The BRUCE DICKINSON Discography v. Goodbye, Bruce

[TAC]

Beast is easily my favorite Maiden album. 6 out of the 8 tracks are flat out Maiden classics. I actually love Gangland..don't understand the hate.

As far as how Bruce sounds, I just think the band sonically jumped up a level with Piece Of Mind (which to me is where Bruce sounds the best he's ever had).

[bosk1]

Listen to any Maiden albums yet, boss?

Workin' on it.  From NOTB, I don't have the album, so I haven't commented yet.  But I have actually heard quite a few of the album versions of these songs.  Run To The Hills, obviously.  But some others as well.  I'm just becoming familiar with these tracks, and it's a bit distracting to have the DT versions in my head without really knowing the originals yet.  But I'm liking the originals a lot.  But as far as full albums, I only have one so far:  Piece of Mind.  So I'm waiting for that one to post more detailed comments. 

[bosk1]

I actually love Gangland..don't understand the hate.

Same here.  After only knowing the DT version, I YouTube'd the original and was sort of taken aback by how different it is.    But I really like it.

[Nel]

Listen to any Maiden albums yet, boss?

Workin' on it.  From NOTB, I don't have the album, so I haven't commented yet.  But I have actually heard quite a few of the album versions of these songs.  Run To The Hills, obviously.  But some others as well.  I'm just becoming familiar with these tracks, and it's a bit distracting to have the DT versions in my head without really knowing the originals yet.  But I'm liking the originals a lot.  But as far as full albums, I only have one so far:  Piece of Mind.  So I'm waiting for that one to post more detailed comments. 

Man, I love IM, but I heard DT's cover of To Tame A Land first, and the IM version just feels so... wrong. 

[Mladen]

The first two albums made Iron Maiden big, but The Number of the beast made them huge. The band needed a vocalist like Bruce Dickinson, who gave them more opportunities musically and even more diversity than the band had already had. His performance on this album, in my opinion, is absolutely stellar - I've been around all sorts of boards and spoke to so many friends and Iron Maiden fans in life, and this is the first time I actually hear someone saying that Bruce sounds weak on here. He sounds much better on the album in comparison to live shows from the subsequent tour. I'll agree on one thing, though, which is that he got even better with the time.

Invaders - A fast opener with some cool ideas musically, but Bruce gives it a great vibe with specifically accenting certain words. It's his first song with the band, and he already sounds so relaxed.

Children of the damned - It reminds me of Remember tomorrow with its contrast between mellow verses and a heavy riff that follows. I gotta say, I'm slightly underwhelmed by the verses, but the rest of the song is terrific.

The Prisoner - My 2nd favorite song on the album and one of their best songs ever. Iron Maiden choruses hardly get catchier than this. It's gonna be fantastic to hear it live on this tour.

22 acacia avenue - This song takes a while to get going, but it grabs me from that riff that jammindude mentioned. Dave Murray plays a wonderful bluesy solo, which is the song highlight.

The Number of the beast - I can only imagine how influential this song was to every young metal band on the planet when it came out. Everything about it is brilliant and I love it start to finish.

Run to the hills - Very overplayed, but when I manage to avoid it for a while and then return to it, I remember how great it actually is. A hit for a reason.

Gangland - It's a fun, fast song, but probably my least favorite on the album. What a shame that it's sandwiched between other masterpieces.

Total eclipse - What a sinister song. It should have been on the original copy of the album instead of Gangland, and not just the B-side. I particularly enjoy the stuff Clive does in the intro, and the chorus is very dark.

Hallowed be thy name - My favorite song of the album that probably belongs in my top 5 Maiden songs. I'm sure many fans would agree with me. Not to like this song is not to like Maiden.

Like its predecessor, the album sounds slightly rushed, but the songs are much better. It had enough ''ingredients'', so to speak, to become a enormous success and one of the biggest, best selling, most influential heavy metal albums ever released. Can you say classic? 9/10

[wkiml]

Just a thought...but from the posts I'm reading...the Old Fogies seem to love the album, those born after the album was released seem it hold it in lesser regard ( those having heard the latter albums prior to NOTB)

As someone who was into Maiden from the get go ( and having the privledge of seeing Maiden perform some of these songs prior to the actual album release) , This album is and will always be my favorite of the Bruce era.   The first time hearing these songs I was blown away and some of the songs on this album still are some of my favorite IM songs of all time  ( Number/Children/Acacia/Hallowed)

Clives' input on the first 3 albums are really what makes me love these albums so much

[bosk1]

You know, listening to the originals on YouTube, I have to say that there isn't a single song on this album that I don't like.  They all sound great.  I wasn't expecting to say this, but I think I might actually prefer this album to Piece of Mind by a good margin.

