Something else to consider: I'm starting to think that lyrically, Maiden is really come into it's own and is a cut above not just heavy metal, but rock in general. It's also, IMO, unusual for a band to have TWO lyricists as skilled as Harris and Dickinson (and now that I write that, I have like 5 examples; haha!)
They always had decent lyrics, they always had a good knack for telling a story (they have some of the best "narrative" songs of any band), but I think in the reunion era they've really reached a new plateau. Some of the turns of phrase they use are so evocative and well-thought out. Something like "The Red And The Black" works on multiple levels, and while I know it might easily be an adaptation of another's work (like Rime; the novel is "Le Rouge et le Noir", though I've never read it) it might also NOT be, and can refer to cards, checkers, or any of a handful of other references (the colors of a flag, for example). It's powerful stuff.
Absolutely. I think this was the biggest revelation I had in revisiting the discography in chronological order to make my list: the evolution in the writing deserves huge credit in cementing their legacy. It's remarkable how much they've improved over the years (or at least evolved, and become more consistent). So many bands—especially in the rock and metal genres, as you say—have found their success and subsequently just focused on the music while letting the same songs rewrite themselves ad nauseam.
I really agree with both of these posts. I've tried to cite some example of lines that both sound really nice and evoke something to me, and I think the majority of them have been from the reunion era. Montségur, for example, is a song that was posted recently where reaction seemed to be really divided between those who love it and those who don't really get why people esteem it. I think it's awesome musically, but I can't deny that part of the attraction is the lyrics. Especially:
As we kill them all so God will know his own
Laugh at the darkness and in God we trust
The eye of the triangle smiling with sin
No passover feast for the cursed within
Facing the sun as they went to their grave
Burn like a dog or you'll live like a slave"I also mentioned Isle of Avalon, one of my very favorite Maiden songs, and again one where I would love it based on the music alone, but where the lyrics undeniably add something extra. Consider:
The image of Mother Goddess
Lying dormant in the eyes of the dead
The sheaf of the corn is broken, end the harvest,
Throw the dead on the pyre
To have the belief of others
Looking for the Isle to show them a sign
Fertility of all mothers, stood in silence, waiting now for their turn
The gateway to Avalon
The island where the souls of dead are reborn
Brought here to die and be
Transferred into the earth and then for rebirthThe Red and the Black is not one I've paid quite as much attention to lyrically, but there's still some stuff on it that always strikes me:
The good luck charm is overkill
The tired old soldier says fire at will
Planes overhead, go search destroy
The ones below human decoyAnd then there's something that I hope is still to come:
Wilderness a tyrant dream
Sell your soul not give them power
Slay upon the imperial crown
Witness now the witching hour
Bound himself to oath and king
Such a loyalty a shameless thing
Youth of agony still burn
Shedding parents blood
Never say a prayer for me
For this crime and treachery
Drinking from your cup of wisdom true
Many men will follow you
Now an army is raised
And our gods, they be praised
Death is but a guilted edge
Shall no more than we will pledge
Hear the cry we are ready to believe
44. Blood BrothersMy ranking: #70
I really like this song. It ended up a little lower for me than the consensus mainly because there are so many great songs and because the chorus is a little too repetitive. But the verses are really strong, and the song is pretty emotionally powerful, especially when they perform it live. Zydar quoted the best part, but I also think the middle part ("When you think that we've used all our chances") is really powerful live.
43. The Longest DayMy ranking: #24
This may have my favorite opening section of any Maiden song ever. The first two minutes of this song are musically brilliant, lyrically evocative and emotionally powerful. I feel that this song has a dark and desperate yet devoted and ultimately hopeful feeling. It does not hold back on the horror the Normandy invasion necessarily involved, but it also maintains a clear perspective that it was a righteous act that would ultimately accomplish a moral good. There are some stunning lines in here. I quoted songs from four of the last five albums above leaving AMOLAD to the side specifically for this one:
In the gloom the gathering storm abates
In the ships the gimlet eyes await
The call to arms to hammer at the gates
To blow them wide, throw evil to its fate
All summer's long the drills to build the machine
To turn men from flesh and blood to steel
From paper soldiers to bodies on the beach
From summer sands to armageddon's reachSo why is this at #24 and not in my top ten? It's the chorus. I think the chorus melody actually is fitting, giving a bit more of the hopeful/devoted side where the verses emphasize the darkness more. But it's just repeated way too much. This is probably the single song where the repeated chorus detracts most for me. There's not much variation, just the same long line four times sung the same way four times in a row, three times in the song. It's just too much.
Everything else is good. The verses, as I said, are brilliant, and I think the instrumental section is very good, with the lead that plays the chorus melody actually being the best use of that melody in the song. Honestly, I think if they just went from four repetitions to two, this would be at least top 15 for me. Still, it's a song I love to hear and a deserving entry in my top 25.
42. The Red and the BlackMy ranking: #49
This song is very much on its way up for me, and if you asked me again in a year or two it might be even higher than #49. It missed my top 60 in 2020, but here it is at #49 in 2022.
It was actually the release of
Senjutsu that unlocked it for me, for a couple of reasons. First, I was somewhat disappointed in TBoS, which I did not enjoy as much as the three albums that preceded it. Since it was the first album to come out while I was a fan, I didn't necessarily trust my own reaction to it (maybe it's just nostalgia bias, I thought, in other words). Once
Senjutsu came out and I immediately fell in love with it, I realized that that wasn't what was at play, and as I stopped putting pressure on myself to like TBoS more than I did, I was able to appreciate it for what it is.
The second reason is that I think
Senjutsu does such a good job of structuring long instrumental sections that are fascinating and make appropriate use of repetition. I'm thinking especially about Death of the Celts and The Parchment. My appreciation for those made me want to hear more of the same, and made me give more focus to The Red and the Black, which I think was the prototype for that.
I agree with the general assessment that the second, instrumental half is a lot stronger than the first half. It's really, really good. Just thrilling and at times beautiful. The really melodic part at around the 11 minute mark especially. But while I don't think the vocal section is as good as the second half, I don't think it's by any means bad, and I think it fits well with that second half. It has some really appealing stuff like the lines I quoted above and the "chorus" (that is, the four "The red and the black..." parts.
This song ends up next to Death of the Celts for me right now. The comparison is that in Death of the Celts I think the vocal section and instrumental section are both quite strong. I think The Red and the Black has a weaker vocal section, but a strong instrumental section. Similar to The Nomad, actually, in this regard, which is on the other side of DotC. But I think of the three songs, this one has the strongest potential to go up.
My list so far (19/34):70. Blood Brothers
66. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
63. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
59. These Colours Don't Run
53. Remember Tomorrow
50. Dream of Mirrors
49. The Red and the Black
48. Death of the Celts
47. The Nomad
43. Out of the Silent Planet
42. Montségur
28. Only the Good Die Young
27. The Book of Souls
25. If Eternity Should Fail
24. The Longest Day
21. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
15. Lord of Light
5. Isle of Avalon
3. Starblind
Topic: Official top 75 Iron Maiden songs thread!! (Top 2 revealed on 07/15!!) (Read 56111 times)