In our last issue we alredy revealed some details about the new Iron Maiden Album "Dance of Death". Now we have the change to inteview Bandleader Steve Harris just before the concert in Fribourg (before 9'200 people) for this exclusive song by song. The information we could get in the short 15 to 20 minutes we had in our dispositon, you'll read here :
Steve Harris : How many songs did you hear yet ?
Metalworld : I have just heard the whole album. It is hard to have a clear picture about it after just listining once one - but my first impression is that it is a damn good album ! Especially some surprising moments like for exemple the acoustic guitars and strings on the last song. Is this a real orchstra or are these parts programmed ?
Steve Harris : What do you think ?
Metalworld : I think it would be great if you'd record with a real orchestra, although I guess, after what I heard, these are samples...
SH : Yes... and no ! What you hear are all real instruments. But all of these instruments were first recorded seperately and of these sounds were recoded on the Keyboard. Then they were played one after one and put together afterwards. In this point of view, the orchestra part is not such a big thing, but a whole thing put togehter by different parts. The arrangements were done by the same guy who has already done great work on "Blood Brothers". I gave him for the string parts all the melodies and he has it done like this.
MW : I like the fact that the last song on the album is quiet. You haven't done that for a long time. I mean you had some quieter songs on the album, like "Wasting Love", but this one seems to be different somehow.
SH : Right, the last time we did somthing like this was probably on "Prodigal Son" - and that's already 22 years ago !
MW I would like to about the album "song by song" - as already said I could hear the album only once, so it seems to be more interesting if you would tell us about it !
SH: I was afraid that you'd say that *laughing* But okay, lets see ... "Wildest Dreams" is a very strong opener I think. This Song will be the first single of the Album. As already known we play this song already on this tour. it was written by Adrian and me. It has some seventies influences I guess, kind of like... tell me, did you hear the "Hughes/Thrall" Album ?
MW: What ? no, never heard of...
SH: A great Rock Album from the seventies, that has cult status by some. Many guys seem to like that album, but appparently nobody buys it. "Wildest Dreams" let me think a bit aoubt what has been done by Glen Hughes and Pat Thrall on this album. Adrian has written the biggest parts of the music and I have done the rest. I also wrote the melody lines, the vocal lines and the lyrics.
"Raindmaker" ist from Dave and me. He had the original idea and I recorded it and arranged it a bit differently. I also wrote the Melody and the Vocal lines. I had to order Bruce that he sings the exact words I had in mind. Otherwise it happens that he sings the end of a text different than the given melody line because the words do not allow to sing it differently. That's why I rigurously controlled that Bruce sings exactly the words I have intended. Bruce does not like it at all when I give him such orders *laughing*. But we had a very interesting chat about this issue, when I explained to ham that, when I compose, the melody has first priority. The lyrics are important too, but at the end they have to fit the melody and not the other way around. This is why I sometimes get rid of a word when I feel that it does not fit and exchange it with another one. This is called a compromise in favor of the melody. Bruce however said that he would never do a compromise with the lyrics, every word is important - but with "Rainmaker" I could convince him at the end. I mean, when you hear the song for the first time, you do usually not recognize the lyrics yet, you remember best the melody not the words. In many countries we have a language barrier, where the fans do not understand all the lyrics. Was interesting to have a change of opinion. I am really happy that I could convince Bruce with this song, beaucse "Rainmaker" has a very strong melody.
MW: This song may be the second single !
SH: Yeah, it could be. I think there are three songs on the album, which would be good singels, You'll probably know the third one...
MW: I don't know, but I think another single should be a longer song. I had read before that he song "No More Lies" is a real epic song.
SH: "No more lies" is... hm, I don't know how to explain. I thing it is very typical how I write songs. A slow beginning, a middle part that rises the tension and goes into a heavy part.
MW: Like the song "Clansman".
SH: Interesting, other people have said that as well. I was not aware of this similarity. "Clansman" has this celtic vibe. Of the hundred people who have heard the album, only about three of them said that this song sounds a bit like "Clansman" - I don't think so. I believe "No more lies" has influences from the seventies progressiv rock. A very good song that will work well life. As we rehearsed this song, we all were the opinion that this will be a very good live song.
