some point too, if there's a spot.
Absolutely, would love to see yours! Glad you're following!
Here are the next four:
56. Fortunes of War
from The X Factor
Another selection from The X Factor. I think that album does a really good job of handling space and build-up, and no song is a better example of that than this one. This is the slow intro done completely right; I really like the step-by-step build from the morose opener to the heavier verses, and then eventually into the faster galloping solo section. Once again, I think Blaze is a perfect fit for this track. It’s one of a few on this album that I can’t really imagine anyone else singing. As a bonus, this is probably the song most compatible with the album’s admittedly poor production.
55. Run Silent Run Deep
from No Prayer for the Dying
The early 90s are generally my least favorite era of Iron Maiden. I feel like they took a step backwards on No Prayer and Fear while on all previous and subsequent albums they always felt like they were at least staying in the same musical place, or progressing in one way or another. However, I don’t hate No Prayer for the Dying, and this one in particular stands out as a real gem. The operatic chorus is up there with the best sing-along sections from their classic era, and Bruce’s raspy style actually works on the verses as a contrast. The main guitar melody is also one of many great ones that the band has written.
54. The Alchemist
from The Final Frontier
For me, short rockers from the reunion era have been very much hit-or-miss, but when they’re hits, they are quite good, and I think several really good songs in this style from this period haven’t gotten quite as much attention as they deserve. The Alchemist does not break any new ground, but I really like the way it tells a story. The music just flows so smoothly from one section to another, and Bruce really sells the emotions of this character. One of a great many little gems that Janick has brought to the table.
53. The Trooper
from Piece of Mind
Another one of these classics that has been played a thousand times. But one that is really deserving of having been played that much. The main riff is iconic for a reason, it’s one of Steve Harris’s most memorable bass performances, and it tells a pretty effective story in just a few minutes. I’m also pretty entertained by the reunion era live twist of Adrian and Janick playing the first solo in unison.
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I love Run Silent Run Deep. Great chorus!
It also contains Maiden's only Mosh Part 2:20-2:35.
Love the dual solo at 2:52.
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I love Run Silent Run Deep. Great chorus!
It also contains Maiden's only Mosh Part 2:20-2:35.
And of course it's a Janick solo :lol
I like that dual solo part a lot, too!
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Fortunes of War, what a nice surprise. Such a brooding song, and a thick, tense atmosphere.
Run Silent is one of Maidens most underrated
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I have to applaud you for including The Alchemist. It's one of their most underrated tunes of all time. In my opinion, it actually does break new ground in terms of verses, given that I've never heard a Maiden song with so many verses. It has four verses before it gets to what people consider to be the chorus, and within the verses, the key changes several times. It's pretty mindblowing in my opinion.
Also, Fortunes of war is amazing.
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I love Run Silent Run Deep. Great chorus!
It also contains Maiden's only Mosh Part 2:20-2:35.
Love the dual solo at 2:52.
RSRD is such a great song...the dual solo is probably my favorite moment in all of Maiden's music. No Prayer is a lot better than its reputation would suggest
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Sorry I missed yesterday's post. I don't anticipate it happening again. Really great to see all the love for Run Silent Run Deep and Fortunes of War!
We move into the top 50 tonight with a couple of old ones, and a couple of new ones.
52. The Great Unknown
from The Book of Souls
The first song from The Book of Souls to show up on my list. Even though this album is close to five years old now, it’s still a little harder for me to rank than the others. I listened to Iron Maiden a lot from around 2011 to 2013, and not as much after so the first 15 albums are all well-loved friends for me, while TBoS is still sort of the new kid on the block. Nevertheless, a number of songs from the album make my top 60.
The Great Unknown is just a really well-executed Iron Maiden song. I really like the intro and outro—I tend to like the soft Maiden intros, and this one is a pretty distinct one that sounds really nice with Bruce’s softer singing—as well as the driving march of the verses.
51. 2 Minutes to Midnight
from Powerslave
Another oft-played hit that I’m putting perhaps heretically low or perhaps in just the right place, depending on how worn out you might be on this one.
Again, I don’t really have a problem with this one being played as often as it is (there are hits I would consider a bit overplayed, such as a certain non-title-track from a certain Luciferian album). It’s got a bit more meat than the typical radio hit, with a middle instrumental section that for me is the highlight of the song. Hard to go wrong with fantastic solos from both Murray and Smith, plus a great lead part going back into the main riff (that I think Janick improves on in his rendition). A classic deserving of the title.
50. The Man of Sorrows
from The Book of Souls
While I enjoyed The Great Unknown a lot right from the start, this one was a bit of a sleeper hit from the new album. Maybe it suffered from being the penultimate song on a double album, and the last one before the big epic. Either way, this song is proof positive that 16 albums in, Iron Maiden could still write songs that are recognizably them, but not exactly like any previous track. The introduction is very, very strong, both in terms of Dave’s solo and Bruce’s emotional performance. Bruce really impresses me on this entire album. I tend to prefer his later sound even over the air-raid-siren style of the 80s, and he is astoundingly dominant on The Book of Souls, especially for a man singing with throat cancer.
49. Flight of Icarus
from Piece of Mind
One theme that has already come up and that I will continue to reiterate throughout this list is that I love it when a Maiden song does a good job of telling a story. I think they’re generally pretty good at doing it, even in songs with fairly standard structures. Here the story is a good adaptation of a classic bit of mythology, conveyed really well through both Bruce’s singing (I love the way the melody changes at the end of the second verse compared to the first—“Now his wings turn to ashes to ashes his grave”) and the guitar parts. Maybe it’s just an overactive imagination, but I think the guitar solos really convey the story—the first two by resembling flight, and the one at the end by conveying the desperate flailing of the falling Icarus.
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Sorry I missed yesterday's post. I don't anticipate it happening again.
Take your time, I haven't started getting a list together yet. :lol
Really interesting TBOS picks. Man of Sorrows was a big grower but turned into a really nice song. Great solo part.
2MTM is classic, and I really like your take on the solos of FOI, can totally see that.
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The Man of sorrows is one of their most touching songs. Bruce's performance gives me chills.
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Love Man of Sorrows.
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I have to applaud you for including The Alchemist. It's one of their most underrated tunes of all time. In my opinion, it actually does break new ground in terms of verses, given that I've never heard a Maiden song with so many verses. It has four verses before it gets to what people consider to be the chorus, and within the verses, the key changes several times. It's pretty mindblowing in my opinion.
Exactly why I love it so much.
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Not a fan of this group of songs besides 2 Minutes To Midnight - which I agree, the middle section is fantastic. I know Icarus is pretty beloved by the fanbase but it ranks at the bottom of PoM for me. Man Of Sorrows has a pretty decent chorus, but otherwise doesn't really stand out in any way. Doesn't Bruce have a solo song with this song name? And The Great Unknown does absolutely nothing for me, and Bruce's voice really shows wear-and-tear on it. Still, good to see some oddball choices on here!
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Man Of Sorrows has a pretty decent chorus, but otherwise doesn't really stand out in any way. Doesn't Bruce have a solo song with this song name?
I think you're confusing Man of sorrows with THE Man of sorrows. ;)
Also, I agree that Bruce sounds a bit strained on the pre-chorus in The Great unknown, but other than that section, it's a pretty killer tune. The guitar harmonies it the beginning of the instrumental are ten out of ten, reminiscent of Somewhere in time stuff.
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The Great Unknown didn't really jump out at me when I got the album. But it was excellent live, and now I like it a lot.
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Next four songs!
48. Fear of the Dark
from Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden has always been a great live band. They produce excellent studio tracks, too, including some that have never left the studio, but almost every one of their songs is at least a little bit better live.
And some of them are a lot better live. This is the arch-example. It helps that Bruce has dropped most of the grit from his voice since the early 90s, but the main feature is the audience participation, which noticeably elevates not one but two sections of the song: the intro and the middle section.
As a song, Fear of the Dark is very good. It’s really nicely structured, with good riffs and melodies at every juncture. As a live experience, it’s even better. Sometimes I forget about it a little bit because they’ve come dangerously close to running it into the ground in recent years (not just by always playing it live, but by always playing it in the exact same position in the setlist), but this is an excellent song. It’s a mark of the strength of their catalogue that I’m dropping it this early.
47. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
from A Matter of Life and Death
I know that some people aren’t big fans of the quiet-intro pattern that Maiden has fallen into of late, and to them maybe this song is one of the worse offenders. I don’t mind the pattern very much, and for me the two parts of this song work really well together, even though they are mostly unrelated musically. For one thing, the sense of story helps me relate the two parts in my head. And musically, I find it awesome the way that big riff bursts out of the quiet section. This song has yet another great Maiden instrumental section, featuring one of my favorite reunion-era Davey solos.
46. Remember Tomorrow
from Iron Maiden
My favorite song from the Paul Di’Anno era sounds like nothing Maiden has done since. Like Phantom of the Opera, this song is structured with a couple of verses placed around a centerpiece instrumental section. The instrumental part here, while awesome, doesn’t quite match what we hear on Phantom. But what this song does have is a trio of great verses. The lyrics are touching, the melodies memorable, and the performance is easily my favorite from Di’Anno (who I prefer to Bruce on this song).
45. Satellite 15… The Final Frontier
from The Final Frontier
Yes, this is basically two pieces combined into one. But the two are conceptually linked, and the first goes into the second very well, in my opinion. The Final Frontier on its own probably wouldn’t make this list. I like it quite a bit, but there are songs I like quite a bit that are falling into the 60s, 70s, even 80s and thus missing the list.
But in combination with its other half, it belongs here. I like Satellite 15 a lot. It’s certainly weird. The weird, sort of lo-fi looping drums, the repetition, the spacey sound… but it works so well in my opinion. There’s a wonderful build-up to it, and it conveys the sense of desolation that an astronaut might feel lost out in space even before Bruce’s vocals come in. Really emotional, really evocative, and it makes the more traditional Final Frontier all the more meaningful and powerful. As for that section, I do want to mention that Adrian Smith, as usual, showed up to play on the last solo section.
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You're nailing it with the newer stuff, buddy. Benjamin is their best song in the last 20 years as far as I'm concerned. :metal
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I can't argue with any of that. Nice job.
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Man Of Sorrows has a pretty decent chorus, but otherwise doesn't really stand out in any way. Doesn't Bruce have a solo song with this song name?
I think you're confusing Man of sorrows with THE Man of sorrows. ;)
I think I am. I'm also confusing The Alchemist with The Alchemist.
Next four songs!
48. Fear of the Dark
47. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
46. Remember Tomorrow
45. Satellite 15… The Final Frontier
All great songs, though I have a grudge against FotD simply because it occupies setlist space that I'd love to see utilized for something more unique. I think the Satellite 15 section of the song is one of the coolest things they've ever done.
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Benjamin was the first new Maiden single that came out after I became aware of them and at the time it was probably the gnarliest song I'd ever heard. Pure excellence.
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All great songs, though I have a grudge against FotD simply because it occupies setlist space that I'd love to see utilized for something more unique. I think the Satellite 15 section of the song is one of the coolest things they've ever done.
I get that this is only me, but for me I look at FotD on a setlist and I'm like "eh", but then when I'm there, in person, it's a different story. Same with Blood Brothers, at least on the Book Of Souls tour, that song was a tour de force, and yet I look on a printed setlist, and I'm usually, "eh".
Maybe it's just Maiden; maybe they could do a complete set of "Abba" and it would rock. :)
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Ben Breeg is cool but never was one of my favourites.
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Ben Breeg is certainly far from my favorite on its album...... :-X
I get that this is only me, but for me I look at FotD on a setlist and I'm like "eh", but then when I'm there, in person, it's a different story.
This was my experience. I've only seen them in person once (I know, I know, but they rarely come near my part of the US, and last year I had something unfortunate come up just weeks before the show), and while my reaction to hearing it come up on live albums/DVDs is "yeah, yeah, this part again," it was completely different being there in person.
Next four!
44. Sea of Madness
from Somewhere in Time
I like all three guitarists, but if I had to choose one of them, it would be Adrian Smith. And Somewhere in Time for Adrian, in my opinion, is the best single album for a single Maiden guitarist. Sea of Madness is one of only a few solo compositions by a Maiden guitarist, and while it’s not H’s very finest hour, it’s certainly quite a good one, and deserving of more attention from both the band and many of its fans. The riffs here do such a great job of conveying a sense of some confusion while still being pretty strong melodically. Bruce and Steve also show big on this one.
43. Montségur
from Dance of Death
Let’s talk lyrics for just a moment. I surmise that most Maiden lyrics are written by Steve or Bruce, with supplementary contributions from the guitarists. I like a lot of Steve’s lyrics, but when it comes to the storytelling quality that I’ve praised in a number of songs already, I think Bruce is more consistently excellent. And here’s a song that is undoubtedly one of his, and a great example. The best moment in this song, complemented by the constant forward drive of the music, is the variation on the prechorus that comes right after the solo section. Bruce mercilessly delivers some truly chilling images:
As we kill them all so God will know His own [the expected repetition, but then unexpectedly we go to]
Laugh at the darkness and in God we trust
The eye of the triangle smiling with sin
No Passover feast for the cursed within
Facing the sun as they went to their graves
Burn like a dog or you’ll live like a slave
Musically, this song is also quite excellent. One of the most energetic reunion-era songs with some great lead guitar from Janick. Really a shame it will likely never see the stage, as it would probably do very well in a live setting.
42. Dream of Mirrors
from Brave New World
I love a good build-up, and Dream of Mirrors is one of the longest sustained build-ups in the Maiden discography. Over the course of almost the entire song, tension and intensity slowly increase until they finally explode toward the end of its runtime. There is a fair amount of repetition here, but on this song it is mostly used effectively in service of the increasing intensity. Worth mentioning the trivia fact that Blaze Bayley likely contributed to the writing of this one—which, indeed seems to have some of his fingerprints on it. To me, this song marks a clear transition from a lot of the kind of songwriting they were doing in the late 90s to the somewhat more refined variant of it on the later reunion albums.
41. The Nomad
from Brave New World
Another epic from Brave New World, narrowly ahead of the most famous one. It’s a less ostentatious piece than Dream of Mirrors, and it comes to mind for me less frequently outside of the context of the album, but I enjoy it a tiny bit more when I actually listen to the two of them. I really like the structure of this one, which always seems to be in motion, never standing still for too long, much like an actual nomad. The instrumental section is very good, only somewhat marred for me by the plagiarism issue. Is this Maiden’s most DT-esque song?
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Interestingly enough, this time an old song is my favorite of the bunch. Sea of madness is wonderful, Adrian truly delivers the goods on this one. Also, good call with Montsegur, it's very underrated.
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Sea Of Madness! :metal
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44. Sea of Madness
from Somewhere in Time
I like all three guitarists, but if I had to choose one of them, it would be Adrian Smith. And Somewhere in Time for Adrian, in my opinion, is the best single album for a single Maiden guitarist. Sea of Madness is one of only a few solo compositions by a Maiden guitarist, and while it’s not H’s very finest hour, it’s certainly quite a good one, and deserving of more attention from both the band and many of its fans. The riffs here do such a great job of conveying a sense of some confusion while still being pretty strong melodically. Bruce and Steve also show big on this one.
I'm a big fan of SiT; it hasn't aged quite as well as some of the others, but it's so strong, and the songs are so good, that it doesn't really matter. Dave Murray is far and away my favorite guitar player, but he's not much of a writer, and I like Adrian as a writer more than as a player. That's odd to say, but I mean that to say that when he started writing more it brought a nice contrast to the Harris material (though, and this sounds contradictory, I was always impressed how cohesively all the songs worked together).
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That's odd to say, but I mean that to say that when he started writing more it brought a nice contrast to the Harris material (though, and this sounds contradictory, I was always impressed how cohesively all the songs worked together).
I agree completely with this. One interesting feature of Iron Maiden is that even though there are currently five significant songwriters in the band (Steve, Bruce, Adrian, Janick and Dave), who each have some distinctive stylistic elements, all the music fits together pretty well.
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Sorry to have missed a few days. I've been unexpectedly busy, but now I'm good. I'll speed things up a little bit for the next few days to keep on track with the time. For now, here are four more songs:
40. These Colours Don’t Run
from A Matter of Life and Death
One of those songs that doesn’t break much new ground, but does what it sets out to do very well. I think the lyrics here are very strong, and conceptually make a good entrance from Different World into the subject matter that makes up most of the rest of A Matter of Life and Death. I particularly enjoy the well-composed guitar solo from Adrian and the following “oh oh oh” section.
39. Futureal
from Virtual XI
I know some people are not fans of Blaze Bayley, especially his performance on Virtual XI. While that album has a handful of rough moments, I generally think he did a good job on it. This is a song that Bruce can certainly sing, and sing well, but is for me one of Blaze’s standout performances with the band. Here he proves that he’s not limited to the dark, dirge-like tracks that covered much of the runtime of The X Factor. In addition to the strong vocal performance, we have a great riff and excellent guitar solo. An excellent short track that even many of the detractors of this era should be able to get behind.
38. Mother of Mercy
from The Final Frontier
Another reunion era song that I feel is somewhat overlooked. Like The Alchemist on the same album, Mother of Mercy does a great job of telling a story within a relatively short song through a sequence of evolving verses. The lyrics here are really strong, I think, putting a distinct spin on two topics that are pretty heavily-trod ground for Maiden by now—war and religion. The verse that stands out to me, both for its eloquence and for its distinctly conversational style, where you can follow the character’s train of thought, is:
I don’t hold with bad religion, understand what’s underneath it
Now I come to think of it, I just don’t hold at all, you know it
You say you are a holy man, but what is it you do?
From where I stand it’s nothing but a hollow man I see
37. Out of the Silent Planet
from Brave New World
I rarely see anyone talk about this song, and in a way it’s understandable seeing how deep this album is, but I think Out of the Silent Planet is really excellent. This track boasts one of the most distinct Maiden intros, plus some truly killer vocal melodies. I also really like the lyrics—the subject matter, again, is not exactly fresh ground for Maiden, but there are a lot of evocative phrases on this one. Really a crime that this one was only played live a couple of times. I think it could absolutely kill live.
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Some great picks in that last update.
The next update is solid although I've never really liked MOM all that much.
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Futureal is my favorite of the bunch. :metal
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Futureal came to my mind the other day when I heard a riff in a Pestilence song that reminded me of it. Played it, still kicks as much ass as it used to. I don't have any deep emotional attachment or grudge with the Blaze era because that was waaaaay before my time, I just always thought they had some good songs buried in there and Futureal is one of them.
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Futureal was one of the very first IM songs I heard, I became a fan around 1998-1999. It's still a highlight from the Blaze era for me.
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All great songs.
Futureal is probably one of the few from the Blaze era I can stand to listen to.
These Colours Don't Run is an incredible song...it follows the standard reunion-era song formula, but it works better than most for some reason. Very strong chorus.
Mother Of Mercy and Silent Planet have incredible choruses as well. It's amazing how catchy their music can still be when they've been doing it for so long. I think Silent Planet might be my favorite song on BNW, though I haven't listened to the album in its entirety for a long time.
I'm enjoying this list quite a bit...lots of underrated songs.
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Mother Of Mercy is the standout in that bunch, though I like These Colors Don't Run as well. I suppose I have to revisit Brave New World; in terms of my perception it really feels lesser to the rest of the post-reunion work. EVERY album since has a couple songs that I get excited to hear when I see them discussed, but that never seems to happen with BNW (except, possibly, Blood Brothers).
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I suppose I have to revisit Brave New World; in terms of my perception it really feels lesser to the rest of the post-reunion work. EVERY album since has a couple songs that I get excited to hear when I see them discussed, but that never seems to happen with BNW (except, possibly, Blood Brothers).
Honestly: I suggest giving Out of the Silent Planet a listen on its own. I think its placement in the album order (toward the end, sandwiched between two long pieces) contributes to its being overlooked.
Great to see a lot of love for Futureal and Mother of Mercy.
I'm enjoying this list quite a bit...lots of underrated songs.
Thanks! There are certainly more to come—as well as some appropriately-rated songs, of course!
I'll go ahead with the next four to make up for lost time a little bit:
36. Only the Good Die Young
from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
On an album full of heavy hitters, Only the Good Die Young is one that doesn’t tend to get anywhere near the most attention, but I think it has a distinct sort of strength. The verses of this song are really, really good. The melodies are nice, and Bruce’s performance has a lot of depth. Also, this song has a bass solo where Steve Harris plays a bass solo. A really fun, energetic closer to one of the band’s finest albums.
35. Aces High
from Powerslave
Not much to say about this one that hasn’t been said already. It’s one of the classics of 80s metal for a very good reason. It’s one of their best live staples and easily the best opener in their repertoire, and it’s taken to a whole new level for me by the lyrical theme and the addition of Churchill’s speech. One of the Maiden songs I most frequently find myself humming or singing.
34. The Wicker Man
from Brave New World
Behind the aforementioned Aces High, this is Maiden’s second-best live opener in my opinion. The Wicker Man opens the reunion era with authority: tons of energy, an anthemic chorus, a strong instrumental section, and, of course, that wonderful intro from that wonderful Adrian Smith. I’ll mention more than once during this list my love for Rock in Rio, which I place right next to Live After Death as my favorite live album ever. This song played to open that electric show right after Arthur’s Farewell is spectacular.
33. The Clansman
from Virtual XI
The Clansman has a very special place in my personal history with music, because it’s the song that first got me into Iron Maiden (and in turn got me into being a serious music listener). Lyrically, the fairly simple but powerful message resonated in obvious ways with me at 15, and from there a serious interest in the music followed—particularly with the middle instrumental section. Janick’s solo here is perhaps the first guitar solo I truly loved. Now, I love Blaze Bayley very much, and he does this song justice, but for me the definitive version has to be the one I heard first: the Rock in Rio version. Bruce is just on another level. That performance also features the moment that first taught me that a live ad-lib can significantly add to a performance: “Come on, fucking scream it!”
It’s really a testament to the strength of the Iron Maiden discography that I can look at this song that means so much to me and that I still find to be so excellent, and say: Yes, I think they probably have 32 stronger songs.
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It's patently unfair, I know, but GREATLY prefer the Bruce versions of all the Blaze-era songs. I sort-of jokingly told people I was going to the recent Legacy of the Beast show "just to see 'Sign Of The Cross' live", but for me it was one of if not the highlight of the show. What a performance.
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I wouldn't say it's wholly unfair. Bruce has one of the best voices in metal, and I think few even among Blaze's fans would say the same of him. The argument for Blaze's versions on some of his songs is just about whether his voice seems better suited to the song in question. Personally, I go about 50-50 on which I prefer. I'll take Blaze on Futureal and Lord of the Flies, and Bruce on The Clansman and Man on the Edge. On Sign of the Cross, I think they give distinct but approximately equally good takes, but I take RiR as the definitive version of that song because the production is so much better than on TXF.
I also think Blaze's version of Afraid to Shoot Strangers edges out Bruce's FotD performance.
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Only the Good Die Young :metal
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The last four songs are all great. :tup
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Only the Good Die Young :metal
Oh yes :metal
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I may be the only Maiden fan who dislikes The Clansman. I just don't hear what's so great about it (same with Paschendale). I've never heard Bruce sing it, so maybe that's what will push it over the edge, but it's just inferior musically imo. I'd rather listen to When Two Worlds Collide than this one.
The other songs would all make my top 50, with Aces High probably being in my top 10. I've been working on my bass playing and Aces High is a really fun song to struggle through. Plus, the modulation in the chorus is so awesome.
Only The Good Die Young is a great closer that I wish the band would've played live. The intro harmony is one of my favorite moments on the album and the bass solo is unexpected and fun.
The Wicker Man is catchy as hell and catchy Maiden is all I need in life. Oddly enough, I seem to recall a version with background vocals in the chorus but obviously the album version doesn't have it. Was there another version released at some point?
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I may be the only Maiden fan who dislikes The Clansman. I just don't hear what's so great about it (same with Paschendale). I've never heard Bruce sing it, so maybe that's what will push it over the edge, but it's just inferior musically imo. I'd rather listen to When Two Worlds Collide than this one.
The other songs would all make my top 50, with Aces High probably being in my top 10. I've been working on my bass playing and Aces High is a really fun song to struggle through. Plus, the modulation in the chorus is so awesome.
Only The Good Die Young is a great closer that I wish the band would've played live. The intro harmony is one of my favorite moments on the album and the bass solo is unexpected and fun.
The Wicker Man is catchy as hell and catchy Maiden is all I need in life. Oddly enough, I seem to recall a version with background vocals in the chorus but obviously the album version doesn't have it. Was there another version released at some point?
HAHA, I LIKE The Clansman, and I still agree with that! :)
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When Two Worlds Collide has got to be the only metal song in existence where 'declination' features. One of my favourites from Virtual XI, actually. Although I love the entire album... so ner :coolio
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(HAHAHAHAHAHA, I'll stand by what I wrote, but I have to be honest; that was a huge gaff on my part. I mistook "When Two Worlds Collide" with "When The Wild Wind Blows", and then confused that with another Murray song, "The Man Who Would Be King". Wow, I need more coffee. All three are great tunes, though, so cut me some slack!)
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I very much like When Two Worlds Collide, but it fell just short of making this list.
@DTA, if you have not heard the Rock in Rio version of The Clansman, I really recommend doing so before writing off the song. It comes to life not only with Bruce singing, but on the stage instead of in the studio with the dubious production of VXI.
For that matter, have you not heard Rock in Rio at all? To me, it and Live After Death are the top two essential Maiden releases—above *any* of the studio albums.
Next four:
32. Moonchild
from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The build-up on this one is really quite something to hear. The way the acoustic intro gives way to the mounting intro that eventually bursts out into Bruce’s theatrical performance as the Devil… it’s hard to imagine a better way to open the band’s only true concept album. This is Bruce at his most sinister, the rhythm section firing on all cylinders, and Adrian Smith at his most Adrian Smith.
31. The Book of Souls
from The Book of Souls
When the acoustic intro came in on my first listen, I was a little concerned that we had a Talisman remake on our hands. Not that that would be the worst thing; I love The Talisman. But it’s usually better to hear something great and new than a retread. Luckily, this is not a retread. Even five epic-laden albums into the reunion era, Iron Maiden was still giving us new sorts of epics on The Book of Souls. What I love about this song is how majestic the vocal parts sound. The keyboards are far more prominent here than on most Maiden tracks, and they really add a lot to that feel. Another superb songwriting contribution by Janick, who does not show any signs of running out of inventive material. This song has grown on me in the time I’ve been working on this list, so maybe in another few years it could be even higher.
30. Powerslave
from Powerslave
80s Maiden near their theatrical best. As is so often the case, Bruce steps into a character from a distant place and distant time, and does so compellingly. The pre-chorus riff is just grand, and the instrumental section is excellent. Here I will take a break from the Adrian Smith worship to note Dave’s two excellent solos on this song, as well as Nicko’s huge fills before the return of the main riff.
29. Ghost of the Navigator
from Brave New World
The band’s melodic abilities are on full display on this track. There are so many great riffs and melodies on this song that it’s hard to pick a favorite, so I’ll first make an overall comment on how well, to me, this song evokes the feeling of sailing a rough sea. There’s a feeling of danger and a bit of chaos, but also of majesty. Standout moments include the choppy main riff and Janick’s solo.
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I agree on your take of Bruce's performance on Moonchild. That's some sick stuff. :metal
As much as I love The Book of souls album, the title track never did too much for me. It's a bit too slow for the album's centerpiece, and even when the pace picks up, it's rather generic and underwhelming. There are still some good bits in it, so it's not bad by any means.
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I very much like When Two Worlds Collide, but it fell just short of making this list.
@DTA, if you have not heard the Rock in Rio version of The Clansman, I really recommend doing so before writing off the song. It comes to life not only with Bruce singing, but on the stage instead of in the studio with the dubious production of VXI.
For that matter, have you not heard Rock in Rio at all? To me, it and Live After Death are the top two essential Maiden releases—above *any* of the studio albums.
I've only seen clips of Live After Death on youtube. I'm not really a live album fan and pretty much only watch LAD to see how Steve is playing certain parts. Never heard Rock In Rio but I'll check out The Clansman with Bruce and see if my opinion changes.
Moonchild is an awesome opening track. They always have great opening tracks (even Invaders which everyone seems to hate) but Moonchild has a bit of extra something the others don't have.
The Book Of Souls is the best song on that album and blows away the other longer tracks. I love the acoustic intro, the slow ballsy riff that comes out of it, and the fast riff in the bridge. My only gripe with this song is a Nicko fuck-up/editing mistake with the hihat in the middle section at around 5:30. In fact, I just did a relisten to respond to your post and I think this may be the best long song of the entire reunion era.
If Powerslave only contained the bridge then it'd still probably make my top 20. Such a cool song with a really exciting verse riff. This is one song from LAD I've watched dozens of times on youtube and never get tired of.
Ghost Of The Navigator is pretty good. Not one of my favorites but nothing really wrong with it. I like the rhythm in the chorus and the verse riff has a cool power metal feel but the transition from pre-chorus to chorus is super clunky. I think my biggest issue with Maiden overall is their lack of fluid transitions and abrupt tempo changes.
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That's a killer handful of songs right there.
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That's a killer handful of songs right there.
So True.
Honestly, I don't know where I'd put The Book Of Souls on my list. I'd have to think about it. I freaking love that song though.
Going back to the previous batch, The Clansman is one of their best songs period. It's classic Iron Maiden.
I said this in 1988, but I have always felt that Only The Good Die Young was an extremely anti-climactic way to end SSOASS.
I had always found that after that amazing prechorus, the transition and to, and the chorus itself, was a letdown.
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I've only seen clips of Live After Death on youtube. I'm not really a live album fan and pretty much only watch LAD to see how Steve is playing certain parts. Never heard Rock In Rio but I'll check out The Clansman with Bruce and see if my opinion changes.
Understood. If you're not a live album fan and you've seen LAD, there's probably no changing that. For me, Maiden is definitely a lot stronger live than in studio most of the time (which I would not say of a lot of bands), but that's my personal opinion.
Interesting if unsurprising to see mixed opinions on The Book of Souls. That's one that clicked for me fairly recently, after a long time of not knowing how I felt about it.
Sorry again for another delay. Here's four more, and I'll probably add four on top of that midday tomorrow.
28. Face in the Sand
from Dance of Death
Positioned near the end of one of the less popular reunion albums, this is not a song I see getting a lot of attention. But I really enjoy this song, which I find to be a distinct entry in the band’s discography. The riffs and Nicko’s double-bass playing create a strong sense of mounting anxiety. This is also another Maiden track where the keyboards contribute quite a bit.
27. The Clairvoyant
from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Clairvoyant is a short, relatively simple song, but I’d absolutely call it one of the most effective such songs of their entire career. This song is just an absolute thrill, and is the musical climax of this concept album for a reason. From the tension-building bass riff to Bruce’s powerful performance on the verses to Dave’s wonderful solo, The Clairvoyant is exciting start to finish. They should really bring this one out more frequently in the live show. It’s compact, and I think it does really well.
26. Empire of the Clouds
from The Book of Souls
There are a lot of creative voices in Iron Maiden, and I don’t want to disparage any of them through excessive praise of any of the others, because, though all distinct, they all make significant positive contributions to the band’s sound. Of the main three songwriters, often one or another of them will stand out as the MVP of a particular album. Well, on The Book of Souls, I think the clear standout is Bruce Dickinson, and this is a big reason why.
I think a lot of admirers of the reunion era were sort of anticipating the band to at some point take the leap beyond long songs in the low double-digits to a full-on prog epic. But to see that leap come in a solo composition by the band’s singer, written largely on piano, was not quite what I would have predicted. It was largely a success, however, and succeeded in blending traditional elements of the Maiden sound with Bruce’s piano composition. I also want to call out Nicko’s performance here. There’s a lot of stuff he’s called on to play that is different from the usual Maiden style, but I like what he comes up with.
What I like best about this track is the clear passion Bruce has for this story, and the work he put in to make sure its telling, through both music and lyrics, is emotionally compelling. There are a lot of great powerful moments in here that are made powerful by combination of the music, the lyrics, and Bruce’s performance. My personal favorite is probably:
The airship crew awake for thirty hours at full stretch
But the ship is in their backbone, every sinew, every inch
I continue to go back and forth on precisely how high I place this song. On the worst of days, I would say it’s somewhat longer than it needs to be, with a bit of an overly repetitive instrumental section in the latter half. However, even on those worst days, I think the first half and the finale are superb, and I greatly admire the ambition that went into creating it, which is why it comfortably rests in the mid-20s.
25. Infinite Dreams
from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Another song from Seventh Son, another occasion to praise Bruce Dickinson’s performance. This song, perhaps the crucial one to the exposition of the album’s story, has to hit a lot of emotional notes. And here it achieves that range with some very memorable vocal melodies and a great performance from Bruce.
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Empire of the Clouds is such a monster of a song!
Seeing this thread pop up is making me want to do a Maiden chronological run through again. Maybe I'll come up with a list....
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Empire is about twenty spots too low. ;)
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Empire is about twenty spots too low. ;)
As is Infinite Dreams.
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The Clairvoyant - one of the first Maiden songs I loved when I started listening to them. Still love it.
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The Clairvoyant - one of the first Maiden songs I loved when I started listening to them. Still love it.
I've honestly never really been a fan.
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I've only seen clips of Live After Death on youtube. I'm not really a live album fan and pretty much only watch LAD to see how Steve is playing certain parts. Never heard Rock In Rio but I'll check out The Clansman with Bruce and see if my opinion changes.
Understood. If you're not a live album fan and you've seen LAD, there's probably no changing that. For me, Maiden is definitely a lot stronger live than in studio most of the time (which I would not say of a lot of bands), but that's my personal opinion.
I will say that I enjoyed The Clansman A LOT more with Bruce on vocals. I watched the Rock in Rio version and it was great. It's amazing how dull the studio version is compared to it.
Infinite Dreams is a Maiden song that doesn't connect with me at all. It's beloved by pretty much every Maiden fan but I'd take Can I Play With Madness? over it any day.
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Just my opinion:
Infinite Dreams is slightly low
The Clairvoyant is WAY too low (it's a top ten song for me)
Empire is kind of high (It's a curiosity; I'm not sure it's in the top three songs on it's ALBUM).
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As for Bruce's performance on Empire of the clouds, I agree that there are so many lines that stand out in terms of delivery, energy, pitch and the overall vibe. My favorite is the way he sings the line "Rain is flooding into the hold." You can hear the despair and panic in his voice, he conveys the emotion flawlessly.
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Well, I'll just put them all in the top 10, then! Except... nope, there's nothing I really think I can kick out.
Empire is kind of high (It's a curiosity; I'm not sure it's in the top three songs on it's ALBUM).
Empire is in my top three on its album, but it is not in the top spot. None of the last four are in the top spot on their albums, in fact...
Seeing this thread pop up is making me want to do a Maiden chronological run through again. Maybe I'll come up with a list....
Would be very interested in this list, if you did one.
Next four:
24. The Man Who Would Be King
from The Final Frontier
A sort of oddball song in the Maiden discography and one of the less-appreciate reunion-era epics, The Man Who Would Be King is a song that I nevertheless love quite a bit. I like a lot of this song, including the quiet guitar intro and the chorus, but the clear highlight is the instrumental section in the middle of the song. It’s a pretty proggy section for Maiden, and features that nice, long Dave Murray solo. The Man Who Would Be King is often overlooked because it’s a giant among titans. But it’s still a giant.
23. To Tame a Land
from Piece of Mind
Among the 80s epics, To Tame a Land is the one that probably least caught my attention at first. Structurally, it’s deceptively simple, but each piece is just superb. The Eastern-sounding intro is such a memorable Maiden moment, and the final vocal part is one of Bruce’s most impressive moments. I don’t know exactly what the status is of the copyright troubles they had on this one, but I think it would be a good song to bring back out if there’s another 80s-heavy tour.
22. If Eternity Should Fail
from The Book of Souls
As I mentioned on the Empire of the Clouds writeup (potentially at the risk of giving this one away), I’m really impressed with the material that Bruce brought to this album. In a band with several great instrumentalist songwriters, one could forgive the lead singer for sticking to vocal melodies and lyrics, especially 16 albums in. But that’s precisely what Bruce did not do for The Book of Souls, and consequently contributed the two finest songs on the album as solo compositions.
As if to make a statement that he still has it, throat cancer or not, Bruce opens the song with a superb nearly-a-capella section. His performance all across the song is excellent. Outside of the intro, I particularly love “We are strange believers, all of us” and “No land of plenty, devastation, despair.” The one caveat is that I could do without the creepy voice on the outro, but I can’t really blame them for trying yet another experiment. That particular one just didn’t connect with me.
21. Stranger in a Strange Land
from Somewhere in Time
Adrian. Smith.
I’ve mentioned before that I think Somewhere in Time is Adrian’s album. He takes a starring role as a player and as a solo songwriter, and peaks in both on this song. Stranger in a Strange Land is one of those story songs that I like so well. There’s a sense of narrative in the lyrics and in the movement of the music.
And then there’s the guitar solo. This would be my favorite guitar solo by any Iron Maiden guitarist, and probably in my top ten from anyone. This song would be top 50 for that solo alone, but then when you add in the rest of that song, a song that transitions smoothly out of the solo into “What became of the man that started”? Top 25 for sure.
Is it too early to solicit guesses for what's to come? I'll ask again when we cross over into the top 10, but I'd be curious if anyone thinks they have an solid idea of what the top 20 will look like.
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Stranger is so underrated IMO.
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24. The Man Who Would Be King
from The Final Frontier
23. To Tame a Land
from Piece of Mind
22. If Eternity Should Fail
from The Book of Souls
21. Stranger in a Strange Land
from Somewhere in Time
Now we're cooking with gas! What a great batch of songs. I was in a pretty big Maiden mood a couple weeks ago, and I was playing En Vivo! a fair amount, and TFF tracks really stood out, so the next logical step was to go through that album, and it REALLY struck home. I couldn't (and still can't) get enough. So TMWWBK is a welcome entry (and I would put it higher). At some point I crossed the line to where I think I like the reunion era more than the original era, and the realization came with The Book Of Souls. IESF is one of my three favorite songs (Speed of Light and The Red And The Black are the other two) so THAT'S welcome. I've already said I'm a bug fan of SiT, so there. The only sort of "interesting" track is "To Tame A Land". I loved the IDEA, I didn't love the execution; I felt like it was practice round, or a warm up of sorts. I don't think we'd have Powerslave or Alexander The Great without this track, so for that I'm grateful.
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24. The Man Who Would Be King
from The Final Frontier
23. To Tame a Land
from Piece of Mind
22. If Eternity Should Fail
from The Book of Souls
21. Stranger in a Strange Land
from Somewhere in Time
The only sort of "interesting" track is "To Tame A Land". I loved the IDEA, I didn't love the execution; I felt like it was practice round, or a warm up of sorts. I don't think we'd have Powerslave or Alexander The Great without this track, so for that I'm grateful.
Agreed. I've been playing bass along to this song a lot and the more I play along to it, the less I like it. Even though 7 minutes isn't really long by prog standards, I feel like there's too few different sections to justify its running time. I like the vague exotic tone of the song, but wish it had a bit more to it.
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To tame a land and The Man who would be king are probably top 10 material for me. Stranger is gorgeous, too, a true Adrian's masterpiece. And yeah, Eternity... A brilliant album and concert opener.
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I was in a pretty big Maiden mood a couple weeks ago, and I was playing En Vivo! a fair amount, and TFF tracks really stood out, so the next logical step was to go through that album, and it REALLY struck home. I couldn't (and still can't) get enough. So TMWWBK is a welcome entry (and I would put it higher).
To tame a land and The Man who would be king are probably top 10 material for me. Stranger is gorgeous, too, a true Adrian's masterpiece. And yeah, Eternity... A brilliant album and concert opener.
Wow, I think you're the only people I've ever seen say they'd put The Man Who Would Be King *higher* than me. Nice! :tup
I don't think I'm giving too much away when I say that there's more to come from The Final Frontier...
We are crossing over into the top 20, so I'm going to do just two songs per post, but I'm also going to begin counting down my studio album ranking with two per day. Here are a couple gems, one a bit older, one a bit newer, followed by my two least favorite Maiden albums:
20. Lord of Light
from A Matter of Life and Death
It’s right around here that we cross over from the “very good” section of the list into the “superlative” section. I think Lord of Light is an outstanding instance of reunion Maiden songwriting. Beautiful intro, excellent melodies, wonderful anthemic chorus. And the lyrical concept is quite interesting; after decades of sort of jokey Satanic playing, we get a more interesting, quasi-Miltonic look at the figure of Lucifer through the eyes, no doubt, of Bruce Dickinson. Speaking again about wonderful marriages between music and lyrics…
We are not worthy in your black and blazing eyes
We gather demons in the mirror every day
…
Free your soul and let it fly
Mine was caught, I couldn’t try
Time returns again to punish all of us
We are cast out by our bloody father’s hand
…
19. Caught Somewhere in Time
from Somewhere in Time
I did a lot of personal talk in my writeup for The Clansman, and there’ll be a little of that here, as well. Where The Clansman was the first Maiden song that really connected with me, in large part due to its lyrical message, Caught Somewhere in Time was the first song, period, that connected with me even while I was almost completely indifferent to the lyrics. It was a whole moment discovery for me that I can focus almost entirely on the riffs and melodies of a song with lyrics and still have a phenomenal time.
This song is an attention-grabber right off the bat with that awesome, huge synthy intro—which I suspect is part of what didn’t translate so well to the stage—and main riff. And despite not really working so well live, Caught Somewhere in Time is exceedingly high-energy in the studio. The rhythm section is impressively fast on this one—this is one of those songs where you just have no clue how Nicko did this with just one bass pedal. And also Adrian Smith is here with one of his many excellent solos on this album.
Album 16. Fear of the Dark (1992)
In my opinion, this is the weakest Maiden studio album by a pretty sizable margin. The reason, I’d guess, is a combination of three factors: (1) the songwriting slump they were still in with Adrian gone and Janick not yet really hitting his stride; (2) a sort of ambivalence about the stylistic left-turn they took with No Prayer for the Dying—parts of the album seem intent on staying that new course, while others seem to be trying for the more traditional Maiden sound; and (3) this being the first CD release and thus longer than the previous albums.
Fear of the Dark has some good songs, and would at least have been solid as an 8-track album (although still among my least favorites), but it contains my four least favorite Iron Maiden studio album songs (Weekend Warrior, The Apparition, Chains of Misery and Childhood’s End), and a number of other entries that are decent but not up to the standard set on their previous releases. It also doesn’t help that there are stronger live versions of the album’s two best songs. The end result is an album that I almost never listen through start-to-finish, and the only Maiden album that I would not consider a good experience listened to that way.
Album 15. Killers (1981)
Yeah, I’m bracing for the negative response this placement is likely to receive. I am just not crazy about the Di’Anno era. It’s not really about Paul so much as it’s about the simpler, more punk-influenced type of songwriting. That’s just not really what I come to Maiden for. This isn’t a bad album by any stretch. It’s pretty consistent and there are a number of songs I like—aside from the obvious Wrathchild and Killers, I have fun with Purgatory and Drifter. But the album lacks a standout track like Phantom of the Opera or Remember Tomorrow from the debut, and the songwriting is just not in a territory that I like best. As a result of this and the fact that Fear of the Dark, while weaker as an album, has some stronger songs, Killers has the negative distinction of being the only album with no songs in my top 60.
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Once again, a great bunch. I often single out Lord of light as quite possibly the best vocal performance by Bruce Dickinson ever. It's unbelievable.
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Once again, a great bunch. I often single out Lord of light as quite possibly the best vocal performance by Bruce Dickinson ever. It's unbelievable.
Lord Of Light is one of my top Reunion Era songs. That song slays!
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Yeah, I’m bracing for the negative response this placement is likely to receive.
Consider it delivered. :)
Killers is top three Maiden album, and on any given day might be number one (though that's usually Powerslave, and now TFF has crept into the mix).
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I think Killers is a good album, but not a lot of songs stand out. None would probably make my top 50 either. When I think about is, the best song on it is the instrumental, Genghis Khan.
I agree on the placement of Fear of the dark, too. It's also at the very bottom of my list and features my least favorite songs Maiden ever did.
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I'm not too shocked to see FotD at the bottom, and I agree that The Apparition is probably the worst Maiden song aside from The Angel & The Gambler. I've always had a soft spot for Weekend Warrior and Chains of Misery though, thoroughly ridiculous songs but enjoyable. Childhood's End steals yet another Marillion song title and actually reminds me vaguely of Script/Fugazi era Marillion.
Killers is really enjoyable as a whole, but I agree that there's no song that truly stands out (except perhaps Murders In The Rue Morgue and Prodigal Son and even they're overshadowed by so many songs that came after). I'd still rank it way higher than X Factor and Virtual XI though.
Caught Somewhere In Time is the most kickass opening track they have and everyone in the band sucks for choosing not to play it live after the tour.
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Caught Somewhere In Time is the most kickass opening track they have and everyone in the band sucks for choosing not to play it live after the tour.
It's a Top 5 DT track for me, and I'm so glad I got to see it live.
But on the boots for that tour, for some reason, it just never sounds right.
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I'm on the Killer Is Fantastic bandwagon as well. The energy is unparalleled and tunes like Prodigal Son, Purgatory, Gengis Kahn, etc. are unforgettable.
Fear of the Dark would have been an incredible LP with 10/15 minutes of cd era fat left on the floor. Nonetheless there are at least 5/6 really great tracks on it, plus Afraid to Shoot Strangers, which could very well be their most mesmerising song to my ears.
Thinking about it (and off topic), I feel the same about the Black Album: IM(D)O both Iron Maiden and Metallica (my absolute favourite bands during my teen metal phase) lost something in the CD era.
