GMD Poll: Iron Maiden Albums Ranked

[CiG]

Piece of Mind is better than both of them.

Agreed.

If by "so much better than" you mean "not even close to" then I agree.

I don't mean that, at all.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

I don't mean that, at all.

Then per rule 9, I deem you objectively wrong.

 

[The Ozzman]

Trve rvles of UM rating games:

1. No album can be first that isn't within the first 3 releases of a discography.
2. Everything Metallica did after AJFA sucks.
3. The only black metal that sucks is IT FUCKING DOESN'T.
4. Breakdowns are an automatic disqualifier.
5. Judas Priest is better than Iron Maiden because of one album.
6. Thrash made after the 80s is just a sad imitation.
7. Chuck Schuldiner didn't get cancer soon enough.
8. Covers should never be done and always suck.


Know these or be considered the poseurist of poseurs.

Did I forget any?

If you aren't a black metal nut then your opinion means nothing to those who think that black metal is high art (when it isn't)

 

[CiG]

Then per rule 9, I deem you objectively wrong.

 

[The Ozzman]

View attachment 10508

Redundancy

 

[zabu of nΩd]

I'm still on a Maiden binge thanks to this thread, so I thought I'd autism it out with some thoughts on (and a re-ranking of) the first six albums:

1. Iron Maiden
2. Powerslave
3. The Number of the Beast
4. Somewhere in Time
5. Killers
6. Piece of Mind

Iron Maiden

I'll admit my obvious bias: more than any other album, this one speaks to me on a deeply personal level. It's clearly their least polished. It also has a number of mediocre songs: I find "Transylvania", "Charlotte the Harlot" and "Iron Maiden" quite forgettable; and though I enjoy "Remember Tomorrow", it sounds like a clumsy attempt at building the kind of epic song structure they would not master until later.

Then there are the classics - the songs which make up pieces of my very soul. I see in myself the pervert of "Prowler", the rebel of "Running Free", the predator of "Phantom of the Opera". Each song tells a unique story lyrically, and evokes a unique atmosphere instrumentally, but most importantly (for the first two, at least) it's Paul's personality which brings the depicted characters to life. Even "Strange World", albeit a relatively weak track, still offers another side of Paul to fall in love with. As critical as Bruce was to Maiden's career, I've never found him as lovable.

Killers

A big upgrade in production and songwriting finesse, and with it Paul has lost some of the bratty charm that shined on the debut album. There are still tracks where I greatly welcome his voice over a hypothetical Bruce - especially "Another Life", a uniquely compelling suicide anthem despite all its rock 'n' roll flash.

Rock 'n' roll elements are really what defined the Di'Anno era, and arguably what held Maiden back from the groundbreaking signature style heralded by Bruce's arrival. It's easier to pick apart the latter style with only two Di'Anno albums for comparison, but one could be diplomatic and call it a tradeoff between the former's "earthly pleasures" and the latter's "higher pleasures".

The Number of the Beast

I avoided this forever, after burning out on it many years ago. Coming back to it with a much greater familiarity of their discography, I realize how much I miss the consistent onslaught of intelligent riffs, blistering solos and galloping rhythms which made this Maiden's landmark album.

Piece of Mind

A solid album with a few classics, but easy to be disappointed by after TNOTB. Maiden were gradually reinventing themselves with each release early on, and there's an element of that here, but more often it seems that whichever particular muse inspired TNOTB was not whispering so clearly in their ears this time.

The first two songs, for instance, aren't memorable like the hits on TNOTB, and aren't atmospheric like most of, say, Somewhere in Time (although I can imagine "Where Eagles Dare" fitting well there, had it been re-recorded). They're not bad, just simple and unimpressive. "Flight of Icarus" and "The Trooper", on the other hand, are two of my all-time favorites.

Powerslave

This is where I hear the fruits of the evolution that began on POM: a blend of TNOTB's catchy conciseness and POM's more offbeat song structures. It's that extra dimension which makes it so enjoyable, and for me more so than the darling of critics.

