Senjutsu - 3rd September 2021

I'd be ok to hear them play any of the album songs. Much more than AMOLAD which seems to be a favorite among fans.
 
matic22 said:
Hell On Earth and Senjutsu are BY FAR the most popular of the newly released tracks. That's why. They have like twice the listens on YT compared to other songs.
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Yep, 'Arry and the boys are definitely going to decide on a setlist based on YouTube viewing figures.

:whogivesafuck:
 
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Slartibartfarst42 said:
I can't believe I'm even thinking this, but I think there is a strong case that Senjutsu is the best album Maiden have ever released. I started following the band in 1980 so I've been there for every album as it was released and this alone makes it tough for me because I have a strong emotional attachment to the eighties and its music. I am also certainly mindful that the fact it's a new album that I enjoy could be swaying my opinion. It's also true that after the last two albums, my expectations coming into this one were very low indeed so there may be an element of pleasant surprise affecting my view. It's also fair to say that with a band like Iron Maiden, the live performance of these songs could well affect my perception. It's also fair to say that this is not a quintessential Maiden album and I certainly wouldn't suggest anyone starts with this one. Despite all of this, I still think that this could be their strongest ever studio album.

I pondered long and hard before placing it at the top of my list, and I kept telling myself that it was ridiculous that this album could topple the likes of Seventh Son, Somewhere in Time, Powerslave or Number of the Beast. To me, these four albums represent the height of Maiden's achievements as a band. They are of the very highest quality and come from the band's golden era, however, I am also aware of the fact that I have a strong emotional attachment to these albums for various reasons, and this will also affect my perspective. As undoubtedly great as these albums are, they are not without weaknesses if we look at them closely.

Number of the Beast
Run to the Hills, The Number of the Beast and Hallowed Be Thy Name are all classics for a reason and have rightly stood the test of time. They would stand against anything on Senjutsu easily and even stand at the top of the pile, but what of the rest of the album? They're mostly good songs and I love listening to them, but they don't stand out as particularly special or ambitious. Gangland is actually pretty average. This is undoubtedly a strong album and it was a game changer for them, but its legendary status is largely built on three stupendous songs.

Powerslave
This has the strongest start to an album as you could wish for with Aces High followed by Two Minutes to Midnight. It also has an incredible end with Powerslave and Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Very little else that they've done can live with these songs. Back in the Village is also a great song that is often overlooked. The other three are good, but they don't stand out in the same way. For me, this is why it's a better album than Number of the Beast.

Somewhere in Time
I've always loved this album and in some respects I prefer it to Powerslave, but overall I don't think it's as strong. Caught Somewhere in Time, Wasted Years and Stranger in a Strange Land are superb and are three of the very best songs they've ever done. I rank this one lower because although the other songs are good, they don't stand out to me as great. I do like Heaven Can Wait, but the closing epic track is one of my least favourite of all their epics and the other songs are just OK. That's a strong album, and even a great album, but that can't make it the best.

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
This is a really unusual album and I find it almost impossible to rank objectively. How many classic tracks are on this album? How many of these tracks have they ever played live other than on the tour to support this album? The harsh reality is that very little stands out here on an individual basis. The Evil That Men Do has obviously stood the test of time, and rightly so. I would also pick the title track, not because of its anthemic nature, but because of its ambition. This was taking their songwriting to a whole new level. For me, this is an album that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Individual songs may not stand out, but as an entire album it is a stunning achievement and that's why I rank it so high. It was an album they had been building towards since Bruce joined and I really do see it as the pinnacle of achievement for that incarnation of the band.

Now let's see how Senjutsu stands up against these albums using the same criteria.

Senjutsu
Does it have the classic tracks of The Number of the Beast and Somewhere in Time? I think that it's too early to say if we're honest, and the sheer length of many of the songs means that many may not feature in the live set for long, but I think there's a strong case to be made that a number of the songs could be viewed as potential classics.

