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

I didn't go into much depth of that blog, but it seemed to me sarcastic from the start, pointed towards Janick-bashers.

Now, to clarify something;

Adrian Smith has been chronologically longer in the band, and what's most important, he has recorded six studio albums with Maiden in that period, two more than Janick. And what's even more important, he was there and was a big contribution to what we call Maiden's "golden era". Tastes may vary, but objectively, he's more accomplished songwriter and more accomplished guitarist than Janick Gers.

On the other hand, Janick is great songwriter and great guitarist and he's Maiden. He isn't dispensible. Some people need to figure that out. That people need to know that he wasn't merely just an Adrian replacement. He's been recruited when Maiden switched styles, something that Adrian wasn't happy about, but Janick saw himself there. I don't like Steve's decision from 1990, to take a few steps back, but it's been done, we had some great material from them in the '90s, not superb like in '80s, but good none the less. And after '99 everything went up again. In any case, Adrian Smith didn't fit in 1990's Maiden. Janick Gers did.

Now let's repeat what exactly (officially) happened between SSOASS and No Prayer.

Band did a year off in 1989. Nicko was preparing his drum clinic video, Dave was settling in Hawaii, Adrian was recording Silver And Gold, Bruce was doing Nightmare On The Elm Street stuff with Gers, later the record company wanted a full album, so they ended up doing Tattooed Millionaire. Steve was working on Maiden England video. Bruce thought that Seventh Son was a flawed record but that flaws never got shown due to more accessible/commercial sound, and a grandious stage set/performance. Steve thought that Maiden reached the apex in terms of progressive music, synths and such, and wanted to change direction, but it couldn't be done instantly, because the Seventh Son was a natural progression of everything that classic line-up recorded throughout five years. So he didn't want to experiment much, just to revert the style to a more of Killers / NOTB type. Adrian was discomforted with that. But that wasn't initially shown. Problems arose on the songwriting sessions, which went very quick. Adrian used vast majority of his creativity for the ASAP project, Maiden were already to record, he had little material. He wanted them to just slow down a bit so he could write some more. Steve was enthusiastic to record new stuff, and tensions started rising, when Adrian shown that he's not 110% breathing for Maiden. Naturally, he got fired.

Janick was a friend of the band. He was the first choice, because he was already working with Bruce. Actually, Janick defended Adrian and wanted them all to reconsider and try to work things out, so that Adrian could remain. Only when that was ruled out, he appeared in on the 'arry's farm, he had one day to learn four songs, and he and Dave instantly clicked.
 
Are we really comparing Janick Gers to Adrian Smith as if the comparison were even remotely reasonable?  One is a likeable and competent guitarist and songwriter who helped keep my favorite band on life support during the 90's (and who gets major credit in my book for Ghost of the Navigator); but the latter is a legend.  It's like when folks recently started comparing Kobe Bryant favorably to Michael Jordan.  Come on, people.  I thought Zare was about to inject some sense into the discussion, but he copped out.    I'm not a Gers-basher.  He's fine, and he brings more to the table than he takes away.  But he's no Adrian Smith.  And definitely no Dave Fucking Murray. 

EDIT:  Oh yeah, one other thing:  Paschendale.  Checkmate. 
 
On this forum the appreciation for Janick is growing every year and that may be shown once in a while.
 
Forostar said:
Alright, for the trivia freaks (hmm, perhaps I'm the only nut who's interested in such useless trivia!)

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*

No, Foro, you're definitely not the only one  :D


After reading the last few posts I'll sum up my opinion on this topic:

- When Adrian left it was a bloody good thing that Janick arrived
- Janick is not Adrian but he was never meant to be. He came into the band as himself and has certainly made his mark.
- I really think it's a good thing he stayed in '99.
 
