Iron Maiden Head to Head XXIV

[mckindog]

Some very close matches last time and there should be more of the same this round. No weak sisters here.

Rules here:
http://forum.maidenfans.com/threads/maiden-head-to-head-x.23082/

 

[The Flash]

Alex
Starblind
Wicker Man
Seventh Son
666
Dune
Afraid
Damned

The last matchup was tough, Children of the Damned is 6th and The Prisoner is 9th in my book.

 

[MFC]

Alexander
Starblind
Blood Brothers
Seventh Son
Number
Tame A Land
Afraid To Shoot
Children

 

[Forostar]

1. Alexander the Great
2. Ghost of the Navigator
3. The Wickerman
4. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
5. Killers
6. To Tame A Land
7. Afraid to Shoot Strangers
8. Children of the Damned

 

[national acrobat]

Alexander the Great
Starblind
The Wicker Man
Stranger in a Strange Land
Number of the Beast
To Tame a Land
Two Minutes to Midnight
Children of the Damned

 

[The_RED_rocker]

Alexander the Great
Starblind
The Wicker Man
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Number of the Beast
To Tame a Land
Two Minutes to Midnight
The Prisoner

 

[Kill Devil Hill]

This one was a little easier (except the first pairing; holy hell!)

These Colours Don't Run
Starblind
The Wicker Man
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Killers (you people suck)
To Tame a Land
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
Children of the Damned

 

[Mosh]

Alexander
Starblind
Blood Brothers
Seventh Son
Killers​

Loneliness​

Two Minutes​

Children​

 

[Jeffmetal]

Alexander The Great
Starblind
The Wicker Man
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
The Number Of The Beast
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner
2 Minutes To Midnight
The Prisoner

 

[Ariana]

Alexander the Great
Starblind
The Wickerman
Seventh Son
Killers
To Tame A Land
2 Minutes To Midnight
Children

 

[Cornfed Hick]

This was an easy one for me, not a single tough choice in the bunch, though Killers got an unfortunate draw this round:

These Colours Don't Run
Ghost of the Navigator
The Wicker Man
Seventh Son
Number of the Beast*
The Loneliness...*
2 Minutes to Midnight
Children of the Damned

* = I despise the lyrics to To Tame a Land. I enjoyed Dune when I read it as a kid, but still, "He is the Quizatz Haderach, He was born of Caladan, And will take the Gom Jabbar" is downright embarrassing. Possibly my least favorite verse in the entire Maiden oeuvre.

 

[mckindog]

Alexander gets its fair share of grief for its lyrics, far more than To Tame, IMHO.
But the criticism is equally valid for each.

 

[Mosh]

The difference, in my opinion, is Alex's instrumental section blow all of TTAL out of the water. I would say that the latter has better lyrics, however.

 

[Kill Devil Hill]

To Tame a Land is extraordinary instrumentally, and it's one of Bruce's best moments. "He has the power to make it all eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend." Have you guys ever listened to the song while reading Dune? It sounds even better that way, oddly.

 

[Mosh]

To Tame A Land is a great song. And that buildup in the middle is godly, Alex is just on another level. To me at least.

 

[Forostar]

* = I despise the lyrics to To Tame a Land. I enjoyed Dune when I read it as a kid, but still, "He is the Quizatz Haderach, He was born of Caladan, And will take the Gom Jabbar" is downright embarrassing.

It fits well rhythmically. Illogical that someone still finds those names ridiculous after knowing and enjoying the book. You're not going to tell me that made up words (as excellent as Kwisatz Haderach & Caladan) are allowed to fit in a book but don't belong in a lyric?

I never read the book but I remember I saw the film after I'd heard the song (which I didn't understand at all) and suddenly everything made sense ("Wait a minute, Maiden made a song about this world!"). If that very sentence was left out, I doubt if I would have realized it that well.

To Tame a Land trashes Loneliness which I find promising (Loneliness did very well until now).

 

[mckindog]

I've been surprised and happy at how well Loneliness has done.
But it's gone now, along with Stranger in a Strange Land, Ghost of the Navigator, Blood Brothers, Killers, The Prisoner, Two Minutes to Midnight and These Colours Don’t Run

— a very good group of songs that will peak at 25.