Not sure how that fits in with wkiml's post, since I am kind of in between the two extremes he posted.  I qualify for Fogey status (as I specifically recall when NOTB and Piece of Mind were released).  I heard some of the songs back then, to the extent they were periodically on the radio or MTV.  But I didn't listen to Maiden actively at all and couldn't have told you what more than a couple of their songs sounded like.  But as I am now discovering them, I am mostly liking the early material, even though I feel it obviously sounds dated.

[theseoafs]

You know, listening to the originals on YouTube, I have to say that there isn't a single song on this album that I don't like.  They all sound great.  I wasn't expecting to say this, but I think I might actually prefer this album to Piece of Mind by a good margin.

    Gotta say that I prefer POM, but both albums are so good that it doesn't make all the much of a difference.

Just a thought...but from the posts I'm reading...the Old Fogies seem to love the album, those born after the album was released seem it hold it in lesser regard ( those having heard the latter albums prior to NOTB)

I'm a young'un, but I definitely "get" NOTB.  It kicks ass.  In fact, I might as well do a track-by-track while I'm here.

Invaders - Definitely one of the weaker tracks on the album.  The verses and chorus just come off as weird to me -- not that it makes an immense difference when so much good music is to come.

Children of the Damned - Oh, hell yes.  Probably my 2nd favorite on the album.  COTD is atmospheric, beautiful, and sinister.  The intense choruses, reminiscent of Remember Tomorrow, provide a really interesting sonic contrast over the course of the song's first few minutes, and the outro is one of Maiden's best.  Nothing but good things to say about this one.

The Prisoner - Another wonderful song.  The introductory riff rocks, and it makes for a nice backdrop under the solo.  The verses are suitably energetic and rocking, but the choruses are what carries this one; it's just so damn catchy.

22 Acacia Avenue - A bit of a controversial song, I see.  22 is a stellar rocker, and my 3rd favorite on the album.  I don't find the lyrics "cheesy" at all, either.  This is classic Maiden, right here.

The Number of the Beast - What can I say about this one that hasn't already been said?  This is a deserving Maiden classic. 

Run to the Hills - Again, another deserving Maiden classic.  Listening to the album, I have to say that I prefer RTTH to the title track; I think I'd put it at no. 4.

Gangland - Eh, nothing special here.  There's nothing wrong with this song, it's just not very good, which is a problem when you're surrounded by such universally adored music.

Hallowed be Thy Name - This is the one.  The best song on the album, and one of the best Maiden songs ever written, period.

So, ranking-wise, I think we're looking at something like this:

1. Hallowed
2. Children
3. 22
4. Hills
5. Beast
6. Prisoner
---
7. Gangland
8. Invaders

[bosk1]

Well, I've only had POM since yesterday, so maybe I'll change my tune after a few more listens. 

[Perpetual Change]

I think Piece of Mind is better by a wide margin, but Number doesn't have anything as bad as

Inatime where dinosaurs roamed the earrrraaaaaaah
Inaland where swamps and caves werearaahHoOOOAAAAAAAMMMMMMEE

[theseoafs]

^That's exactly right.  Very few Maiden songs get as bad as

Inatime where dinosaurs roamed the earrrraaaaaaah
Inaland where swamps and caves werearaahHoOOOAAAAAAAMMMMMMEE

...but we'll get there in due time.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Oh man the debut for mr Air Siren! What can i say? Masterpiece? Yes indeed! The best? Naw not really but pretty damn close.

During the SBIT world tour Hallowed Be Thy Name was the closer and one of the songs that almost made me cry of joy.....especially during the "scream part"! Hallowed, The Number, Children, Run, The Prisoner, 22 Acacia, Invaders are all classics for me and for all the right reasons. To bad not all are live standards though!

