if you could send Steve back in time to correct ONE mistake in the entire Maiden history: what thing would you choose him to have changed?

Some great replies here, I think its far more than one thing, mates. lol

My addition to the mix

DONT FIRE CLIVE!
(I love Nicko, and respect the hell out of his craft, but Clive is still the definitive Maiden drummer for me)
 
Interesting suggestions. I can't call them ''mistakes'', but there are some decisions for a few things I would take:

- ''Hell On Earth'' to have a repetition of the chorus.
- Eddie to be a central figure in the AMOLAD album cover.
- live DVD from the AMOLAD tour in 2006.
- the single version of ''The Angel And The Gambler'' to be included in the VXI album.
- change the title of ''Public Enema Number One''.

Edit: the DOD cover to be without CGI too.
 
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I would want him to go back and be hands on supportive of Blaze's solo career, with support slots, because it could have helped him big time. Too many have missed out on the greatness of the BLAZE albums.
Would Blaze have really wanted that? Seems weird to play support for the band that fired you. Wasn’t Blaze managed for awhile by Rod after he was replaced, or am I imagining things?
 
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I'd tell him to fix and change post reunion album production approach. To stay away from mixing desk.
This would be mine, too.

Sure, there are songs I'd change, parts I'd omit, lyrics I'd change, etc...but who the fuck am I to tell Steve Harris how to write a song (even a bad one)?

That said, the last twenty years would sound a lot better if he stayed out of the control room entirely.
 
It's funny, 'cause rectifying any of the major "mistakes" could've resulted in a very different Maiden than the one we know today, likely not a better one. I wouldn't want to lose what we have, so my choices are fairly minor ones related to Dance of Death: Don't use the unfinished art and don't use the unfinished, compressed-to-high-heaven mix. That way the album might be remembered for its pretty underrated music.
 
Maiden England 2012-2014. Infinite Dreams.

Still the biggest travesty in IM's setlist department since the reunion.
One of my favorite Maiden songs. Has all the classic Maiden elements to it. I heard they did rehearse it but I guess they decided to nix it for the set.
 
Maiden England 2012-2014. Infinite Dreams.

Still the biggest travesty in IM's setlist department since the reunion.
Id add Killers to the 2005 set, too. Well, Id probably add both those songs to most sets, in fairness.

Other than that, I would probably ask him to keep Stratton.
 
Probably made him put more money into the production of Virtual XI. It just does not sound like a well established metal band doing this album. And it sounds a bit rushed as well. The album have great songs, but terrible production, mixing and arrangements
 
Not replace Bruce with Blaze.

That was his biggest mistake by a long way. Make sure he gets someone that can sing the range that is required for those songs.
 
Not replace Bruce with Blaze.

That was his biggest mistake by a long way. Make sure he gets someone that can sing the range that is required for those songs.

My first thought would be for Steve to not hire Blaze. But then if they got another vocalist instead and they were able to carry on successfully in spite of the Dark Ages of the 90's, we may not have had Bruce and H come back.
 
Perhaps. But at the time that just was a horrendous hire. Get a guy that can't sing your hits, your back catalogue. I have no idea what he was thinking on that one. Hard to respect him for that decision.

But on the other hand, Anthrax hired a great singer in John Bush, Judas Priest hired a great singer in Ripper Owens, Helloween hired a great singer in Andi Deris, Black Sabbath in Ronnie James Dio and they all reverted back to their top or original singers.
 
Perhaps. But at the time that just was a horrendous hire. Get a guy that can't sing your hits, your back catalogue. I have no idea what he was thinking on that one. Hard to respect him for that decision.

But on the other hand, Anthrax hired a great singer in John Bush, Judas Priest hired a great singer in Ripper Owens, Helloween hired a great singer in Andi Deris, Black Sabbath in Ronnie James Dio and they all reverted back to their top or original singers.
Hard to argue that.
 
Perhaps. But at the time that just was a horrendous hire. Get a guy that can't sing your hits, your back catalogue. I have no idea what he was thinking on that one. Hard to respect him for that decision.

But on the other hand, Anthrax hired a great singer in John Bush, Judas Priest hired a great singer in Ripper Owens, Helloween hired a great singer in Andi Deris, Black Sabbath in Ronnie James Dio and they all reverted back to their top or original singers.

Yeap, don't know Steve Harris has some strange ideas in mind. At the time they insisted that the singer must be British so many great singers were excluded.

Who knows what else. He's definitely a control freak so maybe after having Bruce for 11 years he wanted a lower key personality?
Really, quite often I can't understand him.

Hiring a guy that cannot sing your songs and you don't even bother to downtune your instruments in order to help him is beyond the realm of mortals.
 
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