Eddies Wingman said:
No, Foro, you're definitely not the only one  :D


After reading the last few posts I'll sum up my opinion on this topic:

- When Adrian left it was a bloody good thing that Janick arrived
- Janick is not Adrian but he was never meant to be. He came into the band as himself and has certainly made his mark.
- I really think it's a good thing he stayed in '99.

So can we PLEASE conclude that Jan is as important as rest of the band, he's been in the band roughly as long as Adrian, has wrote some fantastic songs, has an energy filled fucking good time on stage, and he is going nowhere.

Also he is from the North East of England which also earns kudos points from me. Don't call him a geordie know whatever you do
 
Hartlepool, isn't it? And Geordie refers exclusively to people from Newcastle-upon-Tyne? Anyway, I think his accent is cool. And one of the arguments in that blog was that the band needs a member who doesn't support feckin' West Ham  ;) I guess people from Hartlepool mostly support their own team, but which of the North-Eastern Premiership teams has most sympathy in Hartlepool?

I guess if he's called a Geordie he'll come after you and hit you with his guitar, while dancing around in some pants taken straight out of the 80s  :D
 
Eddies Wingman said:
And Geordie refers exclusively to people from Newcastle-upon-Tyne?
What folk from Sunderland will say is that Geordie's are people that are born within the "stench of the Tyne". :D
 
Ardius said:
^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.

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)

Emm well yes very good 10 out of 10 for observation mate but did you not think that perhaps I said that because that was my opinion and the reason for posting is kind of obvious is it not? the opinions are relevant to the thread the fact that i have said it before merely confirms my opinion have you never repeated yourself?I would have thought that we all do repeat ourselves when someone asks an opinion unless of course your opinion changes obviously mine has not :p
Invader said:
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. :)

Fair enough he has written a good few songs but that does not make him a great guitarist or performer maybe he could carry on as a songwriter instead of a guitarist in the band and leave Dave and Adrian to do what they do best :)
 
I think Janick is an excellent guitarist.  He may not be as excellent as H or Dave, but he is still excellent.  In fact, I would say that he is more excellent than most guitarists in the world.
 
Back in the Village said:
So can we PLEASE conclude that Jan is as important as rest of the band, he's been in the band roughly as long as Adrian, has wrote some fantastic songs, has an energy filled fucking good time on stage, and he is going nowhere.
I'm sorry but why should all agree to that?  It's not that I don't think Janick is unimportant to the band,  but everyone is entitled to their opinion.  As of yet I'm not sure what I think of Gers being in the band now,  haven't payed enough attention.
 
and on and on  ::)
There isnt much to this discussion, its just a matter of love him or hate him and the fact that he isnt leaving the band anytime soon.

lightintheblack said:
Emm well yes very good 10 out of 10 for observation mate but did you not think that perhaps I said that because that was my opinion and the reason for posting is kind of obvious is it not? the opinions are relevant to the thread the fact that i have said it before merely confirms my opinion have you never repeated yourself?I would have thought that we all do repeat ourselves when someone asks an opinion unless of course your opinion changes obviously mine has not :p

Theres a difference from repeating your opinion and repeating the exact same post. I have nothing against your opinions and I'm not trying to attack you or whatever you might think. I was just pointing out that you were repeating the same post again, but it clearly seems you knew that, so whatever.  :p
 
When I say Janick is one of the best guitarists in the world, I am pretty sure he is in the top 0.001%.  You know, the ones who are lucky enough to play guitar for a living, a very lucrative living.
 
Adrian Smith is my top #1 influence in guitar playing, Dave belongs in the group of few major others. Janick...well i'd definetly say he's an influence too, not in soloing, but in some smaller melody lines etc. So i'll always have a subjective answer about Maiden guys (especially Adrian), when we're talking about "best guitarists on the world", etc...

But, speaking in terms of overall performance, technique, functionality and structure of lead parts, impact on the scene, etc. and regardless of my personal taste, i'd put Adrian and Dave in Top20 of world's greatests rock guitarists ever, and Janick in Top100.
 
