Oh Gosh ! Where should I start !?

M

MigDaimon

Trooper
Here we have an interesting question I think. Lets imagine the following situation.

You have a friend and his/her never had listened/cared Iron Maiden in life. His/Her knows about your passion in Maiden but you never talked about this. I should add that this person has never payed attention on Heavy Metal music and he/she is not used to its complexity and sounding.

However, one day, one beatiful day, he/she comes to you and ask for a Maiden album. He/she wants you to pick up an album and lend it to him/her so he/she can listen and try to see why are you so “awfull adicted” to it! [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

So my question is simple. WHICH ALBUM WOULD YOU CHOICE ?

Remember, the person has never listened Maiden or Metal but he/she is interested on it. So you have to select an album that can grabs that person but you have also to be careful to not make him/her afraid of it.

How can you turn someone in a new maiden fan ? Yeah I know, it’s a dumb question if you really think hard, because the answer will vary on lots of aspects of this person like: mood, cultural background, musical tastes, even religion….

But I want you (or should I say US) to think about this.

So come on ! A life of a maiden fans is now in your hands ! He/she is waiting for you answer. It can be a live album or a studio one. But you have to select an album. Now its up to you…


P.S.: Of course I will TRY to answer this question. After all I did it [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
However I want to see some answers first. Because I really don’t know how to answer that bloody question in fact ! So I want to wait and see if someone can clear up my mind…
 
well, i have been listening to maiden since 3 months ago, when i started, my 1st album was DOD and i really like it, and then i bought NOTB and 7th son, and man, everything since them that i have listened of maiden i've liked it, so to choose a specific album it's really hard. but i don't know, maybe the number of the beast or piece of mind, they both have good riffs that makes u crazy hehehe [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

GL choosing one
 
I guarantee the worst thing to give your friend is a studio album. Iron Maiden spans 24 years of music, since their first full-length studio album. Their music has made some major changes during that time. Their lineup, even, has had some big changes.

You can't toss any of the studio albums at your hypothetical friend and say "This is Iron Maiden!". Even if it's Piece of Mind or Powerslave, because now you're ignoring the reign of fellows like Paul Di'Anno, Janick Gers, and Blaze Bayley. In fact, those two albums only really represent themselves! The other albums with the Harris/Murray/Smith/Dickinson/McBrain lineup are after Maiden introduces synths, which changes the sound of our beloved band.

Similarly, how can you pick one of the two new albums and say "This is Iron Maiden!". Or any of the Paul, or Blaze albums. Quite frankly, the two closest studio albums are Dance of Death and The Number of the Beast. But why give those?

These days when people want to hear Iron Maiden for the first time I like to hand them my 16 song version of the Best of the Beast CD. It's not complete, no, as it's missing any songs with Paul, and songs from the 6-member lineup, but it's significantly more complete than any studio album. Perhaps Edward the Great would be a nice place to start, I wouldn't know having not looked at the album much. But the BotB CD is decent because a ) There is a Paul-era song on it, just live with Bruce singing. b ) There are live songs from two of the major live compilations, that show Maiden's power. c ) Some of the better Blaze songs (Man on the Edge and Virus) are on the CD. d ) All three major guitarists are fairly showcased.

If your theoretical friend likes BotB, I recommend giving him/her The Number of the Beast and Dance of Death next. After that, let him/her explore on their own!
 
First question to ask yourself, what does this person listen to normally? If he likes more mainstream music, then try Run To The Hills, Wasted Years, Running Free and their likes. If he likes complicated stuff with lots of time changes and melodies, give him Phantom of the Opera or Sign of the Cross. Once you get him interested in the Maiden sound it'll go all by itself.

As for albums, a compilation/live album would be the best. I'd try with either Best of the Beast or Rock in Rio, as both contain a wide range of Maiden material from all over their career. After that, he can ask you what he wants more of himself.
 
I think you have to take into account the musical preferences of the person you're introducing to Maiden. One of my friends is a fan of hard rock in general and a fan of FPS games, so I lent him my copy of Ed Hunter to broaden his knowledge of Maiden.

Another friend - the drummer in my band - isn't into Maiden, but is into complicated progressive music. So while I haven't given him any albums, I have played him tracks like "Sign Of The Cross" and "Ghost Of The Navigator", which he enjoyed. I know this guy well enough to know that he won't be interested in fare like "Flight Of Icarus" or "Man On The Edge", but he will dig on the longer songs.

