Poll

What are your favorites of these Iron Maiden songs?

Strange World
11 (4.5%)
Innocent Exile
5 (2.1%)
Twilight Zone
4 (1.7%)
Invaders
14 (5.8%)
The Prisoner
25 (10.3%)
Die With Your Boots On
17 (7%)
Sun and Steel
6 (2.5%)
The Duellists
11 (4.5%)
Sea of Madness
23 (9.5%)
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
14 (5.8%)
The Prophecy
13 (5.4%)
Run Silent Run Deep
6 (2.5%)
Judas Be My Guide
12 (5%)
Look For the Truth
3 (1.2%)
The Unbeliever
6 (2.5%)
Lightning Strikes Twice
4 (1.7%)
The Educated Fool
5 (2.1%)
The Fallen Angel
11 (4.5%)
Montsegur
17 (7%)
New Frontier
2 (0.8%)
The Pilgrim
4 (1.7%)
Out of the Shadows
4 (1.7%)
Mother of Mercy
8 (3.3%)
The Alchemist
6 (2.5%)
When the River Runs Deep
6 (2.5%)
The Man Of Sorrows
5 (2.1%)

Total Members Voted: 36

Author Topic: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Senjutsu  (Read 183605 times)

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Offline Mladen

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1260 on: September 06, 2017, 06:19:27 AM »
That's true. New world order comes to mind.

Offline RodrigoAltaf

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1261 on: September 06, 2017, 06:40:16 AM »
Not a ripoff, just a similar idea for a fast metal riff. I like both songs anyway!

Online MirrorMask

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1262 on: September 06, 2017, 02:48:21 PM »
Any wild guess on why, bonus track aside (Return of the King), I didn't include anything off Chemical Wedding?  :D

Because you've completely lost your mind?

Any wild guess on why, bonus track aside (Return of the King), I didn't include anything off Chemical Wedding?  :D

Because either a) you've gone completely insane or b) there's a secret second show that's the entirety of Chemical Wedding from start-to-finish that you just chose not to mention to keep it a surprise.

Because this year is the 20th anniversary of Accident of Birth, but next year it will be the 20th anniversary of Chemical Wedding so I'll be playing the whole album in full in my compilation of next year!  :metal

(Yes, I create imaginary setlists / compilations and save songs / albums based on future compilations, maybe I'm insane after all. Stll, Mike Portnoy would be proud of me, he'd get my line of reasoning  :lol)

On a more pertinent note - I'm happy to see everyone having great memories of this album, I would have hardly expected otherwise!!! I also agree with Mosh that Bruce's voice here was entering a phase of absolute wonder.
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Offline PowerSlave

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1263 on: September 06, 2017, 06:19:03 PM »
(Yes, I create imaginary setlists / compilations and save songs / albums based on future compilations, maybe I'm insane after all. Stll, Mike Portnoy would be proud of me, he'd get my line of reasoning  :lol)

You're posting this on a prog fan site. An obsession bordering on being unhealthy, and a willingness to admit to it are basically the admission fee to the site itself.
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Offline wolfking

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1264 on: September 07, 2017, 05:41:47 AM »
That's true. New world order comes to mind.

That's the most blatant one.  I'm sure there's at least another one, I'd have to search.  But NWO is so obvious it's not funny.
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Offline TAC

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1265 on: September 14, 2017, 07:48:43 PM »
Wow, Mosh. That Virtual XI writeup must really be painful! :lol
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline Mister Gold

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1266 on: September 14, 2017, 09:00:12 PM »
Wow, Mosh. That Virtual XI writeup must really be painful! :lol

I mean, it's the album with Maiden's worst song ever, soooooooo...... :biggrin: :lol
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Offline Mosh

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1267 on: September 14, 2017, 09:41:30 PM »
Sorry guys, got a packed schedule. I'm going to try to get Virtual up tomorrow, saturday at the latest. Can't really make any more promises although I don't intend on having any more delays as long as this one.
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Offline RodrigoAltaf

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1268 on: September 15, 2017, 05:12:39 AM »
Looking forward to it, Mosh! Virtual XI was the pnly tour I had the chance of seeing TWICE, and passed both times. The show in Rio was a horrible experience for the band: someone in the audience threw something on Jannick, and they decided not to come back for the encore. This was one of the last shows with Blaze.