Does it have the strong opening and ending of Powerslave? Yes, absolutely! The more I listen to the title track, the more I like it and I think it could be a real barnstormer live, but the strength here is deeper. On Powerslave, after you pass the first two tracks, there is a definite dip. On Senjutsu, where is the dip? Every single song on that first disc is absolutely superb; it's just one incredible song after another. I'd say that The Writing on the Wall is the weakest track there, largely because it's the one where Bruce's voice is most strained, but even this is a great song and contains one of the best guitar solos I've ever heard. I can't think of another first disc or first side that is as consistently good as this. The songs are filled with melody, great solos, great riffs, they're full of light and shade and they show an ambition in construction that I've rarely seen before.

So, a great start, but does the ending stand up against Powerslave? You have three strong songs on the second side of Powerslave and two of them are stand-out tracks. It's tough to beat that, but I think Senjutsu makes a strong case for itself. As a closing epic, Hell on Earth is as good or better than anything they've done before, including Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I honestly can't think of a closing epic track that is clearly better and it has a sophistication that I'm not sure they have achieved before. Rime of the Ancient Mariner is close and I would also suggest that Paschendale is a spectacular achievement that is even better, but Hell on Earth seems to be on a par with that, or at least it's VERY close. Darkest Hour is another superb track that really stands out and although I think The Parchment is too long, the musical journey and the level of musicianship is excellent. That only leaves Death of the Celts. I would say that compared to The Clansman, it falls short, and I think it is the weakest song on the album. It's not a bad song by any means; we're certainly not talking 'Quest for Fire' here, but it is the weakest on the album. The thing is, even if we say that Death of the Celts is a weak song, that's one song from an entire album that is very long. Every other track is fantastic and I can't think of another Maiden album that can boast that level of consistency.

But does it stack up against Seventh Son as an overall package? This was the hardest thing to decide. Taken as separate components, this album is way stronger, but the strength of Seventh Son was its ambition, sophistication and the fact it was the culmination of their achievements in that era. Senjutsu is certainly ambitious, it's highly sophisticated and is undoubtedly the culmination of their achievements in this incarnation of the band. In that respect, it feels a lot like Seventh Son to me and my reaction on listening to the album has been very similar. It has all of the things that made Seventh Son such a towering achievement and it has done this while also having stronger individual songs that are more consistently delivered than any other album they've made. Individual songs on other albums obviously stand out and always will, but as an overall package, Senjutsu is simply a stunning achievement.

Could Senjutsu really be the best studio album they've ever made? It may be too early to say, but I think there's a strong case to be made that it is just that.

I still reserve the right to change my mind after more time, but for now, I stand by my assertion that Senjutsu is the best album they have ever made.
Click to expand...
One of the things which really stands out for me on this album is the guitar work, especially the solos.

Almost every solo feels like a properly created passage, as opposed to pointless noodling over a scale. Some really stunning work here.
 
Slartibartfarst42 said:
I can't believe I'm even thinking this, but I think there is a strong case that Senjutsu is the best album Maiden have ever released. I started following the band in 1980 so I've been there for every album as it was released and this alone makes it tough for me because I have a strong emotional attachment to the eighties and its music. I am also certainly mindful that the fact it's a new album that I enjoy could be swaying my opinion. It's also true that after the last two albums, my expectations coming into this one were very low indeed so there may be an element of pleasant surprise affecting my view. It's also fair to say that with a band like Iron Maiden, the live performance of these songs could well affect my perception. It's also fair to say that this is not a quintessential Maiden album and I certainly wouldn't suggest anyone starts with this one. Despite all of this, I still think that this could be their strongest ever studio album.

I pondered long and hard before placing it at the top of my list, and I kept telling myself that it was ridiculous that this album could topple the likes of Seventh Son, Somewhere in Time, Powerslave or Number of the Beast. To me, these four albums represent the height of Maiden's achievements as a band. They are of the very highest quality and come from the band's golden era, however, I am also aware of the fact that I have a strong emotional attachment to these albums for various reasons, and this will also affect my perspective. As undoubtedly great as these albums are, they are not without weaknesses if we look at them closely.

Number of the Beast
Run to the Hills, The Number of the Beast and Hallowed Be Thy Name are all classics for a reason and have rightly stood the test of time. They would stand against anything on Senjutsu easily and even stand at the top of the pile, but what of the rest of the album? They're mostly good songs and I love listening to them, but they don't stand out as particularly special or ambitious. Gangland is actually pretty average. This is undoubtedly a strong album and it was a game changer for them, but its legendary status is largely built on three stupendous songs.