I have to give Clive some love and even though i love Nicko and respect him like nothing else i think Clive's playing was a very very important part of the iconic "Maiden sound" and the success that followed, too bad he wasn't a part of it.

My rank:

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name
2. The Number of the Beast
3. Children of the Damned
4. The Prisoner
5. 22 Acacia Avenue
6. Run to the Hills
7. Invaders (Ahh Steve's bass play during the verse.)
8. Gangland
9. Total Eclipse

[darkshade]

This thread has inspired me to get back into Maiden. Unfortunately, all my Maiden CD's got very scratched over the years and I threw them all out a year or so ago, and all I have on my computer is the first couple of albums, and they're mp3s for some reason, so I may be doing a re-buy of their discography. I'll try to keep up with this thread, but you guys seem to be flying through the discography pretty fast.

[darkshade]

Listen to any Maiden albums yet, boss?

Workin' on it.  From NOTB, I don't have the album, so I haven't commented yet.  But I have actually heard quite a few of the album versions of these songs.  Run To The Hills, obviously.  But some others as well.  I'm just becoming familiar with these tracks, and it's a bit distracting to have the DT versions in my head without really knowing the originals yet.  But I'm liking the originals a lot.  But as far as full albums, I only have one so far:  Piece of Mind.  So I'm waiting for that one to post more detailed comments. 

Man, I love IM, but I heard DT's cover of To Tame A Land first, and the IM version just feels so... wrong. 

That song in general seems like it's missing something. Never thought it was as good as literally any of their other "epics".

[Perpetual Change]

Same here. I'm suddenly obsessed with Maiden. Is "En Vivo" any good? It sounds good on Spotify, but is it worth it, if I already have a ton of Iron Maiden DVDs?

[TAC]

Same here. I'm suddenly obsessed with Maiden. Is "En Vivo" any good? It sounds good on Spotify, but is it worth it, if I already have a ton of Iron Maiden DVDs?

Well it's much easier on the eyes than RiR and DOTR. It's not edited by Steve Harris so that already makes it better.

[Perpetual Change]

ot trying to knock the thread off-topic but, looking through Iron Maiden's DVDs, it's really shocking when you see how poorly much of the band's material is still represented, considering how many DVDs the band has. There is STILL no good DVD that covers a fair amount of post-Powerslave pre-Blaze era material. Blaze era material not on DVD already will probably NEVER get there. AMOLAD is completely unrepresented, AFAIK.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Same here. I'm suddenly obsessed with Maiden. Is "En Vivo" any good? It sounds good on Spotify, but is it worth it, if I already have a ton of Iron Maiden DVDs?

The documentary is awesome, if i remember correctly it focus around the killer crew.

ot trying to knock the thread off-topic but, looking through Iron Maiden's DVDs, it's really shocking when you see how poorly much of the band's material is still represented, considering how many DVDs the band has. There is STILL no good DVD that covers a fair amount of post-Powerslave pre-Blaze era material. Blaze era material not on DVD already will probably NEVER get there. AMOLAD is completely unrepresented, AFAIK.

The IM setlist live is like the hot argument/topic amongst IM fans since like forever.  You can safely say IM never shock when it comes to choosing setlist, other than some few times!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime
Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cause at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites
I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be that there's some sort of an error
Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream?

Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming
It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying?
After all I am not afraid of dying
Don't I believe that there never is an end?

As the guards march me out to the courtyard
Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God, why has he let me go?

As I walk all my life drifts before me
And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on
Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to seek the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand
Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Hallowed be Thy name


Sry but i just love the lyrics on this one!!

[The King in Crimson]

You know, when the topic of Number of the Best comes up, I usually find myself nodding silently in agreement with those saying it's a relatively weak album, until I actually listen to it.  It's not their best album by a long shot, but it is a supremely fun album.  I really wouldn't count any of the songs on NotB as being actively bad, some are just less good (even "Invaders" and "Gangland"). It does have a few 'overplayed' songs but those songs are still pretty awesome and great to sing along or headbang to.

In short, Iron Maiden have made much better albums and much worse albums, but NotB is a classic for a reason.

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name
2. The Prisoner
3. Number of the Beast
4. Children of the Damned
5. Run To The Hills
6. Total Eclipse
7. 22 Acacia Avenue
8. Gangland
9. Invaders

[425]

Ah, The Number of the Beast. Not Maiden's best album, but a pretty damn good one.

