Adrian Smith

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This thread, along with the Bruce Dickinson, Paul Di'Anno and B L A Z E threads, is an experiment. When browsing the history of this forum, you will see lots of threads on Adrian that have drowned after a while, and new members will start similar threads, simply for the sake of discussing his solo works. I thought it would be a good idea to have a central, continuing thread to talk all things H so people know where to make their comments and ask questions. I will now continue with some basic Adrian reference.

To date, Adrian Smith has released the following solo albums:

With ASAP
  • Silver And Gold (1989)
With Psycho Motel
  • State Of Mind (1996)
  • Welcome To The World (1997)
With Bruce Dickinson
  • Accident Of Birth (1997)
  • The Chemical Wedding (1998)
  • Scream For Me Brazil (1999)
Note: Scream For Me Brazil is now part of the triple-disc compilation Alive.

Here are some useful links for H reference:

Adrian's Lair
Reach Out HP

Please note these sites contain more information on Adrian's discography and will probably answer any question you may have.

Also, please try to avoid any discussions on Adrian's allmightyness. We all know about it, no need to point it out in this thread.

If any mod/monkey may have objections to this "experiment" of mine, they can unpin the topic or inform me about their concerns.
 
[!--quoteo(post=131769:date=Mar 13 2006, 03:08 AM:name=Perun)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Perun @ Mar 13 2006, 03:08 AM) [snapback]131769[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
Also, please try to avoid any discussions on Adrian's allmightyness. We all know about it, no need to point it out in this thread.
[/quote]
Aw, you're no fun anymore. [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sad.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":(\" border=\"0\" alt=\"sad.gif\" /]
 
Noted that Adrian has listed Gary Moore as one of his influences. You can certainky hear Moore eque overtones in some of his work (listen to Wild Frontier by Gary and it does sound a little bit like the co-penned New Frontier) and his Wasted Years solo has some of the same techniques used in GAry's "Empty Rooms" track. I'd love to hear them play together, they are two of my favourite all time axemen as you can probably tell from the moniker "the god that is h".

PS - Having read some posts about MAiden playing the same old songs on countless tours I watched my new Death on the Road DVD for the first time yesterday and yes some of the old tracks are there but I think the sound has changed on some of them. For instance Wrathchild now has all three of the guitarists taking on some of the lead stuff, with Adrian belting out the intro, Davey taking the middle solo and Jan crashing in at the end. I think this has strengthened the song and gives it a new dimesnion. I know we have all heard The Trooper a thousan times but again the double solo with H and JAn is awesome and worth a few more tours.

Got my tickets for the up coming tour, off to see them in Sheffield in December and can't wait.
 
Wow, what can I say about Adrian, it's one of those persons you'd like to meet I guess, he seems to have such a great understading of things. I don't know how he's as a person but I'm sure he's a great guy, you don't play in a band for so long if you don't get along with everyone imo.

And about his playing, well, he's outstanding, the notes he plays on the guitar solos are just incredible, I once had a dream and on my hands I had an album of a solo project by Adrian Smith (not asap nor phsycho motel) it said Adrian Smith, and on the dream I heard 1 track and it was the most INCREDIBLE guitar song I've ever heard in my entire life. It was like Speed Metal Symphony but played by Adrian, and you know the style of guitar he plays, and I don't mean the brand, I mean the sound, what he expresses with his playing, it's supperb, one of my favorite guitar players, just great. Notes fly, each note fits perfect when Adrian is on command.

Thank you Adrian for your commitment to music.  :)
 
Now that I'm like *obsessed* with H, (quite a few people in this forum know it  :wub:) I'm bringing this up...

This Hackney show is wonderful!! Hunlord I can't thank you enough!!  :yey:
I read that he was "bored" one day and decided to plan this show or something...along with those B-sides on the SIT album (Reach Out mainly...) so what's the "official" story? Or will we find out when the DVD comes out? I'm curious

Ardius, I have looked at your myspace pages, great job!  :ok: I'll download that Untouchables stuff, cuz I've never heard it.

Any othr H gems, please, post them  :D
 
Powergirl81 said:
Now that I'm like *obsessed* with H, (quite a few people in this forum know it  :wub:) I'm bringing this up...

This Hackney show is wonderful!! Hunlord I can't thank you enough!!  :yey:
I read that he was "bored" one day and decided to plan this show or something...along with those B-sides on the SIT album (Reach Out mainly...) so what's the "official" story? Or will we find out when the DVD comes out? I'm curious

Ardius, I have looked at your myspace pages, great job!  :ok: I'll download that Untouchables stuff, cuz I've never heard it.

