Iron Maiden Discography Thread: Senjutsu

[RodrigoAltaf]

I like what Janick did with Where Eagles Dare. I wouldn't want it to replace the studio version, but I enjoy when they change things up. It's a solid solo too.

I think that you and wolfking are referring to the full solo. The first part is ok, but that's played by Dave. It's the second bit, played by Jannick, that I don't like. Check out the time stamp I put on my post and see if that makes sense.

[PowerSlave]

Jannick's solo isn't that bad in that version. It's not that great, but he's done worse.

The problem is the tempo. Holy shit, are they flying through that song, or what?

[Mosh]

I like what Janick did with Where Eagles Dare. I wouldn't want it to replace the studio version, but I enjoy when they change things up. It's a solid solo too.

I think that you and wolfking are referring to the full solo. The first part is ok, but that's played by Dave. It's the second bit, played by Jannick, that I don't like. Check out the time stamp I put on my post and see if that makes sense.

Nope, I was referring to that second bit.

Not that any band with Steve Harris needed anymore of it, but there's a certain genuineness and honesty about Jannick.

Absolutely. I love what he's brought to the band over the years, his playing and writing continues to improve with every album. The hate he gets from a (small) group of fans is unfair. A lot of people have no idea what he contributes.

[TAC]

So I was thinking about this while listening to Q2K tonight for Sam's thread...

Degarmo leaving QR was a huge blow. I was trying to compare it to Adrian leaving Maiden. And then coinciding with what many people feel are Maiden's two worst albums. Are there similarities?
On the surface, perhaps. But when Degarmo left, QR seemed to have become a rudderless ship. There seemed to be no leadership, no direction.

I think the difference was that with Steve Harris, Maiden HAD leadership. But without Adrian, and (this will be the basis of my upcoming Bruce epiphany) with a seemingly less interested Bruce, Maiden lacked a certain balance. With all of Steve's greatness, Adrian, and especially Bruce, helped keep him in check. This is what Balls To Picasso and The X Factor proved to me.

[Mosh]

I don't know if No Prayer and Fear are dramatic departures the way Q2K is. It's different, but it was a sound familiar to Maiden. You're right, Steve Harris is one of the most driven and focused artists in the business. For all their changes in style and experimentation, I don't think you could ever utter the phrase "this doesn't sound like Maiden". The sound was established day one and they've been building on it ever since.

Bruce is an interesting character. I think at the end of the day he's a storyteller and an entertainer. The vehicle for achieving that isn't as important. The combination between someone like him and someone like Steve who is pure musician is something very special. Throw Adrian in there and you have the formula for greatness. Among the all time greatest, and in some ways most underrated, writing partnerships. Also unusual since you usually hear about two-man writing partnerships.

[Stadler]

Bruce is an interesting character. I think at the end of the day he's a storyteller and an entertainer. The vehicle for achieving that isn't as important. The combination between someone like him and someone like Steve who is pure musician is something very special. Throw Adrian in there and you have the formula for greatness. Among the all time greatest, and in some ways most underrated, writing partnerships. Also unusual since you usually hear about two-man writing partnerships.

I love this.  I'm a big fan of what the sports fans call "the clubhouse" - the interplay between the musicians behind the scenes that make the big picture what it is.   For example, I don't think the Rolling Stones are the same band if Keith and Mick weren't sniping at each other all the time.  Rush.   I think Bruce and Steve are like that.   It showed when Bruce joined the band in '82, it showed when he lost interest in, what, '90-ish, and it showed when he rejoined in '99.    I'm not naïve; I get that there is probably some element of "Bruce Live!" that is part of the act (he does tend to use the same raps at the same spots night after night) but he's the perfect guy for the unit that is "Iron Maiden", and a huge part of that is Steve Harris. 

[RodrigoAltaf]

Well said, Stadler!!!

[TAC]

Bruce is an interesting character. I think at the end of the day he's a storyteller and an entertainer. The vehicle for achieving that isn't as important. The combination between someone like him and someone like Steve who is pure musician is something very special. Throw Adrian in there and you have the formula for greatness. Among the all time greatest, and in some ways most underrated, writing partnerships. Also unusual since you usually hear about two-man writing partnerships.

I love this.  I'm a big fan of what the sports fans call "the clubhouse" - the interplay between the musicians behind the scenes that make the big picture what it is.   For example, I don't think the Rolling Stones are the same band if Keith and Mick weren't sniping at each other all the time.  Rush.   I think Bruce and Steve are like that.   It showed when Bruce joined the band in '82, it showed when he lost interest in, what, '90-ish, and it showed when he rejoined in '99.    I'm not naïve; I get that there is probably some element of "Bruce Live!" that is part of the act (he does tend to use the same raps at the same spots night after night) but he's the perfect guy for the unit that is "Iron Maiden", and a huge part of that is Steve Harris.

Yup, that's what I was saying. Like I said, I'll be discussing this during the BTP and TXF period.

Also, the "clubhouse" interplay you mention, I believe that Jannick is a catalyst for this. He seems to bridge every personal gap.

[Samsara]

So I was thinking about this while listening to Q2K tonight for Sam's thread...

Degarmo leaving QR was a huge blow. I was trying to compare it to Adrian leaving Maiden. And then coinciding with what many people feel are Maiden's two worst albums. Are there similarities?
On the surface, perhaps. But when Degarmo left, QR seemed to have become a rudderless ship. There seemed to be no leadership, no direction.

