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

I've always thought Maiden better with three rather two lead guitarists. And now that I've seen them in concert I can only continue with this thought. Janick not only adds to the body of sounds and makes lots of songs more epic than they are, he has song-writing quality (as we heard on AMOLAD) and his performance on stage is fantastic, he doesn't mess up everything as people tend to say, rather his jumping and skipping and guitar antics just add to the show (since the only other guy jumping around is Bruce). Long live Janick Gers in Iron Maiden!
 
After seeing Maiden on the current tour, I did get the impression that Janick is left a bit out-of-place in the classic songs.  I got this expression especially because in the other gig, I was on the left near the front of the stage and only saw H and Dave properly.  I only saw Janick well a few times, but it didn't really bother me as H and Dave did most of the solos.  Janick was fun to see, but music-wise he didn't add much to the songs themselves
, with the exception of Revelations, where Bruce was able to interact with the audience much better than on Live After Death.

However, I'm sure he's a lot more relevant on the 2000s songs.  I haven't seen him yet on those though.
 
Janick plays solos on

Revelations, Heaven Can Wait, Moonchild, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Fear Of The Dark

5 solos.

Adrian plays solos on

Aces High, Two Minutes To Midnight, Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, Powerslave, Number Of The Beast, Wasted Years, Can I Play With Madness.

7 solos

And there's one doubling. Considering the fact that Janick wasn't around in that period, i'd say that it's pretty much even between him and Adrian, regarding lead parts. Janick never played pre-91 material as good as Adrian, not to mention his habbit of butchering H's solos. I'm just curious, if Maiden ever does a 90's period history tour, will the fair share of lead roles go to Adrian, like the share that went to Janick on Early Days and Somewhere Back In Time.
 
Janick is a fucking guitar master. He is also the best songwriter of the guitarists in my opinion. Well, he may fuck up the solos when played live, but he is still a great performer. For all of those who diss Janick: FUCK YOU!  :innocent:
 
I still can't believe this discussion is still going on. Janick has been in the band for 18 years now. I think we should see him as a full member of Maiden, and not as a replacement who has over stayed his welcome. Maybe we should start to rip on H, because he is by definition, Dennis Stratton's replacement. Or we can rip on Bruce for being Paul Di Anno's replacement. Janick did the band a monumental service by helping to carry the band forward when the mid 1990's lean times began. I 've seen the material on SBIT done back in the 1980's, and the songs sound fricher and fuller than they did back then. Having a 3rd guitarist is really a big advantage for the guys and gives them many more options when doing live shows.
 
I wouldn't put Janick 'up there' with Adrian. Look at the stuf Adrian has played on - Killers, TNotB, POM, Powerslave - some of Maiden's very best. On the other hand what has Janick played on - NPftD, FotD, XF, VXI - not bad albums at all, but hardly brilliant either. Janick is good but I wouldn't rank him alongside Adrian.

It's impossible to judge on song-writing as most of Adrian and Janick's songs are written with other members so we don't really know what they've actually written so it's hard to compare anyway.

For all of those who diss Janick: FUCK YOU!

<_<
 
Why do people feel so strong on this subject. Janick has been in the band for 18 years now. How come nobody is making the comparison with Janick  and Dave Murray? Or Dave and H? Dave Murray, in my humble opinion is a better soloist that H. But I also think H is a much better rythum  guitarist.
 
About Janick's solo contribution (the songs, not the playing):

1. Revelations
Logical choice. He did this since 2003 when Revelations came back in the set. Would be weird to give it back to Adrian now, especially in this tour, where Adrian does most lead work.

2. Heaven Can Wait
He did this in the period when Adrian was absent and also since Adrian is back in the band. Logical choice again.

3. Moonchild
You could say this is the only real "extra bonus" Janick got.

4. Hallowed Be Thy Name
See 2.

5. Fear Of The Dark
Duh! This is as logical as 1 + 1 = 2. Needs no further explanation.

Technically speaking, this one should indeed be added:
6. The Trooper, where Adrian and Janick both do the solo at the same time.
See 2 again.

