Entertainment For Lively Minds
Run To The Hills, I need some advice!
Posted by Vulpes Vulpes on 22 January 2011 - 12:45am.
Just watching, and thoroughly enjoying, the BBC4 Iron Maiden documentary. I have come to the conclusion that I most certainly need more Maiden (vicar).
So here's the deal: I dipped a toe in with A Matter of Life and Death a year or two back, and loved it to bits, but now I need a proper hit, so what do I buy?
There's far too much to choose from, so I need the Massive verdict; the three Iron Maiden albums no collection should be without.
Kindly tell all.
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I'm watching Flight 666 too and loving it...
I'm no expert but I'd say that Live After Death is worth a punt. All the hits and more from arguably their peak era.
But there are those on this here blog more qualified than me to pronounce on all things Maiden...
I'm quite partial to Seventh
I'm quite partial to Seventh Son of a Seventh Son myself. It's an altogether good album but my love of it is 90% down to The Evil That Men Do. I could listen to that song for a week straight. Probably.
Seventh Son for me too...
.....4 UK top 10 hit singles came from that LP.
I love most Maiden albums. The best ones -
Iron Maiden/Killers from 80/81. Paul D'ianno on lead vocals. A bit like a punk singer fronting Maiden. Worked quite well but he's nowhere near as good as Bruce Dickinson.
Oh yeah, not forgetting 'Phantom of the Opera' from the first album being used on that old Daley Thompson Lucozade advert.
Then onto the Bruce era:
Number of the Beast (classic) Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Live after Death, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. After that things lessened quality wise although I do like Fear of the Dark from 1992.
Avoid the Blaze Bayley albums, they weren't a peak for Maiden.
Then Bruce returned and the last 2 albums, A Matter of Life and Death and The Final Frontier, are both a bit proggy and I like that.
Great, great band and good to see there's a few other fans amongst the Massive.
I wish Bruce Dickinson was my dad...
...but anyway..hmm..The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind and Powerslave should see you right. Seventh Son was, in my opinion, their last hurrah. The debut is worth a listen as it proves what all the fuss was about.
The debut album
I agree on Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind but would choose the debut album as my third choice.
Get a simple greatest hits
Get a simple greatest hits compilation. There's lots of great tracks on it, including my favourite driving song "Two Minutes To Midnight".
As for albums, I've listened to most of them and they are a bit hit and miss.
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son seems to be the fans favourite (along obviously with The Number Of the Beast) .
However, I absolutely love the album "Dance Of Death". Lots of great rock tracks but tunes to go with it.
The song "Dance Of Death" almost goes Stonehenge but just manages to steer the right side of taste, and I love it.
I know Bruce quite well and they are a great bunch of guys. Amazing musicians but completely grounded.
As a 15 year old
Live After Death was what did it for me. That album along with Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind are all the classic Maiden you need for starters. After that I really rate Somewhere in Time, and Seventh Son is great too.
Avoid anything Blaze Bailey era and you'll not go *too* far wrong though.
Live After Death
is a great live album covering the period up to the Powerslave album.
If you want original studio albums, maybe Piece of Mind, Seventh Son, together with A Matter of Life and Death to represent the later period.
The Best of the Beast cd is well worth the money, the double cd version if possible!
We have the exact same favourites
I´m always asked why I leave The Number Of The Beast out. Really I just find Piece Of Mind from the same era more consistent, even if nothing on it matches Hallowed Be Thy Name. But then the studio version doesn´t match the Live After Death version. The studio version just seems to be a tiny bit too fast during the first part.
I need to shout out for Killers.
Damn fine album. I'd go for Killers, The Number Of The Beast and Piece Of Mind
someone make a chart!
Killers, Powerslave, Live After Death
This has the potential to be very expensive.
I am having a full-on NWOBHM moment here. You have my gratitude.
Your splendid contributions have added the following to my wish-list:
Iron Maiden
The Number of the Beast
Piece Of Mind
Powerslave
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Dance Of Death
My eye has now been caught by something called Eddie's Archive...
No! No! I can't go there! It's too much! The FPO will leave! The neighbours will march to my door with pitchforks and torches! But yes, oh yes, it must be had, my precious, beautiful, ornately carved boxed set. Mmmmm, all those tracks. Yes. Mmmmmm. No! Keep it from my sight!
There´s nothing from Powerslave you´ll need
that isn´t on Life After Death, really.