I think the difference was that with Steve Harris, Maiden HAD leadership. But without Adrian, and (this will be the basis of my upcoming Bruce epiphany) with a seemingly less interested Bruce, Maiden lacked a certain balance. With all of Steve's greatness, Adrian, and especially Bruce, helped keep him in check. This is what Balls To Picasso and The X Factor proved to me.

DeGarmo was Queensryche's version of Steve Harris. It's a perfect apples-to-apples comparison. Smith leaving doesn't really match up, because Smith's role as a part writer and co-lead guitarist are small roles in comparison to DeGarmo's role in Queensryche.

DeGarmo wrote a lot of the songs, arranged most of them, wrote at least half the lyrics, and set the musical direction for the band. So losing DeGarmo for Queensryche would be like Iron Maiden losing Steve Harris. And thankfully for Maiden, that didn't happen.

For Queensryche, think DeGarmo/Tate being Harris/Dickinson. You lose either of those guys, the band is completely different, because of their impact. In Queensryche's case, they lost both of them, and the band is a MUCH different animal these days, even if many fans prefer the direction they've taken musically. Queensryche is nowhere near what it once was, artistically, even if they replicate the old songs better than when Tate was in the band.

Maiden will always be Maiden with Steve Harris. With TXF and VXI, obviously a new voice was at the forefront, and we'll talk about that when Mosh gets to it. But it wasn't the same because of the impact Bruce had, even if the music was stellar and very much Maiden in tone and character.

[cramx3]

I may be alone, but I love the magic bits on Raising Hell.

I think it ranks as one of their worst DVDs, but I kind of enjoyed the different take on the concert (being in studio and adding some magic).  A lot of it is cheesy, like Dave playing the guitar with the fake hands, but some of the other stand alone magic was kind of cool.  Also killing Bruce in an Iron Maiden in the end was epic.

I first watched this with my college roommate while in college and we both fell in love with the little boy right next to Steve during Heaven Can Wait.  We didn't know this was a normal thing for this song and we would often bring up our jealousies about the little boy getting on stage with them.... until we actually did during HCW on the Somewhere Back in Time tour.  We still joke about this today, how we became the little boy. 

[TAC]

So I was thinking about this while listening to Q2K tonight for Sam's thread...

Degarmo leaving QR was a huge blow. I was trying to compare it to Adrian leaving Maiden. And then coinciding with what many people feel are Maiden's two worst albums. Are there similarities?
On the surface, perhaps. But when Degarmo left, QR seemed to have become a rudderless ship. There seemed to be no leadership, no direction.

I think the difference was that with Steve Harris, Maiden HAD leadership. But without Adrian, and (this will be the basis of my upcoming Bruce epiphany) with a seemingly less interested Bruce, Maiden lacked a certain balance. With all of Steve's greatness, Adrian, and especially Bruce, helped keep him in check. This is what Balls To Picasso and The X Factor proved to me.

DeGarmo was Queensryche's version of Steve Harris. It's a perfect apples-to-apples comparison. Smith leaving doesn't really match up, because Smith's role as a part writer and co-lead guitarist are small roles in comparison to DeGarmo's role in Queensryche.

DeGarmo wrote a lot of the songs, arranged most of them, wrote at least half the lyrics, and set the musical direction for the band. So losing DeGarmo for Queensryche would be like Iron Maiden losing Steve Harris. And thankfully for Maiden, that didn't happen.

For Queensryche, think DeGarmo/Tate being Harris/Dickinson. You lose either of those guys, the band is completely different, because of their impact. In Queensryche's case, they lost both of them, and the band is a MUCH different animal these days, even if many fans prefer the direction they've taken musically. Queensryche is nowhere near what it once was, artistically, even if they replicate the old songs better than when Tate was in the band.

Maiden will always be Maiden with Steve Harris. With TXF and VXI, obviously a new voice was at the forefront, and we'll talk about that when Mosh gets to it. But it wasn't the same because of the impact Bruce had, even if the music was stellar and very much Maiden in tone and character.

Right. I agree. What I was trying to say was that while listening to Q2K, I found myself comparing the two bands at those points in time in each band's career, and I first thought about Degarmo and Smith leaving, but then I realized that they are not similar circumstances and effects at all. We agree.

[Stadler]

So I was thinking about this while listening to Q2K tonight for Sam's thread...

Degarmo leaving QR was a huge blow. I was trying to compare it to Adrian leaving Maiden. And then coinciding with what many people feel are Maiden's two worst albums. Are there similarities?
On the surface, perhaps. But when Degarmo left, QR seemed to have become a rudderless ship. There seemed to be no leadership, no direction.

I think the difference was that with Steve Harris, Maiden HAD leadership. But without Adrian, and (this will be the basis of my upcoming Bruce epiphany) with a seemingly less interested Bruce, Maiden lacked a certain balance. With all of Steve's greatness, Adrian, and especially Bruce, helped keep him in check. This is what Balls To Picasso and The X Factor proved to me.

DeGarmo was Queensryche's version of Steve Harris. It's a perfect apples-to-apples comparison. Smith leaving doesn't really match up, because Smith's role as a part writer and co-lead guitarist are small roles in comparison to DeGarmo's role in Queensryche.

