DJMayes' Complete Ranking Of Maiden Songs
- Thread starter DJMayes
- Start date
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Originally yes. But not anymore and in this game DJ didn't have these separated from other album songs. He mentioned a group of b-sides, but one is a non-album single (a-side). So calling that same group non-album songs sounded like a good solution to me.@Forostar : as regards your list, "Twilight Zone", "Total Eclipse" and "Sanctuary" (not mentioned yet I think) are non-album songs too.
DJMayes' album order of first appearance
01) No Prayer for the Dying (least favourite song: Mother Russia, 160)
02) The X-Factor (least favourite song: Blood on the World's Hands, 159)
03) Powerslave (least favourite song: The Duellists, 158)
04) The Number of the Beast (least favourite song: Gangland, 156)
05) Brave New World (least favourite song: The Nomad, 154)
06) Killers (least favourite song: Innocent Exile, 150)
07) Piece of Mind (least favourite song: Quest for Fire, 149)
08) Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (least favourite song: The Prophecy, 148)
09) Iron Maiden (least favourite song: Running Free, 146)
10) The Final Frontier (least favourite song: Isle of Avalon, 143)
11) Fear of the Dark (least favourite song: Fear is the Key, 139)
12) A Matter of Life and Death (least favourite song: The Legacy, 136)
13) Virtual XI (least favourite song: Como Estais Amigos, 127)
14) Dance of Death (least favourite song: New Frontier, 125)
DJMayes' non-album song* order of appearance
01) Invasion, 153
02) Virus, 151
03) Burning Ambition, 135
04) I Live My Way, 132
05) Justice of the Peace, 124
06) Judgement Day, 114
* this group
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Bombusbombus
Nomad
I enjoy this list more than I thought I would, it makes me ponder and reevaluate some of my own opinions. thank you for that.
Black Bart
Ancient Mariner
Probably "Caught in a Web" as far as the melody is concerned, but still with little resemblance I think.
Nice description of "Remember Tomorrow" (in underlining how classic though not-in-the-spotlight it is). As for "TATG", I'm wondering how well it would have fitted British Lion, some years apart. They can always try it live.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I find it striking to see the word "filler" or "filler music" so regularly. After all, this is my favourite band and even if I read "enjoyable filler music" this still feels somewhat unjustified. Not all songs have the same level of enjoyment, but does that mean that one seventh or eighth (or whatever percentage) of all what Maiden has done is filler? I realize it is a favourite band and it's possible to judge against high Maiden standards but in the end one may wonder: If the music is enjoyable, then why call it filler? There's a negative ring to that term. Its definition comes close to something without any substance. Empty, meaningless music. When it is enjoyed, it can't be a song "only needed to fill space" on a record, can it?
That part functions as the post-chorus. Try to imagine if this was suddenly omitted at the end. That would be a very abrupt end, wouldn't it? At least there's an impressive vocal on top.
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DJMayes
Ancient Mariner
I don't think TAATG is a better song than Starblind - I just enjoy it more.
I think that's probably the one, cheers!
That's a fair comment and probably born of my inability to find interesting things to say as much as anything else.
On the whole when I call a song filler I'm usually thinking of one that's not a live staple or a single, or simply one that fills a gap between two songs I like a lot more. For example, New Frontier and Gates of Tomorrow between Dance Of Death and Paschendale.
Point taken though - I'll make a conscious effort to stop using it so freely.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
I also don't like overusing of the word, but although Maiden might be my #2 band ever, I still think they do filler, I just usually disagree with others about what it is. For example, I have never considered any of those lambasted FOTD songs (The Apparition) to be filler, because the songs deviate too much from the band's usual output and they are all so different from each other I could never consider them filler.
There are others though (and I agree with DJ that the DOD album is quite unfortunate in that regard) like Gates, Frontier, Wildest Dreams that just scream "filler" to my ears. These to me are the songs that have no outstanding idea, I don't feel anything from them telling me these are special or inspired or whatever. I also don't hear any effort in trying to separate them from the rest. It's just "by the numbers", so to speak. Again, it's just a personal opinion and it's hard to pinpoint what exactly makes these songs "fillerish", but it's there.
