Deconstructing Eddie: My Iron Maiden Songs & Albums Countdown - Songs #120 & 119
120. Sanctuary (Iron Maiden) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqkC-k3RoXE
"I've never killed a woman before but I know how it feels"
It's one of the best examples of Iron Maiden walking along that line that separates punk from metal, which is good in the sense that we have another energetic adrenaline-pumper that probably shines in a live setting. On the other hand though, it isn't too great because it adapts that overly simplistic feel that's somewhat typical in punk music as well - unless that's your thing of course. However, they obviously evolved to much great things; and now that we've all heard the band create a lot of epics that unravel in the most enjoyably complex way, this type of song just feels too much like the band underachieving to be reserved for a higher spot. I know that it's from the band's early days, which is probably part of the reason why it sounds very basic and raw. But even in that context, I just can't appreciate it past the level of an aggressive rocker. It's the least enjoyable track from their debut and a mediocre track that barely hints at what the band was capable of and was going to achieve later on in their career.
119. Heaven Can Wait (Somewhere in Time) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7GW_1vi_Q4
"Take my hand I'll lead you to the promised land"
There have been times when I've been broke, really hungry and all that's left out of last month's grocery is this small can of corned beef. What I do to make the most out of it is dice up some potatoes and chop some onions that have been in the crisper for a while, then mix them in with the beef while it cooks in the pan. It makes for a flling meal (or maybe even two). True story. But why on earth am I talking about food in this thread though? Well, as it turns out, “Heaven Can Wait” feels like it serves the exact kind of role that the potatoes and onions accomplish in that dish: Not filler; but rather, an
extender. It's not so bad that it shouldn't have been on the album, but it also doesn't deserve the amount of space that it takes up on the record.
It's one of the worst songs on
Somewhere in Time as well as one of the longest on it, and it doesn't help that I absolutely despise synths (which is why I hate a lot of 80's music in general) because this song has loads of it. It's bad enough that the song starts out with this smokey riff that never fails to put cyberpunkish
Terminator-meets-
Blade Runner sci-fi images in my mind, but that atmosphere continues on through the song with this cheery vibe that doesn't synergize with the lyrics at all.
On the positive side, it's obviously tailor-made for live performances with the sing-along chant and catchy repetitive chorus. It's also saved by the bridge portion, which is my favorite part and makes effective use of the galloping rhythm. Everything considered though, the song is simply too long and too 80's for my taste to place higher on my list.
That's what I get for writing a review at two in the morning. I'll have to rewrite that. Thanks!
I actually can't wait to get to the Top 30 or so because as far as I'm concerned, those are the easiest spots to rank. Hehe. The only thing I'm finding more and more difficult for now is coming up with new fresh to say about the songs and not repeating myself too much 
Thanks for the kind words though 
