Iron Maiden Top 25 - Now up: TAC (starting page 13)

[Scorpion]

Welcome to the Iron Maiden Top 25 thread! I will keep this updated with who is currently going and who will go next.

I've been wanting to do another Top Whatever list for quite a while, since I really like writing about my thoughts on music in general. At first, I was unsure on what it should be, but after the IM discography thread had rekindled my love for Iron Maiden and brought it to higher heights than it ever was in the past, the answer was clear. I spent the last two or three weeks compiling the list, until I was satisfied with it, and waited until The Final Frontier discussion had started to begin with this. I hope some people get a kick out of this, but even if not, I'll still be having fun with the write-ups and the like.

Up next are:

- Dream Team
- wolfking
- Mister Gold
- jingle.boy
- bosk1
- TAC

A little trivia on my list before I start:

- Every album, except for one, is represented.
- Only two albums have more than two songs represented.
- Both the Di'Anno and the Bayley era have the same number of songs on the list.

Guessing of songs is always welcome. There'll be plenty of classics on this lists, but there'll also be some oddballs, so it shouldn't become completely boring... hopefully.

And now, the first two songs to kick this off!

25. Purgatory - Killers

This was one of the singles on Killers, and it's, in my humble opinion, a perfect choice. This song is upbeat and fast, has some great riffing and Di'Anno's voice fits the tune perfectly. I especially like the chorus and the guitar melody under it, it has such an epic feel. Truly a shame that it was voted off so earlier during the survivor, but oh well. Definitely one of my favourite songs from the Di'Anno era, and I wish they would play this again instead of the obligatory Wrathchild to represent Killers, I can only imagine how much this would slay in a live environment.

24. Como Estais Amigos - Virtual XI

I probably dig the Blaze era more than most Iron Maiden fans, but most of that is reserved for TXF, with Virtual XI being the lesser of the two by a fair margin. Como Estais Amigos is the glaring exception to this rule. It has a very unique and emotional feel to it, and an atmosphere that the band has never captured since. Blaze's voice is different from Bruce, that's true, but at least on this tune, he suits the music perfectly. Interestingly enough, this is the only song for which Janick Gers got credit on VXI, and it's also the only song off that album to make the list.

[Dream Team]

Wow, interesting first choices! They wouldn't make my Top 100, but let's see where it goes . . .

[Zydar]

Interesting choices indeed. Will definitely follow

[MoraWintersoul]

INSIDE IT MUST REMAIN Como Estais Amigos is one of my fave Maiden songs.

[Cyclopssss]

'They say I killed a woman, they know it isn't true, they're just tryin' to frame me, and all because of you, Yeaaaaaahhhhh!' 

[Mladen]

Como estais amigos truly is amazing.  Following, of course.

[TAC]

Interesting choices. Neither would make my Maiden Top 50 but definitely following.

[Scorpion]

Two Bruce tracks this time.

23. The Nomad - Brave New World

One of my favourites off of Brave New World, and it rarely is mentioned, which is a shame. The lyrics are pretty laughable, that's true, but everything else about this track kicks ass, especially the somewhat orientally-tinged (or what you want to call it) guitar melodies. It's also refreshing to have a song not begin with a soft intro, as much as I enjoy them, and the mellower part in the middle works very well as well. Truly a great track, and again, one that I would like to have live version of, though I can also somewhat understand why they don't play it live - it's not exactly representative of their sound.

22. Dance of Death - Dance of Death

As I said in the discography thread, Dance of Death (the album) is pretty meh overall, but when it hits, it hits hard, and the title track is one of these occasions. I love the intro, even though the lyrics aren't really anything amazing again. The faster bits are well executed and the transition into them is great. I also love the instrumental section here, featuring great solos left and right. Everyone else, take note: this is one of Maiden's many textbook example on how to create a cohesive and well-flowing epic.

[TAC]

The Nomad is my second fave off of BNW and was really the first song that I took to when it came out.

I love Dance Of Death. It's the Number Of The Beast for the Reunion era.

[Lolzeez]

Dance Of Death is fantastic.

[Ruba]

Purgatory and CEA are both in my top 15, great choices!

Dance of Death is great also.