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Caught Somewhere In Time is the most kickass opening track they have and everyone in the band sucks for choosing not to play it live after the tour.
It's a Top 5 DT track for me, and I'm so glad I got to see it live.
But on the boots for that tour, for some reason, it just never sounds right.
Yeah, from the bootlegs I've heard, it just doesn't seem to work. I think the band felt the same way, which is why they abandoned it after that tour. It would be really awesome if they could figure out how to make it work, but I don't imagine that will ever happen.
Nice to see some Lord of Light love, and not to get hit with too many stones for my Killers placement.
Two more songs and two more albums:
18. Where Eagles Dare
from Piece of Mind
With all respect to The Number of the Beast, which is an excellent album, I think Piece of Mind is the album where the band fully finds the identity it will have for the rest of the decade and resume to a great extent in the 2000s. And it all begins with the album opener, Where Eagles Dare, which I think is their best opener-qua-opener (though not their best track #1). Nicko McBrain announces his presence with authority, not just on the opening drum solo, but on the rhythm he maintains throughout this track, which always feels to me like a steady, confident, consistent forward march. And we hear one of the band’s finest uses of two-guitar harmonies on the instrumental section. Bruce, of course, is in fine form as well, navigating with apparently minimal effort the overflowing lines Steve asked him to sing. One of the finest 80s Maiden songs; I can’t say enough positive things about it.
17. The Longest Day
from A Matter of Life and Death
If the rest of The Longest Day was as strong as the first two minutes, it would be in the top 5 and potentially #1.
The intro of this song is one of the most emotionally powerful things Iron Maiden has ever done. It’s another one of those excellent marriages between music and lyrics, and its telling of the arrival at Normandy is heart-pumping. One of my favorite sections of any song ever.
The rest of the song doesn’t quite deliver on the promise. The second verse section does, at least musically, and there’s nothing particularly bad about the prechorus, chorus or instrumental section—I quite like Adrian’s solo and the subsequent moment when the chorus theme comes in as a guitar melody. But the rest of the song is just not on the very, very high level set by the first couple of minutes. Those two minutes alone, though, are enough to get it pretty high, especially when the rest isn’t exactly bad, either.
Album 14. Iron Maiden
I consider this the stronger album of the Di'Anno era entirely on the strength of two tracks I have already discussed: Phantom of the Opera and Remember Tomorrow. I think both songs are legitimately excellent and stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of the songs from this period, foreshadowing the greatness that the band would achieve later. Outside of these two giants, the rest of the album is probably slightly below the level of Killers, but that still means that there are some solid entries. A couple of these songs, Running Free and Sanctuary, are fairly plain on the album but take on significant life on stage. Others amount to solid rockers that I wouldn't seek out for their own sake, but enjoy well enough in the context of the album (though I find the lyrics on Prowler and Charlotte the Harlot to be of dubious taste). Strange World is a... strange song... that doesn't sound anything like anything else they've done (because Paul Day wrote it), but I think kind of works. This is definitely a album that is elevated by its two best songs, but the rest is strong enough to make the whole thing a good experience.
Album 13. No Prayer for the Dying
No Prayer for the Dying can certainly be more easily blamed for its faults than Iron Maiden. The debut is, well, a debut. It's a band just starting out, and its best tracks show the promise of a very bright future. No Prayer feels like a huge step backward after a very impressive run ending on one of the band's best albums, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. And its best tracks feel like faint echoes of the greatness heard on that run.
First, the negative. There are indeed a number of dubious choices on this album. For one, there are some songs that are just not that good, like the inane The Assassin and whatever you want to call that thing that occupies track 9 (and holds the distinction of being Maiden’s only #1 single ever). A lot of the lyrics on this album are pretty rough, and frequently in rather poor taste (without the excuse of having been written by a young man in his early twenties). And in general the quality of the songwriting just is lower than on most of their other albums.
That said, I think there are a lot of solid songs on this album, including some that (understandably) receive little praise. I’ve already discussed Run Silent Run Deep, but I could also mention Mother Russia, No Prayer for the Dying and Fates Warning. These three would probably get outshone on the better Maiden albums, but here they stand out better as little gems. Even some of the songs that are of questionable taste are fun in their own way: Public Enema Number One is legitimately good in my opinion, and I actually like Hooks in You.
Overall, the decisive factor between this and the debut is that I simply have a better time listening to this album as a full experience. Sure, two of the three best tracks between the two albums are on Iron Maiden, but I think the general quality is higher on No Prayer. Though the songwriting is somewhat degenerated from where it was on Seventh Son, there's still something a little bit more robust about a middle-tier No Prayer song like Tailgunner compared to a middle-tier Iron Maiden song like Prowler. Though it's a close call, I would more often than not rather listen to No Prayer for the Dying.
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Where Eagles Dare is just an underrated classic. That 3 minute long instrumental section, just lovely.
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I warmly agree on pretty much everything you've written about Where Eagles Dare.
The debut is my #2 IM album.
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I'm not too shocked to see FotD at the bottom, and I agree that The Apparition is probably the worst Maiden song aside from The Angel & The Gambler. I've always had a soft spot for Weekend Warrior and Chains of Misery though, thoroughly ridiculous songs but enjoyable. Childhood's End steals yet another Marillion song title and actually reminds me vaguely of Script/Fugazi era Marillion.
Well, that would be Kiss. :) :) (I'm kidding; the Marillion came first. But I think there are more stylistic/thematic connections to the Kiss tune.)
Killers is really enjoyable as a whole, but I agree that there's no song that truly stands out (except perhaps Murders In The Rue Morgue and Prodigal Son and even they're overshadowed by so many songs that came after). I'd still rank it way higher than X Factor and Virtual XI though.
Another Life. Top 15 Maiden song, easily.
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Both great songs, especially The Longest day. Bruce is unbelievable on it.
I really like the Iron Maiden debut, but I'm afraid it wouldn't end up too high on my list neither.
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I'm not too shocked to see FotD at the bottom, and I agree that The Apparition is probably the worst Maiden song aside from The Angel & The Gambler. I've always had a soft spot for Weekend Warrior and Chains of Misery though, thoroughly ridiculous songs but enjoyable. Childhood's End steals yet another Marillion song title and actually reminds me vaguely of Script/Fugazi era Marillion.
Well, that would be Kiss. :) :) (I'm kidding; the Marillion came first. But I think there are more stylistic/thematic connections to the Kiss tune.)
Killers is really enjoyable as a whole, but I agree that there's no song that truly stands out (except perhaps Murders In The Rue Morgue and Prodigal Son and even they're overshadowed by so many songs that came after). I'd still rank it way higher than X Factor and Virtual XI though.
Another Life. Top 15 Maiden song, easily.
Ooooh right...I tend to forget Carnival Of Souls exists (for obvious reasons), but that came out after both the Maiden and Marillion songs.
As for Another Life... :|
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I'm not too shocked to see FotD at the bottom, and I agree that The Apparition is probably the worst Maiden song aside from The Angel & The Gambler. I've always had a soft spot for Weekend Warrior and Chains of Misery though, thoroughly ridiculous songs but enjoyable. Childhood's End steals yet another Marillion song title and actually reminds me vaguely of Script/Fugazi era Marillion.
Well, that would be Kiss. :) :) (I'm kidding; the Marillion came first. But I think there are more stylistic/thematic connections to the Kiss tune.)
Killers is really enjoyable as a whole, but I agree that there's no song that truly stands out (except perhaps Murders In The Rue Morgue and Prodigal Son and even they're overshadowed by so many songs that came after). I'd still rank it way higher than X Factor and Virtual XI though.
Another Life. Top 15 Maiden song, easily.
Ooooh right...I tend to forget Carnival Of Souls exists (for obvious reasons), but that came out after both the Maiden and Marillion songs.
As for Another Life... :|
Yeah, I was just being silly (with C'sE that is). I just LOVE Murray on Another Life; I could listen to that all day long.
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Where Eagles Dare is just an underrated classic. That 3 minute long instrumental section, just lovely.
Yes, I adore it! Amazing that it's this good and *not* my favorite on Piece of Mind...
As for Another Life... it's one of the better songs on Killers, but I can't say much more for it than that.
Two more songs, two more albums:
16. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
from A Matter of Life and Death
Where The Longest Day has a clear divide between a very strong intro and a significantly less strong second half, Brighter Than a Thousand Suns does not reach the same heights, but has a remarkable consistency from start to finish. On this song, the music really powerfully conveys the unsettling sense of foreboding that goes along with the subject matter. I find it really interesting how the vocal melodies don’t always fall where one would expect in relation to the meter—it gives the piece an interesting off-kilter vibe. It’s not quite my favorite Maiden epic, but I do find it to be one of the most complete, well-structured ones.
15. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
from Powerslave
The original long Maiden epic still belongs among their top songs. What I find interesting about this one is that it maintains a lot of the elements from the 80s Maiden style on the shorter songs, most notably the steady gallop, but weaves together a number of such sections plus a completely new sort of middle section, to form one long epic. The section from the end of the quiet middle through the solos stands as one of the top handful of highlights of the 80s era. This song certainly features one of my favorite Dave Murray solos.
There was probably a time when I would have had this song in the top five or so. Over time, I think I have taken a stronger liking to some of the other songs you’ll be seeing soon on this list, and Rime has slipped down to the mid-teens. But I’d still say it holds up, and I still enjoy it greatly each and every time.
Album 12. Virtual XI
To me, there is a significant jump between the previous four albums and this one. Where the writeups for those albums required me to articulate why I feel they are below par, from here on up I mainly have positive things to say about each release (there will be a couple where I bring up the negative side simply to explain why I place them lower than most fans).
Virtual XI, in my opinion, simply does not deserve the bad reputation it has. It’s an album of eight good songs, some of them excellent. It lays, I think, groundwork that is simply essential for the eventual development of the reunion era sound. It is hampered only by the poor production and Blaze’s polarizing voice. Some might say, "and the repetitive songwriting," but repetition plagues Brave New World as well, and that one is quite well-loved, so it’s at most a matter of preference. Plus, four songs from Brave New World were written during the Virtual XI sessions, so it’s the same sort of songwriting.
I personally think Blaze does much better on this album than people give him credit for. Yes, there are a few parts that don't really work for him (Lightning Strikes Twice chorus), and his voice surely was better suited for The X Factor. But I think he does well as a distinctive sort of hard-rock singer on songs like The Angel and the Gambler and When Two Worlds Collide, which give him room to thunder out some powerful melodies.
I’ve talked about Futureal and The Clansman, which I agree are two of the standouts from this album. But there are a lot of excellent songs that don’t tend to get much attention. When Two Worlds Collide, The Educated Fool and Como Estais Amigos did not quite make my top 60, but they are all very good songs.
And as for that much-reviled Angel and Gambler…? Well, I’ll just say that I'm personally quite fond of them.
Album 11. Powerslave
Okay. Yes, I’m putting this one here.
To be clear: I think the four songs that bookend this album are excellent, truly classic Iron Maiden tracks.
I do not think that of the four songs in the middle. Those four songs are not bad. They’re fine. They’re good. But they’re all among the weaker tracks from 1982-1988 period. I’d place all four of them behind every track on Seventh Son, every track on Somewhere in Time, everything but Quest for Fire and Sun and Steel on Piece of Mind, and everything but Gangland on The Number of the Beast. For me, consistent quality is pretty important when rating an album. If I’m going to listen to an album, I do not want that album to have a long section where the quality dips. And Powerslave just does have a long section where the quality significantly dips.
It probably doesn’t help that all four of the great songs on here are not only on Live After Death and Flight 666, but are better on both of those live albums than they are in the studio. As a result, Powerslave is one of my least-listened Maiden studio albums.
Incidentally, my favorite of the “other four” is Back in the Village. Perhaps not the most popular choice?
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Great write-ups! Love BTASS, one of best post-1988 songs.
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I never quite got the love for BTASS. It's cool but never blew me away.
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Powerslave is about 11 spots too low though. As for Virtual XI I also don't think it's the worst Maiden album and I quite enjoy Blaze.
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I never quite got the love for BTASS. It's cool but never blew me away.
I think that was my first favorite song on AMOLAD. But it has definitely been surpassed by FTGGOG, Lord Of Light, and on most days even The Legacy.
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Before Images and Words came out, Rime was my #1 (Orion being #2) Grandpa Song, i.e. the tune I used to show my grandpop heavy metal could be as cool, complex and rich as classical music.
Powerslave is #4 IM album for me. Leaving the fantastic "bookends" aside (great description, 425!), I have a soft spot for Losfer Words, and an even softer spot for Flash of the Blade. It's the first heavy metal song I heard, and I distinctly remember it possessing my body, making me run around the house in exhilaration like a crazy kid. Furthermore, its chorus is a very overlooked case of compositional genius: you have the melody creating incredible tension by starting the first two phrases from the IV note of the underlying chords, delivering a big payoff when it hits the big C's tonic and the post-orgasmic chill with the G F# E descent. Plus the half neoclassical half arena rock instrumental break, Steve unchained, Bruce singing it like a king ...
Ok, I'm rambling. I bloody love that song ;D
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Brighter in my opinion features the heaviest Maiden riff ever. You know which one it is. :metal
As for VXI, it's certainly a good album, but it's near the bottom of my list, unfortunately. That just shows how amazing the rest of the discography is. The comparison to Brave new world is spot on, I've always felt like that as well. But Powerslave is great. I think Flash of the blade and Back in the village are just as fantastic as Aces high and Two minutes to midnight.
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"Back In The Village" is perhaps the single song in the catalogue that I am most out of step on with the fanbase. I LOVE that song, I think it's a top 10 or 15 song, depending on the day, and one of the highlights of that album (as I've already said, a top IM album for me). And yet, I'm not sure I can name one person here that likes it.
That opening guitar figure.... :metal
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I think Powerslave gets unfair criticism in regards to the 'filler' tracks considering you can make the exact same case for Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, Somewhere in Time AND Seventh Son. I like all of them but they all have songs that are clearly weaker than the rest IMO.
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"Back In The Village" is perhaps the single song in the catalogue that I am most out of step on with the fanbase. I LOVE that song, I think it's a top 10 or 15 song, depending on the day, and one of the highlights of that album (as I've already said, a top IM album for me). And yet, I'm not sure I can name one person here that likes it.
That opening guitar figure.... :metal
You can now. But not three times near my glowing grave in the town's model.
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"Back In The Village" is perhaps the single song in the catalogue that I am most out of step on with the fanbase. I LOVE that song, I think it's a top 10 or 15 song, depending on the day, and one of the highlights of that album (as I've already said, a top IM album for me). And yet, I'm not sure I can name one person here that likes it.
That opening guitar figure.... :metal
When Powerslave first came out, that was my first favorite song on it.
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Surprised to see no love for The Duellists...I agree that the 4 bookend songs are the best, but this songs kicks some serious ass and stands up with a lot of their material.
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I never quite got the love for BTASS. It's cool but never blew me away.
I think that was my first favorite song on AMOLAD. But it has definitely been surpassed by FTGGOG, Lord Of Light, and on most days even The Legacy.
I don't wholly disagree with this...
I think Powerslave gets unfair criticism in regards to the 'filler' tracks considering you can make the exact same case for Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, Somewhere in Time AND Seventh Son. I like all of them but they all have songs that are clearly weaker than the rest IMO.
I think you could say it of all of them to an extent, but I think the number and weakness of the weak tracks is greater on Powerslave than on any of the others.
I know that some of the middle four tracks on Powerslave have their fans in various quarters. I think that's great. But, for me, none of them is a particular standout.
Two more songs, two more albums, as we approach the top 10.
14. When the Wild Wind Blows
from The Final Frontier
This one is another song that I learned about very early on my Maiden journey (which started about a year after this album came out), and another one that was instrumental to my falling in love with the band. From the very start I found the story quite compelling—sad, with an thought-provoking, disturbing twist at the end. Musically, it doesn’t feel like the most varied song, but I think the verses evolve pretty nicely across the eleven minutes to transition through different phases of the story. The instrumental section is quite good, and the “They’ve been preparing for some weeks now” that pops up out of that heavy riff that ends it makes for a pretty powerful moment. I’m glad this song made it to the stage, even though it potentially came at the expense of some other entries from the album. I think it carried over quite well.
13. Dance of Death
from Dance of Death
Dance of Death is one of only a handful of songs on this whole list where the lyrics do absolutely nothing for me. I don’t object to them, but I’m not particularly interested in the sort of hokey story that plays out here. Lyrics can be a factor in my enjoyment of songs, particularly on the margins, so the fact that it rises this high on my list is a testament to the very high quality of songwriting going on here.
During the reunion era, Maiden have done a significant number of songs that start with a calm, often acoustic intro, and build into a heavier, more energetic body. On none of them is the transition smoother than on this one. The heavier parts have a fun, sort of folky vibe that makes them feel tightly connected to the acoustic intro. That acoustic part is one of their best such sections, with some really interesting guitar work. And the entire song is packed full of excellent melodies. Dance of Death manages to cover so many bases. It’s progressive and deliberate, but memorable and inviting to sing-alongs (and dance-alongs?). A really fun and really good song.
Album 10. The Number of the Beast
From here through #5, everything is quite close. It was a surprising reminder of this band’s consistency how difficult I found it to rank this section of the album list—definitely a process of splitting hairs.
So why does this acclaimed classic land at the bottom of this very close group? It’s mainly just that I think this album, while a big step forward from the first two, hasn’t quite achieved the level of refinement of their later works. There are certainly songs here that are at that level (just as there were even on the debut), but the album as a whole is not quite there yet—as I’ve mentioned before, I think Piece of Mind is actually where everything seems to have fully come together.
That said, this album deserves its very positive reputation. There are a lot of strong songs on here, even outside of the famous classics. I’ve already written about The Prisoner, but I could also mention 22 Acacia Avenue and even Invaders, which I think is better than most give it credit for being. Only Gangland is a miss here, and definitely should have been left as a b-side in favor of Total Eclipse, which is surprisingly good. (Worth saying that I first listened to this album on the remastered version that inserted Total Eclipse as the 8th track, between Gangland and Hallowed Be Thy Name, so it’s always been part of the album to me.) But Gangland alone is not enough to bring this album down very much. It’s an Iron Maiden album that is definitely deserving of the name.
Album 9. The Book of Souls
I’ve mentioned before that I got heavily into Iron Maiden in around 2011-2012, so The Book of Souls is the only album that was released after I first learned of the band, and came out after my period of most intense fandom. This is potentially the main reason for its placement toward the lower end of this tightly packed group.
Another reason, though, is the length of this, the band’s only double album. I don’t object to long albums or double albums as such, but I think the longer an album is, the more important it becomes that the material stay at a consistently high level of quality. A dip in quality around the 35-minute mark of a 50-minute album affects me less than a dip in quality around the 70-minute mark of a 90-minute album. I wouldn’t go so far as to say The Book of Souls has any bad tracks, but I think there’s not quite enough very high quality material for me to say, “Yes, this absolutely *had* to be a double album.” I’m not necessarily saying this should have been cut down to one disc, because I’m happy with almost all of the material and enjoy the album pretty much all the way through. (Gun to my head, I’d cut Death or Glory and When the River Runs Deep, then shorten Shadow of the Valley a bit.) But when I’m splitting hairs, “feels a bit long without be noticeably stronger” is reason enough to rank it a bit lower.
On the positive side, this album definitely proves that the band still had it in 2015. While it’s the lowest reunion album on my list, it’s the lowest by just a hair, and is more consistent in my opinion than two of the others. I’ve spoken at some length about several of the songs on here, one of which I think has strong potential to grow even more in my esteem over time (The Book of Souls) and one of which is a triumph just for being a mostly-successful foray into a totally new type of songwriting (Empire of the Clouds). A very strong 16th entry.
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Wow! As a huge Iron Maiden fan (my fav band) I have been loving this thread. However these album rankings are bordering on sacrilege to huge Iron Maiden fans! I can see you are a 'newer' Maiden fan which is cool, however if someone gave you a cassette tape of Number of The Beast in high school and asked you to take a listen, I reckon you would feel differently about that album and where it ranks. Imo - the greatest album of all time. Anyway, still looking forward to the rest of the rankings.
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Wow! As a huge Iron Maiden fan (my fav band) I have been loving this thread. However these album rankings are bordering on sacrilege to huge Iron Maiden fans! I can see you are a 'newer' Maiden fan which is cool, however if someone gave you a cassette tape of Number of The Beast in high school and asked you to take a listen, I reckon you would feel differently about that album and where it ranks. Imo - the greatest album of all time. Anyway, still looking forward to the rest of the rankings.
Realm, you registered a year ago and are just now finally getting around to your first post? :lol
I'm an old school fan who bought The Number Of The Beast in 1982 a couple of weeks before I started high school. It is my favorite Maiden album, and my number 2 studio album only behind Images & Words.
Don't be a stranger, man!
My name is temporarily changed but if you click on TAC 's list in the OP, that's me.
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Thanks Mr. Crabs.
I'm not really a rankings person overall but Images & Words would be in my top 5. Don't want to derail the thread though...
I've actually been around here for a very long time, I just don't post! This ranking of The Number of The Beast brought me out of my slumber.
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Two fantastic modern era epics right there. :metal
And looking at my album ranking, I would probably place TNOTB and TBOS at exactly the same spots. ;D
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When The Wild Wind Blows might be the most overlooked Maiden song. It's got a very strong main melody and introduces a few themes that are (imo) very memorable.
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That's a good call, though, on timing. I got TNOTB on release too, back in '82, and while I probably listen to other albums more, it's got a certain something that cannot be denied. And truth be told, as good as the whole show was on this last tour, the song that brought the house down? The Number Of The Beast. With the lights and fire, and the people standing and shouting, you could feel the ground shaking, no shit.
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I think context is important. Hearing TNOTB for the very first time shaped my entire musical journey and in some ways my life. As I stated earlier I was given a cassette tape of the album at school. When I got home to play it, it was rewound to side 2 and the first track on side 2 was TNOTB. I can still vividly remember hearing that for the first time. The spoken word intro and then once Bruce began singing, I was immediately hooked. The rest is history.
Loving this thread though and to me it is fascinating to follow someone who obviously is more passionate about the reunion era than the classic era.
Ultimately I’m with Indiscipline and running around the lounge room worshiping Flash of the Blade and even Back in the Village (which I love).
Also are we able to mention cover art? I was blown away by TNOTB cover art back in the day but Piece of Mind disappointing me (the music/songs of course didn’t). Powerslave was a return to an epic cover.
Who remembers the day going to the record store and buying an album just because the art work was cool.
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Hi The Realm, glad to have you following, and glad to hear you are enjoying the thread. I hear you about the different contexts, but I do take objection to one thing you said:
I can see you are a 'newer' Maiden fan which is cool, however if someone gave you a cassette tape of Number of The Beast in high school and asked you to take a listen, I reckon you would feel differently about that album and where it ranks.
More or less, someone *did* give me a cassette tape of Number of the Beast in high school. It wasn't actually a cassette tape, because it was 2011, but this is basically what happened to me. The thing is... because it was 2011, it wasn't just that album, it was that and 14 others.
If anything, my age gives me an impartial perspective when it comes to comparing TNOTB to the other Iron Maiden albums that those who got into it in 1982 can't have. For me, TNOTB has no more or less nostalgia attached to it than Dance of Death or Virtual XI, so none of those albums is getting a nostalgia bonus in my rankings over and above anything else but The Book of Souls.
Of course, I don't have anything against people putting TNOTB at the top of their list, because of nostalgia or for any other reason. But I think it's worth acknowledging that I also have the context of hearing this album for the first time at 15—it's just that that context is in the background of every other Maiden album besides The Book of Souls (which means that I won't have the same perspective on *that* album as any 15-year-olds getting into Maiden right now).
Here are the next two songs and the next two albums:
12. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
from Fear of the Dark
Afraid to Shoot Strangers is one of the most purely emotional songs in the entire Iron Maiden discography. The first half is truly spectacular, with the slow march carried by a simple guitar melody and Nicko’s superb, restrained drumming. The second half isn’t quite as good, but it’s not nearly as pronounced of a drop as on The Longest Day. The first heavier riff is tremendous, preserving the emotional resonance of the intro and carrying it into a more despondent lament. And the faster section conveys the panic of battle while still bringing a fantastic melody to the table.
The original 1992 version of this song is among the very best songs in the Maiden discography. It’s not among Bruce’s most spectacular vocal performances, but his restrained performance works for the first half, and his rasp is more fitting to the fast section than one might expect.
However.
This is the one and only place where Blaze Bayley beats Bruce on one of his own songs. For me, the definitive version of Afraid to Shoot Strangers is the official music video, which shows a live performance from 1995 with Blaze on vocals. His baritone just perfectly complements the somber tone. I think they’re pretty much on par with one another through most of the song, with Bruce having a slight edge on the opening verses due to a couple of live inconsistencies on Blaze’s part, but when it comes to the fast chorus “Afraid, afraid to shoot strangers,” I think Blaze’s thunder just fits that climactic moment better than Bruce’s rasp.
11. Alexander the Great
from Somewhere in Time
I’ve tried to show a lot of love to Somewhere on Time on this list, and my favorite song from the album falls just outside the top 10. Lyrically, this song catches some flak for sounding a little like a Wikipedia entry, and I won’t say that’s altogether undeserved. But the music captures the sense of Alexander’s ambition so well that the lyrics, which might drag down a weaker song, become serviceable.
As has become the pattern with songs on Adrian Smith: The Album, I will be praising Adrian Smith above all else here. His playing on the intro—maybe the best intro in the Maiden discography—and both his solos in the instrumental part are truly spellbinding. The instrumental section as a whole is one of Maiden’s best, period. Its structure never ceases to be interesting. And Dave Murray’s solo is excellent in its own right.
Album 8: Brave New World
Continuing along the set of albums that are very tightly packed, the next one for me is the first (and seemingly perhaps the most popular) reunion album.
As I’ve said before, viewed in the context of the band discography, Brave New World isn’t quite the revelation to me that it seemingly is to a lot of people. I do not think it is this massive jump up from Virtual XI. I think it is an upgrade, but in the sense of being the next logical step, not a new thing from out of the blue. That said, the return of Bruce and Adrian did make a difference in some of the songs on this album, and then proceeded to make a huge difference on subsequent releases. So, in that sense, I understand why one would view this album as a watershed moment.
I have already given five spots on this list to Brave New World, so it should be clear that I find a lot to love on this album. There are a lot of songs here that I enjoy quite a bit. However, I do think this one also has a couple of weak links. The repetition that is a downside of many tracks on this album (and on VXI) is particularly noticeable on The Mercenary and The Fallen Angel, neither of which I hold in particularly high esteem. I also don’t think this album hits the same highs that the later reunion albums do. It’s consistently quite strong, but the other albums go a little farther.
Album 7. The X Factor
I find The X Factor exceptionally difficult to place because, of all the Maiden albums, it is the one that is most about the full album experience as against the strength of individual songs for me. This album does a fantastic job of achieving a certain atmosphere and maintaining it effectively all the way through. Even though the vibe here diverges from the typical Maiden tone, the album also retains most of the major aspects of the band’s sound.
The big exception, obviously, is the replacement of Bruce Dickinson with Blaze Bayley. Since Bruce is one of my favorite singers in metal, it would be hard to replace him without it being some sort of downgraded. But while in a sense it is, and while Blaze was clearly not the optimal fit for the band long term, for this album, he was just the right choice. His baritone is perfectly compatible with the gloomy mood that pervades The X Factor, and I’m really rather taken with his performance.
I love this album for the powerful emotional tone it sets and maintains, and for its several excellent songs. Ultimately, however, it doesn’t climb higher on my list simply because other albums have more high points than it. Its consistent strength takes it this far, but no farther.
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It always makes me happy not to see TXF near the bottom, because it's a top tier album for me. :tup
I'd also place Alexander the Great just outside of the top 10. Dave's solo truly is special.
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Good one 425, I get what you are saying about context. I don't think they are exactly the same thing but I will move on.
OK, on ATSS - I totally agree with all you wrote including the Blaze version.
Alexander The Great! One of the great songs. My quick funny story - was playing Trivial Pursuit a number of years ago and a question came up. Where did Alexander The Great die? Of course, like all Maiden fans I knew the answer. As far as the guitar work on this song and album well I could write an essay on how awesome it is.
The X Factor - sorry but I just don't get it. This would definitely be my bottom ranked Maiden album easily. Blaze was a mistake for Maiden but more than that most of the songs on the album are just mid tempo and plodding and just don't go anywhere. Also too much 'woah, woah' vocal parts. Blaze's vocals are just so uninspiring on the album. I have heard him sing on other stuff and he sounds much better but here it is a big fail. I like SOTC (Bruce does it better) and I am also pretty fond of Blood on the World's Hands. I pulled out the album and gave it a couple of spins to see if your review could change my mind, as I haven't listened to the whole thing for over 10 years. No, still the same...sorry.
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The X Factor definitely gets more hate than it deserves. It's not an amazing album but I think it's easily better than the other albums Maiden put out between the end of their golden era (Seventh Son) and the reunion (Brave New World).
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Time to move into the top 10! I forgot to ask last time, but I'd be interested to see anyone's guesses of what might be coming up in future posts. Here are two of my absolute favorites, including one that is probably an expected top 10 choice, and one that might be a little more unusual.
10. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
One of the astounding things about the run from The Number of the Beast to Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the way you can hear the band constantly growing, progressing and trying new things. There’s a clear line of development in style and ambition, and this ambition reaches its full fruition on the album scale with the band’s only concept album, and on the song scale with the epic that stands as its centerpiece. It’s not my favorite song from the 80s era, although it comes close, but I think it is the one that culminates what they had been working toward for much of the decade.
This song is, in a word, grand. It opens with an absolutely massive melody and runs through a series of huge verses before entering the quiet middle section. This section is, I think, executed better than the similar section in Rime of the Ancient Mariner. It does a stronger job of building tension and leading into the eventual explosion that is this song’s instrumental part. Speaking of it, that instrumental section pulls out all the stops. Each of the four guitar solos builds the intensity higher and higher before finally leading into the powerful keyboard-infused final section.
9. Revelations
from Piece of Mind
Bruce Dickinson’s first foray into songwriting with Iron Maiden is still my favorite of his solo writing efforts. Every part of Revelations is just captivating to me—it’s a song that goes from one excellent moment to another. We have great heavy riffs, beautiful calm sections, soaring vocal parts, one of the best Davey solos, and a rousing outro. I’m not really into all the mystical tarot stuff that inspired the lyrics here, but it doesn’t really matter. The images that Bruce summons from this strange mythology have a distinct sort of beauty that suit this song perfectly.
The definitive version of Revelations has to be the live version on the Live After Death audio. The faster tempo suits the song well, and my personal choice for most exquisite live moment ever is “Los Angeles, can you feel it?” after the first chorus.
Album 6. Dance of Death
I strongly agree with a sentiment that was posted recently in the main thread that Dance of Death is surprisingly good. For a long time, it was the reunion album I paid the least notice. Brave New World is more immediate, and A Matter of Life and Death and The Final Frontier came with a lot of epics to dig into. Dance of Death had a couple of clearly weaker songs and very off-putting artwork.
But over the years, this album has grown on me a lot, to the point where it is fairly comfortably ahead of Brave New World. True, Gates of Tomorrow and New Frontier are weak spots, and Wildest Dreams and Age of Innocence aren’t anything particularly special. But the remainder of the album is very strong, with some tracks that really reward multiple listens—Face in the Sand being a prime example. Unlike some albums with noticeable weak spots, the weaker tracks on this one seem to me to be not so bad in the context of the full album. And the strongest song is well ahead of the strongest one on a number of other Maiden albums, including Brave New World. This is clearly in the upper range of the band’s discography.
Album 5. Somewhere in Time
I have repeatedly praised this album in thread, and for good reason. Falling in between the near-universally loved Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Somewhere in Time seems to get less notice than I think it deserves, and I like to take the opportunity to call attention to it.
As I’ve talked about multiple times, this is practically Adrian Smith: The Album. True, there are also fantastic contributions from the other band members, particularly Nicko, Dave and Steve (both as a bassist and as a songwriter), but Adrian is just in another world here in terms of both playing and songwriting. His three songs—Wasted Years, Sea of Madness and Stranger in a Strange Land—are all very good, and he has several wonderful solos. And the Harris-penned bookends, both of which I placed in my top 20, are not bad themselves. There are a couple of weaker songs here, but neither The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner or Deja Vu are bad by any stretch. Somewhere in Time is one of the top efforts of a band on the top of their game and just two years away from producing an absolute masterpiece.
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Surprised to see Dance Of Death as the 6th ranked album. That's interesting.
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Too high, or too low? :P
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Neither. I just don't think most people have it ranked that high. I find it interesting.
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I'm guessing Hallowed Be Thy Name is going to be somewhere in there, and possibly Paschendale but your list has been pretty non-obvious so far so I really have no clue what the rest of the top 10 could hold.
Seventh Son is such a great track. Very proggy, especially from the middle section to the end. And I agree, the quiet section works better on this one.
Revelations is easily the best song on Piece of Mind. Lots of great parts, especially the clean verses which I love.
I should listen to Dance of Death more. Montsegur is really cool, but I'm not too big on the longer tracks. I actually love Age of Innocence and Journeyman, they sound different than the usual Maiden stuff and it just works for me.
Somewhere In Time is glorious. Every damn track is excellent and this album should not be as absent in their live sets as it is.
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Let me just say I love the placement of "Dance Of Death". That record is really strong, in my opinion, and the one I go back to most (though TFF is now taking that spot). I think it's very underrated in that way.
Oh, and if you want to talk "Revelations", there's this: https://youtu.be/jLhf8caVIiI
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I would rank Dance of death just as high. The underrated cuts are just as good as the more popular cuts.
Both fantastic picks regarding the songs, obviously. :tup
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Two awesome songs here and one awesome album. Agree with everything you wrote.
I like Dance of Death but this is ranked too high for me. SIT would be ranked 2nd or 3rd, just a magical album.
As far as which songs are still to come, this is a really tough one! Could be anything so looking forward to seeing the reveal. I'm presuming at least one or two songs from A Matter of Life and Death and The Final Frontier.
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When SiT came out, it was my favorite Maiden alum, especially after the disappointing Powerslave (for me).
Truth be told, it hasn't aged greatly.
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When SiT came out, it was my favorite Maiden alum, especially after the disappointing Powerslave (for me).
Truth be told, it hasn't aged greatly.
I have definitely seen this opinion before elswhere, though I obviously don't agree. Is there something specific about it that doesn't seem to have held up, like the guitar synths?
Oh, and if you want to talk "Revelations", there's this: https://youtu.be/jLhf8caVIiI
This is awesome! I had never seen it before.
I'm guessing Hallowed Be Thy Name is going to be somewhere in there, and possibly Paschendale but your list has been pretty non-obvious so far so I really have no clue what the rest of the top 10 could hold.
My sense is that much of my top 10 will be non-obvious from the perspective of typical choices, but if one has a sense of what albums and what types of songs I like best, a lot of it will become easier to guess.
As far as which songs are still to come, this is a really tough one! Could be anything so looking forward to seeing the reveal. I'm presuming at least one or two songs from A Matter of Life and Death and The Final Frontier.
I'm here to fulfill half of your prediction. TBD on the other half...
8. The Legacy
from A Matter of Life and Death
There is no Iron Maiden song that sounds like The Legacy. This song made a strong impression on me from my very first listen to A Matter of Life and Death, an album that, as my list will indicate, is made up of a great many heavy hitters. There is so much I could say about this one. It’s a fantastic storytelling song, especially in the first section, which sounds like a haunted lullaby. It features some of the strongest acoustic guitar I have heard from Maiden. It has an electric guitar tone that I really like, particularly on those ringing chords that mark the transition from the acoustic section to the heavy part. Bruce’s vocal performance is not marked by a lot of vocal acrobatics, but it’s perfectly fitting for the subject matter. Overall, it’s one of my favorite Maiden songs from a songwriting perspective, one that, to me, demonstrates some of the best of the band’s mature style.
7. For the Greater Good of God
from A Matter of Life and Death
However, The Legacy is not my favorite song on A Matter of Life and Death. That title goes to its other 9-minute track, Steve Harris’s finest hour save two as a solo composer. This is one of those longer songs that absolutely sprawls, making full use of its runtime, while also not feeling excessive or disconnected. It’s an epic that’s truly deserving of the title.
I would be hard-pressed to name a favorite part of this song, because I think it’s one of those where every piece is near-equally strong, and all the pieces come together to make an even better whole. But at a push, I’d point out the emotional intro and outro, the instrumental section before and after the solos, and the chorus, which along with Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is one of only a couple of times where I think a repeated-song-title chorus absolutely works and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It actually gives this lament even more power, in my opinion.
(See next post)
Album 4. Piece of Mind
I’m not sure how popular it is to place this album ahead of the somewhat more famous entries before and after it in the discography, but to me this is clearly the strongest of the three and one of the very best Iron Maiden albums. It all starts with the opening one-two punch of Where Eagles Dare and Revelations, which are two of my very favorite 80s Maiden songs. But it doesn’t end there. Almost every song on here is at least pretty strong, including some of the less-talked-about entries like Die With Your Boots On and Still Life. Even Sun and Steel has a lot going for it, in my opinion. The sole exception is Quest for Fire, which is a pretty dark spot on this album, and the thing that keeps it clearly below my top three, which don’t have any such weak points. But outside of that one blight, Piece of Mind delivers great song after great song, and makes for one of the best Iron Maiden album experiences.
Album 3. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The last album of the classic lineup is also, to me, that lineup’s clear climax. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the most ambitious Iron Maiden album of the 80s—between its concept, its introduction of keyboards and its increasingly complex songwriting—and it achieves all of its lofty goals. In my opinion, there is not a weak track on Seventh Son. Can I Play With Madness is as close as there is to one, and it’s still a strong rocker, deserving of its place as an occasional live track. The band is on fire, Bruce gives probably his best album performance, and the songwriting is epic, full of memorable and often emotional melodies. Seventh Son is an absolute classic, assured of a place on any list of favorite albums I ever make.
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When SiT came out, it was my favorite Maiden alum, especially after the disappointing Powerslave (for me).
Truth be told, it hasn't aged greatly.
I have definitely seen this opinion before elswhere, though I obviously don't agree. Is there something specific about it that doesn't seem to have held up, like the guitar synths?
I think it was based on a clear reflection of what came before it. I really did not care for Powerslave. I felt it was really stale, and such a huge step down from NOTB and PoM.
I initially thought SiT sounded so fresh and the approach was a recovery from the lackluster Powerslave.
I can't really put into words why it really hasn't held up. Oddly, one song I was never really a fan of at first was Heaven Can Wait, and that is the one song in their discog that has actually aged the best for me. That and Powerslave.
I still consider Caught Somewhere In Time a Top 3-5 Maiden track though.
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SiT was a huge influence on me when it came out. As far as Maiden goes second only behind TNOTB. Has it aged well? I think it has. I still love listening to it now but I know there is also a huge amount of nostalgia related to this.
As far as latest rankings we’ll those albums are all time classics and believe it or not they are probably ranked where I would rank them. Just the albums around them would be different.
I had a very strong feeling those 2 songs were coming up. Actually I expected For The Greater Good if God to be ranked higher!
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You can't go wrong with The Legacy. That intro is majestic, I'm hearing a lot of 70s prog in there.
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Great updates. I just had fun reading through the old thread and deciding how I might change my list. The album rankings have definitely changed.
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I initially thought SiT sounded so fresh and the approach was a recovery from the lackluster Powerslave.
I can't really put into words why it really hasn't held up. Oddly, one song I was never really a fan of at first was Heaven Can Wait, and that is the one song in their discog that has actually aged the best for me. That and Powerslave.
Huh. I guess it makes sense that you'd have a more positive reaction given the context, and there's really little accounting for tastes otherwise.
I had a very strong feeling those 2 songs were coming up. Actually I expected For The Greater Good if God to be ranked higher!
Funny you should mention that... I've been thinking over and over about this and I really can't help thinking I need to move it one place higher, from #7 to #6, with my previous #6 going down to #7. So I'm going to repost its writeup in this post in the #6 spot, along with #7 and #5. The one and only time I'm going to tinker with the list after having already posted songs.
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name
from The Number of the Beast
There’s pretty much nothing I can say about Hallowed Be Thy Name that hasn’t already been. This is a classic that absolutely deserves that status. The songwriting is superb, with every riff and melody contributing to a fantastic whole. The lyrics are thought-provoking and emotionally powerful at every stage. And the whole piece absolutely kills every time they bring it out as part of the live show.
As I’ve said before, I typically find it difficult to rank these live staples. But this one I absolutely never tire of. It can still provoke an emotional reaction after probably hundreds of listens, and it never fails to provide excitement in spades, either. Iron Maiden has so many great songs, but there’s a very real argument that they have never quite topped this moment off their third album. Certainly if I had to show someone one song to represent the band’s whole body of work, this would still be my choice.
6. For the Greater Good of God
from A Matter of Life and Death
Though it ranks high, The Legacy is not my favorite song on A Matter of Life and Death. That title goes to its other 9-minute track, Steve Harris’s finest hour save one as a solo composer. This is one of those longer songs that absolutely sprawls, making full use of its runtime, while also not feeling excessive or disconnected. It’s an epic that’s truly deserving of the title.
I would be hard-pressed to name a favorite part of this song, because I think it’s one of those where every piece is near-equally strong, and all the pieces come together to make an even better whole. But at a push, I’d point out the emotional intro and outro, the instrumental section before and after the solos, and the chorus, which along with Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is one of only a couple of times where I think a repeated-song-title chorus absolutely works and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It actually gives this lament even more power, in my opinion.
5. Sign of the Cross
from The X Factor
Like For the Greater Good of God, Sign of the Cross is feels like an absolutely massive song, and not just in terms of length. The riffs, the melodies, the vocal sections here just bring such a strong sense of grandeur and scale—and that’s without even mentioning the Gregorian choir. On this song, I get the sense of despair at its most majestic. This is especially true on the instrumental section that rises from a full drop into the second Gregorian choir part through a series of huge riffs and melodies before eventually arriving at one of my favorite solo sections in the Iron Maiden discography, featuring back-to-back lightning-fast solos from Dave Murray and Janick Gers. And then it continues from there, with a number of other wonderful sections before finally bringing things to a close with a climactic rendition of the chorus. I love gradual build-ups, and this is one of Maiden’s best. I also love melodic instrumental sections, especially those that don’t entirely rely on solos, and, again, this is one of Maiden’s best.
My one sorrow on this song is that there is not a version that I would regard as clearly definitive. I very much like both singers on this song, but I slightly prefer Blaze Bayley. I think he sounds a little better on the intro and outro, and I slightly prefer his delivery on “Holding communion so the world’ll be blessed / My creator, my God’ll lay my soul to rest,” which is the most substantive difference. I would be willing to consider a Bruce performance of this song to be a definitive version, but, to me, the Rock In Rio performance of this one is one of the rare times that a Maiden song becomes perceptively weaker by being played at a faster tempo live. This song needs to march, it needs to proceed at a measured pace, it doesn’t need to race along. The tempo on The X Factor is absolutely perfect in my book… but the production is very bad, taking away some of the weight that the guitar riffs should have and causing a too-wide disparity in volume from the quiet parts to the loud parts. Doesn’t stop Sign of the Cross from being a top 10 song by any means, but I would really like to have a version, with either Blaze or Bruce, that combines the best of the two released versions and matches the way I imagine this song to be in my head.
Album 2. A Matter of Life and Death
After two very strong releases on Brave New World and Dance of Death, albeit with some imperfections, everything came together completely on the third reunion album, A Matter of Life and Death. This is Iron Maiden at their proggy best. The album has three highly refined, sophisticated long epics, two of which have already been named in my top 10, and the third in my top 20. It also has four excellent mid-range songs, all of which have been named on this list (These Colours Don’t Run, The Longest Day, Benjamin Breeg and Lord of Light). The shorter songs are not quite as superb, but they are by no means bad. The Pilgrim in particular is a fun, distinct piece that very nearly made my top 60. The full album experience of AMOLAD is also quite strong. In some ways, this feels like an album that takes the dark, contemplative tone of The X Factor, renders it a bit less oppressive, and steps up the quality of the songwriting to a very high level.
Simply put, this is a very fine album, one that would stand out in any band’s discography, and that must especially stand out among 14th studio albums! I hope the band themselves are still proud of this one, and I think they are, if the fact that this is the only Iron Maiden album to be played live in full is any indication.
Album 1. The Final Frontier
The Final Frontier is a very close sibling of A Matter of Life and Death, and I love them both for very similar reasons. With the reunion style pretty much perfected on AMOLAD, I think it makes sense that the next album would iterate that style somewhat, and cast it in a different tone, but not make any radical changes. There was a lot of creative juice left over from AMOLAD, and I think in TFF the band was able to produce an album that just barely topped it.
I have already mentioned a great many songs from this album on my list—most notably, I have mentioned a couple of the shorter songs: Mother of Mercy and The Alchemist. This is one place where I think TFF has a clear edge on AMOLAD: The shorter songs are just a bit better. Coming Home also came very close to making my list. This isn’t to say that I don’t love the epics, as well. Far from it, as I have already shown by placing The Man Who Would Be King and When the Wild Wind Blows in the top 25.
To me, A Matter of Life and Death and The Final Frontier form a natural pair that features my favorite songwriting of Iron Maiden’s career. The main distinction is that TFF feels a little happier than AMOLAD, which is a plus for me, and that I like the shorter tracks on TFF a little better, generally speaking. Both are worthy of a top ranking, but only The Final Frontier receives it. This album made a massive impact on me when I first listened to the Iron Maiden discography, and many years later I still do not get tired of it. It is truly one of my all-time favorites, without a doubt.
