SirRobbins
Ancient Mariner
I forgot Sign of the Cross was still in play....
If you go through your posts, he was actually quoting you. Or if you want, dig through this thread because I reposted it here.Which thread!?
I better stay away for my notifications then! Like to have it as a surpriceIf you go through your posts, he was actually quoting you. Or if you want, dig through this thread because I reposted it here.
Fear of the Dark is the song that started it all for me. A friend played it for me when we were on a trip, and I needed to hear more and more!
It is fast-paced and has some of the finest guitar work I've ever heard. Unlike many Maiden songs, it sounds good when played extremely loudly! Others seem to loose their "je ne c'est quoi" at high volume.
That being said, the lyrics of Fear of the Dar leave something to be desired. Where most Maiden songs can be considered poetry set to music, this just seems to be scary-sounding situations that were strung together because they fit the music.
In all, though, I do like this song and it continues to be one of my favourites. I will warn everyone, however: Driving with this song playing is dangerous. LooseCannon and I were driving from his house to mine once, and the 25 minute drive took us about 7 (the length of the song, coincidently).
The most of the times I meet someone who isn't really into Maiden, and wasn't into Metal i the 80:s the first song they think of is FotD. And I don't understand why. It's not that good. Especially not the studioversion, since Bruce doesn't sing very good on that particular album.
By far the very best track on the album and quite possibly one of their best tracks ever. What I really like about this is the crowd signing along with the melodies at the start. Fantastic song and great live. It's another one of those tracks that "holds back" with the Maiden gallop until the second chorus.
I tend to empathize with those who think this song has fallen victim to being overplayed. But when I listen to it, it is hard to dispute that everything that is good about Maiden is here. It is a classic for a reason.
Easily the best song on this album and my second favorite song from the 90's (surpassed only by Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter). I prefer the version recorded at Rock In Rio because I heard it first (on Edward The Great compilation). Studio version misses the "ooooo" part and I feel strange when I listen to the studio version without it.
Great arrangement! Great vocals! Many great melodies in this one, and I'm especially in love with the middle section.
And this is even better live of course, with my favorite being Rock In Rio.
This was one of the earliest Maiden songs I heard, and has remained one of my favourites. An absolute beast of a track both in the studio and live.
The closing number and title track is an absolute classic. It’s a masterwork from the sweeping, almost storybook-esque intro to the romping verses, anthemic chorus, and glorious guitar harmonies. This song would become a concert staple and the live versions (especially Rock in Rio) are even better than the studio recording. Fear of the Dark is a song of pure magic that stacks up with any of Maiden’s golden-era recordings.
Did you have a constant fear that it would crack the Top 10.^ glad to see that's not a top 10 track, because it isn't....
I bought BNW the day it came out, and this was the song that told me Maiden was back at full strength. (Mind you, I didn't have much appreciation for the Blaze albums at that time, though I like them a lot now.) The Wicker Man was good, but when I first heard this one it really blew me away. I was listening to the CD in my car, and I even pulled into a parking lot just to hear this song without distractions because it was so good.
The drumming on this track also deserves a special mention - sublime kick work from Nicko, which really shines on the Rock In Rio version. You can see his face is one of total concentration as he plays the main verse drum part, which shows just how difficult it is to play.
All in all a great song.
his is probably my favorite Maiden tune, as it's the first one I fell in love with. Bruce's lyrics are awesome, and the crazy instrumental part in the middle really makes you feel as if your ship is barreling though a rocky channel. The pre-chorus is my favorite part; not only are Bruce's vocals some of his most haunting, but Adrian's riff is sick!
They didn't play around with BNW. It just ramps up over the first three songs to an epic plateau, and this song does the most to get it going. It drives, it rocks hard. I love the lyrics, and Bruce is fantastic on it. The instrumental section is wonderful, and the chorus just resonates!!
If Jan had never contributed anything to the band except the first 35 seconds of this song, he would still be in my personal hall of fame. One of the best openings ever, and it’s a crying shame it was never reprised later in the song. That grievous error aside, it’s a fantastic song with great musical imagery, well-matched with some solid metaphorical lyrics. See Zare's last line (I'm pretty sure he meant repetition) for my reasons for it not being at elite status.
The song that hooked me on Iron Maiden - that intro is just amazing. Janick's guitar following the vocal melody is coincidentally my favourite thing about the song.
Ghost of the Navigator rounds out one of the greatest 1-2 punches in Maiden's history. This one has a bit more going on than The Wicker Man, but the energy and power is still there. Love Janick's riffing on this song, especially during the verse. The chorus is one of Maiden's best ever. Bruce gives an awesome performance here. Perfect combination of gritty and operatic. I also like how the chorus melody is harmonized for a brief moment at the end.