With "Montsegur" we only had this riff, written by Janick. Then I came and wrothe the melody and the volcal lines, and Bruce wrote the the Lyrics. The song is about... Just type the word "Montesgur" in Google and you'll have a lot of information about french history. Due to the fact that we only have limited time, it will be better you'll get infromation from there. It is about "Katharer" and ethic murder and procecution that were done at these times. It is a very terrible story - but it is a true story and very interesting one as well. Musically, this song reminds me a bit of the "Peace of Mind" Album.
MW : Exactly this is what anonther reporter told me at the listening session - "Montesgur" sonds a bit like "Piece of Mind" ! It is funny that several people have the same impression.
SH: "Dance of Death" deserves to be the title track, it is a absolut great song. Janick came with the original idea. I wrote the opening guitar part and the vocal lines, as well as the lyrics. The song tells... *thinks* ... a nice little story ! The music has atmosphere and leads to a imanginative impression of a dance. That's why the title "Dance of Death". If you hear the 5.1 mix, you'll see how incredible this mix is. Putting six musicians into two loudspeakers is getting more and more difficult *laughs*, this is why this new technology is fantastic. I think that the orinary stereo mix is well done too - but the 5.1 mix blows away everything. On first listen, you should try to ajust the side speakers and the middle speaker, beaucse a music CD has anohter significants than a movie, but this is a question of taste. I personnaly like when the spoken words are louder in a movie. At home, I have three 5.1 sound systems, and all of them are adjusted differently. Very interesting to compare all the different sounds.
MW: What I thought is that Bruce sings many words within one line. And the song reminds me a bit of the silent end part of "To Tame a land".
SH: Concerning the vocals and the lyrics, I gave, again, a very strict order. But Bruce has it done great since the beginning. This is probably becaus eof the slight middle age or folk touch in this song. Bruce likes that a lot. Think of his love for Jethro Tull.
"Gates of tomorrow" has a similar story. Janick brought the idea and i helped him a bit to finish it. I wrote the whole melody. Bruce has done the lyrics agian. "Gates of tomorrow" is a powerful song with great melodies.
MW: "Gates... " rocks very hard from the beginning. The meoloies remind me a bit of "From here to eternety", heavy and very high pitched vocal parts.
SH: "New Frontier" is the first try of songwriting by Nicko. I think he's done it very well. The chorus is done by Adrian. Nicko has done the basics. He also workte the bass-lines completely by himself ! I did play exactly what he intended and was surprised how it sounds like I could have written it. I told him that and he said "What do you expect after fuckin' twinty years?!" *laughs*. This was very funny. The song is real great, with a catchy chorus.
The next Song "Paschendale" is what we call an epic. It is about the first world war - "Paschendale" is a place in Belgium, where the front was. Also here you can do some research with Google - but you'll probably should try the Belgium spelling, means with double a "Paaschendale".
MS: This track has, again, a seventies progressive rock touch !
SH : Right it has. the lyrics are a bit sad but powerful at the same time. like already said, it is about the trenches in the WWI, very though stoff.
MS: Do you think you'll be able to play this song live ?
SH: Of course ! Beacuse whe have recorded the whole version without the orchestra parts. This "normal" rock version sounds very strong already. But I think we'll bring the album verson - this will be possible to do. With "Face in the Sand" we have this athomspheric set-up with this great intro at the beginning. We tried to create a Pink Floyd-ish vibe, and the result sounds really great I guess. So we have agian classic seventies progressiv rock elements. "Face in the Sand" has a strong chorus and very high vocal lines. Adrian had the basic idea, and I wroe the Melody and the vocallines. Bruce did the lyrics.
MS: With this courus, I can only imagine how great this will sound like live !