DeGarmo wrote a lot of the songs, arranged most of them, wrote at least half the lyrics, and set the musical direction for the band. So losing DeGarmo for Queensryche would be like Iron Maiden losing Steve Harris. And thankfully for Maiden, that didn't happen.

For Queensryche, think DeGarmo/Tate being Harris/Dickinson. You lose either of those guys, the band is completely different, because of their impact. In Queensryche's case, they lost both of them, and the band is a MUCH different animal these days, even if many fans prefer the direction they've taken musically. Queensryche is nowhere near what it once was, artistically, even if they replicate the old songs better than when Tate was in the band.

Maiden will always be Maiden with Steve Harris. With TXF and VXI, obviously a new voice was at the forefront, and we'll talk about that when Mosh gets to it. But it wasn't the same because of the impact Bruce had, even if the music was stellar and very much Maiden in tone and character.

I think there's a crucial difference though:   There is NO QUESTION who runs Maiden.  It's not up for discussion, and has been that way since Day One.  HARRIS wrote all the songs.  HARRIS did the press.  HARRIS hired and fired.   DeGarmo left QR.   There is no reality where Harris leaves Maiden.   I'm not saying that the "LEAVING" is the difference, but the idea and thought process that could lead to a DeGarmo leaving QR tells me that it's NOT the same.  There is no idea or thought process that leads to Harris leaving Maiden.    Even if it's only because the rest of the band acknowledges Harris being the man, whereas I never once ever even got a whiff that the rest of QR felt that way.  I could be wrong, and you know QR WAYYYYYYY better than I do, but I do know Maiden, and everything in that band happens with the benevolent blessing of Mr. Steve Harris.  PERIOD.

[Samsara]

I think there's a crucial difference though:   There is NO QUESTION who runs Maiden.  It's not up for discussion, and has been that way since Day One.  HARRIS wrote all the songs.  HARRIS did the press.  HARRIS hired and fired.   DeGarmo left QR.   There is no reality where Harris leaves Maiden.   I'm not saying that the "LEAVING" is the difference, but the idea and thought process that could lead to a DeGarmo leaving QR tells me that it's NOT the same.  There is no idea or thought process that leads to Harris leaving Maiden.    Even if it's only because the rest of the band acknowledges Harris being the man, whereas I never once ever even got a whiff that the rest of QR felt that way.  I could be wrong, and you know QR WAYYYYYYY better than I do, but I do know Maiden, and everything in that band happens with the benevolent blessing of Mr. Steve Harris.  PERIOD.

You're right that from a public standpoint, it was very clear where everyone stood in Iron Maiden. Absolutely. Harris was the man, and continues to be. But remember, before the Internet, and before DeGarmo left, Queensryche was a very private band. But when the veil of secrecy got lifted over the years, and you trace it all back, you come to find that it was indeed DeGarmo that was the driving force, both creatively and business-wise.

We all knew DeGarmo was credited on most of the band's songs. What we didn't know, was that he did a lot of the arrangements and really worked Tate's vocal melodies over too. That all came to light after he left, and the proof is in what music followed his departure. Add to that -- he was president of the band's corporation, and the rest of the band basically expected him to do all the heavy lifting, business wise, it becomes very clear that Chris DeGarmo was the focal point of Queensryche. He was the Steve Harris of Queensryche. It may not have been as publicly crystal clear as Iron Maiden, but it was indeed IT.

The difference is mostly in what was publicly observed. And Wilton had a bigger role in the earlier years than the Maiden guitarists had in songwriting. Tate's role was basically the same as Bruce's in Maiden, except Bruce wrote music in addition to lyrics, and for the most part, I think Tate had more writing credits, but those are somewhat deceiving when you find out how much DeGarmo worked on stuff with Tate.

Harris and DeGarmo are/were vital to the sound of their respective bands. Although, I think it's accurate to say that Queensryche had a slight more reliance on the whole band in shaping the overall sound, even if DeGarmo was the key cog that drove it all.

Sorry to Maiden fans if we got sidetracked a bit. the Harris/DeGarmo thing is a pretty interesting topic (at least to me).

[Stadler]

It's a VERY interesting topic to me; I'm fascinated by the dynamics of band situations. 

[Mosh]

Bruce Dickinson - Balls To Picasso (1994)


Bruce Dickinson - Vocals

Featuring Tribe of Gypsies:
Roy Z - Guitar
Eddie Casillas - Bass Guitar
Dave Ingraham - Drums
Doug Van Booven - Percussion

The story of how Bruce’s first solo album came to be is more interesting than most Maiden albums. Work actually began on the followup to Tattooed Millionaire in 1992 when Bruce was still in Maiden recording and touring for Fear Of the Dark. The album was to once again be produced by Chris Tsangarides and this time Bruce’s backing band would be Skins, one of Maiden’s labelmates (the drummer for Skins actually played in Bruce’s 1990 touring band). Ultimately, Bruce wasn’t satisfied with the results and scrapped the project. The only remnant of these sessions was a drum track for a song called Pendragon’s Day.