Offline jammindude

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1269 on: September 15, 2017, 12:20:02 PM »
In honor of VXI's stamp on history, I think we should triple post every comment.

In honor of VXI's stamp on history, I think we should triple post every comment.

In honor of VXI's stamp on history, I think we should triple post every comment.
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Online MirrorMask

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1270 on: September 15, 2017, 12:21:36 PM »
Not knowing how fast would these updates be, I've already prepared before my week of holiday my comments on the album. Looking forward to read the discussion on the first album Maiden released since I was a fan.
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Offline Mosh

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Accident of Birth (1997)
« Reply #1271 on: September 16, 2017, 05:49:07 PM »
Virtual XI (1998)


Maiden were reenergized after finally returning to the stage from their longest break in touring. Blaze was beginning to settle into the band and some of the pressure that comes with a new lineup was beginning to fade. After taking part of 1997 off, the band returned to the studio to record the next album.

The X Factor was very much a studio effort and reflected the band being away from the live stage for an extended period of time. Virtual XI was to be the opposite: the band were fresh off a tour and the new material would be an attempt at capturing the live energy of a Maiden show on record in both songs and production. As a result, the songs on Virtual XI are heavier, more energetic, and much less dreary than the songs on The X Factor. There was also a sense of optimism that replaced the feeling of uncertainty just a few years earlier. The production itself didn’t differ much from the previous album. The band once again recorded at Steve Harris’ Barnyard studio with Steve and Nigel Green co-producing. The production contained very little frills or effects. Some of Blaze’s vocal tracks even came from the rough demo tracks that were never intended for the final product.

In addition to its more upbeat feel, one of the most noticeable things about Virtual XI is its length. At just 53 minutes and 8 songs, it’s the shortest album since No Prayer For the Dying and a stark contrast from The X Factor’s 70 minutes and 11 songs. Even Fear of the Dark was slightly longer. Part of The X Factor’s length could be attributed to the amount of time the band spent working on the album, where Virtual XI wasn’t quite as long a process (although it still took longer than what was typical for the band at the time). Despite being shorter and with less songs, several of the songs on Virtual XI are on the longer side. Three songs exceed the 8 minute mark compared to only two on The X Factor. However that’s not to say they’re all long. One of Maiden’s shortest songs appears on the album: Futureal.

Once again, Steve’s songwriting dominated the album. Seven out of the eight songs are credited to Harris, including four solo compositions. As usual, Steve really flexes his Prog muscles on his solo tracks, which happen to be the four longest songs on the album. The longest song is also one of the band’s most controversial: The Angel and the Gambler. Steve conceived the song while driving which influenced its uptempo energy. With this song, he wanted to capture the 70s Hard Rock vibe of bands like UFO and The Who. The song definitely captures that vibe and even includes an organ part that adds a 70s flare. Unfortunately, the song is also one of Maiden’s most repetitive and is probably best remembered for its seemingly endless chorus. Another one of Steve’s songs, Don’t Look To the Eyes of a Stranger, faces similar criticisms. According to Steve, the idea for this song existed for some time before it fully germinated in time for Virtual XI. Here the organ is replaced with string synths to give the song a darker more orchestral feel.