On the other hand, even these "filler" tracks are still enjoyable to me, because weaker Maiden material is still better than stong other bands material and the Maiden formula is quite enjoyable on its own. I never need to skip any Maiden track (apart from the temptation during NOTB, but for completely different reasons), but I wouldn't seek these out on their own, either.
Black Bart
Ancient Mariner
This.
And somehow it still wanders off into obscurity, I find. That fits the song, I suppose, but it's not something I particularly enjoy.
DJMayes
Ancient Mariner
110 - 106:
110 - The Aftermath
I feel almost dirty rating this song higher than a lot of the other X Factor songs, as off the bat it seems to go down the route I spend so long criticising the others for. Indeed, if the entire song continued in the same vein as the first 2:51, this song would be a contender for the bottom of my list. However, the song then does a double take by following this up with some incredible stuff. Blaze's "after the war..." vocal section is an instant step change in quality, but it's when we hit 3:50 when the song turns magical. The chugging gives way to some more exciting guitar, following with a magical moment at ~4:20 with "I'm just a soldier" and possibly the best solo on the album. It's probably not the most technical, but the feeling is fantastic. Indeed, this second half of the song is so strong that it lifts a song I would otherwise rate alongside "Look for the Truth" all the way up here.
109 - The Man Who Would Be King
I think Dave Murray has some really exciting musical ideas, and he's probably my favourite of the three guitar players as far as playing is concerned. Unfortunately, I also find that whilst his songs contain some really beautiful section, his writing can lack the cohesiveness that others do. This song is a fairly good example of it.
The intro and verse seem to gel well enough, and are solid if nothing special. The chorus is similar, and a lot of this I put down to Bruce, who just doesn't feel like his singing here is as strong as it usually is. After the chorus, we go full Murray mode with a very cool instrumental section - that seemingly comes out of nowhere and doesn't mesh with the stuff before it. It's a beautiful section, to be sure, but it doesn't match the song.
This song has a somewhat odd ending. Usually, I expect the song to finish fairly quickly after the repeated choruses, but here we go for an oddly mellow interlude. It's again not a bad section by any means, but it is a stark contrast to the more up-tempo verses and choruses it succeeds.
108 - The Educated Fool
"Open the page, at chapter one"
I kind of want to leave the review at this, as it pretty much sums up this song for me. It's an incredibly catchy melody, and is the instantly recognisable section of the song for me. It's not the only thing the song has to offer though, with solid verses and an enjoyable chorus. Unfortunately, the song does also have the somewhat grating "Time will flow..." section before segueing into its main theme and then into a really, really nice solo section.
107 - To Tame a Land
I can't claim to be a musical aficionado by any means, but the one thing that stands out to me in this song (other than the gibberish lyrics for someone unacquainted with Dune) is the fantastic bass playing in this song. That's not to say Steve isn't always great, but this song feels much more bass driven than usual and it's noticeable even to someone who often has difficulty making out bass in songs. That bass focus works wonders for the atmosphere of the song - it is the exact sort of tone I associate with desert and egyptian settings.
My favourite parts of this song come later on in, when the song pauses for a breath from the verses to explore new musical ground. The section starting around 3 minutes in is cool, and leads to a killer section at 4:05, with the bass again being a highlight. Indeed, the solo afterwards feels somewhat tame in comparison, though in reality it's a perfectly enjoyable one. The post-solo instrumental section is a really interesting section, going from a pretty fast paced section and gradually slowing it down until 6:13, where we get a wonderfully atmospheric guitar section before returning to the songs main riff for an ending.
I feel like I've got high praise for this song, despite placing it comparatively low on my list. The reasoning here is that I think this song is very well written, and succeeds masterfully at attaining its atmosphere - but that atmosphere is not one I'm necessarily as keen on as other songs. Moreover, as mentioned above, I find this a difficult song to get a true feeling for as I know nothing about what it's based on, and unlike, say, some of the history songs the lyrics are much more opaque due to lifting references directly from Dune.
106 - Different World
This was the first song I ever listened to from A Matter of Life and Death, at a friends suggestion. For a long time, it was the only one I liked. That's because I find this the most immediately accessible song from the album, which is otherwise fairly difficult to just jump into at random.
This song is one of the examples of a certain type of chorus Maiden has that I hear a lot of complaining about, a much more subdued type of chorus. Other examples of songs which have similar choruses (in my opinion) are Age of Innocence and When The River Runs Deep, which are similarly divisive. Personally, I'm a fan.
