Iron Maiden News, Links, and Interviews

GhostofCain said:
He did. There was a recent interview with Adrian in which he mentioned that about the Dickinson songs when discussing the Powerslave material. Bruce can play the guitar competently enough to write songs like those.
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They sound more difficult to play than they are, the difficult stuff to play in those tracks are the solo sections which don't get a writing credit, and any melody lines which could easily have been sung by bruce even if he can't play them on the guitar, Steve even whistles melody lines when showing the guitar players parts.

And we've seen Bruce play parts of Revelations.
 
harrisdevot said:
Do you have a link please ? I would be really interested in reading this interview.
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I am afraid it was one of those print only magazines (can’t remember which one of the new ones in the UK; they are not as regular as Classic Rock or Metal Hammer). I should have bought a copy when I first saw it at WH Smith because when I went back to get one that issue was gone.

Steve is also on record saying that Bruce wrote Powerslave on his own, putting together three separate ideas
 
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____no5 said:
Both approaches are fine: Bruce is talking art and Steve is talking business.



Song consists of 2 parts one being the words and the other being music. No-one is more important than the other and obviously music must serve the lyrics. When it does, you have timeless masterpieces like Rime or Hallowed. When it doesn't you have good songs that appeal to fans and bring a few more in but not major breakthrough. Nothing wrong with that, it’s ok to be respectable in your ecosystem.

Now Steve tells us melody is no.1 but I have't seen any instrumentals for almost 40 years. He says most people don't speak English but yet wherever Maiden goes to play the audience is familiar with English language.
And yes, I can understand the church approach with Latin. This did make sense business wise. The people really didn't understand Latin. Not the case with maiden /English. Not even remotely.



In 2021 English is a universal language more than any other language has ever been, so there is no parallel here. Steve is blessed to be native to the most universal language ever and he comes up with that? No I don't buy it.
The lyricist being artist should create the best out of what he has, no matter if his language is a few million speakers or a billion. When the lyricist doesn't do that is a lesser artist, which business -wise can be ok, but his art may not stand the test of time.



So what? The song is inseparable lyrics -music are tied together and work together and I'm sure once you throw out the notes, most of Steve's compositions aren't that strong either.



Again. The lyricist being an artist should do the best with what the lyricist has: his language. And a song being lyrics + music, you must give the highest importance to both in order to create fine art, not the one or the other. And yes the music must serve the lyrics in some way.

Now I’m not too familiar with Nirvana’s lyrics (they seem great as far as I can tell) and Nirvana didn’t have to release 17 albums. Their few songs sound ok lyrics + music together meaning sonically are ok, the signing flows; you don’t have Lightning Strike Twice type choruses impossible to pronounce.
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Neither Steve’s nor Bruce’s point is about business. And Steve takes his lyrics seriously, just not on such a direct level; it‘s more about the content than the direct narration for him I guess. As in church music, which is less dramatic than opera, less about a story, but more about the bigger message. I don‘t know if that makes any sense.
 
jazz from hell said:
Neither Steve’s nor Bruce’s point is about business. And Steve takes his lyrics seriously, just not on such a direct level; it‘s more about the content than the direct narration for him I guess. As in church music, which is less dramatic than opera, less about a story, but more about the bigger message. I don‘t know if that makes any sense.
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It does, and I agree with you.
 
GhostofCain said:
I am afraid it was one of those print only magazines (can’t remember which one of the new ones in the UK; they are not ad regular as Classic Rock or Metal Hammer). I should have bought a copy when I first saw it at WH Smith because when I went back to get one that issue was gone.

Steve is also on record saying that Bruce wrote Powerslave on his own, putting together three separate ideas
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I've ordered the last Classic Rock issue, so I guess I will get the answer. Anyway, I stand corrected on the main matter: Bruce being able to compose on his own.
 
harrisdevot said:
As for Beethoven's, who happens to be my favorite composer, we now know which influence had his very early biographers on the interpretation of his music. Those are mostly personal interpretations, with very little, or even nothing to support them. What counts is what he wrote on the manuscript partitions, in his letters, and the dedications he sometimes made (and sometimes later retired).
To me, wanting to submit the music to the words can have sense in a litugical context (praising god, for those who believe), or for a great poet who wants to deliver some kind of message. But do Bruce's lyrics belong to the same elevated category? He is a Metal singer and what shall remain (or not) is the song, as a whole, not some lyrics about mystic or I don't know what. I'm glad Maiden don't sing about screwing girls on the backseat of their limousines, but I think Bruce sometimes takes himself too seriously. As he is clever, he adds a little self-mockery note, but he can't foul us.
Most of all, I think he is a rather un-melodic vocal melodist: If Eternity's verses are un-melodic (as Forostar once answered me, it works with the lyrics, which I admit), Book of Thel is un-melodic, and there are plenty of examples where he just rushes words on a very indistinct and generic melody.
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Whether Maiden‘s lyrics are good or bad is another question, I wasn‘t talking about that. But I quite like some of them, Steve‘s as well as Bruce‘s. Obviously they have to fit the music; I don‘t think Freude schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium would fit — although why not? (-: ACTUALLY, as Beethoven‘s lyrics, Maiden‘s lyrics deal with transcendental stuff quite often.
 