Invaders - I don't care what anyone says, this is a fantastic opener. There's that dominant Steve Harris bass, some very good solos, and Mr. Dickinson announces his presence with authority on those lyrics. "InVAders *doodooloodlelee*" I don't know, maybe it is cheesy, but it is a fantastic bit of heavy metal, and I wish they would play it live, I think it would slay as an opener and be a very pleasant surprise (though they do not exactly have a history of bringing out never-before-played songs, as those of us who have been pining for Alexander the Great well know).

Children of the Damned -
BD: "I wonder if I made myself clear enough on Invaders... The point I'm trying to make is that listening to this and with me on the vox will change your life."
SH: "Here are the vocal melodies for this next song"
BD: "Never mind, I think it will be perfectly clear."

Seriously, a hauntingly good semi-ballad that puts the new singer front and center. A lot of confidence they had in Bruce, and it was certainly not misplaced.

The Prisoner - This, I think, is sort of the forgetten track of the album, and I think that's a shame because this is another great atmospheric track, with excellent solos by Dave and Adrian.

22 Acacia Avenue - Aside from that one (you know the one I mean), this is the best constructed song on the album and it is bar none the most underrated on it. Dave may seem to steal the spotlight with his solo, but those of us who are well-versed in the compositional abilities and styles of Maiden's three guitarists know that this is a H song though and through. Of course, you'd also know this if you knew some band history; that Steve had seen Adrian playing this song with another band when he was scouting guitarists and two years later asked him if he still had the music to it so it could go on the new album. An incredibly energetic song with good vocals by Dickinson ("You're running away don't you know what you're doing"), and, again, excellently tight construction. I'm not a musician so I don't know how to describe it, but basically this may well be the most complex song on the album and it flows beautifully as one piece from the opening riff to the closing guitar bursts.

To anyone who calls the lyrics silly, do think about the actual meaning of them. This isn't a song about "Oh, I saw a prostitute, let's laugh at her". To borrow a quote from one commentary, "they seem to insult and to mock Charlotte The Harlot, but they secretly bleed for this girl who suffers and sells her body" (source). The words to this song are an anti-prostitution masterpiece.

The Number of the Beast - Very ominous guitar riffs and melodies; while this one is slightly overplayed it is a classic. Also, contains the indisputable greatest scream in the history of screams.

Run to the Hills - Not as well-constructed as the aforementioned and clearly a below-average Maiden song. Still has good vocals and a memorable Dave Murray solo; and a pretty good sing-along part.

Gangland - Another much-hated track. I love the energy of this one; it never fails to get me on my feet. While it is the weakest on the album, it is a very enjoyable short song and, while I hear myself getting repetitive here, Bruce sings very well and Adrian plays a good solo.

Total Eclipse - This time I won't praise Bruce's actual singing, but the way that the vocal melodies interact with the rest of the music is quite good. Still, not among the best on the album, though it should have made it instead of Gangland.

Hallowed Be Thy Name - Best song on the album, best song by Maiden up until this point. But don't make me choose between it and a number of other songs. My only complaint is that compared to its many live versions, it's weak in the studio. Any of the live versions is better than a studio version because Bruce does the long "life down here is a just a strange illusion" and it overall just has more energy (which is just true of Maiden live period, they are simply a better live than studio band). Also, while it maybe heresy to the Church of Adrian Smith, I enjoy most of Janick's solos on this song better than H's (I say most because, as those who are familiar with Janick know, he's prone to onstage improvisation which sometimes works out but often does not).

Rankings:
1. Hallowed Be Thy Name
2. 22 Acacia Avenue
3. Children of the Damned
4. The Number of the Beast
5. The Prisoner
6. Total Eclipse
7. Run to the Hills
8. Invaders
9. Gangland

Oh and rankings for the debut and Killers because I forgot:

1. Phantom of the Opera
2. Remember Tomorrow
3. Transylvania
4. Strange World
5. Prowler
6. Running Free
7. Sanctuary
8. Charlotte the Harlot
9. Iron Maiden

1. Wrathchild
2. Murders in the Rue Morgue
3. Killers
4. Purgatory
5. The Ides of March
6. Genghis Khan
7. Another Life
8. Innocent Exile
9. Drifter
10. Twilight Zone
11. Prodigal Son

[masterthes]

Eh, I think "Won't Be Fooled Again"'s scream tops that list

[Scorpion]

Hey 425, you seem pretty knowledgeable on Maiden - which of Janick's solos in HBTN would you say is the definitive one?