The best part of the song for me is the guitar section after the second chorus, before the solo. The chorus, and the following, higher pitched "Don't want to be here" section is pretty solid too though.
110 - The Aftermath
I feel almost dirty rating this song higher than a lot of the other X Factor songs, as off the bat it seems to go down the route I spend so long criticising the others for. Indeed, if the entire song continued in the same vein as the first 2:51, this song would be a contender for the bottom of my list. However, the song then does a double take by following this up with some incredible stuff. Blaze's "after the war..." vocal section is an instant step change in quality, but it's when we hit 3:50 when the song turns magical. The chugging gives way to some more exciting guitar, following with a magical moment at ~4:20 with "I'm just a soldier" and possibly the best solo on the album. It's probably not the most technical, but the feeling is fantastic. Indeed, this second half of the song is so strong that it lifts a song I would otherwise rate alongside "Look for the Truth" all the way up here.
109 - The Man Who Would Be King
I think Dave Murray has some really exciting musical ideas, and he's probably my favourite of the three guitar players as far as playing is concerned. Unfortunately, I also find that whilst his songs contain some really beautiful section, his writing can lack the cohesiveness that others do. This song is a fairly good example of it.
The intro and verse seem to gel well enough, and are solid if nothing special. The chorus is similar, and a lot of this I put down to Bruce, who just doesn't feel like his singing here is as strong as it usually is. After the chorus, we go full Murray mode with a very cool instrumental section - that seemingly comes out of nowhere and doesn't mesh with the stuff before it. It's a beautiful section, to be sure, but it doesn't match the song.
This song has a somewhat odd ending. Usually, I expect the song to finish fairly quickly after the repeated choruses, but here we go for an oddly mellow interlude. It's again not a bad section by any means, but it is a stark contrast to the more up-tempo verses and choruses it succeeds.
108 - The Educated Fool
"Open the page, at chapter one"
I kind of want to leave the review at this, as it pretty much sums up this song for me. It's an incredibly catchy melody, and is the instantly recognisable section of the song for me. It's not the only thing the song has to offer though, with solid verses and an enjoyable chorus. Unfortunately, the song does also have the somewhat grating "Time will flow..." section before segueing into its main theme and then into a really, really nice solo section.
107 - To Tame a Land
I can't claim to be a musical aficionado by any means, but the one thing that stands out to me in this song (other than the gibberish lyrics for someone unacquainted with Dune) is the fantastic bass playing in this song. That's not to say Steve isn't always great, but this song feels much more bass driven than usual and it's noticeable even to someone who often has difficulty making out bass in songs. That bass focus works wonders for the atmosphere of the song - it is the exact sort of tone I associate with desert and egyptian settings.
My favourite parts of this song come later on in, when the song pauses for a breath from the verses to explore new musical ground. The section starting around 3 minutes in is cool, and leads to a killer section at 4:05, with the bass again being a highlight. Indeed, the solo afterwards feels somewhat tame in comparison, though in reality it's a perfectly enjoyable one. The post-solo instrumental section is a really interesting section, going from a pretty fast paced section and gradually slowing it down until 6:13, where we get a wonderfully atmospheric guitar section before returning to the songs main riff for an ending.
I feel like I've got high praise for this song, despite placing it comparatively low on my list. The reasoning here is that I think this song is very well written, and succeeds masterfully at attaining its atmosphere - but that atmosphere is not one I'm necessarily as keen on as other songs. Moreover, as mentioned above, I find this a difficult song to get a true feeling for as I know nothing about what it's based on, and unlike, say, some of the history songs the lyrics are much more opaque due to lifting references directly from Dune.
106 - Different World
This was the first song I ever listened to from A Matter of Life and Death, at a friends suggestion. For a long time, it was the only one I liked. That's because I find this the most immediately accessible song from the album, which is otherwise fairly difficult to just jump into at random.
This song is one of the examples of a certain type of chorus Maiden has that I hear a lot of complaining about, a much more subdued type of chorus. Other examples of songs which have similar choruses (in my opinion) are Age of Innocence and When The River Runs Deep, which are similarly divisive. Personally, I'm a fan.