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Seeing TFF at 1 is crazy to me because it would be near the bottom for me (still some great tunes and not a bad album by any means). As for the songs, I do love Sign of the Cross and it would be super high for me as well, but I kinda get your point with the 'no definitive version' part. I think Blaze does the song great though I feel the quiet parts on the album are perhaps a bit too quiet in contrast to the loud bits but I agree that the Bruce version suffers a bit from being sped up.
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Yea it's funny how diffrent it can be, it's in the bottom for me too. Pretty much all the reunion albums are pretty low in the rank for me. I applaud IM for still going strong and releasing albums but non of the reunion albums have really grabbed me except maybe Brave New World.
I'm a sucker for "early" Maiden basically.
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I think 'reunion'-Maiden has been very strong - in fact probably stronger than most bands who have been going for as long as they have. But as much as I like them, they are still just 'great' albums by a band that has made classic albums. In the end it's all opinions and I for one would actually rank AMOLAD very high and I really like BNW and DoD too, but the old albums are what made the band. It's cool to see different opinions though, but I still find it a bit crazy to hear someone talk about the classics like they are half filler and then listing TFF as nr1 which is also half filler but doesn't have the same highs as the classics. :p
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To be fair, the only generally accepted classic I would say is "half filler" is Powerslave, which I feel is not, like, a totally unheard-of opinion. (And even then, it's only half by number of tracks, since the two longest songs are decisively in the non-filler category.) I also tried to express that a lot of the albums are very close for me—there's not that much of a gap between Somewhere in Time at #5 and The Number of the Beast at #10. The only problem I have with TNOTB is that Gangland isn't great and should've been replaced with Total Eclipse. Other than that, I really have no objections to the album at all.
But I'll happily concede that I am often quite contrarian about accepted "classics," and this is not just with Iron Maiden. I think there is a strong tendency in music discussions in general to pick up on the albums that made an artist popular and treat those as the be-all, end-all. I get that there is an energy and a freshness to those kind of breakout albums that a lot of people like. I just tend to have a stronger interest than most in the refined maturity that a not-insignificant number of artists find in the later part of their careers.
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I mean I recognize some of my own personality in what you're saying. I think sometimes it's easy to go into a 'classic' with the mindset that you are looking to see if it's actually THAT good (kinda looking to poke holes) whereas albums like X Factor or Virtual XI you go into knowing most fans rate very low, so you are kinda looking for the bright spots. Like it's all opinions and some people will have album X high and album Y low and someone else has it the other way, I think that's pretty neat honestly. Classics don't HAVE to be as good as the hype, because sometimes context plays a huge part. Some albums might have been revolutionary and crazy good when they came out but if you check them out 20 years later with a different 'background' you might not get the same experience at all.
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For me Powerslave is the ONLY Iron Maiden album with NO filler. And nothing from the reunion era (good as it is) is on the same level quality-wise with anything released before No Prayer. And this is with the context of getting into ALL of the Maiden albums around the same time some years back. I knew some individual songs beforehand, but not entire albums. Opinions are weird. ;)
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Yes it is also a shock to me to see TFF ranked number 1 but I knew it was coming. To me AMOLAD is the best reunion era album but all the reunion albums would be ranked lower than the first seven albums.
I also can’t believe Hallowed isn’t the number 1 song! (Only joking) but it is my number 1 song by any band.
SotC is a great song and I agree with all you wrote here.
Looking forward to seeing what other Maiden songs could possibly rank higher than HBTN. Must be at least 1 from TFF but no idea what. I think we have had at least 2 or more already in the countdown.
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I put both TFF and AMOLAD in my Top 5. I generally concede that AMOLAD is their signature Reunion Era album, but I do like TFF a bit more. I find it on par musically, but the songs just seem a bit easier on the ears, if that makes any sense.
My favorite Reunion Era track is The Talisman followed very closely by Coming Home. Hopefully one of these are coming up.
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Sign of the cross is the best song ever.
And kudos on having two more recent albums as your very favorites. Although I wouldn't rank The Final Frontier as high as you did, I still think that it's a fantastic album that will unfortunatelly be forgotten due to its placement between AMOLAD and TBOS, which were much better received.
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To clarify I love both AMOLAD and TFF. It is just that my nostalgic self couldn't bare to rank them above the first 7 albums.
I can't remember which TFF songs we have had in the countdown so far, but if Coming Home hasn't been one then that would be a good choice. It is my second fav on TFF, my fav is When the Wild Wind Blows but pretty sure we have had that one already.
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TFF has aged really really well for me. From The Alchemist to the end is just amazing.
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I mean I recognize some of my own personality in what you're saying. I think sometimes it's easy to go into a 'classic' with the mindset that you are looking to see if it's actually THAT good (kinda looking to poke holes) whereas albums like X Factor or Virtual XI you go into knowing most fans rate very low, so you are kinda looking for the bright spots. Like it's all opinions and some people will have album X high and album Y low and someone else has it the other way, I think that's pretty neat honestly.
I get you, and this is definitely an outlook I often have that perhaps sometimes does affect my rankings.
Good to see some decent TFF love on the whole, as well as, of course, Sign of the Cross love. For The Realm and others wondering what we've had from TFF so far:
54. The Alchemist
45. Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
38. Mother of Mercy
24. The Man Who Would Be King
14. When the Wild Wind Blows
And now we will be adding to this already healthy list:
4. Starblind
from The Final Frontier
There was a time when I would have called this my #1 Iron Maiden song, and it’s still one of my absolute favorites. It’s hard to describe quite what I find so special about this song. There’s just something about the marriage between the music and Bruce’s vocal melodies, which aren’t paired in a way that I think is ordinary (particularly on the verses), but gives the sense of the vocal floating, soaring over this controlled complexity, punctuated by the sort of off-sounding riffs and the guitar melodies that plunge in and out of the verses (want to talk about why a band would ever need three guitars? this is why).
I’ve said it many times before, but it needs emphasizing again on this song: Adrian. Smith. What a performance.
This whole sense of Bruce’s voice soaring over a chaotic backing works quite well with the lyrics of the song, I think, which, while somewhat vague, are, in my opinion, very beautifully written. They’re almost surely Bruce’s, and they’re among his very best. The introductory lyrics are gorgeous, and sound wonderful in the context of the song. But my very favorite section is when we rise up out of the instrumental section and Bruce declaims:
Look into our face reflected in the moonglow in your eyes
Remember you can choose to look but not to see and waste your hours
You believe you have the time, but I tell you your time is short
See your past and future, all the same and it cannot be bought
3. Isle of Avalon
from The Final Frontier
Of all Iron Maiden songs, Isle of Avalon is the one that is most likely to get me completely pumped. To me, this track is just packed with tension and excitement. The quieter sections that open each half of the song serve the role of the openers Maiden has been accustomed to writing in the reunion era, but they aren’t the typical calm intros. They are instead softer sections that build tension upon tension until it eventually erupts. The instrumental section is wonderful, and Adrian’s long solo here is absolutely one of his very best. I love the lyrics and Bruce’s performance. I think he does a wonderful job of emphasizing the meaning of the words, especially some of the strongest lines. There are so very many moments I love in this song, but there are maybe one or two Iron Maiden moments I love more than:
To have the belief of others
Looking for the Isle to show them a sign
Fertility of all mothers
Stood in silence, waiting now for their turn
The gateway to Avalon
The island where the souls of dead are reborn
Brought here to die and be
Transferred into the earth and then for rebirth
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Starblind is kind of average musically, except for the ending of the instrumental section. However, the lyrics make up for it big time.
Isle of Avalon, on the other hand, is a masterpiece. :metal
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I'm loving your The Final Frontier-heavy list. It's a really strong album and I would rate it higher than a lot of the "classic" stuff as well.
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Absolutely loving the passion in the song write ups and in preparation I gave TFF a few spins today. No doubt it is a great album so I actually have no issue with the ranking and large number of songs represented.
Have no idea what the top 2 songs could be though..
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Frankly, I'm digging all the love for TFF. It's one of the reunion albums that has really stuck with me. I loved it when it first came out (especially after the brutal AMOLAD) and I bought En Vivo! a couple weeks ago and was struck by how good some of those songs really are. It's a favorite, for sure.
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I love the Final Frontier love in the replies, so let's keep it going! I'll just put #2 in this post because I think #1 deserves its own feature.
2. The Talisman
from The Final Frontier
Well, now you have a good idea what I’d answer if asked for my favorite three-song run! These songs all hold a very special place for me. I think all three are absolutely wonderful—musically, lyrically, and in the marriage between music and lyrics. Ordering these three amongst one another was almost impossible. I’ve listened to them together so many times in my life, including twice while trying to decide the sequence, and while I’m placing The Talisman first of the three, it still feels strange to me even to say that it’s my favorite, because they are that close.
It would be hard for me to name a better marriage between music and lyrics in rock music, period, than The Talisman. The story Steve Harris wrote for this song is straightforward but emotional, and it is told with tremendous emotional power. The music on this track is wonderful, from the gorgeous acoustic section to the galloping riffs to Janick’s excellent solo. Then put them together, with vocal melodies written tailored to fit exactly not just the sound of the words, but their meaning. There are so many times where the way a line comes out musically perfectly punctuates what the words say. A couple of examples:
The acoustic melody that complements the dactylic meter (a rather unusual meter for English verse; props to Steve for writing so well in it) of some of the lines in the first section, especially:
Fleeing a nation, our problems we leave behind
Ships by the tenfold sail out on the tide
The turn from “The spirits of the sunken crews, their phantoms follow us” to “Spirit sails they drive us on through the all-consuming waves / Cold mortality no weapon ‘gainst these ever-raging seas”
Such a well-composed and emotional song for me, and an ecstatic cap to an astounding three-song run. Absolutely one of my very favorites.
Do we know #1?
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The Talisman is phenomenal. It is my favorite Reunion Era track. It literally lifts you up and carries you away. What a pace.
#1 is Coming Home.
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Yes The Talisman is a great track for sure.
I’m with TAC, surely Coming Home for #1.
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Man, you really like The Final frontier album, right?
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I am surprised.
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I do very much like The Final Frontier.
So, Coming Home for number 1, is it?
Coming home, far away?
Home, far away?
Home, far away
From the war?
A chance to live again?
Home, far away
But the war
No chance to live again.
1. Paschendale
from Dance of Death
Many of Iron Maiden’s best songs are those highlighting the nature of war, in particular its horrors. In 2003, Adrian Smith and Steve Harris revisited this well-covered ground, but achieved a new level of excellence that they never previously achieved and have not matched since.
Paschendale, the song, presents the drama and horror of Paschendale, the battle, in the most musical and poetic terms imaginable. By giving us the perspective of a single soldier in a single charge of this battle, the lyrics nonetheless show us the full context that brought this horror to be, both historically (“German war propaganda machine / Such before had never been seen”) and philosophically:
Cruelty has a human heart
Every man does play his part
Terror of the men we kill
The human heart is hungry still
Part of the genius of this song is the way each section leads into each other section, even when they are very disparate thoughts. We go from this philosophic idea in the mind of our unnamed soldier immediately to the existential circumstances that face him. With no break, this thought leads directly to:
I stand my ground for the very last time
Gun is ready as I stand in line
Nervous wait for the whistle to blow
Rush of blood and over we go
The music here is, of course, also breathtaking. There are so many superb riffs and melodies here, each and every one of them complementing the others beautifully and also linking up superbly with the lyrics. The starts and stops that punctuate the song at certain points mark transitions between ideas, but also match the stop-and-start nature of trench warfare. The most intense section musically, is, of course, the section where our soldier is finally ordered to charge the enemy. The music is majestic, between the massive guitar riffs and the strings, but also run through with a sense of profound horror and tragedy. The instrumental section is superb, with excellent solos from both Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. But the best part of the song, and my favorite part of the entire Iron Maiden discography, is most definitely:
Blood is falling like the rain
Its crimson cloak unveils again
The sound of guns can’t hide their shame
And so we die in Paschendale
… right into my choice for Janick’s very best solo, a truly superb and emotional piece. This section of music and lyrics never fails to get tears from me. The song remains at a nearly unimaginable level of intensity until the very end, which is a sad lament and reminder of the senselessness of this war.
Paschendale pushes the limits of what rock music can do, and is, in my book, very clearly the top choice out of an excellent and storied discography. Many years and many, many listens later, this song still feels so capacious that I can get completely lost in it—which is truly remarkable. Truly a special piece, and highly deserving of my #1 spot.
Completed List:
60. The Number of the Beast
59. The Prisoner
58. The Unbeliever
57. Phantom of the Opera
56. Fortunes of War
55. Run Silent Run Deep
54. The Alchemist
53. The Trooper
52. The Great Unknown
51. 2 Minutes to Midnight
50. The Man of Sorrows
49. Flight of Icarus
48. Fear of the Dark
47. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
46. Remember Tomorrow
45. Satellite 15... The Final Frontier
44. Sea of Madness
43. Montségur
42. Dream of Mirrors
41. The Nomad
40. These Colours Don't Run
39. Futureal
38. Mother of Mercy
37. Out of the Silent Planet
36. Only the Good Die Young
35. Aces High
34. The Wicker Man
33. The Clansman
32. Moonchild
31. The Book of Souls
30. Powerslave
29. Ghost of the Navigator
28. Face in the Sand
27. The Clairvoyant
26. Empire of the Clouds
25. Infinite Dreams
24. The Man Who Would Be King
23. To Tame a Land
22. If Eternity Should Fail
21. Stranger in a Strange Land
20. Lord of Light
19. Caught Somewhere in Time
18. Where Eagles Dare
17. The Longest Day
16. Brighter Than a Thousand Suns
15. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
14. When the Wild Wind Blows
13. Dance of Death
12. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
11. Alexander the Great
10. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
9. Revelations
8. The Legacy
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name
6. For the Greater Good of God
5. Sign of the Cross
4. Starblind
3. Isle of Avalon
2. The Talisman
1. Paschendale
Albums:
16. Fear of the Dark
15. Killers
14. Iron Maiden
13. No Prayer for the Dying
12. Virtual XI
11. Powerslave
10. The Number of the Beast
9. The Book of Souls
8. Brave New World
7. The X Factor
6. Dance of Death
5. Somewhere in Time
4. Piece of Mind
3. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
2. A Matter of Life and Death
1. The Final Frontier
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Great song indeed. Love Adrians tapping Wasted Years riff for the intro.
Janicks solo is so epic because of the key change from G# to D. Really interesting transition between keys and builds so much tension, and the D# chord before D key change is just amazingly epic. I love that whole section as Dave's solo is in E then it shifts to C# for Adrian. The blood is falling section is G# then as I said D for Janick. Really amazing section.
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Haven't chimed in here, but have been casually following. Thank you for the thoughtful posts 425, and HELL YEAH PASCHENDALE! That is either my #1 or #2 Maiden song.
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I can’t believe it! Not sure how this passed me by. I do love Paschendale. When DoD came out I remember hearing Paschendale and thinking this song is next level for Maiden, especially the reunion era (which was only a couple of albums old) but it really ignited something in me which convinced me that Maiden still had it in them to produce awesome music.
Yes this is definitely a top Maiden song.
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Yep, that's one good song, right there. Kudos on the amazing list, 425! It was so much fun to follow. :metal
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Amazing list, 425! Had a feeling Paschendale might take top spot. Genuinely one of the band's finest works ever, if not their best. :metal
It's definitely high on my own new list... which I really need to sit down and properly finalize sometime soon. :lol
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Paschendale is indeed a top Maiden song. Good pick!
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Yeah that Side 2 of TFF is something else. The songs are even sequenced perfectly. Kudos for the great write-ups.
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This was a great list; not what mine would be, but it's certainly refreshing to see some deeper tracks and lesser (in terms of consideration) albums get some press.
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Hey Wolfking you’re up. The previous ranking thread from 2013 became a ghost town after 2 or 3 people went, hopefully that won’t be the case this time.
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Sorry, I was all good for doing this but work started back up way earlier then expected during COVID so I haven't prepared anything. If anyone else has a list, go ahead. If not, I'll see what I can do over the next week.
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Sorry, I was all good for doing this but work started back up way earlier then expected during COVID so I haven't prepared anything. If anyone else has a list, go ahead. If not, I'll see what I can do over the next week.
Yeah, I had a similar situation myself, plus I was expecting you'd go before me. :lol
That said, I could maybe go next if I'm given the weekend to sit down and hash out my list first. I don't plan on doing a list quite as extensive as 425's, so that'd likely make things easier on my end.
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Sorry, I was all good for doing this but work started back up way earlier then expected during COVID so I haven't prepared anything. If anyone else has a list, go ahead. If not, I'll see what I can do over the next week.
Yeah, I had a similar situation myself, plus I was expecting you'd go before me. :lol
That said, I could maybe go next if I'm given the weekend to sit down and hash out my list first. I don't plan on doing a list quite as extensive as 425's, so that'd likely make things easier on my end.
I can define my list over the weekend. It won't take me long so I can start next week, I'll make time but yeah won't be anywhere near as thought out and extensive as 425's.
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Hey, sorry, forgot to reply here after the final post! I'm glad folks enjoyed my list and writeups, and it's great to see a lot of positivity for Paschendale, which, as I think I made clear, is just next level for me.
Wolfking, I didn't mean to put you on the spot with the sequence in the OP. I just catalogued everyone who mentioned they wanted make a list, figuring that someone would be almost ready to step up by the time I finished mine! So if you're ready to start next week, that would be fine, but don't feel obligated if you're not ready, especially since it sounds like Mister Gold can potentially be ready soon as well.
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Hey, sorry, forgot to reply here after the final post! I'm glad folks enjoyed my list and writeups, and it's great to see a lot of positivity for Paschendale, which, as I think I made clear, is just next level for me.
Wolfking, I didn't mean to put you on the spot with the sequence in the OP. I just catalogued everyone who mentioned they wanted make a list, figuring that someone would be almost ready to step up by the time I finished mine! So if you're ready to start next week, that would be fine, but don't feel obligated if you're not ready, especially since it sounds like Mister Gold can potentially be ready soon as well.
All good mate, I put my hand up as much as you did. I had heaps of time working in the office but a lot of working alone so was on DTF a lot more so was keen to spend some time on it. Things got up and running sooner than expected. I'll see what I can come up with over the weekend.
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Alright, I've got a list. I came up with it pretty damn quick tonight, but I think it's pretty solid and I think everything is mainly where it should be. This will be very different to 425's. A lot of classic songs missing and a lot of odd numbers higher up on the list. Anway, let's go;
60. 2 Minutes to Midnight
We all know the story behind the riff. Yes, it's Janick's riff but who gives a shit hey!? It's a cool riff and this is a rocking song and I love the tone on Adrians guitar here. Very cool lyrics too. This is something a bit different from Maiden too. The pre chorus is cool and has Adrian's style written all over it. It's a shame a lot of these lower songs are ranked lower. They all should be ranked higher but that's the strength of Maiden. Song written in A too, which is not all the common for Maiden considering the amount of songs they have. Great contrast between the solos too here.
59. Shadows of the Valley
This one was always a smokey for me on The Book of Souls. The intro is fucking laughable, but maybe it's Janick getting back at Adrian after all these years for 2 Minutes hey!? I always really liked this one. The verses are textbook Maiden but I like the chorus. The vocal melody is a littel awkward but that's why I dig it I think. The kicker for me is the middle section, the melodies are pure classic vintage Maiden and the 'into the valley of death.....,' is fucking magic.
58. The Prisoner
Another one too low and one of those songs that are kinda underrated but kinda not. Cool ass riff once it's gets going and I like this one B but then kicks to E major in the chorus, very cool stuff. The solo section is nice too. I likes Adrian's arpeggios at the start of the solo, very cool. Not much more to say, just a cool rocking tune and position really nicely in the album too.
57. Revelations
Might get some shit for this one being low but I couldn't place it any higher. I really loved this one when I was getting into Maiden but it didn't age as well as a lot of other songs. I really like it though and the whole atmosphere and mood is quite beautiful. The double time sections are a great contrast with the verses and the song has a lot of colour. You can definitely see with the mid section why it worked as a great live song. The boys rip in the solos too.
56. The Edge of Darkness
Just for Tim this one. But seriously, a really underrated song from TXF if you ask me. We know the story of the lyrics so we don't need to go there, but all in all, this is classic Maiden with TXF feel going on. The verse cracking in after the quiet intro is a little jarring but teh pure E minor guitar melody is Maiden through and through. The song really cracks on after that. The faster verses rip too and I like Blaze on this tune. A shame the band never revisited this one with Bruce, it would have done well live IMO. The solos explode and I love the 'genius' part. Great climax, great song.
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2 Minutes and The Prisoner would be higher for me, both great songs. Revelations for me was always a bit overrated - now before you flame me, I think it's a good song but I think rating it in the 50s is actually pretty fair. It might be slightly higher for me but not in the top30s. I had to youtube Shadows of the Valley because I didn't remember it at the top of my head and wow, that intro made me roll my eyes. When you start ripping yourselves off I feel like it's not the best sign. :lol I also like me some TXF.
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How the hell did I miss the re-boot of this thread. :angry: Not sure if/when I'll have a chance to read thru the last 4 1/2 pages, but I'll give a :tup to Paschendale at the top. It's #3 for me. @ 425... any chance you can post your full list - maybe editted in to the post for Paschendale?
Glad I got in here just in time for my brother-from-down-under. This will give me a good reason to try and get a better handle on TFF and BoS - I just never really thought much of those albums.
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How the hell did I miss the re-boot of this thread. :angry: Not sure if/when I'll have a chance to read thru the last 4 1/2 pages, but I'll give a :tup to Paschendale at the top. It's #3 for me. @ 425... any chance you can post your full list - maybe editted in to the post for Paschendale?
Glad I got in here just in time for my brother-from-down-under. This will give me a good reason to try and get a better handle on TFF and BoS - I just never really thought much of those albums.
I won't spoil anything but for those, you probably are better off checking 425's list.
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Nice! Definitely following.
I just looked at my list I did 7 years ago. I only did 25 apparently, and it was before Book Of Souls.
My fave of the bunch here is The Prisoner, as it would definitely make the second half of my Top 50, as would Revelations probably.
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I haven't looked at my previous list.
I will say, there will be many controversial and unpopular opinions here.
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I knew I was gonna enjoy this list the moment I saw there will be discussions about the key signatures. :tup
Solid picks in the first batch, with The Edge of darkness truly being a fantastic addition for the list.
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I knew I was gonna enjoy this list the moment I saw there will be discussions about the key signatures. :tup
Solid picks in the first batch, with The Edge of darkness truly being a fantastic addition for the list.
Cool mate. I'll try to add more thoughts on the musical aspects in the descriptions too then.
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Revelations and The Prisoner are classics for me and would be much higher, probably top 20 or close to it. 2 minutes has never been a favourite but it would be in my top 50 for sure.
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How the hell did I miss the re-boot of this thread. :angry: Not sure if/when I'll have a chance to read thru the last 4 1/2 pages, but I'll give a :tup to Paschendale at the top. It's #3 for me. @ 425... any chance you can post your full list - maybe editted in to the post for Paschendale?
Absolutely, I'll edit that in right now. :tup to Paschendale in the top 3!
60. 2 Minutes to Midnight
59. Shadows of the Valley
58. The Prisoner
57. Revelations
56. The Edge of Darkness
Very much looking forward to odd choices yet very different from me! Here, of course, I placed two of the songs similarly (2MTM and The Prisoner), hard to disagree on those. Shadows of the Valley and The Edge of Darkness were both ones I strongly considered, but wound up leaving out. I like the same parts you like of Shadows, but I feel like it overstays its welcome just a little bit. No complaints on Edge of Darkness, just didn't quite make it.
Revelations is a big favorite for me, but it's hard for me to quantify why I like it so much better than a lot of other songs, so I can't really object to it being in the lower part of a list.
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I'll aim to do an update probably every second day.
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I'll aim to do an update probably every second day.
I know I'm behind on this statement already but will update tonight.
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I thought I'd do something fun with this. Since I'm a guitarist as some of you know, Maiden were the one band I idolized when it came to playing guitar. A lot of these songs are highlights because of when I was learning them when I was a teen. I thought along with my description also breakdown who plays which solo incase any of you give a fuck.
55. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
A highlight from FOTD. Great lyrics and I love the structure of this one. The Afraid to Shoot Strangers line I thought was a bit corny at first but love the visions it brings to mind now regarding the subject matter. First thing I find interesting with this track is the ever changing key changes in the intro and even in the verses, really interesting. The lead guitar melody is very catchy and interesting that it's not harmonized at all, both guitars playing in unison. Explodes into classic E and the harmony after that section is easily the highlight of the song. One of Maiden's top harmonies. Great song.
Solo 1: Janick
Solo 2: Dave
54. These Colours Don't Run
Pretty run of the mill song here for Maiden with being as simple as they come. Both verse and chorus has the same chord progression in E/C/G/D which is interesting since the contrast between verse and chorus. Not much to say but I love the pre chorus and the chorus is catchy as hell. The groove of the main riff is tasty too. The middle section fits the lyrical theme nicely giving off a real war like vibe. Dave's solo I find a little awkward. There's some weird passing notes in there which gives off a lot of tension so it works. He uses the blues note of the E scale but also adds the Dorian note of C#. Seems to be some Tipton like runs using those notes in an even F# phrygian dominant sequence?! Anyway, Adrian's solo is melodic as hell, in A minor too. Classic Adrian. The melody after that solo is excellent.
Solo1: Dave
Solo2: Adrian
53. Justice of the Peace
Here's an unexpected one. A b-side rocker from TXF. Classic rocker this one. Blaze sounds great. The verses rock but the chorus gives great tension. The intervals in the E major chord gives the impression it's changed from E minor to E major but then the chorus resolves to C# minor. Obviously, the two keys are relative so it makes sense. Next section then moves to F# with a nice F chord in there two giving some tension.
Daves takes the solo which now is in F major! Dave plays more in line with the relative key of D major but has some nice brightness in there. I love the harmoney section after that. This is a really cool, underrated song and always thought it was very different and underrated.
Solo: Dave
52. The Fallen Angel
One of Maiden's heaviest riffs, and Steve's bass here is just absolutely massive. Short underrated rocker this one. Classic E minor in this one and the chorus rips. Love the classic Wasted Years riff in the chorus too. Solos are interesting. Goes from E down one and a half steps to C# for H's solo. Dave's solo goes to an unusual key for him in G# which is a cool. Janick is the real winner here. chords are B/C/D so he's in in B phrygian dominant and rips this solo I might add. He throws the D note in there too which gives it a straight minor flavour at times too and the band lands on D in the chord progression so a few different things can be played here. Great tune and situation nicely in the album too.
Solo1: Adrian
Solo2: Dave
Solo3: Janick
51. Still Life
One of Dave's finest moments. You know it's Dave from the lead intro too which he's made a trademark of numerous times. I mentioned before when the band did Reveltions or 2 Minutes in A. I said it's rare but looking through now, not as rare as I though. This one is in A too. Great dark tone here and loved it on Maiden England too just quietly. Musically it's pretty basic but the harmony before the solos is interesting. I haven't worked out if there's anything going on there different. Adrian takes the solo in A then Dave in E. Great tune.
Solo1: Adrian
Solo2: Dave
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For the first 5 songs;
2 Minutes;
Solo1: Dave
Solo2: Adrian
Shadows of the Valley;
Solo1: Janick
Solo2: Adrian
Solo3: Dave
The Prisoner;
Arpeggios and solo 1: Adrian
Solo2: Dave
Revelations;
Solo1: Dave
Solo2: Adrian
The Edge of Darkness;
Solo1: Janick
Solo2: Dave
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Justice of the peace is a great pick. I love the way Blaze sounds on it, right from the first two lines he grabs the listener's attention. The remainings songs are all fine choices as well, except for maybe These colours don't run. I love the album, but I think they went too far with E C G D on that song. :lol
Also, I usually "pride" myself with recognizing who plays which solo right away, but sometimes it does get tricky to tell them apart, I admit. So thanks for that contribution. :tup
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Justice of the peace is a great pick. I love the way Blaze sounds on it, right from the first two lines he grabs the listener's attention. The remainings songs are all fine choices as well, except for maybe These colours don't run. I love the album, but I think they went too far with E C G D on that song. :lol
Also, I usually "pride" myself with recognizing who plays which solo right away, but sometimes it does get tricky to tell them apart, I admit. So thanks for that contribution. :tup
I think there's 3 or 4 songs from the album that use that chord progression actually. :lol Love the album but laughed at how much they used it. I'll have a listen to that and post which songs some other time. Yeah, I love analysing the solo and such so I'll keep going with it.
Yeah, Justice is a very cool song. Forgot to mention, for some reason I love Blaze's little 'woah' during the harmonies after the solo, just think it sounds cool.
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Props to recognizing TCDR and FA.
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Not a huge fan of TXF but Justice of The Peace is actually a song I like quite a bit that I always forget exists. Excellent choice. All great picks here though I'm not as fond of ATSS as everyone else is. I'd rank about half of the FoTD album above it.
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I think the only song I'd rate in my Top 50 would be Still Life. I do like Fallen Angel too.
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Gonna be a lot more surprising picks to come.
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Cool that you are focusing on the guitar (don't stop!) but we'd be remiss if we didn't note Bruce's vocal on Still Life. I love the way he sings that tune, and it would be a fair amount higher on my list.
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Still Life was another "almost" inclusion for me. Definitely a classic Dave song.
I must admit to not having much familiarity with the X Factor b-sides. I've listened to them before, but not actually owning copies of them myself, I haven't spent much time with them.
The Fallen Angel is not really a favorite of mine, but it has its moments.
Of course, I had These Colours Don't Run a bit higher, and Afraid to Shoot Strangers a lot higher. Adrian's solo is a real highlight of TCDR for me, too!
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425, get your hands on best of the b-sides if you can.
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I think the only song I'd rate in my Top 50 would be Still Life. I do like Fallen Angel too.
Still Life is my n.1 Maiden song.
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I think the only song I'd rate in my Top 50 would be Still Life. I do like Fallen Angel too.
Still Life is my n.1 Maiden song.
Thank you for getting right to it.
Speaking of getting right to it, in your Scenes Thread, can you just skip every other album and just get to The Astonishing. Pretty sure at least one of us will not live long enough to see it.
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I think the only song I'd rate in my Top 50 would be Still Life. I do like Fallen Angel too.
Still Life is my n.1 Maiden song.
Thank you for getting right to it.
Speaking of getting right to it, in your Scenes Thread, can you just skip every other album and just get to The Astonishing. Pretty sure at least one of us will not live long enough to see it.
:blush
I'll make a point to pick up the pace.
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I wouldn't have been able to pick Still Life out of a police lineup, it just never stood out to me as a WOW track from PoM. But song-for-song, that's probably Maiden's best - or at least, most consistent - album.
I hadn't heard any of the Blaze B-sides either (I don't have either Blaze album... they just don't appeal to me). But JoP was a nice listen.
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I think the only song I'd rate in my Top 50 would be Still Life. I do like Fallen Angel too.
Still Life is my n.1 Maiden song.
Thank you for getting right to it.
Speaking of getting right to it, in your Scenes Thread, can you just skip every other album and just get to The Astonishing. Pretty sure at least one of us will not live long enough to see it.
:blush
I'll make a point to pick up the pace.
No, my special request is The Astonishing. It needs its own thread. Picking up the pace is simply not going to get you there in time. ;D
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The Astonishing? Please don't talk about that album during my Maiden countdown. That's a paddling.
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Love Still Life and it would be much higher for me. Enjoying the dive into the guitar playing too. Dave and Adrian especially have produced some of my all time favourite guitar solos so I'm sure we will be hearing more about some of these as the list continues.
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The Astonishing? Please don't talk about that album during my Maiden countdown. That's a paddling.
(https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/images/story/201908/Bart_Simpson_sorry_mea_culpa-647x363.jpeg?RFmyzs_kq8MjTfvJXwmyriTdBbLIfKho)
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Love Still Life and it would be much higher for me. Enjoying the dive into the guitar playing too. Dave and Adrian especially have produced some of my all time favourite guitar solos so I'm sure we will be hearing more about some of these as the list continues.
Glad people are digging the thoughts on the solos.
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Yeah Kade, I think that's a cool feature of your list. Iron Maiden is probably the only band where I can figure it out pretty much.
The guys have such distinct styles.
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Totally agree that once you get a good feel for the Maiden guitarists and their individual styles it is actually fairly easy to work out who is playing what when it comes to solos. It used to drive me crazy in the mid-eighties though when I was young and just learning guitar etc...until Live After Death came out. Then once I had that VHS (which I probably didn't actually get until 88 maybe) and watched it (hmmm minimum of 200 times?) I started to get a bit of a feel for it and by the time I had matured as a musician and Brave New World came out, on my first listen it was obvious.
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It also helped that Adrian was always mixed in the right ear and Dave in the left. Now Jannick is in the right ear and Adrian is now in the mid channel.
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I love the old live albums as they are mixed so strict with Dave on the left and H/Janick on the right. I'd spend hours playing along with the cd's with the speakers panned and playing either as Dave or Adrian. Still do it now time to time with live albums mixed this way, it's so much fun.
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425, get your hands on best of the b-sides if you can.
This.
There's actually a few decent "unreleased" songs - Total Eclipse is a top five, maybe even top three Maiden song for me - and some of the other stuff is (to me) very entertaining ("... some c*** is recording this!").
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425, get your hands on best of the b-sides if you can.
This.
There's actually a few decent "unreleased" songs - Total Eclipse is a top five, maybe even top three Maiden song for me - and some of the other stuff is (to me) very entertaining ("... some c*** is recording this!").
I do hope to get it at some point. It's just a little harder to obtain since the release was so limited. And you can practically forget about Beast Over Hammersmith, which interests me at least as much.
Total Eclipse I know very well because I have the remastered version of The Number of the Beast that inserts it into the main album between Gangland and Hallowed. Same with Killers and Twilight Zone.
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425, get your hands on best of the b-sides if you can.
This.
There's actually a few decent "unreleased" songs - Total Eclipse is a top five, maybe even top three Maiden song for me - and some of the other stuff is (to me) very entertaining ("... some c*** is recording this!").
Mission from 'Arry :metal
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425, get your hands on best of the b-sides if you can.
This.
There's actually a few decent "unreleased" songs - Total Eclipse is a top five, maybe even top three Maiden song for me - and some of the other stuff is (to me) very entertaining ("... some c*** is recording this!").
I do hope to get it at some point. It's just a little harder to obtain since the release was so limited. And you can practically forget about Beast Over Hammersmith, which interests me at least as much.
Total Eclipse I know very well because I have the remastered version of The Number of the Beast that inserts it into the main album between Gangland and Hallowed. Same with Killers and Twilight Zone.
Twilight Zone and Total Eclipse are awesome. Killers is weird without Twilight Zone.
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Twilight Zone has always been on Killers.
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Twilight Zone has always been on Killers.
That was just the American version wasn't it? I know there was an original version without it.
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Yeah, original version of Killers doesn't have Twilight Zone.
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Huh? I literally never knew that.
My version has a song called Wratchild! :metal
(https://i.imgur.com/zBRnhVj.jpg)
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Lol. I don't think Wratchild will make it in my list ;D
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Some good songs on the back of that album cover - hoping a few get a mention soon at some stage.
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Twilight Zone has always been on Killers.
Not on the original vinyl. I had to buy the single to get it.
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The U.S. version always had Twilight Zone, even on vinyl. If you have a vinyl version without it, it's almost certainly a UK release. The UK version came out something like four months in advance of the U.S. version; they were not released on the same day.
Same thing happened with "Sanctuary" on the first album; it wasn't on the initial UK release, but was on the U.S. version.
It's died out (I had actually thought it had largely died out by the 80's, when these records were released) but it was very common in the UK that anything released as a single was NOT on the associated album. That practice didn't really hold in the U.S.
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50. Total Eclipse
Speaking of non album tracks and b-sides, this is one I could never believe wasn't on the original album. Discovering Maiden 20 years ago, the 98 cd versions are what I grew up with, although my brother did have this album on vinyl. I love the darker tones on this song and the structure is quite different too with the song never going back to the verse or chorus. The diminished style riff for the chorus is certainly something Maiden don't delve into and Bflat notes rarely make their way into a Maiden song if the song isn't in D. Dave has a pretty expressive solo and his custom divebomb. The chromatic desend at the end of his solo is cool too. Adrian just gets the job done.
Solo1 - Dave
Solo2 - Adrian
49. Remember Tomorrow
Originally from the debut but I always loved the Real Dead One version with Bruce and probably the reason it makes the list. Nevertheless, the debut is still classic and I do like Paul's version a lot. Interesting chords and sees the band use the phyrgian mode. The chorus rips with a wondeful riff. The middle section is classic Maiden and the solos are what you expect.
Solo1 - Dave
Solo2 - Dennis
48. Fear of the Dark
Is this song overplayed to death? Fuck yes it is. But you can't deny the classic nature behind it. The guitar melodies in this one are absolute classic and the verses and chorus just rip. Not much to say, you all know this one too well. The guitar melodies again in the middle are just lovely. The song is in D minor too which is a nice touch. What I like is that Janick plays his solo in D but then the key shifts to F# for Dave. Really interesting key change. The solos are pretty on point with their relative keys. I will not the little three string arpeggio at the end of Dave's solo, nice touch there.
Solo1 - Janick
Solo2 - Dave
47. The Book of Souls
One thing I've learned to really love over the years is Janick's songwriting. When you hear an intro like this, you know it's Janick. This is a definite highlight on the album and was brilliant live. Very very cool riff here. One of the big reasons I love it, E phrygian mode and it really shows in that riff and the verses too. It's cool that the verses stay true to the E phrygian mode yet the contrast in teh chorus to a stricter E minor key makes the song soar. That chorus is awesome. That middle riff is fucking metal too, great to hear this type of riff so late in Maiden's career. love that guitar melody that runs through between the solos too, really Dance of Death like.
Solo1 - Dave
Solo2 - Janick
Solo3 - Adrian
Outro ad lib - Adrian
46. The Unbeliever
Another Blaze song this one. Great closer to the album. I always laughed at the harmonic tuning type riff at the start, but it's definitely something different. Love the awkward verses with some cool off time stuff. The 'All my life' part gives off a real uneasy feeling too. I like the songs in E but that section moves to A then to D, great tension. The chorus rips and Blaze sounds amazing! Nice breakdown in the middle too and I love the boys ripping over what's on offer here. They really let rip and is a great contrast to the backing. The best part is Janick shredding in E then the key change to A for Dave's solo. Now the harmony note is the kicker as Janick finishes and Dave starts. Now lands on a B(2nd note in the scale) and Dave starts his solo on an E(5th note of the scale) So they are basically doing a three part harmony over the bass of A which gives a really sweet effect. Great song, underrated.
Solo1 - Janick
Solo2 - Dave
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I really like The Unbeliever. I actually think it's the most interesting song on the album.
But this goes to my saying that this album really needed an actual producer. The verse is simply awful, and really weighs the song down a bit. But everything else in the song is pretty amazing.
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Total Eclipse is awesome, and Unbeliever is my favorite from that album. Regarding Janick’s songwriting, he’s written some good stuff but a long of his songs have a similar structure.
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I really like The Unbeliever. I actually think it's the most interesting song on the album.
But this goes to my saying that this album really needed an actual producer. The verse is simply awful, and really weighs the song down a bit. But everything else in the song is pretty amazing.
Possibly yes.
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Total Eclipse is awesome, and Unbeliever is my favorite from that album. Regarding Janick’s songwriting, he’s written some good stuff but a long of his songs have a similar structure.
Yeah, I guess so, but I think most of his songs have their own thing going on. Saying that, his writing is different to the others, so his songs are a wonderful contrast within the albums.
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Overall a very good bunch of songs here. Love Total Eclipse and Remember Tomorrow. I’m not the biggest fan of The Book of Souls but it has some nice moments. The Unbeliever is one of the best songs on TXF and Fear of the Dark is a classic.
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A group of very nice selections. I included all of them except Total Eclipse, which I nonetheless quite like. Can't forget Bruce's performance on the climactic vocal section there.
I think it's fair to say that an acoustic intro of a certain sort to a long song is quite recognizably Janick (to be fair, an opening guitar lead of a certain type is quite recognizably Dave). But I think there's also a lot distinguishing the four songs to which this really applies (Dance of Death, The Legacy, The Talisman, The Book of Souls). Book of Souls in particular almost feels like it's playing along with that pattern and then subverting it by having an acoustic section that is so much shorter than the other three. He definitely has a style, but I don't have a problem with it.
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I just began attempting to learn Fear Of The Dark on bass and noticed immediately that it wasn't going to be an EDC song...it was never a favorite of mine but somehow that makes me like it a bit more than I used to.
I commented on The Book of Souls when 425 did his so I'll repeat those thoughts:
The Book Of Souls is the best song on that album and blows away the other longer tracks. I love the acoustic intro, the slow ballsy riff that comes out of it, and the fast riff in the bridge. My only gripe with this song is a Nicko fuck-up/editing mistake with the hihat in the middle section at around 5:30. In fact, I just did a relisten to respond to your post and I think this may be the best long song of the entire reunion era.
Remember Tomorrow is a great choice. I think I've actually listened to the Metallica version more ( :o) but it's just a fantastic song all around. This is another one I forget exists as I don't listen to the debut as much as I should.
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I'll have to check that Nicko stuff up.
FOTD is in the key of D also, DTA.
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50. Total Eclipse
Speaking of non album tracks and b-sides, this is one I could never believe wasn't on the original album. Discovering Maiden 20 years ago, the 98 cd versions are what I grew up with, although my brother did have this album on vinyl. I love the darker tones on this song and the structure is quite different too with the song never going back to the verse or chorus. The diminished style riff for the chorus is certainly something Maiden don't delve into and Bflat notes rarely make their way into a Maiden song if the song isn't in D. Dave has a pretty expressive solo and his custom divebomb. The chromatic desend at the end of his solo is cool too. Adrian just gets the job done.
Solo1 - Dave
Solo2 - Adrian
49. Remember Tomorrow
Originally from the debut but I always loved the Real Dead One version with Bruce and probably the reason it makes the list. Nevertheless, the debut is still classic and I do like Paul's version a lot. Interesting chords and sees the band use the phyrgian mode. The chorus rips with a wondeful riff. The middle section is classic Maiden and the solos are what you expect.
Solo1 - Dave
Solo2 - Dennis
48. Fear of the Dark
Is this song overplayed to death? Fuck yes it is. But you can't deny the classic nature behind it. The guitar melodies in this one are absolute classic and the verses and chorus just rip. Not much to say, you all know this one too well. The guitar melodies again in the middle are just lovely. The song is in D minor too which is a nice touch. What I like is that Janick plays his solo in D but then the key shifts to F# for Dave. Really interesting key change. The solos are pretty on point with their relative keys. I will not the little three string arpeggio at the end of Dave's solo, nice touch there.
Solo1 - Janick
Solo2 - Dave
47. The Book of Souls
One thing I've learned to really love over the years is Janick's songwriting. When you hear an intro like this, you know it's Janick. This is a definite highlight on the album and was brilliant live. Very very cool riff here. One of the big reasons I love it, E phrygian mode and it really shows in that riff and the verses too. It's cool that the verses stay true to the E phrygian mode yet the contrast in teh chorus to a stricter E minor key makes the song soar. That chorus is awesome. That middle riff is fucking metal too, great to hear this type of riff so late in Maiden's career. love that guitar melody that runs through between the solos too, really Dance of Death like.
Solo1 - Dave
Solo2 - Janick
Solo3 - Adrian
Outro ad lib - Adrian
46. The Unbeliever
Another Blaze song this one. Great closer to the album. I always laughed at the harmonic tuning type riff at the start, but it's definitely something different. Love the awkward verses with some cool off time stuff. The 'All my life' part gives off a real uneasy feeling too. I like the songs in E but that section moves to A then to D, great tension. The chorus rips and Blaze sounds amazing! Nice breakdown in the middle too and I love the boys ripping over what's on offer here. They really let rip and is a great contrast to the backing. The best part is Janick shredding in E then the key change to A for Dave's solo. Now the harmony note is the kicker as Janick finishes and Dave starts. Now lands on a B(2nd note in the scale) and Dave starts his solo on an E(5th note of the scale) So they are basically doing a three part harmony over the bass of A which gives a really sweet effect. Great song, underrated.
Solo1 - Janick
Solo2 - Dave
It was late and it seems I only commented on The Unbeliever.
I LOVE The Book Of Souls. Top 20 tune IMO. And I really don't care for mid tempo, but this song is amazing. Especially where it picks up. I love Bruce on this too. And such great solos.
Fear Of The Dark is my #2 IM song. I love it and it always gets me going.
Remember Tomorrow I think made my Top 25. It might get bumped, but still in my Top 50.
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I think the fact how overplayed FOTD is hurts it's ranking for me long term. It's no doubt a classic but I think the band have relied on it too much in a live setting.
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Yeah totally agree about FOTD being overplayed. I tend to agree. That also hurts if for me in term of ranking.
I gave The Book of Souls a few spins today as it is getting a lot of love. Even though I have been a big fan of it I can see why. The intro and the heavy riff are awesome. I think I have always been a bit overwhelmed by that whole album that most songs never really clicked with me that much.
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Spinning these later this morning. FOTD is one of the few songs from the 90s that I consider good/great. But I think part of that is because the vast majority of their 90s output is tripe. And yeah... overplayed as fuck.
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45. Purgatory
What an underrated gem this one is. Short, punky, to the point, melodic and lovely harmonies. The mix is really good too with the harmonies perfectly split between the speakers. I love how the harmony is the actual riff here in the verse, very cool. Paul rocks here. This is one I haven't really studied musically to be honest but I'm just noodling right now and it's in B minor and shifts to D in the chorus. Nice shift in key change and you hear that nicely at 1:16. Bruce would have been interesting on this one.
