Age of Innocence

How good is Age of Innocence on a scale of 1-10?


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    33
A

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'age Of Innocence'

ok, this song is a prime example of how steve can destroy a song nowadays: write bad lyrics that don't rime and have no sense of the timing of the music whatsoever and then handing them over to poor bruce, who has to sing them without chopping his tongue off!
 
'age Of Innocence'

In my opinion, this song sums up the state of the UK very well.

Great guitar solo, catchy chorus and yep, Nickos version is brilliant [!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'age Of Innocence'

a while ago, we had talked about how the recording companies take the sole away from songs just to make it sound more "heavy". this one is a great example of that. i just feel that maiden wrote this song to suit the recording methods being adopted these days. they must have said, "ok, so they want it heavy? let's do something heavy!" and ended up with this. heavy is okay, but not on the cost of a song's melody,of which this song has very little (the beginning and the end). pretty much like "the thin line between love and hate" from BNW, but this one lacks the emotion that that one had.
 
'age Of Innocence'

This song is very polarizing to me.
The lyrics are a matter of taste. Lines like "And all the politicians and their hollow promises" are a bit simplistic to me.
While I agree with what this particular line is trying to say, it is just a phrase that has been said too often for my taste. It has become a standart phrase, as hollow and meaningless as what it's trying to criticize.
There are a few phrases like that, and I sometimes get the feeling that the lyrics are just very shallow and superficial- like the political talk of bar regulars around their table. Very disappointing to me, because I am used to deep, thoughtful and meaningful lyrics from today's Maiden.
The hopeful in me wishes to think that this is all ironic- that Steve is going down to this kind of talk to show why he is criticizing it.
I also hate the rap part. Sorry- I just don't like rap, and I don't like it being combined with Metal either. Everybody has the right to try and combine, test and experiment, but I don't have to like it. And I don't. It's up to Maiden what they're gonna do in future, but I really wish there will be no more rap.

On the other hand, the rest of the song is 'kin brilliant. There are some good lyrics in the song too, like these:

I can't be compromising in my throughts no more
I can't prevent the times my anger fills my heart
I can't be sympathising with a new lost cause
I feel I've lost my patience with the world and all

These are simple, but they express what I am feeling too. And I am nineteen, while 'Arry is 48!
Steve is doing something untypical of his age in this song. He actually stands up and states his opinion, bluntly and frankly, and does so for all to hear. What I've come to experience, also with my parents, is the fact that the older people get, the lesser they really stand behind their political opinions, and the lesser they are ready to defend them. They like to argue about them when they know they're on the safe side -like with a kid who is still shaping his views. But they are all too often just compromising, for the sake of peace. How else is it possible that an all-out socialist party like the PDS would enter a coalition with the nowadays more conservative SPD in areas like Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern? Idealists would never do that. Likewise, the conservative CDU/CSU is ready to enter coalitions with the leftist Greens. These are examples from Germany, but I'm sure that your country has examples like that too (except maybe the US, but I only know of federal issues there). The politicians have all aged and are ready to compromise, taking the betrayals of the ideals they supposedly stand for into account, just for the sake of keeping power. And with the politicians, a country can age too. Wasn't there a phrase directly after the Second World War saying "No More War" explaining the future course of German foreign policy? Where is it now? I can tell you where: The political principle has exploded and vanished like the bombs German aeroplanes dropped over Serbia in 1999.
The last example is also pretty relevant to the song, I think. It really depends on your personal opinion, but I think the term "war crime" sounds like "dead corpse" or "wet water". War is a crime, and this song is about crime and how it is being more or less tolerated by the judicial system. Steve probably wrote this song with the UK in mind mostly, perhaps thinking that it would be pretty much the same elsewhere where the record would be bought. Of course it is, but being a German, there is more meaning in these phrases to me than internal crimes. War is a crime, and the country that is supposed to have learned from its mistakes in the past -namely kicking off two world wars and causing tens of millions of deaths- is now happily waging war again, fifty years later. They system of military is supposed to be reformed, the army and military system is supposed to be restructured for international 'peacekeeping' missions. Of course, only the government decides what 'peacekeeping' is and what not and oil pipelines are always more valuable than human beings. Germany is again posing as a big power in the world and it is only a matter of time until it is ready to use war as political means again: There still hasn't been a Third World War yet, has there?

Sorry, I got a bit off the line here, but I just wanted to explain the meaning the song has to me considering my background. So, despite the bad comments written in the first part of this post, I still think this is a great song, both musically and lyrically, and it deserves the four stars I gave it.
 