[Zydar]

Great to see some love for The Nomad, one of my favourites on BNW.

[Mladen]

Two great songs. 

[jjrock88]

Following. Cool picks so far!

[wolfking]

These 4 picks so far are absolutely incredible, following.

[Scorpion]

A forgotten classic and an all-time favourite.

21. The Prophecy - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Behold, the first track from Seventh Son, my favourite Maiden album, makes its appearance. The prophecy is a track that is rarely mentioned and I could never, for the life of me, understand why. It has all that makes a Maiden track great - awesome instrumentation, Bruce singing his heart out and an absolutely killer solo. I actually somewhat like the concept of the album and the lyrics as well, but the music is the real star here. Especially notable is the acoustic outro, which is one of my favourite Maiden moments, musically.

20. Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Powerslave

Much like Dance of Death, Powerslave is a little hit-or-miss for me, but this track is absolutely awesome. The main riff is catchy and has you rocking out to it from the very first part and the lyrics are actually pretty good, a great adaption of the poem. The middle part can drag a little, but if you actually focus on the lyrics, I always enjoy every second of it. The solo is also top-notch, not as flashy as some other Maiden solos, but it suits the song perfectly. The only part that could have been better is the end, it feels a little like a cop-out, to just slow it down and end it there, I think this track would have deserved a "proper" ending, but it's a highly enjoyable listen nevertheless.

[TAC]

Scorp, I love the Prophecy! Might be near the end of my Top 25 as well. A Maiden hidden jewel to be sure. The acoustic outro is great, even if it sounds a lot like the outro on Heaven And Hell.
And you are so right about Bruce.

I have no idea where I would put Rime. It's a song that is aging very well for me.

[Zydar]

I've always had a hard time with The Prophecy, but I guess you can't love all songs by a band

Ancient Mariner is a classic though

[Scorpion]

Two rightful classics and long-time staples of Maiden sets coming up.

19. The Trooper - Piece of Mind

This song demonstrates very well how Maiden can rock out in four minutes. This has it all: Steve's basslines, the galloping guitars, Bruce's distinct vocals, the lyrics about war, a great solo, a chorus that is perfect for sing along... what's there not to like? This isn't sophisticated, dense or complex, but Maiden don't need to be all that to be great, and this song is a perfect example of this.

18. Phantom of the Opera - Iron Maiden

Right from their debut, Maiden show us that they have serious potential. This song is easily the most ambitious and dare I say progressive song on the self-titled, and it is also the best. Everything about this song is awesome, the rocking riff, the bass interlude, awesome solos... while Maiden would later refine all the elements of their sound, their self-titled already showed the world that these guys were a force to be reckoned with, and no song does that more than Phantom of the Opera.

[Ruba]

The Prophecy! My favourite off Seventh Son.

[wolfking]

This list is incredible.  The Prophecy is amazing, never understood the dislike either.

[Mladen]

Especially notable is the acoustic outro, which is one of my favourite Maiden moments, musically.

Good, I'm not the only one. It's always great to see the love for The Prophecy.

And yeah, can't have a list without Rime, Phantom and Trooper. 

[TAC]

Phantom is Top 5 material for me!

[wolfking]

Yeah, that acoustic outro is by far one of the greatest and most diverse things Maiden have ever done, pure genius, love Dave's song writing, it always offers something different.

[Dream Team]

Phantom is #3 for me currently, and The Prophecy ranks highly as well.

BTW, awhile back I was thinking of attempting a Top 50 but a top 25 is probably more feasible. Perhaps we can continue this thread after Scorpion finishes his list? Anyone else interested?

[Scorpion]

Sure, I'd love to read other people's lists. You wanna have a go, Dream Team?

Also, update time. Some more good stuff.

17. Sign of the Cross - The X Factor

Behold, the first song from The X Factor makes an appearance. And what a song it is! This shows, right off the bat, that Blaze is a totally different beast than Bruce but that he is just as suited to the music that the band is making on TXF as Bruce was for any of their earlier records. The chorus is one of Maiden's best, not lyrically, but just the mood and the epicness of it, and the instrumental section is nothing short of amazing, especially that ripping solo. The live version with Bruce is pretty cool as well, and it was my first introduction to this song, but I've come to prefer Blaze's way of singing this.

