Lets face it. Alexander the Great is the best song they do. Why? Because they nail it everytime and its a hard song to play. But that middle instrumental part when the bass and drums do that thing bum ba da da da dum thing, is very impressive. Linda is hot! Then Aja comes back and goes off on the "marching on" part and your head explodes. Pretty damn good in my opinion.
Whats your favorite song The Iron Maidens play?
- Thread starter Acujer
- Start date
Jeff Milne
Member
Alexander may be the best song they CURRENTLY play, but that would change if they brought back MARINER. (PLEASE BRING BACK MARINER!)
Metallicat180
Rockstar-In-Training
I find it weird listening to the original of Alexander cos I've heard the Maidens do it so often!! 
One of my favourite songs to hear them do is Children Of The Damned which I actually prefer to the original. I think Aja's voice suits it much more than Bruce. Also Infinite Dreams (cos it's my favourite Maiden song!) and Rime too. The list goes on and on!!
One of my favourite songs to hear them do is Children Of The Damned which I actually prefer to the original. I think Aja's voice suits it much more than Bruce. Also Infinite Dreams (cos it's my favourite Maiden song!) and Rime too. The list goes on and on!!
Yeah they play everything top notch, but Alexander and Phantom of the Opera seems to be the 2 songs that highlight all their strengths. Like if you were going to introduce them to someone and only had 2 songs to play them I would chose those.
Their version of Infinite Dreams is beautiful.
What is it about the song that makes it your favorite?
I don't know what my favorite Maiden song is. Maybe Revelations.
Their version of Infinite Dreams is beautiful.
What is it about the song that makes it your favorite?
I don't know what my favorite Maiden song is. Maybe Revelations.
Metallicat180
Rockstar-In-Training
I dunno!! I love the quiet start and the soft vocals and the way it starts off kind of "dreamy" and then descends into the "nightmare" as the song gets heavier. I've always loved that song and I must make it obvious as two Maiden tribute bands have dedicated to me live (the Maidens and Maiden Scotland!
). Rime is a close second for it's sheer epicness! 
Oh you were the one in the UK that Aja dedicated Infinite Dreams to at that Galaxy show in Orange County. Very cool! Nice to meet you. I also like to think when I die I get a chance another time.
The words to Revelations is completely phenomenal. I love how it is a song written totally by Bruce. Its got Egyptian themes, mentions a Tarot Card in there, begins with a poem, and I believe alludes to Aleister Crowley and "magick" throughout the song.
The words to Revelations is completely phenomenal. I love how it is a song written totally by Bruce. Its got Egyptian themes, mentions a Tarot Card in there, begins with a poem, and I believe alludes to Aleister Crowley and "magick" throughout the song.
MattDouglas
Rock'n'Roll for papillae
Funny, about a year ago Jenna mentioned how she wondered what the song was about so I started a thread, going into my rathe rlong theories about the lyrics (but it aint like we are Bruce and know what was in his head).
As for your mentioning it's references to tarot (I'm an experienced reader and have done so professionally), there are, I imagine, refernces to 2 cards:
"A clever path for the fools who know" - The Fool
"The secret of the hanged man, the smile on his lips" - The Hanged Man
I don't however see any references to Crowley. Though Crowley designed a tarot, and Bruce is supposedly working on a documentary about Crowley, the Hanged Man in the Crowley deck doesn't smile. That's from the Marseilles and Rider-Waite decks.
I do see some similarity to one of Crowley's poems, "One Star in Sight." Revelation seems to have a thene about transformation, which is expressed through birth-death-rebirth metaphors, and ends with stating that transformation comes from within "It is you." One Star in Sight also start by talking about how depraved things are and ends with the source of transformation being from within yourself, but uses more of a fight-the-powers-that-be theme, than one of birth-death. Still, though, because so many slews of writers of both poetry and prose have expressed this idea, to say from Revelations that Bruce's inspiration for it was Alastair is a stretch.
Great post! I'd lke to discuss this more with you.