Steve’s other two solo contributions are generally better received. The Educated Fool is a lyrical precursor to Blood Brothers, being inspired by the death of Steve’s father. Musically there’s a lot more going on in this song than in Angel and the Gambler or Don’t Look To the Eyes of a Stranger, despite being significantly shorter. Structurally it wouldn’t be out of place on one of the Reunion era albums. It’s also unique for having a chorus with vocal overdubs, something that The X Factor mostly avoided. While it’s not the only song on the album to feature vocal harmonies, they are at their most prominent here. The last Harris piece is another that utilizes vocal harmonies and is also widely considered the best song on the album as well as the highlight of the Blaze era: The Clansman. This song was the result of two separate ideas Steve had that he merged into one. The lyrics were based on the Mel Gibson film Braveheart, which was released a few years earlier. The Edge Of Darkness from The X Factor was also based on a film, but was more of a literal retelling of the plot. The Clansman goes back to Steve’s traditional lyrical style found in songs such as Where Eagles Dare or The Trooper. Musically the song is also not too far removed from the classic 80’s Maiden sound with its huge anthemic chorus and dueling guitar solos.

Despite having a song rejected from The X Factor, Dave Murray was a very active writer in the 90’s through the early 00’s. He had two writing credits on No Prayer and Fear and also contributed to The X Factor with Justice of the Peace (which was unfortunately rejected). Of course there was also Virus on Best of the Beast. On Virtual XI, Dave returned with two more tracks. The first, Lightning Strikes Twice, was a classic collaboration with Steve. Dave brought in some disorganized musical ideas and Steve arranged them into a song. The title came first, which Dave Murray really liked, so Steve wrote lyrics around the title. The other song Murray contributed was When Two Worlds Collide, this time a collaboration with Blaze and Steve. This song was written in a similar manner as Can I Play WIth Madness, but with different writers. It began as a collaboration between Blaze and Dave, with Steve adding additional parts and working on the arrangement. It was one of three lyrical contributions to the album from Blaze and is about exactly what the title says.

The sci-fi element found in When Two Worlds Collide is also present in one of Blaze’s other songs: the opening Futureal. The bulk of this song was written by Steve and was another tune that Steve had spent a lot of time working on, despite being a pretty simple rocker. Steve wrote the music and even the vocal melodies, but he asked Blaze to handle the lyrics. This song is probably most aligned with the album’s title and art direction (which is why it is often mistakenly referred to as the title track). It deals with virtual realities and the rapidly growing technology. It’s a song very much of its time, being written as the internet was beginning to really take shape. However, its themes are still relevant today.

The one song on Virtual XI that Steve Harris did not contribute to is also the only song written by Janick: Como Estais Amigos. It’s not clear why Janick was less present on this album after becoming an increasingly creative force in the band. Regardless, Como Estais Amigos stands as one of the more unique tracks on the album. It’s one of the few Maiden songs that can be considered a ballad. It has a soft start of just guitar and vocals, but even when the full band comes in it maintains a slow and steady pace. The lyrics, written by Blaze, are about the 1982 Falklands war between Britain and Argentina. It is meant as a tribute to the people of Argentina and the soldiers who died.

Another factor that is unique to Virtual XI is the fact that its title and cover were influenced by outside sources instead of a musical/lyrical concept or song title. Virtual XI has multiple meanings. The first, and most obvious, is that this is the band’s 11th album. However the title originated when Steve Harris began noticing fans of West Ham and other soccer teams in the audiences at Maiden shows. Steve has often said that soccer (or association football) was his second passion with music. In fact, he wanted to be a professional player before For those unfamiliar with the sport, the starting lineup in a soccer game is often referred to as the Starting XI. The FIFA World Cup was also being held that year, an event that has only coincided with a few Maiden albums. Part of the promotion for Virtual XI also involved Maiden forming their own soccer team featuring all 5 members of the band in addition to some professionals. Iron Maiden’s own Starting XI could be pictured in the booklet for the CD. 

Around this time, there was also a video game based on Iron Maiden in development by Synthetic Dimensions. We’ll discuss the game, titled Ed Hunter, in a later entry. Both the band and management were very enthusiastic about Ed Hunter and decided to use some of the character designs in the artwork for Virtual XI. None of this appeared on the cover, thankfully, but the booklet was filled with the 3D models from the game and featured a small advertisement for Ed Hunter at the end. The two singles also had artwork taken from the game.

