Possible Reasons For the Lack of New Music

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EvilThing

Prowler
Of course, this is all just pure speculation on my part, and you're welcome to disagree, but lately, I've been wondering if Rod is the reason for the long waits between studio albums.

Judging by recent interviews, It would seem that the band is not having trouble on the creative end. Bruce recently said that they've all be writing "Bits and bobs", There are the rumors that he's doing another solo album, Steve had his solo debut this year, and Adrian is always tinkering with something.

But, studio albums aren't cash cows for bands. Touring has always been where the real money is for most musicians and this has never been more true than today.

Enter Rod. His job is to make sure that the band is as successful and big as they can be. Part of this is making sure the Iron Maiden company makes as much money as it possibly can. If you're in his shoes, wouldn't it make sense to urge the band to do a little more touring and not rush into the studio? Especially, when albums cost money to produce and a band like Maiden can tour on the hits, from here to eternity.
 
I would not doubt it. I don't think it's the main reason, but I'm sure Rod plays a part in this.

The more they tour, the more money they make. Albums don't make money. They're all getting old and want to leave as much $ behind for their family and their legacy.

"Just think what a legacy! You now! Will leave!"
 
EvilThing said:
Enter Rod. His job is to make sure that the band is as successful and big as they can be. Part of this is making sure the Iron Maiden company makes as much money as it possibly can. If you're in his shoes, wouldn't it make sense to urge the band to do a little more touring and not rush into the studio? Especially, when albums cost money to produce and a band like Maiden can tour on the hits, from here to eternity.
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My two cents: Rod Smallwood may be the manager - i.e. the one who takes care of business - but Steve Harris is the leader. If Steve wants the band to make an album in 2014, and the band are up for it, they will make an album even if Rod says they would make more money from touring from March to September and taking the rest of the year off. In other words, I don't believe a second that Rod Smallwood can decide that the band will tour instead of making a new album. Not at this stage of their career. In the 80s, the manager (and the record company) would have a much bigger say.

Rod's job is to make sure that the band is as successful and big as they can be. Within the limits that are imposed on him by the band members. He takes care of business so that Steve doesn't have to. That doesn't mean he decides everything.
 
I think it was Steve who said that if they were doing it for the money they would have retired years ago. Rod's genius as a manager was really knowing what they needed rather than purely acquiring it and counting the beans, such as persuading EMI to commit to 3 albums in exchange for a smaller advance instead of letting them have the usual get-out clause if the 1st album wasn't successful. He has also shown himself to be a genius at establishing and maintaining their profile, such as refusing to play Donnington until they could headline. His influence with the band is what it is because Steve trusts him, but even without this I don't think that his advice to Steve would be purely or even mainly motivated by profit.

Now, we know that making a new album will not make them any money, but they have already said they don't need that and nor do they need to do it to raise their profile any more. So I think that they will hold off from recording a new album until they have written enough really good songs to play a complete blinder, that makes everything that went before look paltry and insignificant, blazing a trail to infinity and beyond.

And Foro, do try to get over the cabaret fixation (please!!)
 
The music (British Lion) wasn't in any real sense "new" though; it was all written (& even recorded) years ago. Still, I agree that, from a music perspective, Steve is calling the shots, not Rod.
 
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Steve might make key decisions but is dependent on his band mates. In the last interview I saw with Bruce he said he had 6 businesses (or business plans) going on. The man is also busy with speeches on creativity. It does not take an Einstein to realize that all this sucks up time (and creativity!) in both Maiden and his solo release plans.

Touring with a certain format (Somewhere Stuck in Time-tours) costs less time and takes less creativity.

And all this leads us back to the topic title.
 
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Black Abyss Babe said:
So I think that they will hold off from recording a new album until they have written enough really good songs to play a complete blinder, that makes everything that went before look paltry and insignificant, blazing a trail to infinity and beyond.
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Sorry but this is not the way Maiden works. They make time to write (with a deadline) and then they go into the studio. So without having songs at this moment, they could still make a schedule. It's a matter of planning.
 
How do we know that Bruce's business activity results in a delay in his music plans and not vice versa? Maybe he's got all these business things going on right now because he knows he has the time for them.
 
We don't know that it is so, indeed. After all, this is only about possible reasons. I realize well that you and some others see no point in it. But as long as Maiden will not go into the studio (and stay silent on that subject), I am afraid that the "looking for reasons" (speculating) will go on for a while.
 
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MrKnickerbocker said:
The more they tour, the more money they make. Albums don't make money. They're all getting old and want to leave as much $ behind for their family and their legacy.
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Rod was definitely pushing them in the 80s with album-tour, album-tour. Back in them days they needed to have an album out to go promote it and make money. Now that they do history tours and what not, new album are not necessary to go on tour anymore.
 
At risk of ending up in an award-winning thread, I just think they want to take things more easily. Bringing out a new album would normally mean intensive touring pretty soon afterwards, not to mention all the publicity required. The side projects aren't tiny, but they're not as big as Maiden. A huge effort with maximum energy is required for everything Maiden do.
 
This kind of conversation maybe futile but is extremely enjoyable ; after all, in music forums (and the same goes with football forums), we keep discussing futile and non vital things that make life a lot more fun.
Coming back to the thread, I'd like to know why the hell you all take for granted that Maiden won't make profit releasing an album. TFF has reached number one in many charts ; although I know this implies less important sales than in the past, the figures are important. And I can't imagine that the main reason behind the absence of a new record so far is Rod's will. They all know that there is not much time left, so Steve and the guys wouldn't let that kind of decision up to the manager. I think there must be some kind of consensus beetween them.
 
Forostar said:
They make time to write (with a deadline) and then they go into the studio.
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In the past, certainly. But there's no reason why they have to keep on doing the same thing indefinitely. They usually used to shut themselves away in a hotel or somewhere and just get their heads down and write, as you say, with a deadline (except for Somewhere In Time which they all wrote separately during their break after the World Slavery Tour). But now, we are told, they are writing "bits and bobs" at an apparently much more leisurely pace. Also Dave (I think) has said that they don't have any plans for next year, although we've been told in the past that they plan everything years in advance. So it seems that things are being done differently this time, whatever the reason for that might be.
 
harrisdevot said:
I'd like to know why the hell you all take for granted that Maiden won't make profit releasing an album.
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Mainly because turning in revenue does not necessarily equate to making a profit. They have to pay for the studio, the producer, the artwork, the pressings (or whatever that's called these days) and the distribution, plus a miriad things I don't even know about, and then Amazon sells them for thrupence ha'penny apiece. The actual markup on each unit is probably quite small, so generating a significant amount of profit depends on volume of sales, which they will probably get but can't count on. But you are right, I did state as an absolute that they wouldn't make any money on it, which was naughty and careless and wrong of me, so I apologise (slap wrist!).
 
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