At the beginning of 1993, while Maiden were taking some time off in between the Fear of the Dark Tour and A Real Live Tour, Bruce made another attempt at a solo album. This time he flew to LA to work with acclaimed producer Keith Olsen, who had worked with the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Ozzy Osbourne. Bruce’s intention was to create something musically radical. By this time he had decided that he would be leaving Maiden and wanted to make an album that would differentiate himself from his old band. One of his major influences for the Keith Olson project was Peter Gabriel after departing Genesis. The music from these sessions were of a similar vibe, with lots of Electronic elements and even Dance influences. Bruce seemed on board with this direction as late as November of 1993 when, asked by an interviewer if listeners should expect a “techo” Bruce Dickinson, he responded that Rock was losing its edge and that he wanted to explore these new sounds and styles. Still, this direction wasn’t quite what Bruce was looking for and the project was scrapped yet again.

Somewhere along the way, Bruce came across Latin Hard Rock band Tribe of Gypsies. Bruce was impressed with their incorporation of Latin rhythms and the band’s aggressive street vibe. Bruce felt current Rock music was lacking groove, an area Tribe of Gypsies excelled in. Originally, Tribe Of Gypsies were going to be brought in to augment the songs Bruce worked on with Keith Olson, but Bruce and Roy Z were so compatible as songwriters that they were able to write an entire album of stronger material. It was a very similar relationship to what Bruce had previously experienced with Janick Gers and Adrian Smith. Bruce went all in on the new direction and, finally, a direction was settled on.

Once again, the only remnant of the Keith Olson sessions was Pendragon’s Day, which was now retitled to Tears Of the Dragon. The Keith Olson version of Tears Of the Dragon, along with several other unused songs from the sessions, were eventually released as b-sides and later included on the 2CD edition of Balls To Picasso.
With Tribe of Gypsies as his new backing band, Bruce relocated back to London and got to work on the album. Bruce and Roy Z had a very productive writing session together so there was plenty of material to choose from. After a very slow start, things were finally moving along quickly and smoothly.

Musically, Bruce wanted to capture the band’s street level energy and groove. This can be heard especially in songs like Gods Of War and  Shoot All the Clowns. It’s definitely Metal, but a different flavor than what Maiden were doing. Roy Z was also a more than competent guitar player. Not only did the music groove, but it had blistering guitar solos and heavy riffs that any Maiden fan could appreciate. It was much more familiar territory than what Bruce was doing with Keith Olson, but it was still innovative and fresh.

The Latin side of Tribe of Gypsies comes out several times on the album, but especially on the two ballads. The bulk of Tears Of the Dragon had been established in the original versions, but Roy Z’s Latin flavored guitar playing gave the song a new edge. Tears was also the album’s lead single and produced a minor hit for Bruce, charting at Top 40 both in the US and the UK. The style was also present in Change Of Heart, which stands as one of the album’s hidden gems.

Around the time he was leaving Maiden, Bruce voiced dissatisfaction with the Maiden lyrical style. He felt he was growing out of the allegorical style of Maiden lyrics such as Revelations or Moonchild and was more interested in writing straightforward lyrics. This comes out on his last albums with Maiden and even Tattooed Millionaire, but he really commits to it on Balls To Picasso. The lyrical themes of the songs are obvious and easily relatable. Tears Of the Dragon deals with facing your fears, Sacred Cowboys is about political corruption (a favorite topic for Bruce in the early 90s), and Change Of Heart is another ballad lyrically in the vein of Wasting Love.

Other notable songs include the epic opener Cyclops, which is the perfect introduction to Bruce’s new direction. It’s heavy, groovy, and artistically bold. It also showcases Bruce’s still evolving vocal style, which has moved back to the operatic style he became famous for. His voice was still experiencing some growing pains at the time, but it was still probably the best vocal performance he had turned in since Seventh Son. One of Bruce’s favorite tracks, Laughing In the Hiding Bush, was titled by his son Austin. Appropriately, Austin Dickinson receives a writing credit on the song.

The album’s other single, Shoot All the Clowns, was the label’s attempt at a hit for the album. Bruce was delivered a copy of Aerosmith’s Rocks and told to write something in that vein. Shoot All the Clowns was the result. Bruce recalls this was his least favorite memory of the Balls to Picasso sessions. While it did OK, charting at #37 in the UK, it certainly wasn’t what the label was hoping for.

“Below expectations” could also be used to describe the album’s commercial performance in general. The music industry had experienced many major changes in the past few years and a Bruce Dickinson solo album didn’t have the same appeal as before. Critically, it got mixed reviews. The Metal publications appreciated the unique style, but many considered it inconsistent at best. Metal Hammer completely disregarded it. Around this time, EMI/Mercury were also downsizing, so, a few months after the release, Bruce was dumped from the label.

Looking back on Balls To Picasso, Bruce voiced two regrets about the album: one being that Roy Z didn’t produce. By this point, Bruce had scrapped two albums and blown through a sizeable chunk of the label’s budget. Keith Olson’s engineer, Shay Baby, was already signed on for the project and the label insisted that he stay on to produce. While a competent producer, Shay Baby probably wasn’t the right choice and Balls To Picasso wasn’t quite as heavy sonically as it could have been.

Bruce’s other regret is the title. The album was originally going to be called Laughing In the Hiding Bush. Pink Floyd (and, a few years later, Dream Theater) artist Storm Thorgerson was initially tapped to do the artwork, but, again because of a lack of budget, couldn’t afford the rights to use the artwork. However, this artwork did see the light of day a year later in a form many of you may recognize:



When trying to decide on an idea for a new cover, Bruce came across graffiti on a bathroom stall that read “Balls to Picasso”. Bruce liked the phrase and decided to use it for the album title and visual concept. Years later, Bruce stated that the album should’ve been called Laughing In the Hiding Bush after all. 