Powerslave
This has the strongest start to an album as you could wish for with Aces High followed by Two Minutes to Midnight. It also has an incredible end with Powerslave and Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Very little else that they've done can live with these songs. Back in the Village is also a great song that is often overlooked. The other three are good, but they don't stand out in the same way. For me, this is why it's a better album than Number of the Beast.

Somewhere in Time
I've always loved this album and in some respects I prefer it to Powerslave, but overall I don't think it's as strong. Caught Somewhere in Time, Wasted Years and Stranger in a Strange Land are superb and are three of the very best songs they've ever done. I rank this one lower because although the other songs are good, they don't stand out to me as great. I do like Heaven Can Wait, but the closing epic track is one of my least favourite of all their epics and the other songs are just OK. That's a strong album, and even a great album, but that can't make it the best.

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
This is a really unusual album and I find it almost impossible to rank objectively. How many classic tracks are on this album? How many of these tracks have they ever played live other than on the tour to support this album? The harsh reality is that very little stands out here on an individual basis. The Evil That Men Do has obviously stood the test of time, and rightly so. I would also pick the title track, not because of its anthemic nature, but because of its ambition. This was taking their songwriting to a whole new level. For me, this is an album that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Individual songs may not stand out, but as an entire album it is a stunning achievement and that's why I rank it so high. It was an album they had been building towards since Bruce joined and I really do see it as the pinnacle of achievement for that incarnation of the band.

Now let's see how Senjutsu stands up against these albums using the same criteria.

Senjutsu
Does it have the classic tracks of The Number of the Beast and Somewhere in Time? I think that it's too early to say if we're honest, and the sheer length of many of the songs means that many may not feature in the live set for long, but I think there's a strong case to be made that a number of the songs could be viewed as potential classics.

Does it have the strong opening and ending of Powerslave? Yes, absolutely! The more I listen to the title track, the more I like it and I think it could be a real barnstormer live, but the strength here is deeper. On Powerslave, after you pass the first two tracks, there is a definite dip. On Senjutsu, where is the dip? Every single song on that first disc is absolutely superb; it's just one incredible song after another. I'd say that The Writing on the Wall is the weakest track there, largely because it's the one where Bruce's voice is most strained, but even this is a great song and contains one of the best guitar solos I've ever heard. I can't think of another first disc or first side that is as consistently good as this. The songs are filled with melody, great solos, great riffs, they're full of light and shade and they show an ambition in construction that I've rarely seen before.

So, a great start, but does the ending stand up against Powerslave? You have three strong songs on the second side of Powerslave and two of them are stand-out tracks. It's tough to beat that, but I think Senjutsu makes a strong case for itself. As a closing epic, Hell on Earth is as good or better than anything they've done before, including Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I honestly can't think of a closing epic track that is clearly better and it has a sophistication that I'm not sure they have achieved before. Rime of the Ancient Mariner is close and I would also suggest that Paschendale is a spectacular achievement that is even better, but Hell on Earth seems to be on a par with that, or at least it's VERY close. Darkest Hour is another superb track that really stands out and although I think The Parchment is too long, the musical journey and the level of musicianship is excellent. That only leaves Death of the Celts. I would say that compared to The Clansman, it falls short, and I think it is the weakest song on the album. It's not a bad song by any means; we're certainly not talking 'Quest for Fire' here, but it is the weakest on the album. The thing is, even if we say that Death of the Celts is a weak song, that's one song from an entire album that is very long. Every other track is fantastic and I can't think of another Maiden album that can boast that level of consistency.

But does it stack up against Seventh Son as an overall package? This was the hardest thing to decide. Taken as separate components, this album is way stronger, but the strength of Seventh Son was its ambition, sophistication and the fact it was the culmination of their achievements in that era. Senjutsu is certainly ambitious, it's highly sophisticated and is undoubtedly the culmination of their achievements in this incarnation of the band. In that respect, it feels a lot like Seventh Son to me and my reaction on listening to the album has been very similar. It has all of the things that made Seventh Son such a towering achievement and it has done this while also having stronger individual songs that are more consistently delivered than any other album they've made. Individual songs on other albums obviously stand out and always will, but as an overall package, Senjutsu is simply a stunning achievement.

