Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Sigged!
Tournament of Iron Maiden Solos: 2nd poll (qualification stage)
- Thread starter Forostar
- Start date
Moon Child
Ancient Mariner
Wow! I must say, that is a really great description of that solo! I couldn't agree more. 
Sara
Not even Wensleydale?
Woah, I don't know what to say! I really appreciate your kind words and praise for that post... I didn't think it was that great, and I felt I could have worded it better, but I am very passionate about metal, Maiden, and guitar. I guess that comes out in my reviews! Most of the time I don't intend to go so much into depth, but once I get going, I find it hard to stop! lol Thanks again for your input.
I've been holding off on doing my Janick top 10 until I can give it the same time and attention I gave to my review of H's solos. It's coming soon though!
Maturin
Sköldpadda
Adrian Smith
Janick Gers
Dave Murray
I did these lists without thinking too much. Just the solos that I thought about first, and then I listened to them and put them in order. I may have forgotten some completely awesome solo.
- Coming Home (3:59-4:26)
- Stranger In A Strange Land (3:19-4:26)
- The Mercenary (3:20-3:38)
- Caught Somewhere In Time (4:05-4:51)
- Brighter Than A Thousand Suns (3:34-4:02)
Janick Gers
- Wasting Love (4:18-4:44)
- Blood Brothers (5:18-6:12)
- Brave New World (3:59-4:33)
- The Legacy (5:56-6:16)
- Fortunes of War (5:03-5:26)
Dave Murray
- Rainmaker (2:00-2:24)
- Lord of Light (5:52-6-14)
- Paschendale (4:52-5:14)
- The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (5:34-6:06)
- The Final Frontier (7:01-7:15)
I did these lists without thinking too much. Just the solos that I thought about first, and then I listened to them and put them in order. I may have forgotten some completely awesome solo.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
There are some real surprises there. I'm not sure whether to include LoL in my Davey top 10; it's very nice, but there's so much to choose from.
Hmm... it's really quite tricky. I think I should have just gone with a gut instinct list; perhaps I'm thinking a little hard about this!
Hmm... it's really quite tricky. I think I should have just gone with a gut instinct list; perhaps I'm thinking a little hard about this!
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Nice to see Fortunes in there though, on your Janick list. I love that little end gallop.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Away ye go! --there's an Adrian thread for this kind of talk...
Moon Child
Ancient Mariner
Why go all the way to that thread when we're just talking about solos here anyway?
Ariana
Black-and-white leopard
Away ye go! --there's an Adrian thread for this kind of talk...
Well, at least we have listed our favourite solos.
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Okay, okay --I have my top ten for all three of them, I'm just deciding whether I want to add any comment, or not. What do you think?
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
I'm going to go for comments. Just doing that now, & hope to post all three top 10's in a few days...
CriedWhenBrucieLeft
Meme Only Account
Okay, here goes...
I decided to have a good listen to each lead/solo on its own, but without the rest of the track (i.e. I just jumped to it.) Purely from a technical point of view, I thought this would help rate individual leads (in my opinion) by quality. But I also wanted to rate some leads in context --they may have fitted a particular track really well, while not necessarily being outstanding improvisations in their own right; or they may have followed on from some other great section; etc. (Some others have pointed out a few which don't really fit too, but which they thought were good e.g. Janick's in Brighter Than A Thousand Suns). And, of course, I also just wanted to put in "gut instinct" (first reaction) leads; particularly ones I just love listening too again & again. Ones where, after it's finished, I bump back to the start of the lead & listen to it again; sometimes doing this half a dozen times. Anyway, this is a big mixture of all these ideas.