Solo - Dave
44. Killers
Let's back it up with the title track of the album. That first minute is so cool and Paul sounds great. Trusty old E minor here and I love what Dave does with the riff. To get that knife wielding sound, Dave gallops on the open E but slowly rolls his finger over the strings producing some natural harmonics. You can see it nicely on Maiden England. Bruce sounds great on that version, but I always liked Paul here. Solid solos, that little Dorian type thing Dave does at 3:05 is very cool. His little signature open trilling with the E minor notes is in there too. With Adrian's I like that the solo is in E although at the end of the solo where it resolves he follows the chords so as the chords hit B to start ascending to the resolve, he plays B minor with a blues note in there. As the chords hits C, he actually runs up the C Lydian mode then goes into D and hits a D and bends to the E once we are back into the main riff. Really really clever.
Solo1 - Dave
Solo2 - Adrian
43. The Legacy
Again, the intro has Janick written all over it. This one has been a real grower over the years. I actually didn't think much of it but now realise how awesome it is. I haven't tried to play this one at all, so can't comment much. Sounds like it's in D though and noodling around, it is. The main verses remind me of Edguy for some reason. This one is just epic all over. The part inbetween the verses sounds like it's going between D minor and D major to give that real contrast. Not the first time Janick has toyed with that sort of thing though. builds nicely to an epic chours and Bruce sounds awesome here. His doubled vocals are great. That riff though in the second half, that riff. Had to figure that riff out it stays in D but it rolls over a flattened 5th note in the first part of the riff. The rest of the riff is in D minor though but that flattened 5th really gives it that awkward evil sound. We then get some classic straightforward Maiden in E but I LOVE the guitar melody at 7:20, that's just amazing. Great song.
Solo - Janick
42. Fates Warning
Alright, let me have it!! No Prayer was the second album I got from Maiden. I only new TNOTB and got this not long after second hand. I loved it. I understand the dislike behind it, but back then, I thought it was great. This is a highlight. I love the lyrics and verses are just bloody brilliant. It's obvioulsy a Dave song by the intro but I know I'll get slagged but this is just a great rocking song. Basic E minor here bar the intro which is A. The volcano section is cool, it seems to be in A Major with a nice Amaj7 chord in there too. Switches to A minor for that cool change in sound for Dave's solo. F minor for the harmonies and Janicks solo is very cool which switches to C# minor. Maiden are a simple band, but their use of key changes through songs I feel is sometimes underrated.
Intro solo - Dave
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Janick
41. The Evil That Men Do
First entry from 7th Son here. Great intro. I was introduced to this song from Live at Donington 92. That may be my fav version, the energy and speed on that one is ripping. The original though is so good and polished nicely. E minor of course and great gallop throughout. I like how the pre chorus is a single note melody too from the intro. Works nicely, and when Adrian comes in for those few harmonies notes halfway through, it's a nice touch. The chorus is classic, simple but classic. The solo from Adrian is really different too even though it's just in F# minor. Nice melodic stuff going on here. Ending the solo on the G note as it goes back to E minor is nice too. Gives a chromatic feel as he ends on that.
Solo - Adrian
Outro solo - Adrian
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Happy to see a No Prayer song make it. I rank that album very high and Fates Warning is one of the best songs on there.
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Latest batch are all great songs! Yes even Fates Warning. I’m also a fan of that one. I actually enjoy No Prayer much more now than when it came out. When I first heard it on the day of release I was so disappointed! Couldn’t believe it was Maiden. But now I actually like it quite a bit.
The Evil That Men Do is a personal fav of mine so that would be a fair bit higher. Overall though all these songs would be in my top 50.
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The rest of the riff is in D minor though but that flattened 5th really gives it that awkward evil sound.
I've always liked that! :metal
There's plenty of Di'Anno era in the last two updates, which is very refreshing to see. :tup
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The rest of the riff is in D minor though but that flattened 5th really gives it that awkward evil sound.
I've always liked that! :metal
There's plenty of Di'Anno era in the last two updates, which is very refreshing to see. :tup
That riff is really original.
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I think the fact how overplayed FOTD is hurts it's ranking for me long term. It's no doubt a classic but I think the band have relied on it too much in a live setting.
But it's a double edged sword; I always thought it was an above average song, but not worthy of it's hallowed (see what I did there?) place in so many setlists. But seeing it live... it takes on a whole new vibe. I almost never play it when I'm listening to Maiden's recorded stuff, but I look forward to it when it's in the set.
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A band overplaying songs (or just hearing them too much over the years from radio and such, which isn't the band's fault) can definitely have a long lasting negative effect. It's a big reason why I can't rank The Number of the Beast that high among their albums because Run to the Hills and the title track are just so overplayed to me.
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45. Purgatory
44. Killers
43. The Legacy
42. Fates Warning
41. The Evil That Men Do
Interesting set of choices, only one of which was on my list (The Legacy, which I put much higher).
The Evil That Men Do is the one I like best out of the other four. I really like the verses, and you're right about the energy it has live.
Fates Warning is a good undercard choice from No Prayer. Wouldn't be nearly this high for me, but it's nice to see a rare selection like this. I hope to see more from that album on your list, actually. A fun song.
I've outed myself as a Killers heretic already. The title track is one of the best songs on there, but for me it's still nowhere close to this high. Purgatory is fun but nothing special. Still nice to see on a list as a bit of an unusual selection.
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Huh. I just found out that when I uploaded Killers, it swapped "Prodigal Son" and "Purgatory". I love both, by the way.
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Yeah, obscure choices for sure. Of all the above, The Evil That Men Do is the only one I'd consider better than 'good'. Will spin 'em all momentarily.
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Not sure I'll get an update in before the weekend. Work has been a bitch and I like to sit down on the PC at home and have a noodle through the songs on the geetar. Been home late so no real time through the week this week.
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Yeah, obscure choices for sure. Of all the above, The Evil That Men Do is the only one I'd consider better than 'good'. Will spin 'em all momentarily.
But the Killers album is awesome!
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Yeah, obscure choices for sure. Of all the above, The Evil That Men Do is the only one I'd consider better than 'good'. Will spin 'em all momentarily.
But the Killers album is awesome!
Yeah, it's certainly better than anything from the 90s. I recant my above statement... Killers (song) is definitely better than 'good'; Purgatory is good. Fates Warning isn't as awful as I generally consider No Prayer as a whole, but I can't say that it's good.
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40. The Clansman
This is one that's always been appreciated from the underappreicate Blaze era and it's easy to see why. A classic Harris epic and a Maiden classic no matter what you think of the Blaze stuff. The 'Freedom' chours is beautiful. The verses are in A and the chorus shifts to E which is cool and feels epic. Beautiful instrumental section with lovely epic guitar melodies. Really gives off the atmosphere of the songs lyrical content. Interesting that again, the guitars are in unison. Nothing harmonized. Short and to the point solos. 9 minutes long but nothing overstays its welcome. Some would argue the 'no I'm not gonna take anymore' overstays it's welcome, but it was made for a live setting, so it's fine. That melody after too is killer. Love Dave borrowing Adrians Wasted Years riff in that last chorus too haha. He loved it so much that as you would notice from earlier it pops up in the Fallen Angel too lol.
Solo 1 - Janick
Solo 2 - Dave
39. The Red and the Black
The first time I heard The Book of Souls I loved this one right away. I love how the band finally do a 13 minute song without any quiet sections, just rips from start to finish and doesn't let up. I love Steve's Blood on the Worlds Hands inspired intro. So rough and sloppy but he doesn't give a shit haha. This is pure Steve Harris all over this song, and for a song so late in their career, this feels like a song that sums the band up. The Run Silent Run Deep and Mariner vibe going on in the song is much appreciated. Musically, as with a lot of Steve's songs, there's not a hell of a lot going on here. E minor, but has nice changes again to E major. I'm realising the band have done this sort of thing more than I thought. The solos are pretty pedestrian, but the harmonies are where its at. The melodies here remind me actually heavily of the Clansman. I just love the instrumental section, one of the coolest things Maiden have done. It's exactly 6 fucking minutes long!!!
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Janick
Solo 3 - Dave
Solo 4 - Adrian
38. Children of the Damned
We go back now to 1982 to the second song on this classic. Beautiful E minor, C and D arpreggios here which is very dreamy and Bruce sounds lovely. The chorus riff is simple, but the E to B before going into the C and then D, sounds really killer and evil and a great touch. Simple stuff musically here but nothing more is needed. The double time section really starts to build the tension, and Clive owns this section with some wonderful tom work. Such a brilliant and underrated drummer Clive was. It's a shame he didn't go on with it. The solo is something different too. Strictly tapping besides the 2 notes at the end of each section. I'm sure Kirk took a lot of inspiration for his One solo too from Adrian here.
Solo - Adrian
37. Brave New World
Brave New World came out on my birthday in 2000 and I remember the day perfectly. This was always a special album because of that. Mum took me to the city where I found this in HMV. Going home and playing it was magic. Such a fond memory. I loved the whole thing. This one always stood out. I loved the dreamy intro, really beautifully done. Dave writes most of this one, you can hear it. In D too. He loves D minor. The verses rip. Amazing drumming from Nicko here and even though the chorus has the repetitive chorus, I've never had a problem with it. Great tempo and beat shift from the chorus to the verse too. The vocal melody played by Janick underneath is a nice, effective touch. As for the solos, Dave keeps it 90's era with strictly himself and Janick. Janick leads off in D and his back half of the solo is a very nice touch. Really epic and probably the best part of the song. The shift to E minor however for Dave's shred just turns it up a notch. He fucking rips here. The 3 part harmonies top it off and you couldn't ask for much more. This song may have been higher years ago, it was always a fav but I think it's slipped over the years. Even though I don't really have a problem with Maiden's repetitive choruses, I can see why people do.
Solo 1 - Janick
Solo 2 - Dave
36. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
We're sticking with BNW here for the closer which again, is something really original for the band. Another composition from Dave and Brave New World, might be Dave's finest hour in terms of songwriting. F# this one is in, which doesn't happen all that often. Great lyrics this one and Bruce really shows his range. The verses are quite low, but the chorus, he fucking soars. One of Maidens' best choruses? Maybe. THe chorus is your typical E/C/G/D which Maiden know and love but in F#. Works so well and Bruce's vocal melodies as I said are brilliant. I love his low end harmony in there too. Dave is the star here with the solos and they shred. I love the Gary Moore inpiried chromatic run down at 3:14. You can hear him do that in Don't Look to the Eyes of A Stranger too. Really cool trick. Love the guitar line echoing the vocal line too when it comes to the quiet section. Bruce again sounds so good. Props to Janick for stepping in with that last solo too, holy shit that's a good one. Underrated as hell song this one, it really is.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Dave
Solo 3 - Dave
Solo 4 - Dave
Solo 5 - Janick
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Nice!! Thin Line is their most underrated song, love it (it was #1 on my list the first go-round).
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:metal
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40. The Clansman
39. The Red and the Black
38. Children of the Damned
37. Brave New World
36. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Best 5 song batch yet! :metal
I don't have time for a full post right now, so I'll expand my thoughts tonight.
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40. The Clansman
39. The Red and the Black
38. Children of the Damned
37. Brave New World
36. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
I like this set of songs a lot, even though I only put The Clansman on my own list. The Red and the Black and The Thin Line Between Love and Hate were both just a few spots away. Thin Line falls a tiny bit short to me on the early verses before it gets really good when it opens up. Really good Dave song and a very nice album closer. I feel like I'm still waiting on The Red and the Black to click hard for me. I know it's been five years, but I still feel like there's something in there for me that I'm not quite hearing yet.
Brave New World was my second-ever Maiden song after The Clansman. It's a really good one, but I am one of those people who finds the chorus a bit too repetitive.
I like Children of the Damned quite a lot, too. Just one of those really good ones that didn't quite make it for me.
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The Clansman - agree with everything and I would probably rank it around the same
The Red and the Black - kind of agree with 425 on this one. Also when I saw it played live, I have to admit I was kind of bored during it, I don't think the song clicked with the whole crowd that night.
Brave New World and Thin Line are really great songs. No arguments from me about including them in this batch.
Children of the Dammed - without a doubt a top 20 song for me. Absolutely love it and always have. Awesome acoustic type verses and cool chorus. The heavy vocal part by Bruce is one of favourite vocal sections and Adrian's solo is top notch.
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40. The Clansman
39. The Red and the Black
38. Children of the Damned
37. Brave New World
36. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
I thought The Clansmen made my Top 10 years back. It is an amazing song. I actually think it's one of the best they've ever written.
The instrumental section of TRATB is incredible. It is sheer joy to listen to. I really wish they did more of that sort of thing. I wonder how many of their instrumental sections in songs start out just like that and are cut down for the final version. Glad to see it included here making the Top 40.
Children Of The Damned is firmly entrenched in my Top 10. One of my favorites. Love when Bruce starts singing the 2nd verse coming out of the chorus. Goosebumps!
I like Brave New World well enough. To me, the song really comes alive on Death On The Road. And the three part harmony in the middle is spine tingling.
TTLBLAH has always been one of my faves on BNW. That closing section is really unique in their catalog.
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Nice Tim.
Again, will have to wait to the weekend for another update I'm sorry.
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35. Run Silent Run Deep
Another more popular cut from teh No Prayer album. An underrated fan fav I'd say that reeks more classic Maiden. This has the Maiden groove too. The main riff rocks in E phrygian, but sitting down now, I don't I've ever actually tried to learn this one. The C# chord at the end of the verses is interesting too. Janick opens the soloing in F#. Seems like he sticks with the minor mode with some blues notes even with the phrygian backing. Shifts up to A where Dave plays strict A phrygian here. His lines and shapes are almost like he's thinking D minor, which is the same notes of course. Beautiful e minor harmonies too, just brilliant. Bruce sounds amazing on the outro too.
Solo 1 - Janick
Solo 2 - Dave
34. Public Enema Number One
Here's one I'll get stung for I'm sure. Love the hard rock nature and pace of this one. Again, another No Prayer cut and Dave writing some real cool stuff. Love how direct it is with the harmonies on the opening. Absolute rocking chorus in straight E. Love Bruce's delivery here. The chorus takes it back a little but the second half of the chorus rips in, with some great harmonized octaves. Key change to A too. Shifts to B where Dave takes hold and that section before the solo is really something different and reminds of even some Aussie rock type of style stuff, hard to explain. I just love this one, balls out rocker.
Solo - Dave
33. Phantom of the Opera
Back to the debut for this classic. I know most will say it's too low. But I love it a lot, but never rated it as high as other people did. I love the LAD version. That's where it's at for me, but there's no denying the original here. A lot of punk influence of course as with most of the Dianno stuff but love the speed. All E minor here. I love in the break down bit the simplicity of the arpeggios, so simple but so good. That slow solo is a perfect background for Dave's style. I like how it's strict E minor yet the phrase at the end of ever 4 bars stanza is F and then G and Dave follows that with his note choices. Classic harmonies afterwards and then let's rip for some duel solos. That littel E harmonic minor lick from Dave at 5:17 is stellar
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Dave
Solo 3 - Dennis
32. The Duellists
This one has always been criminally underrated if you ask me. Has that Powerslave chug all over it which is predominant all through the record and a highlight here. The chorus is E major I think is really different. This song is all about that instrumental section. The thing with some of these tunes from Powerslave is the layers of guitars. A song like this while not popular, would have been a great one to play live with the 3 guitars. Mainly in E but shifts to B in there too I think. Dave's solo is in E but Adrians in B. 3 minute solo section, love it. Might be an unpopular choice, but I stand by it.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
31. To Tame A Land
The epic closer from Piece of Mind. I always appreciated the song structure here, it's different but works really well. Just split sections, no choruses, no section repeats. What is really special is how the main riffing is in E but shifts to the phrygian dominant mode. The way they use that is excellent. Lots of cool lead melodies too. The mid section is the definition of epic. A shame Bruce struggled with that note as it would have been an epic staple in a live format. The pure Maiden guitar melodies are on show, but take a fucking bow Steve Harris, his bass owns this tune and that outro shows why. Some cool soloing with flashes. that Gary Moore type riff Adrian does at 5:22 with the b flat note in there is cool as fuck. Adrian is a huge Moore fan and it's great when those influences come through. The outro is awesome, rotates between E minor, D minor and F# minor. Excellent tune.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
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35. Run Silent Run Deep
34. Public Enema Number One
33. Phantom of the Opera
32. The Duellists
31. To Tame A Land
WOW, an excellent batch of songs.
Run Silent Run Deep- I LOVE this song. A real highlight from No Prayer. Believe it or not, I actually consider this to have one of their best choruses in their entire catalog. And at 2:20, it's Maiden's one and only MOSHPIT part. Great tune.
Public Enema #1- If they had only retitled this Refugees From The Pain, or something like that...
Maiden very quietly sneaks in this incredibly song in the middle of No Prayer. So glad I got to see it live.
Phantom- Yeah, way too low. This is a Top 5 Maiden track for me. And Dianno rips on this. It's amazing a bunch of kids could come up with something so epic. Really sets the stage for progressive METAL.
The Duellists- This song moves like a freight train headlong into such an amazingly cool instrumental section. A real gem on this album.
People get hung up "this album only has like 3 great tunes on it". Well, sorry, not sorry, this is one of them.
To Tame A Land-Really needs to be played live again. As you mentioned, the structure is really different, and original. There's a myriad of reasons that Maiden outpaced every other band of their generation, but in the end, there's really just one...they were better.
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Run Silent Run Deep is a great song. The harmony guitar part after the solo is the single coolest moment in the entire Maiden catalog imo. I always considered NPFTD to be a really underrated album. I think a lot of fans just jump on the bandwagon of hating this album and probably haven't even listened to more than Bring Your Daughter.
Public Enema #1- If they had only retitled this Refugees From The Pain, or something like that...
Maiden very quietly sneaks in this incredibly song in the middle of No Prayer. So glad I got to see it live.
Agreed that the title probably hurts it. It's extremely solid and contains one of the catchiest choruses I've heard from them.
The Duellists is another cool track. Nothing much more to say about it other than it deserves more attention than it gets even though it's routinely classified as "filler".
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Great to see some love for these underrated pieces.
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Run Silent Run Deep is a great song. The harmony guitar part after the solo is the single coolest moment in the entire Maiden catalog imo. I always considered NPFTD to be a really underrated album. I think a lot of fans just jump on the bandwagon of hating this album and probably haven't even listened to more than Bring Your Daughter.
Exactly. I think it deserves the album ranking it gets, but it has a handful of truly excellent songs.
It was also quite disappointing in that this album was made after the longest break the band had ever had up until that point.
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Run Silent Run Deep is a great song. The harmony guitar part after the solo is the single coolest moment in the entire Maiden catalog imo. I always considered NPFTD to be a really underrated album. I think a lot of fans just jump on the bandwagon of hating this album and probably haven't even listened to more than Bring Your Daughter.
Exactly. I think it deserves the album ranking it gets, but it has a handful of truly excellent songs.
It was also quite disappointing in that this album was made after the longest break the band had ever had up until that point.
Lol, shows how much times have changed when that was only 2 years. :lol
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Great songs in the latest batch!
No Prayer is probably underrated overall as it does have a couple of pretty poor tracks which seems to overshadow the few gems it does have.
Big fan of The Duellists, a really awesome and under appreciated track.
To Tame a Land and Phantom are Steve Harris classics. I also love the LAD version of Phantom, but the original is also awesome.
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I think songs like Holy Smoke, Bring Your Daughter and Hooks in You is what really hurts No Prayer. Those tunes just really leave a bitter taste and probably hurt the overall impression. I think if they are subbed for more songs like PEN1 and FW, you'd have a really complete and fantastic hard rock Maiden album.
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Might deserve it’s own thread. I’m not all that familiar with any of his work, but since this thread was on the front page it seemed to be an appropriate place to note Martin Birch’s passing:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/martin-birch-dead/
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Yes this is very sad news. Probably does deserve its own thread but for fans of the classic era Maiden albums this hurts. RIP.
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Oh wow, that is terrible news indeed. Only 71 too. What a producer.
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RIP Mr Birch :'( Thanks for all the great albums you've been a part of through the years.
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This is a confusing batch for me. They're all really decent tunes, and a testament to how strong the Maiden catalogue is (none other than "Phantom" have ever been setlists stalwarts). I'm not a fan of NPFTD, and don't really think it's a hidden gem in the catalogue, primarily because I don't like the way Dickinson sings. He's in his "AC/DC" mode here, and that's not his finest hour. There are some good songs, though. Tailgunner is a big winner, and I like Holy Smoke (I LOVE that intro). It drops off after that; I'm not a fan of the "Fall on your knees today..." part of "PEN1" (and HATE the title), but I like RSRD (and Hooks In You). Incidentially, the b-sides "All In Your Mind" and "Kill Me, C'Soir" would both probably make my Top 50. Trivia: last album FULLY produced by Martin Birch (he co-produced FOTD with Harris).
Phantom IS a great tune. I like TTAL, though it's overshadowed by the best of that album (for me, Where Eagles Dare, Still Life, and Die With Your Boots On). I was never a real fan of "The Deullists" (or "Flash Of The Blade"), much preferring the second side of the record. TD in particular seemed like a rehash of "Losfer Words", but over the years, both songs have warmed on me, and I love Bruce's vocal on TD. I have an instrumental version (well, about a minute and a half or so) of The Duellists that I ripped from one of the DVDs that is really cool.
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I have an instrumental version (well, about a minute and a half or so) of The Duellists that I ripped from one of the DVDs that is really cool.
There was an instrumental version made?
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I have an instrumental version (well, about a minute and a half or so) of The Duellists that I ripped from one of the DVDs that is really cool.
There was an instrumental version made?
It was background music on one of the DVDs (The Early Years, or the doc on Maiden England). Give me a couple hours to check that (it's on another computer).
EDIT: It's behind one of the features on the "Live After Death" DVD Bonus Disk.
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I have an instrumental version (well, about a minute and a half or so) of The Duellists that I ripped from one of the DVDs that is really cool.
There was an instrumental version made?
It was background music on one of the DVDs (The Early Years, or the doc on Maiden England). Give me a couple hours to check that (it's on another computer).
EDIT: It's behind one of the features on the "Live After Death" DVD Bonus Disk.
Huh. Well there you go.
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35. Run Silent Run Deep
34. Public Enema Number One
33. Phantom of the Opera
32. The Duellists
31. To Tame A Land
I really like both No Prayer songs here, actually. Public Enema Number One is a lot of fun, and of course RSRD is the best on the album in my book. I can't really argue with either Phantom or Tame around here.
The Duellists is just... not for me. It's decent, but it never made a strong impression.
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I guess with The Duellists being a guitarist I probably found it much more interesting than most.
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I like long cool instrumental passages. I've always like The Duellists.
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I like long cool instrumental passages. I've always like The Duellists.
:metal
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Mid week 4 song update about to drop!
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30. The Aftermath
Here we have a dark cut from the X Factor. This one was a grower for me early on but came out as one of my favs. I love the simple, ploddy nature of the riff. I think it portrays the subject and atmosphere really well actually. Great lyrics and Blaze is perfect for this song. Song is in A minor too. The quiet sections are beautiful. When we finally get to the chorus, that's some powerful stuff. The money shot of this song is that mid section. Janick fucking destroys this with possibly the most explosive, epic part of the whole album. When Blaze sings 'I'm just a solider,' holy shit. Janick's sloppy playing here fits perfectly and some of his note choices are outside the scale but makes the tension even greater. The bends at 4:40 I think he forgets he's in A and thinks he's in E but sounds so good. Where he plays an E minor run right at the end when it's on the E chord is so good. That melody afterwards gives me chills. Epic tune.
Solo - Janick
29. Montsegur
Another Janick tune and right away we get Fallen Angel vibes with the heavy riff. All E here. The chorus here is so good and love Bruce's delivery. Such a simple chord progression too. What's this, a shift from E minor to E major, oh yeah. Janick takes this solo in E minor, with a nice E harmonic minor touch in the middle too. The harmony Janick directly ripped from the what he played on Bruce's Born in 58 (check it out). The Dream of Mirrors section afterwards is a nice touch too. Killer tune, underrated as hell.
Solo - Janick
28. Moonchild
The opener from the 7th Son album and a wonderful little evil number. I'd go as far to say it's pretty under appreciated also. The verses rip. Love those power chords. The chorus here is epic and the simple guitar notes underneath really lets it breathe and a great contrast from the verse. I like Nicko on this one too, great drumming. Love the shift to B in the bridge. Adrian's solo is in A and as evil as it sounds, I think it's strict A minor. Love that Lochrian type riff inbetween the solos too, that's sweet and something different for Maiden. Some epic tapping in Dave's solo too, again in A. Great opener.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
27. Judgement Day
Now, I know these bonus tracks were left off the X Factor because they really didn't fit the mood of the album, but fuck me, come on. I wish it was a double cd like they thought about doing, this rips. A minor and just a hard, heavy song and a few more of these tunes and Blaze I'm sure would have been more accepted. He sounds wonderful here. That pre chorus is so intense. Shifts to B there where the song is in A. Classic E minor chorus though. That E minor riff right before the solo is brutal. Dave absolutely rips shit here. A minor but then D minor halfway through. Janicks solo is nice with some jazzy elements and he's using a lot of A Dorian at the start here. back to D for some crazy Dave dive bombs. Ripping song. If you don't know it, fix that now.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Janick
Solo 3 - Dave
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30. The Aftermath
29. Montsegur
28. Moonchild
27. Judgement Day
As usual, lots to chew on here, Kade. I'll respond tonight after work. Really like the writeups.
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I've got to go back and relisten to the X Factor stuff to refresh. I just don't go to it that much (though I did listen to the live version of Aftermath a couple days ago, and it wasn't bad).
Moonchild is a winner, though, and I'm all for including the b-sides. I LOVE Maiden's b-sides (phrasing!!!).
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30. The Aftermath
29. Montsegur
28. Moonchild
27. Judgement Day
Ok..
The Aftermath I actually think this song is amazing. The production, or lack of, really lets this down though. As with most of TXF, this simply sounds like a demo. But that does not takeaway from the song itself. It took me a long time to come around on the verses, but I think that pace does a good job at replicating a march.
Montesegur Way underrated track. It's one of my favorites from Dance Of Death. Everything about it rules. I love the pace on it, and the chorus, and guitar harmonies, are great. Kade, you called it big time on Born In '58. I did listen this morning. I have never made that OBVIOUS connection. I'm actually ashamed. Born In '58 is a Top 1 or 2 Bruce song for me.
Moonchild Classic. Iron. Maiden
I love the intro to this. A bit of accoustic style that Bruce was hoping for after Powerslave.
Judgement Day I really wish this song made the final cut. Not because I think it's a great song, but I think it would've given TXF some balance.
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I've got to go back and relisten to the X Factor stuff to refresh. I just don't go to it that much (though I did listen to the live version of Aftermath a couple days ago, and it wasn't bad).
Moonchild is a winner, though, and I'm all for including the b-sides. I LOVE Maiden's b-sides (phrasing!!!).
Yeah, that live version is really good. There's quite a few legit live Blaze tracks out there and most I really enjoy.
30. The Aftermath
29. Montsegur
28. Moonchild
27. Judgement Day
Ok..
The Aftermath I actually think this song is amazing. The production, or lack of, really lets this down though. As with most of TXF, this simply sounds like a demo. But that does not takeaway from the song itself. It took me a long time to come around on the verses, but I think that pace does a good job at replicating a march.
Montesegur Way underrated track. It's one of my favorites from Dance Of Death. Everything about it rules. I love the pace on it, and the chorus, and guitar harmonies, are great. Kade, you called it big time on Born In '58. I did listen this morning. I have never made that OBVIOUS connection. I'm actually ashamed. Born In '58 is a Top 1 or 2 Bruce song for me.
Moonchild Classic. Iron. Maiden
I love the intro to this. A bit of accoustic style that Bruce was hoping for after Powerslave.
Judgement Day I really wish this song made the final cut. Not because I think it's a great song, but I think it would've given TXF some balance.
That's why even if they did a double cd like they were toying with, you add this, Justice, I Live My Way on there, it becomes so much more balanced. Virus would have worked well in there too. I know it was written after but would have been awesome.
Haha, I can't remember if I heard Montsegur or Born in 58 first but I remember picking it and laughing right away. Pretty sure I already knew Born in 58. I laugh every time. I secretly love little hidden gems like that, wether they are intentional or not.
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Moonchild is the big standout in the latest batch for me. Epic tune.
Sorry, I am not a big fan of the other tracks. I enjoy the middle and quiet sections of The Aftermath but the rest is a plodding bore to me. I do like Montseguer but find it one of those songs where it just gets too repetitive for me - give me Born in 58 anytime.
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Moonchild is the big standout in the latest batch for me. Epic tune.
Sorry, I am not a big fan of the other tracks. I enjoy the middle and quiet sections of The Aftermath but the rest is a plodding bore to me. I do like Montseguer but find it one of those songs where it just gets too repetitive for me - give me Born in 58 anytime.
You don't have to apologise my friend. :lol I can totally see why some wouldn't be on board with a lot of my picks. It's all good.
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Thanks wolfking. I'm on board majority of your picks so far. I think this is the first batch when I'm not. Enjoying your list and your writeups.
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Ok. I just gave Montsegur a listen and have to admit I did enjoy it. Actually haven't listened to this song for a while. There is some great guitar work, lots of energy and I actually really enjoy Nico's drumming on this track.
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I know Tattooed Millionaire is not a very serious album, compared to what Bruce would go on to do, but I think there's a number of really strong songs on it.
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Yeah, I also like Tattooed Millionaire.
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July 22, 1990
The Living Room
Providence RI
(https://i.imgur.com/rQjAYUZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tqzQOGa.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/D5RXPKN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6vPplcZ.jpg)
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Nice one TAC, I'm sure that was a great gig!
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I know Tattooed Millionaire is not a very serious album, compared to what Bruce would go on to do, but I think there's a number of really strong songs on it.
The first three is an amazing run. There's not much else on there for me, but Gypsy Road is solid and No Lies is very good.
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No Lies was awesome live.
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30. The Aftermath
29. Montsegur
28. Moonchild
27. Judgement Day
The Aftermath is another really good X Factor choice. To me it's overshadowed a bit by Fortunes of War, which has a similar vibe and similar lyrical theme, but a bit more of a haunting sound, but it's still in the top half of a really strong album.
I never made the Montsegur-Fallen Angel connection until reading your writeup, but now I wonder how I missed it. Probably because I like Montsegur a whole lot better. :P
Moonchild is an excellent choice, and, as I've mentioned, I don't have enough familiarity with the b-sides to say much about Judgment Day.
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The riff is different in Montsegur to Fallen Angel, just the style of that heavy riff reminds me of it.
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I almost went to the Toad's show on that tour and I'm kicking myself to this day that I did not. Bruce Dickinson in a 700 seat club. AND a fight broke out that stopped the show. Legendary.
Hey, help a brother out; which parts of Born in '58 and Montegur are we talking about? I THINK I know, but want to make sure. Is it that harmony in Bi58 that sounds sort of out of place (in the latter half of the song) and the harmony in the midsection of Montsegur? Same with the Nicko fill; I THINK I know, but the "ending on the snare" is throwing me.
By the way, I went to get a haircut and listened to Montsegur three time (alternating with Bi58) and WHAT A SONG.
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Born in 58 - 2.26
Montsegur - 3.42
And you must have asked for a wicked haircut!! :metal
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And you must have asked for a wicked haircut!! :metal
Same as always..
(https://images.bookstore.ipgbook.com/images/author_image_1/large/271015.jpg)
;D
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:lol
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26. Alexander the Great
Here is the epic closer to SIT. The great epic that has never been played live. Mainly being too tricky for the band to pull off and I believe a few members coming out with the excuse that they forget and couldn't relearn it or something. I'd have to look that up.
For the main bulk of the track, it's standard E minor, classic Maiden. It's the instrumental part where things get interesting. That 7/8 jazzy section at the start of the instrumental part is really nice. Key changes From B major, A major, B major, C# major then Eb major. It's interesting how the chord progression goes up in a whole tone formation. I love the whole tone scale when improvising too if you can get it right. Adrian is stricty major scale though for each of these transitions though I believe. That evil sounding E riff shifts now to the B phrygian dominant scale. The lead melody is in A, but the end of the riff seems to suggest it shifts to A phrygian with that B flat chord. Adrians solo is in A. Love the Gary Moore open pulls off too. He plays with that B flat chord nicely too. The strict A minor run on the last one works surprisingly well. Dave plays in E minor and is pretty straight forward besides that one nice little E harmonic minor lick.
This is always been a favourite, and it's great to see Maiden branch out a little here with the instrumental section. I never minded Bruce's weird phrasing in this one. The lyrics just make it more silly and epic but the whole thing is a nicely rounded, wonderful Maiden song if you ask me.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Adrian
Solo 3 - Dave
25. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Let's back it up with the fall guy for Alexander. Always found it weird they played this one on the SIT tour but anyway. As a guitarist, I've always appreciated the rhythm guitar on this one. It chugs nicely and one of the main reason I love it. Portrays the atmosphere perfectly. Not much going on musically this one. All E minor with lovely harmonies as always. I do love at 4:12 though the note selctions. Goes form F#, to A, then E, F and G. Cool shit. The middle section is nice and eerie and the sound effects are cool too. The Number of the Beast riff gets a reprise here and this section rocks. It's in D, but I love how Steve plays through the scale but dave has a constant pedal point on D the whole time. Very cool. That scream from Bruce is beautiful.
A minor for Adrian's solo and some nice cool blues shit going on here. Love how he ends on the E note when it changes to E minor for Dave's solo. Dave has some cool chromatic passing notes going on in this one and love his whammy bar work here too. The harmonies are sweet and low how high Dave plays compared to how low Adrian plays. Adrian playing like an octave lower. A nice tough of E phyrgian dominant too in that riff before the main riff coming back in. Excellent epic, love it.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
24. Stranger in A Strange Land
Back to SIT and Maiden getting in touch with their melodic rock side. E minor here and I love the simple 80's atmosphere of this one. A bit of an awkward riff here. Adrian comes up with a lot of these cool different sounding riffs. The Some cool intervals in there. Wonderful verse great chorus and the whole thing just breathes and moves nicely. The solo though is where Adrian shows he's a cut above the rest. Absolutely magic here. The buildup, the phrasing, the note selection but just the simplicity of it. What gets me everytime, is that break at 3:52 after that bend when it kicks in. You tasteful motherfucker. All E minor here and lots of simple pentatonic. That run at 4:00 also and that pinch harmonic at 4:04, good lord. That final phrase though is the money shot. What a song, what a performance.
Solo - Adrian
23. Childhoods End
Yes, laugh away, I love this track! An underratem gem from the FOTD album and this one always struck a chord with me. I never understood the hate for the whole album, but that's another story. I love the lyrics here, it's real, it's good shit. Love Nicko's tom work and the simple melodies really let's that chorus breathe. F# this one. It's pretty simple but the verses are pulsing and urgent. This song reminds me a lot of the X Factor. It could have fit perfectly on that album. That middle section is awesome. I love how the guitars are in unison and no harmonies. Janick is first up and the solo is in F# but the chord progression gives it an interesting feeling. I love his rolling harmonics at 2:51. Funny there's that one lick at 3:00 with the G note that isn't in the scale. Classy solo this. The most amazing thing about this solo is where Janick and Dave swap. That lick at 3:01 is Janickbut then the chord progression changes and Dave enters at 3:04, but Dave is such a class player he echoes with that same bent D note and shreds on like it's the same player. Fucking all class and seamless. When the guitar harmonies finally come in, that's nice, real nice. Tear away, but this song is beautiful.
Solo 1 - Janick
Solo 2 - Dave
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23. Childhoods End
Yes, laugh away, I love this track! An underratem gem from the FOTD album and this one always struck a chord with me. I never understood the hate for the whole album, but that's another story. I love the lyrics here, it's real, it's good shit. Love Nicko's tom work and the simple melodies really let's that chorus breathe. F# this one. It's pretty simple but the verses are pulsing and urgent. This song reminds me a lot of the X Factor. It could have fit perfectly on that album. That middle section is awesome. I love how the guitars are in unison and no harmonies. Janick is first up and the solo is in F# but the chord progression gives it an interesting feeling. I love his rolling harmonics at 2:51. Funny there's that one lick at 3:00 with the G note that isn't in the scale. Classy solo this. The most amazing thing about this solo is where Janick and Dave swap. That lick at 3:01 is Janickbut then the chord progression changes and Dave enters at 3:04, but Dave is such a class player he echoes with that same bent D note and shreds on like it's the same player. Fucking all class and seamless. When the guitar harmonies finally come in, that's nice, real nice. Tear away, but this song is beautiful.
Solo 1 - Janick
Solo 2 - Dave
No laughing here. I love Childhood's End. You rank it higher than me, but that's no matter. I'm a fan and will defend this song at all turns.
This is a great writeup here, Kade. I appreciate it. First, you mention Nicko's toms. Yes, they stand out, and while simple, you rarely heard tom work like that. The most underrated aspect about Nicko is how musical he is in his playing.
Your breakdown on the solo was terrific. I would've never guessed there was a swap at that point. That is some brilliant writing and producing. A last master stroke by Martin Birch?
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Also no laughing from me on Childhood's End. I get it. In following this thread I have revisited both No Prayer and FOTD albums quite a bit and I am appreciating them much more than I did on initial release.
The other 3 songs in the latest batch are 3 of my all time favourites for sure. Adrian is just epic on the whole SiT album, and the Stranger solo is magic.
Great write ups for these songs.
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In following this thread I have revisited both No Prayer and FOTD albums quite a bit and I am appreciating them much more than I did on initial release.
Generally, speaking, these albums are usually properly ranked, but that doesn't mean they suck.
I have always loved Fear Of The Dark, and it I consider it 8 songs deep. Some filler to be sure, but deep tracks like Childhood's End and Fear Is The Key (a vocal tribute to Ian Gillan for sure).
No Prayer has some really nice songs on it, I and would never totally dismiss it.
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23. Childhoods End
Yes, laugh away, I love this track! An underratem gem from the FOTD album and this one always struck a chord with me. I never understood the hate for the whole album, but that's another story. I love the lyrics here, it's real, it's good shit. Love Nicko's tom work and the simple melodies really let's that chorus breathe. F# this one. It's pretty simple but the verses are pulsing and urgent. This song reminds me a lot of the X Factor. It could have fit perfectly on that album. That middle section is awesome. I love how the guitars are in unison and no harmonies. Janick is first up and the solo is in F# but the chord progression gives it an interesting feeling. I love his rolling harmonics at 2:51. Funny there's that one lick at 3:00 with the G note that isn't in the scale. Classy solo this. The most amazing thing about this solo is where Janick and Dave swap. That lick at 3:01 is Janickbut then the chord progression changes and Dave enters at 3:04, but Dave is such a class player he echoes with that same bent D note and shreds on like it's the same player. Fucking all class and seamless. When the guitar harmonies finally come in, that's nice, real nice. Tear away, but this song is beautiful.
Solo 1 - Janick
Solo 2 - Dave
No laughing here. I love Childhood's End. You rank it higher than me, but that's no matter. I'm a fan and will defend this song at all turns.
This is a great writeup here, Kade. I appreciate it. First, you mention Nicko's toms. Yes, they stand out, and while simple, you rarely heard tom work like that. The most underrated aspect about Nicko is how musical he is in his playing.
Your breakdown on the solo was terrific. I would've never guessed there was a swap at that point. That is some brilliant writing and producing. A last master stroke by Martin Birch?
I didn't notice the swap either for a long while myself. It's subtle but simply incredible. One of my fav solo mo nbents from Maiden in general. I appreciate you like the Solo writeups Tim considering you have no idea what you are reading. :lol
If no one else does a top 50 list, I may even do a top list of Maiden solos.
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Also no laughing from me on Childhood's End. I get it. In following this thread I have revisited both No Prayer and FOTD albums quite a bit and I am appreciating them much more than I did on initial release.
The other 3 songs in the latest batch are 3 of my all time favourites for sure. Adrian is just epic on the whole SiT album, and the Stranger solo is magic.
Great write ups for these songs.
Awesome mate. That's what these types of threads are perfect for, revisiting old stuff you normally wouldn't.
Yeah, Adrian owns that whole album. It's his album for sure.
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In following this thread I have revisited both No Prayer and FOTD albums quite a bit and I am appreciating them much more than I did on initial release.
Generally, speaking, these albums are usually properly ranked, but that doesn't mean they suck.
I have always loved Fear Of The Dark, and it I consider it 8 songs deep. Some filler to be sure, but deep tracks like Childhood's End and Fear Is The Key (a vocal tribute to Ian Gillan for sure).
No Prayer has some really nice songs on it, I and would never totally dismiss it.
You could make an 8 song album of FOTD and it would be an absolute classic.
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I appreciate you like the Solo writeups Tim considering you have no idea what you are reading. :lol
:lol
Yeah, not a clue. :lol
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You could make an 8 song album of FOTD and it would be an absolute classic.
Side 1
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Afraid To Shoot Strangers
Fear Is The Key
Wasting Love
Side 2
The Fugitive
Childhood's End
Judas My Guide
Fear Of The Dark
:metal :metal :metal
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You could make an 8 song album of FOTD and it would be an absolute classic.
Side 1
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Afraid To Shoot Strangers
Fear Is The Key
Wasting Love
Side 2
The Fugitive
Childhood's End
Judas My Guide
Fear Of The Dark
:metal :metal :metal
Nailed it. I would have Chains of Misery as the bonus track.
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26. Alexander the Great
25. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
24. Stranger in A Strange Land
23. Childhoods End
These two epics are very good choices. And I love to see appreciation for Stranger in a Strange Land, especially tons of praise for the best Maiden guitar solo.
And then you had to go and put Childhood's End ahead of all three of them. :P
Sorry, I'm going to tear away on this one a little bit. I'd rank it fourth-lowest on the album, and fourth-lowest of all the studio album tracks. I agree that you can make a solid eight-song version of Fear of the Dark. But, just... you... you just leave this one out. On TAC's version, I'd just swap it out for From Here to Eternity and be golden.
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Well, I asked for it.
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You could make an 8 song album of FOTD and it would be an absolute classic.
Side 1
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Afraid To Shoot Strangers
Fear Is The Key
Wasting Love
Side 2
The Fugitive
Childhood's End
Judas My Guide
Fear Of The Dark
:metal :metal :metal
I don't disagree with your premise, but for me, "From Here To Eternity" needs to be on there. I too like Childhood's End; I like Bruce's vocal on the staccato "No hope.... no life... just pain.... and fear..." part. Love that.
I've actually listened a couple times now and that swap... I mean, I believe you but I don't, if that makes sense. I PLAY, I love Murray, and yet I never would have suspected that.
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You could make an 8 song album of FOTD and it would be an absolute classic.
Side 1
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Afraid To Shoot Strangers
Fear Is The Key
Wasting Love
Side 2
The Fugitive
Childhood's End
Judas My Guide
Fear Of The Dark
:metal :metal :metal
Nailed it. I would have Chains of Misery as the bonus track.
As would I.
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You could make an 8 song album of FOTD and it would be an absolute classic.
Side 1
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Afraid To Shoot Strangers
Fear Is The Key
Wasting Love
Side 2
The Fugitive
Childhood's End
Judas My Guide
Fear Of The Dark
:metal :metal :metal
Nailed it. I would have Chains of Misery as the bonus track.
As would I.
Dave rips on this one. Love the blues feel of it too.
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I'm really tempted to start collecting the 2015 remasters and even the 4 albums with the figureines. Just because I can and am bored and want to spend some money since holiday plans have been cancelled. This Maiden hit has me in a Maiden mood too to start really listening to all their stuff again.
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26. Alexander the Great
Here is the epic closer to SIT. The great epic that has never been played live. Mainly being too tricky for the band to pull off and I believe a few members coming out with the excuse that they forget and couldn't relearn it or something. I'd have to look that up.
For the main bulk of the track, it's standard E minor, classic Maiden. It's the instrumental part where things get interesting. That 7/8 jazzy section at the start of the instrumental part is really nice. Key changes From B major, A major, B major, C# major then Eb major. It's interesting how the chord progression goes up in a whole tone formation. I love the whole tone scale when improvising too if you can get it right. Adrian is stricty major scale though for each of these transitions though I believe. That evil sounding E riff shifts now to the B phrygian dominant scale. The lead melody is in A, but the end of the riff seems to suggest it shifts to A phrygian with that B flat chord. Adrians solo is in A. Love the Gary Moore open pulls off too. He plays with that B flat chord nicely too. The strict A minor run on the last one works surprisingly well. Dave plays in E minor and is pretty straight forward besides that one nice little E harmonic minor lick.
This is always been a favourite, and it's great to see Maiden branch out a little here with the instrumental section. I never minded Bruce's weird phrasing in this one. The lyrics just make it more silly and epic but the whole thing is a nicely rounded, wonderful Maiden song if you ask me.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Adrian
Solo 3 - Dave
25. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Let's back it up with the fall guy for Alexander. Always found it weird they played this one on the SIT tour but anyway. As a guitarist, I've always appreciated the rhythm guitar on this one. It chugs nicely and one of the main reason I love it. Portrays the atmosphere perfectly. Not much going on musically this one. All E minor with lovely harmonies as always. I do love at 4:12 though the note selctions. Goes form F#, to A, then E, F and G. Cool shit. The middle section is nice and eerie and the sound effects are cool too. The Number of the Beast riff gets a reprise here and this section rocks. It's in D, but I love how Steve plays through the scale but dave has a constant pedal point on D the whole time. Very cool. That scream from Bruce is beautiful.