The cover itself featured all these influences but with a more traditional looking image. After a major departure from the usual Maiden art style on The X Factor, the band went with something more traditional for Virtual XI. They reenlisted Melvyn (spelled Melvin in the liner notes) Grant, the artist who made Fear of the Dark. The cover included the main themes that influenced the title through a boy with a virtual reality machine and a game of soccer. While the cover was a return to Maiden’s traditional look, it still received mixed reviews from fans and remains one of their less popular covers.

Another interesting feature of the cover was a new Maiden logo. It’s hard to say why Maiden changed their logo after almost 20 years, especially since it was such a subtle change. My guess is that it was related to graphic design and being easier to cut and paste, but there’s never been an official comment on that. The new logo would feature on all Maiden singles and studio albums, while compilations, archival releases, and anything related specifically to the 80s usually featured the classic logo.

As usual, two singles were released for Virtual XI. The first, The Angel and the Gambler, was released at the insistence of Steve. The band’s manager, Rod Smallwood, wanted Futureal as the first single, but Steve refused. At 10 minutes in length, The Angel and the Gambler was a highly unorthodox choice and became their longest single ever (until 2016). In a compromise, a few edits of the song were made. A 6 minute edit was made for the 7” single and a 4 minute edit was made for the music video (although an extended version of the video was also made to accompany the full song). Futureal eventually was released as a single as well a few months later. The CD single came with a poster featuring brand new artwork from Derek Riggs. The stunning image was a futuristic redesign of the Powerslave cover. How this wasn’t used as the single artwork or even the album artwork is one of the most bizarre mysteries of Maiden’s history.

Despite all the promotion and high budget videos, neither the album or single made much of a commercial splash. The Angel and the Gambler charted in a few countries, performing best in Finland at #3. It also made top 20 in the UK. It is worth mentioning, however, that most of Maiden’s singles in the 90s were released in multiple versions and formats which certainly helped with sales from hardcore fans. The album itself charted decently in Europe, making #6 in Finland and top 20 UK. It barely charted in the US, peaking somewhere in the 100’s. Despite the decent chart positions in the UK, it didn’t sell as well as their previous albums. To this day it has only been certified silver. I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but it’s very likely that Virtual XI was the poorest selling Maiden album.

Virtual XI is a strange album. It represents the end to many parts of the band’s history: it’s the last album of a fairly turbulent decade and it’s the last album with Blaze Bayley on vocals. However, it’s also in some ways a precursor to 2000’s Maiden. There’s more emphasis on longer songs, it features an attempt at a “live” sounding production, and some of the album’s leftovers even ended up on Brave New World (we’ll cover that when we get there). It is also a controversial album. The subpar production continues in addition to songs that are often criticized for their repetitive choruses and a surprising lack of energy in the performances (especially the drums). However, once you get past those things, there’s a lot to enjoy especially if you like modern Maiden. In retrospect, it is best seen as a bridge between the dark brooding X Factor and the triumphant Brave New World. It is not a bad album at all and features more than a couple forgotten gems.

For those interested in learning more about the album, Virtual XI became the first album to have studio footage something resembling a documentary. The 40 minute EPK features interviews with all the band majors about the making of the album, the promo tour, the artwork and title, and more. Maiden rarely put out this sort of thing, so it's very cool to have one for this album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k93Wb9pyLrY




(Derek Riggs Futureal)
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Offline NoseofNicko

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1272 on: September 16, 2017, 05:55:41 PM »
The only Iron Maiden album I don't like. It sounds like an amateur Maiden cover band attempt at making a Maiden album to me. Futureal and The Clansman are good, but the rest is pretty bad. The Angel and the Gambler is probably their worst song or atleast bottom 5.