I probably found Dave's top 10 the hardest, as there seemed to be a lot that I really thought deserved to be in there, but which there just wasn't room for. I don't know if anyone else thought this too --but I feel over the last few albums (TFF particularly) many of the leads are far more blended & integrated into the tracks; more atmospheric, often longer & more broken up, & just generally less standard "rock solo". All part of Maiden's development (especially with three guitarists now), but for this reason (alone) I found less standouts from more recent albums. I found this particularly true of Adrian, where I had noted (to myself) when listening to AMoLoD & TFF things like: no standout, all VG --etc. With Janick, I always thought he had cracking leads on otherwise mediocre tracks; re-listening to them all only reinforced this, for me. And his best really are great; so different from the other two. They're all sort of in order, but it's very difficult...
___________________________________________________
Top 10 Dave Murray Lead Guitar Parts:
1. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg [Intro + Main lead]
I just love Dave's guitar work on this. In fact, it's probably my favourite post reunion track. A lovely melodic Dave intro (one of half a dozen or so that pepper Maiden's discography), with a simply gorgeous guitar tone. The main lead... I just seem to have such an emotional attachment to it; I don't know what else to say. I love the backing guitar & rhythm underneath too, & Dave just glides over his notes, rising & soaring near the end to a couple of screeching, heart wrenching bends, before the lead concludes. Love it.
2. Powerslave
Lovely slow lead, beginning a whole section of memorable Maiden music. To me, this brings together Dave's very earlier playing style (characteristic slow legato improvisations), with a far better sound/tone. It sounds more thought out than leads were on earlier albums too --& it's housed, quite simply, in a great song. A lovely, typically Dave, (slow) lead.
3. Alexander The Great
Following immediately on from Adrian's very technical lead, this is a lovely, sweeping lead section, with Dave lingering long (on the descend) on some of those nice big full bends that he does; there's that lovely little quick middle part & it crescendos up nicely at the end. It's SiT, so the guitar tone is also very pleasing, to my ears anyway.
4. Futureal
I just think this lead it so cool sounding. It has lovely harmonies earlier on (Dave & Janick played this together live, I gather), then in the second half tears away down the fretboard to this wicked tremolo bar growl, before coming back up. All very frenetic, but there's some lovely little skipped notes in those fast runs.
5. Judas Be My Guide
I find this a very uplifting track & Dave's lead fits really well. Nothing overly flashy (a bit of tremolo bar action in the middle), just a nice melody, soaring around, & all sounding very loose & natural.
6. Caught Somewhere In Time
Both Dave & Adrian's CSiT leads are both very, very long; but full of quality. Dave's lead takes us away from the vocal verses into a series fantastic musical passages. Tone is lovely & loads of stuff going on. Prepares the way for Adrian's lead, which is also superb.
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name (LIVE: Rock In Rio '01)
This was a bit of a toss-up between quite a few "classic" early eighties Dave leads (tNotB, Run To The Hills, HBTN, The Trooper, etc), all of which, I think, have suffered from overplay fatigue, what with appearing on literally every live album. Dave's HBTN lead just stands out because of the song it's in, which for me still ranks very high. The album version is so simple, with that tone & nice phase effect, which might just be Dave on his Wah, I don't know --either way it sounds fantastic. I've flagged the RiR live version because I can't imagine I'm ever going to tire of listening to this whole section; including Janick's lead which follows. An old song that isn't tiring, Dave's lead included.
8. Still Life [Intro + Main lead] (LIVE: Maiden England '88)
Like with Benjamin Breeg a lovely intro. In regard to the main lead, I'm cheating a little here: I don't actually find the studio version that good, but I absolutely love listening to the live version on Maiden England. I find the sound of his guitar exhilarating as it comes in & he does this hammer/pull-off up-neck slide, which I remember being mightily impressed by when I first saw it years ago. Still impressed.
9. Prowler (LIVE: A Real Dead One '93)
I get quite nostalgic listening to this, thinking back to Maiden in early, early days; musically simple & full of energy. The band just kicks off & Dave bursts in with this chaotic, rambling flurry of notes; pure improvisation, at breakneck speed, with bends everywhere. I love this live version (despite production flaws) where he absolutely nails the original feel while adding this incredibly fast section (at 02:24). Goosebumps.
