The problem with people asking for shorter Maiden songs

J

Josh

Ancient Mariner
I've heard a lot of this lately. People criticize Maiden for long songs and while they are legit in some cases, I feel like most of these criticisms are somewhat unfounded. Most will cite earlier recordings as an example without realizing many of Maiden's best tunes from the earlier days are anything but short -

Hallowed Be Thy Name - 7:10
The Prisoner - 6:00
Revelations - 6:51
2 Minutes To Midnight - 6:04
Rime of the Ancient Mariner - 13:45

I could go on and yes, some of their classics do fall under 5 minutes.

Keep in mind too that Maiden did make an album full of stripped down short songs and we all know how that turned out. Also, DOD has a bunch of shorties on it and how well regarded are they? Well, the most beloved song is surely not a short one.

And what about FotD? Why do these same people clamoring for shorter songs not talk about this? Because at the end of the day - as much as some of us hate to admit - it was a subpar record with average short songs with the longest being the best.

Sorry, oldies. Maiden is better writing the long ones. And to expect them at this age after three decades to write the same material as they did in the 80's is kind of...dumb. Progressive Maiden is just more interesting and more fun ( just ask SSoaSS) and I'm willing to bet if the media format allowed it in the 80's, many of those records would have been longer anyway.
 
I like the epics too, but it's nice to get a break from them now and then. Also, some short songs are impressive for how much they do in a short time e.g. Number of the Beast, Murders in the Rue Morgue. It's always nice to see some of those.
 
Short or long songs, it has to be good and at least somewhat inventive. It's seems like nowadays Iron Maiden just put more effort into the longer songs.

Pachendale, Brighter than a thousands suns, Starblind, WTWWB...great songs!

But I miss the energy of the heavy rockers of the 80ies. Todays Maiden just doesn't seem the edge for those anymore.
 
And what do the songs you listed have in common? Nothing really. And I think that´s the issue. I don't think it's about the length, I just think a lot of fans are getting tired of the "progressive" formula (which is really not progressive at all).

Speaking for myself, I just want variation. Variation within a song, between songs and between albums. The issue I have with the "progressive era" (VXI - at least TFF) is that they've more or less made same album five times, using the same formula for many of their longer songs, and that is not very interesting.
 
But... look at some of Maiden's wee diddy tracks:

Wrathchild < 3 mins
Futureal < 3 mins
Judas Be My Guide ~3 mins
Genghis Khan ~3 mins
Sanctuary ~3/3.5 mins
Running Free ~3/3.5 mins
Purgatory ~3/3.5 mins
Be Quick or Be Dead ~3/3.5 mins
Another Life ~3.5 mins
Invaders ~3.5 mins
Sun and Steel ~3.5 mins
Can I Play with Madness ~3.5 mins
and... Reach Out ~3.5 mins :p

There's some alright ones in there, is there not?
 
As long as they keep a good balance I'm happy. I don't want long songs to overshadow the short ones as much as I don't want the short songs to be dominant. I like No Prayer but it feels incomplete without that centerpiece epic.
 
Josh said:
I've heard a lot of this lately. People criticize Maiden for long songs and while they are legit in some cases, I feel like most of these criticisms are somewhat unfounded. Most will cite earlier recordings as an example without realizing many of Maiden's best tunes from the earlier days are anything but short -

Hallowed Be Thy Name - 7:10
The Prisoner - 6:00
Revelations - 6:51
2 Minutes To Midnight - 6:04
Rime of the Ancient Mariner - 13:45

I could go on and yes, some of their classics do fall under 5 minutes.

Keep in mind too that Maiden did make an album full of stripped down short songs and we all know how that turned out. Also, DOD has a bunch of shorties on it and how well regarded are they? Well, the most beloved song is surely not a short one.

And what about FotD? Why do these same people clamoring for shorter songs not talk about this? Because at the end of the day - as much as some of us hate to admit - it was a subpar record with average short songs with the longest being the best.

Sorry, oldies. Maiden is better writing the long ones. And to expect them at this age after three decades to write the same material as they did in the 80's is kind of...dumb. Progressive Maiden is just more interesting and more fun ( just ask SSoaSS) and I'm willing to bet if the media format allowed it in the 80's, many of those records would have been longer anyway.
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I agree - the more Maiden music, the better. I love the 80s music, but I'm glad that in 2015 Maiden is going way over the top. Give me big, expansive, long, progressive songs. I love Speed of Light, but the song is over before it even begins, it seems to me. Too short!

I take exception to you knocking FotD. This to me is the underrated gem in the Maiden catalogue, a perfect album for its time. It frustrates the hell out of me when I see people on here slagging it off. Oh, well.
 
Some short songs are good, but the cry for shorter songs often goes hand in hand with the demand for a return to the 80s. That's not who Maiden are today, and besides, some of the best 80s songs were actually long ones.
 
Kaos said:
Short or long songs, it has to be good and at least somewhat inventive. It seems like nowadays Iron Maiden just put more effort into the longer songs.

Pachendale, Brighter than a thousands suns, Starblind, WTWWB...great songs!

But I miss the energy of the heavy rockers of the 80ies. Todays Maiden just doesn't seem the edge for those anymore.
Click to expand...
Well observed. I find most of the short songs post-FOTD average at best or even botched ("Futureal", "The Mercenary", "Wildest Dreams", "Different World", "The Alchemist" are not among my favorites).

However, some longer songs might have benefited of a few cuts (as far as I'm concerned, I think there are great elements in "AMMO LADS" -as one astute forumer called it earlier today- but it would have been better if it lasted two thirds of its actual duration).

(how many bonus points do I get for not using the word "repetitive"?:p)

Finally, I think Iron Maiden is an "album band", not a "single band". What matters to me - and possibly to those who have also been Maiden fans before the days of the Internet- is the dynamics of the whole record or the show. I don't even think separating short ones and long ones is that relevant when you immerse yourself in listening to this band (and others) the way you were used to doing before zapping from one song to another while doing something else became more and more of a norm.
 
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