The riffs are tight, the vocals are soaring, and Nicko’s drums are absolutely furious. After two albums of uninspired drumming and production, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear Nicko find himself again on this album. The mix is perfect, from snares to kick to pummeling toms, and Nicko absolutely slays on Ghost of the Navigator. Apparently he’s not using a double bass pedal during the bridge, which is absolutely mind-boggling.
That's because you're confusing peak song position with album quality, when in reality they only have a passing relationship with each other. SiT has many more much higher rated songs than FotD, and on all other metrics, save for "which individual song was the highest-ranked", it beats FotD like a drum.It's a weird time when SiT goes out before FOTD.
'Blood Brothers' is another song being in my top ten!I was kind of astounded they didn't play it on both 'Give me Ed 'till I'm dead' and 'Dance of Death' tours, I mean it really worked well on 'Brave New Tour', didn't it?Just listen to 'Rock in Rio'- I still have shivers and besides it probably contains the best Maiden guitar solo ever, at least Janick's best solo.
I understand the love for this song, but my favourite Maiden songs are exciting and contain more variation, instead of being emotional and "sweet", so to speak. That's my Maiden taste.
Another huge, haunting, beautiful piece of music. Built for orchestras or large arenas full of metalheads. It is guilty of an affliction that affects a lot of this album — it’s longer than it has to be.
My favourite song off the album. Absolutely magic with everyone singing along. The haunting mood for the song just makes it so emotioned filled, and like Albie said, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end during some sections of the song (especially the middle section).
I like the sentiment behind the lyrics even if they are a bit clunky. This song features Janick's best solo in Maiden. But like with much of this album, the constant repetition kills it. And unlike Brave New World (the track) this one doesn't have much variation in the chorus.
This song feels like the most similar track to Virtual XI. I liked this more before but unfortunately it have lowered it's ranking. Still a great track thou and a beastly song live when I saw it back in 2010.
One of their most powerful tracks lyrically and musically. Incredible tension throughout which builds to each chorus, especially the final chorus. The guitar and keyboard melodies are truly stunning and Jan is immense again. The bit where the solo suddenly picks up pace and volume into the final chorus. Just wow.
This was first Maiden song I've heard and it's one of my favourite. It's certainly best song on album. I like that main riff, and the melodic part(Dave?) after damn great solos, orchestra in the background gives me shiver, simply great song.
I was blown away when I had first heard this song. I was just barely getting into Maiden, and I could not stop listening. The song is instrumentally amazing. From the acoustic intro to the bridge leading into the main riff to the solos to the ending, the track's drum work, bass, and guitar blend together perfectly. I personally enjoy Janick's solo the most in this track, but don't get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from Davey or H here, but I fell in love with Janick's solo the minute I heard it. It had speed and emotion and it fit the song perfectly, to my ears. The song keeps me entertained from start to finish and captures my imagination with it's rather cheesy, yet enchanting and dramatic lyrics.
Yeah, great song. Incredible progression, especially during the build-up. Bone-chilling material. The instrumental section once again is sublime and it truly 'tell(s) you a story to chill the bones'. I'm quite fond of the orchestral version, too. There's really a lot happening everywhere and there is not a boring second.
First impressions matter. And my first impression of this song was of a dwarf prancing around the Spinal Tap Stonehenge. Which is kinda sad because it has always tarnished for me what really is an epic track. Its slow creep up my personal rankings was helped by the last tour. Dare you to go walking through the graveyard at midnight with this one ringing in the headphones.
Not just the best track on the album, but one of their best ever tracks. I get what your saying, mckindog, it does get a little Spinal Tap in the middle, but I can see past that and now to me it just sounds....Maiden.
Great story, fantastic melody. Superb song. The Gers/Harris song-writing partnership delivers the goods once again.
It's a very cinematic song for sure. I do kind of wish they would tell us a story instead of saying, "let me tell you a story" (looking at you lyrics to this song, Breeg and El Dorado) but it's a small complaint.
I love the intro. The guitar harmonies are to die for. And the 3 guitar harmonies that reprise the main melody is one of my favorite Maiden harmonies EVER. This song was pure magic live. And while it's long it doesn't feel overlong nor overly repetitive.
Like No More Lies, Dance of Death establishes this album as a better fit for all three guitarists than Brave New World, with more distinct guitar lines for each player throughout and a stunning solo section. The keyboard orchestra feels complimentary rather than distracting during the Celtic reel of the bridge. Bruce performs as if he is telling the greatest campfire tale of all time. Also, if Nicko isn’t using a double bass pedal during the outro, I’m stunned. Once the whole band comes together this song is a treat and an obvious classic, even if it does sound a bit bouncy and silly.