Needless to say, Bruce’s solo career was off to a strange start. Luckily, most of the uncertainty around the album was being settled while Bruce was still with Maiden, so the album came out shortly after his official departure. While it was not a commercial or even critical hit, it was something Bruce was proud of, and still seems to be proud of in retrospect. However, after the low sales and being dropped from the label as a result, Bruce decided he would pursue a different direction with the next album. The story of this new direction actually begins with the live album from this period.




Alive In Studio A (Recorded in 1994, released in 1995)


Bruce Dickinson - Vocals
Alex Dickson - Guitars
Chris Dale - Bass
Alessandro Elena - Drums

Bruce was only “borrowing” Tribe of Gypsies for the album, so when it was time to take it on the road he was in need of a new band. First, Bruce called guitarist Alex Dickson, who was a friend of his. They made some TV appearances together playing acoustic guitars. Eventually, he found the rhythm section for the new band through Skins (the original backing band for Balls to Picasso). With yet another new band, it was time to embark on a tour for Balls to Picasso.

Bruce felt it would be appropriate to introduce the new band to the world before the next album by releasing a live recording. This way, listeners could be introduced to them with familiar material. Alive In Studio A is actually two separate performances. The first disc, Alive In Studio A, was an in studio performance that was originally meant to be aired on American radio. The second disc is an actual live performance recorded at the Marquee in London. The songs featured are almost identical, so including both might seem redundant to many listeners, but for hardcore fans of Bruce and people who especially like Balls To Picasso, this collection is worth having. Of course it’s also a new band, so the renditions are different from what you get with Tribe Of Gypsies.

So by 1995, before Iron Maiden had done anything with their new lineup, Bruce Dickinson already had recorded a studio album, a live album, and started yet another brand new band to start work on the next album. Bruce hit the ground running with his solo career and would remain very productive during his time outside of Maiden. We’ll come back to him after discussing The X Factor and its tour.

[MirrorMask]

Congratulations on another detailed recap, I knew about Bruce's two attempts at a solo album before doing Balls to Picasso, and there were both many hidden gems and hopefully more hidden atrocities from those (Cadillac Gas Mask, I'm looking at you).

I think the best non album tracks of those embryo days are The Breeding House and especially No Way Out... to Be Continued. As for the album itself, I like it. It's not his ultimate masterpiece but I like the vibe, most of the songs, and of course his return to "clean" vocals after his last stints in Maiden.

I remember reading that Bruce's son had labeled a bush in their garden "Laughing bush", and when Bruce asked him what he was doing, he meant to reply that he was hiding in said laughing bush, 'cause he was actually hiding, but he mixed it up giving therefore the song, and almost the album, the title. However it's one of my least favorite songs on the album.

My favorite ones are obviously Tears of the Dragon, and then Cyclops, 1000 Points of Light, Change of Heart and Hell No. Sacred Cowboys starts as the ultimate "filler" song (a semi-rap at the penultimate song?) and then explodes into that catchy and memorable chorus.

All in all I like all the songs, Fire and Laughing are the one I dig the least but there's not truly a sucky song (those has been "saved" for the unborn Keith Olsen album - thank the gods, I'd add). I'm happy Bruce doesn't disown it and from time to time it's nice to hear some of these songs.

Bruce made 6 solo albums, three are metal and three are more alternative - it's hard to compare the first three to one another, but I'd say that Balls to Picasso is the best "weird" album.

[Mladen]

Yep, Mosh knocked it out of the park once again. 

Cyclops, 1000 points of light, Laughing, Change of heart and Sacred cowboys are absolutely fantastic. The others are so and so, making the album slightly inconsistent but still an enjoyable listen. Tears of the dragon is probably his most overrated solo song - it's not bad, but way too generic and predictable to be considered great.

[sneakyblueberry]

Great write up. 

I listened to these albums in reverse order - I was well familiar with the live album before BtP.  I really, really love the marquee show.  I think Alex Dickson is/was an awesome fit, and his aggressive and precise playing on that is always a joy to listen to.  And the fact that it's a live three piece is a nice treat - you can tell that band had played a few shows at the point, they're pretty dang tight with it.

Listening to BtP was a let down after hearing Alive at the Marquee - I think it could've been great if Bruce and the Gypsies had broken the songs in a lot more in a live setting.  For me BtP plods along - the usual effects of touring (the sped up tempos and a better sense of comfortability with the material) could've made BtP a great album.  I look at it more like a demo for the live cd now, tbh.

[TAC]

First off, I LOVE Stomp 442. One of my favorite albums of all time.

This is the first half of my Bruce Dickinson epiphany. I mail ordered Balls To Picasso, and the Tears Of The Dragon single as soon as I saw it listed. Bruce was never my favorite Maiden member. If anything, he was my least favorite. Loved his vocals, but I just always kind of found him douchey.

BTP sounded so fresh and interesting. And Bruce sounded better than he had in a number of years. This was the first time I truly realized that Bruce Dickinson was more than just a singer. He was a really talented musician. I had this moment where I felt that I had actually taken Bruce for granted. I never thought he had an album like this in him. I know he would go on to release more classic albums, but to me, BTP is a landmark album. I never looked at Bruce the same way again.

