Bruce Dickinson

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It’s right there in the lyrics — “afterglow of Ragnarok becomes the shadow of the dawn, from the night the sun will rise again”. The afterglow of destruction metaphorically becomes the dawn of something new, one’s dying light bleeding into the birthing light of the next.

Ahh makes sense. Thanks for clarifying. Shoulda thought deeper. Almost like life after death.
 
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I'm the opposite. I don't think TOS needs a 2nd guitar
TOS features 2nd and even 3rd guitars. They were recorded by one guitarist, weren't written as solo-guitar songs though. Essentially the entire album is laid out for at least two guitars, otherwise there wouldn't be harmonized riffs and melodies.
 
I agree. And yes, I think Bruce has changed the story (the role of some characters) a bit since the song became a Maiden one. The album is also without a title track.

I'm the opposite. I don't think TOS needs a 2nd guitar and the drumming is great. Also, the album contains some of my favorite lyrics from Bruce. I like the ones in Ragnarok too. I want a mix of both from Bruce in an album - poetic and rough around the edges. A good mix though. I like his style, but I think I like Steve's style better. I'm sure the new album will have ''lots of'' interesting lyrics. The upcoming 2nd single is an idea Bruce has had since 2008, so maybe its lyrics are more or less from then. While other songs are: Sonata is from 1997, Face In The Mirror is from 2022.

I believe in the overall quality of the album and - spot on about your last comment. That's why I wanted more than 10 songs for this album. I am very grateful for every Maiden and Bruce album. Every single one of them.

It’s funny you should mention that cause I was actually comparing Steve’s & Bruce’s writing styles. Gonna admit, I really like Steve’s style more. Take Senjutsu for instance. The lyrics on the title track, Parchment, Death on the Celts are actually pretty amazing (Parchment being the best). I also like how Steve adds complexity to his song writing (Parchment, The red and the Black, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Alexander the Great) more often than Bruce does (Empire of the Clouds).

Not gonna deny was expecting around 15 songs on the Mandrake Project from whatever I read online. Really wanted to hear “Nightmare” but guessing some of those may be a part of his future releases. Let’s see what Mandrake delivers for us.

P.S. I think 1st March too fucking late. We should have had the album by maybe 1st Feb or something.
 
Unfortunately, there is no picture of his wedding. Maybe later on his Instagram or the one of his wife. ;)

Looking at the photo I would really like someone explain to me why people don't have photos of just what they are anymore like it used to be.

And if they want to use photoshop why don't they spend the money to let a professional do it.
For example, if you enlarge it a little you see her lips especially on the left are noneexisting in the corners, just a small black line. No human being has lips like that. Why? :scared:
 
Youse all go on about production too much. A shit song with great production is still shit and a great song with shit production is still great.

I would put it this way: No producer can turn a badly composed, irrelevant song into something good.
(Unless you choose a producer who also sees himself as part of the songwriting process and you allow them to totally change the song).
But good production can be the cherry on the cake.

I take on board what you're saying, particularly the example. But the key point is, it's the song that matters, production isn"t the deal breaker. I get the feeling that some people have a box ticking exercise for production and would be happy with every song sounding the same and no band having any idiosyncracies or individuality.

But that also has to do with listening habits. Many people are so used to these very sterile productions that something else stands out unpleasantly. Although it's not necessarily worse.
 
But that also has to do with listening habits. Many people are so used to these very sterile productions that something else stands out unpleasantly. Although it's not necessarily worse.
As someone who cares a lot about productions I have to push back a bit against "very sterile productions". It's something that gets thrown around a lot by people who are fine with Maiden's more messy productions. The funny thing is that whenever someone mentions how TBOS or SNJ deserved a better production there's a defence force trying to discredit the attacks and inflating their views by painting them as more artistic, as having "heart and soul" and not being "sterile", "artificial", or simply cookie-cutter. Being able to clearly hear all instruments without unnecessary frequencies clashing or the vocalist being drowned out isn't "sterile"; it's a good sounding record. You'd think that this would be the bare minimum to expect from an album, but apparantly wanting that is either "hate" or it makes you someone "used to very sterile productions".

The fact of the matter is that Maiden has had stellar productions in the 80's and paid a lot of attention to them. Brave New World also had a great production, including well mixed tracks, tons of vocal harmonies and sample enhanced drumming. Furthermore, most people are willing to admit that the 90's albums were the low points in production.

Yet now, when people are yearning for better sounding Maiden albums, like the ones we used to get and the ones that are the fan favorites, now they are people who want "sterile" productions or similar mischaracterizations of the comments. We aren't holding Maiden to some impossible standard. We are holding them to standard they themselves set and achieved multiple times.

I'm sure that you didn't mean that as an attack or a negative Melony and my comment isn't about your post. It's a more general point about the usage of "sterile productions" as some kind of negative talking point in fan discussions. In other words your comment inspired me to talk about something that I've seen a lot in the fandom; it's not a judgement on your or anything. Just wanted to clarify so that you don't get the wrong idea.
 
