NAD - whatever happened with the Maiden compilation?

<<1999 -> 2004: You've got to be kidding me...talk about hitting a brick wall. The best music tends to be the stuff that resembles the best of yesteryear, and so why bother with the new stuff I ask? Or are we all just scraping the barrel?>>

Oddly enough for someone who tends not to attach nostalgic value of the music and scoffs at anything deliberately retro, sometimes I wonder if there is anything left to explore and if the masterworks of the past can ever be improved upon...thankfully there are enough forward-thinking bands like KD out there to keep me intersted in developing forms of music and give me hope for the future.

P.S. What sort of mental defective would walk out on POS? :)
 
Transylvania
To me this sounds like the definitive Iron Maiden, sans vocals. Galloping bass, dual guitar harmonies, automatic drumming. Although it does sound like it was recorded in one take in somebody's basement, but I'm not saying that's a bad thing.

Phantom of the Opera
Ugh, these vocals are weak. DiAnno is plenty competent, but I just don't like the tone of his voice. The middle breakdown section of this rules.

Strange World
Hmm, again with those poopy vocals. Actually they kill this track. I like the spacey flanger junk going on, but everytime the vocals come back in I want to switch tracks. This is about the first Maiden song I've heard that the drums weren't useless, cool.

Wrathchild
Trademark intro, or at least sounds like it. Okay these vocals are fine. This is pretty cool, sounds like they were just discovering their sound but still retaining that raw young band feel to it.

Flight of Icarus
This song has that "last track" feel to it, which I like. I'm already pretty familiar with this song, and do like it quite a bit. The ending scream might as well say "WELCOME TO THE 80'S!!!!!!!111"

To Tame a Land
I'm not noticing anything remarkable about this. Galloping bass, harmonies, siren vocals, okay, it's Maiden. I do like the quiet intro and outro, but the proggy stuff is nothing special.

Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
Noticing the drums again here, I dig it. Makes me want to grow my hair out, trim the bangs, and wear denim jackets. :tickled:

Rime of the Ancient Mariner
I'm not qualified to comment on this until I've heard it many more times. :)

Caught Somewhere in Time
This intro rules. Okay I guarantee my next Maiden will be Somewhere in Time. Best Maiden song I've heard so far.

Sea of Madness
Really like the guitar tone and the full riffs. A lot of Maiden has too much staccato sometimes, this obviously doesn't. Yep, gonna get Somewhere in Time.

Cross Eyed Mary (Jethro Tull cover)
Oh my goat, this is AWFUL. I love this song, but this cover completely ruins it. This is one of Tull's few metal-ish songs so I was hoping a metal band could do it justice. No. Completely ruined. Stiff, boring, and very gay. This makes me want to kick my stereo.

So anyhow, here's my conclusion on Maiden: *dons full armor to avoid deadly blows* I like it about the same I always have, which means yes they rule, but no I don't own every album. They almost suffer from having too much of a trademark sound, because everything that sounds like Maiden is similar to their whole catalogue, and anything that doesn't retain the dual guitar harmonies, galloping bassline, and siren vocals comes off sounding a bit forced. I have Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and I'm going to pick up Somewhere in Time because those two tracks rule, and then Powerslave just because I really should. I suppose we'll go from there, but one thing I can say is there is no doubt their importance to metal and music as a whole and I respect them much.
 
Right, so in response, a few things:

1 - That compilation was made to showcase Steve Harris as a bass player, not necessarily a 'best of Maiden' cos goat knows there are 3 million of them already. :loco: Paul Di'Anno is an acquired taste - his vocals were spawned from the punk era. Indeed, take a look at pictures of Maiden on their debut and Killers, and they look like punks.

2 - I'm not surprised that you like the Somewhere in Time material. It's probably their most 'prog' like album. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but most prog fans to tend to appreciate this one. Not that I'm calling you a prog fan or anything... :loco:

3 - Like I said, I only threw on Cross Eyed Mary for a laugh. Maiden covers are normally dreadful. :ill:

You might want to read PJ's review of Somewhere in Time if you want some cool reading...

Otherwise, result! If you ever saw them live, your good opinion of them would triple. Maiden (as any good metal band should be) are a live band first and foremost. :D
 
To choose betweens Maidens first 7 albums (including Live after death) is impossible. They all rule in their own way. Hoping for a Dance of death tour dvd not edited by Steve Harris...
 
I think people tend to overstate the effect of the synths on SIT, perhaps because Maiden using them was initially shocking...I don't think it detracts from what is actually one of their strongest albums riff-wise. And it could very well be Adrian's finest hour...
 
Ohhhhhhhhh yeah I forgot this was a Steve Harris Showcase comp! It's been so long since I received it! :loco:

Listening to it twice in a row today really got me enjoying it, I have a feeling I'll pick those up a few of theirs right quick.
 
Tranquillian said:
Dance of death tour dvd not edited by Steve Harris...
Man, I've been saying this since I first saw Rock in Rio. That editing is disasterous - it looked like it was done by an epileptic with attention deficit disorder.

I'll stick with my bootleg Brazilian Live After Death DVD.