'age Of Innocence'

3,5/5

I don't know what to think about this song : I agree with Perun who say that some lyrics are too simplistic : "They have more rights than us, You cannot call that just". I think it's a bit poor...
And I agree that there's a lack of melody in the verse.

But I really like the chorus : “So we only get one chance, can we take it. And we only got one life, can’t excange it. Etc...” and I don’t really see the link with the verses.

Musically, it’s not 100% Pure-Maiden-Style, but it still good ! The feel is very different, with a lot of melancholy.
I like the bridge, what Perun calls the “rap-part” : I don’t think it’s rap. It’s just a little bit spoken, but there’s still a melody. Anyway, each time, this part surprise me, and I like that !

In any case, I think this song, with ‘Journeyman’ is a good end for the album.
 
'age Of Innocence'

Don't like this song really. The lyrics are appalling and Bruce's vocal style is raspy. Having said that I really like the intro guitar part and the solo rocks. But, I still can't listen to it because of crappy lyrics and singing. It makes me cringe.
 
'age Of Innocence'

[img src=\'http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/gorbeast/AgeofInnocence.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]
 
'age Of Innocence'

I don't agree with the 'rapping' comment(s). Melody and speed are somewhat opposite. If a song is very melodic, it tends to be slower; if it is fast it tends to be less melodic. It is on a scale, and the better the singer the more chance s/he has of combining speed and melody. This song is just fast so it loses the typically heavy melody Bruce can do, but is is still melodic even in the fast parts, and no 'rapping' involved [!--emo&:lmao:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol.gif\' /][!--endemo--] . LOL. [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
Anyway, great lyrics, great music. 4 1/2 stars at least at this point. [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'age Of Innocence'

4,5 stars from me as well. One of the album's highlights to me. Good melody and great lyrics, that I think describes society in the western world after 9/11 very well. Easy for many to relate to it.
 
'age Of Innocence'

For some reason, this song just didn't catch me the right way. It's not a typical Maiden tune, as far as lyrics go. It seems a little too sophmoric in that regard, far below what we've come to expect from them. Musically, it's great; the sounds resonate nicely.

It seems like they rushed this song a bit too much in order to put it on the album (though I know it not to be the case). A few revisions and it might've been worthy.
 
Daily Song: Age of Innocence

Welcome to the Daily Vote Thread! Rules are here.

Remember, only a decent review will count towards the contest.

Today's song: Age of Innocence

Yesterday's song remains open for voting! You can find it here.

I can honestly say that I am unimpressed by this song. Haphazard lyrics, a sound that is unnatural for Maiden, Bruce is annoying on it, solos don't stand out. 3/10. Still better than their worst, but not by much.
 
Re: Daily Song: Age of Innocence

It grew on me after listening to Nicko version. Really good chorus and heavy verses. 8/10.
 
Re: Daily Song: Age of Innocence

Look Steve, why don't you get yourself a shotgun and sit on your porch lamenting about how things degraded instead of spoiling an otherwise fine song this way? I'm sure Jon Schaffer will be happy to join you. Funny how a song with such a reactionary topic includes one of the most unusual passages, Bruce's "rap" in the middle. While it is still lacking the edge, I could enjoy this song a bit if it wouldn't be for this banter that you'd expect to hear in your village pub. 3/10.
 
Re: Daily Song: Age of Innocence

I think it's a sold song, it has a nice melody and the lyrics are not great, but okay.  I give it a 7.
 
Re: Daily Song: Age of Innocence

'Age Of Innocence' has one of the most beautiful guitar harmonies ever. It's closer to 9 than 8, thus I voted for 9/10.
 
Re: Daily Song: Age of Innocence

10. My third fave after Rainmaker and Paschendale. Wonderful harmonies, a very simple but relevant situation exposed on the lyrics and it's a new territory for Maiden, but that gladly brings the traditional Maiden stamp in it, making it instantly recognizable, despite its strangeness. :edmetal:
 
Re: Daily Song: Age of Innocence

7/10 Perfect intro, great chorus, and some real rocking riffing. The rap is a bit odd and the guitar solo isn't as good but It is  still a great song.
 
Re: Daily Song: Age of Innocence

6/10. Yes, I see what folk are saying about the lyrics and yes I know Maiden don't do social lyrics as good as other bands, but you need to see where 'Arry was at the time and what was going on in the UK. I read somewhere (I believe it was something Mav wrote) that these lyrics do give the feeling of another Daily Mail rant and again, I understand this - but the commentary talked of the Tony Martin case and not feeling safe in ones own home. Trying to encapsulate the type of emotion that Martin would have felt is what the song is trying to convey.

Simplistic lyrics - yes. Could of been executed better - yes. But it's not such as bad song. And I don't often skip it.
 
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