Bruce Dickinson solo material

[Victim of Deception]

Accident of Birth > Chemical Wedding

Both are excellent, mind you.

 

[ElectricWiz]

I have heard a lot of people who like Accident better than Chemical. Definately just opinion and circumstance, but a valid point of view by all accounts. I prefer Chemical Wedding (I love the darkness, the shear heaviness, the William Blake references too), but fully understand folks who like Accident better; it's an awesome album. To be frank about it, there is some intangible facter in it that makes it (to my ears) the more "old-school" of the two records. Other than that, I agree with Soundmaster, they are two peas in the same pod. Just like Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind really. Different but the same.

Now, going along with Hawks's "lets revisit an album" state of mind, I think it's time I picked up Balls To Piccasso. I have never heard that album. Is that the one with Tears of the Dragon? I've heard that song (great!), but had written Bruce off at that point (sorta), and so never picked up the album. Oh, and one record not yet mentioned here is Scream For Me Brazil which is outstanding - a great live record. You kind of have to be on the Chemical Wedding side of the fence to dig it, since that's the record it covers, but just throwing the title out as it deserves mention. On the "best of package" there are live versions of The Book of Thel and a song called Laughing in the Hiding Bush that are awesome as well.

 

[Pabla]

Well,to these ears CM sounds a bit darker. I found that AoB sounded a bit mysterious or symphonic when I first heard it. Call me crazy but thats how it sounded to me. Anyway I guess I was initially disappointed by the more darker sound of CM.

I love both albums but I concur with your statement... CW is indeed darker, take for example "killing floor" and then has a few more "symphonic" moments with "Gates of Urizen", but tends to be more on the "darker and crunchier side", AOB just flows a bit better altogether... I only like it slightly more than CW

 

[SoundMaster]

Now, going along with Hawks's "lets revisit an album" state of mind, I think it's time I picked up Balls To Piccasso. I have never heard that album. Is that the one with Tears of the Dragon? I've heard that song (great!), but had written Bruce off at that point (sorta), and so never picked up the album. On the "best of package" there are live versions of The Book of Thel and a song called Laughing in the Hiding Bush that are awesome as well.

"laughing in the hiding bush" is from Balls! Great tune.

"Balls" IS a great record, but it's quite different from the Roy Z albums. It's somewhat alternative, but not in the 'grunge' sense. Some of the songs are just fantastic, but the album does have a bit of filler. And, on one song, Bruce raps. Not that great of a tune...

The GREAT tracks include:
Cyclops
Hell No
Laughing in the Hiding Bush
Change of Heart
Tears of the Dragon
1,000 Points of Light