[MoraWintersoul]

Enjoying this thread a lot, especially some longer posts. DTF is a hivemind of people who talk about music awesomely.

[Dream Team]

Funny story, this was my first Maiden album but my high school friend who did the cassette tape-to-tape transfer taped Side 2 first so I always thought the album opened with the title track until later on. He added on a few tracks from POM which ran out halfway through DWYBO. Needless to say I was hooked for life after a couple listens.

My rankings:

1. Hallowed be thy Name - no explanation necessary obviously
2. The Prisoner - LOVE the intro, and the rest is great but also is one of the early examples of "chorus abuse"
3. 22 Acacia Avenue - musically complex song like DT would write. And  THAT riff
4. Number of the Beast - heavy stuff for 1982. Instrumental section is killer. Too bad Harris doesn't know how to play bass
5. Invaders - I guess I like this one a little more than most.
6. Run to the Hills - way too overplayed and overhyped for my taste. Solo is great, have always loved Dave's whammy attack
7. Children of the Damned - IMO not too great except for the chorus
8. Gangland - punky song that belonged on one of the earlier albums

I can't really comment on Total Eclipse because I've never owned it. I have it on the Early Years DVD but haven't listened enough. Need to do that. Yeah, and I still prefer Clive to Nicko.

[Hayden]

By rank, from best to worst.

1. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" - This is a brilliant, timeless song that I will never tire of. It was the second Iron Maiden song I ever heard, so naturally I'm going to be quite fond of it. But, all bias aside, I genuinely consider it to be one of the finest moments in metal, full stop. And it's an absolutely perfect Maiden song; it's everything that a Maiden song should be - theatrical, well-written, constantly building, and damned powerful. Still, it unfortunately doesn't save 'The Number of the Beast' from being my least favourite Iron Maiden album.

2. "Children of the Damned" - A fine song. Not particularly special, but it's a solid, respectable metal tune. It features most of the elements that make a great Maiden song, it has a nice, big-sounding chorus, and Bruce's vocal performance is pretty good, too.

3. "22 Acacia Avenue" - Yeah, this song isn't marvelous, and being placed directly after "CotD" doesn't do it any favours. I think the lyrics are bloody awful, and the chorus is unimaginative. "So why is this song #3 on my list?" one might ask. Well, for one thing, it doesn't bore me. It goes through stages; it progresses. No section of the song is overly stellar, but none of them wear out their welcome; they soon get out of the way, and the song jumps to the next part precisely at the right moment. It keeps things interesting. Plus, the song does kinda rock, I will admit, especially in the middle and the outtro.

4. "The Prisoner" - My favourite part of this track is the intro; it's very entertaining and memorable. As for the song itself... eh, it doesn't do much for me. It's just not hugely exciting, and there's nothing that stands out to me; there really isn't much more to say than that. But I guess I can't be too harsh on it; it is rather charmingly emblematic of a bygone era of metal that everyone collectively looks back on quite fondly. And it's also more memorable than most of the other material on the album; it's got a bit of character to it, at least. But, as far as redeeming qualities goes, that just about wraps it up.

5. "Run to the Hills" - It's fast, it's boisterous, it's galloping and it's memorable... But I just don't really like it, unfortunately. Also, this is not the sort of song I can listen to over and over; it just doesn't have that quality to it. But obviously the world of popular rock music thinks differently, so I've been over-exposed to this piece of music to the point of nausea, which has only caused me to grow increasingly bitter towards it. It took a lot of restraint and composure not to place this lower on the list simply out of spite.

6. "Total Eclipse" - This song just washes over me without grabbing my attention at all. No matter how many times I listen to this song, I still struggle to remember how the hell it goes. It is a useless, pointless piece of music. Why was it ever even made? What person hears this and thinks "My word, that was marvelous! I'm going to listen to it again!"?

7. "Gangland" - For all it's pace and tenacity, this track is just so flat and lifeless. Also, it's one of the numerous songs that feels as though it was thrown together in a matter of minutes, with very little thought applied at all.

