Paschendale

How good is Paschendale on a scale of 1-10?

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'paschendale'

Hey Lichen. First of all, welcome to our corner of insanity. Second of all, there's a thread on the Third Battle of Ypres over in the Maidenfans forums. Check it out, it's under Maiden Chat.

Oh, and Dance of Death is amazing.
 
'paschendale'

This being my first time on these forums, I'd like to just say [!--emo&:howdy:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wavey.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'wavey.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

Now that's over with...

Paschendale reminds me very much of the classic song 'The Trooper', not in the way that it plays but in the reminder of the horrors of war told from the eyes of a soldier. It is a personal account that grips you and carries you on a grim tour of the Great War in all it's horror. And WWI was certainly that, advances in technology, such as poison gas, and the machine gun had changed how war was waged, boosting a defending army immensely if they were dug in. This left an imbalance for an army on the offensive.

Paschendale was a slaughter, but of course not the only one: Gallipoli comes to mind, as does the Somme.


The Somme:

On June 22, 1916 Sir Douglas Haig ordered a 8-day rolling artillery bombardment to clear the German lines, he claimed not even a rat would survive the assault, the German lines were expected to be blasted flat, but this was not the case.

On the morning of July 1 the BEF emerged from their trenches expecting no resistence, they had been assured that nothing, not even the barbed wire could survive the hail of artillery that had been set loose on the German lines, some amrched in parade formation, some were even playing bagpipes, or kicking soccer balls.

They never made it, the Germans had not only survived, but so had the emplacements. On July 1 alone the British Expeditionary Force lost 58,000 men, over 10,000 men died in the first ten minutes from machine gun, artillery and mortar fire.
It was without a doubt the worst day in BEF history.

Even with these losses Haig was not discouraged, and ordered his subordinates to continue making attacks.

The Battle of the Somme would go on until November: At it's end the British had suffered 420,000 casualties, the French 200,000, and the Germans estimated around 500,000 or more.


All this being said, i'm glad that bands like Iron Maiden can remember these things in song even when the rest of the world has long forgotten, if you look at many of their albums, Maiden isn't just a heavy metal band, Maiden isn't just even the greatest heavy metal band ever.

Iron Maiden is the voice of History.


Up The Irons!!!

Ark
 
'paschendale'

Welcome aboard, Ark! Speaking as the resident quasi-history fella, I'd like to say it's great to have someone else aboard who can haul out the old quotes! And your reminder is just perfect...the Somme was a hellish battle...

I just hope that we can see more people learning about our past and what we've managed to do. Today's wars just do not convey the meaning of 1914-18 and 1939-45.
 
'Paschendale'

Now you can read other visitors' comments on 'Paschendale' as well as post your own. Any contribution to the commentary will be much appreciated, may it be cultural references relevant to the song (links to related websites, interpretations that may have been overlooked in the Commentary, and the like) or personal essays related to the topic of the song. Just be aware that messages that are either off-topic or too wacky may be deleted.
 
'paschendale'

Hy mates!

A friend of mine sent me a link to this graphik and I think it looks really cool!
Just wanted to share with you all!


Be(a)st regards,
Maidenaustria

[img src=\'http://images3.deviantart.com/i/2004/10/e/8/Paschendale.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]
 
'paschendale'

[!--QuoteBegin-LooseCannon+Sep 5 2003, 07:17 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(LooseCannon @ Sep 5 2003, 07:17 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] ANZAC [Australia-New Zealand Army Corps] troops then Canadian troops
[/quote]
Don't forget the troops from France and The U.K that fought in the battle

here is a good site for info on third ypres

[a href=\'http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww1/france/3rd_ypres.htm\' target=\'_blank\']http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battle...e/3rd_ypres.htm[/a]
 
'paschendale'

A very good website. Of course, the Battle of Passchendaele really should only refer to the very last stage of Third Ypres. Advances were so slow until then that it wasn't about Passchendaele.
 
'paschendale'

Thanks guys for all the info about Paschendale.

This is the best track on the album for me, i get emotional listening to this song thinking about what those men went through armed usually with nothing more than a rifle.
As far as i know, none of my relatives were involved in WW1, several in WW2 including an uncle who was at Dunkirk.....he rarely spoke of it.
 
'paschendale'

[!--QuoteBegin-LooseCannon+May 16 2004, 09:53 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(LooseCannon @ May 16 2004, 09:53 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] A very good website.  Of course, the Battle of Passchendaele really should only refer to the very last stage of Third Ypres.  Advances were so slow until then that it wasn't about Passchendaele. [/quote]
But wasn't the whole point of the battle to take the high ground at Passchendaele??

As you say though progress was slow and the village of Passchendaele only did become a reasonable objective towards the end of the battle.
 
'paschendale'

it's really got it; and it's just that little guitar riff at the beginning - not the big, heavy one, the little plaintive one. I was in the army cadets at school and we used to get out on night exercises, and they used to fire these things, parachute flares and star shells used to go up. And there's this eerie ghostly light that comes from them, the twinkle on the way down, and they illuminate everything. And that's the sound of that riff. As soon as I heard that, I was like, 'Wow, this is going to be an amazing song!'

bruce

[a href=\'http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/feature.php?a=80&pg=2\' target=\'_blank\']http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/feature.php?a=80&pg=2[/a]
 
'paschendale'

The whole point was to break through the German lines, capture the U-Boat base at Zeebrüge, and then restore a war of mobility. Passchendaele was the first objective they needed to seize to do it. The FIRST! And it took them months!
 