A minor for Adrian's solo and some nice cool blues shit going on here. Love how he ends on the E note when it changes to E minor for Dave's solo. Dave has some cool chromatic passing notes going on in this one and love his whammy bar work here too. The harmonies are sweet and low how high Dave plays compared to how low Adrian plays. Adrian playing like an octave lower. A nice tough of E phyrgian dominant too in that riff before the main riff coming back in. Excellent epic, love it.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
So, it's interesting that these songs are back to back.
First..Rime...I like it a lot. I love the driving feel of it. It has a great pace, and I like every section. This song has really aged well for me. Sure it was definitely curious to bring it out for the SiT tour, but Maiden was obviously quite high on this song. That slot should've been reserved for AtG.
As far as AtG...I have never loved this song. It's missing something to me. I listened to it on my way to work today. That whole album has really not aged well for me.
It's as if there's a tension missing from AtG. The instrumental part is way too slow and controlled. It's almost mechanical. Totally missing the feels of the instrumental sections in The Duellists, or The Red And The Black. And Maiden, for all of their great writing and arrangements, have never figured out how to rejoin a song after a long instrumental section. AtG is no different. The final chorus is strong, but that whole last part is really anticlimactic.
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26. Alexander the Great
Here is the epic closer to SIT. The great epic that has never been played live. Mainly being too tricky for the band to pull off and I believe a few members coming out with the excuse that they forget and couldn't relearn it or something. I'd have to look that up.
For the main bulk of the track, it's standard E minor, classic Maiden. It's the instrumental part where things get interesting. That 7/8 jazzy section at the start of the instrumental part is really nice. Key changes From B major, A major, B major, C# major then Eb major. It's interesting how the chord progression goes up in a whole tone formation. I love the whole tone scale when improvising too if you can get it right. Adrian is stricty major scale though for each of these transitions though I believe. That evil sounding E riff shifts now to the B phrygian dominant scale. The lead melody is in A, but the end of the riff seems to suggest it shifts to A phrygian with that B flat chord. Adrians solo is in A. Love the Gary Moore open pulls off too. He plays with that B flat chord nicely too. The strict A minor run on the last one works surprisingly well. Dave plays in E minor and is pretty straight forward besides that one nice little E harmonic minor lick.
This is always been a favourite, and it's great to see Maiden branch out a little here with the instrumental section. I never minded Bruce's weird phrasing in this one. The lyrics just make it more silly and epic but the whole thing is a nicely rounded, wonderful Maiden song if you ask me.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Adrian
Solo 3 - Dave
25. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Let's back it up with the fall guy for Alexander. Always found it weird they played this one on the SIT tour but anyway. As a guitarist, I've always appreciated the rhythm guitar on this one. It chugs nicely and one of the main reason I love it. Portrays the atmosphere perfectly. Not much going on musically this one. All E minor with lovely harmonies as always. I do love at 4:12 though the note selctions. Goes form F#, to A, then E, F and G. Cool shit. The middle section is nice and eerie and the sound effects are cool too. The Number of the Beast riff gets a reprise here and this section rocks. It's in D, but I love how Steve plays through the scale but dave has a constant pedal point on D the whole time. Very cool. That scream from Bruce is beautiful.
A minor for Adrian's solo and some nice cool blues shit going on here. Love how he ends on the E note when it changes to E minor for Dave's solo. Dave has some cool chromatic passing notes going on in this one and love his whammy bar work here too. The harmonies are sweet and low how high Dave plays compared to how low Adrian plays. Adrian playing like an octave lower. A nice tough of E phyrgian dominant too in that riff before the main riff coming back in. Excellent epic, love it.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
So, it's interesting that these songs are back to back.
First..Rime...I like it a lot. I love the driving feel of it. It has a great pace, and I like every section. This song has really aged well for me. Sure it was definitely curious to bring it out for the SiT tour, but Maiden was obviously quite high on this song. That slot should've been reserved for AtG.
As far as AtG...I have never loved this song. It's missing something to me. I listened to it on my way to work today. That whole album has really not aged well for me.
It's as if there's a tension missing from AtG. The instrumental part is way too slow and controlled. It's almost mechanical. Totally missing the feels of the instrumental sections in The Duellists, or The Red And The Black. And Maiden, for all of their great writing and arrangements, have never figured out how to rejoin a song after a long instrumental section. AtG is no different. The final chorus is strong, but that whole last part is really anticlimactic.
This is a fair and interesting observation. I think the band spent so much focus on the technicality of the piece that perhaps the natural drive suffered? They obviously were going for the epic feel hence the plodiness of it maybe, but I do feel while they did a good job in expanding their musical and technical horizons, I can see how the whole thing would seem so calculated in being technical for the sake of it, therefore losing as I said that natural drive and groove.
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This is a fair and interesting observation. I think the band spent so much focus on the technicality of the piece that perhaps the natural drive suffered? They obviously were going for the epic feel hence the plodiness of it maybe, but I do feel while they did a good job in expanding their musical and technical horizons, I can see how the whole thing would seem so calculated in being technical for the sake of it, therefore losing as I said that natural drive and groove.
When Somewhere In Time came out, I LOVED it! Remember, I wasn't crazy about Powerslave. I thought SiT was so fresh, and songs like Caught Somewhere In Time and Stranger In A Strange Land were so interesting compared to what was on Powerslave, which felt like they were on autopilot.
While Maiden has a distinct style filled with Maiden-isms, they have never stood still in their writing or their performance. So while I totally appreciate their effort with AtG, as a listener, I'm not really moved by it.
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This is a fair and interesting observation. I think the band spent so much focus on the technicality of the piece that perhaps the natural drive suffered? They obviously were going for the epic feel hence the plodiness of it maybe, but I do feel while they did a good job in expanding their musical and technical horizons, I can see how the whole thing would seem so calculated in being technical for the sake of it, therefore losing as I said that natural drive and groove.
When Somewhere In Time came out, I LOVED it! Remember, I wasn't crazy about Powerslave. I thought SiT was so fresh, and songs like Caught Somewhere In Time and Stranger In A Strange Land were so interesting compared to what was on Powerslave, which felt like they were on autopilot.
While Maiden has a distinct style filled with Maiden-isms, they have never stood still in their writing or their performance. So while I totally appreciate their effort with AtG, as a listener, I'm not really moved by it.
I always dug it obviously, but I can totally understand that.
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24. Stranger in A Strange Land
Back to SIT and Maiden getting in touch with their melodic rock side. E minor here and I love the simple 80's atmosphere of this one. A bit of an awkward riff here. Adrian comes up with a lot of these cool different sounding riffs. The Some cool intervals in there. Wonderful verse great chorus and the whole thing just breathes and moves nicely. The solo though is where Adrian shows he's a cut above the rest. Absolutely magic here. The buildup, the phrasing, the note selection but just the simplicity of it. What gets me everytime, is that break at 3:52 after that bend when it kicks in. You tasteful motherfucker. All E minor here and lots of simple pentatonic. That run at 4:00 also and that pinch harmonic at 4:04, good lord. That final phrase though is the money shot. What a song, what a performance.
Solo - Adrian
That, my friend, is Schenkerific. Especially at 4:07 :metal
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24. Stranger in A Strange Land
Back to SIT and Maiden getting in touch with their melodic rock side. E minor here and I love the simple 80's atmosphere of this one. A bit of an awkward riff here. Adrian comes up with a lot of these cool different sounding riffs. The Some cool intervals in there. Wonderful verse great chorus and the whole thing just breathes and moves nicely. The solo though is where Adrian shows he's a cut above the rest. Absolutely magic here. The buildup, the phrasing, the note selection but just the simplicity of it. What gets me everytime, is that break at 3:52 after that bend when it kicks in. You tasteful motherfucker. All E minor here and lots of simple pentatonic. That run at 4:00 also and that pinch harmonic at 4:04, good lord. That final phrase though is the money shot. What a song, what a performance.
Solo - Adrian
That, my friend, is Schenkerific. Especially at 4:07 :metal
Ah! You're learning my good friend! :metal
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Born in 58 - 2.26
Montsegur - 3.42
And you must have asked for a wicked haircut!! :metal
That's the part! Yay me!
It was the ride to the haircut; but having said that, she DID take too much off the sides! :)
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22. Paschendale
425's number 1 Maiden song comes in at number 22 for me. I do love this one, and it deserves all the praise, I guess there's just 21 songs I like better. I like Adrian's Wasted Years inspired tapping riff here, sets a nice mood. This one would have been amazing to see live. Musically it's very simple. E minor Maiden always do these war songs well. The 'home far away' chorus is excellent, very emotional. The middle section is where it's at and I gave a rundown when 425 posted it. E minor for Dave, C# for Adrian. The 'blood is falling like the rain' section is in G# and the money shot is the key change to D for Janick. The C# chord before the change just gets me everytime. I love his solo here. It's standard Janick but he fucking nails it. Percfet mood. Wonderful epic song.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
Solo 3 - Janick
21. Dance of Death
The title track now which is another massive Maiden epic. The lyrics are absolutely stupid but you can't not love it. Classic Maiden quiet intro and the E minor guitar melody is Maiden 101. The verses rip hard, love them. Love how there's no real chorus too. Adrian solos in E minor and uses some awesome minor pentatonic stuff. Really tasy H solo here. Love that lick at 4:43. Dave plays in the key of F# and it's pretty standard Dave. Cool whammy stuff here too. nice Maiden melody. Maiden have never cease to amaze me with the amount of guitar melody lines they come in with, and they are always brilliant. I remember people fucking hating Janick's solo here, it's cool. I actually love his expressive style. He was questionable live back in the day, but has been great for a while now. Love that Gary Moore lick on the G string too. Very Adrian like. Epic song.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
Solo 3 - Janick
20. Where Eagles Dare
We enter the top 20 with Nicko's introduction to the band. This song crushes. 6 minutes of wonderful drumming, and just stomping tight rhythms. The rhythms and rhythm guitar is what does it for me here. Simple song, simple E minor but the groove is just so good. Bruce sounds wonderful too. Really really strong vocal. I love how he sings a verse then it's 3 and a half minutes instrumental. And not solos and melodies too. So much riffing. I love how the riffs just gets higher up the scale. Dave enters though with some amazing whammy bar work which pictures the subject matter perfectly. I do love that melody after his solo though. How about that groovy riff at 3:15. That's lovely. Mid section key change to F# and back to E too to build some tension. Cool shit. That money note from Bruce though, oh yeah, that's the stuff.
Solo - Dave
19. For the Greater Good of God
When you hear this one, you know it's the go to Steve Harris epic. But what an epic. Lovely lyrics here, and Bruce really puts some nice emotion into them. Slow intro which we all know and love but when that verse explodes in, that's the stuff. Love the machine gun rhythm here. Nicko's work here is really impressive. The tempo change into that first chorus is wonderul and backs and forths between the verses is excellent. Lots of tension. That second chorus I guess you could call it is pure Maiden. Love that Hallowed style guitar melody too. All E minor here too like usual. The instrumental section is nice and heavy and gets a bit darker, almost X Factor like. The start of that section reminds me heavily of Sign of the Cross. Janick is first up and that first lick is amazing. a nice melodic lick down the scale and that blues A flat note at 5:51 in there is incredible. That next part at 5:52 also is like a mix of Dorian and the blues scale trilling between two notes down the scale. Love it. That heavy riff in there next is awesome. Shifts then to B for Adrian with a B/C/D chord progression and Adrian uses mainly the B Phrygian Dominant to give that evil feel. Back to E for Dave and his open string lick comes into play. Always cool to hear. That slide up at 6:36 is tasty AF. The songs finishes off beautiful and even though I'm not a religious man, that last quiet verse at the end touches me a little. Wonderful, yet simple and poweful epic.
Solo 1 - Janick
Solo 2 - Adrian
Solo 3 - Dave
18. The Educated Fool
Fuck I love this song. Blaze absolutely owns this one, and is a very underrated tune from the VXI album. Dark and brooding and I love the lyrics here. The buildup is awesome and when that verse kicks in at 1:46, I just love it. Great to play on the guitar too. Just so simple. E minor again and nothing tricky here at all. This might be one of Maiden's most simple songs musically actually. The chorus is strong. I know people hate it, but I love the march of it and Blaze again sounds wonderful. The instrumental section again, is all E minor. That little melody line is so sweet, and not harmonized. It's a classic one where it normally would be but not here. The start of Dave's solo is insteresting, it's a trilled B and C note with a crazy slide and then the C note bent up to D. Simple but something a little different bending that C note. his climb up and then descend back down is awesome too. The simple run up at the end of his solo too is excellent. Janick comes in with a cool shred up the pentationic scale and follows that up nicely with a tasty melodic lick. Love the way he finishes his solo too. I also like the way the instrumental section bookends itself, very good songwriting. The last chorus is not too long for me. It could go on for longer, love it.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Janick
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WOW!!
What a batch of songs.
I’ll comment tonight after work.
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Where Eagles Dare and Paschendale, can’t say enough good things about them. Both top 5 for me.
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Yes, awesome batch of songs here overall. The Educated Fool placement is interesting. I have to admit I do like this one quite a bit, it is a really cool song.
Dance of Death - I think I mentioned previously but I was originally never a huge fan of the song upon release but when I saw it performed live it blew me away and every since has become a favourite of the reunion era.
Paschendale and Greater Good of God are also favourites of mine from the reunion era, while Where Eagles Dare is an all time classic.
Really interested to see what the top 17 are now and great write ups as usual.
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Dance of Death - I think I mentioned previously but I was originally never a huge fan of the song upon release but when I saw it performed live it blew me away and every since has become a favourite of the reunion era.
Never seen it live, but the Death On The Road version is fucking nails.
If there was one Blaze Era track that I would like to see Maiden do, it would be The Educated Fool. Bruce would slay that chorus.
I rate For The Greater Good a lot higher. I think it's an amazing track. One of the best of the Reunion Era.
Where Eagles Dare is simply amazing. Holy shit when I first heard that!
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Yes, awesome batch of songs here overall. The Educated Fool placement is interesting. I have to admit I do like this one quite a bit, it is a really cool song.
Dance of Death - I think I mentioned previously but I was originally never a huge fan of the song upon release but when I saw it performed live it blew me away and every since has become a favourite of the reunion era.
Paschendale and Greater Good of God are also favourites of mine from the reunion era, while Where Eagles Dare is an all time classic.
Really interested to see what the top 17 are now and great write ups as usual.
Thanks mate. A few more curveballs to come.
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Yeah, this last batch was a good one. I'd have "Where Eagles Dare" higher, though.
Tired old Maiden stories alert: I saw the Piece of Mind tour in New Haven, with Coney Hatch (sucked) and Fastway (AWESOME) opening. I was stage left, just behind the front edge of the stage (if that makes sense) so I could see the back stage area a bit (before the show, Bruce came out behind the stage for a minute and he waved to my friend and I). Anyway, they opened with "WED", and the drums start, the band kicks in, and... Bruce's mic doesn't work. He sang the the first verse or so, then came over to the backstage area in front of me and was LIVID. But they got their shit together, they gave him a new mic, and he was able to resume the song.
The amazing thing was, you could tell something wasn't right because the balance was off, but because I was not in front of the amplifiers or monitors, to this day i swear I could actually hear him singing acoustically over the band. He may or may not be a dick, but he's darn good at what he does.
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That's a cool story mate.
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Not gonna get an update til ghe weekend unfortunately. Thinking about ranking the albums, I just don't know if I can do it. Each one is brilliant in their own way.
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(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ac/7e/86/ac7e86fd8c6a6953b686cc0e7b9a8900.gif)
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Ranking the albums is tough - kind of like ranking your own children (for those who have them...)
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17. Starblind
This was always a fav from TFF right off the bat and has held strong. It's hard to describe this one and mainly what I love about it, but it's just a well written epic Maiden tune. Classic Adrian style riffing too. I think why I rank it so high is because of the verses and mainly Adrian's improv. That section after the chorus at 2:31 is one of my favourite Adrian moments. Just pure soul and feel with that soloing. I love how at the start of that section at 2:36 where he uses the dorian mode then switches straight back to aeolin. Fucking class that. His improv during that verse too is so calssy. That tapping is brilliant. then that lick at 3:16. Makes the song so epic his work here. The chorus makes me laugh. Pure Infinite Dreams, so blatant, same key change from E to G then back to E, so good.
That bluesy e minor riff in the middle is cool too. Adrian start the solo and again some more Dorain improv. Pretty much the whole solo is in Dorian. Then Dave solos in D then shifts to F. It seems Janick's solo is in the same progression yet it seems he's playing in the D mixolydian mode. Same with change to F. Very interesting from Janick. i'll spend more time on that one. Anyone, epic track, somewhat underrated?
Verse improvs - Adrian
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
Solo 3 - Janick
16. Infinite Dreams
Let's go to the inspiration for Starblind like I mentioned. Another track somewhat underrated but always been a fav. Love the dreamy intro and that verse is just lovely. All E minor, nothing fancy here. That heavy verse things start to get going and I love the structure. Slow verse, heavy verse and that stomping chorus is excellent. The key change builds nice tension from E minor to G minor. Love that 'heaven or hell' line from Bruce too and that next section draws heavy Hallowed Be They Name inspiration too. Bruce's scream is top notch and here comes some classic Maiden power chords. Love that change to G major in there too. That classic 'Trooper' style harmony is just amazing and one of Maiden's best. Great sounds. Changes to F# before the solo, but Dave solos in strict E. Back to F# for Adrian and strict F# minor too. Love how it goes back into that harmony too. Classic underrated tune. Should have been pulled out live again IMO.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
15. Rainmaker
A short Davey rocker in the incredible Rainmaker. I love Maiden doing songs like this. This rips from start to finish and Dave takes full advantage of his song here. All D minor, musically, there's nothing to say. Dave likes D minor and everything here is melodic and strict to key. The tension in the chorus though with that D pedal point is nice though. Love the lyrics and love Bruce on this one. The verses are brilliant. The 'feel the same as me' line, gets me everytime. The D/Bb/F/C chord progression works so brilliant well. This has FOTD Dave style leads all over it too, love it. I really need to check the 2015 version of this album as the production is the only thing letting it down here.
All leads - Dave
14. Wasted Years
Maiden doing melodic rock stratches me right where I itch. Love the open trill picked riff that goes on to get used countless times again in Maiden's career. The verses are pure 80's, love it. Musically again, it's simple, E minor yet the chorus changes to the relative key of G major. Love Adrian singing backing on this too. He and Bruce work really well together. The lyrics are wonderful and we all can relate to, so positive. The solo is classy as is everything Adrian does. I love the open riff before hand once Dave kicks in with the rhythm, such a groove. All E minor in the solo and is structured pretty standard Adrian. That bend at 3:25 is bliss. The next lick interesting with teh E/F#/G notes alternating with the open b string. Love that run down at 3:34 then climbs back up to climax the solo. Brilliant. Perfect rock song. When I saw it close the TBOS tour also was absolutely amazing, so good.
Solo - Adrian
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Really liking this list, Kade! Sorry I haven't been chiming in much so far, life's been busy. Nice to see Starblind and Infinite Dreams up so high!
Looks like I really need to sit down and finalize my own list quick too! :lol As I said before, mine will inevitably not be as long or thorough as yours or 425's. I just don't think I could box in 50+ Iron Maiden songs in order personally.
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Two absolute classics in the latest batch. I love Infinite Dreams, is probably my fav song on Seventh Son which is a bit of a big call. And Wasted Years is also one of my favourites, I agree a perfect rock song.
Starblind - I like this song but it just doesn't grab me the same way. All those 'background leads by Adrian' kind of get lost in the whole thing. As a song it has a really interesting vibe and feel but that is pretty much it for me. The verse riff is pretty cool.
Rainmaker - This is a cool song and some very classic Dave style and playing but feels a bit like a left field choice to be ranked so high.
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Two absolute classics in the latest batch. I love Infinite Dreams, is probably my fav song on Seventh Son which is a bit of a big call. And Wasted Years is also one of my favourites, I agree a perfect rock song.
Starblind - I like this song but it just doesn't grab me the same way. All those 'background leads by Adrian' kind of get lost in the whole thing. As a song it has a really interesting vibe and feel but that is pretty much it for me. The verse riff is pretty cool.
Rainmaker - This is a cool song and some very classic Dave style and playing but feels a bit like a left field choice to be ranked so high.
I actually agree with all of this.
I don't rate Wasted years though. I like it, and it is just about perfectly written, but I love a whole bunch of other tunes before it.
I definitely agree with Infinite Dreams. I love that song!!
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Interesting your thoughts on Adrians leads in Starblind verses lads. I guess it's pretty self indulgent from him but being a guitarist probably makes me enjoy it more.
Rainmaker I just fell In love with the moment I heard it.
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I actually really like Rainmaker.
Oh, and when I said I agree with Realm, I basically skipped the part about Adrian on Starblind. Not really sure about any of that.
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I actually really like Rainmaker.
Oh, and when I said I agree with Realm, I basically skipped the part about Adrian on Starblind. Not really sure about any of that.
What aren't you sure on?
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Well, I quoted The Realm and said I agreed with all of it, because I generally agreed with his assessments of the songs. I had quickly forgotten he mentioned something about Adrian in Starblind.
Then you posted this:
Interesting your thoughts on Adrians leads in Starblind verses lads. I guess it's pretty self indulgent from him but being a guitarist probably makes me enjoy it more.
And I thought...I wasn't endorsing what he said with that particular point. I just didn't want to take credit..or blame on that point. It was just easier at the time to quote his post than write a whole new one for me.
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Ah fair enough. That makes sense mate.
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The one thing I love about Starblind is it's pace. It is full on, and you can hear Dickinson really working to keep up with it, which I find refreshing and cool.
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This is a great batch. Wasted Years is a tad too high for me, but it's still a great song. The rest... good call.
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Infinite Dreams is great, one of their best. And Starblind is one of the most unique songs in their discography for sure.
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Glad you're digging these. Still a few more obscure ones to come too! Will try and get a mid week update too.
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13. Hallowed Be Thy Name
We all know this classic from front to back, and I've always loved it. To be honest, I never tire of it live, it's a perfect live song. I personally never get bored and one of my favs to jam along to on the guitar. The studio cut I feel gets overshadowed by the endless amount of live versions, but the atmosphere of the original can't be understated. Love the classic guitar melodies. I especially love how the guys harmonize at 2:51. That's special. The thing I love is when they harmonize at the start of each section, Adrian starts on a G note but Dave alternates between starting on the E note and C note, very clever.
Love it when it kicks up a gear and the soloing is strict E minor. Dave first then Adrian. That harmonized guitar melody at the end too is absolutely epic. Great note sections between them too when harmonizing. Bruce finishes this one off in epic style.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
12. The Trooper
Another absolute classic that gets played to death, but again I never really tire of it. This is a really simple tune and I love the structure. No chorus with the harmonized guitars being the focal point of the song, really interesting. Classic E minor harmonized guitars with Dave taking the higher notes and Adrian the lower, which was normally the case. The gallop is true and I love the pace of the original. It's gotten lost with speed over the years live, but I love the original, it breathes and the gallop is strong is because of this.
Adrian takes the first leads and the Schenker vibe is strong. Not much to say with this one, nice blues note in that run down at the start and I like how the solo finishes on the B note. Really different and interesting. Dave shifts to A for his solo, and again, I can hear the Shenker vibes in here too. Those blues notes in the first section rundown are very cool but the most interesting part are the trills at 2:41. Really quite awkward and different and using the Dorian mode. The way Dave finishes the solo is great too. Classic tune.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
11. Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner
Yep, this is probably another WTF? moment from most, but I've always adored this underrated cut. The atmospehre is magic and the guitar tones are so thick and heavy. Love the switch back and forth from E minor and G minor in the intro. So many key changes too. D in the verses, then E then F# then back to D for the chorus. The speed of the verses is epic. The chorus fucking soars too, love it, it's brilliant. Bruce gives the images of a long distance runner too. I like the structure. The chorus is short and then there's only one verse/chorus before the mid section.
Those harmonies are absolutely sublime. But 2:24 is one of my fav Maiden moments and might be Maiden's best harmony section, god damn that gives me chills. Not to mention the rhythm of Steve and Nicko underneath. Appreciate. The solos are quite good. Adrian is in G major and plays a lot around some E minor shapes but I love how he slips into a G minor lick at 3:33. It's like he changes the key with his solo not the rhythm. Back into a standard G major/E minor feel at the end too. Dave solos in A minor and is a pretty structured solo. Pretty strcit A minor but it tends to feel like it lends to D minor too in some of the shapes, interesting. Love this song and love the reprise of the intro melody at the end at a faster pace like the runner is coming to the end of the marathon and pushing just that little bit faster at the end. Brilliant.
Solo 1 - Adrian
Solo 2 - Dave
10. Seventh Son of A Seventh Son
Here's one I always felt was a little underrated and underappreciated. This one is epic and dark. Love the chug here and Bruce sounds excellent. The E minor key and the melodies going are all your standard Maiden but it all sounds so much darker then normal, good stuff. Although I love that flattened 5th riff at 1:36. Bruces' ooohhh's over the lead guitar soars too. Love the repeated chorus too, I think it works really well. All the melodies here are very majestic.
The structure is great too, and that Rime like quiet mid section is great. The keys switch from E minor to C minor giving it an even darker feel. This outro section, I remember purchasing the Maiden England VHS second hand and rewinding and watching that whole instrumental section over and over again. I use to watch it every day along with the Donigton 92 concert and this instrumental section was a sticking point. Let's look at it.
E minor harmonies to kick it off and Dave comes in and solos in F#. Pretty much solid strict F#minor here. Love that whammy work in the middle and his bend at 7:17 is insane. The tension in that next section is immense. It's like it's still based in F# but that C chord cuts in giving that flattened 5th feel. Dave decides to tap in his second solo which is nice and all F# minor. We switch to C# minor for Adrian and the riff is phyrgian like. The way Adrian starts the solo with his whammy bar is wonderful. A nice blues lick with the note from the Dorian mode thrown in next. The riff ends of the blues note too which actually gives an evil feel. Next he starts up top and runs down a diminished lick and again finishing on the blues note of G. Great chromatic blues lick next and then he finishes off with a flattened 5th style chord shape up the next using blues notes, harmonic minor notes, dorian notes to gives off a wonderful dark feel. Very creative. His next solo is pretty strict C# minor until the end where he likes the blues note again. Absolutely love the evil choir section and then the song climaxes to some beautiul strict F# minor guitar melodies. This whole outro sections is one of Maiden's best, not doubt. Love this song.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Dave
Solo 3 - Adrian
Solo 4 - Adrian
9. No Prayer For the Dying
Talking about underrated songs, this is one of the most underrated Maiden songs. As I've said before, I really like No Prayer and the title cut is my fav song. This is something different from Maiden. The verses are beautiful and I've always found the lyrics to be brilliant. Love the guitar melody as the chorus too. The simplicity of the whole song is great and portrays the lyrics really well. The middle section rips. Absolute shred from both lads here. Dave all E minor and same with Janick. Not much to say as they just shred their nuts off. The shift to F# and Dave's whammy work is brilliant. Bruce in that last section is Godly too, absolutely gives me chills. So underrated.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Janick
Solo 3 - Dave
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The Trooper is a classic for sure, and I never get tired of hearing it.
Hallowed is my favorite Maiden song and 2nd all time favorite song by anyone, so no argument there.
Seventh Son has really aged well. I mean I've always liked it, but it still keeps getting better. That instrumental section is fantastic. Really picks you up and carries you throughout.
Loneliness, well, I would never quibble with someone's unique choice as a personal fave.
I am totally with you on No Prayer! It didn't make my Top 10, but it easily made my Top 15. I really cannot understand why they've never brought it back into the set. It's a great song. The verses are really different in style. I love this song.
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I'm still amazed how underrated No Prayer is. Dunno why it was never brought back out. Unique and amazing.
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I'm still amazed how underrated No Prayer is. Dunno why it was never brought back out. Unique and amazing.
I totally agree. I thought it was great live.
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I fell behind on following this, and didn't want to jump back in until I had a chance to get properly caught up. I just updated a playlist with all this songs, and will dial back in around Run Silent Run Deep in a few minutes.
I will say it was hard to follow with those first sets of entries, cuz very few of them were what I'd consider A-list material. Several of those selections as 'Top 50' were definitely hot takes (imo). Couple of points though... I'm still struggling with Book of Souls and The Final Frontier. Neither album is giving me anything to sink my ears into. And in no universe could I ever rank anything from No Prayer or the Blaze era on my Top 50. I don't even own TXF or VXI. Sorry (not sorry).
I'm still amazed how underrated No Prayer is. Dunno why it was never brought back out. Unique and amazing.
Cuz it fucking sucks (and blows). :lol Seriously Kade, how you felt about Frequency Unknown is how I feel about No Prayer:
I think I might throw my copy of FU NPftD at some clown walking down the street tomorrow for laughs.
I'll chime back in tomorrow with some other specific, and more positive, thoughts.
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Jesus, comparing No Prayer with FU is something I just can't comprehend.
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Chad, I'd like to know more of your thoughts as to why you would rate No Prayer on the same level as that drink coaster.
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Wow! This is awesome! Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner! I have never seen/heard anyone else appreciate this song so highly. I totally agree, this is one of my favourites for sure. The intro is just awesome, one of Maidens best. Agree with all you wrote. My all time fav bit though is the start of Adrian's solo, that first phrase is just magic to my ears.
Hallowed - my number one song of all time by any artist.
The Trooper - all time classic, agree with TAC never get tired hearing this one.
Seventh Son - Agree with TAC, has really aged well. It was never one of my favourites when the album came out but I appreciate it a lot more these days.
No Prayer - I do really enjoy this one and it is definitely underrated. I personally wouldn't rank it this high but I have no issue with this placement. Also not sure how anyone could compare this song to FU?
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I said I was only going to offer POSITIVE thoughts. But if you insist ...
Tomorrow morning. Having a fire pit with mrs.jingle right now. S’mores are about to be roasted.
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Wow! This is awesome! Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner! I have never seen/heard anyone else appreciate this song so highly. I totally agree, this is one of my favourites for sure. The intro is just awesome, one of Maidens best. Agree with all you wrote. My all time fav bit though is the start of Adrian's solo, that first phrase is just magic to my ears.
Hallowed - my number one song of all time by any artist.
The Trooper - all time classic, agree with TAC never get tired hearing this one.
Seventh Son - Agree with TAC, has really aged well. It was never one of my favourites when the album came out but I appreciate it a lot more these days.
No Prayer - I do really enjoy this one and it is definitely underrated. I personally wouldn't rank it this high but I have no issue with this placement. Also not sure how anyone could compare this song to FU?
Glad someone else enjoys Runner like I do. :metal
I'm sure Chad must just be taking the piss. Comparing these two simply is not logical at all.
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Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not taking the piss. I literally despised this album for many, many years. I'm going to have to set this up a little, but will try not to be to verbose. Also, I didn't compare the quality to FU, but how your felt about FU was how I felt about No Prayer (album).
Growing up, neither of my parents were all that in to music, so I just kinda wandered musically, never really finding anything that I could get truly connected to. I had to discover things myself, and ultimately ended up on pop stuff like Wham, Madonna, Culture Club, Cindy Lauper etc... Sure, there were some bouts of Supertramp, Yes, Halen, but only their songs that made it on to top 40 radio in the early/mid 80s. So, in 1986, when I did finally start to 'get' in to rock, it was thru an introduction to Led Zeppelin. That led me down a path of hard/classic/glam rock exploration. A couple of years later, I started exploring some mainstream metal bands, with Maiden being my gateway. 7th Son was the active release at the time (it had just been released), so I grabbed it, along with the rest of the 80s/Bruce catalog. Couldn't get enough of it. Then, in '90 when NPftD comes out, I'm in the record store on release day to buy it. My anticipation was high. Drop the disc in, and fire it up full blast (no one else was home). And ...
The opening riff of Tailgunner just felt so flat and deflating and lifeless. There's nothing 'clean' about the production the way that SiT and 7th Son were - to me it's like those two were vibrant and colourful, where NPftD is black-and-white. Bruce sounds like he mailed it in - there's very little variation to his delivery, and hardly any range in the vocal melodies. The lyrics were so bland and pedestrian - this coming from a 19 year old jingle.boy! Holy Smoke and Hooks in You sound like they're trying to be a commercial rock band. Most of these feel like plodders .. songs they're just trying to start and finish. Fates Warning... that song could've/should've had a few more minutes to it. I mean, it ends literally 18 seconds after the guitar solos. The Assassin and Mother Russia sound contain elements and melodies that are simply rehashing 7th Son (song) ... with a little Phantom of the Opera riff thrown in for good measure in The Assassin. Bring Your Daughter - same, but stealing from Can I Play With Madness (a song universally disliked - but ironically one that I love).
After coming off of the run of 5 albums from NotB to SSoaSS, this was so disappointing. There was virtually no originality to it - 1/2 the songs feel like they're demos of the songs that didn't make the cut for 7th Son. And this album suffered from far too many repetitive chorus'. That's not to say that there weren't any in the 5 previous albums, but where they show up, the rest of the song and lyrics more than compensated it. Here, it just feels lazy - and for me, is something that still plagues far too many of their chorus'. The backing vocals sound like they woke up hungover, lit up a smoke, and laid them down in the final 15 minutes that they had the studio booked for. Everything that I loved about Maiden up to this point, well... none of it was here on this album.
Now, I just spun it, and it's not as bad to me now as it was 30 years ago. So, while I definitely felt about it the way you felt about FU - AT THE TIME - I guess the more apt comparison now would be FII; there's more than a few songs (or portions of songs) to like, but there's just as much that I don't like. I'll say this, the most interesting parts of most songs were the solos. It's still an album I can't ever see myself reaching for when I'm in the mood for some Maiden.
You've got what ... 4 songs so far in this list from this album? That is absolutely shocking to me.
I need to get to the meat of your list so that I can cleanse my ears. :lol
I'm on To Tame A Land right now....
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/GeneralSereneJapanesebeetle-size_restricted.gif)
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Thanks for the explanation Chad. I can see being into the band at the time, this album would have been a bit of an unexpected uppercut.
I guess different circumstances for discovering the album plays a part in opinions.
I will say like you mentioned, the complete rip of 7th Son in the solo section of Mother Russia always made me laugh. So blatant.
And yeah, 4 songs I have included here, but that's all of them.
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That is a really awesome explanation jingle.boy and to be honest it pretty much matches my own experience. I felt the exact same way upon release of No Prayer. I was devastated when Adrian left but my anticipation for the album was still extremely high. When I got the album on release day, I hated Bruce's vocal delivery and a few of the songs were extremely disappointing (Tailgunner, Hooks in You, Holy Smoke). But there are a few gems on the album that I have grown to appreciate more over time and even though I am not sure I would have any of them in my own top 50, I can see why some one would.
Also, I too love Can I Play With Madness.
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I remember being really bummed when I heard Adrian left, but was happy it was Jannick replacing him.
I also remember getting the lead single, Holy Smoke, and I thought it sounded like B side material, both in quality and lyrics.
Also, there was a long (at the time) layoff between albums. This album just didn't cut it.
There's a handful of really good songs, as Kade has included them, but I'm sorry. The title track is one of their best ever songs.
I must say that as bad as this album is, I enjoyed this tour so much. I saw them twice and Jannick brought so much energy to the band, and especially pulled it out of Dave as well.
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I must say that as bad as this album is, I enjoyed this tour so much. I saw them twice and Jannick brought so much energy to the band, and especially pulled it out of Dave as well.
Of that, I would have no doubt. Wish I saw them... not really sure why I didn't go see them - probably because I was still raging at how much I hated the release. :lol
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I remember being really bummed when I heard Adrian left, but was happy it was Jannick replacing him.
I also remember getting the lead single, Holy Smoke, and I thought it sounded like B side material, both in quality and lyrics.
Also, there was a long (at the time) layoff between albums. This album just didn't cut it.
There's a handful of really good songs, as Kade has included them, but I'm sorry. The title track is one of their best ever songs.
I must say that as bad as this album is, I enjoyed this tour so much. I saw them twice and Jannick brought so much energy to the band, and especially pulled it out of Dave as well.
The boots I've seen from this tour are awesome. Agree, Janick loosened everyone up it seems. The energy and the interplay and running around onstage really started to excel here and even more on the next tour. I loved Donington 92 so much because of the pure energy and performance. The whole band are all over the place, I find that bloody amazing. Dave especially was a whole new person when Janick joined.
Yeah, I get the comments for the album. I'd probably share them if I were older and were into Maiden at the time. Just different circumstances when I heard it. Knew no history of the band or where this fell in their catalog so when I discovered metal not long before getting the album, it was something knew to me and I enjoyed it for what it was. I was never keen on Smoke, Hooks and Daughter however. Daughter was my most hated Maiden song until El Dorado came along.
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I think musically, Bring Your Daughter is really cool. They didn't have a track like that. It's just that the title and chorus is so bad. With the right lyric, that's an ass kicker.
But that's on Steve Harris. He insisted on it. I remember the Bruce version from the Freddy movie, and I thought, well, OK. But for Steve to be so bullish that it had to be on a Maiden album..he can be stubborn.
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I think musically, Bring Your Daughter is really cool. They didn't have a track like that. It's just that the title and chorus is so bad. With the right lyric, that's an ass kicker.
But that's on Steve Harris. He insisted on it. I remember the Bruce version from the Freddy movie, and I thought, well, OK. But for Steve to be so bullish that it had to be on a Maiden album..he can be stubborn.
Yeah, that version of Bruce's best of is an interesting listen but didn't have a place in Maiden.
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I fell behind on following this, and didn't want to jump back in until I had a chance to get properly caught up. I just updated a playlist with all this songs, and will dial back in around Run Silent Run Deep in a few minutes.
I will say it was hard to follow with those first sets of entries, cuz very few of them were what I'd consider A-list material. Several of those selections as 'Top 50' were definitely hot takes (imo). Couple of points though... I'm still struggling with Book of Souls and The Final Frontier. Neither album is giving me anything to sink my ears into. And in no universe could I ever rank anything from No Prayer or the Blaze era on my Top 50. I don't even own TXF or VXI. Sorry (not sorry).
I'm still amazed how underrated No Prayer is. Dunno why it was never brought back out. Unique and amazing.
Cuz it fucking sucks (and blows). :lol Seriously Kade, how you felt about Frequency Unknown is how I feel about No Prayer:
I think I might throw my copy of FU NPftD at some clown walking down the street tomorrow for laughs.
I'll chime back in tomorrow with some other specific, and more positive, thoughts.
I don't necessarily AGREE, but I can understand where you're coming from with all of that except... The Final Frontier. That's now possibly my favorite of the reunion era records (it used to be Dance of Death). After hearing the live tracks from En Vivo! it's breathed new life into that record for me.
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So for me, Hallowed is, well, Hallowed. They could play it twice each night and I'd be fine with that. (It was especially glorious on this last tour; I remember seeing it early on, though, and thinking, now THIS is what metal should be!).
The Trooper is solid, and I like it, but not top ten material.
I LOVED Seventh Son when it came out (album and song) and other than a couple dodgy live performances over the years - Bruce seems to butcher this and Heaven Can Wait more than others, even songs that I would think are harder to sing - it's a strong favorite.
Now... Both No Prayer and Loneliness suffer from circumstance. When I got SiT, I liked it, I liked the adjustment in tone (the guitars are noticeably different on this record than any others) but I started to get... skeptical a bit. I would dub all my new albums onto a cassette, and if it ran long, I'd figure out a way to either put it on the other side, or I'd make a 60 minute "other" tape with all the songs from that band that I had to cut. I didn't bother with "Loneliness". I thought - then - that the lyrics were stupid and that Maiden was heading down the Judas Priest road (caricatures). If I've listened to SiT 100 times, I've only heard "Loneliness" maybe 5 or so. In going back, it's good, but the guitars are WAYYY better than the vocal melody and the lyrics. That's not Bruce's fault IMO, but the song is... missing something (Satan! :)).
No Prayer is similar; I didn't like that Adrian left, but I could live with Janick (I liked him from "A View From The Hill" from Fish). What I REALLY didn't like is Bruce's metamorphosis. He stopped being Bruce and seemed to become Bon Scott, and that didn't work for me. I love the guitars on No Prayer (those harmonies are to die for) but again the vocals and melodies suffer the song (and this time it IS Bruce's fault, at least in part). One of the best things about the reunion is that Bruce is SINGING again.
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Stads.. on this topic (and you mentioned earlier) you aptly described what I was getting at with Bruce's singing on NPftD. Bon Scott/Brian Johnson... doesn't matter which, Bruce has this underlying mini-garble going on, and no range. He's in the hard-rock range, and trying to sound all gruffy. It's like the difference between a smooth shave, and 3-days of stubble. I want Bruce smooth, and belting out his lines using his full range.
Anyhow... now on to my more positive comments over the last 20 entries:
To Tame a Land - starts out a little uneventful, and the 2nd/middle part is a bit of a plodder. The final 3 minutes are pure bliss though
Montsegur - yes, it suffers from a repetitive chorus. But DoD is my favorite ‘00s era album. Excellent stuff top to bottom. This was the first entry on my Top 25 list.
Rime… it’s #2 IM of all time for me, so yeah.
Paschendale … It’s #3!
Dance of Death … great tune, but hard to put it ahead of some of the others already mentioned - and below some of those to come ;-) Intro is a nice buildup, but 3:00 is where shit gets real. This cracks my Top 10 at #10
Where Eagles Dare… song for song, PoM is the best/most consistent album. Not a single ‘not-great’ song on it - and this is a killer way to open it up. This and Aces High are the best openers in their discography. #20 on my list.
Greater Good … repetitive chorus? Yes. But dat instrumental section more than makes up for it! Lucky #13 on my list.
< now I’m picking up what you’re laying down>
Wasted Years… it’s #4 all-time. The melodies, the riff, the tone, the rhythm. It’s the perfect 5-minute song. Bill and Tim - you’re both daft. Before I finally got SiT, I watched the video for this dozens of times.
Hallowed … it’s #1!!!! A flawless song. Truly flawless.
Trooper … It’s #5 all time.
7th Son … It’s #6. This is the song that truly captivated me. I’d known their ‘hits’ from NotB, and a few others, but this is what really drew me in to them. Not being a truly ‘metal’ head at the time, it probably helped that this was from their ‘keyboard’ phase. And dat instrumental section. Boneriffic!
Starblind, Educated Fool and Childhood’s end got honorable mentions for me, not quite making my Top 25.
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Thanks for the in depth thoughts lads.
Again, I completely see where you guys are coming from with No Prayer at the time.
I know Runner is super cheesy but those harmonies.
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Let's bring it down to the top 5;
8. Sea of Madness
Yep, another WTF entry here. This song is balls out heavy, and Smith producing some amazing songwriting. That riff is probably the heaviest moment in Maiden's catalog, and the riff is really really unique. That descending note of the D/C#/C note in that riff is amazing. Props to 'Arry too, he makes this as heavy as it is. Love the third intervals in the pre chorus as opposed to straight power chords. Main riff is E but moves to A in the chorus. The main riff stays in A though before moving back to E for the second verse, very cool. The solo is fucking amazing. Moves to B and that melody at the start is wonderful. Straight B minor for the solo too and Adrian is classy as fuck here.
The quiet bit is pure 80's, and I love Bruce's little falsetto. The key changes to C# and I love how Adrians finishes the solo in line with the key change. Great extra noodling from him too. At 3:30, that is one of the coolest moments in Maiden's catalog. Love it. The song finishes off in fine form but Adrian's improv at the end gets me going. He's in A minor but I love the tapping onto a bent string. 5:06 is what I'm talking about. At 5:12 though, he bends the string, uses his pick to tap the bent note, slides up, and pulls off. Fucking genius. Love this song and always have.
All leads - Adrian
7. 22 Acacia Avenue
Yet another WTF entry. This is absolutely one of my fav songs to play on the guitar. That rhythm is deadly. Pure E minor this. The accents during the intro are fabulous. I just love everything about this song. Love the C/D/E progression too in the verses. I love the dirty lyrics here too. Cheesy but I like it. A bit of sleaze. I love how highly Bruce rates himself that a hooker would give a free fuck because she's knows him haha. That breakdown riff is balls out, lovely. That chorus at 2:56, you know what I love, Clive. His off beat ride cymbal I think it is simply wonderful. Love his work on that section before the solo. Amazing drumming here.
Dave breaks it down with a classic E minor solo. Love the half tempo and such an emotional section. It's almost a parody of the lyrical content if you ask me, love it. That not run down in teh rhythm is interesting though as it has an F note not in the key of E minor. Nice tension. Adrian rips at the end. Pure bluesy E minor here. Perfect phrasing and, I now hear Schenker here. Love the build up, love Bruce's pleading at the end and the ending is pure rock and roll. Steve's bass is enormous too. Such an overdramatic ending, again in parody of the lyrics. I love this song.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
6. The Talisman
This was never a fav when the album was released. It clicked years later. I thought it was one of the weakest epics on the album, yet I now think it's the best song and top 10 material. To think Bruce sang this in one take is crazy. Pure Janick at the intro and the long buildup is great. Portrays the lyrics perfectly. Musically, I never tried to really play this one funnily enough. It's in D though, and quite simple by the sounds. Love those perhaps flattened fifths in the verses. That's cool. 2:52 is one of the coolest sections Maiden have done using the D/Bb/F/C chord progression. The groove throughout this is fabulous. Although when that pre chorus type section I just mentioned comes around, I love Nicko's work, the change in tempo is wonderful and the snare beat just grooves so well.
