Adrian Smith

I've found this picture of Metal Hammer with an interview with Adrian back in 1992.

It's not a high quality picture, but here are some curious bits:

- he didn't go to see Maiden on the ''No Prayer... tour, because it was just a bit too soon, although he will probably catch them on the next tour (FOTD tour). He thought the last Maiden album was great (NPFTD album).
- he will include (back then) ''Hooks In You'' with his 2 favorite A.S.A.P. songs - ''After The Storm'' and ''Misunderstood'' in the setlist.
- back then he liked the bands Thunder, The Black Crowes, Little Caesar
- back then he worked with various people including Bernie Marsden on some blusier material.

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Interesting that one of his favourites from ASAP is Misunderstood, because if I can recall correctly, it's also Bruce's favourite (he played it on his last radio show, when he recieved an mail to play his favourite song from Ade's solo album).
 
He thought the last Maiden album was great (back then it was FOTD).
Pretty clear he meant No Prayer For the Dying, as he immediately noted he played on some of the songs and co-wrote Hooks in You (why you'd want to admit to that, I do not know).
 
Pretty clear he meant No Prayer For the Dying, as he immediately noted he played on some of the songs and co-wrote Hooks in You (why you'd want to admit to that, I do not know).
As it turns out, Adrian Smith is not as infallible as Maidenfans lore would have one believe and indeed has participated in writing a couple of stinkers that he and the band nevertheless thought were good enough to be included on the albums.
 
I've found this picture of Metal Hammer with an interview with Adrian back in 1992.

It's not a high quality picture, but here are some curious bits:

- he didn't go to see Maiden on the ''No Prayer... tour, because it was just a bit too soon, although he will probably catch them on the next tour (FOTD tour). He thought the last Maiden album was great (NPFTD album).
- he will include (back then) ''Hooks In You'' with his 2 favorite A.S.A.P. songs - ''After The Storm'' and ''Misunderstood'' in the setlist.
- back then he liked the bands Thunder, The Black Crowes, Little Caesar
- back then he worked with various people including Bernie Marsden on some blusier material.

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Interesting that even close to the time there was this perpetual misunderstanding that A.S.A.P. was the first thing he did after he left Maiden. It was actually done before he knew he was leaving (and may have indirectly contributed to his departure).
 
As it turns out, Adrian Smith is not as infallible as Maidenfans lore would have one believe and indeed has participated in writing a couple of stinkers that he and the band nevertheless thought were good enough to be included on the albums.
That was just done to convince you he is mortal, much as God put dinosaur bones that appear to be 65 million years old in this 6000 year old Earth.
 
As it turns out, Adrian Smith is not as infallible as Maidenfans lore would have one believe and indeed has participated in writing a couple of stinkers that he and the band nevertheless thought were good enough to be included on the albums.

I think Hooks in You is quite possibly the only weak track co-written by Adrian (people tend to dislike Gangland but I find it pretty good). The fact that Hooks in You made it to No Prayer For The Dying is probably just a testament to the weakness of the material they wrote for it more than anything else.
 
And then there’s Tin Ears Diesel who actually likes Hooks, not because it’s a mindblowing musical number but because it’s catchy and fun and a great sing-along moment on the album. Sure, the subject matter isn’t much, but to me it’s proof of how good Maiden can be even when they’re not creating lyrical and musical marvels. It also has H’s ‘90s musical stamp on it and that’s a plus.
 
Bruce famously hates reality TV. I wonder, what would he think if someone on Strictly decided to use "Hooks"? It would work well for cha-cha-cha ...
 
I actually sort of like Hooks in You too but in a "wow this is garbage" way, like watching a TV show you know is bad but wanna see the ending to anyway. Also they played it hilariously fast live and it just sounds gloriously stupid that way.
 
Hooks in You is grand apart from the sleazy lyrics and bad puns. The riff is good, a better developed version of the crues looks that kill riff
 
Interesting that even close to the time there was this perpetual misunderstanding that A.S.A.P. was the first thing he did after he left Maiden. It was actually done before he knew he was leaving (and may have indirectly contributed to his departure).

Very true. If I'm not mistaken, when Zomba asked Maiden (in particular Steve) to write a song for the soundtrack of Nightmares On Elm Street 5, he was busy with mixing and editing the Maiden England video and he transfered this little project to Bruce and he ended up writing BYD... TTS with Janick. But if Steve never gave this project to Bruce he probably would have never left to pursue a solo career, because If I'm not mistaken again, the reviews of Tattooed Millionaire were good and that gave Bruce a additional confidence to leave the band and to begin a solo career.
 
Interesting little article from Smith there, what struck me was where he said that he played on a couple of the tracks on No Prayer. I didn't think he was on that album at all.
 
Interesting little article from Smith there, what struck me was where he said that he played on a couple of the tracks on No Prayer. I didn't think he was on that album at all.

I take it to mean they had rehearsed some of the tracks before he was fucked out of Maiden.

EDIT: or maybe even had recorded some in the studio but if they did I seriously doubt any of his playing is on the album. Certainly no solos.
 
Interesting little article from Smith there, what struck me was where he said that he played on a couple of the tracks on No Prayer. I didn't think he was on that album at all.

According to Steve the band rehearsed 4 songs with Adrian during NPFTD writting sessions (just before he left) - Hooks In You, Holy Smoke, The Assassin and Public Enema Number One.
 
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