best Iron Maiden albums

[muzmaze]

Simply not like them. The lyrics may be good but the music isn't.

Now, good lyrics and good music from Iron Maiden can be found in songs like 'Alexander The Great', 'Die With Your Boots On', 'Quest for Fire', 'Where Eagles Dare', 'Powerslave', 'The Prisoner'/'Back in The Village', 'Charlot The Harlot'/'22, Acacia Avenue', 'Aces High'/'Tailgunner', 'Run Silent, Run Deep', 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' and more. History, cinema, TV, philosophy, archeology, mythology, what else you can ask for?

...you left out "The Trooper"?

I agree and say the same for about 70% of the tunes you mentioned, but some of those tunes aren't that good. I would put some of the "DOD" and "BNW" songs in or way above some of these songs both musically and lyrically. This really is a huge can of worms opened...bottom line, this band has influenced so many and sits on the throne of Metals Kings, take your pick!

 

[Wyvern]

...you left out "The Trooper"?

Damn it, I forgot the Crimean war

 

[muzmaze]

Damn it, I forgot the Crimean war

NICE!

straighten up the history! jk

damn...now i have to look up the Crimean War?

 

[tsorl]

good lyrics...

...'Alexander The Great', 'Quest for Fire', 'Charlot The Harlot'/'22, Acacia Avenue'

Huh? Alexander is a fine example of how not to write historical lyrics, it's basically an encyclopedia entry clumsily transformed to heavy metal lyrics. Some really dumb lines there and they don't even fit the melody lines ("...Persepolis! Thecapitalofpeeeersiaa!")
It's a killer song but when it comes to writing historical lyrics, Steve Harris has come a long way.

Quest for Fire is not even worth commenting and the "Charlotte saga" isn't all that perceptive and thought-provoking lyrically either.

 

[arg]

The Charlotte saga is awesome.

Video of From Here to Eternity, her 4th and final song:
[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=bKKWJmfBeAY[/ame]

 

[SoundMaster]

all the above and then I must add A matter of life and death...this album is loved by some and despised by others but myself I found it a fantastic production from start to finish!

Agreed.
It's arguably their best in 20 years. In fact, I think it surpasses the mighty Seventh Son. It's that good....great songwriting, just stellar.

 

[Wyvern]

Huh? Alexander is a fine example of how not to write historical lyrics, it's basically an encyclopedia entry clumsily transformed to heavy metal lyrics.

My viewpoint is different, how many kids (and some adults) who had never dealt with hsitory may have been compeled to look for a bit more after seeing the lyrics? Is not accurate but at least give you a glimpse of what the character was about and may give you impulse to look for more.

Quest for Fire is not even worth commenting and the "Charlotte saga" isn't all that perceptive and thought-provoking lyrically either.

Have you ever seen the movie? I think Maiden took a good glimpse about it (maybe I like it because I saw the movie first, same with 'Where Eagles Dare'). As for Charlote, c'mon who doesn't like songs about girls of the night ?

 

[tsorl]

My viewpoint is different, how many kids (and some adults) who had never dealt with hsitory may have been compeled to look for a bit more after seeing the lyrics? Is not accurate but at least give you a glimpse of what the character was about and may give you impulse to look for more.

I'm sure a lot of people got interested in Alexander after hearing the song but that's because the subject is interesting, not because Steve Harris told the story in a extraordinaly interesting way. The newer songs like Montsegur, Paschendale and Brighter Than A Thousand Suns cover interesting topics of history too but the way they're presented is a lot better. Not as dry chronological listing of events but with a bit of brainwork included.

Have you ever seen the movie? I think Maiden took a good glimpse about it (maybe I like it because I saw the movie first, same with 'Where Eagles Dare'). As for Charlote, c'mon who doesn't like songs about girls of the night ?

I think I've seen about half of the movie (back when I just had to see every movie any Maiden song was based on) but it was too artsy for my tastes... I guess the dinosaurs were on screen on the latter half of the film?

