[Help] What is so special about Iron Maiden in your opinion

[Ariana]

Thanks for the detailed explanation, CriedWhenBrucieLeft. I think I understand what you mean. I still couldn't agree with everything you say, but your point's much clearer now. It all goes down to personal preference really and the impact of each guitarist's sound on you.

 

[Kill Devil Hill]

Dave, on the other hand, doesn't really have a Metal tone, yet he plays in a Metal/Rock band. You could say it's blues sounding. Words to describe his lead tone would be "warm", "fat" (often used in association with the Strat sound), or "muddy". It's not really to everyone's liking. But this tone in combination with Davey's playing style (not particularly Metal in itself) to me is seldom encountered in that much Metal music. I don't really hear anyone else that sounds like this.

This is exactly what I mean. I did not notice any of this. I'll go listen to the SSOASS album and keep this description in mind.

 

[TheNew#2]

Dave, on the other hand, doesn't really have a Metal tone, yet he plays in a Metal/Rock band. You could say it's blues sounding. Words to describe his lead tone would be "warm", "fat" (often used in association with the Strat sound), or "muddy". It's not really to everyone's liking. But this tone in combination with Davey's playing style (not particularly Metal in itself) to me is seldom encountered in that much Metal music. I don't really hear anyone else that sounds like this.

Yeah, this what I've always adored about Davey's playing, the extensive use of the neck pickup and his strong attack which is 'effortlessly technical', if you will. He's always been my favourite Maiden guitarist, even when I first saw a band picture having only heard a few Maiden songs, I remember thinking 'that guy looks especially cool'.

 

[Sebas-hero1995]

Dave's solos are very, very bluesy you know... A lot of penthatonic scales, and very fluid. In change, Adrian makes lick-solo like (in the albums, because Dave now plays a lot of licking live). For example a distinctive feature of Adrian is that when a chord progression starts again, he finishes a lick. For example Powerslave solo or Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Take a good listen, when the chord progression returns to the beginning he ends a little lick and begins another one. That's the reason people say Dave's more fluid... And yet I like more Dave...

 

[CriedWhenBrucieLeft]

I am sort of with you here, Kill Devil Hill. Aside from Maiden, I really don't give enough music, enough of a listen, to be able to identify guitarists that well. But Maiden: all three are really very identifiable to me, from each other. Seriously, stop just listening to Adrian!

Couple of other observations. When you listen to SiT, if Davey drops some of his trademark phrases (like those very quick, quick runs), he can sound very like Adrian. The tone difference between them on SiT is very slight, I think. Therefore when their styles meet, they are quite indistinguishable, at times. You could argue this was Adrian's influence on Dave, or perhaps more simply Dave staying closer to the material as written by Adrian. Either way, I've always found it interesting that Adrian never moved towards Dave's style, in any way. This could certainly be viewed both positively, or negatively.

After Adrian left, & it was Dave & Janick, it is also noticeable (as above) how Dave (again) moved closer to the other guitarists style. Again you could view this as a coming together of styles, or just Dave adapting --but again, if you remove identifying Dave by his tone, his style can be quite indistinguishable (in the 90's albums) from Janick's, at times. I've heard other guys on the forum mention a previous discussion regarding Janick's influence on Dave.

Either way, it's quite interesting how in both cases Dave was influenced by the other guitarist, yet still (essentially) kept that trademark Dave style & tone, particularly live. I view this as a positive & perhaps as a counter argument to those (I've certainly said this) who say Dave hasn't really changed his playing style that much. I think in the studio, in some respects, he has. I've always (rather cynically) viewed this as Dave being able to play like the other two (because he can), with there being little evidence of the opposite: that either of them can play like Dave. I doubt this is the case, but have always wondered if Janick or Adrian really could do Dave's leads justice. This also nudges me towards viewing Dave as the technically better guitarist, perhaps unfairly (--on the other two.)

One last observation. Dave plays his leads using his neck (fretboard) pickup; Adrian uses his bridge pickup. (All guitars, obviously, have both pickups --but Dave switches to his neck pickup [as does Janick sometimes] for lead work.) I've seen it suggested that perhaps really early on (i.e. when Adrian joined Maiden) Dave & Adrian (deliberately, perhaps) decided to play this way (together) in order to have a tonal difference between them. I thought this was quite interesting if true.

 

[CriedWhenBrucieLeft]

Sorry, a few posts while I typed there...

Cheers Ariana!
I can totally see why you love Adrian btw; I hope that comes across. I mean he's damn fine (I love 'em too!), & I don't want to come across as criticising the guy.

 

[Forostar]

Couple of other observations. When you listen to SiT, if Davey drops some of his trademark phrases (like those very quick, quick runs), he can sound very like Adrian. The tone difference between them on SiT is very slight, I think. Therefore when their styles meet, they are quite indistinguishable, at times.

Difficult to distinguish Dave from Adrian on Somewhere in Time (or any other album)?He can sound or sounds very like Adrian? Nah.

Come on. Listen to Dave's solo on CSIT. This very one solo is enough to show how Dave plays and how fluidly he sounds. Sounds very different from Adrian.

--but again, if you remove identifying Dave by his tone, his style can be quite indistinguishable (in the 90's albums) from Janick's, at times.

I remember I had trouble with who is who on Mother Russia and I had a lengthy discussion with Jeffmetal about The Thin Line. Also some people didn't recognize Janick on a certain lead melody on Isle of Avalon and said it was Adrian.

But I don't remember this, so I am welcome to see it again:

I've heard other guys on the forum mention a previous discussion regarding Janick's influence on Dave.

In fact I don't remember any discussion where guitarists in Maiden have adapted their style to the other.

 

[Ariana]

Just happened to be listening to Prowler and for the first time I heard this "bluesy" sound of Dave's guitar. I never really thought about it but this is quite an accurate word to describe it. It can't be heard everywhere, though, so maybe Dave's playing does vary after all.

 

[Forostar]

On TXF it's the easiest to distinguish Dave from Janick because it is the only Iron Maiden studio album using different (left and right) audio channels for the solos.

 

[CriedWhenBrucieLeft]

I know, I know: I don't need to listen to it!

Forostar, I'm not saying I find it particularly difficult to distinguish them; and I clearly stated "at times". Dave's lead in CSiT is very long & isn't a very good example i.e. the difference is really obvious. My point was, on SiT, where their tone is pretty similar (do you not agree?), their style is (primarily) what distinguishes them from each other. On other albums Dave's tone itself would be enough for me; I hear his guitar & I can tell it's Dave. (Obviously his style, to me, jumps out too.) Both Adrian & Janick have a identifiable tone too, but I spot them, personally, more from style.

[Regarding that disussion: I didn't read the discussion, I just recall someone saying that Janick's influence on Dave hadn't been very good, & had been previously discussed --& I interpreted this as meaning a discussion around playing style. Perhaps that didn't happen.]