Tournament of Iron Maiden Solos: 2nd poll (qualification stage)

Which solo do you like the most? (pick your favourite)

  • 01. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 1st solo (see 1st link)

    Votes: 3 60.0%

  • 02. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 2nd solo (see 2nd link)

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • 03. Mother Russia (see 3rd link)

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • 04. The Educated Fool (see 4th link)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    5
  • Poll closed .
Continuing with Adrian Smith:


10. The Ides of March (older entry):
Entrez, Adrian Smith! We're not only talking about the the first solo from the Killers album, but it's also Adrian's first ever solo that landed on Maiden vinyl. I like the playful character of it, with its well placed pauses. It has some longer and bright, high notes as well. The solo isn't very long, but it's worked out neatly.

9. Only the Good Die Young
Quite a special and technical solo. Adrian does some very fast runs, going with lightning speed to the higher and lower realms of the fretboard. I love those muted parts and sudden intervals, as only he can do in his typical style (listen to the second quarter). The solo has a bit of an evil vibe to it, fitting well with the mystical atmosphere of the music and lyrics.

8. The Trooper
Very melodic solo. I like the beginning, going straight away in for the kill with the long high notes, and then descending to the 2nd rock and roll(!) quarter. Not the biggest fan of the 3rd (fast and not too well executed repetition of high patterns) but he ends nice with the harmony.

7. Still Life
Beforehand I hadn't taken into account with this solo at all. But it's really great. There's this unusual laid back feeling. It's like Adrian is really playing (it even sounds a bit like improvising) with the opportunities he has. Lots of ease is shining from this solo. Like you can feel that he can do many different things. He starts with a swinging first quarter with lots of feel. The second quarter has a short start, a mini pause, followed by a fast run. In the third quarter he bends nicely and high, goes fast again and then he descends beautifully to the end. The more I am writing about it, the more I wonder if it shouldn't be higher.

6. Quest for Fire
Again a Piece of Mind solo. On this album, Adrian really was in a great soloing vibe. Martin Birch captured it well and gave him an awesome sound. It sounds a zillion times better than on the previous album. But Adrian also performs better. Better ideas, better execution. Quest for Fire has a very short and not too complicated solo.
What I like is that it is catchy and raw at the same time. Rock and roll! You can feel that vibration in his sound and hear the aggression in his playing. Check how he rams that first chord in the 2nd quarter and you know what I mean.
 
This is gonna be very hard.
Dave Murray
1. Where Eagles Dare live (watch this, how did he do this?)
2. Brave New World
3. Still Life
4. Man Who would be king
5. Sign of the Cross (live)
6. Powerslave
7. Phantom of the Opera
8. Rime of the Ancient Mariner
9. Hallowed be thy Name
10. Fear of the Dark

Adrian Smith
1. Caught Somewhere in Time
2. Alexander the Great
3. Isle of Avalon
4. Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner
5. Wasted Years
6. Still Life
7. Stranger in a Strane Land
8. Starblind
9. Paschendale
10. Prisoner or Wicker Man

Janick Gers
1. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
2. Blood Brothers
3. Dance of Death
4. Pashcendale
5. Legacy
6. Brighter than 1000 suns
7. Talisman
8. Heaven Can Wait (flight 666)
9. Sign of the Cross
10. Unbeliever (if thats Janicks at 4:11, if not Sanctuary rock in rio)
 
I actually don't care for that version of the Where Eagles Dare Solo. The one that appears on the studio cut, however, is pretty darn cool.
 
I think for how little firm note playing (i.e. it's all whammy bar & harmonics) there actually is in the original, Dave plays this quite close/similarly. (It's not that different, is it?) The studio version is, as you might expect, as little tighter though. Great "noise" lead! :D (It's actually reminds me, a little, of his whammy & harmonic stuff on When The Wild Wind Blows --live, on En Vivo!, he plays it pretty damn close to the original, for all that fucking about.)

(Collin: That is Janick playing first lead on The Unbeliever --so we can let you have that at #10! :p Sorry, one last edit! --yeh, Janick's HCW lead on Flight 666 is a great version. Nice & clean, & comes together really well.)
 
Well he kinda throws more frills into the live version, which I don't care much for. The minimalism in the studio version fits the tune perfectly.
 
Aye, agreed; although I still think this example isn't the worst. In that Ullevi gig he's guilty of over-frilling way too many leads, even for my liking. Dave literally has all the lead work (as it's the Early Days tour) --but he looses some of the feel of the originals e.g. Phantom of the Opera. All those lingering notes really made those particular leads what they are.
 
It's probably because of the song selection. Arrangements aren't as tight on those first few albums and he has more opportunity to play around and frill a lot of leads. Not that it sounds any better. Honestly though, I don't notice it too much on the Ullevi gig, but since that particular solo section was pointed out that was the first thing that came to my attention.
 
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