Maiden Songs That Are Growing On You

RTC

Libera et impera!
Simple enough premise, discuss some of the Maiden songs that are growing on you as of late.

I've really started to enjoy The Talisman recently. I always thought it was a good song, but it was always a song I just respected and didn't love. Those riffs at the 3:44 point kick so much ass.
 
I haven't really had an extended period of listening to Iron Maiden since about 2012, so my favourites and less liked songs have stayed the same for quite a while. "Sea of Madness" is however the last song that became a favourite. Mainly because of the second chorus and the solo and bridge that comes after it, containing Steve's best bassline and my favourite Adrian Smith solo.
 
One of my growers of last year was Quest For Fire, having mostly ignored it previously. Fun little song with a nice little instrumental part. I've mostly had a break from Maiden for the past couple of months, but When the Wild Wind Blows has been growing on me too.
 
The Angel and the gambler has been growing on me........

And growing on you.
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I always hated Can I Play With Madness... and then I saw Maiden 2008, and begrudgingly admitted that it had been quite fun to experience that tune live. After seeing it again in 2012 it's now to the point where I can listen to the studio version regularly without wanting to claw my ears off.

Having said that, seeing it twice live is enough for me I think...
 
Know what's worse? ...I used to hate Wasted Years. :facepalm:

I think it took a week or two for it to grow on me after I bought SIT. Silly 16-year old me...
 
Oh, that reminds me, Fear of the Dark has grown on me since hearing it live. I've never disliked it, but heard it so many times it lost its appeal. However, there's such a good atmosphere when its played live.
 

That song is growing on me...

Chorus have always reminded me of "Age of Innocence", anyone else? Both songs were released in 2003.
 
I haven't been listening to Maiden often lately but my biggest growers last year were Flash of the Blade and Lord of the Flies. Both songs have great flow, very well written.
 
Last year was a big dive back into metal year for me. I had put away my electric guitar in favor of my acoustic for, oh maybe 8 or so years.

I completely missed out on Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death, and The Final Frontier.

That said, I really didn't like DoD the first spin. At all. I think the only song that stuck out was Paschendale, but it still seemed a little underwhelming.
Now this record has some of my all time favorites:
Dance of Death, Paschendale, Montsegur, Gates of Tomorrow

AMoLaD: Didn't pick up on this album right away either but:
Brighter than a Thousand Suns, The Pilgrim, For the Greater Good of God and The Legacy

TFF: This one nestled in with my ears nicely from the jump. I really enjoyed The Isle of Avalon, The Talisman, The Alchemist and S15-TFF
Mother of Mercy and El Dorado were the two that sounded just meh to me, but they've been growing on me a lot. I was listening to this album today and when MoM started I was surprised how into it I was. El Dorado is one of my favorite more straight forward tunes they've done now.

From the earlier albums:
Running Free
Drifter
22 Acacia Ave, Total Eclipse
Where Eagles Dare (I used to skip this song every time, I always found the power chord riffage part really uninspired, now it sounds powerful and big!)
Heaven Can Wait (Must have always skipped this one too because I barely remembered it but I really like it now)
Public Enema Number One (Not sure how this one is generally regarded, but I love the melodies.)
Childhood's End, Wasting Love
Most of the X-Factor (still need more spins here as I can't even remember how many of them sound based off their titles.)
Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger (Wow, love this tune, it is repetitive but the fast guitar work towards the end saves it for me and I always look forward to that part, enough where I don't mind listening to the rest, or actually enjoy it.)
Nomad, Thin Line Between Love and Hate


Just goes to show you, a lot of times your first, second... one hundredth impression can change.
 
Its beginning (build-up and sound) is outstanding (as is the later couplet and pre-chorus), ending in:

I always thought I was doing right
As of now I'm not feeling so sure

I'm at a place of where
I give no grace
I'm a soldier of war


And that awesome solo in the heavy Sabbatish midpiece, preceded by that mindblowing bridge:

Some say you are a lost cause
Some say you're a Saint
Just being here's an act of
suffering and restraint

Walk down the long dark road
To ruin panic not
I'll die a lonely death of that
I'm certain of


YEAH!!!! The solo could have been a bit longer, but still: these connected sections are a top 5 (or even 3) highlight of the whole album. So the upsides are imo more important than the small downside of the vocals in the choruses. Let's have it live before the band calls it quits. :)
 
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