Any othr H gems, please, post them  :D

Ahem, it twas after the World Slavery Tour in 1985. Nicko and Adrian were bored after all the long touring and decided to create a jam band along with some of Adrians mates from Urchin. They simply jammed and wrote songs and then decided to play a secret gig that happened to be recorded. Clearly, they felt it was a good idea to play and record a version of Reach Out and also play covers of Juanita and That Girl (originally by a band called "FM"..........which Im currently wondering if it is related to Adrian in some way, either by friends or something) EDIT: Ive finally found out, Urchin bandmate, Andy Barnett, played with FM for a brief time, so there we go  :)
(Oh and heres a video of the original version - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0L133ULfV7E  )
Thats the way I read it anyway, dont take what I say as word though, as I can be ( and have been) wrong.
They may cover that stuff on the new DVD (I hope so). It would be cool if they had some hidden video footage of that concert or something. I have no doubts they will mention ASAP if they are covering No Prayer, becuase they'd have to explain Adrian's departure.

Thanks and Ill post any more Adrian stuff ASAP  :bigsmile: or rather, as soon as I have it. I hope to find the rest of the untouchables stuff.
 
I have really been getting into Silver And Gold. I guess it's me anticipating (or dreaming, sorry Raven, I'm saying it again  :p) H singing lead on you-know-what  ;) Plus I've been playing that little Hackney show as well  :ok:

I just like love his vocals! If he would have stayed w/Maiden, I would believe he would have tried to ask Bruce to sing lead on a song...who knows? Maybe Bruce wouldn't have left if H didn't leave? But I read on Wiki that Bruce had loads of side projects plus solo albums he was working on between 1989-93 or so. He said he was getting burnt out on Maiden, or he said they "sold out" or whatever.

And then Accident Of Birth... :D Glad Bruce called him up! It's awesome  :yey:
 
Ive just noticed on this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Colwell
"Colwell is currently recording his first solo project titled Guitars, Beers & Tears. The album will feature many of Dave's friends and colleagues. Scheduled to appear on the record are Steve Conte (New York Dolls), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), Robert Hart (The Jones Gang), Edwin McCain, Bekka Bramlett, Danny Bowes (Thunder), Spike (The Quireboys) among others. The album is scheduled for release in the summer 2007."
 
Ardius said:
Ive just noticed on this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Colwell
"Colwell is currently recording his first solo project titled Guitars, Beers & Tears. The album will feature many of Dave's friends and colleagues. Scheduled to appear on the record are Steve Conte (New York Dolls), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), Robert Hart (The Jones Gang), Edwin McCain, Bekka Bramlett, Danny Bowes (Thunder), Spike (The Quireboys) among others. The album is scheduled for release in the summer 2007."

Apperently that album is already out??
Ridiculous album title, but it's been ages since Adrian did a guest appearance on someone else's studio album. I remember that he was on Michael Kiske's first solo album, called Instant Clarity.

InstantClarity.jpg


Besides Adrian, also Kai Hansen co-wrote on it (cool combo!). Their contributions were by far the best songs of that album. This album marked the return of Adrian to the music business (after he left Maiden), and I have always wondered how he got started again and how Kiske got in touch with him. Not long after (or around the same time) Adrian formed his own band Psycho Motel.

Original track listing Instant Clarity (1996 release):

01 "Be True to Yourself" (Kiske)
02 "The Calling" (Kiske, Adrian Smith)
03 "Somebody Somewhere" (Ciriaco Taraxes, Michael Kiske)
04 "Burned Out" (Taraxes)
05 "New Horizons" (Smith, Kiske, Kai Hansen)
06 "Hunted" (Kiske, Taraxes)
07 "Always" (Kiske)
08 "Thanx a Lot!" (Kiske)
09 "Time's Passing By" (Kay Rudi Wolke, Taraxes)
10 "So Sick" (Kiske)
11 "Do I Remember a Life?" (Kiske, Taraxes)
 
I didn't know about that one! I guess I'll need to check it out...
 
Perun said:
I didn't know about that one! I guess I'll need to check it out...

Keep in mind that most tracks are pretty different from the ones Adrian contributed to. Perhaps you could download these two tracks (or the whole album) before deciding to buy it. Hell, I don't even own this disc myself!  :blush:
 
You can also find trace of another of his offerings on the 2nd album of that japanese band called Eathshaker (the album goes by the same name), back in 1983; He wrote the song Dark Angel, possibly the weakest thing he ever came up with...no wonder it never ended up on anything Maiden, B-sides included. Still, a hard to get collectible for the ones who want to put their hands of 100% of what our favourite late afternoon fisherman wrote.
PS: Yes I said wrote, neither does he play the guitar, nor does he sing on this one and I still don't know how that song ended there in the first place
Much more interesting is the charity maxi single Stars, released under the Hear'n'Aid banner (driven by Ronnie James Dio & his bass player Jimmy Bain in 85) Both H & Davey are playing all the rhythm guitars on the song, but sadly they weren't offered a spot among the 8 other guys being allowed to play the soli (ie George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteeen, Brad Gillis from Nightranger, Dave Meniketti of Y&T fame, Vivian Campbell or Neal Schon from Loverboy but also Eddie Ojeda from Twisted Sister or Carlos Cavazo from Quiet Riot, clearly full of energy but not 1st class musicians.)
 
