Iron Maiden Head to Head XXXI

[mckindog]

Nine more match-ups, back to the bottom half of the catalogue again

Rules here:
http://forum.maidenfans.com/threads/iron-maiden-head-to-head-i.23045/

Yesterday's poll remains open for voting

 

[mckindog]

Today's thoughts:
The first two are true candidates for Maiden's worst.
As is Fear is the Key. Quest For Fire should thrash it, if you guys are thinking clearly.
The last two matches consist of four excellent songs, all underrated on this forum.

 

[Kill Devil Hill]

Hooks in You
Quest For Fire
From Here to Eternity
The Pilgrim (I adore both)
Can I Play With Madness
Tailgunner
Lord of Light
Man on the Edge
Be Quick or Be Dead

Lots of fantastic songs on here!

 

[Unknown One]

Opposite to Kill Devil Hill for everything bar Quest For Fire, and I despise both songs equally in the top pairing, so I'm not voting.

 

[Kill Devil Hill]

 

[Jeffmetal]

Hooks In You
Quest For Fire
Innocent Exile
The Fallen Angel
Can I Play With Madness?
Sun And Steel
Blood On The World's Hands
The Final Frontier
Be Quick Or Be Dead

 

[Crimson Idol]

112111122

 

[Sara]

The Apparition
Fear Is The Key
Innocent Exile
The Fallen Angel
When Two World's Collide
Sun And Steel
Lord Of Light
Man On The Edge
Be Quick Or Be Dead

I'm genuinely shocked to find that some of these songs are considered to be amongst the bottom of the Maiden pile. But, for sure there's a few underrated gems within this lot, and even a small amount of the match-ups had me voting against songs I love, like Hooks In You, The Pilgrim, and Tailgunner.

Lord Of Light, Innocent Exile, and Be Quick Or Be Dead were no brainers for me, I'd have chosen them over many songs considered to be in the top half of Maiden's catalogue...

 

[mckindog]

Shocked is not the word I would use since I've been around this forum for awhile now.
But compared to my personal tastes, the tastes of my friends, and what I've observed from watching and following the band for 30 years, definitely some surprises.
I chalk it up to the depth of great material this band has produced, and the fact they have world-wide, inter-generational appeal.

 

[Mosh]

Hooks in You
Quest For Fire
Innocent Exile
Fallen Angel
Two Worlds
Sun and Steel
Lord of Light
Man on the Edge
King

 

[Forostar]

The Apparition (really strong lyrics and there's more to the music than meets the eye)
Quest For Fire
From Here to Eternity
The Pilgrim (wins hands down on originality and supreme intriguing solo)
Can I Play With Madness
Tailgunner (easily takes down its opponent)
Blood on the World's Hands (Lord of Light is strong but doesn't touch Blaze's best performance accompanied by some of Maiden's most menacing riffing)
Man on the Edge
Be Quick or Be Dead

 

[The Flash]

One of the hardest rounds.

Hooks
Quest
Innocent
Pilgrim
Two Worlds
S & S
Lord
Edge
King

 

[Revelations85]

Hooks in You
Quest for Fire
Innocent Exile
Fallen Angel
Can I Play With Madness
Sun and Steel
Blood on the World's Hands
TFF
The Man Who Would Be King

 

[Ariana]

Hooks in You
Quest for Fire
From Here to Eternity
Fallen Angel
Madness
Tailgunner
Lord of Light
The Final Frontier
The Man Who Would Be King

I know that many people here dislike TFF and some even call it the worst song from the album, but I really love it. I like both Satellite 15 and TFF and think they are a great way to set the loose theme of the album. Although the latter part of the album is totally different from the start, I really like the gradual transition from more straight-forward stuff (TFF, El Dorado) to more complex tracks (Starblind, The Man..., Wild Wind Blows.)

In fact, I like the song Final Frontier so much I often play it alone, out of the album.

 

[Vap]

All second options except Innocent Exile, Sun And Steel and Be Quick Or Be Dead.