The MAIDEN Years: 2018/19/20/21/22/ad infinitum (Rock in Rio and Nights of the Dead)

SSOASS is just such a wonderfully consistent album. It took me a while to get into The Prophecy, but once that clicked I don't think there's any filler on this album, and it's a treat from start to finish. I do wish they'd just stuck that tiny bit closer to the concept though.
 
I think for me the vast majority of ‘80s Maiden — bar Powerslave, the band’s first true peak as a creative and musical tour de force with absolutely no filler to be seen regardless of what some may say — is kinda overrated. The albums are all great, but dip in quality. PoM and SSOASS both run out of steam towards the end, TNOTB is fun but a bit spotty, Killers is what it is, the debut is a bit immature, and SiT is theoretically strong but I’ve started to dislike the heavy production sound on it. I actually think that Maiden are better at crafting albums nowadays than they were back in the ‘80s, when looking at the album as both a collection of songs and a work of art that stands together on its own.
 
Tbh I would consider BNW,AMOLAD or BOS as overrated. 80s maiden give you riffs on a plate on every song. I can agree quest for fire isnt as strong but thats only one song. PoM ends with To Tame A Land and Seventh Son with only the good die young, favorite songs.
 
If Powerslave is the sun, 7th Son is the moon.
It's a great record, only Infinite Dreams drags a little.
I used to love playing guitar along to this, Prophecy in particular which is hugely underrated.
I've been watching ME recently which is so refreshing - no Fear!
 
Diesel 11 said:
PoM and SSOASS both run out of steam towards the end,
Click to expand...
I feel this with regards to POM but I pretty strongly disagree for SSOASS - whilst the first half is better, I still think The Clairvoyant and Only The Good Die Young are spectacular songs and either of them would easily be top 5 songs on Powerslave
 
The reason CIPWM does not sound good live is the rediculous tempo changes between chorus and verses (similar in Wasted Years). And I am not talking about rhythm change but speed change. Plus Bruce sings the line ‘Can I play with madness’ differently live, he goes up on ‘play’ whereas he doesn’t in the studio version. That I don’t like.
 
Last edited:
flat iron said:
The reason CIPWM does not sound good live is the rediculous tempo changes between chorus and verses (similar in Wasted Years). And I am not talking about rhythm change but speed change. Plus Bruce sings the line ‘Can I play with madness’ different live, he goes up on ‘play’ whereas he doesn’t in the studio version. That I don’ like.
Click to expand...
It's also become traditional for Bruce to sing 'Can I Play With Agnes' instead.
 
SSOASS is my all time favourite Maiden album and possibly my favourite album in general. It's flawless, from the songwriting which was Maiden at their creative peak, to the production which imo is the best sounding album Martin Birch has ever produced. I love how crisp and clear it sounds. The artwork is iconic and second only to Powerslave. It's also their only album to spawn 4 hit singles in the UK. I'm astonished that it still hasn't gone platinum in the states yet. Their only 80's album not to do so AFAIK.

Amazing album.
 
Spaldy said:
SSOASS is my all time favourite Maiden album and possibly my favourite album in general. It's flawless, from the songwriting which was Maiden at their creative peak, to the production which imo is the best sounding album Martin Birch has ever produced. I love how crisp and clear it sounds. The artwork is iconic and second only to Powerslave. It's also their only album to spawn 4 hit singles in the UK. I'm astonished that it still hasn't gone platinum in the states yet. Their only 80's album not to do so AFAIK.

Amazing album.
Click to expand...
SSOASS is probably the peak of their career. Consistent, visionary, very well produced, actually the best produced album by Martin Birch, absolute top notch with big budget. I would pick this album to showcase, this is Iron Maiden. The second spot is SIT for me, I keep relistening that album, and it just flows and flows. I miss that Maiden. Very unique sound, I love it.
 