Could Senjutsu really be the best studio album they've ever made? It may be too early to say, but I think there's a strong case to be made that it is just that.

I still reserve the right to change my mind after more time, but for now, I stand by my assertion that Senjutsu is the best album they have ever made.
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I have a similar feeling about Senjutsu. I think this is a really special album. I have to give it more time to fully absorb it, but it may end up being my all time favourite.
 
TheMercenary said:
The idea of playing the entire 'Senjutsu' is something that Bruce wants a lot, as he said in his interview for Rock Hard France in july. And I must admit that I'm not against this plan. :)
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In another more recent interview he kept saying that fans bought tickets for something else (flamethrowers / show etc.).

Nicko is really for it though.
 
TheMercenary said:
The idea of playing the entire 'Senjutsu' is something that Bruce wants a lot, as he said in his interview for Rock Hard France in july. And I must admit that I'm not against this plan. :)
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They did it for AMOLAD which was a uniform album ( mood, speed and feel). I can see Senjutsu being a real trip if done live.
 
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TheMercenary said:
The idea of playing the entire 'Senjutsu' is something that Bruce wants a lot, as he said in his interview for Rock Hard France in july. And I must admit that I'm not against this plan. :)
Click to expand...

I can't believe I'm saying this... but I'm not opposed to it either. I hope they play 6 songs off the album, although I'm pretty sure they'll piss me off and not play the Parchment.
 
Imagine this pure perfection of a tour:

1. Senjutsu
2. Stratego
3. 2 Minutes to Midnight
4. The Clansman
5. Death of the Celts
6. The Writing on the Wall
7. The Trooper
8. Lost in a Lost World
9. The Time Machine
10. The Parchment
11. Fear of the Dark
12. Hell on Earth

ENCORE:
13. Number of the Beast
14. Run to the Hills
15. Blood Brothers
 
Alenjandro said:
Imagine this pure perfection of a tour:

1. Senjutsu
2. Stratego
3. 2 Minutes to Midnight
4. The Clansman
5. Death of the Celts
6. The Writing on the Wall
7. The Trooper
8. Lost in a Lost World
9. The Time Machine
10. The Parchment
11. Fear of the Dark
12. Hell on Earth

ENCORE:
13. Number of the Beast
14. Run to the Hills
15. Blood Brothers
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I would love that, but they would have to play a 2.5 hour set and sadly I can't see that happening.
 
Alenjandro said:
Imagine this pure perfection of a tour:

1. Senjutsu
2. Stratego
3. 2 Minutes to Midnight
4. The Clansman
5. Death of the Celts
6. The Writing on the Wall
7. The Trooper
8. Lost in a Lost World
9. The Time Machine
10. The Parchment
11. Fear of the Dark
12. Hell on Earth

ENCORE:
13. Number of the Beast
14. Run to the Hills
15. Blood Brothers
Click to expand...

No, thanks.
 
Just seen plenty of damaged FC boxset pics on the forums..I was surprised how badly they've packed these and so plenty of orders that have been received, were damaged somehow. Unbelievable that they have such poor packaging and quality control on this matter. Im going to cancel my order and so use that money for something else.
 
Alenjandro said:
Imagine this pure perfection of a tour:

1. Senjutsu
2. Stratego
3. 2 Minutes to Midnight
4. The Clansman
5. Death of the Celts
6. The Writing on the Wall
7. The Trooper
8. Lost in a Lost World
9. The Time Machine
10. The Parchment
11. Fear of the Dark
12. Hell on Earth

ENCORE:
13. Number of the Beast
14. Run to the Hills
15. Blood Brothers
Click to expand...
The show would be too long. ;)
 
Forostar said:
In another more recent interview he kept saying that fans bought tickets for something else (flamethrowers / show etc.).

Nicko is really for it though.
Click to expand...
You have misunderstood. Bruce has talked about playing the full album live, but in the interview you mention he was talking about next years LOTB tour. That's what they have sold tickets for, and they are gonna honour that.
 
Spaldy said:
Music Glue strikes again!
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Do people commonly have issues with Music Glue? This was my first time ordering from them (thought via the official maiden site was supporting them better I guess) and I still don't have my CD that I preordered the first day of preorders.

Say what you like about Amazon being an awful company but at least they're always on time for me.
 
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