frus
Barbed Wire Hen
It was a fair assumption in '82
Steve Harris: one of the greatest metal songwriters ever or a magpie?
- Thread starter GhostofCain
- Start date
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
There is a massive difference between the likeliness of having borrowed stuff from a band you loved as a teenager and from another that is not even known in the UK. Not that it would stop you coming up with new conspiracy theories though...
Ziggyplayedguitar
Educated Fool
I’ve also wondered about how much Adrian Smith has lifted from other musicians.
Most obvious was his use of Midnight Chaser riff, and nicking the intro of Running Wild.
The breakdown middle section of CIPWM remindes me of “Moby Dick”.
Anyone got any others?
Most obvious was his use of Midnight Chaser riff, and nicking the intro of Running Wild.
The breakdown middle section of CIPWM remindes me of “Moby Dick”.
Anyone got any others?
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
The breakdown middle section of Can I Play With Madness was added by Steve... Source is the book "2 Minutes To Midnight - An Iron Maiden Day By Day" by Martin Popoff, that quoted Bruce Dickinson (page 110).
Attachments
D
Deleted member 7164
Guest
Where do you hear TBOS in that Mago de Oz song? I hear a generic baroque lick underneath the verses that is not even in the same mode as TBOS.
D
Deleted member 7164
Guest
Didn't know that. My favourite part of the song.
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
A folky melody that is similar to one in Maiden's tune.
fekso
Ancient Mariner
Why don't you marry the New Frontier if you love it so much?
MarcoHietalaIM
Trooper
Janick is better
Wouldn't be legally binding. It's just a song.
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
It's 2018 though.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Jer
'Til Tomorrow
So, how many great songs has Steve Harris actually written by himself?
First, let's note the fact that Bruce Dickinson co-wrote 4 songs on TNOTB that he couldn't get official songwriting credit on for legal reasons ( source: http://www.bookofhours.net/beta/inter_960428.htm ): Children Of The Damned, Run To The Hills, The Prisoner, and Gangland.
From my end, that leaves the following for Steve:
The Number Of The Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Where Eagles Dare
The Trooper
Aces High
Alexander The Great
Infinite Dreams
The Clairvoyant
For The Greater Good Of God
When The Wild Wind Blows
I'm sure others would add a few more songs to the "great" list, and Harris certainly wrote a number of other strong songs, but the list above contains the only ones I would personally consider classic.
Now let's look at the great songs (IMO) that were written or co-written by Bruce and/or Adrian, without Steve:
Revelations
2 Minutes To Midnight
Flash Of The Blade
Powerslave
Wasted Years
Sea Of Madness
Stranger In A Strange Land
Moonchild
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Empire Of The Clouds
Again, the list is up for debate, but it's about the same number of songs.
Now consider the great songs which Harris cowrote with Bruce and/or Adrian, which would not be the same without their contributions:
The Prisoner
Run To The Hills
Can I Play With Madness?
The Evil That Men Do
The Wicker Man
Brave New World
Out Of The Silent Planet
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
The Longest Day
Isle Of Avalon
Starblind
To me, the conventional wisdom that Steve Harris is the be-all and end-all behind Maiden's songwriting has always been absurd. He's a key contributor, but there's a reason that Iron Maiden, The X Factor, and Virtual XI often round out the bottom of people's album rankings (no Bruce, no Adrian), and Killers (no Bruce), No Prayer For The Dying (almost no Adrian), and Fear Of The Dark (no Adrian) are rarely near the top. Also, compare Bruce & Adrian's solo work to Iron Maiden's '90s output, and I think most fans would give the edge to Bruce & Adrian.
Not to take away from the good things that he's done, but Steve is massively overrated as a songwriter, IMO. For example, he couldn't phrase his way out of a wet paper bag. As Bruce wrote in his memoir, "For Steve, the words exist in rhythmic space first and foremost, then perhaps lyrical or poetic space, and lastly in a format designed to make the most of the human voice. [...] Over the years, Steve has learnt to live with the voice as an instrument [and] not simply an assembly of Lego bricks." Listen to the vocal lines in non-Harris songs and the difference is immediate and obvious.
