I can't actually pick a favorite Maiden album, but that one is definitely in the top-tier. Really groundbreaking, phenomenal stuff.
I don't know if I'd use that word to describe this album. I mean, perhaps
"Rime..." might have broken a bit of ground, be it largely due to its ambitious length and scope. But the rest of the album? Not really. Most of the tracks can actually be described as Iron Maiden "playing it safe". And sure,
"Powerslave" (the song) is progressive and was somewhat unconventional for the time period. But, to me, it just feels like a continuation of
"To Tame a Land" - they share many similar traits. So, to call
"Powerslave" innovative is to discredit
"To Tame a Land". Was
'Powerslave' a good album? Yes. But was it groundbreaking? I certainly don't think so.
[...]even the so called "filler" is top-tier Maiden.
I guess you and I have a very different opinion of what constitutes "top-tier Maiden".
And that intro riff for Flash of the Blade??? OMG....that totally kicks ass.
Agreed! One day the riff simply popped itself into my head, and I'd completely forgotten what song it came from, or even who the artist was. After
finally stumbling upon the track, my eyes basically just lit-up, and I've loved
"Flash of the Blade" ever since.
Fine album, only The X Factor has reached this level since 1984.
Well, there's an uncommon opinion. It's great to see some love for
'The X Factor', though
.
The Duellists is my favourite from the album. The song continues the medieval mood present in "Losfer Words" and "Flash of the Blade". Actually, every song excluding Back in the Village is placed somewhere in the history. Anyway, The Duellists has high-energy verses, catchy chorus and lengthy, melodic interlude, which I consider to be one of the finest moments in the entire Iron Maiden discography.
"The Duellists" has never appealed to me, unfortunately
. For me, it bears too much resemblance to
"Losfer Words", which had already overstayed its welcome for me.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner continues the majestic guitar work and is truly an epic song, which cannot be said about today's "epics" such as "When the Wild Wind Blows", which just rolls over 3 different riffs for 11 minutes (boooooring!).
I've never really understood this criticism, myself (mainly referring to
"WtWWB"). Firstly, go listen to the song again; there are more than three riffs in there. Besides, even if you consider the riff count to be short, I don't believe one can argue with the quality of said riffs, especially the central one. They're well-written, they're interesting, they're entertaining, and they're evocative. In addition to that, they're diverse. The opening riff is haunting yet peaceful, the second riff is folky and beautiful, the third is driving, the fourth has a grand quality to it, the fifth is vivacious and almost celebratory, the sixth if a simple yet powerful riff with an appropriately foreboding tone, and the seventh is grandiose and climactic, and flows perfectly back in to the repeated first and second riffs. In fact, 'perfect flow' would be the best way to describe
"WtWWB". Despite the variety in its many musical passages (and yes, there
are many, if you pay attention), it still maintains its solidarity and its sense of natural progression. This track is perfectly pieced-together and constructed in such a way that ensures that each moment heightens the intensity of the song. It also features some really clever transitions which aid the song greatly in this regard.
But even with all that aside, I don't think riffage is the main thing to focus on in this track. This is largely a melody-driven song, and the melodic elements are ultimately what we should focus on. The vocal melodies throughout the track are just sublime, and are so,
so memorable. And, ultimately, it's the vocal melodies that are the driving point of this song. From the classic feel of the main refrain, to the well-crafted transitional vocal passages, to the tasteful use of embellishment where appropriate - the vocal melody weaves its way through every changing section of the track, and ties the song together in a way that just feels so organic. You may compare this song to
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner", point out that it's dissimilar, and then infer that it's inferior for that reason. But the fact of the matter is that Iron Maiden weren't trying to re-create
"Rime.." at all; rather, they were writing a song that focused on atmosphere, storytelling, profundity and, most of all, melody. Though it may be similar in length, it's very different in structure, and that's because the intent behind it was different.
For what it is,
"When the Wild Wind Blows" is nothing short of utterly superb.
Losfer words (Big 'orra) - My least favorite Maiden instrumental, the band probably wrote it quickly in order to complete the record. It's still good, and I especially like the ending.
I agree whole-heartedly here, and I share the very same theory.
Flash of the blade - Incredible riffs and a very catchy chorus. The instrumental section needs to be mentioned, as one of the few with no respective guitar solo, but it contains some lengthy, complex harmonies instead, which I love.
I also agree with you on this one. I think
"Flash of the Blade" deserves all of the (limited) acclaim that it gets. I don't know how it can be considered to be weak, especially by those who, in the same breath, praise the four songs it lies between.
Powerslave is an astounding album, though it's also more superficial than Piece of Mind which preceded it, and Somewhere in Time, which came afterwards.
[...]
There are no bad songs on Powerslave, but neither are there any absolutely spectacular ones, even if "Rime" comes close. There's nothing as bad as "Gangland" or "Quest for Fire", and nothing as good as "Hallowed Be Thy Name" or "Revelations".
Ultimately, Powerslave is a very "cool" album that just doesn't move me as much as other Maiden records, except for maybe during the last half of the "Rime".[...]
This pretty much sums up my feelings towards the album. I feel that it is a step backwards from the brilliance of
'Piece of Mind', but still a respectable effort. It has some very fun moments, some epic moments, and some very impressive moments, but most of the content is merely on an 'alright-to-good' level, and
some of the content really bogs down the album, and causes it to suffer a bit as a whole.
Topic: The BRUCE DICKINSON Discography v. Goodbye, Bruce (Read 49762 times)
