Albie
Keeping an open eye on the Weeping Angels.
....and it's a positive thought.
Well, OK - this is a last.fm journal, but I really would like to share this with people who are not from the said community. And not only that, today for some reason I have felt a little inspired and written two journals and a long rant about religion. God knows where it has all come from.
For me, one of the most important aspects of the overall Maiden package is Bruce Dickinson's vocals. Now, before you tell me - Maiden had two other vocalists that made very credible contributions (namely Paul Di'anno and Blaze), I am very well aware of this fact. The DiAnno era is when I first got into Maiden, the Blaze era has produced one stunning ("The X Factor") and one very good album (as well as one of the best ever Maiden tracks - "The Clansman") and both of these vocalists should not be forgotten when we talk of Maiden.
However, Bruce is one of the few vocalists in metal that sings with passion and with a sense of dramatics. Seriously, name one better.
What he has the talent to do is to take each line and sing it as you are meant to sing it. Take, for example, these two lines from "Can I Play With Madness", where he sings:
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
The first line screams desperation. It says that - although I have been trodden on, I must be strong. The second line, seeks for me to fight back. Take no prisoners, if you will. Immerse yourself, for a while, in the character this songs talks of, say the lines to yourself and feel the emotion of it - for that is what Bruce does. Listen to this song again and pay careful attention to the above lines and feel his passion as he sings them. I have heard many an artist to cover this song, but they all sing these two lines like a quivering schoolboy (sorry, but that is how I feel).
This is but one example of Bruce at his best, but there are others. The man is very theatrical in his performance of any line and of any song. Nicko may mock him for his "luvvie" approach to his presence on stage ("oh, time for a costume change"), but it gives Maiden that little bit that few other bands have - proper theatre. And in reality, that it is what it's all about. Don't be surprised if Bruce appears in the odd movie/play or two over the coming decade.
The guy is a genius and one of the biggest reason I have kept faith with Maiden for 26 years.
Well, OK - this is a last.fm journal, but I really would like to share this with people who are not from the said community. And not only that, today for some reason I have felt a little inspired and written two journals and a long rant about religion. God knows where it has all come from.
For me, one of the most important aspects of the overall Maiden package is Bruce Dickinson's vocals. Now, before you tell me - Maiden had two other vocalists that made very credible contributions (namely Paul Di'anno and Blaze), I am very well aware of this fact. The DiAnno era is when I first got into Maiden, the Blaze era has produced one stunning ("The X Factor") and one very good album (as well as one of the best ever Maiden tracks - "The Clansman") and both of these vocalists should not be forgotten when we talk of Maiden.
However, Bruce is one of the few vocalists in metal that sings with passion and with a sense of dramatics. Seriously, name one better.
What he has the talent to do is to take each line and sing it as you are meant to sing it. Take, for example, these two lines from "Can I Play With Madness", where he sings:
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
The first line screams desperation. It says that - although I have been trodden on, I must be strong. The second line, seeks for me to fight back. Take no prisoners, if you will. Immerse yourself, for a while, in the character this songs talks of, say the lines to yourself and feel the emotion of it - for that is what Bruce does. Listen to this song again and pay careful attention to the above lines and feel his passion as he sings them. I have heard many an artist to cover this song, but they all sing these two lines like a quivering schoolboy (sorry, but that is how I feel).
This is but one example of Bruce at his best, but there are others. The man is very theatrical in his performance of any line and of any song. Nicko may mock him for his "luvvie" approach to his presence on stage ("oh, time for a costume change"), but it gives Maiden that little bit that few other bands have - proper theatre. And in reality, that it is what it's all about. Don't be surprised if Bruce appears in the odd movie/play or two over the coming decade.
The guy is a genius and one of the biggest reason I have kept faith with Maiden for 26 years.
I find that Bruce brings something different to metal as a genre, he's not your typical vocalist, he's classically trained and I find that is what it is that brings something new to the table. One of my favourite examples of his theatrics is Paschendale, on Death On The Road, the costume that he uses, along with the props, make the song feel very realistic and helps hammer it home I think. Bruce's voice obviously isn't the same as it was in the 80's, but he doesn't try to sing in an imitation of what he used to be, he has changed his singing style, which still remains as enjoyable for me as it ever was. 
And I adore his laid back 'off-key' singing too (as in the verse in 'Is This Love').
