Guitar solos on "A Matter of Life and Death"

I am curious what you all think of the lead guitar work of the Three Amigos on this album.
What do you think of it and which contribution do you like best or least and (if possible, please explain - if not possible, it's ok!) why?

Here's an overview of the solos involved:

1. Different World
2.41  --> Adrian Smith

2. These Colours Don't Run
3.52  --> Dave Murray
4.32  --> Adrian Smith

3. Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
3.33  --> Adrian Smith
5.25  --> Janick Gers

4. The Pilgrim
3.03  --> Janick Gers

5. The Longest Day
5.18  --> Adrian Smith
6.21  --> Dave Murray

6. Out Of The Shadows
Dave Murray: mega-solo throughout the whole song, apart from solo in the middle:
2.32  --> Adrian Smith

7. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg
5.34  --> Dave Murray

8. For The Greater Good Of God
5.48  --> Janick Gers
6.16  --> Adrian Smith
6.29  --> Dave Murray

9. Lord Of Light
5.14  --> Adrian Smith
5.51  --> Dave Murray

10. The Legacy
5.56  --> Janick Gers


Dave's solos in "These Colours Don't Run" & "Lord of Light" are quite aggressive but still remark his own style and especially his clean sound is great to hear. In "Breeg" he has a nice build-up.

My favorite Janick solos on the album are the ones in his own songs and belong to the best of the album. Those really high/sharp tones are spine-shivering and cut through my body.

Adrian surprised me with his "interval"-solo in These Colours Don't Run. This solo has a very nice end, because his last tone flows excellent into the harmony right after. Great preparation and execution!

One interesting sidenote:
- This is the album with the least Janick solos from all the albums he contributed on: 4 only. (Adrian had only 4 on Brave New World)

Re: Solos

I was wondering why the album sounded so good. 

Re: Solos

Hahaha

Re: Solos

I have to admit I am not a fan of solo's unless the placement of the solo fits (i.e. not just put in for the sake of it), I do prefer a good bit of guitar work than anything else. There are times I will listen to a track only to have my opinion of it take a nose dive because of yet another gratuitous solo. The solo could be technically proficient to the nth degree, but if it comes in at the wrong moment, it kills the song. I guess the song would always sound better if the solo was added after the construction of the song - for example, if you could take the solo out and the song still works, the addition of the solo would work also. If the song is tailor made with an <insert solo here> way, then it feels wrong to me. I hope you understand my thoughts here.

However, the one track that really pleases me with its solos is "Brighter Than a 1000 Suns". For me, this one works.

And yes, at times Janick's solos can be a complete mess.

Re: Solos

Thanks albie!

I understand your point. When listening to Iron Maiden's music, for me there are not many moments when I think - this song would have been better off without a particular solo part.

Still I can mention some exceptions where I am with you: If the Janick solos in "Paschendale", "No More Lies" & "Brighter than a Thousand Suns" would have been omitted (not replaced, just the whole parts omitted) it would have been better for the tracks.

I don't think the Maiden guys force solos into their music just for the solos sake, and I think we should be glad that the three guitarists have their different styles

I think Benjamin Breeg is one of Dave's best solos in a long time, but Lord of Light is pretty poor. After Adrian's effort it just sounds bad: a prime example of Dave trying to do a Janick (cf. discussion about Janick's influence on Dave).

I'd actually like it if Maiden cut down on the solos. They aren't as good as they used to be and are often quite samey. Breeg is good because Dave restrains himself from bursting into his now typical wild widdle mode, but otherwise a lot of the solos on the album lend little or nothing to the songs.

Dave always had a wild style of soloing. Ever listened to Prowler, Another Life, Wrathchild (I could go on for ages)?
Let's not forget that Dave improvises very, very often when he plays his solos. This often results in fast and aggressive playing. Luckily he also has his calmer and more melodic moments but that's never been the only face of Dave's playing.

About Maiden cutting down their solos. I think they already did. On the previous two albums there were more solos than on the new album and "A Matter of Life and Death" is quite longer than those previous albums, isn't it?

I *love* his solo on Prowler - the faster the better! - but I think his solos, especially live, have been going downhill for while, Hallowed Be Thy Name being a prime example. Still, Breeg is the best solo on the new album.

Live, Dave is the best solist of all three ! 

Alright, tastes differ, but maybe ears as well. You're sure that you're not mixing up with the butcherwork (Hi Mav ) of Janick ?