Bruce never did lyrics as bad as Steve on Different world, Wildest dreams, Age of Innocence, The man who would be king and so many others. To be honest I got no idea what Steve songs on the new album talk about apart from Senjutsu.
 
jazz from hell said:
Neither Steve’s nor Bruce’s point is about business. And Steve takes his lyrics seriously, just not on such a direct level; it‘s more about the content than the direct narration for him I guess. As in church music, which is less dramatic than opera, less about a story, but more about the bigger message. I don‘t know if that makes any sense.
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Yes, it makes perfect sense and I agree. Obviously he takes his lyrics seriously that's why we are here. Steve succeed in life because of his grit. The number one ingredient for success, more than talent, IQ or even hard work. Grit. Persistence. Something Bruce & Adrian lack.
So he keeps stubbornly following the same pattern musically and lyrically -but the second being his weak point is more annoying to some, like myself.
I'd expect he evolves more as a lyricist & as an artist after 40 years of writing. However I recognize that the man follows a clear code, keeps on making the same old mistakes and for good or bad, he's honest.
So 33 years after I became a fan I am still here, waiting their releases with impatience, discussing with fellow Maidenfans their endeavors being myself a proud Maidenfan after all.

;)
 
Gk1 said:
Bruce never did lyrics as bad as Steve on Different world, Wildest dreams, Age of Innocence, The man who would be king and so many others. To be honest I got no idea what Steve songs on the new album talk about apart from Senjutsu.
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The Pankrement is a nice exception though, I find it beautifully written a clear step up for Steve in my opinion. Also Hell on Earth I like the lyrics, not as much as Pankrement but quite a lot.
Those 2 songs represent what I really search from a song, lyrics and music to bond beautifully together, content-wise and sonically.
 
____no5 said:
The Pankrement is a nice exception though, I find it beautifully written a clear step up for Steve in my opinion. Also Hell on Earth I like the lyrics, not as much as Pankrement but quite a lot.
Those 2 songs represent what I really search from a song, lyrics and music to bond beautifully together, content-wise and sonically.
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I agree that the words match the song melodies this time around, I just can't get any real story or meaning out of them.
Then again he has not given us strong lyrics like he does for the amazing title track for quite some time now!
 
harrisdevot said:
I've ordered the last Classic Rock issue, so I guess I will get the answer. Anyway, I stand corrected on the main matter: Bruce being able to compose on his own.
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Sorry, I did not explain myself well enough. That interview with Adrian was on a different magazine (could have been Fireworks Rock&Metal). There are a couple of magazines in the UK covering rock/ hard rock/metal but you do not find them in newsagents with the regularity of Classic Rock/Metal Hammer (published monthly).

I hope that makes more sense!
 
Alright here’s a challenge for you stat nerds based on some of the discussions on here.

Is there any information on which band members have done the most (or least) press for a particular album? I guess Bruce and Nicko are constants, but it varies with everyone else depending on the album. Also, any regional differences? For example, here in the states it feels like Nicko is always the one doing radio interviews.
 
Gk1 said:
I agree that the words match the song melodies this time around, I just can't get any real story or meaning out of them.
Then again he has not given us strong lyrics like he does for the amazing title track for quite some time now!
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I see what you mean. I don't always look for a story. Pictures that captivate my imagination are sometimes more than enough. Subconscious is a big thing, so random pictures like a mosaic that tie beautifully with the music will do for me.
 
Mosh said:
Alright here’s a challenge for you stat nerds based on some of the discussions on here.

Is there any information on which band members have done the most (or least) press for a particular album? I guess Bruce and Nicko are constants, but it varies with everyone else depending on the album. Also, any regional differences? For example, here in the states it feels like Nicko is always the one doing radio interviews.
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I mean, it has to be Dave who does the least, right?
 
GhostofCain said:
The lack of diversity in the promotional interviews is baffling. I can understand Adrian talking about the songs he wrote (great stuff), but with Bruce it is getting quite tedious. During this promotional round he is repeating the same stuff over and over again: “my Achilles tendon snapped”, “I got a metal hip!”, “only Steve and I had a chance to listen to the finished album”, “the video is great” (I have to agree with him on this), “Steve and I write lyrics in a very different way”, “I see lyrics as stories in my head that I then interpret”, “Churchill saved the world”, etc. What a bore!

Nicko is probably even worse though. It is always the best album they’ve ever done and this would be adorned with some crass jokes and anecdotes from a long time ago.

I’d love to hear from the other band members. I find Steve’s silence particularly surprising. It is as if he did not give a shit about promoting the latest album of his band!

Either way, if the other band members were to be interviewed, I can foresee Steve saying that he has “so many different ideas that it is ridiculous” (even though they all end up following similar patterns and self-plagiarism is rife) and Jan telling us that “a band has to remain creative and record new music” (yet they have waited 6 years to release a new studio album). And Dave? Well, he’ll probably just smile.

The journalists interviewing them might be partially responsible, as I feel they do not ask them any particularly challenging questions. Call me a cynic, but I guess the amount of money spent by Parlophone/Warner advertising the album might have something to do with it.
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Amazing. I see the forum has moved on from complaining about the band not doing enough press to complaining about how much press they are doing for the album.

As much as I'd love to hear from Jan, Dave, and Steve more, it's just nice to hear and read some lengthy words from parts of the band after so much inactivity during the pandemic.

And I don't think Nicko is crass, he's usually pretty thoughtful in interviews these days. Besides, what would you want him to say? "This album is shit! I liked the last one better!" That kinda defeats the purpose of doing new album press... which is to sell the new album.
 
LooseCannon said:
I mean, it has to be Dave who does the least, right?
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I read an interview with Blaze not too long ago where he said that he and Dave Murray were enlisted to do the majority of the promo tour for X Factor. So, it probably varies by album and era. He probably also did a lot of press during the guitar magazine boom in the mid 80s.
 
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