I actually read somewhere that Aleister Crowley influenced that song. I don't remember where I read that, but knowing how he is workng on a documentary about him, it makes sense. The Hanged Man and The Fool are clearly Tarot references.
I actually read somewhere that Aleister Crowley influenced that song. I don't remember where I read that, but knowing how he is workng on a documentary about him, it makes sense. The Hanged Man and The Fool are clearly Tarot references.
The eyes of the Nile you know? I mean all secret societies such as Crowley's, The Golden Dawn payed homage to Egypt and Sumeria. I use a Golden Dawn deck by Cicero. How about you?
Metallicat180
Rockstar-In-Training
Yep, that was me!!
Nice to meet you too!! I remember that thread, but I still haven't a clue what the song is about!!! It's too much for my little brain to think about so I'll just enjoy the song!!
Yep, that was me!!
I remember that thread, but I still haven't a clue what the song is about!!! It's too much for my little brain to think about so I'll just enjoy the song!!
Come now...
Aja "clearly" let's the audience know what that song is about before the band plays it. It's about Religion...or washing your car...or curtains...or...
This is a quote from Blabbermouth.com. This may or may not be accurate:
"Crowley has been Bruce Dickinson's idol for many years. The IRON MAIDEN song "Revelations" is said to refer to Crowley's classic claim that he was the "anti-christ 666" reincarnated. In other words, the Devil himself."
From http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=63479
Also Moonchild must have some Crowley reference in there don't you think? Considering Crowley wrote the book, Moonchild.
My take on Revelations is its about coming into the higher esoteric knowledge. In a dark world you feel like a "babe in a black abyss" but once you get hit by "the serpent's kiss" the light of the blind you see. I think the light of the blind is like the internal enlightenment you gain from internal spiritual practices. Of course, Freemasons, Golden Dawn and all those crazy bastards pay homage to Egypt and the eyes of the nile.
The last line, I don't know. I think its either about "you" meaning the listener, or its about the birth of Crowley. Like "You have come to save us" kind of thing.
What the hell do I know though
"Crowley has been Bruce Dickinson's idol for many years. The IRON MAIDEN song "Revelations" is said to refer to Crowley's classic claim that he was the "anti-christ 666" reincarnated. In other words, the Devil himself."
From http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=63479
Also Moonchild must have some Crowley reference in there don't you think? Considering Crowley wrote the book, Moonchild.
My take on Revelations is its about coming into the higher esoteric knowledge. In a dark world you feel like a "babe in a black abyss" but once you get hit by "the serpent's kiss" the light of the blind you see. I think the light of the blind is like the internal enlightenment you gain from internal spiritual practices. Of course, Freemasons, Golden Dawn and all those crazy bastards pay homage to Egypt and the eyes of the nile.
The last line, I don't know. I think its either about "you" meaning the listener, or its about the birth of Crowley. Like "You have come to save us" kind of thing.
What the hell do I know though
HobbesDawg
Stuck in Utah
MattDouglas
Rock'n'Roll for papillae
It's not very accurate about Crowley at all, as many people who commented on the article indicated. And unless Bruce himself said Crowley was his idol, I don't see any reason to make such an assumption.
It's very rare for those who do a decent study of Crowley to idolize him. He was a rebel and very original, but he didn't advocate evil or satanism, or other various things the press often claimed about him. Just as they're were many Christian groups who claimed Number of the Beast was a satanic song by it's title, but obviously never really paid attention to the lyrics, so too does did Crowley get misunderstood by those who just took a quick glance at his work. Reading his stuff is like talking to a drunk. 90% of the time they're off in bullshit land, but the other 10% of the time they say something profound that they might not have siad sober for fear of looking weird. Those who find him interesting, usually do so beause of his originality, because they value originality themselves and hence are not the sorts to idolize anybody.
I love Iron Maiden's music. I love the sensations I get listening to it. I love the way the Iron Maidens perform Iron Maiden music. I love the Iron Maidens as people because I got to know the personally. But do I idolize Maiden or the Maidens? No. I imagine many others here feel the same way.