The verses and pre chours type sections could keep going longer, the structure is amazing. But fuck me, 5:32, that chorus. Good lord that chorus. This song simply has some of the most powerful, emotional melodies of Maiden's career. Bruce here also is just not human, love it. The middle section is so cool and I will have to learn this one. How it kicks in at 6:20 is so damn good and Janick reverts to a simple, tasty solo where he doesn't overplay his hand. Less is more here. Could be some phyrgian dominant and maybe some harmonic minor? Still D, no key changes, simple stuff. This solo reminds me of his work on Fear is the Key. That gallop back into the verses is just too good also.
Everything about this song is perfect. It's amazing how long it took to grow on me and my ranking of it now. When this album was released if I looked ahead and saw it was number 6 on my list years later, I wouldn't believe it. This song is a fucking masterpiece. A classic.
Solo - Janick
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Awesome! Sea of Madness and 22 are definitely top 10 worthy. Two of my favourites, although in this day and age I guess lyrically 22 is a bit of outlier. Musically though it is awesome and is a great rock song, same with Sea of Madness.
The Talisman - I agree in that it was also never a favourite of mine on release. I have actually grown to appreciate this song and album a lot more from following this thread! I can see the appeal of this one.
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Nothing WTF at all about those songs.
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Let's bring it down to the top 5;
8. Sea of Madness
Yep, another WTF entry here. This song is balls out heavy, and Smith producing some amazing songwriting. That riff is probably the heaviest moment in Maiden's catalog, and the riff is really really unique. That descending note of the D/C#/C note in that riff is amazing. Props to 'Arry too, he makes this as heavy as it is. Love the third intervals in the pre chorus as opposed to straight power chords. Main riff is E but moves to A in the chorus. The main riff stays in A though before moving back to E for the second verse, very cool. The solo is fucking amazing. Moves to B and that melody at the start is wonderful. Straight B minor for the solo too and Adrian is classy as fuck here.
The quiet bit is pure 80's, and I love Bruce's little falsetto. The key changes to C# and I love how Adrians finishes the solo in line with the key change. Great extra noodling from him too. At 3:30, that is one of the coolest moments in Maiden's catalog. Love it. The song finishes off in fine form but Adrian's improv at the end gets me going. He's in A minor but I love the tapping onto a bent string. 5:06 is what I'm talking about. At 5:12 though, he bends the string, uses his pick to tap the bent note, slides up, and pulls off. Fucking genius. Love this song and always have.
All leads - Adrian
7. 22 Acacia Avenue
Yet another WTF entry. This is absolutely one of my fav songs to play on the guitar. That rhythm is deadly. Pure E minor this. The accents during the intro are fabulous. I just love everything about this song. Love the C/D/E progression too in the verses. I love the dirty lyrics here too. Cheesy but I like it. A bit of sleaze. I love how highly Bruce rates himself that a hooker would give a free fuck because she's knows him haha. That breakdown riff is balls out, lovely. That chorus at 2:56, you know what I love, Clive. His off beat ride cymbal I think it is simply wonderful. Love his work on that section before the solo. Amazing drumming here.
Dave breaks it down with a classic E minor solo. Love the half tempo and such an emotional section. It's almost a parody of the lyrical content if you ask me, love it. That not run down in teh rhythm is interesting though as it has an F note not in the key of E minor. Nice tension. Adrian rips at the end. Pure bluesy E minor here. Perfect phrasing and, I now hear Schenker here. Love the build up, love Bruce's pleading at the end and the ending is pure rock and roll. Steve's bass is enormous too. Such an overdramatic ending, again in parody of the lyrics. I love this song.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
6. The Talisman
This was never a fav when the album was released. It clicked years later. I thought it was one of the weakest epics on the album, yet I now think it's the best song and top 10 material. To think Bruce sang this in one take is crazy. Pure Janick at the intro and the long buildup is great. Portrays the lyrics perfectly. Musically, I never tried to really play this one funnily enough. It's in D though, and quite simple by the sounds. Love those perhaps flattened fifths in the verses. That's cool. 2:52 is one of the coolest sections Maiden have done using the D/Bb/F/C chord progression. The groove throughout this is fabulous. Although when that pre chorus type section I just mentioned comes around, I love Nicko's work, the change in tempo is wonderful and the snare beat just grooves so well.
The verses and pre chours type sections could keep going longer, the structure is amazing. But fuck me, 5:32, that chorus. Good lord that chorus. This song simply has some of the most powerful, emotional melodies of Maiden's career. Bruce here also is just not human, love it. The middle section is so cool and I will have to learn this one. How it kicks in at 6:20 is so damn good and Janick reverts to a simple, tasty solo where he doesn't overplay his hand. Less is more here. Could be some phyrgian dominant and maybe some harmonic minor? Still D, no key changes, simple stuff. This solo reminds me of his work on Fear is the Key. That gallop back into the verses is just too good also.
Everything about this song is perfect. It's amazing how long it took to grow on me and my ranking of it now. When this album was released if I looked ahead and saw it was number 6 on my list years later, I wouldn't believe it. This song is a fucking masterpiece. A classic.
Solo - Janick
I have simply never cared for Sea Of Madness. It's cool enough I suppose. It's not like I don't like it. I would just rather listen to about 100 songs in their catalog.
22 and Talisman are appropriately placed. Both are Top 10 songs for me. The Talisman is amazing. Such great pacing and storytelling.
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:metal
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Let's bring it down to the top 5;
8. Sea of Madness
Yep, another WTF entry here. This song is balls out heavy, and Smith producing some amazing songwriting. That riff is probably the heaviest moment in Maiden's catalog, and the riff is really really unique. That descending note of the D/C#/C note in that riff is amazing. Props to 'Arry too, he makes this as heavy as it is. Love the third intervals in the pre chorus as opposed to straight power chords. Main riff is E but moves to A in the chorus. The main riff stays in A though before moving back to E for the second verse, very cool. The solo is fucking amazing. Moves to B and that melody at the start is wonderful. Straight B minor for the solo too and Adrian is classy as fuck here.
The quiet bit is pure 80's, and I love Bruce's little falsetto. The key changes to C# and I love how Adrians finishes the solo in line with the key change. Great extra noodling from him too. At 3:30, that is one of the coolest moments in Maiden's catalog. Love it. The song finishes off in fine form but Adrian's improv at the end gets me going. He's in A minor but I love the tapping onto a bent string. 5:06 is what I'm talking about. At 5:12 though, he bends the string, uses his pick to tap the bent note, slides up, and pulls off. Fucking genius. Love this song and always have.
All leads - Adrian
7. 22 Acacia Avenue
Yet another WTF entry. This is absolutely one of my fav songs to play on the guitar. That rhythm is deadly. Pure E minor this. The accents during the intro are fabulous. I just love everything about this song. Love the C/D/E progression too in the verses. I love the dirty lyrics here too. Cheesy but I like it. A bit of sleaze. I love how highly Bruce rates himself that a hooker would give a free fuck because she's knows him haha. That breakdown riff is balls out, lovely. That chorus at 2:56, you know what I love, Clive. His off beat ride cymbal I think it is simply wonderful. Love his work on that section before the solo. Amazing drumming here.
Dave breaks it down with a classic E minor solo. Love the half tempo and such an emotional section. It's almost a parody of the lyrical content if you ask me, love it. That not run down in teh rhythm is interesting though as it has an F note not in the key of E minor. Nice tension. Adrian rips at the end. Pure bluesy E minor here. Perfect phrasing and, I now hear Schenker here. Love the build up, love Bruce's pleading at the end and the ending is pure rock and roll. Steve's bass is enormous too. Such an overdramatic ending, again in parody of the lyrics. I love this song.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
6. The Talisman
This was never a fav when the album was released. It clicked years later. I thought it was one of the weakest epics on the album, yet I now think it's the best song and top 10 material. To think Bruce sang this in one take is crazy. Pure Janick at the intro and the long buildup is great. Portrays the lyrics perfectly. Musically, I never tried to really play this one funnily enough. It's in D though, and quite simple by the sounds. Love those perhaps flattened fifths in the verses. That's cool. 2:52 is one of the coolest sections Maiden have done using the D/Bb/F/C chord progression. The groove throughout this is fabulous. Although when that pre chorus type section I just mentioned comes around, I love Nicko's work, the change in tempo is wonderful and the snare beat just grooves so well.
The verses and pre chours type sections could keep going longer, the structure is amazing. But fuck me, 5:32, that chorus. Good lord that chorus. This song simply has some of the most powerful, emotional melodies of Maiden's career. Bruce here also is just not human, love it. The middle section is so cool and I will have to learn this one. How it kicks in at 6:20 is so damn good and Janick reverts to a simple, tasty solo where he doesn't overplay his hand. Less is more here. Could be some phyrgian dominant and maybe some harmonic minor? Still D, no key changes, simple stuff. This solo reminds me of his work on Fear is the Key. That gallop back into the verses is just too good also.
Everything about this song is perfect. It's amazing how long it took to grow on me and my ranking of it now. When this album was released if I looked ahead and saw it was number 6 on my list years later, I wouldn't believe it. This song is a fucking masterpiece. A classic.
Solo - Janick
Gotta love Sea of Madness! One of the most underrated IM songs ever, if you ask me. 22 Acacia Avenue is great too, though admittedly I think it'd probably be somewhere up in my Top 30 or 40, rather than my Top 25 or 10.
It's been ages since I last listened to The Talisman, but for whatever reason, it's just never clicked for me in the way that most of Janick's big epics have. From what I remember, musically it reminded me a bit too much of The Legacy, and its nautical horror story didn't quite register for me nearly as much as the lyrics of The Legacy do. However, considering your own story of not being as fond of it in the past and how it's recently grown on you in a big way, I might as well revisit it again and see how time has fared for that song.
BTW, I'm not quite done yet with my list, but I'm happy to report that it's well underway. I might need a couple of days after you finish up before starting mine, but all in all, I should be good to go next. :metal
EDIT: Just listened to The Talisman for the first time in probably... oh, I dunno... maybe five years? Okay. Okay, yeah, this song is registering with me in a VERY different way than I remembered it ever doing in the past.
Holy moly, that was all in one take from Bruce?! Also gotta appreciate how Janick and Steve didn't do a quick reprise of the slow intro at the end and instead just let the finale build up to a big bang. Okay. Okay, yeah, um... WOW. :lol
Thanks for the vote of confidence on this song, man. I wouldn't have gone back to listen to this jewel anytime soon if I hadn't read your own story of it growing on you.
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No worries mate. Yeah, I don't recall a song ever being such a grower after such a long time. Interesting that they didn't end with a reprise of the intro. I never thought about that, but that is indeed a nice touch.
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Don't stress over your list. I've been slack by only updating weekly anyway.
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8. Sea of Madness
7. 22 Acacia Avenue
6. The Talisman
I know I have a lot to catch up on, and I'll try to comment on those soon, but for now these new three:
You already know I think at least as highly of The Talisman. Funnily enough, I also had the experience of it being a significant grower. The TFF epics that caught my attention first were When the Wild Wind Blows, Starblind and Isle of Avalon, in that order, and The Talisman didn't come around until later on.
Even though I didn't put it this high, I can't argue at all with Sea of Madness in the top 10. It's such a well-written song.
22 is certainly a good song, but it's a case where I'll admit to being put off a bit by the lyrics.
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Sea Of Madness and 22 are just testament to how good Maiden is (or how much I like them, fair enough). Both are great songs, but both aren't even top three or four ON THEIR ALBUM, maybe, so wouldn't be in my top 10. But that's not to say they aren't worthy songs, and I can't argue with someone's taste.
The Talisman, though, WOW. I didn't know Bruce sang that in one take. That is amazing to me. What a great tune.
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Sea Of Madness is one of my very favourite Maiden tracks ever, I instantly loved it when I bought Somewhere In Time.
The Talisman is among their very best from the reunion era.
Never been a big fan of 22 Acacia Avenue though.
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Pretty much what Bill said. Though, I did sneak 22 Acacia Ave into my Top 25, at #15. For some reason, I put it in a co-entry with Charlotte the Harlot. I'd have to go back to my writeup to figure out why the fuck I did that?? Too busy with work now however.
Talisman... I'll re-listen this afternoon, and see if something from TFF or BoS will click with me.
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Pretty much what Bill said. Though, I did sneak 22 Acacia Ave into my Top 25, at #15. For some reason, I put it in a co-entry with Charlotte the Harlot. I'd have to go back to my writeup to figure out why the fuck I did that?? Too busy with work now however.
My guess is because "22 Acacia Avenue" was subtitled "The Continuing Saga of Charlotte the Harlot" on the early vinyl inner jacket lyric sheets (and later CD reissues).
Talisman... I'll re-listen this afternoon, and see if something from TFF or BoS will click with me.
If you're game, try the live versions from En Vivo for TFF. Really strong stuff.
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Pretty much what Bill said. Though, I did sneak 22 Acacia Ave into my Top 25, at #15. For some reason, I put it in a co-entry with Charlotte the Harlot. I'd have to go back to my writeup to figure out why the fuck I did that?? Too busy with work now however.
My guess is because "22 Acacia Avenue" was subtitled "The Continuing Saga of Charlotte the Harlot" on the early vinyl inner jacket lyric sheets (and later CD reissues).
Oh yeah... right. That'd do it. :lolpalm:
Talisman... I'll re-listen this afternoon, and see if something from TFF or BoS will click with me.
If you're game, try the live versions from En Vivo for TFF. Really strong stuff.
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Charlotte the Hatlot
22 Acacia Avenue
Hooks in You
From Here to Eternity
That's the 4 Charlotte songs.
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Let's finish this off;
5. Judas Be My Guide
Another oddball choice, but Maiden's most underrated tune. This song fucking rules. Dave nailed this one and one of the shortest songs in Maiden's catalog. Hidden deep at the end of FOTD, this just rips. A real different vibe here, and I don't even know how to really catorgarize it. Was always a fav and just love the energy, the pulsing vibe, the pace, Bruce's evil style vocal delivery and Dave shreds.
D minor and that intro solo sets the tone. This one is similar in Rainmaker in structure and I think Dave took some inspiration from this song when he wrote Rainmaker. That pedal point style riffing in the chorus is cool. It's simple, but oh so good. That bridge works really well too, but Dave during the solo tears it up. FOTD IMO might be Dave's best lead playing all round. He's just on fire and this shows. It finishes quick but not before Dave dabbles again. Underrated as hell this song. A shame is was never represented live.
All leads - Dave
4. Caught Somewhere in Time
This one doesn't seem to get a lot of love. This was one of the first Maiden songs I tried to play and spent years trying to get it right. This is quite a technically difficult song. The rhythm is fast as hell and a great workout for your picking hand. Love the intro and a PERFECT intro to the album. The use of synths is promintent straight away but I fell in love with it from the get go. Steve's bass is strong here too. That second section of harmonies rips. Love the use of the harmonic minor at the end too.
The gallop here in the verses is frantic, really frantic. E minor but the 'time is always on my side' section reverts to A. I love everything going on here, it sounds really heavy. Love those Maidenesque harmonies over the heavy fast atmosphere too. I love the repeated lyrics in the chorus too. I LOVE that pickslide in the second line of the chorus. That riff before the solos is fucking hard to play too, good shit.
The solos are classic IMO, and tricky. Dave is in D minor and it's strict D minor here. His tone is warm, warmer than normal for him. The whammy bar work is simple and inspired, and works so well with the accents of Nicko's drumming. This is probably one of Dave's more challenging solos. Adrian brightens things shifting to E minor. He has a lot of cool shit going on too. The rundown on the Aeolin mode straight up is a nice simple touch. That subtle whammy bar work of his first bend too at 4:05 is so understated. The next section is so Shenker like with the bluesy touch. That slide down also at 4:15 is so fucking cool. His tapping through this section too also is quite inspired especially that last chromatic rundown. So clever and cool.
The song never lets up and busts your balls for 7 minutes. Never understood it being underrated, I top 5 for me.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
3. Aces High
The first Maiden song I ever heard. I use to watch a late night music program called RAGE on Friday and Saturday nights. I use to tape sections as it went all night. They use to have artists guest programming the show playing their fav tunes. Marylin Manson was the artist one night and one weekend morning I loaded up the tape to skip through and see what I could find. He played a lot of good stuff. I skipped through and the intro of the Aces High vid caught my attention. The hair, the leather, the stage presence, I gave it a listen. It seemed cheesy at the time but watching it, I though it was amazing but was hard to admit it. That changed my life eventually. To be honest, because I was a young kid in school listening to what was cool and popular, I kind of wrote this off. I was trying to conform and whatnot and the image of the band and the older nature of the video, I did my best to dismiss it. It kept coming back to me, and I slowly kept coming back to it. A young high school student became his own person and the metal attitude of being yourself, not conforming and not giving a fuck what other people thought was born in me from this video. It shaped me as a guitar player too, metal was it and it hasn't changed to this day.
Everything about this song is metal. This could be Maiden's best chorus, it's simply incredible. The key change from E to G is amazing. Bruce shows on this track why he has his nickname. Musically it's cool. A minor mostly but key changes to E in the verse to build tension. Nice shift to B for Adrian's solo too. The guitar harmonies are just beautiful.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
2. Powerslave
Aces High was a metal awakening but Powerslave was my guitar awakening. I adored this tune right from the moment I heard it. Bruce writing this solo is an incredible thought and shows his strength as an artist. This song was probably I think the very first songs I tried to play along with CSIT and a few others. The groove, the phrygian dominant, the riffing, the chorus, just a brilliant metal track that I have never gotten bored with. That main riff is a fucking ball breaker. The chorus is epic and so simple with the E/C/D progression. The solo is the highlight. I spend soooooo long trying to learn this. I had to come back to it many times to try and get it right. Dave's first solo is a thing of legends. The atmosphere, the tone, the tension and the climax is just brilliant. All b minor, strict b minor with many blues and dare I say Shenker elements. Adrian kicks in with a classic Adrian solo in b minor. There's a few standard licks in these solo that this is the place I learned these simple, classic blues licks. that smear lick at 3:39 was my intoduction to this lick and took and age to get right.
Those middle harmonies are magic and works so well in the live setting. Dave comes back in with another solo to bookmark his work. Some nice little harmonic minor in there too. It's funny based on the phrygian dominant nature of the songs the solos are strict minor, but you don't miss that phrygian vibe, very nice. Just a classic song, love it and so many memories learning the guitar with this one.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Adrian
Solo 3 - Dave
1. Sign of the Cross
It's hard to pinpoint why this is my fav song from Maiden, but it just is. The X Factor I think was the third album I got from Maiden after TNOTB and NPFTD. I was shoked by what I heard, but like No Prayer, I had no real knowledge or affiliation with the band beforehand, so I took this album for what it is and enjoyed it from the get go. The darkness, the depression, the mood everything about it, is perfect to me, and this represents it. I would sit up late listening to this album with headphones. I'd be at school wanting to get home to listen to this.
The moody intro is creepy and done so well. Blaze is perfect here in the intro. The alomst 3 minute buildup is justified before it gets going in typical Maiden form. Pure E minor. I've always liked Blaze and love him here. His passion, emotion and effort is excellent. I love the slight off key nature in his vocals in the chorus. He's putting so much effort in, it's slightly off and raw. I know people cringe but I have no issues with it. I love how short the verses and chorus are compared to the instrumental section.
This is Maiden now doing some prog. First we have key changes from E to D to give that evil feel. After the epic quiet section, that flattened fifith note is tasty. The off timing going on here is incredible too. Nicko is brilliant on this track. The shift in the key changes is great too. 7:07 is absolutely unbelievable, almost Dream Theater like to me. So heavy and dark and just the key changes keep coming. It explodes into a Maiden melody and the solos rip. Dave is first and explodes into a brilliant tapping section. Such energy and the song just takes off. That blues note lick at 8:26 is a great touch. Janick switches up to G minor for a typical Janick style solo. Great licks and love the strangled bend to finish the solo, so good.
Afterwards we come to another classic Maiden section and finish off with another chours. The ending like the beginning is the icing on the cake. Again, not completely sure why this is number 1, it's just a complete package for me. If I were picking a song to represent Maiden, I don't think this would be anywhere near the top, but it's my number 1 song.
Solo 1 - Dave
Solo 2 - Janick
Thanks for reading!!
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I am ashamed to admit that I get bored with lists sometimes, but I just wanted to chime in and take my hat off to you for having the exact same number one as me. :tup
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Great ending, Kade!
Judas..WOW! That's up there!
Yes, certainly underrated. I get it. People typically rank the Fear Of The Dark album low. But that doesn't mean it's a bad album. Personally, I love it.
CSIT- You have it about exactly where I have it. I love this song and it is Top Shelf Iron Maiden for me. For an album that has generally not aged well for me, this song is still a standout.
Aces-No denying its classic status. This song has really aged well for me. When Powerslave first came out, I thought Aces High was so formulaic. But fuck that. It has survived and it's awesome.
Powerslave-Great tune. All the way around.
SOTC-Can't argue with that. I find most of TXF an unfinished product, but SOTC is perfect the way it is. Maiden pushing their own boundaries, but still being Maiden. It's really one of their best qualities, especially as they transitioned from the Blaze Era to the Reunion Era. Never resting on their laurels.
:tup
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Great list, Kade! I'm not surprised to see Sign of the Cross at the top of your list again, it's such a classic that it was also the top dog on my own list from back in 2013. :metal
I'm probably going to wait at least half a week or so before starting my list in here. :metal
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I've been waiting to see what your Top 5 is. Just spun them all (except Sign ... will get to that once my earbuds charge).
Judas - Just spun it for the first time in ages, and I very much enjoyed it a helluva lot more than I ever remember liking it in the past.
CSIT - tremendous song, from probably my 3rd fave IM album
Aces - classic. Should be in everyone's Top 10 (#8 for me)
Powerslave - never really thought too much of this track, for all the excellence of the 'big 3' from the album. It's good, but I do find the riff to be *too* simple.
Sign - well, it's Blaze era, so it's not going to do much for me. I've tried many times to 'get' this track, largely because you hold it in such high regard, but every time I git it a crack, it fails to capture anything from me ... attention, interest, appeal, enjoyment ... nothing. I'm about as apathetic to this song as is possible. I'll give it another go in a bit.
Definitely some odd selections in this list, but you did hit a number of tunes that are right in my sweet spot as well. :tup And excellent writeups - even if I didn't understand jack shit about the musical theory side of your commentary. :lol
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Thanks lads. :metal
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Great list wolfking. Really loved it and your write ups, thanks for doing this.
4 classics in the top 5 and one left field which is cool.
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I thought about an album ranking, but not sure I can.
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5. Judas Be My Guide
4. Caught Somewhere in Time
3. Aces High
2. Powerslave
1. Sign of the Cross
Judas Be My Guide is an interesting choice, and it's a good song, but I actually think it's sort of come around to being overrated in a certain strange way, through being such a popular choice for "most underrated Maiden song."
The others made my list. I think Aces High and Powerslave are superb and I don't have a bad word to say about them, but they're not quite elite for me. Caught Somewhere in Time absolutely deserves this, it's a wonderful track.
Sign of the Cross is one of their very best songs and I cannot argue at all with its placement here at #1. Great choice, and nice writeup. I definitely agree about Blaze.
This was a fun list! I'm glad you brought your musical knowledge into the discussion; that added somewhat of a different spin on the writeups. Thanks for sharing!
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Any chance you can include the version of "Sign Of The Cross" from the latest tour? :)
Nothing on you - and GREAT writeups! - but most of those five are very good not excellent Maiden. I don't think any of those would crack my top 20, actually.
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Any chance you can include the version of "Sign Of The Cross" from the latest tour? :)
Nothing on you - and GREAT writeups! - but most of those five are very good not excellent Maiden. I don't think any of those would crack my top 20, actually.
This right here shows the strength of the bands catalog.
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I really enjoyed doing the writeups too. Sorry they were so self indulgent, but glad everyone appreciated them.
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Judas Be My Guide will always be among my very favourite Maiden songs. Nice to see it so high on the list.
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Great top 5! Your #1 choice is surprising, but aside from Blaze's voice, it really is a fantastic song. Aces, Powerslave, and Caught Somewhere would probably all make my top 10 as well. It's great to see a non-obvious choice make it in there with Judas. This and Run Silent Run Deep are the two songs I can't believe the band overlooked in terms of setlists. Great factual info too. I don't have enough of a guitarist's ear to tell their soloing apart
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So, I had another go at Sign of the Cross. Musically, it's very good. Vocally, I just CANNOT get on board with Blaze. Something just doesn't click ... actually, it's more than just not clicking - I actively dislike his sound. I think I'll find a live version of this to tackle.
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I was curious to see if they've ever played Judas Be My Guide live, but it doesn't seem that way.
https://www.setlist.fm/stats/iron-maiden-3bd6803c.html (https://www.setlist.fm/stats/iron-maiden-3bd6803c.html)
I'm surprised to see which songs are at the bottom of the list there, and they've only played a song like 'Invasion' five times, and 'Burning Ambition' three times. I thought they would have been played a lot more in the early days.
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I was curious to see if they've ever played Judas Be My Guide live, but it doesn't seem that way.
https://www.setlist.fm/stats/iron-maiden-3bd6803c.html (https://www.setlist.fm/stats/iron-maiden-3bd6803c.html)
I'm surprised to see which songs are at the bottom of the list there, and they've only played a song like 'Invasion' five times, and 'Burning Ambition' three times. I thought they would have been played a lot more in the early days.
Maiden is extremely frustrating with their setlists. So many opportunities to do rarities and other exciting things but they always fall back on the same core group of songs. The lack of "Invaders" in any setlist is puzzling...how do you not play the opening track on your 3rd album???
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Judas Be My Guide will always be among my very favourite Maiden songs. Nice to see it so high on the list.
Thanks mate. And yeah, such a shame this one has never been played live.
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So, I had another go at Sign of the Cross. Musically, it's very good. Vocally, I just CANNOT get on board with Blaze. Something just doesn't click ... actually, it's more than just not clicking - I actively dislike his sound. I think I'll find a live version of this to tackle.
Check a live version with Bruce.
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Right. It's the strength of the song actually. Check out a live version from the last tour especially.
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Right. It's the strength of the song actually. Check out a live version from the last tour especially.
Seconded.
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As I mentioned in my writeup, I think both singers handle Sign of the Cross about equally well, but I don't like the faster tempo they give it live. At least, on the RiR version—I can't speak to anything from the last tour.
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As I mentioned in my writeup, I think both singers handle Sign of the Cross about equally well, but I don't like the faster tempo they give it live. At least, on the RiR version—I can't speak to anything from the last tour.
Clouded, of course, by actually BEING there (and seeing the majestic blue stained glass of the backdrop) but there was nothing "equally well" about Bruce's performance. It was one of the reasons I made it a point to go to that show and delivered on the promise in every way, shape or form. Breathtaking. The studio version? It's by far my favorite song on The X Factor, and I rarely if ever listen to that record (honestly, I only listen now as a result of threads like these).
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I'd say Bruce's performance is flashier, more dazzling, and in that way more impressive. But I think Blaze's performance fits the song better thematically.
I do recognize, though, that I am more of a Blaze fan than many. Like I mentioned at some point before, I think the TXF/VXI songs we've heard with Bruce are split down the middle as far as whose performance is better.
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I think the TXF/VXI songs we've heard with Bruce are split down the middle as far as whose performance is better.
Yeah, half better with Dickinson, and the other half better with Bruce. ;D
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I can at least see all the others, but Lord of the Flies?
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I was joking.
Lord Of The Flies on DOTR is awesome!
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And 425, don't get me wrong: I don't DISLIKE Blaze, and from what I hear he's a heck of a nice guy in person too. We're comparing him to one of the greatest frontmen in metal history, so it's all relative.
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And 425, don't get me wrong: I don't DISLIKE Blaze, and from what I hear he's a heck of a nice guy in person too. We're comparing him to one of the greatest frontmen in metal history, so it's all relative.
So, common sense? ;D
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No, I completely get what y'all are saying! I definitely see my preference for Blaze on some of these songs as somewhat idiosyncratic, and a function more of how I feel he fits with the vibe of certain songs than of the excellence of the performances.
I do think Lord of the Flies on DotR feels just a bit off. Bruce sounding off is still a very high level of performance, to be sure, but I don't understand the choice to not really sing the chorus melody as written.
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Bruce has been known to do that. I really don't like how he sings "Heaven Can Wait", for example.
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No, I completely get what y'all are saying! I definitely see my preference for Blaze on some of these songs as somewhat idiosyncratic, and a function more of how I feel he fits with the vibe of certain songs than of the excellence of the performances.
I do think Lord of the Flies on DotR feels just a bit off. Bruce sounding off is still a very high level of performance, to be sure, but I don't understand the choice to not really sing the chorus melody as written.
I'm with you here. I never really liked the DOTR version of flies.
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I'll have to check out a version from SOTC from the last tour it seems.
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I'm also in the camp that isn't a Blaze fan. I have just never been able to warm to his voice singing Maiden, and like jingle said I actually dislike his voice. His low tones are really warm and deep but his mid/higher range just has no colour or texture and just sounds really flat to me with no flow to his sound. Every live performance of Bruce singing a Blaze era song elevates the song to another level in my eyes.
I also never saw Blaze live with Maiden, not sure if any of you guys did? A friend who did though said he really struggled live with some of the live classics - Hallowed etc..
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I saw them in July of 1998 in Phoenix. I don't remember anything really remarkable about his performance, other than I was just happy to see them, especially since I was unable to see TXF tour.
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It was unfair on Blaze singing the old stuff as Steve wouldn't entertain the idea of detuning for him. Would have made a big difference. He should have never been made to sing songs like Hallowed and the Trooper. Some like Wrathchild, Afraid, HCW were pretty okay though.
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And 425, don't get me wrong: I don't DISLIKE Blaze, and from what I hear he's a heck of a nice guy in person too. We're comparing him to one of the greatest frontmen in metal history, so it's all relative.
So, common sense? ;D
(https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Freplygif.net%2Fi%2F552.gif&hash=8a062d55959e3372287e0b186d086afbb0c91bd8)
His low tones are really warm and deep but his mid/higher range just has no colour or texture and just sounds really flat to me with no flow to his sound. Every live performance of Bruce singing a Blaze era song elevates the song to another level in my eyes.
Ding ding ding. Winner winner, chicken dinner.
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It was unfair on Blaze singing the old stuff as Steve wouldn't entertain the idea of detuning for him. Would have made a big difference. He should have never been made to sing songs like Hallowed and the Trooper. Some like Wrathchild, Afraid, HCW were pretty okay though.
Definitely this. As I posted before, I love his performance on Afraid to Shoot Strangers, and I think he does a good job on the verses of The Clairvoyant, before it gets somewhat too high. Blaze's range was definitely all wrong for the back catalogue, and he does sound weaker at the higher end of his range, and Steve should have taken this into consideration instead of sending him out there to struggle.
But when he does get to use the low end of his range, there are some awesome results that are different from the awesome things Bruce is able to achieve. The word "thunder" always comes to mind for me.
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Yeah, it was probably a good opportunity for Steve to refresh the setlist with Blaze in the band and focus on some songs that Blaze could comfortably sing live instead of keeping some of those set list staples which are difficult for anyone to sing.
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Yeah, it was probably a good opportunity for Steve to refresh the setlist with Blaze in the band and focus on some songs that Blaze could comfortably sing live instead of keeping some of those set list staples which are difficult for anyone to sing.
I just don't understand the thinking behind it all. I mean, did nothing raise any alarms during rehearsals and whatnot that some songs simply weren't a good idea? Blaze was the new guy too and never would have put his hand up and say he didn't feel comfortable singing the Trooper. There were 4 guys that could have discussed this and come up with a better practical solution for all.
People have opinions on the Blaze albums and that's fine but the live performances didn't help his case as the best frontman to replace Bruce. That could have been alleviated somewhat with some detuning and better song choices. Seems the Dianno stuff was more up his alley. A few more of those would have worked. I can hear Blaze doing a pretty mean job of POTO actually.
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I think 'Arry wanted to have his cake and eat it too, not wanting to lose the staple songs of the live show or make compromises with the vocal register.
The thing is I'm not sure he could've made it work no matter what. A lot of fans would've been pissed and Blaze booed and spat on either way.
@wolfking: Nice one, you made some righteous, left field choices! I love everything in your top 5.
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I think 'Arry wanted to have his cake and eat it too, not wanting to lose the staple songs of the live show or make compromises with the vocal register.
The thing is I'm not sure he could've made it work no matter what. A lot of fans would've been pissed and Blaze booed and spat on either way.
@wolfking: Nice one, you made some righteous, left field choices! I love everything in your top 5.
Thanks mate.
You are probably right, nothing would have really made a difference more than likely but may have softened the blow just slightly but true, wouldn't have changed peoples thoughts.
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Look it's our band and we love them and yadda yadda, but I imagine there's not a little bit of "I'll show that short little wanker what's the what! We're Iron Fucking Maiden, and I'm Steve Fucking Harris!" Janick is the relative new guy, Dave strikes me as the kind of guy that wouldn't say shit if he had a mouthful, and ... I don't know about Nicko. I think he would say something if it came to it, but who knows?
I also think, from what I've read, that it wasn't just the songs period, it was the rigors of the road that made it that much worse. And that you can't tell till you're in it. I can sing Hallowed Be Thy Name once, if I had to*, I don't know that I could do it 150 times over the next eight months, in the middle of singing 15 other songs, all while traveling thousands of miles in between. Check that: I KNOW I couldn't do that. This is something that comes up with James LaBrie as well; touring SUCKS for a singer most of all.
* I simply mean hitting the notes; I do not at all claim that it would sound pleasing to the ears. :)
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Yes, you are correct on both points.
Harris' stubbornness and Blaze's lack of strength over a tour.
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So, I had another go at Sign of the Cross. Musically, it's very good. Vocally, I just CANNOT get on board with Blaze. Something just doesn't click ... actually, it's more than just not clicking - I actively dislike his sound. I think I'll find a live version of this to tackle.
You must have heard the Rock in Rio version?
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So, I had another go at Sign of the Cross. Musically, it's very good. Vocally, I just CANNOT get on board with Blaze. Something just doesn't click ... actually, it's more than just not clicking - I actively dislike his sound. I think I'll find a live version of this to tackle.
You must have heard the Rock in Rio version?
Yeah, but it's been years since I spun that album. That I did listen to earlier this week (haven't looked up anything from a recent tour yet), and found it to be kilometers better than the studio version.
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So, I had another go at Sign of the Cross. Musically, it's very good. Vocally, I just CANNOT get on board with Blaze. Something just doesn't click ... actually, it's more than just not clicking - I actively dislike his sound. I think I'll find a live version of this to tackle.
You must have heard the Rock in Rio version?
Yeah, but it's been years since I spun that album. That I did listen to earlier this week (haven't looked up anything from a recent tour yet), and found it to be kilometers better than the studio version.
What are "kilometers"? :)
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So, I had another go at Sign of the Cross. Musically, it's very good. Vocally, I just CANNOT get on board with Blaze. Something just doesn't click ... actually, it's more than just not clicking - I actively dislike his sound. I think I'll find a live version of this to tackle.
You must have heard the Rock in Rio version?
Yeah, but it's been years since I spun that album. That I did listen to earlier this week (haven't looked up anything from a recent tour yet), and found it to be kilometers better than the studio version.
What are "kilometers"? :)
Just some bogan term.
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Hey again, everyone! Just wanted to pop in and say that I'll be starting to post my Song Ranking list in here a week from today. I'd planned to start earlier this week, but have realized that I will be needing to take some extra time to really mull over my list and finalize the last details.
See, as you guys might remember, I originally planned on just doing a Top 25 list, but I have since decided to challenge myself a bit more and instead aim for a Top 50 list this go around. Obviously this is still not quite as extensive as either 425 or Kade's lists, but I think we'd all be waiting a fair bit longer on me if I tried to force anything past 50 or so. :lol
So yeah! Mister Gold's Top 50 Iron Maiden Songs will be starting in a week's time! :metal
SNEAK PREVIEW - Mister Gold's Iron Maiden Studio Album Rankings
16. No Prayer For The Dying - Steve Harris' greatest mistake. You could make the case though that this album arguably led to where the band is today in the long run, so there's that going for it at least. But I'm of the mind that Adrian was right on the money when he thought Iron Maiden should've continued to explore its more progressive sound that they'd been developing on Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son. Still, we probably wouldn't have Janick Gers in the band today without this album, so maybe there's that also going for the album's favor.
15. Virtual XI - There's some great songs on here, like The Clansman and Como Estais Amigos, and the album certain "feels" closer to a typical Iron Maiden album than The X Factor does at first glance. However, aside from the rather stale production, it really feels like Steve wrote some of these songs subconsciously in mind for Bruce and not Blaze. The X Factor, with all of its flaws and charm, was clearly an album designed for someone with Blaze's vocal range.
14. Fear Of The Dark - This one's an interesting album and also has some good songs on it. But I always kinda got the feeling that you could hear Bruce's interest in the band dying out on this album... right along with his strained vocal performance from this era. Just not my thing, I suppose.
13. Killers - We've officially reached the part of the list where I'm going to constantly be second guessing myself, because I consider each of these albums to be pretty great in some regard or another. Honestly, I'm shocked I wound up listing Killers so low, because I LOVE the production of this album. Martin Birch's recruitment as the producer resulted in a HUGE leap in the quality of the sound here compared to the band's debut and I love Paul's performance on the title track especially. But at the end of the day, the songs here just aren't quite as strong as what the band had accomplished on the previous album, nor do they compare at all to what most of the band's future has to offer.
12. The Book of Souls - Another album that I'm shocked I'm listing so low. I remember when this came out five years ago and thought that the second disk on its own might've been one of the strongest runs in the band's history. That might still be the case, but in the time since, I've found myself returning less and less often to the album as a whole and instead revisiting key tracks like If Eternity Should Fail, Tears of a Clown, Empire of the Clouds and the title track. I've been very vocal about not liking the studio album of The Red & The Black, but admittedly that track really comes to life in the live setting.
11. Dance of Death - In a way, this album feels like the Reunion Era's "Powerslave" to me. It has some of the band's best songs ever, but it's also got some other songs in between that I don't find as strong either. Still, stuff like Rainmaker, Paschendale and the title track have been long lasting favorites of mine for practically the entire time I've considered myself an Iron Maiden fan.
10. The X Factor - I have a weird relationship with this album. It took me a good five years of being an Iron Maiden album before I really started to appreciate The X Factor, and there's a knot in my gut right now that's upset at my ranking it "too lowly." There's some terrific gems here, and while Blaze isn't as strong a singer as Bruce, he absolutely fits the material and mood here. However, with as much time the album's grown on me, so too have its flaws- the production is a huge setback. Moreover, while I personally don't dislike what has become the "Iron Maiden Epic" formula of "starting quietly, explode into big heavy epic, then end quietly again," it feels a bit too clunky on this album at times for me. Basically The X Factor is an album that's very much an acquired taste; when you're in the right mood for it, there's nothing else quite like it in the band's discography. Most of the time though, I just come here for Sign of the Cross and 2 A.M.
9. Brave New World - The band's best sounding album. I will fight anyone who argues otherwise on this point. :lol But seriously, in terms of the band's "sound," Brave New World has no equal. Bruce was back in the band and his voice had not only recovered by 1999/2000, he was in the absolute peak of his career. On top of that, Kevin Shirley's production on this album is the stuff of dreams... which only makes the "sound" of most other subsequent Reunion era albums all the more tragic. The only other Iron Maiden-related album that compares in the audio quality here is Bruce's solo album, The Chemical Wedding, which was made just a couple of years prior. There are some gems on this album, but as others have pointed out, the lyrics in certain choruses were perhaps a bit too lazy.
8. Iron Maiden - Where it all started. Obviously the production here is pretty dated and Dennis Stratton is no Adrian Smith or Janick Gers, but the songs just speak for themselves. Genuinely one of the band's strongest outings. If it had the production of Killers, I'm pretty sure I would be ranking it even higher.
7. The Number of the Beast - I'm surprised I'm ranking this album so highly. I have an innate instinct to talk smack on this album half the time, even if it features some of the band's most definitive songs. It's a bonafide classic! I know it, you all know it too... so why am I always talking down one of the most iconic metal albums of all time? Maybe it's just my appreciation for other works the band's done, but whatever the case may be, I can't deny quality material when I see it.
6. Powerslave - I once saw someone refer to this album as the "Thriller" of heavy metal. While I'm not entirely sure I agree, I absolutely get the case for such a claim. This album is just iconic. One of the band's greatest ever album covers, several of their best ever compositions, it featured the "classic lineup" and it was all happening in the right time at the right place. However, as I said before with Dance of Death, Powerslave's middle portion doesn't quite match what kicks off the album nor what caps it off. Still, incredible stuff!
5. Somewhere In Time - One of the band's most experimental albums ever and that moment in time where Adrian Smith kinda cemented himself as the band's best guitarist IMO. While it sucks that Bruce wasn't on the same wavelength as everyone else for the songwriting on this album, there's a lot to appreciate about this album and how it foreshadowed what we would see the band morph into decades later with the Reunion era. It's a shame that Heaven Can Wait's chorus doesn't fit with the rest of that song. This album might've taken top spot with just a few tweaks in certain areas.
4. The Final Frontier - What can I say? It's proggy as hell... and I love "proggy as hell." It was also the first studio album to come out after I became a Maiden fan, so even if it's not my absolute favorite, there's a certain nostalgia I have for that window of time in Fall 2010.
3. Pieces of Mind - This album is stupid close to being the best thing Iron Maiden ever did. It's incredibly well paced, the whole lineup's on fire, Martin Birch's production is terrific and the songwriting is mostly stellar... but goddamn do Quest For Fire and Sun & Steel get in the way. :lol
Tied 1. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son/A Matter of Life And Death - I adore these two albums. They're both consistent from start to finish, they both sound great and both played key roles in sparking my creativity and imagination for creative writing and storytelling. I fell in love with both albums over the course of Summer 2009. I'd already been an Iron Maiden fan for over a year at that point, but I'd mostly stayed in my comfort zone of listening to stuff off of Brave New World, the 80's era albums and Rock In Rio. Then, for whatever reason, I found myself looking up Seventh Son and then AMoLaD whilst on an extensive cross-country road trip with my family that took us back and forth across the United States multiple times over. Every new day I'd be writing something and listening to each riff and lyric as they would spark some new idea in my head and fuel my drive. Over eleven years later, I still feel inspired as hell whenever I listen to either album.
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Nice mate. Looking forward to this.
Good to see TFF high. To be honest, it's climbing up for me. I guess I should have had a crack at ranking the albums.
Great writeups too, really enjoyed reading them mate.
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Nice mate. Looking forward to this.
Good to see TFF high. To be honest, it's climbing up for me. I guess I should have had a crack at ranking the albums.
Great writeups too, really enjoyed reading them mate.
Thanks! Sorry for the continued holdups. Just want to make sure I'm thorough with this list. :lol
Yeah, I'm kinda surprised myself. I still think TFF's production is a bit too weak and the pacing isn't perfect, but goddamn does that album have a ton of great material that's aged well for me. :metal
Greatly appreciated! I felt a little guilty about being so brutal with my thoughts on No Prayer after you've been so vocal about appreciating that album in your list, but alas that album just isn't going to ever click for me I think. :lol
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Nice mate. Looking forward to this.
Good to see TFF high. To be honest, it's climbing up for me. I guess I should have had a crack at ranking the albums.
Great writeups too, really enjoyed reading them mate.
Thanks! Sorry for the continued holdups. Just want to make sure I'm thorough with this list. :lol
Yeah, I'm kinda surprised myself. I still think TFF's production is a bit too weak and the pacing isn't perfect, but goddamn does that album have a ton of great material that's aged well for me. :metal
Greatly appreciated! I felt a little guilty about being so brutal with my thoughts on No Prayer after you've been so vocal about appreciating that album in your list, but alas that album just isn't going to ever click for me I think. :lol
It's your list mate, no need to worry about hurting peoples feelings, go nuts.
I agree regarding the production on TFF. I'll have to check the 2015 remaster at some stage.
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Looking forward to it. I always get a little discouraged when I see No Prayer so low, but I also get pretty thrilled when I see Final Frontier so high. Also, while I think X Factor is severely let down by Blaze's voice, I'm glad to see 2 A.M. get a mention as it's actually a song I like quite a bit but never really think about since I play X Factor about once every few years.
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Looking forward to it. I always get a little discouraged when I see No Prayer so low, but I also get pretty thrilled when I see Final Frontier so high. Also, while I think X Factor is severely let down by Blaze's voice, I'm glad to see 2 A.M. get a mention as it's actually a song I like quite a bit but never really think about since I play X Factor about once every few years.
Yeah, I know No Prayer has its fans, but that album's never resonated with me. Mother Russia is probably going to make it into the Top 50, but yeah... don't expect a lot of No Prayer songs on the list. :lol
Meanwhile, Final Frontier has some genuinely terrific songwriting on it. I think it's a safe bet it'll be properly represented on my list. :tup And yeah, while I personally do like Blaze's performance on The X Factor, I do wonder if the album would be drastically more popular with fans if Bruce had sung on the album. Either way, 2 A.M. is criminally underrated in the band's discography and is one of their most relatable songs ever IMO.
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Looking forward to a new top 50 list. As I’ve said earlier in this thread, the love for TFF here has had me revisiting that album quite a bit and even though I did like it upon release I am definitely appreciating it more. However nothing will ever replace the 80s output of Maiden for me. Those first 7 albums were a massive part of my musical journey and a huge influence on me growing up. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion and it is refreshing to read all these different views but it is still a shock to me when I see some of my most loved albums ranked so low! And yes it is tough for me to fathom No Prayer being ranked at the bottom.