But if you've got no idea what the person might like the most, I'd agree with LC and go with Best Of The Beast.
 
Only one album, it's very difficult !
So, a Best Of is a good idea.

But why not the first album and the last album ? It lets imagine what's between...
 
guys, aren't we all missing something here?

i mean, this friend of yours is obviously just another guy who just wants to give it a shot. why are we all focussing on "the complete maiden album" or the one that reflects their most critically acclaimed work?(yes, i'm referring to LC's post). what this guy really needs, is a work that is pretty catchy to begin with, and grows with time into an epic. we just need to get him to listen. rest will follow, like it did with us. are we getting on something? yes, i think BNW immediately comes to mind. four years ago, it was the first maiden album i listened to, and i immediately went, WOW!! [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--] i mean, that's maiden for you. IN YOUR FACE. you have GOT to love it, or you will never understand them ever. plus, it doesn't have a single week track, (mind you, that's not so with all the maiden albums) which is sure to take this guy by storm. for weeks after he has listened to it, there will be only one voice in his head:


A BRAVE NEW WORLD....

IN ABRAVE NEW WORLD!! [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--] [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--] [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--] [!--emo&:rock:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/headbang.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'headbang.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
Interesting points from all, but I'll hold my BotB comments, I think. As nice as it is to get right into BNW or something like that...there's just too much Maiden out there for BNW to represent it all! It's definately doing a misjustice to all the other great Maiden eras...yes, you have Brave New World and Dream of Mirrors and The Nomad...but what about Hallowed Be Thy Name, Alexander the Great, Aces High, Bring Your Daughter..., Killers, I think you see where I'm getting.

A best of CD is the best way to introduce new Maidenfans. After that, toss Powerslave or BNW at them, definately! But make sure they hear at least something with Janick, something with Blaze, something with Bruce, before they settle into the unique sound of one album.
 
I would serious think about it as i was in this predicament not long ago. As i met a female who absolutely hated and despised metal of any kind.

Well one day i was in the car and we kinda had a bit of drive as she listened to her pop shit i was getting extremely annoyed so i suggested having turns on listening to the car cd.

So it was my turn i put on a Kings X - Kings X cd which she started to dig then i had my Brave new world cd sitting beside it. She picked it up ouf ot curiosity and started looking at it and the song titles. She was asking questions about the titles when she came across the Song Brave new world so i played the cd and she was kinda impressed by the lyrics then she said it was ok so i let it run and she was totally impressed.

So to a totally outsider i would say Brave New World or even Dance of Death as it has a bit of mixture where as the earlier Albums are more raw and not as diverse and also because they have a newer sound about them.

SO IMO i would say BNW or DOD..
 
Since the point is to get the person to listen to Metal in general I agree with whoever said to start with a more mainstream sound and let the person work his/her way into the more complex stuff. For maiden I must say Brave New World, it is the only album that raises the eyebrows of my non-metal listening friends (of the ones i own). Metallica's Black album would work too. But a safe bet is go with any melodic metal band. Stay away from death or even thrash in the vein of early Iced Earth. Once you get them hooked they'll be hungry for more!
 
I can easily answer this question because I have, in fact, gotten 2 friends interested in Maiden. I talked about how great Iron Maiden was to them quite a bit, so they asked me to lend them an album. I immediately thought of Powerslave because it was the album that got me into Maiden and it's probably the easiest Maiden album for a non-Maiden fan to enjoy. After I had let them listen to Powerslave, they went and bought it and became Maiden fans.

A job well done. [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
[!--QuoteBegin-StrangerInAStrangeLand+May 6 2004, 01:32 AM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(StrangerInAStrangeLand @ May 6 2004, 01:32 AM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] I can easily answer this question because I have, in fact, gotten 2 friends interested in Maiden. I talked about how great Iron Maiden was to them quite a bit, so they asked me to lend them an album. I immediately thought of Powerslave because it was the album that got me into Maiden and it's probably the easiest Maiden album for a non-Maiden fan to enjoy. After I had let them listen to Powerslave, they went and bought it and became Maiden fans.

A job well done. [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--] [/quote]
BAd iedea if i had listened to Powerslave first i would not be there today. (not because Powerslave is a bad album but becaus i think i like better the NOB or Piece of MInd or DOD or Bnw than the POwereslave-SiT-SSOASSera)
 
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