8. "Invaders" - All of the criticisms I've made of the other tracks so far, all rolled into one, with the addition of being intolerably annoying.

9. "The Number of the Beast" - Look, for me, there is just nothing enjoyable about this song. The enjoyment that everyone else derives from this song simply eludes me. I said over in the other thread that I think this is the worst song that the band has ever written*, and I was not rash in saying that; I meant it. No, it's not because of the over-exposure, it's not because it's the only song that non-Maiden fans have ever heard from the band, and it's not because of the popularity; it's because I don't like it. Nothing grabs me, nothing appeals to; all the song does is annoys me and irritates me. The guitar riff gets to me, the chorus gets to me, Bruce's vocals get to me, the cheerful melody gets it me... This seems to be a problem with a lot of positive metal - sometimes the recipe goes wrong, and this certainly appears to be one of those times. But not many others seem to share this opinion (obviously), so I'm at a loss; I don't know what's happened here - why I feel so differently about this song than the rest of the metal community. It's sort of the musical equivalent of pumpkin: most people seem to like it, a lot seem to love it, but I just find it to be a dreadful creation that leaves a sickly-sweet taste in my mouth.

*excluding B-sides


Anyway, that's my opinion of 'The Number of the Beast'. Aside from my top 3, it's either flat and unimaginative, or it's grating and irritating, and sometimes it's both. "But it's a classic!", some may argue. But I don't much care; I don't want my music to be classic, I want it to be good.

[Tomislav95]

Awesome album

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name
2. Children of the Damned
3. The Prisoner
4. The Number of the Beast
5. Run to the Hills
6. 22 Acacia Avenue
7. Invaders
8. Gangland

[theseoafs]

Hmm, I was expecting more conversation about this one!  Anyway, let's plug along.

PIECE OF MIND - 1983


1.   "Where Eagles Dare" 
2.   "Revelations"
3.   "Flight of Icarus" 
4.   "Die with Your Boots On" 
5.   "The Trooper"     
6.   "Still Life"
7.   "Quest for Fire"
8.   "Sun and Steel"
9.   "To Tame a Land" 

[Perpetual Change]

So, I'd wrote something about this album awhile ago, and I might as well post part of what I had here:


While people were generally blown away with the improvement Bruce Dickinson made to Iron Maiden by providing vocals to The Number of the Beast, it is not untilPiece of Mind, his second album with the band, that Bruce's presence is fully felt. Dickinson has no songwriting credits on The Number of the Beast. One Piece of Mind, he's credited on four songs.

Bruce was, and still is, a pretty interesting guy. He had always been passionate about history, and studied it in school. He was also big into military things. As a boy, Bruce Dickinson founded a "war games" club at his school. As a young adult, he served in the Teritorial Army before deciding to pursue a degree. Bruce was also into sports, literature, and aviation: interests which he'd dabble in professionally later, as he would begin to veer away from Iron Maiden. Today, Bruce has written a book, won fencing competitions, and pilots professionally. In retrospect, you listen to Piece of Mind and you can't help but realize that Bruce wasn't just influencing Iron Maiden; He was influencing his band-mates, too, and they in turn were becoming more like him.

Just listen to some of the Bruce-penned (or, at least, co-penned) songs on Piece of Mind, like "Sun and Steel", "Die with Your Boots On", and "Flight of the Icarus". Or, listen to non-Bruce penned songs like "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Trooper". Bruce Dickinson is all over this record, and Maiden is a different band because of it.

On The Number of the Beast Bruce is recognized for his powerful vocals. After just one album, however, Bruce's role expanding from simply being Iron Maiden's singer. After Piece of Mind, Bruce Dickinson is also Iron Maiden's frontman, and best lyricist. Just listen:

She came to me with a serpent's kiss
As the eye of the sun rose on her lips.
Moonlight catches silver tears that cry.

So we lay in a black embrace,
And the seed is sown in a holy place,
And I watched and I waited for the dawn.

Iron Maiden were already an established band when they recruited Bruce, but Bruce was a natural leader who was just as intelligent and creative as he was a vocal powerhouse. The Number of the Beast was the album Iron Maiden released with that impressive new guy on vocals. Piece of Mind is that great record by Iron Maiden; you know, Bruce Dickinson's band.