Offline Anguyen92

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1273 on: September 16, 2017, 07:49:31 PM »
So I decided to attempt to listen to The Angel and the Gambler and while it does not sound like a bad song, having Blaze sing in a three minute span only the words "Don't you think I'm a saviour. Don't you think I could save you. Don't you think I could save your life." and did it again in a two minute span seems like a terrible artistic choice to make.  This is quite agonizing to listen to in a 10 minute song.  Skipping ahead in the song to see when he stops saying that and ended up hear those lyrics is quite hair pulling to me.

I think I finally understand jammindude's gripe about Maiden's decision to repeat phrases in a song over and over again, but I think it wasn't as hair-pulling in the main songs in Brave New World, but there will be plenty of time to talk about Brave New World when it comes up.

Offline Mister Gold

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1274 on: September 16, 2017, 10:06:30 PM »
I'm listening to The Angel and the Gambler for the first time in several years right now to see if my mind's cha- and nope. Nope. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. It's still far and away the band's worst song.

Just... God, Steve, did you really think this song was so necessary to add to the band's discography?

To be fair, I get that he wanted to make a tribute to the rock bands that influenced him during the 70's. But the style isn't what Iron Maiden is really about. It all feels at odds with itself throughout. The production of the album also makes the song sound thin as hell too. And good lord, everyone knows about those damn lyrics.

Steve would later do some songs in the reunion era that I think work far better as (light) homages to older bands that influenced him while still keeping in spirit of what Iron Maiden is about musically, most notably the opening track off of AMOLAD. But we'll get to those songs later.

For now, there's... the monstrosity. :facepalm:

Oh and there's the rest of Virtual XI too, I guess. There's a few good numbers on the album, imo. Overall though it's a big drop off in quality from The X Factor and an utter embarrassment when staked up to the likes of both Bruce's Accident of Birth and the crown jewel that's coming up....
Beyond the limits of the mortal frame
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Where I, the Cosmic Sea
Watch the little ego floating in me.

Online MirrorMask

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1275 on: September 17, 2017, 03:32:26 AM »
Virtual XI is my first "true" Iron Maiden album after I became a fan - The X Factor was just coming out at the moment I was discovering Maiden, and so there was no anticipation for it, Virtual XI is the first album that I was actually waiting for. Well, actually I wasn't even properly "waiting" for it, since I still had scarce internet access and therefore (remember those times? :D ) I essentially found out there was an album coming out, without prior knowledge of announcements, interviews about when the new album could be expected etc...

I have to say I liked it, back in the day. I had to live with it in a sense, it was the first new album I was witnessing from my favorite band, I thought Blaze was here to stay, so I had no particular regrets about it. Now, in the grand scheme of things, I realize it's one of their lesser albums, but still it's worthy of the Maiden label - I mean, when other bands fail, they do St. Anger or Risk. When Maiden "fail", they still write The Clansman :metal:

The Clansman is the clear highlight of the album, followed by Futureal, one of their best openers, and I'd daresay Lightning Strikes Twice. It's a fairly prototype of the classic Harris reunion era song, it's moody and interesting, and I said about it the same thing I said for The Edge of Darkness - had Bruce sung it live, it would have been more regarded.

Now, the elephant in the room... The Angel and the Gambler. I like it. The keyboard hits at the beginning are addictive, and live it worked very well. It should have been kept down to 5 minutes, skipping the whole slow section, and it would have been a fairly decent 5-6 minutes rocker, but still I'm not in the camp of those who'd rather be tortured to hear it again. Same as the other repetitive song, Don't look to the eyes of a stranger, I love the chorus, it's just that the middle section drags on and on and on and the ending is kinda abrupt.

The rest goes from decent to good, When Two Words Collide for example is very nice. This album for me ranks quite low in their discography all things considered, but still it's decent enough to have its moment here and there, and at least an absolute masterpiece (The Clansman) than No Prayer didn't have, for example.

