Brave New World - Album
- Thread starter Onhell
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Gk1
Here I sit in a serenade of glory!
That was really funny...and UNTRUE!
Yax
Ancient Mariner
In your opinion. BNW's sales figures beg to differ as does the Iron Maiden referendum game, as voted by the users on this site. It is also an album which generally received favorable reviews, both professionally as well as user reviews.
See results here. https://forum.maidenfans.com/thread...venth-son-of-a-seventh-son-wins.71590/page-32
See results here. https://forum.maidenfans.com/thread...venth-son-of-a-seventh-son-wins.71590/page-32
Gk1
Here I sit in a serenade of glory!
Hey Yax, yes I know all that mate! But let's just put the facts down,ok? It was H's and Bruce's return, it got a huge media boost so it was expected that it helped. I have had this conversation for years now. Most people I know actually uderstand that the album has sentimental value. Even if people here like the songs, can we at least agree that half of the songs were done for the -for most people worldwide- worse Maiden album of all time? Technically Nicko is playing like in XVI in half the songs. Leaving the sound out of the equation, I could go on forever about the problems of this album.
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Gk1
Here I sit in a serenade of glory!
My thoughts exactly....when I hear you guys talk about the BNW greatness.
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
22nd birthday of this masterpiece today !!! 
MindRuler
Ancient Mariner
On Blaze´s birthday...
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
Steve has a great sense of humor...On Blaze´s birthday...
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
Iron Maiden’s Brave New World: the resurrection of the metal legends
Iron Maiden’s Brave New World saw the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith and marked the start of the metal legends’ resurrection
MindRuler
Ancient Mariner
Hi Nicko!
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
It was a good day. I got it for my 12th birthday. Although I got it a few days later. Nice to share a birthday with this album!
Gk1
Here I sit in a serenade of glory!
One bird told me that Steve left out the best songs from VXI intentionally as he was plotting to hire another singer already
Well, these songs are not that good mate!
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
Happy 20th birthday to the amazing live album that is 'Rock In Rio'. 
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
I wore this VHS to death before upgrading to DVD. Still my favourite Maiden album.
The only thing that bums me out is that the DVD does not have a 2.0 mix.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
I remember Rod saying that he will not change the release date for anyone (not for this album). I think they released the album on that date because the tour for it started in just a few days (a bit like TNOTB when the tour started before the release of the album). Btw, isn't Blaze's debut solo album released in the same week as BNW?On Blaze´s birthday...
They could have adedd this curious fact about the album: BNW is the only title song of Maiden in which Adrian is without a solo!Iron Maiden’s Brave New World: the resurrection of the metal legends
Iron Maiden’s Brave New World saw the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith and marked the start of the metal legends’ resurrectionwww.loudersound.com
4 songs is not half of the album.
Could you please say which are the ''problems'' of this album? I don't expect that we all will like the same albums, but I think BNW is an album with only one remark - the instrumental section of ''The Nomad''. The first four songs are undeniable classics, two great epics, the album closer is a unique song, ''The Fallen Angel'' is one of the band's best short rockers and ''Out Of The Silent Planet'' is one of their best singles. Great production too.
The leftovers from VXI are great imo, it's not a surprise why Steve used them. Ok, maybe you're not a fan of the repetition in ''The Mercenary'', but ''Blood Brothers'' is a modern classic, ''The Nomad'' is a great epic (it had a unique feel until they made ''The Parchment'') and ''Dream Of Mirrors'' is another very interesting and great song in the band's dicography with a heavy use of acoustic guitar, awesome chorus and amazing fast gallop. All of the songs expect Nomad would have been good with Blaze, but they are an important part of the core of BNW.
And what's with Nicko's drumming in VXI? In songs like ''Futureal'', ''The Clansman'', the instrumental section of ''Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger'', he is a beast... (the cymbals hits in ''Lightning Strikes Twice'', perfect drumming in the album closer and etc) and in the whole album the drumming fit the songs - that's what matters. His drumming in BNW is top-notch, I can't imagine for example ''The Mercenary'' with a different type of drumming because of its structure and (underrated) chorus. Try to appreciate the music in the VXI album (songs like ''Futureal'', ''Lightning Strikes Twice'', ''The Clansman'', ''When Two Worlds Collide'', ''Como Estais Amigos'') to see its glory. My opinion is that people don't like this album mainly becuase of the heavy repetition in 2 of the songs in it and Blaze's vocals.
Randalf
Ancient Mariner
Ehm. The sound of Virtual XI is rather lifeless and lacks sharpness and edge. Nicko plays to support the songs, yes, and there's nothing technically wrong with his drumming on Virtual XI - it just doesn't do much. There aren't many interesting fills or anything and the overall performance lacks the punch and dynamic we are used to with Nicko. His approach was, of course, deliberate to give more room for guitars and melody and the attempted brighter soundscape, but on that department, Virtual XI just falls very flat in my opinion, thus underlining Nicko's performance in a light that's not too favourable.
All that also underlines the leftover material for Brave New World, though: a lot more intense performance and/or production values make all the difference in the world! I still wouldn't say they're all superb or outstanding songs, but as you mentioned, there are a couple of gems there.
Personally, I think Brave New World is a great album. However, The Mercenary and arguably even The Fallen Angel aren't exactly top-drawer Maiden-rockers and in that sense, BNW might be slightly "overrated" at times, due to it's nature as a "comeback record." However, as it's still a great album, I don't think it matters that much anyway if it gets some mild boost because of that.
In any case, it's definitely closer to Virtual XI (musically) than some fans are sometimes willing to admit. Whether that's a good or bad thing is... well, as they say, up to you...
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Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Did Nicko ever say that his approach for this album was to give more room for guitars and melody? The attempted brighter soundscape was achieved too. I don't have a problem with the sound of the album (I like it), but I don't think the production of an album makes the songs better or not.
That's true.