The Duellists

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How good is The Duellists on a scale of 1-10?

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    15
Another hidden gem. Steve's bass work on it is tremendous. Powerful drums from Nicko too. Good chorus. I really like the heavy riff and the verses. Both solos are very good, especially Adrian's one which is crazy. After them it has an amazing twin-lead guitar harmony which is vintage Maiden !!! Then comes one very heavy part with very powerful drums - superb (which I think inspired a lot of thrash metal bands riffs). Overall, the instrumental work is phenomenal. So are Bruce's vocals. 8/10.
 
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My favourite song off Powerslave and it forms the centerpiece of the whole record in my opinion. The middle of the song is phenomenal, being a three minute stretch of solo after solo. It has a 70's progressive rock vibe to it. The melody at the 4:13 point is one of the most iconic things Maiden have ever produced. Duelists is the bridge between the more straightforward songs of the A-side and the longer, more progressive B-side. 10/10
 
Perun said:
Re: Daily Song: The Duellists

I can't find anything interesting about the middle part. Yeah, it's different, but I just can't find anything particularly captivating about it. The vocals sound strained, the rest of the music sounds uninspired. To me, this is utterly forgettable. 4/10.
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I don't know how this happened, but after 16 of listening to this song, trying to like it as much as everybody else but finding it dull, on a random listening to the album, it suddenly clicked with me. I still think that Bruce's performance is among the lesser ones of his oeuvre, but it seems that from one moment to the other, I suddenly "got" the instrumental section and I see why it's so highly rated.
 
To me, it's a song that grows over time. Last time i rated it, i gave it an 8. But may be should be a 9. many of people here have described the instrumental part, so i won't do that too. I'll say that the vocal is great, even if the lyrics are not taht depth as Maiden's lyrics could be. Bruce sings realy great, but the ryhtm's speed may have a repercussion over the diction, but that's all. Overall, great song, i'll give it a 9.
 
A 10! My favourite track of Powerslave (the whole album contains great tracks!)
The instrumental section is my favourite part in any Maiden song.
 
The main riff is quite basic, the verses are awful (the same old problem: too many words in too little space), the chorus is indeed catchy, not their best chorus but it works. But the instrumental is an hidden gem. Cool (and unconscious) example of counterpoint.

7.5/10, solid
 
According to Dickinson, his lyrics
song are influenced by the movie of the same name
Ridley Scott (1978), which in turn is based on
his novel "The Duel" (1908)
Englishman of Polish descent Joseph Conrad (Jósef Teodor
Konrad Korzeniowski) (1857-
1924). The plot unfolds in
19th century France and
refers to life
confrontation between two Frenchmen
Officials. According to
Dickinson, Harris tried through the lyrics to
show how futile and incompatible with the value of life
were the duels.
Duels were one way of resolving
disputes (usually between nobles), who
was established in medieval Europe and continued
until the middle of the 19th century. It was conducted with
specific ritual, something that ensured the
avoiding the "boiling soul" attack and giving more prestige to
result, which was believed to be judged by God, according to who
He was right.
The lyrics describe the ritual of a duel. When someone
believed that he had been wronged or offended by someone's words or actions
on the other, it invited him to a duel. The invitation to a duel was made
through intermediaries or by throwing on gloves (or other personal items)
at the feet of the opponent. He had to apologize or even take over
responsibility for his actions or words or to accept the invitation. Each
another evasion reaction involved social stigma. If the
provoked picked up the thrown object (as their character does
lyrics), accepted the invitation. This was followed by the choice of weapons with
which they would duel, as well as the place and time they would
the duel took place.
 
Not a moment after the previous song ends and we’re thrust into this fantastic song, another swordfighting number but with a completely different point of view. Here there’s tension and nervousness as the hero knows that he’s destined to fail in the duel. Steve just throws the whole sink into the furnace of swirling instrumentation. Everything is fire. That three part instrumental is brilliant, the verses and chorus are smoking. They should’ve played the whole album live; this is a song all three amigos would have a ball with. 10/10
 
Continuing with my reviews for Powerslave, we get another song that would've been a strong 9 as an instrumental. It has fantastic riffs, stellar melodies, and a constant driving 12/8 time signature. The instrumental section is amazing and leads to a somewhat better score than some of the other songs on the album.

That said, I hate the chorus. I hate the way the gang "oooh"s sound. I hate the register in which Bruce is howling. It's a shame, because the verses remind me of Where Eagles Dare, but in a much better composition this time around. If the instrumental work weren't as good the score would've been even lower, but now I'll have to settle for a 6.
 
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