I still have the CD singles for Angel and Futureal, they came with little posters, so I still have the photo of Maiden and other football players dressed for a game, and of course the brilliant Futureal artwork by Derek Riggs, I agree it would have made an awesome cover.
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Offline RodrigoAltaf

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1276 on: September 17, 2017, 04:04:01 AM »
My take on the album: two great songs, worthy of Maiden's legacy and which would not sound out of place in today's setlists: The Clansman and Futureal. All other songs have their cool moments, but needed some trimming and/or changes. The Angel and the Gambler, like others said, needed significant editing. Two Worlds Collide and Lighting Strikes Twice could work much better, but fall short. Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger suffer from the same issue of Angel and the Gambler, with a repetitive and annoying chorus. And Como Estais Amigos is a joke gone too far. Cool idea, poorly executed.

Offline wolfking

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1277 on: September 17, 2017, 04:59:32 AM »
The Educated Fool is one of Maiden's most underrated.  That's a brilliant song.  Stranger is a great moody rocker too.  The speedier section after the verses is excellent.

I really like this album.  Angel could have used the edited version which would have been fine, bu Futureal, Lightning, Worlds a lot of good stuff here, not to mention The Clansman.  The closer I really like too. 

Don't get all teh hate for this album.
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1278 on: September 17, 2017, 05:19:13 AM »
I always regret ranking this album as their third worst - it's still a very good release, filled with some extremely underrated songs.

We all know The Clansman and Futureal are masterpieces, but one needs to single out The Educated fool as another lost gem. Everything about that song is spectacular and it's also a classic. Como estais amigos is also one of my absolute favorites and wins the award for the saddest Iron Maiden song of all time. By far. No contest.

The Angel and the gambler is a catchy tune and, even though it does go on for too long, it's still fun to rock out to. It's also perfect for driving, me and my buddies play this album a lot in the car and this one comes across as a nice driving song every time. Don't look to the eyes of the stranger and When two worlds collide are the two weaker spots and two of their worst songs.

Offline devieira73

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1279 on: September 17, 2017, 08:39:47 AM »
The clip version of the angel and the glamber is a lot better! The album is not very good, mostly because the terrible production and the weak sound of the rhythm guitars, but I do like angel edited, futureal, clansman and Murray's songs.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2017, 08:46:08 AM by devieira73 »
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Offline Lowdz

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1280 on: September 17, 2017, 11:54:39 AM »
Having not bought two of the last three Maiden albums, I bought this for the cover alone. And because the music I listened to was dying at this point, yet I still had a cd buying addiction.
I liked the cover with the moving effect (not sure what it's called) so bought it.
I didn't hate it and quite liked some songs, but it's just not up to the standards of the glory days.
Blaze sounded better, not great but better.


Offline Mister Gold

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1281 on: September 17, 2017, 03:21:26 PM »
I will say, while the production is bad on both The X Factor and Virtual XI, I think it has a much more negative effect on this album than its predecessor. On Virtual XI, it really feels like I'm listening to a CD full of demo tracks, rather than the finished product of a full-fledged album from one of metal's biggest bands. It all sounds incredibly thin.

Further complicating matters is that, as others have mentioned before, Nicko really seemed like he was on auto-pilot during this period in Iron Maiden's history. So not only does the production come off as rather thin and weak-sounding, but Nicko's drumming feels pretty lifeless during a lot of this album. There's none of that signature energy that Nicko's drumming usually injects into the music.

That all plays a huge factor into why a song like The Angel and the Gambler doesn't work. It's already a song that doesn't really "fit" what makes Iron Maiden the band it is, but when you add that together with it also being roughly six minutes too long, the laziness of the lyrics' repetitions, the production being bone thin and Nicko sounding totally lifeless on the drums here, it all culminates in a disaster of a song.

The song drags on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on a- You probably already skipped most of those "on and on"s just to get to this point in the writing, didn't you? Because it's all pointless and you hate feeling like something's wasting your time, right?

