The Problem with the X-Factor?

frus said:
Yeah, the original intonation is too low for him and he sounds weak and uninteresting (indeed, I doubt that anyone even heard him live), and an octave higher is too high and he's straining, while Blaze always sounded great. They really should have dropped that one (then again, there is a kind of justice in that, Blaze was really having hard time singing Bruce songs)
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I know I'm late to this comment, but the live version of Lord of the Flies with Bruce is actually lower than the original by a full step. Blaze sings it in F# minor whereas Bruce did it in E minor. I believe Bruce would have fared quite a bit better in the verses and lower octave chorus than he did if sung in original key, but he goes up high in the pre choruses and final choruses, which he would probably not be able to do comfortably at a full step higher. Give and take, I believe the version we got was the best one possible.

Blaze on the other hand - I believe he sung many of the songs on The X Factor in too low keys. Lord of the Flies, Fortunes of War and Judgement of Heaven are examples of songs where he's uncomfortable on low notes. Knowing his range, he's easily capable of singing at least G4's comfortably. When the highest note in a powerful chorus in E4, he's got a minor third going unused. You can't make that mistake writing for a singer with limited range. He needs to be up there to sound energetic.

He's a lot better nowadays with that, and his solo career has truly seen him singing songs sounding the best. Bar The King of Metal, all the albums he's sung on has been much better vocally than anything with Maiden.
 
Eric Wright said:
I've never understood why this album is considered among Maiden's worst. I can't even fathom it. For some albums like Virtual XI (bad production, monotonous vocals, TAATG) I can understand. But when I listen to the X-Factor, I hear nothing but absolute brilliance from start to finish and there's really nothing dislikeable to me that pops up. I know there are different strokes for different folks, but I can't even really think of a reason why one would consider this album bad. Some I suppose just cannot get used to Blaze (who I think is perfect on this album), but even without him the music is soul-wrenching. TXF is my favorite Maiden album tied with SIT.

Thoughts?
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Somewhere in Time and The X Factor may be my 2 favorite Maiden albums also - my top 5 typically looks like this

1: Somehwere In Time
2: Killers
3: Powerslave
4: The X Factor
5: Piece of Mind
 
To me, the main problem with The X Factor is the track listing. I love the album for what it is now, but due to the awful track placement, it took a looooooooooooooooooong time to grow on me. The songs by themselves are amazing and nearly flawless, but the album doesn't flow well at all. "Sign of the Cross", as brilliant as it might me, is a terrible opener. "The Unbeliever" is an awfully underwhelming closer. "Man On the Edge" (which should've been the opener) kills the dark and depressing atmosphere lifted by "Lord of the Flies". And you know something's not right when the B-sides ("Justice of the Piece", "I Live My Way" and "Judgement Day") are better and stronger than many other songs on the record itself.
 
The only problem with The X Factor is that Man on the Edge doesn't fit. Not that I'd actively advocate taking it off. It doesn't really bring the album down for me, it's just a weak track that should've been released as a single only.

Other than that, The X Factor is flawless.
 
It's not a bad song by any means, I do love it, but its being on an otherwise darker album with a lot of edge when it's so light makes it seem really out of place. I never skip it and I don't necessarily want to take it off, but for a lot of people it overshadows the rest of the songs and for me it feels kinda weird.
 
The intro still has an atmospheric, "wondering" side that's not that much off. The aggression and tempo in the rest are indeed very different.
Perhaps it could have been placed further on the album, but nonetheless I see it as welcome variation. The song does not feel light to me. It's fast, angry and raw.
The happy, exuberant(!) (joyful) sounding Look for the Truth is light. A gospel song compared to the rest of the record.
 
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The only problem with The X Factor is Blaze's subpar performance. I already consider it one of Maiden's best albums (#7). If it was recorded by the much more experient, refined voice of a Blaze Bailey of today it would be ranked even higher. But if it was Bruce that recorded the vocals for the whole thing (judging by what he did with Sign Of The Cross, Man On The Edge and Lord Of The Flies) this already enormous album's quality would sky rocket.
Oh! And Judgement Day should definetly be on the album (drop 2 AM or The Unbeliever, the 2 least good songs IMO)
 
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karljant said:
The only problem with The X Factor is Blaze's subpar performance. I already consider it one of Maiden best albums (#7). If it was recorded by the much more experient, refined voice of Blaze Bailey of today it would be ranked even higher. But if it was Bruce that recorded the vocals for the whole thing (judging by what he did with Sign Of The Cross, Man On The Edge and Lord Of The Flies) this already enormous album's quality would sky rocket.
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I agree with this. I'd add it needs a less wimpy guitar sound as well. If you add Bruce and Adrian to that album it's on a par with the reunion albums.
 
srfc said:
If you add Bruce and Adrian to that album it's on a par with the reunion albums.
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IMO it would even top my favourite album of that era at #5 (AMOLAD), leaving behind a classic such as Killers. There's a slight chance it would even tie #4 (Piece Of Mind) but the top 3 are simply unsormountable (7th Son, Powerslave and the near perfect SIT).
 
I think Maiden took the opportunity to go in a different direction when Bruce left the band. I agree that it's a very dark album, the lyrics make that clear. But, what happenes to some fans is that we are expecting something like the usual rhytm, which you don't see here. Sure, you can argue about Blaze's voice, but that's not the main issue, in my opinion. I respect the change, an artist should evolve, naturally, so i don't resent the changes. It's not my favorite, may be when time passes i'll valuate it higher.
 
