My second least favourite album from the 80s, Killers being the least. I wonder if that's just a coincidence that I had the other 80s album for a while before I got those two??
Caught Somewhere in Time - 10, a great opener, love H's guitar line in the chorus and the solos are out of this world, probably H's best. The little run they do at the end of the solo section and repeat in the outro is great as well
Wasted Years - 10, Maiden's best "pop" single, it really should have done better in the charts, easily should have been top 10. Their best video too, and loved when they played it last in the encore.
Sea of Madness - 9, this took years to grow on me, I never really digged the kind of cheesy, almost boyzone lyrics, "like the eagle and the dove, fly so high on wings above", but the music is great, 'Arry's classic aggressive clunk at it's most prominent
Heaven Can Wait - 10, I really can't understand that most people disagree with my contention that this is an absolute classic. Great intro that's inverted for the outro, aggressive verses, H melody line in the chorus (one of the early examples of this now classic Maiden trope), cool bridge, classic sing a long part, great solos with even better rhythm guitar part. What's not to love?
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner - 9, really good track, with an even better example of the H melody line in the chorus that I was just talking about. Also, fuckin' 3!! of Maiden's all time top harmonies. The subject matter is a little on the preposterous side for a heavy metal song which is what costs it a mark
Stranger in a Strange Land - 10, another H classic, great riff and atmosphere, and if CSIT is not H's best solo then this is.
Deja-Vu - 7, my worst song of the 80's, there's some good harmony parts but little else. The intro is ok but not sure it fits the rest of the track. The vocal melody and the words are abysmal and Bruce is wailing away in a manner that makes it obvious his heart isn't in it.
Alexander the Great - 9, a real great track musically but I'm going to have to dock it a mark for the history homework style of the lyrics, particularly the "phrygian king had bound a chariot yoke" verse. Some more great solos again and especially the harmony melody line in the section just after the jazz solo part and before the main solos start