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Looking forward to it. I always get a little discouraged when I see No Prayer so low, but I also get pretty thrilled when I see Final Frontier so high. Also, while I think X Factor is severely let down by Blaze's voice, I'm glad to see 2 A.M. get a mention as it's actually a song I like quite a bit but never really think about since I play X Factor about once every few years.
Yeah, I know No Prayer has its fans, but that album's never resonated with me. Mother Russia is probably going to make it into the Top 50, but yeah... don't expect a lot of No Prayer songs on the list. :lol
Meanwhile, Final Frontier has some genuinely terrific songwriting on it. I think it's a safe bet it'll be properly represented on my list. :tup And yeah, while I personally do like Blaze's performance on The X Factor, I do wonder if the album would be drastically more popular with fans if Bruce had sung on the album. Either way, 2 A.M. is criminally underrated in the band's discography and is one of their most relatable songs ever IMO.
Wow!
And great call on 2AM. Such a depressing, dark and moody rocker.
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SNEAK PREVIEW - Mister Gold's Iron Maiden Studio Album Rankings
13. Killers
Pro tip: proof read your posts. You fat-fingered a "3" next to the "1" for Killers.
HAHA, I'm kidding; I know you explained why, and it's your list. But I got hold of a boot from one of the Italian shows after Bruce joined, and before they wrote/recorded Number, and it's a very "Killers' heavy set (every song but Prodigal Son, if memory serves) and man, kind of lit my fire for that album.
it would make my top three, probably.
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Killers is a great album. I'm just not a huge fan of the title track.
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Killers is a great album. I'm just not a huge fan of the title track.
It is a great album.
Genghis Khan is brutal and Another Life and Innocent Exile were always very forgotten but nice tunes.
I always just felt the album ended a bit ordinary on Drifter. Never really got into that one.
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There's still a couple of days left before I begin my Top 50 countdown, but I figured I'd pop in here to reply to some of the feedback on the album rankings before we get the countdown started!
Killers is a great album. I'm just not a huge fan of the title track.
Killers is a great album, even if it is ranked low for me! But you're not a fan of the title track? It's the best song on the album! :metal Paul Dianno's best vocal performance in the band right there IMO. "Punk rock meets Rob Halford" is what always comes to my mind when listening to it.
Pro tip: proof read your posts. You fat-fingered a "3" next to the "1" for Killers.
HAHA, I'm kidding; I know you explained why, and it's your list. But I got hold of a boot from one of the Italian shows after Bruce joined, and before they wrote/recorded Number, and it's a very "Killers' heavy set (every song but Prodigal Son, if memory serves) and man, kind of lit my fire for that album.
it would make my top three, probably.
Ha! That sounds like it'd be a fun bootleg to listen to. There's definitely a ton of great stuff on Killers. I love the punchiness of the production on that album.
Wow!
And great call on 2AM. Such a depressing, dark and moody rocker.
Yeah, there's not anything else quite like 2 AM in the band's catalogue IMO.
Looking forward to a new top 50 list. As I’ve said earlier in this thread, the love for TFF here has had me revisiting that album quite a bit and even though I did like it upon release I am definitely appreciating it more. However nothing will ever replace the 80s output of Maiden for me. Those first 7 albums were a massive part of my musical journey and a huge influence on me growing up. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion and it is refreshing to read all these different views but it is still a shock to me when I see some of my most loved albums ranked so low! And yes it is tough for me to fathom No Prayer being ranked at the bottom.
I love both the 80's and the Reunion eras a great deal! I think the band's generally gotten more consistent across the board with their albums in the Reunion era, but there's definitely arguments to be made about the ingenuity and fire fueling the band during the 80's.
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The time has arrived and the moment has been prepared for...
Mister Gold's Top 50 Iron Maiden Songs
50. "Iron Maiden" - Starting the countdown off with the band's titular song! :metal While I think most fans would probably agree that the band maybe plays this song a bit too often live these days, there's still a strong charm to this barn burner. Fascinatingly, the composition of "Iron Maiden" reminds me a bit of "Phantom of the Opera" from the same album in that the song feels very much like a marriage between the heavy punk influences of the band's early work and the more elaborate progressive rock/metal melodies and riffs that would come to define the band over time.
49. "Tears of a Clown" - And now we jump from a song off the band's very first album to their latest! I remember raising an eyebrow back in 2015 after the band mentioned that this song was partially inspired by the tragic death of comedian Robin Williams from the year prior, and growing a bit worried that the song would stand out like a sore thumb due to that information. Thankfully however, I needn't worried, as "Tears of a Clown" is one of the stronger short songs in the Reunion Era. The lyrics are respectful enough to not be too direct with Williams' death and instead feels more universal and relatable.
48. "Journeyman" - I knew I had to throw this particular Reunion era epic in the mix somewhere, but let's be honest- it's not even close to being the best epic on Dance of Death, much less the rest of the band's catalogue. Still, I quite love the live acoustic version of this song. It feels a fair bit different from the rest of the modern epics the band has composed in the past 20+ years for that.
47. "The Edge of Darkness" - Much like with my aforementioned feelings on The X Factor, I feel guilty for ranking "The Edge of Darkness" so low now after it was somewhere in my Top 15 seven years ago. There's some very interesting stuff going on in this song and I love the atmosphere, but now that I've lived with the song for a much longer period of time, I feel like it could've been fine-tuned to something even better.
46. "Still Life" - This is one of my favorite little unspoken gems in the band's catalogue. Hardly anyone ever seems to talk about "Still Life," but I love that main riff! It actually reminds me a bit of the main guitar riff in Charles Daniels Band's "Still in Saigon." Granted this is a much moodier song, with its eerie horror story lyrics. I initially ranked this song far higher on the list, but opted to knock it down after thinking more critically about how often I listen to "Still Life" compared to some of the band's other works.
To Be Continued...
Annnnd that's the start of my Top 50 list! :metal :tup I think I'll be updating this list probably once or twice a week moving forward, though if anyone feels like I'm taking too long to make my way through the list, let me know and I'll speed things up!
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Journeyman is a really cool song. It's amazing to think that it's probably their first song with acoustic guitar in it but it didn't happen until their 13th album. Tears of A Clown is also a good choice, though I gloss over the lyrics so much I had no idea what it was even about. Still Life is SO overlooked by the band and one of the more unique tracks from the classic era.
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Journeyman is a really cool song. It's amazing to think that it's probably their first song with acoustic guitar in it but it didn't happen until their 13th album. Tears of A Clown is also a good choice, though I gloss over the lyrics so much I had no idea what it was even about. Still Life is SO overlooked by the band and one of the more unique tracks from the classic era.
I'm actually surprised the band hasn't really played Journeyman live since the Dance of Death tour, as it really feels like it'd be a solid crowdpleaser and a nice breather moment in the setlist.
SERIOUSLY. Still Life is so dang good, but I hardly ever hear anyone talk about it.
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Journeyman is a top five song for me (maybe top ten). Love that tune, and love Bruce's vocal. Which is also why I love Still Life; in real time, when the album came out, Piece Of Mind was a real leap forward from Number. Number was bare bones metal (think of the videos with the bare metal staging and Bruce with the armlets of studs), but Piece was something more. I loved Still Life then and love it now. "Take... a look... in the POOL and what do you see-e-eeee?" Then the drum fill as the band kicks in, you can almost see the waters roiling and whatever it is revealing itself...
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I never really liked Journeyman, but I'm glad they did it so I can really appreciate it.
Tears of A Clown is an interesting choice.
Still Life is wonderful and love The Edge of Darkness pick.
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Nice start to the new top 50!
The song Iron Maiden, is a really great choice at number 50. To me it kind of feels like just the right spot for it in an Iron Maiden top 50 song list. It is far from their best song and fair way off the worst and because of its 'importance' and 'longevity' it should be there somewhere. Overall I've always liked the song but no doubt it is overplayed....
Tears of a Clown - not one of my favs.
Journeyman - a really nice song and good to see Maiden doing an acoustic track but again not one of my favs.
The Edge of Darkness - I have commented on my opinion of Blaze a few times earlier in this thread. This song is probably one of the better vocal performances by Blaze on the album. The intro/outro is great, and I agree that the song is very atmospheric and I enjoy Blaze on the quieter parts here. He still doesn't work for me on the heavy stuff though...Rhythmically and musically this song has a fair bit going on.
Still Life - now we are talking! An all time classic. Awesome intro and beautiful Dave solo. Bruce's vocals on this song are just next level compared to Blaze (sorry Blaze fans). I've always loved how the song continues to build with increased intensity in each verse (great Nicko drumming) and the instrumental section rules.
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Thanks for the feedback, everyone! :metal Now onto the next leg of the list!
45. "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" - On paper, I feel like I should be ranking this song considerably higher than I am. Somewhere around the Top 10 area. We're talking about a song that feels like Iron Maiden doing their spin on a classic 70's era Pink Floyd, after all. I LOVE that concept. And while I don't dislike the song (obviously), it feels like "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" is kind of jagged in how certain parts transition into one another. It feels clunky in a way that neither Floyd or Maiden ever do in their best moments, regardless of the flashing moments of brilliance in "Afraid."
44. "Man On The Edge" - A Briefcase, A Lunch... and a Man on the Edge! What can I say? I love this song! And this is one of those picks on my list where I feel like its position could've wound up in drastically different places depending on the time of week I made the call. On the one hand, I listen to this song a lot. It's a regular "Go To" of mine when it comes to Maiden's numerous shorter songs... but does that in and of itself means it deserves a higher ranking on the list? Compositionally speaking, I don't think the song is particularly groundbreaking for the band and it's not like there aren't things that the band could've improved on either. But still, for what it is, "Man On The Edge" is a rocking good time from the Blaze era of the band!
43. "Moonchild" - I've already talked about how Seventh Son is tied for first place among Maiden's discography in my book, so I don't think it'll surprise anyone to see that my list will feature a fair number of songs off that album. And "Moonchild" is one heck of an opener! The lyrics, the mood. I love how the album kicks off from its central antagonist's POV and essentially acts as a sign of doom for how the rest of the story will unfold.
42. "These Colors Don’t Run" - I'll be honest; even if I didn't enjoy this song, I probably would've included it on my Top 50 list if only because of the hilarious origin story of its title. :lol Say what you will of the Osbourne family and the various drama stories between other bands, but Bruce defiantly crying out "THESE COLORS DON'T RUN" mid-concert after being heckled and then the band going on to make a song with that title a year or two later is entertaining in and of itself. But again, I do enjoy this song! It's a great mid-length song in the vein of something like "Two Minutes To Midnight" and was forged during what I would argue was the second of the band's two "peak" moments in their career.
41. "The Red & The Black" - Check back with me in a few years whenever we do another Iron Maiden Songs Countdown List and you might even see "The Red & The Black" listed higher than it is now! I've been pretty open about my distaste for the song ever since The Book of Souls dropped five years ago, but I was shocked to realize how well the song actually worked in a live setting compared to its original studio album version. See, on the studio version, I feel like TRATB suffers from a similar issue as "Afraid To Shoot Strangers," where there are a ton of great riffs and melodies being used, but the transitions feel clunky and awkward. In a live setting, however, there's a strong, enticing groove that connects and smoothly transitions the various pieces of the song together in a natural way- and the result is one of the more surprising epics to come from Iron Maiden in recent years. But for now, I'm still coping with the initial two years of utter hatred I had with this song, so we'll see where it falls for me in the future. :lol :metal
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This is a good set of songs. I'm not sure I agree with "Man On The Edge", but the rest are quality, and several - the Red And The Black, Afraid To Shoot Strangers - could be higher on my list.
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Highly agree with 4 of those. Man on the Edge is an interesting choice. One of the weakest on the album for me. Props for including it though.
Agree on Red, that was blistering live.
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This is a good set of songs. I'm not sure I agree with "Man On The Edge", but the rest are quality, and several - the Red And The Black, Afraid To Shoot Strangers - could be higher on my list.
Highly agree with 4 of those. Man on the Edge is an interesting choice. One of the weakest on the album for me. Props for including it though.
Agree on Red, that was blistering live.
Yeah, I fully acknowledge that "Man On The Edge" isn't anything particularly groundbreaking or super special. It's just a shorter Maiden song that I've always really liked, for some reason or another. :lol
As for Red and AFTSS, next time we make these lists, I imagine Red might get a bit higher now that I actually have an appreciation for the song, but IDK about AFTSS. It's got some great bits to it, but even when I hear it live, it doesn't quite 'connect' to me the same way Red wound up doing in my book.
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Really interested to see another list with some great picks that are nonetheless different from a lot of mine.
Going back to your first post, Tears of a Clown, Journeyman, The Edge of Darkness and Still Life are all really good and interesting songs that missed my top 60 but felt like they could very easily have snuck in. I agree that The Edge of Darkness feels a little bit unfinished, like it could have been a bit more than it was. It fell from my top 30 or so down to maybe 70-80 over the years for that reason. I think you also make a good point about the way Tears of a Clown speaks about a universal subject related to Robin Williams's passing; now that I think about it, that's why the lyrics on that one work so well for me.
Iron Maiden the song... I greatly enjoy it as a moment in their live show, and would never want it removed (fortunately it never will be), but for me it is more about the spectacle of Eddie and all rather than the quality of the song, which I think is decent but unremarkable.
Moving now to today's post: Moonchild and These Colours Don't Run are great choices that I placed similarly. ATSS is one I had much higher, but I suppose I can see your point about the transitions, even though that's not an issue that bothers me. Man on the Edge is a good song, but they have a lot of better ones, and it wouldn't come close to this height for me. It's probably my least favorite song on the very strong X Factor.
The Red and the Black is... one that I still struggle with. I enjoy it, but it also feels like there's something somewhat missing. Like you, I can see myself placing it higher in the future.
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The Red & The Black is like a perfect 6 minute song stretched for another 7 minutes. I really wish it had been edited down and the excess repetition removed because the main themes of the song are absolutely incredible. Also, I think Steve should've done a few more takes on the intro because it sounds a bit sloppy.
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The Red & The Black is like a perfect 6 minute song stretched for another 7 minutes. I really wish it had been edited down and the excess repetition removed because the main themes of the song are absolutely incredible. Also, I think Steve should've done a few more takes on the intro because it sounds a bit sloppy.
:lol yeah, Steve's intro is pretty shit. The idea is great but his execution is just horrid.
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Really interested to see another list with some great picks that are nonetheless different from a lot of mine.
Going back to your first post, Tears of a Clown, Journeyman, The Edge of Darkness and Still Life are all really good and interesting songs that missed my top 60 but felt like they could very easily have snuck in. I agree that The Edge of Darkness feels a little bit unfinished, like it could have been a bit more than it was. It fell from my top 30 or so down to maybe 70-80 over the years for that reason. I think you also make a good point about the way Tears of a Clown speaks about a universal subject related to Robin Williams's passing; now that I think about it, that's why the lyrics on that one work so well for me.
Iron Maiden the song... I greatly enjoy it as a moment in their live show, and would never want it removed (fortunately it never will be), but for me it is more about the spectacle of Eddie and all rather than the quality of the song, which I think is decent but unremarkable.
Moving now to today's post: Moonchild and These Colours Don't Run are great choices that I placed similarly. ATSS is one I had much higher, but I suppose I can see your point about the transitions, even though that's not an issue that bothers me. Man on the Edge is a good song, but they have a lot of better ones, and it wouldn't come close to this height for me. It's probably my least favorite song on the very strong X Factor.
The Red and the Black is... one that I still struggle with. I enjoy it, but it also feels like there's something somewhat missing. Like you, I can see myself placing it higher in the future.
Thanks for the feedback, man! :biggrin:
The Red & The Black is like a perfect 6 minute song stretched for another 7 minutes. I really wish it had been edited down and the excess repetition removed because the main themes of the song are absolutely incredible. Also, I think Steve should've done a few more takes on the intro because it sounds a bit sloppy.
Honestly, even though I've come to respect the song a lot more in recent years after catching it live, I do still agree with this sentiment. If the song were trimmed down by half of its length, I imagine it'd probably be a monster six-minute song from the band akin to "Powerslave."
The Red & The Black is like a perfect 6 minute song stretched for another 7 minutes. I really wish it had been edited down and the excess repetition removed because the main themes of the song are absolutely incredible. Also, I think Steve should've done a few more takes on the intro because it sounds a bit sloppy.
:lol yeah, Steve's intro is pretty shit. The idea is great but his execution is just horrid.
Spoiler Warning: I liked Steve's bass intro better when it was done in Blood On The World's Hands! :biggrin: :tup
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I'm glad I'm not the only one that actually thought "WTF?" when I heard it though. I get - and like - the idea of the intro, but it just sounds so tacked on and haphazard, especially since so much of the song later is rhythmically solid (you can almost feel the sway during the "The Red... and the Black..." part).
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Funny thing is...it probably took Steve a number of takes just to "nail" what he did there. That sort of loose, expressive, non-metronomic Spanish-type phrasing is best left to jazz cats (like Stanley Clarke). It's not really something that is in Steve's wheelhouse, but I can appreciate that he tried there.
Edit: Sorry about the shitty explanation. Here's an example of the sort of thing it sounds like Steve was aiming at. Of course this is Jimmy Garrison on an upright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1X_NN1uzuA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1X_NN1uzuA)
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It's because he's doing power chords which is causing his stiff movement. I get it that it would have been difficult to nail doing what he's doing but it doesn't make it right.
That Blood on the Worlds Hands intro though is tremendous. Because he's playing the same chords in arpreggio fashion is why it's more fluent.
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It's because he's doing power chords which is causing his stiff movement. I get it that it would have been difficult to nail doing what he's doing but it doesn't make it right.
That Blood on the Worlds Hands intro though is tremendous. Because he's playing the same chords in arpreggio fashion is why it's more fluent.
Yeah it sounds like it would be too hard to nail that part down without it sounding choppy and awkward....but I REALLY love that he went for something like that, and I'd never thought that it detracted from the intro of this song (for me at least!). Agreed, Blood on the Worlds Hands intro though IS tremendous. Steve is just so unique as a bassist.
Sorry to interrupt yous guys thread! Carry on the good work! :metal
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It's because he's doing power chords which is causing his stiff movement. I get it that it would have been difficult to nail doing what he's doing but it doesn't make it right.
That Blood on the Worlds Hands intro though is tremendous. Because he's playing the same chords in arpreggio fashion is why it's more fluent.
Yeah it sounds like it would be too hard to nail that part down without it sounding choppy and awkward....but I REALLY love that he went for something like that, and I'd never thought that it detracted from the intro of this song (for me at least!). Agreed, Blood on the Worlds Hands intro though IS tremendous. Steve is just so unique as a bassist.
Sorry to interrupt yous guys thread! Carry on the good work! :metal
Chime in more often mate, more the merrier.
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It's because he's doing power chords which is causing his stiff movement. I get it that it would have been difficult to nail doing what he's doing but it doesn't make it right.
That Blood on the Worlds Hands intro though is tremendous. Because he's playing the same chords in arpreggio fashion is why it's more fluent.
Yeah, the Blood on the World's Hands bass intro is terrific. Much like the rest of that song. But we'll get back to that later. :hat
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Chime in more often mate, more the merrier.
Thanks man! Wasn't too sure about making this too chatty while Mister Gold had the floor. I just sort of felt that Red and Black bass part was taking a bit more abuse here than it really deserved! But then...it is what it is. A good idea for a nice contemplative intro before the full band comes galloping in, but Steve's trying to ram too many bass chords past us too quickly and the result is the exact opposite of smooth. But I love hearing established musicians going outside their normal comfort zones, gambles don't always pay-off ;)
And massive props for the educational info regarding the scale/theory for the solos. :tup
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Chime in more often mate, more the merrier.
Thanks man! Wasn't too sure about making this too chatty while Mister Gold had the floor. I just sort of felt that Red and Black bass part was taking a bit more abuse here than it really deserved! But then...it is what it is. A good idea for a nice contemplative intro before the full band comes galloping in, but Steve's trying to ram too many bass chords past us too quickly and the result is the exact opposite of smooth. But I love hearing established musicians going outside their normal comfort zones, gambles don't always pay-off ;)
And massive props for the educational info regarding the scale/theory for the solos. :tup
Thanks mate. Love breaking down what's going on in the songs.
Yeah, I'm sure Mister Gold would want us to talk it up! You're right though, it doesn't deserve the bashing we are giving it. I actually really like it, and it's a good change to the long acoustic intro to a lot of their other epics. I love the idea and I guess Steve was happy with it too haha.
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Chime in more often mate, more the merrier.
Thanks man! Wasn't too sure about making this too chatty while Mister Gold had the floor. I just sort of felt that Red and Black bass part was taking a bit more abuse here than it really deserved! But then...it is what it is. A good idea for a nice contemplative intro before the full band comes galloping in, but Steve's trying to ram too many bass chords past us too quickly and the result is the exact opposite of smooth. But I love hearing established musicians going outside their normal comfort zones, gambles don't always pay-off ;)
And massive props for the educational info regarding the scale/theory for the solos. :tup
Thanks mate. Love breaking down what's going on in the songs.
Yeah, I'm sure Mister Gold would want us to talk it up! You're right though, it doesn't deserve the bashing we are giving it. I actually really like it, and it's a good change to the long acoustic intro to a lot of their other epics. I love the idea and I guess Steve was happy with it too haha.
Yeah, by all means, I actually really want this countdown thread to have a lot of replies and feedback from everyone in here. It's a bit disheartening to wait a day or two after posting part of the countdown and only seeing one or two in that time. :lol
So yeah, by all means, please join in on the discussion! :metal
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Thanks for the hospitality everyone! Yes, it's true. I am really interested in a lot of the song-based discussion that goes on in this thread. The rankings? Not so much (but that's just me :chill ). Looking forward to the next round. :)
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Sorry I'm a bit late to the party on the latest list - been busy and also still reeling a bit from the passing away of EVH.
Moonchild - definitely a classic, love this song. Awesome vocal delivery by Bruce. Pretty sure it was featured in both previous lists so not much more to add on this one.
Afraid to Shoot Strangers - I do like this song but it isn't one of my favourites. Also been featured previously and spoken about quite a bit, even the live version with Blaze which rightly gets a lot of love. It is really interesting in our previous discussions about Blaze, that this is the perfect song in the Bruce catalogue that Blaze can do justice to with his voice.
The Red & the Black - again not one of my favourites however I do agree with a previous comment that this would have been an awesome 6/7 minute song.
Colours - a really great song, some awesome guitar riffs in this one.
Man on the Edge - not a fan of this song sorry. Love the movie Falling Down though (well I did when it was released not sure I have seen it since...so not sure how it has aged)
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I've decided to try and stick with a twice-a-week schedule for this countdown, so that we're not plodding our way through the list all the way into December. :lol
40. "Como Estais Amigos" - Another day, another Blaze Bayley era song on the list! :metal However, much like "The Edge of Darkness" before it, I feel like "Como Estais Amigos" is a few drafts away from being a significantly stronger song than it is. There's certain portions, especially in the middle, that soar in my opinion, but the beginning and ending both have a bit of a plodding issue. But still, that middle portion is so damn good, I felt obligated to include it on the list at Number 40.
39. "Brave New World" - I will be honest; there's a part of me that desperately wanted to include "Brave New World" in my Top 25. It's one of the Iron Maiden songs that I listen to the most and was one of the first songs that really made me fall in love with the band when I got into them over twelve years ago. There's so many incredible moments and lyrical lines in this song and God, is it a monster live, judging by Rock In Rio '01 and the other times it's been played live in the Reunion era. But that chorus... as melodic as it is, I really do feel the repetitiveness of the lyrics of the chorus now. Like Achilles and his heel, the song struggles and falters in that one regard- otherwise, it is a JEWEL.
38. "Empire of the Clouds" - When I first started working on my Top 50 list, I had no idea where "Empire" was going to end up. It's one of my highlights from The Book of Souls, but even five years out from its release, I'm not quite sure where I rank it among the band's all-time finest epics. Still I appreciate how different and unique the song feels, and it is easily worth acknowledging as being one of Bruce's finest contributions to the band.
37. "Ghost of the Navigator" - Another song off of Brave New World, this time a rare song that doesn't have a lazy, overly repetitive chorus! Quite frankly I'm shocked the band hasn't brought back this song to their setlists since the BNW era, because holy moly, it is one of the highlights off of the Rock In Rio live album IMO. Not to mention it's one of the band's heavier songs, with some very intense riffing going on from the guitar trio.
36. "Mother Russia" - I promised that there'd be a song off of No Prayers on here, didn't I? :biggrin: In all seriousness, "Mother Russia" is terrific. It really feels like a continuation of the sound that the band had been developing on Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, veering more into the band's more progressive side, which is a big boon in my book.
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Mother Russia has always been a favourite of mine. Nice choice there.
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This section of the list doesn't blow me away. I love Como Estas - as much as you can love something off either of the Blaze albums - but "Brave New World" didn't really light a fire. I now consider the reunion era to be "better" than the classic era (meaning, I usually listen to more of the reunion stuff than the classic stuff) but BNW is the least of all the reunion albums by a lot.
Hot take: Empire Of The Clouds is overrated. I like it, but I sort of bristle at the "notoriety" because it seems to be simply because it's long. It's not even top three songs on the RECORD (I prefer "The Red And The Black", "Speed Of Light", and "If Eternity Should Fail" at a minimum).
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Fantastic to see such diverse opinions on songs - I think I can safely say that none of the latest batch would make my own top 50.
I think Empire is the best of this bunch, lots to like about this song and parts of it I do love but I don't feel its length is justified.
Brave New World and Ghost of the Navigator are good songs. I enjoyed these a lot upon release of the album but they haven't aged that well for me. I agree with Stadler, in that I also feel BNW is probably the weakest of the reunion albums, and is the one I return to the least.
I like Mother Russia. It was definitely one of my favs on the album upon release but not Top 50 material.
Como - not one of my favourites. I don't want to keep bringing up Blaze but he doesn't do this song any favours. The instrumental section is pretty cool but it is short and doesn't do enough to influence the overall impact of the song which I feel is really flat and lifeless, especially vocally (sorry Blaze fans).
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Interesting group of songs;
Como - I always liked this one. Blaze is a bit flat, but his emotion overshadows that. The highlight is Janick's emotive solo. The rhythm underneath works really well too. It's like the rhythm part has more notes than the actual solo, very cool.
Brave New World - Yeah, I had this one in and as I said, over the years the repetiveness has stated to bother me a little more than it use to. It's still amazing though, love it.
Empire - Agree with Bill, Empire is appreciated becuase it's the band doing something different, but it doesn't stack up to any of their classic epics IMO. Even TRATB and the title track are better epics IMO.
Ghost - Kind of a somewhat forgetten gem this one. The intro just grooves when it kicks in, really nice from Maiden. I find the chorus a little awkward but it's fine. The section after Janick's solo portrays the vibe and lyrics nicely.
Mother - Interesting tune. The solo section is a blatant 7th Son rip off, but I always dug this tune.
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Hot take: Empire Of The Clouds Rime Of The Ancient Mariner is overrated. I like it, but I sort of bristle at the "notoriety" because it seems to be simply because it's long.
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Como - not one of my favourites. I don't want to keep bringing up Blaze but he doesn't do this song any favours. The instrumental section is pretty cool but it is short and doesn't do enough to influence the overall impact of the song which I feel is really flat and lifeless, especially vocally (sorry Blaze fans).
I always felt that Como Estais was a really great tune that packed a lot in for it's shorter length. But Blaze's softer less projected vocals sound pitchy near the beginning. IIRC, it's easy to overlook due to this pitchy-ness not being on any of the longer sustained notes. My guess is that a more rigorous producer probably would have demanded a better vocal performance (just up to before it gets heavy into the more projected belting vocals). I'm pretty sure Blaze could have easily ironed out those kinks with a little help from guidance in the control both. Possibly there's one "Oh Owwwwwwwh Oh Owwwwwwwh" at the end that's a little iffy too (I'll have to check this next time). This tune needs better quality control in the vocal production.
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Como - not one of my favourites. I don't want to keep bringing up Blaze but he doesn't do this song any favours. The instrumental section is pretty cool but it is short and doesn't do enough to influence the overall impact of the song which I feel is really flat and lifeless, especially vocally (sorry Blaze fans).
I always felt that Como Estais was a really great tune that packed a lot in for it's shorter length. But Blaze's softer less projected vocals sound pitchy near the beginning. IIRC, it's easy to overlook due to this pitchy-ness not being on any of the longer sustained notes. My guess is that a more rigorous producer probably would have demanded a better vocal performance (just up to before it gets heavy into the more projected belting vocals). I'm pretty sure Blaze could have easily ironed out those kinks with a little help from guidance in the control both. Possibly there's one "Oh Owwwwwwwh Oh Owwwwwwwh" at the end that's a little iffy too (I'll have to check this next time). This tune needs better quality control in the vocal production.
Yeah, you're right. He's very pitchy through a lot of the song.
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I think Empire is one of the best songs from the album. Definitely better than Speed of Light, but that's not saying much as for me every song on Book of Souls is better than Speed of Light. :P
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I think Empire is one of the best songs from the album. Definitely better than Speed of Light, but that's not saying much as for me every song on Book of Souls is better than Speed of Light. :P
It would be the weakest song for me too, quite easily.
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I'm quite happy to see lots of interesting feedback from everyone! :lol
Como - not one of my favourites. I don't want to keep bringing up Blaze but he doesn't do this song any favours. The instrumental section is pretty cool but it is short and doesn't do enough to influence the overall impact of the song which I feel is really flat and lifeless, especially vocally (sorry Blaze fans).
I always felt that Como Estais was a really great tune that packed a lot in for it's shorter length. But Blaze's softer less projected vocals sound pitchy near the beginning. IIRC, it's easy to overlook due to this pitchy-ness not being on any of the longer sustained notes. My guess is that a more rigorous producer probably would have demanded a better vocal performance (just up to before it gets heavy into the more projected belting vocals). I'm pretty sure Blaze could have easily ironed out those kinks with a little help from guidance in the control both. Possibly there's one "Oh Owwwwwwwh Oh Owwwwwwwh" at the end that's a little iffy too (I'll have to check this next time). This tune needs better quality control in the vocal production.
Yeah, you're right. He's very pitchy through a lot of the song.
I completely agree with the both of you, Kade and Lupton. Blaze's performance on the album certainly conveys emotion, but musically it's not quite up to snuff IMO. If the producer challenged Blaze (and Steve, because there's little doubt he had final say on the matter) to try for a stronger vocal performance on the song, I likely would've ranked Como Estais Amigos a few spots higher than I already did.
I think Empire is one of the best songs from the album. Definitely better than Speed of Light, but that's not saying much as for me every song on Book of Souls is better than Speed of Light. :P
Agreed.
Interesting group of songs;
Como - I always liked this one. Blaze is a bit flat, but his emotion overshadows that. The highlight is Janick's emotive solo. The rhythm underneath works really well too. It's like the rhythm part has more notes than the actual solo, very cool.
Brave New World - Yeah, I had this one in and as I said, over the years the repetiveness has stated to bother me a little more than it use to. It's still amazing though, love it.
Empire - Agree with Bill, Empire is appreciated becuase it's the band doing something different, but it doesn't stack up to any of their classic epics IMO. Even TRATB and the title track are better epics IMO.
Ghost - Kind of a somewhat forgetten gem this one. The intro just grooves when it kicks in, really nice from Maiden. I find the chorus a little awkward but it's fine. The section after Janick's solo portrays the vibe and lyrics nicely.
Mother - Interesting tune. The solo section is a blatant 7th Son rip off, but I always dug this tune.
Well, Kade, I can certainly agree that The Book of Souls is a stronger epic than Empire. Hell, same goes for If Eternity Should Fail in my book. But as someone who's been vocal about my whirlwind journey with TRATB over the years, I'm just not quite ready yet to rank it over Empire. Maybe next time though! :biggrin:
And I'm glad to see someone in here approve of the inclusion of Ghost! While there aren't many BNW songs on this list, I really do feel like Ghost in particularly needed to make it. For the most part, I would argue it's aged quite nicely.
True, the solo section of Mother Russia might be a blatant Seventh Son rip off, but that likely plays a big part for why I really love that song. :lol
This section of the list doesn't blow me away. I love Como Estas - as much as you can love something off either of the Blaze albums - but "Brave New World" didn't really light a fire. I now consider the reunion era to be "better" than the classic era (meaning, I usually listen to more of the reunion stuff than the classic stuff) but BNW is the least of all the reunion albums by a lot.
Hot take: Empire Of The Clouds is overrated. I like it, but I sort of bristle at the "notoriety" because it seems to be simply because it's long. It's not even top three songs on the RECORD (I prefer "The Red And The Black", "Speed Of Light", and "If Eternity Should Fail" at a minimum).
Fair enough, my friend! :metal
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36-38 are great. MR in particular is underrated.
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Ghost of the Navigator and Empire of the Clouds are perfect choices for this section of the list. Both have a lot going for them, with pretty distinct vibes. I too am still not quite sure where Empire will ultimately land for me. And I suppose I agreed with you and Stadler in putting If Eternity Should Fail and The Book of Souls above it.
I feel very similarly as you about Brave New World. This was one of the four first songs I became obsessed with when I first learned about Maiden from a friend. The other three were Caught Somewhere in Time, When the Wild Wind Blows and The Clansman, all of which made my top 60, while Brave New World did not. And it really is a function of that incessantly repetitive chorus.
Mother Russia and Como Estais Amigos are both really interesting choices, both ones that I enjoy but not quite enough to put them this high. Como Estais Amigos definitely has the emotion, but I also share your view that there is a bit of a plodding issue in parts. Thinking about it now, it actually would probably be in the bottom half of VXI for me, but that's maybe more a testament to my love of that under-loved album than to a dislike of Como, which I do enjoy.
Mother Russia you called a continuation of the Seventh Son sound, and while I know what you mean, I'd call it more an echo of that sound. The whole rest of that album, pretty much, is a sharp turn away from the band's progressive trend, and Mother Russia is the only place where you can hear any of it left at all. But it's a fairly weak vestige. It's nothing like Infinite Dreams or Seventh Son of a Seventh Son in terms of progressiveness.
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Ghost of the Navigator and Empire of the Clouds are perfect choices for this section of the list. Both have a lot going for them, with pretty distinct vibes. I too am still not quite sure where Empire will ultimately land for me. And I suppose I agreed with you and Stadler in putting If Eternity Should Fail and The Book of Souls above it.
I feel very similarly as you about Brave New World. This was one of the four first songs I became obsessed with when I first learned about Maiden from a friend. The other three were Caught Somewhere in Time, When the Wild Wind Blows and The Clansman, all of which made my top 60, while Brave New World did not. And it really is a function of that incessantly repetitive chorus.
Mother Russia and Como Estais Amigos are both really interesting choices, both ones that I enjoy but not quite enough to put them this high. Como Estais Amigos definitely has the emotion, but I also share your view that there is a bit of a plodding issue in parts. Thinking about it now, it actually would probably be in the bottom half of VXI for me, but that's maybe more a testament to my love of that under-loved album than to a dislike of Como, which I do enjoy.
Mother Russia you called a continuation of the Seventh Son sound, and while I know what you mean, I'd call it more an echo of that sound. The whole rest of that album, pretty much, is a sharp turn away from the band's progressive trend, and Mother Russia is the only place where you can hear any of it left at all. But it's a fairly weak vestige. It's nothing like Infinite Dreams or Seventh Son of a Seventh Son in terms of progressiveness.
Yeah, I felt like both Ghost and Empire should be on the list, but not too high. :biggrin:
It really is a shame about BNW's chorus. Melodically, it's still pretty dang strong. It's just the lyrics there get old fast. It'll never happen, but I'd love to see someone do a cover or update on this song and tweak the lyrics of the chorus specifically to address that issue. But again, unlikely to ever happen.
Yeah, I can definitely agree that Mother Russia is sort of a shell or echo to the sound of Seventh Son- that's why the songs you name dropped are considerably higher on the list than MR. :tup
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Another day, another update on the List! :metal
35. "Aces High" - Quite possibly the most iconic opening song to an Iron Maiden, "Aces High" has always been full of high octane energy and all-around charm. There's something about how the music video or the live performances start with that sampling of Winston Churchhill's famous 'We shall fight' speech that never fails to send shivers down my spine. However, despite my appreciation and love for the song, "Aces High" has the same problem that pretty much every other song in this section of the countdown has; There's thirty more Iron Maiden songs that I ultimately love more.
34. "Children of the Damned" - The band's early tribute to the Dio-era of Black Sabbath, "Children of the Damned" is the sort of great, moody song that we don't see them write very often nowadays. I was lucky to catch it live at one of the live shows I attended and I remember Bruce making a rather surprising joke about how some of the younger audience members might have just been erm... made to this song. :lol
33. "Rainmaker" - Like "Brave New World" before it, "Rainmaker" was one of those Iron Maiden songs that I latched onto pretty early into my love for the band and never really stopped loving it. Part of me really wanted to rank it higher, but as I basically consider this wave of songs to all generally be equal to one another, but not quite on par with the remaining thirty songs on my list, I'm afraid "Rainmaker" will have to settle for the spot of Number 33.
32. "The Clansman" - One of the best epics to come from the Blaze era. While I think Blaze does well on the studio version, "The Clansman" really does come to life in a big way when Bruce sings it instead. In particular, I think Bruce's wider vocal range allows him to make more use of those repeated "FREEDOMMMMMM" choruses and allow each line to feel a bit more unique and build up interest more and more. However, as you will all notice very quickly in the next sets of songs on my list, a vast majority of my favorite Maiden songs are the band's epics- and unfortunately "The Clansman" just couldn't break into the Top 30 for me.
31. "22 Acacia Avenue" - When I first started my list, I thought for sure "22 Acacia Avenue" would make it into my Top 30 or 25. It's a great song and one of the less appreciated gems from Number of the Beast. However, as I was finalizing this particular segment of the list, the other contenders that I had in mind for Number 31 all just... struck me a bit more emotionally. I can absolutely see and respect why someone else might include "22 Acacia Avenue" in their Top 10, but as much as I like and respect it, the song just doesn't quite bare that same emotional heft for me.
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Great group, with Rain, Aces and 22 all much higher for me. I've pretty much confessed my love for most here.
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Great group, with Rain, Aces and 22 all much higher for me. I've pretty much confessed my love for most here.
Yeah, like I said before- I totally get why someone would rank these songs higher. I almost did myself! However if I'm being honest with myself, I'm a huge sucker for the band's epics, so from here on out there's only a few shorter or midlength Maiden songs left on my Top 30 (roughly 8 or 10, in fact). So as much as I wanted to put some of those other 20-ish epics in this slot instead, I kept going back and listening to them all and struggling to determine which of the lot I could 'banish' out of the Top 30... And at the end of the day, I felt like I'd be lying through my teeth if I'd done the list that way.
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Great group, with Rain, Aces and 22 all much higher for me. I've pretty much confessed my love for most here.
Yeah, like I said before- I totally get why someone would rank these songs higher. I almost did myself! However if I'm being honest with myself, I'm a huge sucker for the band's epics, so from here on out there's only a few shorter or midlength Maiden songs left on my Top 30 (roughly 8 or 10, in fact). So as much as I wanted to put some of those other 20-ish epics in this slot instead, I kept going back and listening to them all and struggling to determine which of the lot I could 'banish' out of the Top 30... And at the end of the day, I felt like I'd be lying through my teeth if I'd done the list that way.
Maiden are a band that are so strong across the board songs ranked at 30-40 just seems criminal but they are still classic songs, it's just they have to go somewhere because the strength of other songs is just too good.
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Great group, with Rain, Aces and 22 all much higher for me. I've pretty much confessed my love for most here.
Yeah, like I said before- I totally get why someone would rank these songs higher. I almost did myself! However if I'm being honest with myself, I'm a huge sucker for the band's epics, so from here on out there's only a few shorter or midlength Maiden songs left on my Top 30 (roughly 8 or 10, in fact). So as much as I wanted to put some of those other 20-ish epics in this slot instead, I kept going back and listening to them all and struggling to determine which of the lot I could 'banish' out of the Top 30... And at the end of the day, I felt like I'd be lying through my teeth if I'd done the list that way.
Maiden are a band that are so strong across the board songs ranked at 30-40 just seems criminal but they are still classic songs, it's just they have to go somewhere because the strength of other songs is just too good.
Exactly. I just know there'll be some folks who look at my list and gasp at the exclusion of certain Maiden "classics" from even making my Top 50, but hey- that's just a testament to how incredible this band's catalogue is from start to finish.
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I tend to get resentment towards most bands' popular songs. There's something about a song that the band plays live endlessly and gets a lot of attention that makes me regard it as inferior to less popular/played tracks. But Aces High is definitely an exception. It is without a doubt one of the most brilliant songs the band ever made and every bit deserving of its praise. You do have it much lower than I would, but I'm enjoying the oddball choices and rankings on your list. Rainmaker is super catchy and one I forget exists so great pick there. Never been a big fan of Acacia or Children but they're not bad songs at all.
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Really strong songs in the latest batch. I think all have been featured before. For me, Aces High would be much higher and same with Children of the Dammed, this is just a classic song which has everything. Rainmaker is a great catchy tune and lots has been already said about The Clansman. 22 would also be higher for me I'd say, another song that I just love.
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I tend to get resentment towards most bands' popular songs. There's something about a song that the band plays live endlessly and gets a lot of attention that makes me regard it as inferior to less popular/played tracks. But Aces High is definitely an exception. It is without a doubt one of the most brilliant songs the band ever made and every bit deserving of its praise. You do have it much lower than I would, but I'm enjoying the oddball choices and rankings on your list. Rainmaker is super catchy and one I forget exists so great pick there. Never been a big fan of Acacia or Children but they're not bad songs at all.
Yeah, I'm often the same way myself. That's why you won't be seeing "Number of the Beast" or "Run to the Hills" anywhere on my list, for instance.
Really strong songs in the latest batch. I think all have been featured before. For me, Aces High would be much higher and same with Children of the Dammed, this is just a classic song which has everything. Rainmaker is a great catchy tune and lots has been already said about The Clansman. 22 would also be higher for me I'd say, another song that I just love.
If it makes you feel any better, I can say that while I did list specific numbers for this latest batch, I am personally reading all five of these particular songs in my head as #31A to #31E. Ultimately they all just barely didn't make it into my Top 30.
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This is a good segment. Love all of the songs on this segment.
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This is a good segment. Love all of the songs on this segment.
Greatly appreciated! :metal
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First off, my sincere apologies for not doing an update sooner- I've been rather busy IRL lately and a bit under the weather the past few days. Secondly, due to these circumstances, I will most likely come back later and edit this post to go in better detail of my thoughts on each individual song. :lol
30. "Where Eagles Dare" - Talk about one hell of a first impression from Nicko McBrain on this track! This is also one of my personal favorite vocal performances ever from Bruce.
29. "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" - One of several epics from A Matter of Life & Death, but admittedly one of the few I go back to only every once and awhile.
28. "If Eternity Should Fail" - One of the band's best ever opening tracks. In fact, there's only two other openers that I prefer from the band.
27. "Wasted Years" - One of Maiden's best ever 'hit singles.' It might be a tad poppier than usual from the band, but it's hard not to love the hell out of that main riff.
26. "Where The Wild Wind Blows" - I remember the hype surrounding this particular song ahead of the album's release in 2010. While I don't think this is quite on par with something like say "Hallowed Be Thy Name," this is still one of Steve's best works in the Reunion era.
Again, I might come back to this and delve in more detail for each song, but right now I'm just not in the right shape to write whole paragraphs for each song. :lol
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First off, my sincere apologies for not doing an update sooner- I've been rather busy IRL lately and a bit under the weather the past few days. Secondly, due to these circumstances, I will most likely come back later and edit this post to go in better detail of my thoughts on each individual song. :lol
30. "Where Eagles Dare" - Talk about one hell of a first impression from Nicko McBrain on this track! This is also one of my personal favorite vocal performances ever from Bruce.
29. "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" - One of several epics from A Matter of Life & Death, but admittedly one of the few I go back to only every once and awhile.
28. "If Eternity Should Fail" - One of the band's best ever opening tracks. In fact, there's only two other openers that I prefer from the band.
27. "Wasted Years" - One of Maiden's best ever 'hit singles.' It might be a tad poppier than usual from the band, but it's hard not to love the hell out of that main riff.
26. "Where The Wild Wind Blows" - I remember the hype surrounding this particular song ahead of the album's release in 2010. While I don't think this is quite on par with something like say "Hallowed Be Thy Name," this is still one of Steve's best works in the Reunion era.
Again, I might come back to this and delve in more detail for each song, but right now I'm just not in the right shape to write whole paragraphs for each song. :lol
Almost every one of these songs COULD be in my top ten. I'm pretty sure that means I have 18 top 10 songs - haha! - but every one of these songs is in part why I'm still a Maiden fan to this day, and why they are one of the few bands I will go see regardless of situation (venue, album, etc.).
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Not quite almost every one of these 5 songs COULD be in my top 10 - but 3 definitely could be: Where Eagles Dare, Wasted Years and Where The Wild Wind Blows.
Along with Paschendale (which still may feature?) WTWWB is my favourite reunion era song, just always loved this one and enjoy it every time I listen to it. The middle heavy section just rules.
Where Eagles Dare and Wasted Years are classics.
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns - a really strong track and I get all the love for it but not one of my favourites.
If Eternity Should Fail - this is one I just never felt the love for. Even live in concert, it didn't really work for me. Sure it had the hype of the opening song so the crowd were fired up but I felt we were all sick of it before the end. Upon release I absolutely loved The Book of Souls album but it really has not aged well for me, whereas other reunion era albums - TFF especially have just got better and better over time.
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Yeah, that's the crazy thing about Iron Maiden; they've got so many gems in their catalogue, it's both incredibly easy and difficult to think up a "Top 25/10/5 Songs" list. :lol
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Nice batch.