You said you like A Matter Of Life And Death, so I assume you´re into the later, more prog oriented stuff. If so, I also recommend The Final Frontier. Who could ever think they would age with this level of dignity?
Dance Of Death is a bit of a roller coaster, but No More Lies, Paschendale, Dance Of Death and Journeyman is as good as any of their songs.
And welcome to the family, Vulpes! You will never be alone once you´ve let Eddie in. MOHAHAHA!
My top three:
Piece Of Mind
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
A Matter Of Life And Death
Live, see also Death On The Road (they now the importance of a good title, don´t they?), which combines the old classics with some later material. Scream for me, Dortmund! gives Spinal Tap points. It doesn´t sound quite as good as Scream for me, Long Beach! does it?
Thanks, Ola.
You're right about the prog angle - a mate suggested I try A Matter Of Life And Death precisely because he knew I was a prog fiend. Once I've digested the ones I have, I'll give The Final Frontier a listen too.
Please report back
Sounds my bag. Metal nutters playing prog. What's not to like?
A Matter of Life and Death
That would be my fourth choice. A great album.
Damn, running late, but here is my opinion
Killers. Best Early album (with Paul Di'Anno on vocals)
Number of the beast. Best Brucie Album
Dance of Death. Best return to form album after a patchy period.
Live After Death, Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind
And yer sorted for a bit.
Actually...
...the "Edward The Great" best-of is a pretty respectable starting point.
Thank you one and all.
I'm painting the hall stairs and landing ceiling black, switching from red wine to JD 'n' coke, buying new leather trousers and chopping in the Yamaha for a hardtail Harley. I may dig out my logbook and start the flying lessons again, though I doubt I'll ever get to play with a 757.
Peace 'n' love, man.
My list annoyed a lot of people.
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/iron-maiden-album-by-album
Having left metal behind 3
Having left metal behind 3 decades ago, I took my then 12-year old son to see them as a treat several Christmases ago, and expected the worst. It was actually tremendous fun. Lots of good songs, great show and a delightful bunch of good-humoured fans (first prize for the trad metal family in matching demin with band patches). Modern metal has dropped the drum solos and 'slow-song with mirror ball' bit, and Bruce is more operatic than the horrible shrieking of the various Purp offshoots.
What with all the electricity being used, the backstage cabling coming into Earls Ciourt actually caught fire. The show had to be halted for 15 minutes whilst someone took out the offending cable with an axe and replaced it, whilst meeting 'elfnsafety' issues - all with 15k metal maniacs, mid-set. No restiveness in the audience though - Bruce explained the situation, the power went off bar some emergency lights, the band mugged daftly on stage with a football, and the crowd sung "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" and various Christmas carols. They are 'troopers' indeed.
IM are massive globally, and deserve OBEs or equivalent.
Steve Harris
One of rock's most underrated songwriters?
If you like the Second World War, Egyptology, Ancient Mariners or Red Indians.
Seriously though, millions and millions of people worldwide have enjoyed his compositions and has created great wealth for the UK industry in for the past 30 years. If that isn't worthy of a gong, I don't know what is. Especially when Steve Redgrave gets one for riding a boat.
and especially when the Status Quo boys
have just trousered gongs for knowing only three chords. Three chords bloody well exploited, I'll admit, but all the same. Oh, and what about Bob Fripp eh? I want him in the House of Lords please.
Just watched it
I've not heard the podcast yet, in which I gather it was discussed, but what a fabulous film.
Not interested in listening to the music particularly (although some foot-tappers in there), but a great film and couldn't help thinking that Iron Maiden must be one of the best bands in the world to actually be in.
Adored by millions across every continent, still sell by the shedloads but not the level of celebrity 'exposure' that must make life hell to live. Still want to play, don't have to pretend to be each others' best mates or in a gang, but don't loathe each other to the point they can't be in the same room. And have a plane.
Yep, must be pretty great being in Iron Maiden.
Saw them around 1980
At Brunel University. Even then they put a lot in to the stage show, Eddie runing around and a big Eddie face with lit eyes as a backdrop. Quite fancy seeing them again now if I can persuade my son to go next time they are around. Furthermore, they are looking better than Neil Kaye (DJ who ran the Soundhouse and was slightly involved when they started). Kaye popped up on a BBC4 documentary last year and had ballooned as well as lost most of his hair.