Queensryche & Geoff Tate

Yeah Geoff comes across as not very likeable. I did enjoy The Key and some of the follow up. I really don't think he'll be realising many more albums. Toddryche are playing smaller and smaller venues too.
 
I have not gone though every one of the 24 pages, but does anyone remember a member of Maiden talking about Operation Mindcrime in relation to Seventh Son. I seem to remember reading something back in the day, where one of the Maiden guys says something to the effect of, "We thought re released a pretty good concept album, but then Queensryche realses one that is much better than ours."
I'm paraphrasing, but does this sound familiar to anyone?
 
I would love to find the source. I just remember reading it back in the day, and I was kind of surprised. But I agreed as well. Personally, I like Seventh Son better, but I have no problem saying that O:M might be a better album.
 
I'm not sure which album I prefer musically, but purely as concept albums Mindcrime was executed better.
 
Yes, I totally agree. Both albums came out at such a great time in my life. I mean, what's better than sophomore year of college?? I wore both of them out. I generally consider both albums equal, but my Maiden leanings pull me towards 7th Son.
 
I have no problem saying Mindcrime is significantly better than 7th Son.
Where do I hand in my fanboy card?
 
Collin said:
Yeah Mindcrime is better than 7th son. Scenes From a Memory is better than both of them.
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I respect everyone on this thread (and always enjoy the posts), but I'll say that all of you are on serious drugs if you think SFAM or OM is better than SSOASS. I know that won't win me any popularity awards, but I just find those albums pretentious and cheesy as hell.
 
That's kind of how I feel about all concept albums, including Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
 
Yea I'm not sure how Seventh Son gets a pass if you're worried about cheese and pretentiousness.
 
TAC said:
I'm paraphrasing, but does this sound familiar to anyone?
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I don't know the original source, but there's a page with quotes from Maiden members on all their albums. http://teamrock.com/feature/2015-09-04/iron-maiden-album-by-album-in-their-own-words Re: SSOASS, Steve is quoted as saying, “It was a new challenge for us, making a concept album. I’ve always loved prog – Yes, Genesis, ELP – and this album’s title track was a powerful song with that prog element to it. Not everyone liked the album at the time. Bruce even said to me that Queensryche had made a better concept album that ours, with Operation: Mindcrime. I said, ‘That’s a really good album, but ours is a fucking great album!’ "

I'm with Bruce on this one. Seventh Son was overall a disappointment for me, though there are still a handful of tracks off it that I like. Mindcrime was more of a coherent concept, and the songs were more consistently good -- not really a clunker on the whole album, but Seventh Son had a few.

Maiden also showed a lot of respect for Queensryche in the mid-late 80s, which I'm sure the guys in QR were honored by. Harris and Murray both praised them in interviews as one of the newer bands that they enjoy, and you can Google Image Search several photos of 'Arry wearing different Queensryche T-shirts back in the day.

A few months ago I listened to an old radio interview with Maiden from around the time Live After Death came out. The interview was interspersed with musical clips from the album (edited out of the MP3 that I found, and sorry I don't remember where I found it or I'd link it). But towards the end, the host played "Warning" by Queensryche, and said that they were playing that clip at Maiden's special request.
 
Regarding the whole concept album thing, don't forget Abigail. Musically and song wise OM and SSOASS kick its ass, but story wise, it's tops too.
 
Mosh said:
Yea I'm not sure how Seventh Son gets a pass if you're worried about cheese and pretentiousness.
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While they don't have the self-deprecation of folks like Tool or Dev Townsend, I think Maiden are pretty self aware and tongue in cheek when needed whereas I'm not sure about the others. SSOASS was more of a heavy metal record with proggy flourishes and a generic inter-related storyline as opposed to soundscapes and grandeur advancing a B-movie plot with the whole Nikki/Dr X narrative. Mindcrime isn't "bad" - I quite like some of the songs, but I often eye roll at some of the more dramatic parts and find myself unintentionally laughing in places (same with DT).

Maiden is certainly not immune from the cheese factor (my wife thinks Maiden is completely ridiculous and a target for mockery), but perhaps I listened to them for so long that I tend not to notice is as much.
 
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On the other hand, Mindcrime is one of those cases where you can make catchy songs which link together and form a great story (musically), whereas SSOASS is less straightforward, there's a bunch of different interpretations of it, whereas with Mindcrime it's just one straightforward story built by great songs. When I first listened to SSOASS I must admit I would not have realized it was a concept album had I not heard that it was. With Mindcrime, it's obvious. Personally, when it comes to concept albums, I think that's a strength. Still, both are great.
 
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