Arrakis said:
SSOASS is probably the peak of their career. Consistent, visionary, very well produced, actually the best produced album by Martin Birch, absolute top notch with big budget. I would pick this album to showcase, this is Iron Maiden. The second spot is SIT for me, I keep relistening that album, and it just flows and flows. I miss that Maiden. Very unique sound, I love it.
Click to expand...
Yeah its phenomenal, miles aheah of everything that came after it
 
If you look at some of the sales figures and the size of venues from tour to tour, it becomes pretty evident that Maiden were done in the states by 1988. Live After Death was really a peak for them and, as typical for American audiences, people moved on to the next big fad immediately after. To this day, the 1983 to 1985 period seems to be what Maiden is best remembered for and it’s no coincidence that they started to play bigger venues and more extensive American tours after the Somewhere Back In Time tour.
 
Mosh said:
If you look at some of the sales figures and the size of venues from tour to tour, it becomes pretty evident that Maiden were done in the states by 1988. Live After Death was really a peak for them and, as typical for American audiences, people moved on to the next big fad immediately after. To this day, the 1983 to 1985 period seems to be what Maiden is best remembered for and it’s no coincidence that they started to play bigger venues and more extensive American tours after the Somewhere Back In Time tour.
Click to expand...
Yep. Interviews from the FOTD era (1992), Bruce noted that they were "pariahs" or the "big unwashed" in the US from 1986 onwards. I still have the UK magazine with that interview from the FOTD tour. The US leg of the FOTD tour was much smaller, with half-packed smaller venues, but that was also due to the change of the early 90s when everyone established started to lose their mojo :)
 
Arrakis said:
Yep. Interviews from the FOTD era (1992), Bruce noted that they were "pariahs" or the "big unwashed" in the US from 1986 onwards. I still have the UK magazine with that interview from the FOTD tour. The US leg of the FOTD tour was much smaller, with half-packed smaller venues, but that was also due to the change of the early 90s when everyone established started to lose their mojo :)
Click to expand...
The 90's killed a lot of bigger 80's bands than Maiden (from an American perspective). Poison, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Crüe...

The fact that Maiden made it out the other side, albeit battered and bruised, is testament to how strong Steve's willpower is. Many weaker bands broke on the shores of Grunge.
 
7th Tour had a best stage design, album is masterpiece. If I need to pick one bad thing that is CIPWM, sounds too radio friendly song, and live version is not very good.

Album is very special because it ends of one era, big epic Maiden era was finished. But overall, perfect period in Maiden history.
 
Top-three album for me, usually #2 or #3 depending on how I feel on PoM any given day. Finally listened to the Kevin Shirley mix of Maiden England and, man, what an incredible show. (Not that the previous mix was unimpressive)
 
Spaldy said:
The 90's killed a lot of bigger 80's bands than Maiden (from an American perspective). Poison, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Crüe...
Click to expand...

Iron Maiden has made more exposure in the USA in 95-98 than Motley Crue did in Europe in their entire career.

Also, the American market is the one that was relevant for perceived "death of metal" because the glam and grunge happened there. All under the auspice of same record companies, as far as I can tell, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, AiC, by 1991/2 were on major labels, who have dropped glam to make the new thing happen. If you watched the documentary with the guy from Poison saying how record company forced out Cherry Pie as heavily advertised lead single, and then dropped all marketing and priority from them to newest Alice in Chains.

Maiden wasn't a part of that constellation so they didn't bear negative consequences.

I'm going out on a limb here - if Maiden did X Factor with Brave New World production and Dickinson never left, they'd play arenas in 1995 in USA. People overestimate the temporal reach of grunge, it died soon after going mainstream. 1998 is for nu metal what 1982 is to heavy metal. 3rd Korn album came out then, which means 1995- things were already hot cooking, just like 79- for heavy metal. So blaming grunge for fortunes of a heavy metal band in 1995 that wasn't associated with glam are kinda shaky.

I fully agree with you it's Steve's stubborness and pride that pushed them through those small audiences and underdog years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top