SH: Yes, specially the part at the end, that's right ! "Age of innocence" is a joint work from Davey and me, with a silent Intro and lots of power. This song is my personnal complaint about what's going on in the United Kingdom. I do not mean policical thing, no, some other, smaller things of which I think they get lost during the march of time. That's why it is a bit of an angry song. The chorus reminds me a bit of "Journey" and their "Escape" Album, which I like very much. The bridge however sounds a bit like "The Who". There are some very good influences in this song.
MS: It especially occured to me that the guitars sound very powerful... (Unfortunately, whe were told that the time is almost up and we'll have to stop in a couple of minuts. Still some time for the last song...)
SH: "Journeyman" ist the last song on the Album. First we wanted to put the "electric" Verions on the album, which will be released as a Single B-Side. The Album Verson comes with Slide guitars and some unusual elements and it sound really strong. When we first wrote the song, it was totally based on acoustic guitars. Bruce and Adrian have done the beginning which is principally only the chorus. I did the rest, the verses, the bridge, and so on.... When we were i the studio, we recorded both versionts, first the "electirc" then the "acoustic". Personnaly I like the acoustic version better, but some fans will probably have anohter opinion. Let's wait for the reaction ! On the acoustic version, we have also the orchestra part at the end, not so with the electric verson. The versions are totally different.
MS: I like this song very much !
SH: Me too. I even think it would be a great single.
MS: This would be a unusual Maiden Single, but commercially, a such song could...
SH: I think it is a great song and still typically Maiden.
MS: From the point of view set-up and acoustic instruments it is something new, I guess - and it is very well done. It its a single we will see... Do you already know what will be the B-Side of the "Wildest dreams" Single ?
SH: We have not 100% decided yet what we will take as the B-Side. It won't be the electric verson of "Journeyman". Maybe some Live Recordings. But we also have recorded some Jam-Sessions that would be interesting and funny at once. We also have a fun-version of "Age of Innocence" with Nicko on vocals !
MS: Really ? Did he knwo that you recorded this ?
SH: Of corse he knows !
MS: Ok Stive, many thinks for you explict words. Unfortunately the time is up. I brought you a compy of our newest issue (Number 37, Maiden-Coverstory) I guess you'd like a copy, don't you ?
SM: Oh shure, thank a lot, Cool. Thank you for your support and much success with your mag.
MS : Thanks again and lots of fun on tour.
Steve Harris : How many songs did you hear yet ?
Metalworld : I have just heard the whole album. It is hard to have a clear picture about it after just listining once one - but my first impression is that it is a damn good album ! Especially some surprising moments like for exemple the acoustic guitars and strings on the last song. Is this a real orchstra or are these parts programmed ?
Steve Harris : What do you think ?
Metalworld : I think it would be great if you'd record with a real orchestra, although I guess, after what I heard, these are samples...
SH : Yes... and no ! What you hear are all real instruments. But all of these instruments were first recorded seperately and of these sounds were recoded on the Keyboard. Then they were played one after one and put together afterwards. In this point of view, the orchestra part is not such a big thing, but a whole thing put togehter by different parts. The arrangements were done by the same guy who has already done great work on "Blood Brothers". I gave him for the string parts all the melodies and he has it done like this.
MW : I like the fact that the last song on the album is quiet. You haven't done that for a long time. I mean you had some quieter songs on the album, like "Wasting Love", but this one seems to be different somehow.
SH : Right, the last time we did somthing like this was probably on "Prodigal Son" - and that's already 22 years ago !
MW I would like to about the album "song by song" - as already said I could hear the album only once, so it seems to be more interesting if you would tell us about it !
SH: I was afraid that you'd say that *laughing* But okay, lets see ... "Wildest Dreams" is a very strong opener I think. This Song will be the first single of the Album. As already known we play this song already on this tour. it was written by Adrian and me. It has some seventies influences I guess, kind of like... tell me, did you hear the "Hughes/Thrall" Album ?
MW: What ? no, never heard of...
SH: A great Rock Album from the seventies, that has cult status by some. Many guys seem to like that album, but appparently nobody buys it. "Wildest Dreams" let me think a bit aoubt what has been done by Glen Hughes and Pat Thrall on this album. Adrian has written the biggest parts of the music and I have done the rest. I also wrote the melody lines, the vocal lines and the lyrics.