And holy shit, the Tribe Of Gypsies!

  The Breeding House and especially No Way Out... to Be Continued. 

Awesome tunes!

[Zydar]

Tears Of The Dragon   Probably my favourite Bruce solo song ever.

[TAC]

Tears Of The Dragon   Probably my favourite Bruce solo song ever.

It's such a great tune. And definitely right up there.

[Lowdz]

I was a fan of Tribe of Gypsies before Bruce hooked up with them so was interested in this, though I'd fallen out of love with Maiden and Bruce at the time.
I bought it and quite enjoyed it.
I replaced my cassette with the expanded rerelease a few years ago but don't think I've ever played the 2nd disc. I did like the tracks on the Tears of a Dragon single.

His live band after the album was a trade down after ToG

[RodrigoAltaf]

I saw one of his shows on the Balls to Picasso tour. Not a single Maiden song was played. When this album was released I was too much of a Maidenhead to appreciate it, but having heard it recently, I think it's brilliant. Heavy, but fresh and modern. But I think that what kids wanted at that time was new bands with new sounds, not an already established act trying to rebrand himself. A vocalist with a solo career in heavy metal is a tough thing to carry on. To this day, I think only Ozzy and Dio managed to hold it together for so long. And mind you, Dio had stints with Sabbath in-between. Halford tried it, Paul Dianno did too, Geoff Tate is having a go, but commercially, it's very hard to keep this going.

[cramx3]

Great write up Mosh.  I really learned a lot from this post. 

I found BtP to be much better than Tattooed Millionaire.  Also, I typically found myself listening to Alive moreso than the album.  I liked the more raw live versions of the songs, but had no idea of the backing band.  Just kind of assumed it was the same (and this is coming from me listening to Bruce's discogaphy way later in time). 

Now having said I liked this more than TM, I still think the album as a whole is just alright.  Tears of a Clown is my clear favorite track and there's really nothing bad on it, but while rest of the is decent music, it also doesn't blow me away.   I do find the album to be more interesting than FotD though so I do wonder what it must have been like to hear this after IM had just parted ways with Bruce.   It seems TAC really enjoyed it, and I can understand why. 

Also, if you haven't seen/listened to this version of Tears of a Clown, I highly suggest you check it out (that instrumental breakdown  ):

Tribuzy (featuring Bruce Dickinson and Roy Z) performing Tears of a Clown live

[Art]

Balls to Picasso is amazing. The Tribe was an awesome back-up band (seeing them live on the CW tour proved that they were also incredible live). Love the direction, the only weakers songs would be, IMO, Fire and Sacred Cowboys, but i don't hate them.

[Samsara]

Keeping me on my toes, Mosh! Great job. I haven't listened to Balls to Picasso in forever. It's now on. Different, but very cool album.

[Stadler]

Tribuzy (featuring Bruce Dickinson and Roy Z) performing Tears of a Clown live

That right there is a tutorial as to why Bruce is the best metal frontman in history.  He's got the showmanship of Roth and yet, can deliver a note-perfect, emotionally taut vocal performance with the best of them.

The Roy Z solo was lackluster (a little clichéd, especially with the hammer-ons while beckoning the audience to cheer), but I loved that little harmony part he played while Bruce sang the last chorus. 

[Zydar]

Listening now to it for the first time in a long while. I'd forgotten how great it is. Sacred Cowboys, Cyclops, Gods Of War, Change of Heart...

[PowerSlave]

Also, if you haven't seen/listened to this version of Tears of a Clown, I highly suggest you check it out (that instrumental breakdown  ):

Tribuzy (featuring Bruce Dickinson and Roy Z) performing Tears of a Clown live

Wrong band/song, right singer... 

[PowerSlave]

At the time that this album came out I was very disenchanted with Bruce and Iron Maiden alike. I heard it a few times, but I had my mind made up that I was going to dislike everything that either entity did. For a few years that was my loss, entirely.

When I opened my mind, and got into his solo work in the later part of the 90's, I got drawn into this album because of the live versions of Tears and Hiding Bush that were on Scream for Me, Brazil. Hiding Bush is my favorite song on the album. There seems to be some kind of energy on that song that connects with me.

I don't think that there's a bad song on the album, but if I had to choose least favorites they would be Change of Heart and Fire.

I don't think that this album is as good as Accident or Wedding, but it was a great preview of what was to come.

[Dream Team]

Yep, Mosh knocked it out of the park once again. 

Cyclops, 1000 points of light, Laughing, Change of heart and Sacred cowboys are absolutely fantastic. The others are so and so, making the album slightly inconsistent but still an enjoyable listen. Tears of the dragon is probably his most overrated solo song - it's not bad, but way too generic and predictable to be considered great.

Agreed on TotD.

[Mosh]

Glad everyone enjoyed the writeup.

I have a soft spot for Balls to Picasso. When I heard it, I wasn't aware of any of his other solo albums (Tyranny Of Souls also wasn't out yet). My only exposure to Bruce was this album and Tattooed Millionaire. I think I liked them both about the same, maybe TM more so since I was really into that glam metal thing then. But also, since Bruce was the most important part of Maiden for me, I held both at the same level of importance as the Maiden albums.