The best part of the song for me is the guitar section after the second chorus, before the solo. The chorus, and the following, higher pitched "Don't want to be here" section is pretty solid too though.
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Yep. None I would rate very high there again.
Black Bart
Ancient Mariner
My thoughts exactly. His intros are very often similar (slow soloing on arpeggios).
Although it was released 12 years after he left, I have always wondered if this song (at least the verses) was not intended for Blaze Bayley, I think it would suit his voice and phrasing better.
I like this passage a lot. The diphtong on "flow" and "go" reminds me of then contemporary Andi Deris at a time when Helloween was -in my opinion- at the creative peak of their career (tied with the Keepers period).
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JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Not "better", but I get similar feeling from WTWWB.
DJMayes
Ancient Mariner
#105-101:
105 - Prodigal Son
I've been looking forward to reviewing this song, as it appears to be flavour of the month on these forums right now. Prodigal Son is an odd one. It's completely out of place on Killers in terms of style, but it's a perfect contrast and break in the middle of the album.
On its own, it's a pretty strong song. It's not the sort of thing I'd expect from Maiden, but that's not a bad thing (Imagine if it were played in concert though...). I enjoy it for what it is, but I think that there are other bands who can do this sort of song better. It's a mellow song, that rambles along at a slow but enjoyable pace, whereas I enjoy Maiden more when they're firing on all cylinders. I'd probably better mention the back to back Dave solos whilst I'm here. It feels appropriate in this song of all places, because it's the sort of song his solo style fits nicely.
104 - Alexander The Great (356-323 B.C.)
In case you haven't been keeping track as thoroughly as Forostar, this is the first Somewhere In Time song to pop up - and true to form, I'd like to start by saying some stuff about the album. I don't rate the album as highly as many here, but I should quantify that by saying that it is either #5 or #4 on my list, fighting with Fear of the Dark for those spots. However, it doesn't really face any competition from below. Why? Because this album is so solid. There aren't any dud songs on here; that I've chosen Alexander as the worst is a testament to that. This album is one of the best to listen to the whole way through because of it. On the other hand, I've not found it surprising that this album gets relatively short changed in concert setlists because I don't think it has as many songs at the absolute top of their game as the rest of the other 80's albums (though I do of course acknowledge, from my limited perspective, that the sound and technicality of these songs are also probably more difficult to replicate live).
Now, time to rant about Alexander. Until the spoken intro, I am never sure whether or not When The Wild Wind Blows is playing. The guitar and drums intro is perhaps somewhat too drawn out for my tastes. It's fun enough, but I'd probably enjoy the song more if it didn't take until 1:39 till I felt the song had really started. Of course, it's great when it does. I remember some discussion with Steve about music being more important than lyrics, and this song is perhaps the embodiment of that. Quite simply, they're nowhere near the same level as some of his other work. Indeed, with the sci-fi feeling the keyboards give this album, they seem almost at odds with the song itself. In some ways, this song feels like The Man Who Would Be King for it - a collection of really cool musical ideas that aren't as cohesive as a song as his other work.
If it feels like I'm being negative, that's because I know this is a beloved fan song, and that expounding upon them so people understand why this song isn't top 10 is more interesting and useful to the reader than "the solos are incredible". For the sake of balance, the solos are incredible. The final one starting around 7 minutes in is my favourite. This instrumental section is the reason to listen to the song. The rest is interesting enough musically, but as far as the Maiden epics goes, I think this lacks the cohesiveness to really sit amongst their best work.
103 - Brave New World
I've always felt Isle of Avalon bore a certain similarity to this song, mainly in the verses. This is pretty much the only similarity though, as otherwise I think this song is much tighter and better written piece of work. The slow build-up throughout the verses and carrying through onto future verses is very fun, and the verses in general are great. The chorus is not one of their strongest, and it puzzles me why it was played live other than the fact it was the title track.
As mentioned before, I like how the verses work - from the introductory music, picking up in intensity during the first verse, and with added guitar licks in the second verse. Omitting the chorus, it gives this song a real sense of progression that I like. It then unleashes this in the solo, the second of which is really, really good (I have no idea who plays it. I want to say Dave, but that's because I love Dave rather than having an ear for it).