That's what it's like to listen to The Angel and the Gambler. That's why it's so easily the worst song Iron Maiden ever made. There's nothing wrong whatsoever with a long song that challenges you to put in some effort yourself to listen to it. But on that rare occasion when a song comes off as being lazy as hell on practically every conceivable level and is also almost ten minutes long, it drives you bananas.
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Offline Phoenix87x

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1282 on: September 17, 2017, 06:21:11 PM »
The only thing worse than the song Angel and the gambler, is its cheesy as hell video. The dated ass CGI is hilarious.

Offline Mister Gold

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1283 on: September 17, 2017, 07:26:38 PM »
The only thing worse than the song Angel and the gambler, is its cheesy as hell video. The dated ass CGI is hilarious.

At least the music video is shorter and can be seen as "So Bad It's Good" comedy material.

The song itself is just a pain to listen to. :lol
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1284 on: September 17, 2017, 11:38:48 PM »
I've been listening to VXI for almost 11 years now and it's only now that I notice Nicko's unenthusiastic performance. There's hardly any drum fills on the entire album.

Offline Grappler

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1285 on: September 18, 2017, 07:00:04 AM »
In the late 90's, I thought this album sucked.  But over the years, I've decided that I like my Maiden to be happy and uptempo, not sad and plodding (X-Factor).  So I actually prefer Virtual XI to The X Factor now.  It doesn't feel like a chore to listen past the first few songs.

Futureal is a killer opening track, Angel and the Gamber, sure - it's repetitive, but fun.  You can feel that the band seemed happier on this album.  The real highlight is THE CLANSMAN.  What a badass song, and again - Bruce's version is even more amazing than the studio version.  I'm glad that I got to see them play this song twice (Ed Hunter & Give Me Ed till I'm Dead tours).  Any song about William Wallace is going to kick ass. 

Great writeup - I'd still put the two Blaze albums at the bottom of my Maiden rankings, but they're nowhere near as awful as I used to think they are.  It's fun to go back and re-listen to these albums as the thread progresses.

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1286 on: September 18, 2017, 07:02:33 AM »
Any song about William Wallace is going to kick ass. 

Grave Digger has a namesake song about him. It's on their concept album about Scotland Tunes of War, the famous Rebellion is on it.
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Offline Grappler

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1287 on: September 18, 2017, 07:17:39 AM »
Any song about William Wallace is going to kick ass. 

Grave Digger has a namesake song about him. It's on their concept album about Scotland Tunes of War, the famous Rebellion is on it.

Love that song - I only like a handful of their tunes.  Saw them open for Blind Guardian last year and went apeshit when they started that tune.

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Offline kaos2900

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1288 on: September 18, 2017, 07:30:52 AM »
I actually really like this album. Still towards the bottom but much better than X Factor.

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1289 on: September 18, 2017, 12:57:56 PM »
First Maiden album I bought on release day, I even got the 3D cover edition or maybe they all had that? Can't remember. Either way, I discovered Maiden about a year after Bruce left by my friend. I remember asking him one day if I could borrow all his Maiden cds when his family was going on vacation, which I could so I then proceeded to copy all his cds on cassette.  :lol






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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1290 on: September 18, 2017, 01:08:24 PM »
First Maiden album I bought on release day, I even got the 3D cover edition or maybe they all had that? Can't remember. Either way, I discovered Maiden about a year after Bruce left by my friend. I remember asking him one day if I could borrow all his Maiden cds when his family was going on vacation, which I could so I then proceeded to copy all his cds on cassette.  :lol

Our timelines more or less add up. I discovered Maiden a bit later, in 1995, but Virtual XI was my first new album as well and I got it on cassette too 'cause I hadn't a cd player yet  :D
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Offline Mosh

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1291 on: September 18, 2017, 07:53:11 PM »
I don't think Virtual XI is too bad. It's probably second weakest, but it's still miles ahead of Fear of the Dark. Angel and the Gambler doesn't help it, being right at the beginning of the album. I can definitely see that being a major turnoff for most people, even though I don't think it's as bad as most people say. There are some cool parts (and a really fantastic guitar solo from Dave). Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger is far worse. It's guilty of all of Angel's flaws but it's even worse. Easily my least favorite Maiden song.