"Raindmaker" ist from Dave and me. He had the original idea and I recorded it and arranged it a bit differently. I also wrote the Melody and the Vocal lines. I had to order Bruce that he sings the exact words I had in mind. Otherwise it happens that he sings the end of a text different than the given melody line because the words do not allow to sing it differently. That's why I rigurously controlled that Bruce sings exactly the words I have intended. Bruce does not like it at all when I give him such orders *laughing*. But we had a very interesting chat about this issue, when I explained to ham that, when I compose, the melody has first priority. The lyrics are important too, but at the end they have to fit the melody and not the other way around. This is why I sometimes get rid of a word when I feel that it does not fit and exchange it with another one. This is called a compromise in favor of the melody. Bruce however said that he would never do a compromise with the lyrics, every word is important - but with "Rainmaker" I could convince him at the end. I mean, when you hear the song for the first time, you do usually not recognize the lyrics yet, you remember best the melody not the words. In many countries we have a language barrier, where the fans do not understand all the lyrics. Was interesting to have a change of opinion. I am really happy that I could convince Bruce with this song, beaucse "Rainmaker" has a very strong melody.
MW: This song may be the second single !
SH: Yeah, it could be. I think there are three songs on the album, which would be good singels, You'll probably know the third one...
MW: I don't know, but I think another single should be a longer song. I had read before that he song "No More Lies" is a real epic song.
SH: "No more lies" is... hm, I don't know how to explain. I thing it is very typical how I write songs. A slow beginning, a middle part that rises the tension and goes into a heavy part.
MW: Like the song "Clansman".
SH: Interesting, other people have said that as well. I was not aware of this similarity. "Clansman" has this celtic vibe. Of the hundred people who have heard the album, only about three of them said that this song sounds a bit like "Clansman" - I don't think so. I believe "No more lies" has influences from the seventies progressiv rock. A very good song that will work well life. As we rehearsed this song, we all were the opinion that this will be a very good live song.
With "Montsegur" we only had this riff, written by Janick. Then I came and wrothe the melody and the volcal lines, and Bruce wrote the the Lyrics. The song is about... Just type the word "Montesgur" in Google and you'll have a lot of information about french history. Due to the fact that we only have limited time, it will be better you'll get infromation from there. It is about "Katharer" and ethic murder and procecution that were done at these times. It is a very terrible story - but it is a true story and very interesting one as well. Musically, this song reminds me a bit of the "Peace of Mind" Album.
MW : Exactly this is what anonther reporter told me at the listening session - "Montesgur" sonds a bit like "Piece of Mind" ! It is funny that several people have the same impression.
SH: "Dance of Death" deserves to be the title track, it is a absolut great song. Janick came with the original idea. I wrote the opening guitar part and the vocal lines, as well as the lyrics. The song tells... *thinks* ... a nice little story ! The music has atmosphere and leads to a imanginative impression of a dance. That's why the title "Dance of Death". If you hear the 5.1 mix, you'll see how incredible this mix is. Putting six musicians into two loudspeakers is getting more and more difficult *laughs*, this is why this new technology is fantastic. I think that the orinary stereo mix is well done too - but the 5.1 mix blows away everything. On first listen, you should try to ajust the side speakers and the middle speaker, beaucse a music CD has anohter significants than a movie, but this is a question of taste. I personnaly like when the spoken words are louder in a movie. At home, I have three 5.1 sound systems, and all of them are adjusted differently. Very interesting to compare all the different sounds.
MW: What I thought is that Bruce sings many words within one line. And the song reminds me a bit of the silent end part of "To Tame a land".
SH: Concerning the vocals and the lyrics, I gave, again, a very strict order. But Bruce has it done great since the beginning. This is probably becaus eof the slight middle age or folk touch in this song. Bruce likes that a lot. Think of his love for Jethro Tull.
"Gates of tomorrow" has a similar story. Janick brought the idea and i helped him a bit to finish it. I wrote the whole melody. Bruce has done the lyrics agian. "Gates of tomorrow" is a powerful song with great melodies.