I still think it's a great album, although it's hard to compare it to what he did with Roy Z later. There are definitely moments where it misses the mark, but the best moments are incredible.

The Keith Olson stuff is interesting. I have to admit every time I listen to those songs I appreciate them a little bit more. Tibet and Over and Out are decent tunes. I'm glad he didn't go in that direction, but there's some interesting stuff there. I will say that Bruce is fairly limited in what he can do stylistically. I'll go into more detail with this when we get to Skunkworks, because it definitely applies there, but his operatic singing style doesn't gel with certain musical styles. The techno/rock hybrid thing he was trying with Keith Olson is an example of one such style.

Congratulations on another detailed recap, I knew about Bruce's two attempts at a solo album before doing Balls to Picasso, and there were both many hidden gems and hopefully more hidden atrocities from those (Cadillac Gas Mask, I'm looking at you).

I think the best non album tracks of those embryo days are The Breeding House and especially No Way Out... to Be Continued. As for the album itself, I like it. It's not his ultimate masterpiece but I like the vibe, most of the songs, and of course his return to "clean" vocals after his last stints in Maiden.

I remember reading that Bruce's son had labeled a bush in their garden "Laughing bush", and when Bruce asked him what he was doing, he meant to reply that he was hiding in said laughing bush, 'cause he was actually hiding, but he mixed it up giving therefore the song, and almost the album, the title. However it's one of my least favorite songs on the album.

My favorite ones are obviously Tears of the Dragon, and then Cyclops, 1000 Points of Light, Change of Heart and Hell No. Sacred Cowboys starts as the ultimate "filler" song (a semi-rap at the penultimate song?) and then explodes into that catchy and memorable chorus.

All in all I like all the songs, Fire and Laughing are the one I dig the least but there's not truly a sucky song (those has been "saved" for the unborn Keith Olsen album - thank the gods, I'd add). I'm happy Bruce doesn't disown it and from time to time it's nice to hear some of these songs.

Bruce made 6 solo albums, three are metal and three are more alternative - it's hard to compare the first three to one another, but I'd say that Balls to Picasso is the best "weird" album.

I pretty much agree with all of this, including favorite and least favorite songs. I always thought Laughing In the Hiding Bush was kind of a goofy song and finding out how he came up with the idea didn't really help its image to me. It's not a bad song by any means, but average. It also doesn't help that this, along with Tears, is one of the more enduring songs from the album in Bruce's live shows. Sacred Cowboys has a great chorus hidden within a very messy song. Fire is bleh.

The other weak song for me is Shoot All the Clowns. I wasn't surprised at all when I learned that it was born out of label pressure. Just a dumb song, although it has a pretty decent middle section.

Cyclops, 1000 points of light, Laughing, Change of heart and Sacred cowboys are absolutely fantastic. The others are so and so, making the album slightly inconsistent but still an enjoyable listen. Tears of the dragon is probably his most overrated solo song - it's not bad, but way too generic and predictable to be considered great.

I agree Tears is fairly overrated, although it's a great song. A huge part of its charm is the vocal performance.

Listening to BtP was a let down after hearing Alive at the Marquee - I think it could've been great if Bruce and the Gypsies had broken the songs in a lot more in a live setting.  For me BtP plods along - the usual effects of touring (the sped up tempos and a better sense of comfortability with the material) could've made BtP a great album.  I look at it more like a demo for the live cd now, tbh.

The production has a lot to do with this. It's like it doesn't want to be a Metal album, but there's a lot of canned energy.

BTP sounded so fresh and interesting. And Bruce sounded better than he had in a number of years. This was the first time I truly realized that Bruce Dickinson was more than just a singer. He was a really talented musician. I had this moment where I felt that I had actually taken Bruce for granted. I never thought he had an album like this in him. I know he would go on to release more classic albums, but to me, BTP is a landmark album. I never looked at Bruce the same way again.

It's a revealing album. I like Tattooed Millionaire but in some ways it seems like Bruce on autopilot. He's chasing a trend and, while doing a decent job at it, it doesn't speak much to his ability as an artist outside Maiden. Balls To Picasso has a lot more to say and shows a lot more range than what Bruce had shown up to this point. I think he actually reached his creative peak outside of Maiden, but we'll get to that later.

I replaced my cassette with the expanded rerelease a few years ago but don't think I've ever played the 2nd disc. I did like the tracks on the Tears of a Dragon single.

The bonus disc is worth listening to just to get inside Bruce's head at the time. Frankly, it's a mess and it's actually pretty incredible that he was able to come up with an album like Balls.

I saw one of his shows on the Balls to Picasso tour. Not a single Maiden song was played. When this album was released I was too much of a Maidenhead to appreciate it, but having heard it recently, I think it's brilliant. Heavy, but fresh and modern. But I think that what kids wanted at that time was new bands with new sounds, not an already established act trying to rebrand himself. A vocalist with a solo career in heavy metal is a tough thing to carry on. To this day, I think only Ozzy and Dio managed to hold it together for so long. And mind you, Dio had stints with Sabbath in-between. Halford tried it, Paul Dianno did too, Geoff Tate is having a go, but commercially, it's very hard to keep this going.