Everything else is mostly good though. When Two Worlds Collide is the lost gem of the album. Great song that Blaze had in his setlist after leaving Maiden and he does a great job with it solo. Lightning Strikes is also pretty good. The Clansman is obviously a masterpiece.

I like Futureal and Como Estais but they're not among my favorites.

There's a lot of questionable creative choices on the album, mostly from Steve. The repetitive chorus problem is really all over the album, but Angel and Don't Look To the Eyes of a Stranger get hit especially hard with it. The lyrics are also lazily written. A lot of the lines range from awkward to just plain dumb. Nicko's drumming is pedestrian at best, although he was clearly invested in The Clansman. I think his only fills on the album are in that song. It's weird how positive they are in the EPK because the music sounds very uncertain and somewhat defeated to me. A little editing, more heartfelt performances, and a better production would've gone an insanely long way.
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Offline Stadler

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1292 on: September 19, 2017, 02:05:00 PM »
This album has grown on me over the years, and it's not even in the bottom three for me (or maybe tied for third worst).   I like this a WHOLE lot more than TXF.  It is a shade repetitive at times, but I like Angel... and I like the album closer.  I would not at all call Futureal a Maiden "classic".   

Offline cramx3

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1293 on: September 19, 2017, 09:11:17 PM »
My least favorite IM album, but the thing is, if you took out TAATG, I'd rate it maybe 4 spots higher.  That song is just that bad, it ruins the album for me.  It makes me never want to listen to the album.  The rest of the songs on the album are good to really good, I really like The Educated Fool.  Maybe my favorite next to The Clansman.  Como Estai Amigos is a fantastic different style maiden song.  Also, the production is poor on this and once again doesn't help Blaze here.  There was definitely a lot of potential with these songs and the songs that didn't make this album, it's just weighed down so heavily by one track and poor production.

Offline TAC

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Re: Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Virtual XI (1998)
« Reply #1294 on: September 20, 2017, 10:55:36 AM »
Having not gotten into TXF, when VXI came out, I remember being much happier with it than TXF. It seemed to have a more familiar "Maiden" feel to it. Blaze seemed more comfortable and more in command. Even then, I still felt like I had to work a little hard to really like it, but being it was all there was, I accepted it.

Obviously TAaTG is horrific. And I never really cared for Como Estias Amigos. But other than that, songwise, I think the rest of it is pretty solid.

Yes, the production is terrible. It freezes some great tunes in time as never really reaching their potential.




when other bands fail, they do St. Anger or Risk. When Maiden "fail", they still write The Clansman :metal:

So true. An amazing track.


The Educated Fool is one of Maiden's most underrated.  That's a brilliant song.

It sure is. It is the number one song on my "Blaze Track That Needs The Reunion Era Treatment" list. I would love to hear Bruce do this. He would absolutely slay that chorus.

  Stranger is a great moody rocker too.  The speedier section after the verses is excellent.

I like this song a lot too. Even though it feels like the Lite beer version of Fear Of The Dark. I had my son edit out the "Don't Look To" repeating part. It is TWO MINUTES LONG!! Two minutes! And that ending is fantastic, and honest to God, it's one of my favorite passages in the entire Maiden catalog. They've never done anything like it, before or after.


Futureal is a killer opening track,
:metal
It sure is.



Further complicating matters is that, as others have mentioned before, Nicko really seemed like he was on auto-pilot during this period in Iron Maiden's history. So not only does the production come off as rather thin and weak-sounding, but Nicko's drumming feels pretty lifeless during a lot of this album. There's none of that signature energy that Nicko's drumming usually injects into the music.

Leading credence to the "Paul Is Dead" style rumor that it was actually Steve on some of the tracks.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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