Since this thread started as nothing more than what-your-favorite-song-the-Maidens-play I want to answer that. Unfortunately, the do so many do well I don't know if I have a favorite. Talking about Revelations, it defintiely ranks. So do ALexander, Icarus, Sea of Madness... damn so many good sogs to choose from.
Ladies, comes to east coast soon! Please Please Please!
Metallicat180
Rockstar-In-Training
Sea Of Madness - yeah!! I'm gonna add that one to my list too. They do a storming version of that!!
Dude come to the West Coast.
Crowley wasn't just a drunk though. He advanced real high in everything he did. He became like a 33rd degree Freemason in like 5 years. He was evil though man. I mean, if evil means malicious intent and communicating with evil entities to gain power from and truly believing you are Satan. You can argue Satanism is misunderstood and it just means this or that, but dude, seriously, he's as Satanic as it gets.
Its funny how Number of the Beast became Maiden's signature songs when its pretty crappy. I wouldn't mind if I never heard Run to the Hills, Number of the Beast and The Trooper for the rest of my life.
The girls should play Tears of the Dragon.
Crowley wasn't just a drunk though. He advanced real high in everything he did. He became like a 33rd degree Freemason in like 5 years. He was evil though man. I mean, if evil means malicious intent and communicating with evil entities to gain power from and truly believing you are Satan. You can argue Satanism is misunderstood and it just means this or that, but dude, seriously, he's as Satanic as it gets.
Its funny how Number of the Beast became Maiden's signature songs when its pretty crappy. I wouldn't mind if I never heard Run to the Hills, Number of the Beast and The Trooper for the rest of my life.
The girls should play Tears of the Dragon.
MattDouglas
Rock'n'Roll for papillae
Acujer,
I really wish you would read what I said a little more carefully, especially if you wish to have a conversation with me here on this forum. I welcome conversation, but it's never very productive if one or bopth partied aren't paying attention.
I didn't say Crowley was a drunk. I know bloody well he was a drug addcit for years. I was making an analogy of reading his books to coversing with a drunk.
I never said Satanism was misunderstood, I said Crowley was. He, for the record, never claimed to be Satan. he jokingly claimed to be a "Beast" perhaps the whole Revelation chp. 13 references. He also jokingly claimed to be the next Messiah (but threw a few people out of his society when they took him seriously and tried to promote as such), but often claimed to be "just a big fat Englishaman".
As far as evil goes, technically it's just a judgment, but I think Hitler, Stalin, and even many politicians (including some American ones) are far more evil. Crowley never killed anyone or gave someone an order to do so. He even give occasional praise to Christ in Book of Thoth, and that tarot he created has much Christian symbolism. His book 777 was all about symbolism that many religions had in common.
Have you ever read his stuff?
I say this because it's easy to vilify someone when you don't know a whole lot about them. One time when my computer went down, I was on this forum at a library computer, and the guy on the computer beside me (who hadn't said a thing to before for 20 minutes before I got on this forum), starting telling me about how I needed to be saved (he didn't even bother asking anyhting about my own religious background first), and calling me satanic and such judgmental terms. I knew he had never heard Linda talk about her relationship with God or seen the "trained to serve Jesus" bumper-sticker on Sara's car.
While this example isn't practical as Crowley is dead, and nothing we can do will affect him one way or another, I find it important not to vilify someone when you really don't know a damn thing about them.
MattDouglas
Rock'n'Roll for papillae
Lived in SD 11 years. I live in VA now!
While the three you mentioned aren't my favorite Maiden songs, I do like them and do find them very good songs.
Doodoobubbachuck
Maidens' drums
Thanks, Acujer. That is one of my favorite parts to play of that song as well as the whole solo section. It has such a neat feel to it all.
Yeah we talked about this at Walnut Creek. Phantom you like to play too.
I can't believe you didn't come to San Fran!
I can't believe you didn't come to San Fran!
Similar threads
