Guitar Solos - The Book of Souls

E

Edu_Smith

Eduardo
THE BOOK OF SOULS


01 – If Eternety Should Fail
Smith - 6:14 / 7:12 (with vocal Bruce)


02 – Speed of Light
Murray – 2:49 / 3:09
Smith – 3:09 / 3:30


03 – The Great Unknown
Gers – 3:07 / 3:28
Smith – 4:33 / 4:54
Murray – 4:55 / 5:15


04 – The Red in the Black
Smith – 6:44 / 7:14
Gers – 7:14 / 7:32
Murray – 7:33 / 7:50
Smith - 8:39 / 9:10


05 – When the Rivers Run Deep
Murray – 3:07 / 3:36
Gers – 3:37 / 3:51
Smith – 4:20 / 4:49


06 – The Book of Souls
Murray – 6:15 / 6:39
Gers – 8:20 / 8:44
Smith – 8:45 / 9:09
Smith - 9:20 / 9:43


07 – Death or Glory
Murray – 3:19 / 3:40
Smith – 3:40 / 4:01


08 – Shadows of the Valley
Gers – 4:46 / 5:12
Smith – 5:24 / 5:50
Murray – 6:40 / 6:52


09 – Tears of a Clown
Smith – 3:02 / 3:41
Murray – 3:41 / 4:01


10 – The Man of Sorrows
Murray - intro (0:00 / 0:32 )
Murray – 4:09 / 4:26
Smith – 4:27 / 4:44
Gers – 5:20 / 5:37


11 - The Empire of Clouds
Murray – 10:04 / 10:34
Smith – 12:02 / 12/32
 
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Forostar said:
I see a few mistakes/omissions. Will come back at it when I have the album.
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Let's discuss Forostar. What mistakes do you see?
I'm not better than anyone ... but as I listen maiden since 1982, I understand enough of the style and tone of the guitar.
 
Janick's soloing is very impressive. He definitely has been taking lessons and improving his craft, maybe at the behest of Kevin or other band members? Adrian......well I am biased but this might be his best work ever. Just amazing, especially on EOTC.
 
Daves soloing is his best since BNW, Jannicks soloing is his best ever (new techniques, new effects, smoother, cleaner) Adrians solos are spectacular. TOAC, TRATB and EOTC are highlights
 
Is it just me or are the solos in this album really a step up from recent albums? Real creative and fresh work. The solos fit well in the environment of the songs rather than being generic insertions.

It's really the triple guitar attack that
impresses but individually, Adrian is the star with the guitar work on this one.
 
Ancient Mariner said:
Is it just me or are the solos in this album really a step up from recent albums? Real creative and fresh work. The solos fit well in the environment of the songs rather than being generic insertions.

It's really the triple guitar attack that
impresses but individually, Adrian is the star with the guitar work on this one.
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I don't know if I totally agree with all of the solos being a good "fit" with each song, but quality wise, taken as a whole, this may be the best album ever as far as solos are concerned. And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm actually prepared to POSSIBLY mull over the concept of a couple of Adrian's solos on this one surpassing his solos on Powerslave (song) and maybe even CSIT, SIASL and ATG. Blasphemy, yes I know, but.......
 
So is this the first time since 1981 that Maiden guitarist has done a solo on every song on album? I'm not sure about NPFTD/FOTD, however.
 
Well, no. There are no true "solos" on IESF, just underlying "solo fills" along with Bruce's vocals at the end of the song. And two songs have no Janick. Which is unfortunate.
 
I'm not a solo guy. I enjoy them but not enough to comment on them. This album has the best Janick Gers solos ever, excepting his perfect Paschendale solo. It's heads and tails above his other work.
 
I see the trend with fewer solos by Janick continues, but he seems to be very prominent in playing lead melodies and his guitar is overall very high in the mix on this album. The extensive lead 7:23 into "Empire" is unmistakably Janick for example. It's all him under the vocals on "The Red and the Black", and of course he's playing lead all over his own two tracks "Book of Souls" and "Shadows of the Valley". Saw someone mention that it was strange he didn't get a solo on "Empire" even though it's such a long song, but with the amount of that track that is all Janick taking the charge, I don't think he minds...

