Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Slippage. The cracks are starting to show.
Collin
Chasing Ponce De Leon's Phantoms
There are no cracks in Phantom. The cracks must be inside your head...
John Silver
Electric Buddy
Changing his mind - like a boss
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
But I thought the cracks in our lives, like the cracks upon the ground, they are sealed and are now washed away...?
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Eternal classic, not only for the band, but for the heavy metal genre. Only Steve can write such a masterpiece. The intro is amazing/haunting, the riff is brutal and so fast - one of the bests from Maiden. Strangely, I like the lyrics. Great solos (especially Dave's both), the part with Steve's little bass solo is another thing which I want to praise. Amazing drums all over the song. Di'Anno performance is really good. Still to this day I'm amazed by the tempo of the song. I quite like this part: ''Keep your distance, walk away, don't take his bait''.... The twin-lead guitar harmonies are (as always) fantastic. Steve's bass playing in the whole song is so good. This song shows that this band is going to be special... I mean, how many debut albums has such a (epic) timeless masterpiece! A greatest hit song for the band - one of the best epics of the band. The song is an example how you have to do heavy metal. Early classic that will live forever and beyond. If someone want a ''best of'' of Maiden you should include this song at the top.
10/10
10/10
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Luisma
Years Wasted
Trivia
January 6, 1979 – The band starts rehearsing 'Phantom Of The Opera' (still in pieces) at Hollywood Studios.
April 10, 1979 - First time Maiden manages to play the song without messing it up.
"Another day and another rehearsal, but this had a bit more significance. This was the first time that the band had played 'Phantom Of The Opera' all the way through. Before this momentous occasion, one member or other had either stopped because he had forgotten where he was in relation to the song, or they had stopped simply because somebody had screwed something up. They knew all the parts, but getting them in the right order took months of practise, and finally tonight it happened. It was a great relief all round, and I think we celebrated with a quick half at the local pub, before resuming the rehearsal, in the hope that the band might make it two out of two, but no. This time, I think it was Doug that dropped a stick or something, and shortly after we packed everything up and went home." (Loopy on Loopyworld - The Iron Maiden Years - 2016)
When Killers (one of Di'Anno's many bands after Maiden) was looking for a record deal, they auditioned for CBS, BMG and Virgin by playing 'Phantom Of the Opera' & 'Wrathchild'.
Would you like to know more info like this? Get my book by subscribing at https://www.subscribepage.com/luisma666
January 6, 1979 – The band starts rehearsing 'Phantom Of The Opera' (still in pieces) at Hollywood Studios.
April 10, 1979 - First time Maiden manages to play the song without messing it up.
"Another day and another rehearsal, but this had a bit more significance. This was the first time that the band had played 'Phantom Of The Opera' all the way through. Before this momentous occasion, one member or other had either stopped because he had forgotten where he was in relation to the song, or they had stopped simply because somebody had screwed something up. They knew all the parts, but getting them in the right order took months of practise, and finally tonight it happened. It was a great relief all round, and I think we celebrated with a quick half at the local pub, before resuming the rehearsal, in the hope that the band might make it two out of two, but no. This time, I think it was Doug that dropped a stick or something, and shortly after we packed everything up and went home." (Loopy on Loopyworld - The Iron Maiden Years - 2016)
When Killers (one of Di'Anno's many bands after Maiden) was looking for a record deal, they auditioned for CBS, BMG and Virgin by playing 'Phantom Of the Opera' & 'Wrathchild'.
Would you like to know more info like this? Get my book by subscribing at https://www.subscribepage.com/luisma666
Pibroch_Whistler
Educated Fool
Clive Burr's ride cymbal attack on early live recordings blows my mind to this day. Not sure if Nicko (an excellent cymbal player in his own right) can come close to Clive's brilliance.
maidenpriest
Trooper
Not even close my friend you had to be there in the early days, i guess the reunion version's the playing is ok but nothing special, but exciting to hear after all these years again the extra guitar adds nothing to the song IMO, and i wonder if it is even up in the mix, also i did not like that Gers took Smiths solo on the 2005 version !!
The 2000's versions are no where near as good as they played in there younger days not even remotely close, Bruce always talks over the difficult twin guitar bits to cover any mistakes in the 2000's versions and he seems to turn it into a comedy song going on about Sunday Roasts etc... urgh
(maybe excitement of playing it again perhaps or to cover aging guitarists ??), the later live versions do not have the intensity and hunger of the pre-1980's versions (the live 1987 version is great with the synth guitars check it out 
), the best live recorded professionally versions are Beast Over Hammersmith, Reading 82, LAD, Live New York and IMO the best of all is the live at the Rainbow Dianno version Guitar sound is just right... Up The Irons
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srfc
Ancient Mariner
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
I was listening to LAD on the way into work today and I thought it is weird that this is the last time a live version song has been released (excluding early days DVD content). Considering it has featured on 4 tours since 1999 I find this really odd. The 2005 version was amazing.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Oh man. From the very first moment of the song to the last, this track has me hooked. The intro is killer, the verses are pumping, the music is cooking. And then there are all these tempo changes that shift us through different rooms and moods while never losing its way. The instrumental section in particular is one of the band’s best. The way the instruments drop out for that bass and guitar dual is fantastic, and the way they build back up, phenomenal. Really transports you into a different world. What a song. Not sure if it’s flawless per se, and there will be better epics in future, but as a first attempt they nailed it. Excellent fucking song. 9/10
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
It was on the original album, cut from remasters that came later, and then added back in the new 2015 remaster. What versions are your CD and vinyl?
Spaldy
Ancient Mariner
My CD is '98 but my Vinyl is the '15. I'll have to go back and check again. Maybe I just missed it because I'm an idiot.