16. Out of the Shadows - A Matter of Life and Death

Perhaps on the most surprising picks, Out of the Shadows is my second favourite on my second favourite Iron Maiden album. After the failure that had been Wasting Love, Iron Maiden took their time until they attempted a power ballad again, but man did they deliver! The best part of this is the chorus, Bruce is just filled with passion on that one. This took its time to grow on me, but now I love it to death.

[TAC]

Sign Of The Cross os Top 10 for me. A great track!

Out Of The Shadows one of my 3 least faves on AMOLAD, but I do think it's great..

[wolfking]

Sign Of The Cross os Top 10 for me. A great track!

Out Of The Shadows one of my 3 least faves on AMOLAD, but I do think it's great..

[Elite]

21. The Prophecy - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

The Prophecy seems to be one of those tracks that divide the Iron Maiden fan-base. Some think it's a brilliant track and others think it's the worst on the album (read back in the Iron Maiden Discography Thread, basically everything has been said already). I'm somewhere in the middle. Though I too think SSOASS is Maiden's best, I've always been a bit lukewarm on this track. It probably STILL has to grow.

[Scorpion]

15. Afraid to Shoot Strangers - Fear of the Dark

Fear of the Dark is an absolute clusterfuck, and Maiden at their worst, but even that albums has gems like Afraid to Shoot Strangers. The lyrics are some of Steve's best and the instrumental section is an absolute beast again. In a way, this song is like the prototype of later Iron Maiden epics, with calm beginnings and complex instrumental sections, but that doesn't mean that it's in any way weaker than those that would follow. Blaze does a mighty fine job on this one as well, though I prefer the original version. The only song from Fear of the Dark on the list, by the way.

14. Moonchild - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

After a soft acoustic intro, this song opens up with one of my favourite riffs of all time, and then it really picks up steam. The lyrics aren't the best, though I did gain new appreciation for the concept and thereby the lyrics of Moonchild through the discography thread and PC's analysis of them. Still, it's all about the music here, and the music delivers. Everything that's great about Maiden is here: the riffing, the leads, the vocals, the bass work... a fantastic way to start off what I feel is their best album and one they are unlikely to ever top again.

[Dream Team]

Sure, I'll take a stab at going next. Have a little work to do narrowing down a Top 40 to a Top 25. 

[TAC]

I wouldn't call Fear a clusterfuck.  It's easily eight songs deep and was a solid release after No Prayer. I can certainly see why people rank it low, but a clusterfuck it is not.

[Scorpion]

Eh, the only worthwhile songs on that album are Afraid to Shoot Strangers, Judas Be My Guide (which barely missed the list) and the title track, though the studio version is miles behind any live version. The rest is dreck.

[Mladen]

17. Sign of the Cross - The X Factor

The longest Iron Maiden song makes an appearance.

WRONG! 

It's also a bit too low.  Still, four great song, and I'm really happy that you included Out of the shadows, I love it.

[Scorpion]

17. Sign of the Cross - The X Factor

The longest Iron Maiden song makes an appearance.

WRONG! 

Shit.

Uh, I mean... what are you talking about?

Also, update! Two real oddballs this time.

13. The Fallen Angel - Brave New World

The best song off Brave New World, bar none. It's short, but unlike The Mercenary, it's concise, to the point and all kinds of awesome. I love the vocal melodies on the chorus and the guitar solo is amazing, I especially like the parts where the rhythm section stops for a short while, leaving the guitar solo the only thing, before coming back in. It always baffles me how mediocre songs like The Wicker Man or The Mercenary are chosen to represent this album when it has gems like The Fallen Angel.

12. 2 A.M. - The X Factor

If there is any pick on this list that will be completely out of the left field, then it's this one. 2 A.M. took a while to grow on me, but after it had me hooked, it never let me go. This song is probably the darkest song that Iron Maiden has ever written, and while dark doesn't always mean good, it works perfectly in this case. Blaze's vocals compliment Steve's desperate lyrics perfectly and the music only supplements the feeling. The instrumental section is one of the best on TXF, only behind Sign of the Cross, but it fits the song perfectly, ultimately making this a song that I listen to far more often.