I can't see any clear change in his playing - though his tone seems to cut more than ever. Absolutely perfect tone for his style of playing. He's really the most precise player in the band, and you hear exactly everything he does up front with that tone. Adrian's Tubescreamer (and occasionaly wah wah) laden tone is still disguising a lot of stuff, though it's a lot dryer than it was in the beginning of the 00's (there's so much delay on his solos on Brave New World that you almost can't hear what he's actually playing); Dave has gone for a clearer tone with less gain more in line with what he used on the first few albums. A clear letdown for me personally, I much prefer the more modern high(er) gain, smooth lead tone with that insane amount of sustain that he's had since Fear of the Dark. The intro solo of "The Man of Sorrows" takes me back to the early days, and not in a good way. It's shaky, to say the least.

It's really only that little solo that stands out in that way luckily, the others are fine. There are however no standout solos for me this far - The Final Frontier had Dave's solo on the title track, Janick's solo on "The Alchemist" and Adrian's solo on "Coming Home" that hooked me instantly. Maybe this means this album has more well integrated solos like A Matter of Life and Death - I don't know. They surely (Shirley?) aren't anything flashy.

adrian fn rules said:
And two songs have no Janick. Which is unfortunate.
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Only two? I count to 5 songs without Janick soloing. Which means that he solos on 6 tracks on the album.
 
Maturin said:
I see the trend with fewer solos by Janick continues, but he seems to be very prominent in playing lead melodies and his guitar is overall very high in the mix on this album. The extensive lead 7:23 into "Empire" is unmistakably Janick for example. It's all him under the vocals on "The Red and the Black", and of course he's playing lead all over his own two tracks "Book of Souls" and "Shadows of the Valley". Saw someone mention that it was strange he didn't get a solo on "Empire" even though it's such a long song, but with the amount of that track that is all Janick taking the charge, I don't think he minds...

I can't see any clear change in his playing - though his tone seems to cut more than ever. Absolutely perfect tone for his style of playing. He's really the most precise player in the band, and you hear exactly everything he does up front with that tone. Adrian's Tubescreamer (and occasionaly wah wah) laden tone is still disguising a lot of stuff, though it's a lot dryer than it was in the beginning of the 00's (there's so much delay on his solos on Brave New World that you almost can't hear what he's actually playing); Dave has gone for a clearer tone with less gain more in line with what he used on the first few albums. A clear letdown for me personally, I much prefer the more modern high(er) gain, smooth lead tone with that insane amount of sustain that he's had since Fear of the Dark. The intro solo of "The Man of Sorrows" takes me back to the early days, and not in a good way. It's shaky, to say the least.

It's really only that little solo that stands out in that way luckily, the others are fine. There are however no standout solos for me this far - The Final Frontier had Dave's solo on the title track, Janick's solo on "The Alchemist" and Adrian's solo on "Coming Home" that hooked me instantly. Maybe this means this album has more well integrated solos like A Matter of Life and Death - I don't know. They surely (Shirley?) aren't anything flashy.



Only two? I count to 5 songs without Janick soloing. Which means that he solos on 6 tracks on the album.
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I stand corrected. Amidst all this excitement I suppose I forgot how to count lol.
 
Maturin said:
A few notes bent out of pitch & very shaky timing. It sounds like anything by Kirk Hammett, basically, and Dave is about a million times better than that usually.
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I'm really not feeling any of it, and I'm a guitarist myself since quite some time.
Since he's "one million times better than that usually", don't you think maybe it sounds like he intended it to sound?
Sounds great to me, which is what matters.:D
 
adrian fn rules said:
I don't know if I totally agree with all of the solos being a good "fit" with each song, but quality wise, taken as a whole, this may be the best album ever as far as solos are concerned. And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm actually prepared to POSSIBLY mull over the concept of a couple of Adrian's solos on this one surpassing his solos on Powerslave (song) and maybe even CSIT, SIASL and ATG. Blasphemy, yes I know, but.......
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Ok, just listened to S.I.T. ..........It wins again. Can't believe I was thinking that, as good as the solos on TBOS are.
 
adrian fn rules said:
Well, no. There are no true "solos" on IESF, just underlying "solo fills" along with Bruce's vocals at the end of the song. And two songs have no Janick. Which is unfortunate.
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I consider ending of IESF as a Smith solo, like I consider ending of Sea Of Madness also as "solo" and not "solo fills". Besides, what is the difference? That Bruce is singing over it, so what?
 
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