I will say and I've said it before, but I've never understood all the love for BTATS. It's good but never understood the high praise of it.
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This is a brilliant set of songs. All but Wasted Years are top 25 for me. Wasted Years is one that I love but somehow did not have on my list at all because of how insanely deep this discography is.
Going back to your last post, which I neglected to comment on, I definitely agree with your choices of Aces High and The Clansman. Rainmaker is a very solid song that also made a strong impression on me early on, but it just isn't quite in the upper echelons for me. Children of the Damned and 22 Acacia Avenue are two songs that I like, and which I understand why people love, but that ultimately don't quite strike me the way they do for others. I also am not crazy about the lyrics of 22.
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This is a brilliant set of songs. All but Wasted Years are top 25 for me. Wasted Years is one that I love but somehow did not have on my list at all because of how insanely deep this discography is.
Going back to your last post, which I neglected to comment on, I definitely agree with your choices of Aces High and The Clansman. Rainmaker is a very solid song that also made a strong impression on me early on, but it just isn't quite in the upper echelons for me. Children of the Damned and 22 Acacia Avenue are two songs that I like, and which I understand why people love, but that ultimately don't quite strike me the way they do for others. I also am not crazy about the lyrics of 22.
I love the slutiness and cheesiness of it all.
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"You're packing your bags, you're coming with meeeeeeeee"
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Beat her, mistreat her, do anything that you please
Bite her, excite her, make her get down on her knees
Abuse her, misuse her, she can take all that you've got
Caress her, molest her, she always does what you want
I love these lyrics. Now I'm talking in context, not actually unwarranted abuse against women but in context of the song, it's brutal and I love it.
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Right. Context. He's actually trying to save her.
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Right. Context. He's actually trying to save her.
Indeed. Those lyrics I pointed out though I guess I like the extreme graphic visions you get from the words like 'beat' and 'molest.' Being the character that Charlotte is, I like those lyrics because they are not afraid to really exploit the full nature of what her character is and what she does. The lyrics aren't sugar coated which is great from a band like Maiden that don't have swearing or offensive language in their music. The moralo f the stroy is indeed as you say a good one with the protagonist trying to save Charlotte. it's chessy but a cool story. The story following on from the original song is a nice touch too. I wish they weren't further with the story. Hooks and Eternity just don't cut it referencing 22 and Charlotte. They should have done much more if you ask me.
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At the end of the day, 22 rules because of the amazing music. It's a Top 10 Maiden song for me easy.
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At the end of the day, 22 rules because of the amazing music. It's a Top 10 Maiden song for me easy.
We all knew where I put it, but yeah, musically it's just fabulous. The chugging rhythm guitars are just excellent, even UFO stylings in the rhythms? Everything is like a mix of UFO and Sabbath in that departement of that song, it's glorious. The outro is one of Maiden's best.
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At the end of the day, 22 rules because of the amazing music. It's a Top 10 Maiden song for me easy.
We all knew where I put it, but yeah, musically it's just fabulous. The chugging rhythm guitars are just excellent, even UFO stylings in the rhythms? Everything is like a mix of UFO and Sabbath in that departement of that song, it's glorious. The outro is one of Maiden's best.
Yeah, it totally finds another gear.
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No doubt 22 rules. One of my all time favourites for sure, however the lyrics 'out of context' probably aren't the greatest message in this day and age (although they are great lyrics! If you know what I mean....) I have 3 daughters - aged 15, 13 and 11 and I kind of feel it isn't appropriate to play that song around them if that makes sense...
But apart from that, a brilliant song. Awesome arrangement and really interesting musically, continues to build, amazing vocals and solos. Just an epic song.
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No doubt 22 rules. One of my all time favourites for sure, however the lyrics 'out of context' probably aren't the greatest message in this day and age (although they are great lyrics! If you know what I mean....) I have 3 daughters - aged 15, 13 and 11 and I kind of feel it isn't appropriate to play that song around them if that makes sense...
But apart from that, a brilliant song. Awesome arrangement and really interesting musically, continues to build, amazing vocals and solos. Just an epic song.
Totally get that, but some of the modern crap I've heard and the lyrics kids are exposed to these days makes the 22 lyrics sound like a nursey rhyme.
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Nice batch.
I will say and I've said it before, but I've never understood all the love for BTATS. It's good but never understood the high praise of it.
Definitely a fair take. Like I said, it's a great epic IMO, but it's not even my top three off the album. But we'll get back to that later. :hat
This is a brilliant set of songs. All but Wasted Years are top 25 for me. Wasted Years is one that I love but somehow did not have on my list at all because of how insanely deep this discography is.
Going back to your last post, which I neglected to comment on, I definitely agree with your choices of Aces High and The Clansman. Rainmaker is a very solid song that also made a strong impression on me early on, but it just isn't quite in the upper echelons for me. Children of the Damned and 22 Acacia Avenue are two songs that I like, and which I understand why people love, but that ultimately don't quite strike me the way they do for others. I also am not crazy about the lyrics of 22.
Yeah, there's bound to be a few great Maiden songs that aren't in my list because of the sheer size and scope of top notch Maiden songs out there.
And I concur; I'm not particularly keen on 22's lyrics either. But the song is pretty great musically!
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No doubt 22 rules. One of my all time favourites for sure, however the lyrics 'out of context' probably aren't the greatest message in this day and age (although they are great lyrics! If you know what I mean....) I have 3 daughters - aged 15, 13 and 11 and I kind of feel it isn't appropriate to play that song around them if that makes sense...
But apart from that, a brilliant song. Awesome arrangement and really interesting musically, continues to build, amazing vocals and solos. Just an epic song.
Totally get that, but some of the modern crap I've heard and the lyrics kids are exposed to these days makes the 22 lyrics sound like a nursey rhyme.
So some of you know I actually LIKE Harry Styles' music. I got that from my now-19-year-old daughter. I was singing "Watermelon Sugar" and I was playing my guitar and singing it to my kid and she says "Um, don't sing that in public". And I'm like why? And she says "Don't look up the lyrics". So of course I did, and I looked up the "urban dictionary" definition of "watermelon sugar" - there wasn't one that predated Harry's use - and I looked at the rest of the lyrics and there was only one phrase I didn't quite get. Sure enough, looked it up and WOW. I'm... WOW. :omg: If I ever sing this song in public again, I'll be changing THAT line!
So, yeah, while I get the sentiment and respect it, I think it's got to be in context.
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Sorry again for yet another delayed update! Life has been getting rather hectic, but I figured that I should try to at least squeeze in a new update before Election Day! :metal
25. "Isle of Avalon" - While I don't personally rank this particular epic off of The Final Frontier as high as others, it is absolutely a banger and more than earns its spot in my personal Top 25 Iron Maiden Songs!
24. "Lord of Light" - I feel a bit odd putting "Lord of Light" twenty spots lower than I originally did years ago in my first Top 25 Iron Maiden Songs list. It's still an absolute monster of an epic from the band and features one of Bruce's single greatest vocal performances as a singer. But I suppose my head's in a different space now than it was then, because I'm just not as compelled to revisit it as often as I used to.
23. "Blood On The World's Hands" - Now here's a bit of a funny story about this particular song; I initially placed "Blood On The World's Hands" very low in the first draft of my Top 50. But, as I kept revisiting my list and making adjustments with each new update, I found myself loving the song more and more- and recognized that it was going to inevitably end up somewhere in my Top 25. I'm actually rather surprised that the band's never played this particular song live, because I really do feel like it'd shine all the brighter with Bruce on the mic. It's a rather unique song in the band's catalogue in my humble opinion and represents one of the band's heaviest moments ever musically. I could totally see this song breaking into my Top 15 or higher next time around.
22. "Alexander the Great" - Ahh, "Alexander the Great." One of Iron Maiden's finest compositions musically, while simultaneously one of its most awkward lyrically. What can else I say though that hasn't already been said before? Adrian is on fire on this particular song! :metal
21. "Revelations" - While I will always prefer "Powerslaves" over "Revelations" as a whole, it's hard to deny just how great a first try Bruce Dickinson gave on for his first entirely self-composed song for the band. Lyrically, I might even say that Bruce has only matched "Revelations" a few times since in his career both in Maiden and as a solo artist!
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Blood on the Worlds Hands is a great choice. A unique, heavy song for Maiden. They did play it live though on the X Factour. There's even a great quality live recording on one of the versions of The Angel and The Gambler single and is on the Best of the B Sides too.
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Blood on the Worlds Hands is a great choice. A unique, heavy song for Maiden. They did play it live though on the X Factour. There's even a great quality live recording on one of the versions of The Angel and The Gambler single and is on the Best of the B Sides too.
Yeah, I didn't make it clear, but I was referring to the band never playing it live in the Reunion era. :lol I actually think the song would go over rather well live with the current lineup.
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Blood on the Worlds Hands is a great choice. A unique, heavy song for Maiden. They did play it live though on the X Factour. There's even a great quality live recording on one of the versions of The Angel and The Gambler single and is on the Best of the B Sides too.
Yeah, I didn't make it clear, but I was referring to the band never playing it live in the Reunion era. :lol I actually think the song would go over rather well live with the current lineup.
Fair call. Would be a monster deep cut if they brought that one out.
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Blood on the Worlds Hands is a great choice. A unique, heavy song for Maiden. They did play it live though on the X Factour. There's even a great quality live recording on one of the versions of The Angel and The Gambler single and is on the Best of the B Sides too.
Yeah, I didn't make it clear, but I was referring to the band never playing it live in the Reunion era. :lol I actually think the song would go over rather well live with the current lineup.
Fair call. Would be a monster deep cut if they brought that one out.
Honestly, I'm kinda surprised the band didn't pull out any X Factor songs when they were touring for A Matter of Life & Death. It would've fit the setlist wonderfully, though I suppose the band felt obligated to avoid deep cuts on that tour since they were already playing the entirety of their then-new album that was well over an hour long from start to finish live. :lol
But seriously; Just imagine AMOLAD era Bruce singing "Blood on the World's Hands." It'd be MONSTROUS. :metal
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Huh. I would've thought this set of songs would receive more feedback from everyone. :lol
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Sorry, I've been distracted. :)
I'm a big fan of Isle of Avalon; I was a member of Avalon String Band when it came out and so I kind of listened to it a lot for very dumb reasons (the title) but it's stuck with me. I'm a huge fan of TFF generally, and I just love the "musicality" of that album. It's as "beautiful" an album as you can get for Iron Maiden.
I love Revelations (It's always fun to post this: https://youtu.be/jLhf8caVIiI). Lord of Light is one of my favorite songs on AMOLAD, though I don't listen to it much.
I'll be honest; I think Alexander is over-rated. I was into Maiden in real time, and so following Hallowed..., To Tame A Land, and Rime..., AtG didn't really hold up. That album is also so different that there were other things (including the b-sides) that attracted more attention. In hindsight, it's not really gained a lot of charm for me.
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I've been distracted as well. Coming around to this batch, I think it's an excellent set of songs. I had Revelations and Avalon way up high in my own list, and Lord of Light and Alexander in a similar region. One small point of disagreement is that I don't think Bruce has ever matched Revelations as a solo composer.
Blood on the World's Hands is an interesting one. In my early period of Maiden fandom, I would have probably put it pretty high—20s or 30s. Over time, my interest in it has decreased some, but I still think it's an excellent song. I may have underrated it by not having it on my own list (or among the first few songs I left out).
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I'll have to say...I'm totally a fan of ALL that last batch of tunes. I'm really not that big a fan of AMOLAD as many here are but I must admit, Lord of Light is probably one of my favorite tunes on the album (that riff!) along with Benjamin Breeg and For the Greater Good. Sorry that I don't really have anything interesting to add to the thread. :blush
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I will say that I do like Alexander a bit less than I used to. Every part of the song is really cool (especially the intro and bridge) but for some reason it's not a song I really enjoy listening to. I also feel the same with To Tame A Land. But I would absolutely shit a ton of bricks if it ever made a setlist just for the novelty of seeing it performed live.
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Yes all great songs in the latest batch.
Isle of Avalon - has grown on me over time, as the Final Frontier album has. A great epic tune.
Lord of Light - another great reunion era tune. Really enjoy this one.
Blood on the World's Hands - this would be my second fav song on the album after Sign of the Cross. Really cool musically. I think Blaze does a pretty good job on this track and agree would be interesting to hear Bruce sing this one.
Alexander the Great - just love this one musically. I love the into, just a beautiful piece of music. The middle instrumental section is also really cool with great ideas which just adds to the epic nature of the tune.
Revelations - one of my absolute favourite Maiden songs without a doubt. The Live After Death version with Bruce's ad lib added vocals and his additional banter 'Los Angles can you feel it' etc is imprinted on my brain and my definitive version of the song.
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Lord Of Light might be my 2nd favorite Reunion Era track after The Talisman.
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Sorry, I've been distracted. :)
I'm a big fan of Isle of Avalon; I was a member of Avalon String Band when it came out and so I kind of listened to it a lot for very dumb reasons (the title) but it's stuck with me. I'm a huge fan of TFF generally, and I just love the "musicality" of that album. It's as "beautiful" an album as you can get for Iron Maiden.
I love Revelations (It's always fun to post this: https://youtu.be/jLhf8caVIiI). Lord of Light is one of my favorite songs on AMOLAD, though I don't listen to it much.
I'll be honest; I think Alexander is over-rated. I was into Maiden in real time, and so following Hallowed..., To Tame A Land, and Rime..., AtG didn't really hold up. That album is also so different that there were other things (including the b-sides) that attracted more attention. In hindsight, it's not really gained a lot of charm for me.
You're not wrong; TFF is probably the "prettiest" album from Maiden musically. Its production aside, the album has aged incredibly well for me over the past decade. It's filled to the brim with incredible and varied music from start to finish.
I've been distracted as well. Coming around to this batch, I think it's an excellent set of songs. I had Revelations and Avalon way up high in my own list, and Lord of Light and Alexander in a similar region. One small point of disagreement is that I don't think Bruce has ever matched Revelations as a solo composer.
Blood on the World's Hands is an interesting one. In my early period of Maiden fandom, I would have probably put it pretty high—20s or 30s. Over time, my interest in it has decreased some, but I still think it's an excellent song. I may have underrated it by not having it on my own list (or among the first few songs I left out).
That's definitely a fair argument to make for Revelations, 425. It's definitely one of his most creative works and I appreciate it more with every passing year, but it'll be awhile before I think it'd ever have a shot at dethroning Powerslave or the various highlights off of Bruce's solo album The Chemical Wedding.
I'll have to say...I'm totally a fan of ALL that last batch of tunes. I'm really not that big a fan of AMOLAD as many here are but I must admit, Lord of Light is probably one of my favorite tunes on the album (that riff!) along with Benjamin Breeg and For the Greater Good. Sorry that I don't really have anything interesting to add to the thread. :blush
No worries! I really love the slight throwback to classic Black Sabbath vibes that are present in Lord of Light. It's a monster of a song.
I will say that I do like Alexander a bit less than I used to. Every part of the song is really cool (especially the intro and bridge) but for some reason it's not a song I really enjoy listening to. I also feel the same with To Tame A Land. But I would absolutely shit a ton of bricks if it ever made a setlist just for the novelty of seeing it performed live.
Yeah, I think the biggest strengths of Alexander are Adrian's guitarwork and that "cult classic" element it has going for it.
Lord Of Light might be my 2nd favorite Reunion Era track after The Talisman.
Makes sense. Both songs are easily Bruce's finest vocal performances in the whole Reunion Era, and are only ever rivaled on a few songs from the Classic era.
Yes all great songs in the latest batch.
Isle of Avalon - has grown on me over time, as the Final Frontier album has. A great epic tune.
Lord of Light - another great reunion era tune. Really enjoy this one.
Blood on the World's Hands - this would be my second fav song on the album after Sign of the Cross. Really cool musically. I think Blaze does a pretty good job on this track and agree would be interesting to hear Bruce sing this one.
Alexander the Great - just love this one musically. I love the into, just a beautiful piece of music. The middle instrumental section is also really cool with great ideas which just adds to the epic nature of the tune.
Revelations - one of my absolute favourite Maiden songs without a doubt. The Live After Death version with Bruce's ad lib added vocals and his additional banter 'Los Angles can you feel it' etc is imprinted on my brain and my definitive version of the song.
Yeah, there's one other song off of The X Factor that I like just a wee bit more than Blood On The World's Hands besides Sign of the Cross, but the margins between the two are getting closer and closer the more I listen to Blood. I really do think it'd take on new life and shine all the more with Bruce at the mic.
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Hmmm...LOL is cool but I never rated it as high as most do. I always found the chorus a bit anticlimactic.
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Another week, another update! Welcome... to the Top 20! :metal
20. "The Book of Souls" - I'll admit that if I were to redo this list again, I'm not sure that this song would rank as high as this, as its exact position is kinda impossible for me to pin it down exactly. Regardless I do consider "The Book of Souls" to be one of Janick Gers' strongest contributions to the band. I'm quite happy that I was able to catch this epic live a few years back.
19. "Caught Somewhere In Time" - One of my favorite opening songs to an album ever. While the chorus might be a tad goofy lyrically, the memorable melodies and thick synthesized guitars instantly tell you that Somewhere In Time is a rather different animal from most other Maiden albums. And quite frankly, the band has only been this musically ambitious for an album opener a handful of times over the years... And I think everyone in this forum can guess what my absolute favorite Maiden opener is. :lol
18. "2 A.M." - Kind of like "The Book of Souls," I wasn't entirely sure where to put "2 A.M." on the list. I knew it had to be within my Top 20 at minimum, but I wasn't sure if I had it in me to put it in my Top 15 or higher. For now, I opted against it for the purpose of pure ranking of the song. But on a personal level, I feel that "2 A.M." is hands down one of the most emotionally cutting and relatable songs to ever come from the band. It really does nail that haunted, exhaustive quietness I feel on late nights and try to contemplate my place in the world.
17. "Infinite Dreams" - What can I say? This song is a jewel.
16. "The Trooper" - God, what an incredible song. I've always argued that hits like "Number of the Beast" or "Run to the Hills" are kinda overrated, but frankly "The Trooper" is just that great a song.
While I could opt to wax lyrical about its various great live performances from the band, I'll actually take a moment to give a shoutout to The Protomen's cover of the song from a few years back. Featured on what happens to be the only existing "concept album" I know that consists entirely of cover songs, The Protomen do an incredible job adapting the Maiden classic (and other 70's/80's songs) to fit within their ongoing sci-fi dystopian narrative. If you've ever wondered what "The Trooper" might've sounded like on Somewhere In Time or Seventh Son, this might be the closest you'll get to finding out heavy synths are utilized here alongside guitars.
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Very good not great batch.
I like TBOS a lot, but it's not my favorite from the set.
I really dig CSIT; I'm a big fan of that record, and while some of it sounds dated, it was always a favorite.
I couldn't tell you one thing about 2 A.M.; I'll have to go listen again.
Infinite Dreams is one of my favorite songs off of one of my favorite Maiden records. That's a truly great song, IMO.
Trooper; a great song buried on an album of great songs. I love it now live, but it always seemed to be 'slight" when compared to Where Eagles Dare, Revelations, Still Life, and To Tame A Land.
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Yeah, that's a great batch. Great writeup on 2AM. I feel you there. Love seeing this song so high.
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Just never felt the love for TBOS. I do enjoy it but it is far from a favourite.
2AM - Definitely one of the stronger tracks on the album. I can appreciate the love for this one but as I still struggle overall with the Blaze era of Maiden.
Now, the other 3 tracks these are all time favourite of mine. Love all three, yes I realise The Trooper is one of the more overplayed popular Maiden tracks but it is still awesome. The other 2 don't get played live enough!
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Ah geez, I'm a bit behind with this! Okay, let's keep a-trucking and bring the list back home!
15. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - What can I say that hasn't been said before about this song? This is what not to do if a bird $#%!'s on you! :lol
14. "The Talisman" - As a keen eye might recall from previous posts in this thread, I originally wasn't particularly fond of "The Talisman." However after years of being away from the song and finally revisiting it after praise in this thread, I was taken aback by just how blindingly terrific it actually is. Quite simply one of Bruce's best vocal performances in a song ever and I love how it just races right along all the way to the end.
13. "Killers" - Hands down Paul DiAnno's best vocal performance in an Iron Maiden song. There are two other songs from his tenure that I love just a bit more, but DiAnno's performance on "Killers" is just brilliant. DiAnno sounds like a punk-ified version of Rob Halford on this track and shrieks and screams in ways that he rarely ever did elsewhere.
12. "Coming Home" - Perhaps this might be a bit of an odd pick, but "Coming Home" just keeps growing on me with every passing year. The chorus is beautiful and as someone who's lived across the planet over the years and flown many an international flight, the lyrics really 'click' for me. It really captures a certain swelling feeling of relief that I tend to have every time I arrive at the destination airport after a lengthy series of flights over the course of a day. Now if only they wrote a song about how exhausting these flights can get... :biggrin:
11. "Sea of Madness" - One of my favorite contributions from Adrian Smith. Such a heavy and ridiculously underrated track from Somewhere In Time. I'm surprised the band hasn't brought this song back out to the setlists in recent years. I have a feeling a lot of fans would appreciate hearing this over "Heaven Can Wait" again. :lol
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All great ones, especially Sea Of Madness. Such a great track.
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Now THIS is a group of songs!!!! I'm a huge fan of Rime and Coming Home, so those are stellar picks. Killers isn't my favorite from the album, but the album is probably in my top three Maiden albums, so that's not really a bad thing. There's not a duff track on that record (MAYBE Innocent Exile) so it's a song I listen to a lot. I have to refresh a bit on The Talisman, but Sea Of Madness is also one of my favorite songs on an album that is one of my favorites.
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Excellent group. Although I never quite understood the love for Coming Home truthfully.
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Excellent group. Although I never quite understood the love for Coming Home truthfully.
That chorus is just incredible. Modern Maiden may be long-winded and repetitive, but they still are able to deliver a strong chorus which must be incredible in front of 100k fans.
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Excellent group. Although I never quite understood the love for Coming Home truthfully.
Thinking a bit more on it, I think part of my attraction for Coming Home is how it sounds rather reminiscent of something you might hear off of one of Bruce's solo albums. It's a bit different musically from a lot of other Maiden songs, especially in the Reunion Era, but it's still quite melodic. The chorus is breathtaking.
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I'll have to check it again. TFF is probably due for a listen anyway.
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Great latest batch - worth the wait!
I actually love Coming Home, just a really strong track and has an excellent vibe. The opening riff is a highlight as well as Bruce's vocals.
Sea of Madness and Rime are definitely 2 of my very favourite Maiden songs, in truth if I was doing a ranking Rime would probably be my #2 song. And agree it would be awesome to hear Sea of Madness live.
The Talisman is an epic tune and I get the love for this one.
Killers - always loved this track. Personally I wouldn't rank it this high but great to see it on a list (not sure it has featured previously?) Overall not sure the album Killers has got enough love in this thread, it is an album full of great songs.
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Excellent group. Although I never quite understood the love for Coming Home truthfully.
I'll try..
What I like about it...
I love the lyrics and how Bruce paints the picture of flying the band home.
I love Bruce's performance on it, as you can feel his emotion in his vocals.
I love (Adrian's) solo where it's just bass and drums underneath. I don't think maiden has ever done that before, but it's really cool, and shows how the band continues to grow and stretch musically in the Reunion Era.
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Excellent group. Although I never quite understood the love for Coming Home truthfully.
I'll try..
What I like about it...
I love the lyrics and how Bruce paints the picture of flying the band home.
I love Bruce's performance on it, as you can feel his emotion in his vocals.
I love (Adrian's) solo where it's just bass and drums underneath. I don't think maiden has ever done that before, but it's really cool, and shows how the band continues to grow and stretch musically in the Reunion Era.
I can't even think of that solo section in my head. Definitely need a revisit then.
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I don't think the solo is just bass and drums underneath, there is also some soft picking guitar arpeggios I think. However drums and bass are much louder in the mix.
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Welcome to the homestretch, everyone! :metal
10. "Remember Tomorrow" - I don't think I included this song in my previous Top Iron Maiden Songs list seven years ago, but in the time since then, "Remember Tomorrow" has rapidly grown on me as one of the absolute finest Maiden songs ever written. Not just from the DiAnno era, but in general. It's a rather unique and haunting song in the band's catalogue as I don't really feel that they've ever tried to write another song quite like it in the forty years since the band's debut first came out. As an aside, I'd love to give a shout out to Opeth's old cover of this song. Really faithful to the spirit of the original, but it's a bit faster and I think Mikael does a better job with the high notes than Paul did in the original. Still, either version of the song is great and the OG more than earns its spot in my Top 10 Iron Maiden Songs.
9. "Powerslave" - I. LOVE. THIS. SONG. I know it's cheesy. But god, there's something inherently adrenaline-inducing about "Powerslave" that I've always loved. And for my money, "Powerslave" might just feature the band's best guitar solos segment. Adrian and Dave run the gamut in this song. If I'm remembering it right, the band actually played it live when I saw them on the Book of Souls tour three years ago... and I distinctly recall having a stupidly wide grin on my face the whole time.
8. "Starblind" - Shocker, "Starblind" made it into my Top 10 list. Again. :lol I will admit that musically the song is aging a bit for me, though I do still love Adrian's frequent jazzy, improvisational soloing underneath Bruce's vocal melodies throughout the song. At the end of the day though, the charm for "Starblind" rests heavily in its lyrics. I don't necessarily agree with the general message of the song, but these are hands down some of Bruce's finest lyrics ever. Also, the breakdown riff in this song right after the solos is one of my top three moments of any Iron Maiden song ever. It's such a show-stopping moment musically and I'm shocked the band never tried to play this beauty live.
7. "Phantom of the Opera" - Here it is; the first Iron Maiden epic. And forty years later, only six other epics have ever managed to top "Phantom" for me. It is THE best song written from the DiAnno era... but as I said seven years ago, this song feels as though it was subconsciously written by Steve with Bruce's voice in mind. Paul, for all of his punkish bite and charm, doesn't quite manage to elevate the more 'epic' moments of this song the same way Bruce has done ever since he came onboard. If you want to hear THE definitive version of "Phantom of the Opera," look no further than the Beast Over Hammersmith performance. Bruce CRUSHES it there. That said, the one on "Live After Death" is also a solid performance too.
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OK, 3 absolute standout songs here.
Very happy to see Remember Tomorrow, a really special and unique song in the Maiden catalogue. I actually think DiAnno does a great job on the song but I do also really enjoy Bruce's version on A Real Live Dead One.
Powerslave - without a doubt one of the great Maiden solo sections. This song does really does go to another level (as many Maiden songs do) when you see it performed live in concert.
Phantom - agree totally with the writeup.
Starblind - to me this is a good song, I get the love but it isn't a favourite of mine. I kind of think overall the song is a bit long.
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Love Starblind being so high personally.
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This is a great group. I'm a big fan of Powerslave the song, too, and while I actually prefer Strange World, I'm also a fan of Remember Tomorrow (one of the few songs that Di'Anno sings better than Dickinson; I don't like Bruce's "AH-ah-AHHHS!")
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OK, 3 absolute standout songs here.
Very happy to see Remember Tomorrow, a really special and unique song in the Maiden catalogue. I actually think DiAnno does a great job on the song but I do also really enjoy Bruce's version on A Real Live Dead One.
Powerslave - without a doubt one of the great Maiden solo sections. This song does really does go to another level (as many Maiden songs do) when you see it performed live in concert.
Phantom - agree totally with the writeup.
Starblind - to me this is a good song, I get the love but it isn't a favourite of mine. I kind of think overall the song is a bit long.
Yeah, just to clarify, I don't think DiAnno does a bad job on Remember Tomorrow. He's plenty great on it. I just think Mikael Akerfeldt gives a stronger performance overall in the Opeth cover. :lol
Love Starblind being so high personally.
It's such a great song! :metal
This is a great group. I'm a big fan of Powerslave the song, too, and while I actually prefer Strange World, I'm also a fan of Remember Tomorrow (one of the few songs that Di'Anno sings better than Dickinson; I don't like Bruce's "AH-ah-AHHHS!")
I think I could probably agree to the idea that Paul sings Remember Tomorrow a bit better than Bruce. But man oh man, Paul doesn't even come close to Bruce when we're talking Phantom of the Opera in my book. :lol
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Only one more batch of songs to go through after this... any guesses as to what the Top 3 will be? :biggrin:
6. "For the Greater Good of God" - If I remember correctly, "For the Greater Good of God" was in my last Top 25 Iron Maiden Songs list, albeit in a much lower ranking for whatever reason. It's always been one of my favorite songs from the band and is one of the finest ever epics from both the Reunion Era and from Steve Harris. The chorus might be a tad repetitive... but God, I love how Bruce sings the "Please tell me now what Life is!" segment.
5. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" - Let's face it. This song had to be on this list. It's basically the signature Iron Maiden song to rule them all. It's an epic, it's from the band's most well-known album and it flows effortlessly from start to finish, all up to that kick-ass closing riff. Bizarrely though, I've never actually managed to catch the band playing this song live, despite having seen Iron Maiden live twice now. Hopefully I'll be able to catch them again for a third show so I can finally hear this gem live for myself! :metal
4. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" - Here it is; The high water mark of Iron Maiden's "golden era." I'm not entirely sure why I prefer "Seventh Son" over "Hallowed," as admittedly its lyrics are quite cheesy in comparison to the existential contemplation of the previous song and of course "Seventh Son"'s chorus is one of the band's early examples of Steve Harris getting overly repetitive with the lyrics for the sake of catchiness... and yet, I do. I always have preferred this song. There's a sense of majesty to "Seventh Son" that no other song from the band has ever quite matched. It flows perfectly from start to finish, nailing the quieter, atmospheric segment that "Rime" doesn't quite pull off and then caps it all off with the only real contender I can think of that rivals the guitar solo segments of "Powerslave."
And yet, three songs still remain. Can you guess what's left? :biggrin:
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Epic trilogy here. 3 brilliant songs all top 10 worthy.
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Epic trilogy here. 3 brilliant songs all top 10 worthy.
Thanks!
Also, since I've been in the habit of name-dropping quality covers of some of these songs, I should add that I just found out earlier today that Wilderun recently did a cover of "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" for Century Media's physical CD reprinting of their latest album Veil of Imagination. And holy smokes, it's fantastic. You'll have to look it up on YouTube though, since it doesn't seem to be on Spotify or other main forms of music streaming.
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Three of the great Maiden tracks here. Hallowed is my number one song of all time by any artist. Seventh Son is a classic epic, and Greater Good of God is one of the best reunion era epics.
Now as for what remains....hard to remember what songs we haven't had yet without looking back so I would be just random guessing. If you want to give an update of the list so far I'll have a go at predicting the top 3.
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I need to catch up a little bit! I'll capture the two most recent posts here and try to go back farther at some point soon.
The most recent post is absolutely superb. These three are all absolutely top 10 songs, songs that any band should be proud of having released only one of. And yet they released all three of them, and a number of others that equal them or come close. I agree very much with your description of Seventh Son as majestic. That's always been what I've liked so much about that song. It's so grand.
As for the post right before that, Starblind is another superb choice, definite top 10 song. You pointed out many of the exact aspects of it I'd call my favorites: Bruce's lyrics, H's jazzy playing, *that* riff. Great choice, great description. The other three are very good Maiden songs; I have genuine affection for all of them. Just wouldn't place them this high. I don't think I've ever heard the Beast Over Hammersmith performance of Phantom. That release is so hard to find.
On guessing the top three: I would also benefit from a single-post recap of what's been listed so far.
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Three of the great Maiden tracks here. Hallowed is my number one song of all time by any artist. Seventh Son is a classic epic, and Greater Good of God is one of the best reunion era epics.
Now as for what remains....hard to remember what songs we haven't had yet without looking back so I would be just random guessing. If you want to give an update of the list so far I'll have a go at predicting the top 3.
Okay, yeah, here's a recap of the Top 50 list so far since both you and 425 asked. :metal
50. "Iron Maiden"
49. "Tears of a Clown"
48. "Journeyman"
47. "The Edge of Darkness"
46. "Still Life"
45. "Afraid To Shoot Strangers"
44. "Man On The Edge"
43. "Moonchild"
42. "These Colors Don’t Run"
41. "The Red & The Black"
40. "Como Estais Amigos"
39. "Brave New World"
38. "Empire of the Clouds"
37. "Ghost of the Navigator"
36. "Mother Russia"
35. "Aces High"
34. "Children of the Damned”
33. "Rainmaker"
32. "The Clansman"
31. "22 Acacia Avenue"
30. "Where Eagles Dare"
29. "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns"
28. "If Eternity Should Fail"
27. "Wasted Years"
26. "Where The Wild Wind Blows"
25. "Isle of Avalon"
24. "Lord of Light"
23. "Blood On The World's Hands"
22. "Alexander the Great"
21. "Revelations"
20. "The Book of Souls"
19. "Caught Somewhere In Time"
18. "2 A.M.”
17. "Infinite Dreams"
16. "The Trooper"
15. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
14. "The Talisman"
13. "Killers"
12. "Coming Home"
11. "Sea of Madness"
10. "Remember Tomorrow"
9. "Powerslave"
8. "Starblind"
7. "Phantom of the Opera"
6. "For the Greater Good of God"
5. "Hallowed Be Thy Name"
4. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son"
I need to catch up a little bit! I'll capture the two most recent posts here and try to go back farther at some point soon.
The most recent post is absolutely superb. These three are all absolutely top 10 songs, songs that any band should be proud of having released only one of. And yet they released all three of them, and a number of others that equal them or come close. I agree very much with your description of Seventh Son as majestic. That's always been what I've liked so much about that song. It's so grand.
As for the post right before that, Starblind is another superb choice, definite top 10 song. You pointed out many of the exact aspects of it I'd call my favorites: Bruce's lyrics, H's jazzy playing, *that* riff. Great choice, great description. The other three are very good Maiden songs; I have genuine affection for all of them. Just wouldn't place them this high. I don't think I've ever heard the Beast Over Hammersmith performance of Phantom. That release is so hard to find.
On guessing the top three: I would also benefit from a single-post recap of what's been listed so far.
The best bet for listening to Beast Over Hammersmith is to look up the individual tracks on YouTube and listen to it there. That's how I always listen to that particular version of Phantom of the Opera, as I don't own the CD myself and it's not available for listening on streaming platforms.
And yeah, it's a testament to just how incredible Iron Maiden's catalogue is that there's so many incredible songs that are all worthy of being seen as all-time greats and so many fans have different tastes to what they prefer from the band.
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Thanks for the recap. Your Phantom of the Opera write-up sort of indicates that all the remaining tracks are epics, which narrows things down.
After all the TXF love in this list, I think we see Sign of the Cross. We still haven't gotten any of the BNW or DoD epics, while there's been a lot of (much-deserved) love for the epics on AMOLAD and TFF. I'm going to say The Legacy is going to show up. And the other one has to be Paschendale, right? I'd be surprised if it missed out completely. Maybe these guesses are too influenced by my personal favorites, but I think I have good reasons to make them.
The best bet for listening to Beast Over Hammersmith is to look up the individual tracks on YouTube and listen to it there. That's how I always listen to that particular version of Phantom of the Opera, as I don't own the CD myself and it's not available for listening on streaming platforms.
Yeah, I figured. I wish there was a non-limited release of the audio.
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Paschendale
Dance of Death
Sign of the Cross
?
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Thanks for the recap. Your Phantom of the Opera write-up sort of indicates that all the remaining tracks are epics, which narrows things down.
After all the TXF love in this list, I think we see Sign of the Cross. We still haven't gotten any of the BNW or DoD epics, while there's been a lot of (much-deserved) love for the epics on AMOLAD and TFF. I'm going to say The Legacy is going to show up. And the other one has to be Paschendale, right? I'd be surprised if it missed out completely. Maybe these guesses are too influenced by my personal favorites, but I think I have good reasons to make them.
Paschendale
Dance of Death
Sign of the Cross
?
Hmm... Perhaps I've said too much... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVx3aucSBIA&ab_channel=BradleyNephilim) :lol
The best bet for listening to Beast Over Hammersmith is to look up the individual tracks on YouTube and listen to it there. That's how I always listen to that particular version of Phantom of the Opera, as I don't own the CD myself and it's not available for listening on streaming platforms.
Yeah, I figured. I wish there was a non-limited release of the audio.
Likewise. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Honestly I'm shocked the band hasn't re-released the various lesser known live releases on iTunes, Spotify and the like. Hell, you can't even get Rock In Rio on iTunes these days, which I find insane as it's arguably just as relevant a live album for Maiden fans as Live After Death.
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I think wolfking nailed it. Definitely going for Sign of the Cross and Paschendale and yeah I reckon Dance of Death is a good chance. But there are a number of other epics it could be.
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I think wolfking nailed it. Definitely going for Sign of the Cross and Paschendale and yeah I reckon Dance of Death is a good chance. But there are a number of other epics it could be.
Without giving everything away, I'll go ahead and own up to a minor mishap on my part earlier in the thread- I'd intended to include Dance of Death at around the same spot as The Book of Souls, but for some reason it slipped my list. It's not technically listed, so I won't be including it for the final rankings, but DoD would be around #20 if I'd remembered to actually include it as I'd planned. :lol
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DOD was the one of the three I wasn't confident on.
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Mr. G., I wanted to apologize for not being more involved in your list. So many great tunes.
The last 4 tracks you posted are pretty close to Top 10 tracks for me as well, with two of them being in my Top 3.
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Hmmm.....Maybe another smokie for the top 3 could be The Legacy.
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Just looking at that list, what an amazing career Iron Maiden has had.
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DOD was the one of the three I wasn't confident on.
Hmmm.....Maybe another smokie for the top 3 could be The Legacy.
Yeah, I think I probably gave a few too many clues ahead of time as to where this list is heading for my Top 3. :lol That and I think I've been vocal enough on my opinions on Iron Maiden over the years here to where some details from yesteryear might've stuck around.
Alrightyyyy then, since you and 425 figured it out already, I might as well cap things off here, rather than needlessly dragging things out for another week. :lol
3. "Paschendale" - Here it is; Adrian Smith's finest ever contribution to Iron Maiden. Quite frankly "Paschendale" is so incredible that I had a very hard time convincing myself not to cop out and give it a 1.c. ranking to tie it with the other two songs here. From start to finish, this epic showcases some of the band's finest and most fascinating musical cues ever. For instance, Nicko's opening S.O.S. drum beat is such a small, yet clever touch and it signals the tone that will follow for the next eight minutes.
2. "Sign of the Cross" - "Sign of the Cross" was my Number One pick seven years ago and it almost managed to successfully hold onto its crown again in 2020. Steve Harris has written a number of stellar epics for Iron Maiden over the years- and co-written even more, of course- but "Sign of the Cross" is his masterwork. Born from one of the darkest periods in the band's life, Harris went all out on "Sign" and it's a testament to the song that hardly any Maiden fan I run into dislikes it. I was tempted to put "Sign" at Number 1.b., but I think my heart rings a bit more deeply for my next pick. That said, both songs are of equal quality.
1. "The Legacy" - I'll never forgot the first time I heard "The Legacy." It was Summer 2009 and I was visiting family up in Indiana for a few weeks. While I was there, I picked up A Matter of Life and Death after being blown away by hearing "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" and "For the Greater Good of God" on YouTube just before the trip. At the time, every moment of my private free time was spent either listening to individual songs from the album or writing something as a result of the inspiration I felt from the album.
One day, as I listened to the album and paced back and forth across my aunt's kitchen, I suddenly heard an eerie acoustic riff began to play. It was a new song and it sounded rather promising. So I tuned in. Then suddenly a roaring riff blared out of my earbuds and I actually felt somewhat frightened by the song. What ensued blew me away and has largely always been my favorite Maiden song on an emotional level. While Janick and Steve have collaborated many times in the Reunion era with standout epics, they've never quite done anything like "The Legacy" before or after. And it is the finest Iron Maiden song out there.
Mr. G., I wanted to apologize for not being more involved in your list. So many great tunes.
The last 4 tracks you posted are pretty close to Top 10 tracks for me as well, with two of them being in my Top 3.
Thanks TAC! It's all good, these are busy times after all! And I'm glad to hear that you also appreciate those songs as well!
Just looking at that list, what an amazing career Iron Maiden has had.
No kidding.
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Nailed it. :metal
Great list mate!
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Reading this thread has been a treat, I personally don't think I could rank Maiden's song this way as there are so many that would be number 1 for me. But I like reading all of your thoughts on each track. There's always a circumstance or special situation attached to the first listening experience and when revisiting those tracks it really transports you back to that time. With Maiden's exhaustive list of amazing tracks it becomes a fun exercise in nostalgia and reminiscence.
Since I've been listening to the live albums (Post reunion so far) and shared my thoughts in the other thread, I went back and listened to the albums as well. Can't believe how good their Bruce phase II albums have been. Like TAC said an amazing career Maiden have had.
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Nailed it. :metal
Great list mate!
Much appreciated! I'm looking forward to seeing the next countdown! :metal
Reading this thread has been a treat, I personally don't think I could rank Maiden's song this way as there are so many that would be number 1 for me. But I like reading all of your thoughts on each track. There's always a circumstance or special situation attached to the first listening experience and when revisiting those tracks it really transports you back to that time. With Maiden's exhaustive list of amazing tracks it becomes a fun exercise in nostalgia and reminiscence.
Since I've been listening to the live albums (Post reunion so far) and shared my thoughts in the other thread, I went back and listened to the albums as well. Can't believe how good their Bruce phase II albums have been. Like TAC said an amazing career Maiden have had.
Yeah, it's very difficult for me to make these countdown lists. Especially when I widen the net and make it longer than 25 songs. :lol The band's been a creative juggernaut for decades now.
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Looking at the list, I noticed Fear Of The Dark didn't make the Top 50. That's interesting..
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Looking at the list, I noticed Fear Of The Dark didn't make the Top 50. That's interesting..
If I redid the list, FotD probably would've been Top 50 or the 40's if at all.
I like the song, but it's kinda in that same category for me that Run to the Hills and Number of the Beast are in. They're band staples, but they're kinda... overplayed? Which feels a little weird to me, considering Hallowed Be Thy Name made it in at Number 5, but then Hallowed is just flat out a monstrously superior song to any of those three, so I guess I'm able to tolerate it there? :lol
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Thanks for the recap. Your Phantom of the Opera write-up sort of indicates that all the remaining tracks are epics, which narrows things down.
After all the TXF love in this list, I think we see Sign of the Cross. We still haven't gotten any of the BNW or DoD epics, while there's been a lot of (much-deserved) love for the epics on AMOLAD and TFF. I'm going to say The Legacy is going to show up. And the other one has to be Paschendale, right? I'd be surprised if it missed out completely. Maybe these guesses are too influenced by my personal favorites, but I think I have good reasons to make them.
The best bet for listening to Beast Over Hammersmith is to look up the individual tracks on YouTube and listen to it there. That's how I always listen to that particular version of Phantom of the Opera, as I don't own the CD myself and it's not available for listening on streaming platforms.
Yeah, I figured. I wish there was a non-limited release of the audio.
Good quality (in terms of sound quality) copies of the show are available on eBay; I can't tell you if they are unofficial releases, or Eddie's Archive sets broken up. I would assumed the former.
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:metal @Mister Gold
Seeing the Legacy at #1 was a bit of a surprise. I think I really liked that song the 1st time I heard it and then after repeated listens it lost some of it's luster and I haven't felt inclined to listen to it since. I'll make a note to include it in my listening next time I'm playing tracks off AMoLaD and give a it good proper re-evaluation.
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:metal @Mister Gold
Seeing the Legacy at #1 was a bit of a surprise. I think I really liked that song the 1st time I heard it and then after repeated listens it lost some of it's luster and I haven't felt inclined to listen to it since. I'll make a note to include it in my listening next time I'm playing tracks off AMoLaD and give a it good proper re-evaluation.
Yeah, The Legacy might not be for everyone. But for my money, it's my favorite IM song. I just adore how it builds and builds and builds.
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Yep, these are all three highly deserving picks. I ranked them in the reverse order, but when you're at this level of quality, as you said, it's so hard to differentiate them. I really like your description of hearing The Legacy for the first time. You said it well: That riff really does roar.
This has been an awesome list! Some surprising and interesting differences from mine, but also a lot of love for some of my own favorite songs and albums.
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Yep, these are all three highly deserving picks. I ranked them in the reverse order, but when you're at this level of quality, as you said, it's so hard to differentiate them. I really like your description of hearing The Legacy for the first time. You said it well: That riff really does roar.
This has been an awesome list! Some surprising and interesting differences from mine, but also a lot of love for some of my own favorite songs and albums.
Yeah, honestly every time I think of that particular riff in The Legacy, my mind drifts back to that old saying about the supposed meaning of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony; "Thus Fate knocks at the door!" The riff has that same massive quality to it.
Plus, it's always nice to see the band showcasing a bit more of their inspirations from the prog-era of Genesis too, what with that Nursery Rhyme-ish opening acoustic line and all. Like I said earlier, the song just builds and builds and builds. It's like listening to a tornado or storm growing more and more chaotic with each passing minute, until at last it resumes back to a soft, hallowed silence.
I think what ultimately helped push over the song to Number 1 for me this go around though might've been the lyrics. Without getting very political, I think it's fair to say that I feel a lot more attuned to the goings on of the world now than I did seven years ago- and The Legacy has a very timeless quality in that there's always going to be corrupt politicians and leaders that are responsible for needless deaths and misfortune, be it on a battlefield or at home.
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Great list and great top 3. Can't really go wrong with those songs. Personally though I am always going to favour the classic era so I wouldn't have any of these songs this high. Paschendale would be my number 1 from those 3.