RTL, easily. Solid album from start to finish.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the best song on either album. Powerslave does have some filler though, that's what makes this a bit closer.
LOTS of filler. But the rest is so awesome. I mean, Two Minutes, Powerslave, and Rime are top notch. Aces High is okay with some very good moments. But the rest of the album is probably some of the weakest material they've ever done in Bruce's tenure with the band. VERY inconsistent album.
Honest question, do you rank those songs below No Prayer, or FotD?
I understand why people may not like them considering the greatness of the songs surrounding them, but I still think that they're (for the most part) better than anything off of the last two albums of Bruce's initial run with the band.
Personally, I EASILY take FOTD over Powerslave. EASILY.
No Prayer comes in below Powerslave though.
I remember you talking about your issues with Powerslave in the IM discography thread. When I try to look at it from your point of view I have to admit that you make some very valid points. But when I hear FTOD it sounds like a band that is desperately trying to regain it's footing. When I hear PS it sounds like a band that is in it's prime. That very well might be my bias coloring my opinion, though. PS is a very important album to me.
And thus the screen name!
But this for me, too. I got into Maiden in real time with "Number..." (saw them as an opening act for Priest), then saw them on their first headlining tour ("Piece...") with Fastway and Coney Hatch, but Powerslave was the record that for me put them into the big leagues. The album cover (embossed, sort of!), the epic 57 minute song ala Genesis (who, at the time, Harris had taken to complementing as an early influence), the epic ALBUM (it didn't fit on half a 90-min tape as every Maiden album did before, and it wasn't even close; I think the record is like 25 minutes a side). The b-sides stepped up (I think Rainbow's Gold and King Of Twilight are as good as anything on the record itself), the tour was epic (which spawned, wait for it, DTF, WAIT FOR IT... Live After Death)... and as some of you have said, at the time, Metallica was in comparison this street kid from somewhere out west with the funny looking drummer... it was no contest AT THE TIME.
And old habits die hard. Not saying anyone else is wrong, just trying to articulate that sometimes it goes beyond just the grooves in the record.
EDIT: See the Portnoy thread regarding Myung (and the idea they live in PA and hate each other), the conversation in "Mission From 'arry" was recorded after a show in Allentown, PA. Must be something in the water there, drummers and bassists...