Somewhere in Time

A weird, uncanny album for which I really had to acquire a taste. Maiden had tried progressive epics before ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner" the most obvious example), but this feels progressive from beginning to end. Its massive, monolithic structure is a clear departure from the concise, catchy, song-oriented nature of all albums before it, and sets the course for the endless depths of monotonous self-indulgence the band would begin their descent into with Seventh Son.

There's certainly a charm in the structure here - and something magical in the guitar tone. It may be my favorite album to just zone out and daydream to.

That structure comes with a tradeoff: without the conciseness of previous work, there's a kind of sameness to most of Somewhere, an extra-noticeable repetition of patterns. The harsher critic in me would argue that every band's inspiration dries up at some point, and that the drought had clearly begun to set in here. Even if we assume this, they sure found a slick way to package the ugly truth this time: piles and piles of gratifying riffs, guitar solos, harmonies, instrumental odysseys, and sci-fi themes.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Nice analysis. Not enough people realize what an awesome song Another Life is either.

 

[EspaDa]

I will never understand people that claim Maiden's debut is their favorite work of theirs.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

I'm still on a Maiden binge thanks to this thread, so I thought I'd autism it out with some thoughts on (and a re-ranking of) the first six albums:

1. Iron Maiden
2. Powerslave
3. The Number of the Beast
4. Somewhere in Time
5. Killers
6. Piece of Mind

Iron Maiden

I'll admit my obvious bias: more than any other album, this one speaks to me on a deeply personal level. It's clearly their least polished. It also has a number of mediocre songs: I find "Transylvania", "Charlotte the Harlot" and "Iron Maiden" quite forgettable; and though I enjoy "Remember Tomorrow", it sounds like a clumsy attempt at building the kind of epic song structure they would not master until later.

Then there are the classics - the songs which make up pieces of my very soul. I see in myself the pervert of "Prowler", the rebel of "Running Free", the predator of "Phantom of the Opera". Each song tells a unique story lyrically, and evokes a unique atmosphere instrumentally, but most importantly (for the first two, at least) it's Paul's personality which brings the depicted characters to life. Even "Strange World", albeit a relatively weak track, still offers another side of Paul to fall in love with. As critical as Bruce was to Maiden's career, I've never found him as lovable.

I don't know what's harder to comprend: that you find half of the debut forgettable, or that you ranked it first despite not caring for half of it.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

I still like every song on the album, I was just pointing out a few that don't stand out for me compared to some of my all-time favorites.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

I still like every song on the album, I was just pointing out a few that don't stand out for me compared to some of my all-time favorites.

Then you need to look up the definition of mediocre.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Then you need to look up the definition of mediocre.

I do think my favorite Maiden album is kind of mediocre, as suggested by the votes tallied in this thread. I'm trying out the novel idea of distinguishing my personal preferences from a critical evaluation of their work.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

I do think my favorite Maiden album is kind of mediocre, as suggested by the votes tallied in this thread. I'm trying out the novel idea of distinguishing my personal preferences from a critical evaluation of their work.

I'd say you're way off on the later. And the rankings on here don't suggest that the debut is mediocre in the least. The top 7 all got high point averages.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

I'd say you're way off on the later.

Why?

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Why?

Because you thoroughly underestimate the quality of a number of stellar tracks. "Transylvania" is a phenomenal instrumental (blows the one on Powerslave out of the water) and is perfectly placed to bridge "Phantom of the Opera" and "Strange World". "Charlot the Harlot" and "Iron Maiden" both exemplify the narrative quality you previously referenced, especially the former, which counterpoints a crass narrative on a prostitute with a heartfelt "damn I fell in love with a prostitute" bridge, which totally transforms everything about the song. Those are excellent compositions. The only track I agree with you on is "Remember Tomorrow" which does indeed have some clumsy transitions.

 

[no country for old wainds]

'remember tomorrow' is wonderful u nerds

 

[EspaDa]

Prowler is the best track on the debut.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I remember when I first heard Prowler I thought the lyrics were too perverse and disturbing.

 

[Sirjack]

has this finished or is my list still valid?

 

[crimsonfloyd]

has this finished or is my list still valid?

The cut-off had already passed and the list had already been produced. It's on pages 7-8. The cut-off date is always put in the first post of the thread.