Leftover Songs that Should have been Included on the Album

[CA Bryers]

I'm glad you liked the retelling of my TXF adventure.

Did you get a chance since then to try out this reordered and/or the expanded version?

I worked my ass off in this project of mine mind you. Like a total geek, I kept listening to the endings and beginnings of the songs in Winamp, checking each variation, to see how well they flow into each other, see which scenario works the best.

I think even the plain reorder version is a huge improvement, with the original 11 tracks. The album is a lot more varied, it keeps your interest and is not a chore to get through. At least for me that's how it used to feel.

And the Expanded version is even better of course. The only version for me now. A super plus is that Virus is also on it, I think it's a brilliant song and belongs on an album. It has its rightful place now.

To answer your question, I left Nicko's comment in The Unbeliever as is. I find his voice reassuring. "Fuck my old boots!!" That accent. Hilarious.

I think there's also some talk at the beginning of I Live My Way, which I never noticed before. (I've never listened to this song with headphones until recently.)

I haven't tried the 2015 remaster either, but will give it a go sometime.

I haven't yet since I'm stuck to my old iPod, and...long story short, my computer housing my digital library crapped out and took my 8K+ song library with it. Got a new one, and have been trying to get around to pulling the library off my iPod and onto the new computer, but haven't found the right technique quite yet. Was going to try a program that charges for it this week, so we'll see how that works. I have a LONG road trip coming up in two weeks, so I really want to be able to listen to this expanded rearrangement by then. Okay, long story not short--long story long. But yes, it's on the to-do list for this week.

 

[Clairvoyant Parchment]

I haven't yet since I'm stuck to my old iPod, and...long story short, my computer housing my digital library crapped out and took my 8K+ song library with it. Got a new one, and have been trying to get around to pulling the library off my iPod and onto the new computer, but haven't found the right technique quite yet. Was going to try a program that charges for it this week, so we'll see how that works. I have a LONG road trip coming up in two weeks, so I really want to be able to listen to this expanded rearrangement by then. Okay, long story not short--long story long. But yes, it's on the to-do list for this week.

Is the drive in the old machine that contained the 8K library not salvageable?

 

[CA Bryers]

Is the drive in the old machine that contained the 8K library not salvageable?

Yeah, pretty sure the hard drive/motherboard is fried. Spent about 30 bucks on a program to export the library onto iTunes and to get a hard drive backup, and it's about 3K songs into getting onto iTunes right now. Tried the free way to do it, and that didn't work for whatever reason.

Anyway, progress! Can't wait to give the new order of the album a try.

 

[CA Bryers]

I'm glad you liked the retelling of my TXF adventure.

Did you get a chance since then to try out this reordered and/or the expanded version?

I worked my ass off in this project of mine mind you. Like a total geek, I kept listening to the endings and beginnings of the songs in Winamp, checking each variation, to see how well they flow into each other, see which scenario works the best.

I think even the plain reorder version is a huge improvement, with the original 11 tracks. The album is a lot more varied, it keeps your interest and is not a chore to get through. At least for me that's how it used to feel.

And the Expanded version is even better of course. The only version for me now. A super plus is that Virus is also on it, I think it's a brilliant song and belongs on an album. It has its rightful place now.

After a good few days, I finally got my iPod (mostly) sorted out. First thing I did was make a playlist of the The X(panded) Factor, and gave it a listen while I rearranged my writing office. Most notable was that you are correct--the album totally works when arranged this way and the somewhat leaden drag of its pacing is almost completely absent, IMO. Each of the additional songs fit the soundscape of the album, and ending on Sign of the Cross ends it on a powerhouse of a note.

I think I'll get used to Man on the Edge as an opener after a few listens. To be honest, I never loved it opening The X Factour shows--I like the song, but as an opener I can't help but compare it to BQOBD, which is a stormer of an opener (better opening FotD than live, but still). However, once I'm in the flow of MotE, the transition to The Unbeliever works incredibly well. I did cut Nicko's mumblings, and moving on to Justice of the Peace keeps the pace up brilliantly.

To me, Fortunes of War, Look for the Truth, and The Aftermath are the biggest culprits for bogging the album down as we approach its midsection. I like each song individually, but packed together one after the other makes for a bit of a rough slog. Spacing them out and putting them between songs that were (even a little bit) more sprightly was a great choice. And Virus! Such a seamless fit where you have it, whereas I thought it might have been jarring. Not at all.