[Scorpion]

If it weren't for the two to three filler songs here, this would be the best IM album ever (Sun and Steel, Quest for Fire and sometimes Die With Your Boots On). The rest of the album reaches highs that are some of the highest in IM's discography, especially Where Eagles Dare and To Tame a Land. The closer, especially, is probably my third favourite IM track overall and simply a masterpiece. Oddly enough, this album took the longest for any Maiden album for me to get into, but it's definitely worth it when it clicks.

Also, this is one of my favourite Iron Maiden covers - many later covers feel very cluttered, I like how this one pretty much one colour and one motif, without trying to insert as many nuggets as humanly possible, like Somewhere in Time does.

[Jaq]

I was a young guy, who liked a wide variety of bands, but honestly, tended to lean more towards hard rock than heavy metal at the time this album came out. Sure, I liked some metal acts-Maiden, Priest, Ozzy-but I largely loved bands that you would consider classic rock or hard rock today, and I was deep in a love affair with Def Leppard's Pyromania when the video for Flight of Icarus debuted on MTV. (Don't laugh-most of us hard rock fans weren't too fond of Photograph, but we loved the HELL out of the rest of the album.) And Flight of Icarus blew me AWAY. I remember being awed by it, going to listen to some music later-namely Pyromania-and turning it off, going, "nope, I need the new Maiden album." Had to mow a couple of yards, but it came to pass that I bought Piece of Mind, and I put it on my cheap ass stereo, only to be promptly blow across the room by Nicko's opening drum fill and statement of intent playing on Where Eagles Dare.

Iron Maiden had finally arrived. Clive Burr was a fantastic drummer, but the arrival of Nicko gave them a drummer who could go toe  to toe with Steve's bass lines and come out looking damn good. Dickinson had started writing songs-Revelations would be his best song for Maiden if he hadn't written Powerslave-and Dave Murray and Adrian Smith had become the best twin guitar team in the world. Everything about Piece of Mind, from the songwriting to the production to the performances, was a quantum leap forward from NOTB. I had the delight to see Maiden on this tour, their first US headlining tour, and it was amazing. Even after Metallica came along not too long after this and astounded me with Ride The Lightning, Iron Maiden was my favorite band, and they remain one of my favorites to this day, just because of this album. To a fan of metal and hard rock back then, this album was like a thunderbolt from the heavens-true, it has a couple of weak tracks in Quest for Fire and Sun and Steel, but back then Maiden's filler songs kicked the ass of every other metal band going.

While I acknowledge that Powerslave is a better album, Piece of Mind is my favorite Iron Maiden album for sentimental reasons. It did more for my taste in heavy metal than any other album I can think of.

[Dream Team]

It took me longer to like this one, as I liked the speed of TNOTB and POM had some slower tracks. I think QFF and SAS are weaker than anything on TNOTB, but the rest of the tracks really make up for it. Where Eagles Dare is a Top 3 Maiden track for me, while TTAL, Revelations, and The Trooper are pretty much flawless as well. Also, POM is in contention for the best sounding Maiden record. Great production.

[Ruba]

Among their best albums.

The cover art is just sick! I have to give credit to Derek Riggs, he has made some great cover arts.

There are three songs that are just fantastic: Revelations, Still Life and To Tame a Land. Revelations is heavy and slow song with terrific lyrics and fantastic delivery by Bruce Dickinson. Still Life is a masterpiece, beginning with a slow intro and quiet first verse, until the distortion kicks in at the first pre-chorus. The song really showcases the Dave Murray's songwriting skills.

No one has commented the backmasked message? At the time when POM was released, heavy metal music was overlooked by many and some fanatic Christians accused bands about being satanic. Piles of The Number of the Beast vinyls were burned at the stake in the religious midwest of US. People even listened vinyl albums backwards to find hidden satanic messages. Iron Maiden wanted to fool around with these guys and the mysterious sounding spoken part doesn't consist any message from Satan when listened to backwards, but Nicko McBrain himself. The drunken drummer imitated Uganda's dictator Idi Amin, saying:

What 'ho said the t'ing with three 'bonce', do not meddle with thing you don't understand

Priceless  . The lyrics are inspired by Harris's fear of drowning and are catchy, in a melancholic sense.

To Tame a Land has cool Eastern vibe and excellent guitar work throughout, especially the outro is very beautiful. Bruce throws some real great vocals here, JLB's attempt pales at comparision.