Indeed, clocking in at only 6 minutes, this is a really tight piece of song-writing. It's only "let-down" is the chorus, without which it could've been much higher on this list, easily.
102 - The Man Of Sorrows
The Book Of Souls has finally entered the ring. After nearly a year (Goodness, that was quick) I am fairly comfortable saying that the album is my favourite Maiden album thus far. That's no small accolade, and I'd like to talk about why.
I am one of the more recent fans on these forums, and in general one of the more recent Iron Maiden fans full stop. Indeed, this album is the first one I have been completely on board for as a rabid fan, as well as the first time I've gone to watch them, making Iron Maiden the first band I ever went to see live. On this point, at certain times I'd like to discuss my opinions of certain songs live. However, I have watched a lot of their live DVD's, and will be using these as a basis for a lot of discussion. Stuff from En Vivo will come up, as will Flight 666, and so on. Out of respect for the spoiler crackdown on the forums, I won't discuss any songs on a live basis unless I know they've been on one of these, so as not to throw up any setlist spoilers. At the same time, my comments will be exclusively on whether I think they are better or worse live, rather than any personal experiences so I shouldn't be throwing up any current setlist spoilers.
Anyway, the above gives this album a special emotional connection to me, which will absolutely reflect in these rankings. That aside, I do think this is an incredibly consistent album, with only Somewhere In Time really matching it, and given how long it is I think that's something special. On top of that, the album is home to many songs I feel comfortable rating amongst the top of my list, so it's a wonderful matching of rock solid consistency with hits that draw me to the album.
I wasn't completely on board with the entirety of the album from the get go, though. This song is a prime example, though it's come on a long way. I've always loved the intro. Bruce's vocals on the album are so much stronger than The Final Frontier, and this is one of the best vocal sections of the entire album, with such incredible feeling.
In a strange twist of my usual tastes, it's at around 1:30, when the volume cranks up that the song began to lose me. The section starting at 1:54 used to be downright monotonous, though I've grown to accept it now. The chorus has always been pretty good, but all of the choruses on this album are. Then, at 3:18, we go full Davey again. As with a lot of these sorts of sections, I enjoy them, but I tend to relax and almost switch off during them rather than being grabbed by them, which is my way of saying I like them and think they're good but prefer other things.
I've read a lot of people talk about whether or not this album could have been trimmed massively. Whilst I don't mind it, I can't say I'd care if the ending to this song was cut shorter, but that's perhaps because it's in the unenviable position of being sandwiched between two songs I like much, much more.
101 - El Dorado
My oldest memory with this song is of the massive disappointment I felt when I first heard it. I think it was due to not really listening, bad quality and the comparatively weak vocals on this album, but I digress.
Nowadays, the razor sharp gallop grabs me straight away, and I spend the majority of the first verse listening to it instead of Bruce. There's some cool guitarwork happening underneath the second part of the verse as well. We return to our regularly scheduled gallop pretty soon. I love the guitar going on underneath the end of this ("well you only get one chance..."). It's a nice break to the regularity of the verse, without undermining the fantastic groove that defines this song.
The chorus is better than I initially thought it was, but it's still not great, and I still blame Bruce.
This is a song with a great triple solo, and I'm not sure which of the sections I like the best. I like the post solo build-up more than any though, as we build up the chords around the gallop before getting back into another verse.
Much like Brave New World, this would be so much higher if it had a better chorus. In this case though, it's less the chorus itself than Bruce singing it. Many people complain about his vocals on No Prayer but I think this album could be as bad overall.
- - - - -
We're now down to the top 100! I intend to continue in this manner until the top 25, whereby I'll be doing songs individually. What do you think the top 25 will consist of? Feel free to guess. I'll be keeping score of who guesses the most correctly, and the number of songs I've yet to reveal at that point.
(Guessing hereby means which songs will make top 25; not the order.)
105 - Prodigal Son
I've been looking forward to reviewing this song, as it appears to be flavour of the month on these forums right now. Prodigal Son is an odd one. It's completely out of place on Killers in terms of style, but it's a perfect contrast and break in the middle of the album.