I'll give it another listen in the coming days, or at least on my upcoming road trip (much to the joy of my wife and kids imprisoned in the car with me) and get an even better feel of it. Thanks again for all the work you put in!

 

[Clairvoyant Parchment]

After a good few days, I finally got my iPod (mostly) sorted out. First thing I did was make a playlist of the The X(panded) Factor, and gave it a listen while I rearranged my writing office. Most notable was that you are correct--the album totally works when arranged this way and the somewhat leaden drag of its pacing is almost completely absent, IMO. Each of the additional songs fit the soundscape of the album, and ending on Sign of the Cross ends it on a powerhouse of a note.

I think I'll get used to Man on the Edge as an opener after a few listens. To be honest, I never loved it opening The X Factour shows--I like the song, but as an opener I can't help but compare it to BQOBD, which is a stormer of an opener (better opening FotD than live, but still). However, once I'm in the flow of MotE, the transition to The Unbeliever works incredibly well. I did cut Nicko's mumblings, and moving on to Justice of the Peace keeps the pace up brilliantly.

To me, Fortunes of War, Look for the Truth, and The Aftermath are the biggest culprits for bogging the album down as we approach its midsection. I like each song individually, but packed together one after the other makes for a bit of a rough slog. Spacing them out and putting them between songs that were (even a little bit) more sprightly was a great choice. And Virus! Such a seamless fit where you have it, whereas I thought it might have been jarring. Not at all.

I'll give it another listen in the coming days, or at least on my upcoming road trip (much to the joy of my wife and kids imprisoned in the car with me) and get an even better feel of it. Thanks again for all the work you put in!

Facts man.

I'm pleased to hear you're liking it so far.

The X(panded) Factor - love that title.

Don't worry after a few listens Man On will feel very natural as the opener.

Geeky factoid for today:

I've just realised that Virus now being on this custom albeit unofficial X(panded) Factor album, it's the only song in their catalogue that has no less than 4 songwriting credits, and is on an album.

On top of all that, it's the only song on an album, where 2 guitarists share a credit (Gers/Murray).

Have a lovely road trip with your family!

 

[Azas]

Definitely That Girl and Reach Out - those are great songs, and Somewhere in Time, in that case, would be hailed or plagued as a true Turbo album of Maiden. If they added Juanita on top of that - straight into Selloutica territory, ha.

 

[CA Bryers]

Definitely That Girl and Reach Out - those are great songs, and Somewhere in Time, in that case, would be hailed or plagued as a true Turbo album of Maiden. If they added Juanita on top of that - straight into Selloutica territory, ha.

To me, I think the only song from the SiT sessions you could feasibly pull off including it into the album without derailing the established theme and tone is Reach Out. If we're going by the longstanding "no covers" policy on Maiden albums, that disqualifies That Girl. Then again, if you take it a step further, Maiden also has a "no outside writers" policy, which would disqualify Reach Out. For my experiment, I'm willing to overlook that one when it comes to SiT. BUT, you could also overlook the no covers policy if you like That Girl that much. No rules except what you decide when it comes to what would fit the album or not.

Haven't listened to it as a full 9-track SiT (only the songs on either side and the song itself), but Reach Out slots in and sounds pretty natural when placed between Stranger in a Strange Land and Deja Vu. It's kind of like a Wasted Years for the album's Side B, even if it might be a tad lighter and more radio-friendly...and it adds some welcome variety by having Adrian take the lead vocals and Bruce on backup.

Others I've put together but haven't tested in full listens are the debut including Burning Ambition and Invasion, and adding Women in Uniform to Killers (a cover, yes, but an official A-Side single and also included in the Australian version of Killers. My brief listens so far found BA and Invasion don't sound too out of place. Meanwhile, the shift into WiU's more garage-y guitar sound (especially in the intro riff) is a bit jarring. The fadeout does transition well into Prodigal Son, though, when placed in its Australian tracklisting.

Also working on finding a home for Wicker Man in Bruce's Accident of Birth since it was written during those sessions, but not finished until the Best Of was being put together. I don't know if I want to do the same with Return of the King and Eternal for The Chemical Wedding, though. Eternal's too Floyd-y and wouldn't fit, IMO, and RotK is good, but not sure it's good enough to risk putting a dent in the overall quality of the album.

But yeah, I agree adding That Girl, Reach Out, and Juanita at the time, the album could've easily been received as a Turbo-like or worse.

 

[Ruflux]

Including more songs on SiT is a moot point anyway, that album's over 50 minutes long as it is and barely fits on an LP. There was no room for even a single extra song.