Flight of Icarus is a quite fun song, and it has one of the best H solos ever. The Trooper is solid, but overplayed. Die With Your Boots On has some real heavy rockin' riffs, but is a bit too tame to my mind, they should have made it a bit heavier.

I don't really care about Where Eagles Dare, due to long instrumental section I find quite uninteresting. The opening fill is definately legendaric. Quest for Fire is OK and Sun and Steel the mandatory filler.

Nicko is on flames throughout the album, he rocks! Also I find this the best sounding Iron Maiden album and it is very high among the best sounding albums by anyone. The bass is majestic, the drums pound and the guitars are just plain great.

Ranking:
1.Revelations
2.Still Life
3.To Tame a Land
4.Flight of Icarus
5.The Trooper
6.Die With Your Boots On
7.Where Eagles Dare
8.Quest for Fire
9.Sun and Steel

[Lowdz]

A step up from TNOTB- which in itself is a feat.
Bruse was on fire here and was an integral part of IM by the time this was released, rather than just the new guy.

[Zantera]

Where Eagles Dare - Pretty sweet song. Remember the first time I heard it, and I really enjoyed Bruce's singing in it. Right now looking back at it, I think it's a very solid tune. I like it quite a bit, and that's about it I guess.

Revelations - Another great song. I remember seeing a live video of this one where Bruce plays guitar (Live After Death?), which was really cool. This song has some nice variation between the more melodic guitar-passages and what builds up to the chorus. One of the better songs on the album for sure.

Flight of Icarus - A Maiden-classic I suppose. Pretty catchy song, though it never seemed to click for me compared to some of the other big hits. I can see why Nicko doesn't like the song that much. Personally I don't think it's bad or anything, a fairly solid song.

Die With Your Boots On - I have quite nostalgic and warm feelings towards this one. Because one of the first live-experiences I have with Maiden was seeing their live-performance here in Gothenburg on TV back in 2005. This was on the tour where they played songs from the debut to Piece of Mind. So this song was among the songs. I really enjoyed the live performance, and the song got stuck on my head. It's catchy and fun, not one of their best, but good considering how straight forward it is.

The Trooper - Does this song really need an introduction? Classic Maiden, and a song most people have probably heard somewhere. I think this song is pretty great. Most of the classic Maiden-songs have been really overplayed for my taste, not by myself but from appearing everywhere, in games, movies, documentaries, tv, whatever. This song hasn't gotten stale in the same way as Run to the Hills or The Number of the Beast, and I still quite enjoy it.

Still Life - Pretty good and underrated song. Doesn't sound that "typical" Maiden, and Bruce's singing sounds a bit different early on in the song. I like this one quite a bit, would almost consider it a B-Side, though more a "forgotten" song, and it's quite nice.

Quest For Fire - Probably my least favorite on the album, but it's not all bad. It has a few weaker points like the lyrics and not being very memorable compared to some of the other songs. But despite this, I think it has a pretty catchy chorus that I sing along to every time. The chorus is the one redeeming part that makes this song alright for me, and I quite enjoy that aspect of it at least.

Sun and Steel - A bit like the previous song, except better on many points. I think it's more memorable with probably better lyrics, better riffs. This song also has a very catchy chorus that makes the song much better than it had been otherwise. A fairly solid song overall.

To Tame a Land - This one has always been a favorite, and I guess it's a bit more "progressive" than many other Maiden-songs from this time period. It has a very majestic and epic feel to it, and makes an epic ending of the album. Lyrically the song might not be one of their better songs, but musically it delivers.

The Album - This album has always been hard for me to place. To me the song only has one or two real "classic" Maiden-songs, The Trooper and Flight of Icarus. The other songs are pretty mixed, some awesomness in To Tame a Land and Revelations, Where Eagles Dare and Still Life are sweet as well. It's songs like Quest For Fire and Sun and Steel which throws me off a bit, and makes it hard for me to rank. Upper half of the Maiden-discography though, I really like it.

Song-rankings:
1. Revelations
2. To Tame a Land
3. Still Life
4. The Trooper
5. Where Eagles Dare
6. Die With Your Boots On
7. Flight of Icarus
8. Sun and Steel
9. Quest For Fire