On its own, it's a pretty strong song. It's not the sort of thing I'd expect from Maiden, but that's not a bad thing (Imagine if it were played in concert though...). I enjoy it for what it is, but I think that there are other bands who can do this sort of song better. It's a mellow song, that rambles along at a slow but enjoyable pace, whereas I enjoy Maiden more when they're firing on all cylinders. I'd probably better mention the back to back Dave solos whilst I'm here. It feels appropriate in this song of all places, because it's the sort of song his solo style fits nicely.
104 - Alexander The Great (356-323 B.C.)
In case you haven't been keeping track as thoroughly as Forostar, this is the first Somewhere In Time song to pop up - and true to form, I'd like to start by saying some stuff about the album. I don't rate the album as highly as many here, but I should quantify that by saying that it is either #5 or #4 on my list, fighting with Fear of the Dark for those spots. However, it doesn't really face any competition from below. Why? Because this album is so solid. There aren't any dud songs on here; that I've chosen Alexander as the worst is a testament to that. This album is one of the best to listen to the whole way through because of it. On the other hand, I've not found it surprising that this album gets relatively short changed in concert setlists because I don't think it has as many songs at the absolute top of their game as the rest of the other 80's albums (though I do of course acknowledge, from my limited perspective, that the sound and technicality of these songs are also probably more difficult to replicate live).
Now, time to rant about Alexander. Until the spoken intro, I am never sure whether or not When The Wild Wind Blows is playing. The guitar and drums intro is perhaps somewhat too drawn out for my tastes. It's fun enough, but I'd probably enjoy the song more if it didn't take until 1:39 till I felt the song had really started. Of course, it's great when it does. I remember some discussion with Steve about music being more important than lyrics, and this song is perhaps the embodiment of that. Quite simply, they're nowhere near the same level as some of his other work. Indeed, with the sci-fi feeling the keyboards give this album, they seem almost at odds with the song itself. In some ways, this song feels like The Man Who Would Be King for it - a collection of really cool musical ideas that aren't as cohesive as a song as his other work.
If it feels like I'm being negative, that's because I know this is a beloved fan song, and that expounding upon them so people understand why this song isn't top 10 is more interesting and useful to the reader than "the solos are incredible". For the sake of balance, the solos are incredible. The final one starting around 7 minutes in is my favourite. This instrumental section is the reason to listen to the song. The rest is interesting enough musically, but as far as the Maiden epics goes, I think this lacks the cohesiveness to really sit amongst their best work.
103 - Brave New World
I've always felt Isle of Avalon bore a certain similarity to this song, mainly in the verses. This is pretty much the only similarity though, as otherwise I think this song is much tighter and better written piece of work. The slow build-up throughout the verses and carrying through onto future verses is very fun, and the verses in general are great. The chorus is not one of their strongest, and it puzzles me why it was played live other than the fact it was the title track.
As mentioned before, I like how the verses work - from the introductory music, picking up in intensity during the first verse, and with added guitar licks in the second verse. Omitting the chorus, it gives this song a real sense of progression that I like. It then unleashes this in the solo, the second of which is really, really good (I have no idea who plays it. I want to say Dave, but that's because I love Dave rather than having an ear for it).
Indeed, clocking in at only 6 minutes, this is a really tight piece of song-writing. It's only "let-down" is the chorus, without which it could've been much higher on this list, easily.
102 - The Man Of Sorrows
The Book Of Souls has finally entered the ring. After nearly a year (Goodness, that was quick) I am fairly comfortable saying that the album is my favourite Maiden album thus far. That's no small accolade, and I'd like to talk about why.
I am one of the more recent fans on these forums, and in general one of the more recent Iron Maiden fans full stop. Indeed, this album is the first one I have been completely on board for as a rabid fan, as well as the first time I've gone to watch them, making Iron Maiden the first band I ever went to see live. On this point, at certain times I'd like to discuss my opinions of certain songs live. However, I have watched a lot of their live DVD's, and will be using these as a basis for a lot of discussion. Stuff from En Vivo will come up, as will Flight 666, and so on. Out of respect for the spoiler crackdown on the forums, I won't discuss any songs on a live basis unless I know they've been on one of these, so as not to throw up any setlist spoilers. At the same time, my comments will be exclusively on whether I think they are better or worse live, rather than any personal experiences so I shouldn't be throwing up any current setlist spoilers.