When the album came out, I was 18 and a Maiden fan for only two years. I will always remember the release day. I went to the local shop with this very friend of mine who introduced me to the band two years earlier. We drove to his place and put the CD in the player. Two minutes after the beginning of SOTC, when the quiet intro stops and all the instruments kick in, I was immediately hooked and never stopped cherish this album since that day. Sure the production can be better but I never felt that it was totally wrong. On the contrary, I think a part of Maiden identity is based on the distinctive sound that caracterise each of their albums. To me, X-factor sounds different the same way Somewhere in Times sounds different and that is exactly what makes Maiden very special. Also, it contains some of the very best melodies the band ever recorded, conveying so many emotions in a way that only maiden can.
I saw the x factour in January 96 and I enjoyed it a lot, the same way I enjoyed the whole blaze area. It was a very satisfying period, for a young fan like me, it made me an even bigger fan, solidified in my mind everything I loved already about the band. Retrospectively, there is lot to be critizised but back in the days, it was fantastic.
 
Possibly a very old question but how many of you have got a glitch on the X Factor original CD, at the very beginning of the solo on "The Aftermath" (after the "I'm just a soldier" line)?
 
Is there really a problem with The X Factor? Let's see.
The vocals? No, Blaze did a great job singing those dark songs. Bruce is technically better but the emotion Blaze puts in there is just perfect.
The songs? No, apart from Look For The Truth (which is just a good song, nothing more, nothing less) every song featured here is either very good, great or amazing.
The production? No, it fits the dark theme very well.
The artwork? No, Hugh Syme made the scariest Eddie ever. Was the lobotomy really necessary? Again: it fits the dark theme of the album.
I don't think there's a problem with The X Factor.
 
MindRuler said:
I don't think there's a problem with The X Factor.
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Neither do I... If there was it wouldn't be my 7th favorite maiden ahead of excellent classics like their debut or Number Of The Beast.
MindRuler said:
The songs? No, apart from Look For The Truth (which is just a good song, nothing more, nothing less) every song featured here is either very good, great or amazing.
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Agreed. The majority of the songs are great... Sign Of the Cross is in my top 10 and Man On The Edge and Fortunes Of War are close behind. Look For The Truth is actually also one of my favorite tracks from the album. The only meh moment in the entire record IMO is The Unbeliever's initial part but once the music settles it gets really strong.
MindRuler said:
The production? No, it fits the dark theme very well.
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Completely. We live in an era where every record has to be mixed above clipping point. Don't know why but people would be shocked to know the number of frequencies that are lost. The X Factor is a clean, solid and way below clipping recording. Is it too low... well there's always a volume button somewhere.
MindRuler said:
The artwork? No, Hugh Syme made the scariest Eddie ever. Was the lobotomy really necessary? Again: it fits the dark theme of the album.
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It's Ok IMO... far from their best but also far from their worst (The Final Frontier and - of course - Dance Of Death). I also like the alternative cover with the electric chair. Although IMO the perfect cover for the album would be the booklet take of the cover... that skewed perspective and the monochromatic light and shadows it gives to the sculpture a way more real feel to it IMO. https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VuzexLP1n_8/VCflGORjKYI/AAAAAAAADTs/TdQmQ-PLTDM/s1600/Encartes+(2).jpg
MindRuler said:
The vocals? No, Blaze did a great job singing those dark songs. Bruce is technically better but the emotion Blaze puts in there is just perfect.
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Now this is where I disagree a bit. Let me explain what I mean when I say Blaze's performance is "sub par". Does his singing seriously compromises the album's quality per se? No. If it would I would simply be unable to listen to it coming from a band that always had in their vocals such a fulcral point. Blaze sounds good in the lower parts and the emotion is quite fitting (although in the higher tones he lacks the body his voice possesses nowadays). But IMO the question is precisely the opposite: what do the vocals add to the songs' dynamics? And that's where I think Bruce's voice would be an upgrade (as I confirmed with the 3 songs sang by him live from this album, especially Lord Of The Flies). And that's not only regarding overall quality (though it has something to do with it).
Besides being a really dark album The X Factor is also a return to long and intricate and epic compositions (Sign Of The Cross, Fortunes Of War, The Unbeliever, The Edge Of Darkness, The Aftermath...) after 2 records based in way more direct material. And my only serious complaint regarding Blaze is the range of his voice in some of those songs. And although he pulls some nice melodies it gives them a somewhat monotone feel to it. Bruce's take on Lord Of The Flies variations are a great example of what he could add to The X Factor. That chorus seems so much better an octave up IMO... and the same would work for some parts of songs like Fortunes of War and Judgement Of Heaven (I don't mean it always has to be an octave up, but some fifths for example).
Don't get me wrong: the songs sound great as they are... but a more varied take would even make the dark parts darker and give a little more punch to an already great album. That's why I consider Blaze's performance to be "sub par".

But then again... The X Factor is already an excellent album as it is.
 
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MindRuler said:
Is there really a problem with The X Factor? Let's see.
The vocals? No, Blaze did a great job singing those dark songs. Bruce is technically better but the emotion Blaze puts in there is just perfect.
The songs? No, apart from Look For The Truth (which is just a good song, nothing more, nothing less) every song featured here is either very good, great or amazing.
The production? No, it fits the dark theme very well.
The artwork? No, Hugh Syme made the scariest Eddie ever. Was the lobotomy really necessary? Again: it fits the dark theme of the album.
I don't think there's a problem with The X Factor.
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I think it's a great record. I do think though, that the production is too dull and harmless. The guitars are too low and too tame in sound, the reverb on the drums doesn't marry with the rest of the mix. There's no power in the mix, and I suppose you could argue that's why it fits in with the lyrics and the theme of the album. I don't think it does. I think that's what they tried to do, but didn't succeed.
 
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