MW: "Gates... " rocks very hard from the beginning. The meoloies remind me a bit of "From here to eternety", heavy and very high pitched vocal parts.
SH: "New Frontier" is the first try of songwriting by Nicko. I think he's done it very well. The chorus is done by Adrian. Nicko has done the basics. He also workte the bass-lines completely by himself ! I did play exactly what he intended and was surprised how it sounds like I could have written it. I told him that and he said "What do you expect after fuckin' twinty years?!" *laughs*. This was very funny. The song is real great, with a catchy chorus.
The next Song "Paschendale" is what we call an epic. It is about the first world war - "Paschendale" is a place in Belgium, where the front was. Also here you can do some research with Google - but you'll probably should try the Belgium spelling, means with double a "Paaschendale".
MS: This track has, again, a seventies progressive rock touch !
SH : Right it has. the lyrics are a bit sad but powerful at the same time. like already said, it is about the trenches in the WWI, very though stoff.
MS: Do you think you'll be able to play this song live ?
SH: Of course ! Beacuse whe have recorded the whole version without the orchestra parts. This "normal" rock version sounds very strong already. But I think we'll bring the album verson - this will be possible to do. With "Face in the Sand" we have this athomspheric set-up with this great intro at the beginning. We tried to create a Pink Floyd-ish vibe, and the result sounds really great I guess. So we have agian classic seventies progressiv rock elements. "Face in the Sand" has a strong chorus and very high vocal lines. Adrian had the basic idea, and I wroe the Melody and the vocallines. Bruce did the lyrics.
MS: With this courus, I can only imagine how great this will sound like live !
SH: Yes, specially the part at the end, that's right ! "Age of innocence" is a joint work from Davey and me, with a silent Intro and lots of power. This song is my personnal complaint about what's going on in the United Kingdom. I do not mean policical thing, no, some other, smaller things of which I think they get lost during the march of time. That's why it is a bit of an angry song. The chorus reminds me a bit of "Journey" and their "Escape" Album, which I like very much. The bridge however sounds a bit like "The Who". There are some very good influences in this song.
MS: It especially occured to me that the guitars sound very powerful... (Unfortunately, whe were told that the time is almost up and we'll have to stop in a couple of minuts. Still some time for the last song...)
SH: "Journeyman" ist the last song on the Album. First we wanted to put the "electric" Verions on the album, which will be released as a Single B-Side. The Album Verson comes with Slide guitars and some unusual elements and it sound really strong. When we first wrote the song, it was totally based on acoustic guitars. Bruce and Adrian have done the beginning which is principally only the chorus. I did the rest, the verses, the bridge, and so on.... When we were i the studio, we recorded both versionts, first the "electirc" then the "acoustic". Personnaly I like the acoustic version better, but some fans will probably have anohter opinion. Let's wait for the reaction ! On the acoustic version, we have also the orchestra part at the end, not so with the electric verson. The versions are totally different.
MS: I like this song very much !
SH: Me too. I even think it would be a great single.
MS: This would be a unusual Maiden Single, but commercially, a such song could...
SH: I think it is a great song and still typically Maiden.
MS: From the point of view set-up and acoustic instruments it is something new, I guess - and it is very well done. It its a single we will see... Do you already know what will be the B-Side of the "Wildest dreams" Single ?
SH: We have not 100% decided yet what we will take as the B-Side. It won't be the electric verson of "Journeyman". Maybe some Live Recordings. But we also have recorded some Jam-Sessions that would be interesting and funny at once. We also have a fun-version of "Age of Innocence" with Nicko on vocals !
MS: Really ? Did he knwo that you recorded this ?
SH: Of corse he knows !
MS: Ok Stive, many thinks for you explict words. Unfortunately the time is up. I brought you a compy of our newest issue (Number 37, Maiden-Coverstory) I guess you'd like a copy, don't you ?
SM: Oh shure, thank a lot, Cool. Thank you for your support and much success with your mag.
MS : Thanks again and lots of fun on tour.