+100

I don't know, but I'm almost certain Bruce has another album under his sleeve.
I don't agree with that, just because new Judas Priest album will be released on the 8th of march next year. There's nothing unusual to release a record 4 or 5 months after the streaming of a first video or the release of a 1st single. ;)
 
It has to be a conscious effort. I think some of it is just getting on the level he perceives his audience to be at. When I went to Bruce's speaking tour, I was pretty surprised at how (for lack of a better word) low brow the whole thing was. I don't have a problem with low brow, but it was quite the contrast from the "intellectual" Bruce Dickinson that has been marketed to us for years. Now there was never anything remotely intellectual about Iron Maiden or Bruce Dickinson, but it is strange to see the curtain pulled back the way it has been recently. There are less illusions in the music as well now.

You make some very valid points about the book show and the lyrics. I definitely agree with you on both aspects.

Bruce has written some fantastic lyrics in the past, both with Maiden and as a solo artist, but I find the most recent ones much less interesting and very one-dimensional.
 
As someone who cares a lot about productions I have to push back a bit against "very sterile productions". It's something that gets thrown around a lot by people who are fine with Maiden's more messy productions. The funny thing is that whenever someone mentions how TBOS or SNJ deserved a better production there's a defence force trying to discredit the attacks and inflating their views by painting them as more artistic, as having "heart and soul" and not being "sterile", "artificial", or simply cookie-cutter. Being able to clearly hear all instruments without unnecessary frequencies clashing or the vocalist being drowned out isn't "sterile"...
That's certainly not what I meant by "sterile". That's bad production.
 
I would put it this way: No producer can turn a badly composed, irrelevant song into something good.

I think opposite. Production is super important. It makes good songs SHINE, and lifts up average songs a decent amount. Imo, perfect example of this is Magnum album On a Storyteller's Night. Production is very good on this one, and even average or too poppy songs are enough pleasant to listen.
There's dramatic and more complicated - very good - songs:
How Far Jerusalem, On a Storyteller's Night, Les Morts Dansants

And more straightforward, simpler, not top tier songs: Just like an Arrow, Two Hearts, Steal Your Heart and so on.

Another perfect example is Powerslave. Those two albums, overall, are very pleasant to listen. Production qualities helps to perceive those as ONE whole, and even average songs are acceptable, at least for me.
Good production makes good/great songs COMPLETE/FINISHED in every possible way.
 
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It has to be a conscious effort. I think some of it is just getting on the level he perceives his audience to be at. When I went to Bruce's speaking tour, I was pretty surprised at how (for lack of a better word) low brow the whole thing was. I don't have a problem with low brow, but it was quite the contrast from the "intellectual" Bruce Dickinson that has been marketed to us for years. Now there was never anything remotely intellectual about Iron Maiden or Bruce Dickinson, but it is strange to see the curtain pulled back the way it has been recently. There are less illusions in the music as well now.

I read that the management was reluctant regarding the spoken word tour because of controlling the image.
 
Eternity has Failed may be a hidden title track. We'll know for sure in March.
Resurrection Men or maybe Eternity Has Failed.
I’m really hoping Bruce hasn’t half assed his efforts on this one by reengineering the original melody.
Well, the the melody was a bit different in the original demo.
I also like how Steve adds complexity to his song writing more often than Bruce does.

Not gonna deny was expecting around 15 songs on the Mandrake Project from whatever I read online. Really wanted to hear “Nightmare” but guessing some of those may be a part of his future releases. Let’s see what Mandrake delivers for us.
I agree, especially about Nightmares and especially since it's obviously a very good song.
I don't know, but I'm almost certain Bruce has another album under his sleeve.
He certainly has the amount of leftovers for that.
Production is important. It makes good songs SHINE, and lifts up average songs a decent amount.
... and even average songs are acceptable, at least for me... Good production makes good/great songs COMPLETE/FINISHED in every possible way.
Something like this. The modern (clear and powerful) production is great, although I like every album to have its own different sound.
 
Photoshop by Tony Newton???

Ok, then I will take it the problem is not elimitating the "Newton Effect".

https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/7626/what-is-the-newton-effect

What is the "Newton Effect"?

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Asked 12 years, 10 months ago

Modified 12 years, 10 months ago

I was just chatting with a photographer friend of mine, and he mentioned wanting "anti-newton glass"... I didn't know what that was, so I did a google search. I quickly figured out that it was something to help eliminate "The Newton Effect", and I found some information on the newton effect, from a source of anti-newton glass...
 
The lyrics are the same as IESF.
Not quite. It contains the line ''lose your mind'' which is in the original demo before the chorus and it is repeated 2 times. It sounds really cool. The outro also seems different.

Speaking of the song, it, Afterglow Of Ragnarok and one of Bruce's SJ songs have a good amount of repetition. I like the repetition and it works well for the songs, but for example Ragnarok's outro could have been longer instead of the 3rd repeat of the pre-chorus (not that it doesn't work, the dramatic vibe is needed). I think the song was never meant to have a longer instrumental section like Eternity.
 
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