@Forostar asked me to post this on his behalf:
Hi dear Maidenfans, friends. I was so handy to forget my password and have not been able to get back to the forum with that account, or to make a new one. Thanks NightProwler for posting this:
Paul Di'Anno's death is shocking news because I thought it went a bit better with him in the last years. I recently read he planned to some final tour dates, and that he still had to have another operation. He got some financial support by Maiden, and even met a few members, which was good to see.
Iron Maiden's debut album got me hooked on Maiden (in 1991, 10 years after he had left), thanks to a cassette, borrowed to me by a friend.
At age 16 I felt the overall intensity of the band, so much went on in the songs. E.g. there was the immensely cool acceleration in Prowler (a highlight in the whole discography), but also the changes in Phantom of the Opera, the riffs in Transylvania, the two guitarists and that mighty rhythm tandem of Steve Harris and Clive Burr.
Soon I bought the double LP Live After Death and the Sanctuary 12 inch ("4 tracks inc. 2 "live" tracks"). I wanted that one because Prowler was on it. What a song. That middle part still gets me everytime I hear it.
Of course there was also the vocalist.
Over the years I've come to realize more how important Di'Anno's vocal delivery is on the first two albums. It seems to fit so logically, so naturally.
What the man did may have been underestimated, surely because of who followed him, but maybe also because(!) he fit so well to Maiden's style of that era.
At times he was aggressive, with great speed and timing (although not always easy to understand), but he also had a beautiful side (e.g. in Strange World, Charlotte the Harlot, Prodigal Son) or haunting (Remember Tomorrow).
In 2005, I went to see Di'Anno with the Dutch tribute band Up the Irons, in Waalwijk. His voice was rather fucked up, but it was so cool to see him out there, especially seeing him do Prowler.
After the concert I remember he disappeared into some backstage room. We waited a bit and then suddenly the door flew open, he moved hastily towards the exit. I was lucky (also very attentive), just like how I managed to catch Bruce 10 years later, when he hastily left a fanclub event in Paris, to ask his autograph. I remember Paul complained he was so sick that he did not have energy for the fans.
But I have the autograph. On that very first single I bought. RIP PAUL, thanks for the memories and your ever lasting contribution. Say hi to Clive. Up Di Irons!
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