Ozzy's success was, like most things in his life it seems, a freak accident. The fact that he even lived through the 80s, let alone with a really successful solo career, is amazing. That being said, Ozzy and Dio also had really good timing. Many other artists went solo later in the 80s or in the 90s and missed their wave. The problem with the Geoff Tate solo career is that people lost interest in him long before he left Queensryche.

[Stadler]

Ozzy's success was, like most things in his life it seems, a freak accident. The fact that he even lived through the 80s, let alone with a really successful solo career, is amazing. That being said, Ozzy and Dio also had really good timing. Many other artists went solo later in the 80s or in the 90s and missed their wave. The problem with the Geoff Tate solo career is that people lost interest in him long before he left Queensryche.

If Ozzy played on one, or two, or even three classic records, I would agree that he's been the lucky recipient of a freak accident.  But for me, he's sustained it now for 48 years, and I have a really hard time dismissing that as a "freak accident".  It wasn't just his partners; even when Sabbath was not getting along, they put out great music.   I personally don't think there's a duff record in the Ozzy Sabbath catalogue (yes, Never Say Die is not the same style as Paranoid, but honestly, I think that's a matter of taste more than anything else).   The two Randy records are masterpieces - at least the second one is - but Bark is a very good album (with Jake) and he has at least two classic records with Zakk (No More Tears and Ozzmosis; No Rest For The Wicked has its moments).   For my money, he's only really gone off the rails with the last two, Black Rain and Scream, but that's a stylistic issue (I miss the more classic NWOBHM stylings of the older Ozzy stuff). 

I do agree - and hadn't thought of this before - that Dio and Ozzy went solo at the "right time".  That early, mid 80's period for metal was pretty robust and strong, and both Dio and Ozzy were out there, and both put out two great albums right in a row (Blizzard and Diary, Holy Diver and The Last In Line).   Some of that is clearly luck, but some isn't.  They were good performers backing good material.

[Cruithne]

So I was thinking about this while listening to Q2K tonight for Sam's thread...

Degarmo leaving QR was a huge blow. I was trying to compare it to Adrian leaving Maiden. And then coinciding with what many people feel are Maiden's two worst albums. Are there similarities?
On the surface, perhaps. But when Degarmo left, QR seemed to have become a rudderless ship. There seemed to be no leadership, no direction.

I think the difference was that with Steve Harris, Maiden HAD leadership. But without Adrian, and (this will be the basis of my upcoming Bruce epiphany) with a seemingly less interested Bruce, Maiden lacked a certain balance. With all of Steve's greatness, Adrian, and especially Bruce, helped keep him in check. This is what Balls To Picasso and The X Factor proved to me.

(...and similarly the effect Steve Clark dying had on Def Leppard's music)

Sometimes the arrangement work a musician does has a bigger impact on the music than is apparent until they leave and I think Adrian Smith added a lot of texture to the arrangements of Harris' songs. For example, there's a part towards the start of The Number Of The Beast that has a particular chord thrown in there that I doubt Harris wrote that I suspect was Smith's idea and it just adds a little bit of class to the song. Also, the little lead guitar bits at the start, and during, Wrathchild were purportedly added by Adrian and serve as enhancements to the song.

Plus, I think Adrian was a good foil for Dave Murray. With Adrian's solos being thoughtful, melodic, well constructed efforts it encouraged Murray to be less improvisational and more melodic than perhaps comes naturally. With Gers writing largely chaotic, improvisational flurries it seemed to rub off badly on Murray and Maiden went from a band that regularly had several memorable solos per record to having none by The X-Factor.

In general, I think Adrian always brought a good ear for melody and harmony to the band that was lacking without him.

[bosk1]

Ozzy's success was, like most things in his life it seems, a freak accident. The fact that he even lived through the 80s, let alone with a really successful solo career, is amazing. That being said, Ozzy and Dio also had really good timing. Many other artists went solo later in the 80s or in the 90s and missed their wave. The problem with the Geoff Tate solo career is that people lost interest in him long before he left Queensryche.

If Ozzy played on one, or two, or even three classic records, I would agree that he's been the lucky recipient of a freak accident.  But for me, he's sustained it now for 48 years, and I have a really hard time dismissing that as a "freak accident".  It wasn't just his partners; even when Sabbath was not getting along, they put out great music.   I personally don't think there's a duff record in the Ozzy Sabbath catalogue (yes, Never Say Die is not the same style as Paranoid, but honestly, I think that's a matter of taste more than anything else).   The two Randy records are masterpieces - at least the second one is - but Bark is a very good album (with Jake) and he has at least two classic records with Zakk (No More Tears and Ozzmosis; No Rest For The Wicked has its moments).   For my money, he's only really gone off the rails with the last two, Black Rain and Scream, but that's a stylistic issue (I miss the more classic NWOBHM stylings of the older Ozzy stuff). 

I do agree - and hadn't thought of this before - that Dio and Ozzy went solo at the "right time".  That early, mid 80's period for metal was pretty robust and strong, and both Dio and Ozzy were out there, and both put out two great albums right in a row (Blizzard and Diary, Holy Diver and The Last In Line).   Some of that is clearly luck, but some isn't.  They were good performers backing good material.

As with a lot of musicians, I think it is both:  luck/timing AND talent/writing good songs.  To go back to Mosh's example of Geoff Tate, part of his problem was timing.  But a huge part of it was that the songs on his solo album just weren't good.