Anyway, the above gives this album a special emotional connection to me, which will absolutely reflect in these rankings. That aside, I do think this is an incredibly consistent album, with only Somewhere In Time really matching it, and given how long it is I think that's something special. On top of that, the album is home to many songs I feel comfortable rating amongst the top of my list, so it's a wonderful matching of rock solid consistency with hits that draw me to the album.
I wasn't completely on board with the entirety of the album from the get go, though. This song is a prime example, though it's come on a long way. I've always loved the intro. Bruce's vocals on the album are so much stronger than The Final Frontier, and this is one of the best vocal sections of the entire album, with such incredible feeling.
In a strange twist of my usual tastes, it's at around 1:30, when the volume cranks up that the song began to lose me. The section starting at 1:54 used to be downright monotonous, though I've grown to accept it now. The chorus has always been pretty good, but all of the choruses on this album are. Then, at 3:18, we go full Davey again. As with a lot of these sorts of sections, I enjoy them, but I tend to relax and almost switch off during them rather than being grabbed by them, which is my way of saying I like them and think they're good but prefer other things.
I've read a lot of people talk about whether or not this album could have been trimmed massively. Whilst I don't mind it, I can't say I'd care if the ending to this song was cut shorter, but that's perhaps because it's in the unenviable position of being sandwiched between two songs I like much, much more.
101 - El Dorado
My oldest memory with this song is of the massive disappointment I felt when I first heard it. I think it was due to not really listening, bad quality and the comparatively weak vocals on this album, but I digress.
Nowadays, the razor sharp gallop grabs me straight away, and I spend the majority of the first verse listening to it instead of Bruce. There's some cool guitarwork happening underneath the second part of the verse as well. We return to our regularly scheduled gallop pretty soon. I love the guitar going on underneath the end of this ("well you only get one chance..."). It's a nice break to the regularity of the verse, without undermining the fantastic groove that defines this song.
The chorus is better than I initially thought it was, but it's still not great, and I still blame Bruce.
This is a song with a great triple solo, and I'm not sure which of the sections I like the best. I like the post solo build-up more than any though, as we build up the chords around the gallop before getting back into another verse.
Much like Brave New World, this would be so much higher if it had a better chorus. In this case though, it's less the chorus itself than Bruce singing it. Many people complain about his vocals on No Prayer but I think this album could be as bad overall.
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We're now down to the top 100! I intend to continue in this manner until the top 25, whereby I'll be doing songs individually. What do you think the top 25 will consist of? Feel free to guess. I'll be keeping score of who guesses the most correctly, and the number of songs I've yet to reveal at that point.
(Guessing hereby means which songs will make top 25; not the order.)
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Black Bart
Ancient Mariner
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So, how close am I?
( what's my score on 25? Have I got your top 5 already?)
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DJMayes
Ancient Mariner
"Phantom of the Opera", "Infinite Dreams", "Wasted Years", "Run to the Hills" and "Fear of the Dark";
"Killers", "Heaven Can Wait", "The Trooper", "The Evil That Men Do" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name";
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "Powerslave", "2 Minutes to Midnight", "Aces High" and "Afraid to Shoot Strangers";
"The Number of the Beast", "22 Acacia Avenue", "Can I Play With Madness?", "The Evil that Men Do" and "Sign of the Cross";
"Dance of Death", "Paschendale", "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg", "Rainmaker" and "When the Wild Wind Blows".
("Children of the Damned", "The Prisoner", "Ghost of the Navigator", "The Wicker Man" and "Empire of the Clouds" are possibly around too)
So, how close am I?
Afraid I can't tell you just yet - it will give others more information with which to make their own guesses!
bornless1
Messiah Supreme. True Leader of Men.
Very close experience to mine with El Dorado. I recall feeling a seance of disappointment at 1st listen. I read a funny YouTube comment regarding El Dorado; the poster compared it to a "villain song" from a Disney cartoon/movie. 
. Totally can see this...
The song definitely has since become one of my favorite off FF. Bruce does sound kinda like he did on Fear of the Dark. A bit snarky. But all in all a good placement by you DJ.
. Totally can see this...The song definitely has since become one of my favorite off FF. Bruce does sound kinda like he did on Fear of the Dark. A bit snarky. But all in all a good placement by you DJ.
SixesAlltheway
Ancient Mariner
El Dorado should be way lower.