The Nomad

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


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    34
A

Anonymous

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'the Nomad'

Probably my favourite Maiden song since their reunion, along with Journeyman. The instrumental passage in the middle is one of their best ever. Easily a five star song.

The lyrics lack continuity and are quite simplistic and there's not much to say about what they actually mean. It's summed up pretty well in the Commentary already.
 
'the Nomad'

Although I love historic/epic lyrics, I just can't get pass the lyrics. it seems so simplistic to sing about a nomad on a camel. It's different to sing about a specific person/event/location and different to sing abstactly about a nameless nomad... steve's lyrics and voice melodies (the ones he composed for bruce to sing) really bring down this album... he should leave all things voice related to bruce and all things production related to someone else instead of shirley (sneap!)
 
'the Nomad'

The Orchestral Parts are amazing!! 5 points from me for arrangement! [!--emo&:angel:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrinangelA.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrinangelA.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Nomad'

This song got me convinced that Maiden is the right thing. I really am into guitar solos of this sort. I don't like the way the "Nomad, rider of the ancient east" lines are sung. This unfortunately drags the song down because it really is somewhat annoying. The rest of the vocals are brilliant though.

Rating: 4 1/2
 
'the Nomad'

This song could be have been much better. The weakest point is its lyrics, and the vocal in all. It's just about a guy who rides camel in the desert. This theme is simply not interesting enough to fill a nine minute epic song. Maybe it should have been an instrumental piece?

Anyway I like this song, but it could have been better. With better lyrics and with more refined vocals. But it has great moments: Dave's solo, the intro part of the song, the building up off the riff.
 
'the Nomad'

Ok, the lyrics could be better, but to me it's the guitar work which makes this song stand out on the album. It really carries the picture of a desert oasis with camels and all that stuff. Just brilliant.
 
'the Nomad'

I like this song !!

The main riff, the solos, the middle part, all is amazing !
Maybe the best song of the album.

But the lyrics, in my opinion, are a little bit simplistic :

"Noooomaaaaad !
That is the man who walk alone in the desert with a cameeeel"

[!--emo&:lol:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol[1].gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol[1].gif\' /][!--endemo--]

Anyway, I can't give it less than 5 stars ! [!--emo&:p--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Nomad'

[!--QuoteBegin-RedRiot77+Aug 25 2004, 08:45 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(RedRiot77 @ Aug 25 2004, 08:45 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]This song could be have been much better. The weakest point is its lyrics, and the vocal in all.

Anyway I like this song, but it could have been better. With better lyrics and with more refined vocals.
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I strongly disagree!Bruce did an excellent job on this song, in fact they way he sings the chorus is marvellous!

This song cannot be any better! [!--emo&:lmao:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/lol.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'lol.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Nomad'

I'm a bit disappointed by the very short commentary on this song. Montségur has a complete history of the Cathars integrated, Transylvania, despite being an instrumental, has the complete e-Text of Dracula and I could go on... and all this song has is a link to the film Lawrence Of Arabia, which it isn't even about. In order to have at least some more links, I've searched for some relevant websites.

[a href=\'http://tuaregs.free.fr/\' target=\'_blank\']The Tuaregs[/a]
[a href=\'http://countrystudies.us/jordan/32.htm\' target=\'_blank\']Jordan- Tribes and Tribalism[/a]
[a href=\'http://www.hejleh.com/countries/index.html\' target=\'_blank\']The countries and people of Arabia (includes extensive links)[/a]
[a href=\'http://members.tripod.com/great-bulgaria/Central-Asian-Nomads-Unite/origins.html\' target=\'_blank\']Central Asian nomads[/a]

More when I feel like it [!--emo&:p--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Nomad'

Standout track, a top 20 probably.

The lyrics seem to be getting maligned here, but I found them to be real evocative of the power that this one nomad holds over the others, without going into detail. My buddy seems to think they describe the historic figure of Imam Shamil who united the Muslims of the caucasus againt the Russians. Who knows...

As for the music, there is not one ounce of fat in this 9-minute masterpiece. Also, very nice to hear a solo with no references to blues scales....
 
'the Nomad'

the instrumental part is amacing... and it happens like "the loneliness of the long distance runner", The Nomad is one of the most forgotten songs. [!--emo&:angry:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/mad.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'mad.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Nomad'

I really didn't think much of this song when I first heard it, but I must say that it has definitely grown on me.
I have given it only 4 stars though; instrumentally brilliant, but lyrics are a bit dodgy, and has a somewhat annoying chorus. Still a brilliant song, don't get me wrong, just not one of my favourites.
 
'the Nomad'

[!--QuoteBegin-Zico+Dec 15 2005, 08:19 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Zico @ Dec 15 2005, 08:19 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]When a song is musically this good I don't need it to have philosophical lyrics, a classic (5 stars)
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Yeah, I couldn't have put it better! [!--emo&:chug:--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/beerchug.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'beerchug.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Nomad'

To be honest, "Life's Shadow" is a nice song, but it is nowhere near Maiden's material. The solo on "The Nomad" is more refined, and I simply like it more. If this is Beckett's best song, I honestly have to say I understand why they drowned.
 
'the Nomad'

[!--quoteo(post=128882:date=Feb 12 2006, 05:26 PM:name=macunaima)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(macunaima @ Feb 12 2006, 05:26 PM) [snapback]128882[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]I always thought that was one of the band's low points.[/quote]Behold, the joys of varying opinions [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/smile.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":)\" border=\"0\" alt=\"smile.gif\" /]


Back to "The Nomad".
Four stars from me. Things I love about the song: the instrumental section with a sound that does a great job at capturing the atmosphere (EDIT: the instrumental bit in that song by Beckett is quite...erhh...similar... :: ), and the tripple of weird solos that remind me of a desert storm. The full silence at 3:33 is superb.

Like most people here, I find the lyrics a bit on the weak side. Some of the rhyming seems perfunctory. Example:
Nomad, you're the rider so mysterious...
...No man's ever understood your genius
 
Re: 'The Nomad'

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that this song was originally written for Virtual XI and was re-written somewhat for Bruce and Brave New World. Is that true or was somebody pulling my chain?
 
Re: 'the Nomad'

gor said:
Although I love historic/epic lyrics, I just can't get pass the lyrics. it seems so simplistic to sing about a nomad on a camel. It's different to sing about a specific person/event/location and different to sing abstactly about a nameless nomad... steve's lyrics and voice melodies (the ones he composed for bruce to sing) really bring down this album... he should leave all things voice related to bruce and all things production related to someone else instead of shirley (sneap!)

very well said.....the music is 100% ok for me, but if lyrics were better ....Allready we have here an extraordinary song, but just imagine what would happened if the lyrics were better written (more inspired, more specific)

.....my friend gor, he should let many more things to Bruce!
 
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