Bruce Dickinson

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Kalata said:
Does anyone knows if Adrian does the solo/s? on the Bruce solo song ''Wicker Man'' (written during the AOB sessions 1997).
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That is Roy Z, very fast shred parts and a different bending and vibrato style distinguishes him from Adrian. The solos on the Tyranny of Souls album by Z are quite similar to that one too.

If you want to learn distinguish between the two easier, you can have a look at the solo order listed in the Chemical Wedding album and compare their styles:
King in Crimson: Roy Z, Smith.
Chemical Wedding: Roy Z.
The Tower: Smith.
Killing Floor: Smith, Roy Z.
Book of Thel: Smith, Roy Z.
Gates of Urizen: Roy Z, Smith
Edit: Jerusalem: Roy Z, Smith (album booklet says the opposite though).
Trumpets of Jericho: Roy Z, Smith.
Machine Men: Smith, Roy Z.
The Alchemist: Roy Z.
 
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Honestly for me it’s a matter of whether Adrian has the technical ability to play whatever the solo is. Most Roy Z solos display a level of playing that I’ve never heard from H. Lots of sweeped arpeggios and shreddy playing. The playing tends to be a lot smoother too.
 
TheTalisman said:
If you want to learn distinguish between the two easier, you can have a look at the solo order listed in the Chemical Wedding album and compare their styles:
King in Crimson: Roy Z, Smith.
Chemical Wedding: Roy Z.
The Tower: Smith.
Killing Floor: Smith, Roy Z.
Book of Thel: Smith, Roy Z.
Gates of Urizen: Roy Z, Smith
Jerusalem: Smith, Roy Z.
Trumpets of Jericho: Roy Z, Smith.
Machine Men: Smith, Roy Z.
The Alchemist: Roy Z.
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The order in the booklet is not 100% correct. Adrian plays the second solo in Jerusalem. ;)
 
Mosh said:
Honestly for me it’s a matter of whether Adrian has the technical ability to play whatever the solo is. Most Roy Z solos display a level of playing that I’ve never heard from H. Lots of sweeped arpeggios and shreddy playing. The playing tends to be a lot smoother too.
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He might be more technically proficient, but he lacks the feeling and magic touch of H, that je ne sais quoi that makes H unique.
 
Mosh said:
Honestly for me it’s a matter of whether Adrian has the technical ability to play whatever the solo is. Most Roy Z solos display a level of playing that I’ve never heard from H. Lots of sweeped arpeggios and shreddy playing. The playing tends to be a lot smoother too.
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Roy may be more "technically proficient" but Adrian is more musical.
 
Roy has proven that he can be as "musical" as Adrian when he wants to. That, combined with his technical skills, makes him the best writer and guitarist for Bruce's solo albums.


My favourite!

Some of his best solos doesn't contain any fast parts at all.
 
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Meh. I'm not a fan of saying one musician is more musical than another. That doesn't mean anything to me and it is often used as a way to dismiss technical skills. Of course technique isn't everything, but it does put more tools into a musician's toolbox. I also won't discount the musicality of a guy who helped write the bulk of two albums that many Maiden fans hold in the same regard as what Maiden put out.

Not only that, but the South American influence on Roy Z's playing/writing has, if anything, given him a leg up on H in terms of musical diversity. He's a very versatile player.
 
Mosh said:
Not only that, but the South American influence on Roy Z's playing/writing has, if anything, given him a leg up on H in terms of musical diversity. He's a very versatile player.
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What South American influence? He has Mexican ancestry and the last time I checked Mexico was in North America! I guess you refer to the Santana influences, which probably can be described as Latin American. ;)

He does not have the solid blues foundations that H playing has though.

Anyway, I do not see this as a competition. Roy Z is a superb guitar player and his work with Bruce shows he is a great songwriter too. I hope we would hear more from Bruce and Roy Z soon.
 
GhostofCain said:
Anyway, I do not see this as a competition. Roy Z is a superb guitar player and his work with Bruce shows he is a great songwriter too. I hope we would hear more from Bruce and Roy Z soon.
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Roy and Adrian’s differences are what make them such an interesting combination. Roy leans toward fire and bluster, while Adrian leans toward smoothness and feeling; but they’re also versatile and can veer into each other’s lanes, which keeps things fresh. And most importantly, they’re both great players, so they rarely disappoint.

Adrian and Kai Hansen were a really interesting pairing too, with Kai’s effervescent bubbling of fast notes playing nicely off of Adrian’s bluesier stylings. I wish we’d gotten to hear more collaborations from them.
 
Black Bart said:
And "Omega" more than holds its own in terms of twin-guitar harmony.
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Agreed (although I’m still not the biggest fan of “Omega” overall and the instrumental section feels like it should’ve been used in another song, but it’s great on its own). Also “King In Crimson” has some fantastic playing.
 
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