A
Anonymous
Guest
I received an interesting email a little while ago concerning Maiden's long-lasting success over the years despite the frequent changes of line-up. I'm now giving it to you to discuss...
[span style=\'font-family:Courier\']Hi,
I ran across your Iron Maiden site the other day after a web search. Someone
elsewhere had stated that Steve Harris was an atheist and I was digging around
for verification. Whether it's true or not, I'm not writing to discuss or
debate.
I am writing, however, to make comment on something you seemed to be trying to
say but couldn't put your finger on, about the success and longevity of Iron
Maiden in the face of so many changes in personnel.
The key, really, is that all members since 1979, aside from Stratton and
McBrain, were significant contributors to the creative process. Since the end
of the height of the jazz age, lineup changes were only for musicians and not
writers, becoming "interchangeable parts". To have key members go in an out of
a band usually meant their deathknell. Miles Davis was the last to survive
this. (Lose Gil Evans but gain Joe Zawinul, or lose John Coltrane but gain
Wayne Shorter? Even up on both counts.)
Since the 1960s, any group with multiple members who were highly involved in
writing and direction for long periods of time and had massive success never
changed their lineups, or when they did, they broke down: Chicago, Rush, Queen,
Van Halen, plus a few others I could name. Groups which did change membership
often and had great success had only one or two people at the core, and the
rest just circulated around them, such as The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, or
The Pretenders, or named bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Petty and
Mike Campbell) or Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Supertramp never
survived losing Roger Hodgson.
The only group that managed to survive many changes in creative members and
have longevity, aside from Iron Maiden, was Yes. They've had three drummers,
two singers, three guitarists and four keyboard players that I can name. Chris
Squire was the only mainstay for the band's duration, and he didn't write much.
I'm not claiming this is the be-all and end-all of such discussion, but it
might be what you were thinking of.
As for myself, I was an IM fan from way back when (I was born in 1967) and
listened from 1980 onward. I saw them "Somewhere on Tour" in 1986, in
Vancouver (the inflatable hands were memorable) but stopped listening after
"Seventh Son".
People change and grow; it happens. Now I only listen to old Iron Maiden songs
around Hallowe'en. (You know you're getting old when you think all new music
is crap and half your CD purchases are "greatest hits" compilations.)
Bob Dog[/span]
[span style=\'font-family:Courier\']Hi,
I ran across your Iron Maiden site the other day after a web search. Someone
elsewhere had stated that Steve Harris was an atheist and I was digging around
for verification. Whether it's true or not, I'm not writing to discuss or
debate.
I am writing, however, to make comment on something you seemed to be trying to
say but couldn't put your finger on, about the success and longevity of Iron
Maiden in the face of so many changes in personnel.
The key, really, is that all members since 1979, aside from Stratton and
McBrain, were significant contributors to the creative process. Since the end
of the height of the jazz age, lineup changes were only for musicians and not
writers, becoming "interchangeable parts". To have key members go in an out of
a band usually meant their deathknell. Miles Davis was the last to survive
this. (Lose Gil Evans but gain Joe Zawinul, or lose John Coltrane but gain
Wayne Shorter? Even up on both counts.)
Since the 1960s, any group with multiple members who were highly involved in
writing and direction for long periods of time and had massive success never
changed their lineups, or when they did, they broke down: Chicago, Rush, Queen,
Van Halen, plus a few others I could name. Groups which did change membership
often and had great success had only one or two people at the core, and the
rest just circulated around them, such as The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, or
The Pretenders, or named bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Petty and
Mike Campbell) or Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Supertramp never
survived losing Roger Hodgson.
The only group that managed to survive many changes in creative members and
have longevity, aside from Iron Maiden, was Yes. They've had three drummers,
two singers, three guitarists and four keyboard players that I can name. Chris
Squire was the only mainstay for the band's duration, and he didn't write much.
I'm not claiming this is the be-all and end-all of such discussion, but it
might be what you were thinking of.
As for myself, I was an IM fan from way back when (I was born in 1967) and
listened from 1980 onward. I saw them "Somewhere on Tour" in 1986, in
Vancouver (the inflatable hands were memorable) but stopped listening after
"Seventh Son".
People change and grow; it happens. Now I only listen to old Iron Maiden songs
around Hallowe'en. (You know you're getting old when you think all new music
is crap and half your CD purchases are "greatest hits" compilations.)
Bob Dog[/span]
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