So amount of solos, this tour: Janick 6, Adrian 8.

Zare said:
I'm just curious, if Maiden ever does a 90's period history tour, will the fair share of lead roles go to Adrian, like the share that went to Janick on Early Days and Somewhere Back In Time.

Janick was Adrian's replacement. He had to do solos for the eighties songs which were played in 1990-1998. So it's logical that Janick did those solos and it's logical that he still does some of them.

Is it logical that someone who left the band and who returned to the band nine years later suddenly starts to play 50% of the solos from that 1990-1998 era? Not that logical imho. Perhaps H will indeed do one or two but six nineties songs? But for the matter of balance it could be fair still. That's why on this (and the previous) tour(s) Adrian let Janick play some of his stuff.
 
Janick was Adrian's replacement. He had to do solos for the eighties songs which were played in 1990-1998. So it's logical that Janick did those solos and it's logical that he still does some of them.

I was thinking about the '80s solos that weren't played throughout the '90s, songs which got into setlists of 21st century tours.
 
Yes I understood that. In my other sentences I went deeper into that aspect. I'd have no objection if H would do some Janick-era solos. Actually, it makes me curious what he would do with them.
 
I think, if they ever do the '90s tour, they'll be balanced out as they have been balanced on every tour since Adrian returned. Don't forget the compulsory baggage of The Trooper, NOTB and maybe TETMD or CIPWM, also HCW and Sanctuary were always present in the '90s, those are all songs with H's solos (he could get back his solo in HCW and HBTN).
 
gulranek said:
I think, if they ever do the '90s tour, they'll be balanced out as they have been balanced on every tour since Adrian returned. Don't forget the compulsory baggage of The Trooper, NOTB and maybe TETMD or CIPWM, also HCW and Sanctuary were always present in the '90s, those are all songs with H's solos (he could get back his solo in HCW and HBTN).

Beh. I really hope they'll drop the majority of those particular eighties songs in order to make room for Blaze-era songs and some forgotten gems from the early 90's.
 
Invader said:
After seeing Maiden on the current tour, I did get the impression that Janick is left a bit out-of-place in the classic songs.  I got this expression especially because in the other gig, I was on the left near the front of the stage and only saw H and Dave properly.  I only saw Janick well a few times, but it didn't really bother me as H and Dave did most of the solos.  Janick was fun to see, but music-wise he didn't add much to the songs themselves
, with the exception of Revelations, where Bruce was able to interact with the audience much better than on Live After Death.

However, I'm sure he's a lot more relevant on the 2000s songs.  I haven't seen him yet on those though.

I got really dissapointed by Janick this time, and it wasn't fun at all his attitude on the scene... too much

gulranek said:
I think, if they ever do the '90s tour, they'll be balanced out as they have been balanced on every tour since Adrian returned. Don't forget the compulsory baggage of The Trooper, NOTB and maybe TETMD or CIPWM, also HCW and Sanctuary were always present in the '90s, those are all songs with H's solos (he could get back his solo in HCW and HBTN).

'90s tour?
Regarding the playlist of 84-88 tour
this sound like a joke not good enough to laugh :(
 
gulranek said:
those are all songs with H's solos (he could get back his solo in HCW and HBTN).

... and Revelations. Hell, I like many of Janick's solos, but the one he plays in Revelations is plain butchery. Let H have it back. The song is generally quite melodic and for me the H solo is the highlight of the song. Janick's style doesn't fit the song. Please, please, let H have it back if they are going to continue playing the song (which I hope they'll do, it's a great song live).

They play Revelations on this tour and unlike Invader, I don't think Mr. Gers added anything to the song music-wise except for some pointless shredding. What's really painful about it is that we actually know Janick is capable of much better, he just seems to like this way of playing. I'm just happy they left the solos in Rime and Powerslave to H and Dave, these two songs were the highlights of the show and the solo parts were the highlights of the songs.
 
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