Guitar Solos - The Book of Souls

Zare said:
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.
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You mean every guitarist, or "a" guitarist?

edt: Janick and Dave do not play a solo on all songs.
 
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Well, good that I don't need amazing solos to enjoy album beacuse as far as I'm concerned this album has solos that don't "stick" to my memory. When I was SoL at first I was sure that there is no solo at all. Nothing bad about that.
 
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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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 disagree, this album definitely contains a few flashy solos, most of which are by adrian.

I agree with what you're saying about daves tone, needs more sustain, more mids and more reverb. His tone is famous for lots of mids and sustain.

Jannicks tone is his best ever, slightly more processed but still raw as fuck. And he uses a wah !!! He actually sounds similar to Adrian and Dave at times. Listen to Jans solo on WTRRD, there's a legato run in it that's very different to what he usually plays

As far as memorable solos go, Adrians TOAC is very memorable especially with that held bent note half way through, Adrians TRATB solo is also very memorable for me, and its flashy. Adrians 2nd solo in TRATB is also exremely bluesy (sounds like Gary Moore)with fantastic note choice and tone

Dave plays a very interesting solo at the end of TMOS, just wish it was more audible as there's some good stuff going on and his tone sounds better.

Daves solos are also very quiet on a lot of songs compared to Jan and especially H. But that's a mixing problem I think.
 
Forostar said:
You mean every guitarist, or "a" guitarist?

edt: Janick and Dave do not play a solo on all songs.
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A guitarist. Thinking of it more, Davey might have done it all the way to Somewhere In Time and then again during No Prayer/FOTD era.
 
Well i dont think the solos on this album is as memorable as the previous reunion albums, like for example AMOLAD. Maybe im remember wrong. But as usual, Adrian solos is the best and most creative.
 
Adrian this soloing with an impressive technical .It is definitely the most technical and creative. Featured TRATB, WTRRD, TBOS, TGU, SOTV, TMOS.

Dave is the same as always, without much change in style, but very good. Featured TOC, TBOF, TRATB.

Janick never liked his style, but his solo in TMOF was good blues.
 
Well done Edu, I didn't check the exact seconds you noted, but I added some more solos (in bold). I know they can be seen as intro or outro solos, or mixed in the backgrond, but I guess they are still solos. ;)

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

10 – The Man of Sorrows
Murray - 0:00 / 0:32
Murray – 4:09 / 4:26
Smith – 4:27 / 4:44
Gers – 5:20 / 5:37
Murray - 5:36 / 6:13
 
Zare said:
A guitarist. Thinking of it more, Davey might have done it all the way to Somewhere In Time and then again during No Prayer/FOTD era.
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No, Dave did not during SIT and NPFTD (Dave not on Smith songs on SIT, H not on Deja-Vu & Dave not on BYDTS come to mind; Janick not on Public Enema). FOTD: Dave not on Fear is the Key and Janick not on some Dickinson/Murray tracks.

So you might have found something there @Zare ! We could check all albums just in case.


2015:
Adrian on every song on The Book of Souls

1998:
IF Janick does a solo behind/with Dave (see recent discussion in Iron Maiden videos topic) then Janick plays a solo on all songs on Virtual XI. If Dave plays two solos (one behind/with the other that is clearly Dave's) and Janick not, then not. Then we go back to 1983:

1983:
Dave on every song on Piece of Mind

So it is only the second (either third) time this ever happened in Maiden history!
 
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Forostar said:
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
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You are right. I forgot the 4th solo.

10 – The Man of Sorrows
Murray - 0:00 / 0:32
Murray – 4:09 / 4:26
Smith – 4:27 / 4:44
Gers – 5:20 / 5:37
Murray - 5:36 / 6:13
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Just put the main solo. I considered an intro solo (0:00 / 0:32)
 
Edu_Smith said:
THE BOOK OF SOULS


01 – If Eternety Should Fail

Harmony solos and small alternating solos ( Smith - 6:14 / 7:12 ...) with vocal


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 – 4:09 / 4:26
Smith – 4:27 / 4:44
Gers – 5:20 / 5:37


The Empire of Clouds
Murray – 10:04 / 10:34
Smith – 12:02 / 12/32
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Forostar said:
Well done Edu, I didn't check the exact seconds you noted, but I added some more solos (in bold). I know they can be seen as intro or outro solos, or mixed in the backgrond, but I guess they are still solos. ;)

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

10 – The Man of Sorrows
Murray - 0:00 / 0:32
Murray – 4:09 / 4:26
Smith – 4:27 / 4:44
Gers – 5:20 / 5:37
Murray - 5:36 / 6:13
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The first solo in the book of souls is Gers, sounds nothing like Murray. However, I need to listen again as I'm just going on memory
 
Edu_Smith said:
The first solo in the book of souls is Murray , certainly.
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I did think it was unusual that Gers would use a wah lol

But from what I can remember it has jannicks rawness and note choice. It felt a bit to rough to be Dave

I'll give it another listen when I get home
 
The effect removes some of Dave's typical fluid runs. But it has to be him I guess. Bet we'll see it live.
 
Babo 91 said:
The first solo in the book of souls is Gers, sounds nothing like Murray.
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It's Murray on the bridge pickup and with wah, so you're right that it's nothing like his usual tone - however, the phrasing, note choices & picking attack are 100% Murray.
 
As a guitarist what most struck me on this album was H's solo on TOAC. He used a very high driven sound with wah and a strat neck pickup (maybe a 70's strat that belonged to Jethro Tull guitarist) and plays with pure emotion, the guitar cries.
Also high praise for Janick on this album.
 
Maturin said:
It's Murray on the bridge pickup and with wah, so you're right that it's nothing like his usual tone - however, the phrasing, note choices & picking attack are 100% Murray.
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Listening to it again, I agree its Dave. It's just very different to any other of his solos on the album and he's much higher in the mix than he is for his other solos.
 
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