Well, that's enough ranting for now.
First, let's note the fact that Bruce Dickinson co-wrote 4 songs on TNOTB that he couldn't get official songwriting credit on for legal reasons ( source: http://www.bookofhours.net/beta/inter_960428.htm ): Children Of The Damned, Run To The Hills, The Prisoner, and Gangland.
From my end, that leaves the following for Steve:
The Number Of The Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Where Eagles Dare
The Trooper
Aces High
Alexander The Great
Infinite Dreams
The Clairvoyant
For The Greater Good Of God
When The Wild Wind Blows
I'm sure others would add a few more songs to the "great" list, and Harris certainly wrote a number of other strong songs, but the list above contains the only ones I would personally consider classic.
Now let's look at the great songs (IMO) that were written or co-written by Bruce and/or Adrian, without Steve:
Revelations
2 Minutes To Midnight
Flash Of The Blade
Powerslave
Wasted Years
Sea Of Madness
Stranger In A Strange Land
Moonchild
Be Quick Or Be Dead
Empire Of The Clouds
Again, the list is up for debate, but it's about the same number of songs.
Now consider the great songs which Harris cowrote with Bruce and/or Adrian, which would not be the same without their contributions:
The Prisoner
Run To The Hills
Can I Play With Madness?
The Evil That Men Do
The Wicker Man
Brave New World
Out Of The Silent Planet
Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
The Longest Day
Isle Of Avalon
Starblind
To me, the conventional wisdom that Steve Harris is the be-all and end-all behind Maiden's songwriting has always been absurd. He's a key contributor, but there's a reason that Iron Maiden, The X Factor, and Virtual XI often round out the bottom of people's album rankings (no Bruce, no Adrian), and Killers (no Bruce), No Prayer For The Dying (almost no Adrian), and Fear Of The Dark (no Adrian) are rarely near the top. Also, compare Bruce & Adrian's solo work to Iron Maiden's '90s output, and I think most fans would give the edge to Bruce & Adrian.
Not to take away from the good things that he's done, but Steve is massively overrated as a songwriter, IMO. For example, he couldn't phrase his way out of a wet paper bag. As Bruce wrote in his memoir, "For Steve, the words exist in rhythmic space first and foremost, then perhaps lyrical or poetic space, and lastly in a format designed to make the most of the human voice. [...] Over the years, Steve has learnt to live with the voice as an instrument [and] not simply an assembly of Lego bricks." Listen to the vocal lines in non-Harris songs and the difference is immediate and obvious.
Well, that's enough ranting for now.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I have trouble going through all this because you omitted Rime, Seventh Son, To Tame a Land and several others. Hard to say you are comparing well here. And why use short lists? Steve is credited for 57 songs alone and he did way more good things than 10. You used a small number because it conveniently suits your point better. Now use all his songs and we'll try this again.
Sorry but this reeks like Bruce/Adrian bias (no Bruce/no Adrian bla bla bla). With no love for other eras, no love for other songwriters. You ignore the fact that the most popular Maiden albums contain Steve Harris (and Murray) songs as well. Remove them and you suddenly have small EP's or singles left. Also you underestimate the quality of most albums you mentioned. And popularity. E.g. the debut and TXF are not placed at the bottom that often.
Sorry but this reeks like Bruce/Adrian bias (no Bruce/no Adrian bla bla bla). With no love for other eras, no love for other songwriters. You ignore the fact that the most popular Maiden albums contain Steve Harris (and Murray) songs as well. Remove them and you suddenly have small EP's or singles left. Also you underestimate the quality of most albums you mentioned. And popularity. E.g. the debut and TXF are not placed at the bottom that often.
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matic22
Ancient Mariner
Well, he didn't write Rime by himself...
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