 

[Wyvern]

I think I've seen about half of the movie (back when I just had to see every movie any Maiden song was based on) but it was too artsy for my tastes... I guess the dinosaurs were on screen on the latter half of the film?

Again it was the other way around for me, as I stated before I saw the movies before getting into Iron Maiden. And yes it was " artsy", it was an European film (specifically French) in which all the language was invented for the characters that lived in a prehistorical period, that may had put some people off. I still have good memories of it, specially the blue painted people.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082484/

 

[Mr. Bungle]

Poweslave is the best, easily IMO. Second is SSOASS, third is either Piece Of Mind or Number Of The Beast. All are good though

 

[muzmaze]

I'm more of an oldschool guy and Powerslave is a decent effort, but this has to be Maidens most overrated cd. There are 2-very good songs in "Aces"...and "2-minutes"...the rest is not that good IMO.

7th Son is some serious metal shit...and "Moonchild" is one of my fave Maiden tunes, very underrated song.

 

[Mr. Bungle]

Moonchild is amazing, so is The Evil That Men Do

 

[Wyvern]

I don't think "Powerslave" is overrated I think they peaked with it, still my favorites are "Killers" and "Piece Of Mind". As for SSOASS it's very good indeed and would have been a great swan song if the band had stopped there: 'The Evil Tha Men Do' and 'Only the Good Die Young' are demolition crews

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

My viewpoint is different, how many kids (and some adults) who had never dealt with hsitory may have been compeled to look for a bit more after seeing the lyrics? Is not accurate but at least give you a glimpse of what the character was about and may give you impulse to look for more.

Exactly... It got me into Alexander and his history... as well as Aces High got me into Churchill and WW2 somewhat... other examples of Maiden songs as well.. btw Where Eagles Dare with Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton was THE kickass action movie of all time imo before the Bond movies came out...

 

[mdmatt4ever]

x factor is the last great maiden album. after that the chorus basically consists of the title of the song repeated 100x. the new bruce albums are boring and long. they don't rock out any more, they just make prog songs about stuff in history

 

[tsorl]

x factor is the last great maiden album. after that the chorus basically consists of the title of the song repeated 100x. the new bruce albums are boring and long. they don't rock out any more, they just make prog songs about stuff in history

I see your point about the new albums but I've always felt that The X Factor was exactly where band stopped rocking out and doing those long tracks. Along with AMOLAD it's the most long-winded Maiden album IMO. Virtual XI, Brave New World and Dance of Death had at least a handful of those rockin' songs and were a bit more accessible and "easy listening" (sorry for that term again!). TXF and AMOLAD on the other hand require a certain mindframe to really hit it.

 

[Wyvern]

the new bruce albums are boring and long. they don't rock out any more, they just make prog songs about stuff in history

We agree for once I believe (except that for me the last good labum is SSOASS and the last album with true Maiden songs is FOTD actually BNW had good songs that are not into that vein. My viewpoint still is that Kevin Shirley who used to produce Dream Theater is a bad influence on the band, they should have Martin Birch back

 

[The Ozzman]

I don't think "Powerslave" is underrated

Powerslave is one of their best albums. I think Piece of Mind is overrated given how weak the last four tracks are.

Somewhere In Time
Powerslave
SSOASS
Iron Maiden

My top 4

 

[Wyvern]

Powerslave is one of their best albums. I think Piece of Mind is overrated given how weak the last four tracks are.

I totally disagree POM is a GREAT album and one of my favorites the last to retain the NWOBHM spirit. "Powerslave" as I mentioned is their creativity peak but after that Iron Maiden was no more a NWOBHM band, was a phenomena larger than life and independently of what we think and discuss about their later material no one can deny the position the band has in metal history.
So for me the first seven are the real deal , but the first four are what makes for me Iron Maiden a true metal band.

 

[mutantllama]

Agreed.
It's arguably their best in 20 years. In fact, I think it surpasses the mighty Seventh Son. It's that good....great songwriting, just stellar.

I love AMOLAD.