I have seen Stars on You Tube. I even found a documentary on there on how they went about making it. They divided it up into 4 parts, but I only saw the vocal part and the guitar part. They showed H and Dave jamming, then cut it off at the end!  :mad: I'm sure they wanted to say something, but the clip was cut off *sigh* oh well. That was 22 years ago.

1983? Geez, H wrote a song but didn't sing on it? For some odd reason, Earthshaker sounds like a familiar band. Don't ask me why, I never knew H  or Maiden had any association with it.
 
wasted in paris said:
Much more interesting is the charity maxi single Stars, released under the Hear'n'Aid banner (driven by Ronnie James Dio & his bass player Jimmy Bain in 85) Both H & Davey are playing all the rhythm guitars on the song, but sadly they weren't offered a spot among the 8 other guys being allowed to play the soli (ie George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteeen, Brad Gillis from Nightranger, Dave Meniketti of Y&T fame, Vivian Campbell or Neal Schon from Loverboy but also Eddie Ojeda from Twisted Sister or Carlos Cavazo from Quiet Riot, clearly full of energy but not 1st class musicians.)

This "playing all the rhythm guitars" is not true. Adrian and Dave did the guitar melody lines which you can hear in the chorusses. They are credited for that and their sound is unmistakable.

I believe that the credits for the rhythm guitars are not given, but to me it's obvious that Vivian Campbell must have done them, since he was they only guitarist from the songwriters, but more importantly, the song sounds like one big Dio track, from start to finish.
 
Forostar said:
Apperently that album is already out??
Rediculous album title, but it's been ages since Adrian did a guest appearance on someone else's studio album. I remember that he was on Michael Kiske's first solo album, called Instant Clarity.

InstantClarity.jpg


Besides Adrian, also Kai Hansen co-wrote on it (cool combo!). Their contributions were by far the best songs of that album. This album marked the return of Adrian to the music business (after he left Maiden), and I have always wondered how he got started again and how Kiske got in touch with him. Not long after (or around the same time) Adrian formed his own band Psycho Motel.

Original track listing Instant Clarity (1996 release):

01 "Be True to Yourself" (Kiske)
02 "The Calling" (Kiske, Adrian Smith)
03 "Somebody Somewhere" (Ciriaco Taraxes, Michael Kiske)
04 "Burned Out" (Taraxes)
05 "New Horizons" (Smith, Kiske, Kai Hansen)
06 "Hunted" (Kiske, Taraxes)
07 "Always" (Kiske)
08 "Thanx a Lot!" (Kiske)
09 "Time's Passing By" (Kay Rudi Wolke, Taraxes)
10 "So Sick" (Kiske)
11 "Do I Remember a Life?" (Kiske, Taraxes)

Technically, Adrian was playing music and recording it before that, with the Untouchables and before that, the Skeleton Crew. He has said that he has a whole live album of the Untouchables stuff and he might release it one day. But, otherwise, as far as offical releases go, yes this was the return of Adrian to the music business.
The only years he wasnt playing music are around 1990-1991 as far as I can tell.

On the Stars song, isnt Dave in the chorus? (on the video where it shows them all standing singing). The interview for the guitarists was pretty impressive seeing all the guitar talent there in one place.....but I prefer the Rock Aid Armenia "Smoke on the Water" video.....(Dickinson and Gillan = the perfect singing duo). I believe Adrian is also on Rock Aid Armenia too.
Something like those should be done again, having Rush, Yes, Iron Maiden, Queen, Deep Purple, Black Sabath and loads of others on the same song just has to be a recipe for awesome-ness.
 
Ardius said:
On the Stars song, isnt Dave in the chorus? (on the video where it shows them all standing singing).

No. H & Dave play the harmony in the chorus. Or do you mean the singing? No, there is a blond dude, but he's from the band Spinal Tap.

Ardius said:
Something like those should be done again, having Rush, Yes, Iron Maiden, Queen, Deep Purple, Black Sabath and loads of others on the same song just has to be a recipe for awesome-ness.

Would be very cool indeed!  :)
 
You're making me wanna watch that video again!  :p

I hope H does release those untouchables songs. I listened to it on myspace and it's awesome! Too bad it's only 3 tunes *sigh*
 
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