Top 5 Reasons Janick Gers is Still a Member of Iron Maiden

Silly. He have been in the band longer than Adrian. He writes great songs. This constant discussion about Janick is boring.
 
"Someone needs to serve Adrian Smith drinks when Steve Harris tries to sell him on the idea of adding Virtual XI and X-Factor songs into the set."  :D

Still, I agree with the Swede here. Janick is a great songwriter and yes, he has actually been in the band longer than Adrian. I simply think it would've been unfair of Steve to fire him back in '99. Janick was a kick in the arse for the rest of the band when he came in and he contributed significantly to keep the boat floating through the 90s. So, many people don't like his soloing style and his stage antics. Well, it seems like Steve does. And he is the captain.

I believe that if Janick had left in '99, the five remaining would've felt that they had to become the Maiden of the 80s again. With Janick still in the band and Adrian returning, they were instead ready to write a new and different chapter in the Maiden history book. I must admit I really like this chapter  :)
 
Well said indeed EW! I also find the last alinea an interesting thought, I never realized that aspect before.
 
It really is time to call time on the Janick bashers  :mad:

I must admit when Adrian left the band I was gutted and thought Maiden would never be the same. What Janick did to the band was inject some new life and passion. Maiden had been at the peak of their powers and following the 7th Son world tour were in danger of burn out. Although the following album NPFTD was relatively lame in Maiden terms the tour of that album was amazing IMO. Janick could have impersonated Adrian in terms of his playing and solo's etc to keep the status quo but he chose to do things his way and in his style, which although not to everyone's tastes, at least got everyone talking.

Some fucking idiot on that website the link takes you to asks whether Maiden needs 3 guitarists. A resounding yes from me. If you were take Janick out of the band now I would go as far to say he would leave as big a hole as the one Adrian left in 1990. The sound of the three amigos in full flight is indeed one of wonders of the world. I have had the privilege and pleasure to see them perform as a six piece now four times and I have my ticket for Twickenham for Saturday. Can't fookin wait!!!!  :bigsmile:
 
By the way, I am not that sure if Janick has been longer in the band than Adrian. It really might be the other way around.

October / November 1980 til early 1990 (H and no Janick) might be a tiny bit longer than
Early 1990 til February 1999 (Janick and no H)

It depends on the month when Adrian left Maiden and when Janick replaced him. This info could be in Maiden’s official biography, but I'm not sure how precize it is.

Wikipedia states that Janick was asked to enter the band during the recording of Bruce’s first solo album “Tattooed Millionaire”, in place of the departing Adrian Smith.
 
I always thought H left already in 1989, since No Prayer was released in 1990, but I'm probably wrong.  As for when H joined the band in 1980, I think the most reliable and easily accessible source (I assume most people have it) would be the Early Days DVD.  I'm not sure whether it says the exact month when H joined, but it's worth a shot.  I'd check myself, but I have to leave for work soon.
 
Lay off the man I say (good points made by EW and BITV) - if anyone looks at how Dave Murray was onstage before Janick came along would know what impact his arrival into the band made. Murray would barely move from the spot and the only band members that did move around the stage was Bruce and 'Arry. Then came Janick.

As for his songwriting, I don't really think that part of his contribution became noteworthy until The X Factor, prior to that his songs were mediocre at best (apart from Be Quick...).
 
Albie remembers when Dave still looked like he did in the Live at the Rainbow video, so if he says it is so...it is so!

Sure, Janick's songwriting was lesser on his first two albums...but how many Adrian Smith/Bruce Dickinson classics are on The Number of the Beast?  Honestly, the man has made some amazing contributions to the band, and it wouldn't be the same without him.
 
It's sad that there are Janick haters out there, I really think he's a huge asset in the band, and his style is just as important as H and Dave's . The three complement each other.
Maiden evolved with his help. Sure there's no more powerslave or notb, but he continues to write killer NEW stuff for the band. Long live Gers.
 
Maiden really wouldn't be the same without Janick, we've gotten some great stuff out of him (Dream Of Mirrors, The LEgacy, Como Estais Amigos, Man On The Edge)

I don't think it'd be right if they were to return to a 2-guitar lineup, as having the three of them really sets them apart from most metal bands out there now IMO
 
Why are people talking about Janick bashers? It's obviously a joke...

This  being the best part:
2. Flight Attendant
Bruce Bruce can front the band, charter the flight and pilot Air Maiden, but he can’t do everything. Someone needs to serve Adrian Smith drinks when Steve Harris tries to sell him on the idea of adding Virtual XI and X-Factor songs into the set.
Click to expand...
:D
 
Thank you, Onhell. The blogger obviously doesn't like Janick, but he was trying to be humorous, so cut him some slack.

The big problem so many people seem to have with Mr. Gers is his stage antics. First time I saw Gers live, it surprised me for a few songs, but I quickly grew to love what he does onstage. He's obviously having fun up there, and that's one of the best aspects of any live performance.
 
Alright, for the trivia freaks (hmm, perhaps I'm the only nut who's interested in such useless trivia!) I typed the following down with help of the official biography, IMC, Wiki and the family-tree of the "A Real Dead One" CD:

Adrian's time as a member of Maiden (without Janick in the band):
He joined in the 1st week of November 1980 (Dennis Stratton's dismissal was made official on 1 November, Adrian's first performance was a TV-perfomance in München, Germany on November the 8th). Adrian could have joined the band before the official dismissal was stated (that's in October, like the family-tree says from "A Real Dead One"), but it should be after the 13th of October, when Dennis played his last gig in Drammen, Norway.