'paschendale'

5/5 !

It's one of the best Maiden song, and very different from the other classical songs.

Adrian's slow tapping is really great : it's like an despaired SOS...

It's sad that at school, nobody's telling us about this battle. Here, in France, we only learn about battles which happen in France (like Verdun or le Chemin des dames ). It's a shame [!--emo&:(--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sad.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'sad.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

Up the Irons to contribute to our general knowledge.
 
'paschendale'

It's the best track on DoD. Very emotional. As the greatest Maiden songs, Paschendale makes you imagine yourself into its lyrics. You are in a trench for months. The trench is filled with corpses. Corpses of people you know. You haven't seen your family for ages. You can be almost sure you won't see them anymore. The trench is in the middle of nothing. Everywhere is just mud. No trees, no grass, nothing. You look at the landscape and it's hard to decide is it summer or autumn. Was it a forest earlier or just a meadow? Now it's mud. It's only mud here for months. Craters. Broken guns. And corpses. The front is stand still for years, thousands of people dies at the very same place and no opportunity to bury them.The artillery bombardments... No defense against it. Most victims of wars dies by artillery. No shooting, no hero-stuff, they just f*ckin' explode. Whistle of a grenade - where it lands? Ten meters from here? Two meters?

For me, WWI is about trenches. WW2 was about blitzkrieg, people didn't have to sit for ages in the same rotting, muddy f*ckin' trench. I don't think there is a more depressing thing than a WWI trench.

Earlier this evening I browsed that site someone linked above. The one with those pictures of WWI battlefields and trenches, those corpses... The kid soldiers... The shellshock victims. I've listened Paschendale during it. It made my eyes blurry. That intro is so setting up the mood of the song. So desperate, so lonely.

Thanks for Iron Maiden for this masterpiece! You have to keep on writing songs like this!!!
 
'paschendale'

One good film about WWI is "paths of glory" (Stanley kubrik)
You really see how horrible this war was.
 
'paschendale'

Best song I have ever heard. I stood through my school remembrance day listening to the headmaster droning on [i just though that he would support wars if he would gain from it, hes a politician at heart] and I wasn't moved in the slightest. Then the next week I bought DoD, and listening Paschendale I cried. Never has a song done that to me, the closest is Blood Brothers that makes me shiver with emotion.

This proves that which ever band member wrote Paschendale is a genius. He deserves to be placed up with Wilfred Owen and Seigfried Sasoon as a war poet.

The song could be about any WW1 battle but the name 'Paschendale sounds much better than 'Somme'.

Some Wars are fought for politics and out of greed. Examples that come to mind are Vietnam, Korea and the Bay of Pigs Invasion during the Cold War, all of Rome's wars, the Plains Indians Wars and many others. In my view history has had few greater heroes than the Vietcong and the Red Indians.

War can be complex. The sack of Rome has been remembered as a terrible and evil event but in my opinion it was a true victory for freedom and good. The Romans, held as the image of light and civilisation, were a brutal, cruel and bloodthirsty people wrapped up in marble and togas. The fall of Rome freed the 'barbarian' people to live their lives as they wanted without slavery, crucifixtion and gladiatorial games.

If you wan't to know why pointless wars are fought just look at an American republican . The ignorant masses are whipped into a hysteria of paranoia, hatred and blind patriotism.
 
'paschendale'

All I can add to this full to the brim thread is that Maiden have given a voice to the pain and suffering of others. Still, life goes on..... [!--emo&:unsure:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/unsure.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'unsure.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'paschendale'

Home, far away, from the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away, but the war, no chance to live again

Yeah!These words are the highlight of the song and I claim that they are the best Maiden(Steve) ever wrote!No matter if they're supposed to be the chorus of the song or not, yet they are in charge of the fact that 'Paschendale' should belong to any Maiden fan's top ten.
 
'paschendale'

[img src=\'http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/gorbeast/Paschendale1.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]
 
'paschendale'

Best Maiden song I've ever heard, in fact... Best song I've ever heard [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--] favourite parts:
"Cruelty has a human heart
everyman does play his part
terror of the men we kill
the human heart is hungry still

I stand my ground for the very last time
gun is ready as I stand in line
nervous wait for the whistle to blow
rush of blood and over we go..."

And ofcourse the breaking away of the solo after
"Blood is falling like the rain
its crimson cloak unveils again
the sound of guns can't hide their shame
and so we die on Paschendale"
Don't know who's solo that is though, I'd say Adrian's but I don't know for certain...

My gramps was a Dutch spy in WWII, he was arrested and put in front of a executional squad (or how do you call it?) But in the nick of time someone else was brought in and claimed he was the guilty one. My grandfather told me this guy was known to everybody in the Dutch resistance as a total lunatic whom wanted to become a hero... Evidently my grandfather actually wás the spy, they never found out though... He's stil alive now, and at the age of 84 he lived through the war and five heart-attacks [!--emo&:)--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/smile.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'smile.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

But, back on-topic again:

[!--emo&:bow:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/bowdown.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'bowdown.gif\' /][!--endemo--] Paschendale
 
'paschendale'

Awesome song. The lyrics are so powerful and meaningful, really conveying the true horror of war:

"Relive all that he's been through
Last Communon of his soul
Rust your bullets with your tears
Let me tell you about his years"

5 stars.
 
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