I think that Dave's solo absolutely rules in Hallowed Be Thy Name, even more than in the eighties and nineties (check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHshGWwj8tI --> starting about 4.25 (year: 2001) or: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjvfUEOr ... ed&search= --> starting about 4.40 (year: 2005)

This is where tastes differ. "Brighter than a Thousand Suns" has, in my view, very little flaws in it. I think the whole track is superb and I actually like Janicks solo.

But then again, if our opinions were all the same, life would be pretty boring.

Alright, I took up the challenge and went back and listened to each solo as specified in detail. In my opinion in general, Adrian Smiths solos fit the best into the songs and show a high level of proficiency without really showing off, in other words, Adrian has a very subtle style.

My favorite solos are those in Different World, Brighter than a Thousand Suns (Adrian's not Janick's), Out of the Shadows, The Longest Day, and The Legacy. I'm not really sure what it is about these solos that make me like them so much, perhaps its just that they seem to seamlessly fit into the song and that they don't sound forced. A good example of the perfect fit is Adrian's solo in Brighter than a Thousand Suns, where there's this beautiful transition from his solo to the rest of the song. Out of the Shadows has, in my opinion, the best solos, with Dave at his best throughout and with Adrian's excellent solo at 2:32. I look forward to that solo every time I put on Out of the Shadows. The solos from Dave and Adrian in The Longest Day also tie in great with the song and are very enjoyable to listen to. I think that The Legacy has the best Jannick solo on this album. Like I said before, in this song the solo doesn't sound forced and it isn't as sloppy and somehow as unrefined as his other solos on the album. The solo in The Pilgim is not necessarily unrefined, but it's just not something spectacular or even all that great.

As for my least favorite solo, I would say it's Jannick's on Brighter than a Thousand Suns, I think the track doesn't really gain anything from having his solo in it.  

In summary...I agree with that joke this forum has: Adrian Smith is larger than you.  

Indeed. I am glad people still like to talk about the music, whatever they think of it.

@Natalie, thanks for putting so much time in it, I hope it was not forced

It's cool to see that people actually look forward to some solos while they play the album.
These solos are mostly the favorites.

I am a fanatic when it comes to this and, without any ignorance for the rest of the songs, when I see Maiden in concert my head ALWAYS turns to the guy who plays it. It's cool to see them preparing for it, they all have their favorite spot of execution. Adrian mostly needs his pedals so he is quite stuck when he plays a solo. Watching and knowing those details give extra fun to a concert for me.

The solo I look forward to most is Dave's in "These Colours..."
The whole music behind it is very heavy and Bruce Dickinsonish (bit like the "hacking" in the "Accident of Birth" chorus).

How could anyone confuse Janick with Dave? My ears ain't that bad! Like many of the guitarists here, I learned to play by strumming along to Live After Death (the glory days of one guitarist per channel ;-) ), and to these ears Dave had more finesse back in the 80s.

@ Forostar- Oh no, it certainly wasn't forced, I enjoyed doing it immensely Great thread by the way!

@ Albie- Life would be dead boring if everyone had the same opinion. 

I think what Forostar said was that Janick does the solo on Hallowed By Thy Name these days, not Dave.


Currently my favourite solo work is all three from 'For the Greater Good of God'.  I will take me a while to get a better opinion.

Joke? JOKE?

Adrian Smith invented the machete because his toothpick broke.
Adrian Smith survived a winter in the Andes by eating an Uruguayan rugby team.
Adrian Smith's sweat is what flows down the Niagara Falls.
Adrian Smith knows Atlantis is just a myth.

Does that sound like a joke to you?

You win, IronDuke. It's more like a logical fallacy!

It doesn't to me! But boys and girls, always remember that the true power belongs to Dave Murray, which church I, Yax represents. He is larger than Adrian Smith and he invented the amp while brushing his teeth while he was scratching his back with his legs. And, the winter in the Andes that Adrian Smith survided, was just Dave who blew some air out.


May the true Lord's grace shine upon us! 

May I remind you, my poor deluded friend, of this thread? May the LigHt of H shine on you and redeem you. You're only a Maiden fan who went astray. 

A Matter of Life and Death's guitar solos are pretty solid. Smith probably does the finest job.

Am I the only one who thinks Murray's solo in 'For the Greater Good of God' is one of his worst?

'These Colours Don't Run' has the best guitar solo section if you ask me