He most probably left in January 1990. The family-tree in ARDO says January, Wikipedia states that during the recording of Bruce's Tattooed Millionaire album Janick was asked to join Iron Maiden in place of departing Adrian Smith. I admit I'd like to have more info on the exact date when this all happened, all I can think from the official biography is that Janick joined within a week after Adrian left.

Janick's time as a member of Maiden (without Adrian in the band)
January 1990 til February 1999. I think the announcement of the return of Bruce and Adrian was made at 10 February 1999.

Conclusion (with all the info I have until now):

Adrian has been longer in Maiden than Janick. The difference is approximately one month.  :D 

If someone has more sources or other ideas please let me know, especially about the Adrian-Janick replacement. Cheeers!  *runs*
 
Great job, Foro. :)  Maybe we'll get more info on the Adrian/Janick replacement once the History pt. 3 comes out.
 
Janick is part of the furniture now in Maiden and im sure he would be missed on a personal basis by the rest of the band but in all honesty I dont think the band need him on a musical basis ,I really dont think he would be missed at all as far as the sound of the band is concerned I dont think he is even close to the level of Dave and Adrian as a guitarist and his onstage antics are just a wee bit embarrasing!I still remember seeing him for the first time live when he was in Whitespirit(im sure they were supporting Gillan or might have been Whitesnake?) and remember thinking and most people around commenting on who the hell is this Ritchie Blackmore Wannabe and laughing, he certainly had obviously spent a lot of time watching Blackers and copying his  every move and pose but unfortunately he didnt and still doesnt have the talent to back it up .All that being said though I dont see him being booted from the band at all and as has been mentioned he does come up with some good songs now and again and is part of one of the finest live rock bands performing today
 
lightintheblack said:
he does come up with some good songs now and again
Click to expand...

I could ignore the rest of your post but this sort of disturbed me.  Some good songs now and again?  I don't usually bash other people's opinions but do you even know how much Janick has written?  If you leave out Paschendale (which is auto-win for H), I think Janick is almost the best songwriter of the three amigos of the 2000s. 

Janick has written:
Ghost of the Navigator
The Mercenary
Dream of Mirrors
Out of the Silent Planet
Montsegur
Dance of Death
Gates of Tomorrow
The Pilgrim
The Legacy

Adrian has written:
The Wicker Man
The Fallen Angel
Wildest Dreams
New Frontier
Paschendale
Face in the Sand
Journeyman
Different World
These Colours Don't Run
Brighter than a Thousand Suns
The Longest Day
Lord of Light

And Dave:
Brave New World
The Nomad
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Rainmaker
The Age of Innocence
The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg

Out of those, the absolutely best songs (in my opinion, of course) are:
Janick:
Ghost of the Navigator
Dream of Mirrors
Dance of Death
The Legacy

Adrian:
Paschendale
Journeyman
Brighter than a Thousand Suns
Lord of Light

Dave:
Brave New World
The Nomad
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate (coincidentally, all from the same album!)

Based on the 2000s, I think Dave is clearly the least good (I can't bring myself to say "worst") songwriter when considering the 2000s.  Adrian and Janick are very close; Adrian is better, but not by much, and it's mostly because of Paschendale that he wins.  If that song hadn't been written, it would be, for me, an almost impossible call between Adrian and Janick, though I think Adrian would still win.
Before the 2000s, Dave loses again, but Adrian wins clearly.  Adrian did write on five albums as opposed to Janick's three, though. Janick only became an excellent songwriter somewhere on The X Factor and Virtual XI.  His work on Fear of the Dark is not that impressive.

Janick seems to work especially well with Steve, by the way.  Dream of Mirrors, Dance of Death, and The Legacy?  Those are his three best songs, and they're all co-penned with Steve only.  Adrian seems to work well with Steve and Bruce, on the other hand; of the four best I listed, three are Smith/Dickinson/Harris.

And lightintheblack, this post isn't directed only at you.  Just my random ramblings about how good Janick is. :)
 
^I'd say some of Adrian's best works are his own ones, like Wasted Years, or the Dickinson/Smith ones like Flight of Icarus, but off topic.

lightintheblack said:
Janick is part of the furniture now in Maiden and im sure he would be missed on a personal basis by the rest of the band but in all honesty I dont think the band need him on a musical basis ,I really dont think he would be missed at all as far as the sound of the band is concerned I dont think he is even close to the level of Dave and Adrian as a guitarist and his onstage antics are just a wee bit embarrasing!I still remember seeing him for the first time live when he was in Whitespirit(im sure they were supporting Gillan or might have been Whitesnake?) and remember thinking and most people around commenting on who the hell is this Ritchie Blackmore Wannabe and laughing, he certainly had obviously spent a lot of time watching Blackers and copying his  every move and pose but unfortunately he didnt and still doesnt have the talent to back it up .All that being said though I dont see him being booted from the band at all and as has been mentioned he does come up with some good songs now and again and is part of one of the finest live rock bands performing today
Click to expand...

Say....didnt you post this before? Oh wait, you did:
http://forum.maidenfans.com/http://foru ... 91#p192391
Like a broken record, lol. (no offense, but its a bit eye roll-inducing to see almost the exact same words repeated again, and for no reason too)
 
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