Albie said:
What folk from Sunderland will say is that Geordie's are people that are born within the "stench of the Tyne". :D

Just like a Cockney is one that is born within hearing range of the bells of the St, Mary-le-Bow church in City of London? Seems like being within smelling/hearing/sighting range of something is an important criterion for telling who you are in Ingurland :)

And I agree with the Canadian about Janick. He might not be as excellent as Adrian or Dave, but he is still excellent.
 
SneakySneaky said:
I'm sorry but why should all agree to that?  It's not that I don't think Janick is unimportant to the band,  but everyone is entitled to their opinion.  As of yet I'm not sure what I think of Gers being in the band now,  haven't payed enough attention.

So where the fook have you been since 1990? Listening to Milli Vanilli???

Yes everyone is entitled to an opinion but at least have an opinion for goodness sake. How can you call yourself a Maiden fan and claim to have not paid attention to a lead guitarist who has been in the band for 18 years???

My point is that love him or loathe him his contribution to the cause has been emmense. He has weighed in with some excellent songs, fuck me you have got me repeating myself. If you havent paid enough attention I suggest you pull a sickday off work or college or whatever you do. Go somehwere private and listen to Maiden's last five albums and see what Mr Gers has done. Then watch Rock In Rio and Death on The Road DVD's and see how much energy the guy puts into his performance and then come back with an OPINION!!!


And before you say anything Janick is my least favourite guitarist in the band so dont even get started on Dave or H or I'll come get medieval on yo ass!!!  :bigsmile:
 
Back in the Village said:
So where the fook have you been since 1990? Listening to Milli Vanilli???

Yes everyone is entitled to an opinion but at least have an opinion for goodness sake. How can you call yourself a Maiden fan and claim to have not paid attention to a lead guitarist who has been in the band for 18 years???

My point is that love him or loathe him his contribution to the cause has been emmense. He has weighed in with some excellent songs, fuck me you have got me repeating myself. If you havent paid enough attention I suggest you pull a sickday off work or college or whatever you do. Go somehwere private and listen to Maiden's last five albums and see what Mr Gers has done. Then watch Rock In Rio and Death on The Road DVD's and see how much energy the guy puts into his performance and then come back with an OPINION!!!


And before you say anything Janick is my least favourite guitarist in the band so dont even get started on Dave or H or I'll come get medieval on yo ass!!!  :bigsmile:
Fine,  let me tell you what I think.  I definitely think he's not anywhere near being an excellent guitarist.  He's good,  but he has got style on stage and that is basically what makes him stand out.  A few of his solos I actually like but though he can play a bunch of notes in a narrow time frame,  he can't do it as smoothly as Murray. 

Sure,  his entering the band once Smith left was extremely helpful.  But now Smith is back.  Would I miss Gers if he left?  I doubt it.  Would the band's attitude change if he left?  Of course.  Some of the songs he's written are very good,  but like Harris does (I wouldn't say Maiden as a whole,  as others want to believe),  he repeats himself.  One very good example is Dance of Death and The Legacy.  Both songs have the same structure.  Even if you don't know who wrote them,  you could probably predict it.

Oh,  and although his theatrics are amusing,  they do get tiring after a while.
 
Absolutely! Cheers!

dos%20amigos%20in%20the%20bar%20after.jpg
 
I think people dislike Jan's playing style when he just does fast flurries of notes for solos, but Lord of the Flies shows what he can do when he slows down a bit.  I like him, for what it's worth (which is, let's be honest, nothing).
 
For all the people who wish Janick was out of the band and maiden went back to their golden years lineup, heres a little bit of news(but i'm sure you all knew this). During the "golden years" iron maiden wrote alot of songs with three guitar parts, revelations,flash of the blade, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, seventh son of a seventh son,..etc. SO does adding Janick not only make the songs stay true to the album he adds a new dimension to the band; energy, songwriting, awesomeness. So yeah he's perfect for them. :innocent:
 
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