Tailgunner
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lira
Nomad
Tailgunner cannot be a hit opener because, inside some fan heads, it lives under NPFTD shadow.
For me this song is a winner. A more elaborated intro than Aces High.
Number 6
Ancient Mariner
Strong opener to an otherwise weak(er) album. Very energetic and powerful, although the lyrics are pretty simple. The chorus is catchy as hell and is very uplifting, fun to sing along to. I don't know exactly what score to give this song, but it's somewhere between a 7 and an 8. I'll give it an 8.
GiovaOfficial
Powerslave
I think this is a very good opener, for an album that is clearly not among Maiden’s best but at the same time doesn’t deserve as much hate as it gets. Energetic rocker, 8/10
Bombusbombus
Nomad
A nice rocker, could have been better with an extra line or two of lyrics in the chorus, it's getting a bit much some days. But the rest is fine, feels a bit like a forgotten song.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
An energetic intro builds nicely into a pretty strong verse. Bruce is a little growly, but not too bad. This breaks into a nice melodic chorus, which is weakened a bit by the overly on-the-nose "you're a tailgunner" lyric.
This kicks directly into a great percussive bridge and solo section (Janick actually acquits himself nicely in his first appearance here), then back through the verse and chorus before wrapping it up on the verse riff. Bruce's delivery on the second verse seems oddly casual for the subject matter, but it's not too distracting.
This is a strong, focused opener that's only held back slightly by the vocals. Great energy. 8/10.
This kicks directly into a great percussive bridge and solo section (Janick actually acquits himself nicely in his first appearance here), then back through the verse and chorus before wrapping it up on the verse riff. Bruce's delivery on the second verse seems oddly casual for the subject matter, but it's not too distracting.
This is a strong, focused opener that's only held back slightly by the vocals. Great energy. 8/10.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Nice song, but not one of the best on the album. 8
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
A building piece of guitar and drums draws open the curtains on a rising sun as the engines roar into being and we see a war machine take to the skies. Bruce is finally using his rasp and he does it fairly well. The verses are pretty cool and the chorus is awesome. "Tailgunner" suffers from too many "Aces High" comparisons. It isn't reinventing it, it's just another song about planes that does things differently. A great opener. 9
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Great song for a opener. The intro is very good (a highlight of the song, for sure), Superb melodic riff/s, verses and the chorus is not so strong, but fits the song prefectly. Both solos are awesome and Nicko's drumming is good too. The end of the song is super. I hope Maiden will play it live again. 8/10.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
Great opener, very energetic with great intro, verses and catchy chorus, wild guitar solos and 1st contribution of Janick. 8/10
I must be the few people that like No prayer for the dying. To me the album is a 7/10. It has a couple of songs I don't like: Public enema nº.1 and Fates warning
I prefer No prayer to Virtual XI
I must be the few people that like No prayer for the dying. To me the album is a 7/10. It has a couple of songs I don't like: Public enema nº.1 and Fates warning
I prefer No prayer to Virtual XI
Pibroch_Whistler
Educated Fool
Public Enema and Fates Warning are two of my faves from NPFTD - don't care for Bring Your Daughter or Hooks In You though
Magnus
Pica Serdica
Fates Warning is one of the best on this album for me as well.
Happy belated birthday btw
Black Bart
Ancient Mariner
Here is a pro-shot for the No Prayer On The Road. Judging from the equipment involved, there MUST be a full version in the vaults of the TV channel, somewhere...
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Really lively riff opens us up, and the song takes off into the sky almost immediately, shooting down the runway and ascending into the war torn heavens. The verses are fun, despite bordering on stock, and the instrumental section doesn’t quite come together, but man is that chorus awesome! I love the heavy presence of bass and guitar switching back and forth like jet streams in open air. While it doesn’t 100% come together, it’s still a great, underrated Iron Maiden opener. 8/10
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
It's been a while since my last review. I'll pick up where I left off.
NPFTD is a weird album for me. While it is definitely weaker than its predecessor, which is one if my favorites, it's still a pretty good album. It has few real lows, but its highs aren't that impressive either, making it one of the more average Maiden albums, in more ways than one. Bruce's vocals get criticized often, but I have to admit that I like his vocals from the 90s onwards much more than his early 80s air raid howling. The album cover is super ugly and a huge disappointment after the all around magnificent trio of PS/SIT/SSOASS.
Now, to Tailgunner itself. The music itself is pretty good. The intro sounds a bit like another crack at the intro of The Clairvoyant. This time the overall vibe of the song remains in line with the intro (with the exception of the instrumental section I suppose). The melodies are pretty fun and I actually like the chorus quite a bit. The solos do their job and we get a first introduction to Janick's manic and frantic solo-ing style.
My big issue with the track, which will be reflected by the score, is found in the lyrics. I have no issue with the more tongue-in-cheek social commentary found on this and the next album. The immature and frankly rather childish tone of the lyrics for such a serious event and the atrocities discussed in the song show some of the biggest dissonances between subject matter and tone in a Maiden song. And I hate it. We've had clashing tones between lyrics and music before in songs like Run To The Hills, but despite that song being musically lighthearted as well, the lyrics aren't treated as a joke.
Used to like Tailgunner much more before I had a firm grasp on the English language. Because of that the song ends up being just a 4 for me.
NPFTD is a weird album for me. While it is definitely weaker than its predecessor, which is one if my favorites, it's still a pretty good album. It has few real lows, but its highs aren't that impressive either, making it one of the more average Maiden albums, in more ways than one. Bruce's vocals get criticized often, but I have to admit that I like his vocals from the 90s onwards much more than his early 80s air raid howling. The album cover is super ugly and a huge disappointment after the all around magnificent trio of PS/SIT/SSOASS.
Now, to Tailgunner itself. The music itself is pretty good. The intro sounds a bit like another crack at the intro of The Clairvoyant. This time the overall vibe of the song remains in line with the intro (with the exception of the instrumental section I suppose). The melodies are pretty fun and I actually like the chorus quite a bit. The solos do their job and we get a first introduction to Janick's manic and frantic solo-ing style.
My big issue with the track, which will be reflected by the score, is found in the lyrics. I have no issue with the more tongue-in-cheek social commentary found on this and the next album. The immature and frankly rather childish tone of the lyrics for such a serious event and the atrocities discussed in the song show some of the biggest dissonances between subject matter and tone in a Maiden song. And I hate it. We've had clashing tones between lyrics and music before in songs like Run To The Hills, but despite that song being musically lighthearted as well, the lyrics aren't treated as a joke.
Used to like Tailgunner much more before I had a firm grasp on the English language. Because of that the song ends up being just a 4 for me.
Siddharth
Long Distance Trooper
Is it just the tone of delivery or something in the lyrics that you find odd?
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
I severely dislike the tone of the song compared to the subject matter.
It describes atrocities, while joking and laughing around. You could argue that this is the point and that it's done in irony, but to me it just comes across as tasteless. The lyrics aren't good enough for an ironic war song.
We've had songs like RTTH, which is rather cheerful musically, but approaches its subject with seriousness; or at least it's mostly serious. Tailgunner just rubs me the wrong way.