The Worst of Iron Maiden

[Blitzkrieg]

Here is a topic to stimulate some discussion.

If you had to make a 'worst of' Maiden compilation album, what would you include on it? Much like a 'best of' album, you want to cover a broad expanse of the bands career, but don't necessarily need to include a song from each album.

Minimum of 10 songs, as I think that the average Maiden album has about 10 songs, but since 'best of's usually fill the time available on a cd, it can have more, maybe up to 14 or 15?

Now I need to think of mine!

 

[Blitzkrieg]

This was actually much harder than I expected! I will keep it at 10, as I ran out of obvious choices at around 8!

_____


Running Free
Quest For Fire
Sun And Steel
The Duellists
Stranger In A Strange Land
Can I Play With Madness
Childhood's End
The Apparition
The Angel and the Gambler
The Mercenary

______


Running Free is an ok song, but obviously one of the first things Steve ever wrote. The simplicity of it, compared with the amazing song that follows it on the same album is mind boggling. Cheap sing-a-long's don't usually do much for me.

Quest For Fire and Sun And Steel - weakest back to back songs, ever.

The Duellists isn't such a bad song, but it always shat me that it was on an album right after a song called Flash of the Blade? Honestly, wtf? FotB is a better song, so The Duellists shoulda got the chop.

Stranger In A Strange Land. It's ok for it's synth, but I've really never been a fan of the song, and one of the weakest songs they have ever released as a single. Deja-Vu would have made a much better choice. Also, does the rip off vocal melody from What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted bother anyone else as much as it does I?

Can I Play With Madness. Shudder. Always hated it.

Childhood's End. I have always been a fan of FotD, but this is one of the songs that brings the quality material down. Boo.

The Apparition is probably the worst Maiden song, ever.

Most of us agree that The Angel and the Gambler had potential, but it was probably the most poorly executed thing in the bands career. Songwriting fail.

The Mercenary isn't too bad a song, just mediocre by Maiden standards, especially that late in their career, when most songs are much, much better written.

 

[Spiff]

Wow... this is harder than I thought.

The Apparition
Face in the Sand
Age of Innocence
Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger
New Frontier
The Fugitive
Montsegur
The Fallen Angel
Mother Russia
Quest for Fire
Another Life
Twilight Zone

If I can use a b-side then I'll add Invasion to the list. Otherwise I can't think of any other song I would be comfortable putting on a "worst" compilation album.

 

[Spiff]

Stranger In A Strange Land

Ooh, I think this is as close to a perfect song they've ever done. I love the guitar/bass solo. Just brilliant.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Perfect isn't using someone else's melodies! I do agree about the bass though. Nice stuff.

I was thinking Invasion as well, but decided not to include any b-sides, just to avoid the complication. I don't think it would be common for a compilation album anyway.

Mother Russia has always been a favourite of mine. As a song it fails a little, but musically, it is brilliant.

I really enjoy Bruce's studio version of Twilight Zone. I think it was a b-side or something. He rips it.

Tis a great idea for a discussion though. I see you really disliking Dance of Death with those choices, but I love it.

 

[Southy]

hmmm....

The Duellists
Hooks in You
The Angel and The Gambler
BNW
Blood Brothers
For the greater good of god, not a bad song per se, just repetitive enough to annoy me sometimes
Virus
Man on the Edge, again the fucking repetition

I got to 8 off the top of my head, but I bet there is other stuff, but fucked if it springs to mind right now

 

[Spiff]

Perfect isn't using someone else's melodies!

Yeah, well I've never heard that.

Southy - Hooks In You is probably in my top 5 Maiden songs. Shame on you, sir!

 

[Spiff]

Oh! I've never been a fan of The Clairvoyant. Add that to my list.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I think The Clairvoyant is a weak song on the album, but great live.

That is what I love about Maiden, people have such a different view on what they like and dislike about them. Southy also listed For The Greater Good Of God which I think is amazing.

A runner up to my list would be Heaven Can Wait. A weak song, and I hate that it is usually used to represent the SIT album live, when it is such a poor choice compared to some of the other material from it. Another cheap sing-a-long like Running Free, which doesn't sit well with me, but it isn't as bad I guess.

 

[Goreripper]

Women in Uniform
The Apparition
Fear is the Key
The Angel and the Gambler
Quest for Fire
Bring Your Daugher... to the Slaughter
Judgement of Heaven
Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
Mother Russia


That's my list. There's probably others, but unless they've befuddled me or angered me with their pure awfulness, I've just not thought of them.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Bring Your Daughter is a bit like The Angel And The Gambler for me, could have been much better edited down, but it could have been kept long as a live thing. Is a bit of a fail, but I like it in it's cheeseyness. Kind of like a b-grade 80s horror.

I love Fear Is The Key. Bruce is manic!

Losfer Words is a shit name for an instrumental, but I like it as an instrumental.

Judgement of Heaven is a bit of a dampener on an amazing album, but isn't too bad.

 

[Spiff]

I didn't care much for Bring Your Daughter until I heard it at Mark and Bev's wedding.

I'm a big fan of Fear is the Key.

 

[Southy]

I love how subjective this thread is, pure awesome, and Spiffo, Hooks in You just annoys me for some reason

 

[Mark]

Ok, I'll need to put some thought into this... These are all songs which, if wiped from Maiden's catalogue altogether forever and ever, I wouldn't miss them.

In order of release:

Invasion (MEH!)
Wrathchild (Totally overdone for me now)
Quest For Fire (Funny, but 'Arry should have stuck with his original idea of making it an instrumental)
Infinite Dreams (It's ok, but I almost always skip this -- in face, when Maiden England came out I didn't recognise the song at all)
The Prophecy (EXCEPT for the acousticy bit at the end)
Tailgunner (Crap)
Holy Smoke (Crap)
Public Enema Number One (The title alone makes this an embarrassment)
The Assassin (meh)
Mother Russia (Yawn)
From Here To Eternity (Cheese)
The Apparition (Worst lyrics I can think of)
Weekend Warrior (Yawn)
Blood Brothers (Totally overblown; formulaic and trite IMO)

... and I'll have to skip the last two albums, since I've honestly not listened to either of them more than a handful of times each.

 

[Mean Machine]

Every album with the exception of DoD and BNW have some serious stinkers. Tracks like The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg and most of the Blaze tracks, those that just really drag on.

Other people have listed some of my favorite songs. Holy Smoke and Running Free are simple but memorable, and Monstegur is just plain awesome all over.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I love Benjamin Breeg.

 

[Spiff]

I love everything on AMOLAD. Every time I listen to it I'm reminded of why it's my favourite Maiden album.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

There is certainly a lot to love about it. The fact that is was never mastered, and the vocal tracks used were from rehearsals is just mind boggling. What a level of professionalism.

 

[Southy]

Absolutely, it is only the repetition on one or two tracks that can wear thin, but mind it doesn't happen alot.

I am also a noted fan of DoD Mean Machine, so your not alone there

 

[TinMan666]

you guys are doing my head in naming so many of my favourite songs in your "worst" lists!