10. Public Enema Number One
Nice little melodic build up before the lead comes in. Not sure why I like this so much, just a nice, nice lead. It has that lovely clean(er) NPftD guitar tone where you can really hear Dave twinkling over the notes very quickly (none of that muddy sound); finishes off with a nice tapping section. This was one of about half a dozen that could have slipped into the top 10.
Top 10 Adrian Smith Lead Guitar Parts:
1. Stranger In A Strange Land
I can't get enough of this lead -- the combination of the synth (background), Steve's (lovely) bass improvisation & Adrian's sparkling guitar part, are just so beautiful. The second section has all of Adrian's SiT trademarks: smooth high bends (something he doesn't seem to replicate live very well), a little tremolo bar dive, & that quick repetitive bend section. Lovely sustain & delay throughout. It just sounds fantastic.
2. Heaven Can Wait
I know in more recent times this part has been characterised by fans on stage singing along & Janick taking Adrian's part --but I think Adrian's original is really, really good & prefer it to his (more?) popular CSiT lead. Lovely little chord play around (during the "Whoa __ oh") before the lead proper; loads of squeeks (harmonics), great tremolo bar stuff (04:45), & nice tempo.
3. Caught Somewhere In Time
The rhythm part under Dave's lead (quite high tempo) gives way to a slightly different rhythm part (played by Dave) under Adrian's lead --& Adrian takes this & just makes it feel totally different. It just sounds superb, like most of the lead work on SiT.
4. Alexander The Great
This a great study piece for those wanting to play stuff from SiT: distinct sections & improvised over quite a slow, deliberate passage of music (--probably quite difficult for Adrian to inject any pace here.) Very melodic, & slow sounding, but actually has some pretty quick little sections. Nice contrast to Dave's lead that follows.
5. Wasted Years
Lovely build up with the opening riff repetition & the rest of the band kicking in. Really simple stuff, with Adrian's usual subtle tremolo bar work. Moves beginning of lead further up fret & repeats, & builds nicely to a soaring high finish, with loads of nice bend work.
6. Die With Your Boots On
I really love this songs guitar work. After Dave's lead we have this lovely harmony part & Bruce's vocals coming in, followed by Adrian's lead. You kind of know where it's going (up!), but listening to it getting there is still pretty exciting. Climaxes in that piercing high section, before taking us down a little in preparation for Bruce's return.
7. The Duellist
The sound/tone is nowhere near as sweet as the guitar work on SiT, but I still think this lead stands out. Embedded in a lovely long instrumental section, it's very melodic; the sort of lead you could whistle along to. I just like the whole thing, especially the second half & finish.
8. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (LIVE: Flight 666 '08)
After the band bursts back in your just waiting for a lead to start --& Adrian doesn't disappoint. The album version is good, but live is just epic. In the Flight 666 version he adds this excellent little tapping section; a departure from the original that works really well, possibly all the more so because it's live, & Adrian doesn't depart from his own (older) originals that much. The lead volume is also nice & prominent (in this mix) & you can really hear Adrian; something that can't be said for quite a lot of other (often older) live recordings.
9. 2 Minutes To Midnight (LIVE: En Vivo! '11)
The tempo underneath is really quite slow & Adrian makes quite a low key section memorable with some nice note choices in this lead. I (again) like the added tapping section in the En Vivo! live version, & the little trailing off addition. Great tone too.
10. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (Part 1)
The improvisation & note choice are just really good here. A lot of Adrian's lead work on Seventh Son has this kind of feel to it, & I think this is a nice example of it.
Top 10 Janick Gers Lead Guitar Parts:
1. Hallowed Be Thy Name (LIVE: Rock In Rio '01)
Janick's improvisation on HBTN is totally different to Adrian's original; also running the lead on quite a bit beyond where it ended on the album, with these lovely high descending runs. He's been having a bash at it for quite a while now, but I think on the RiR version he nails the timing to perfection. Dave's lead, then Janick's; add to this the quality of all the playing generally (& the mix) --the whole thing is immense!
2. Gates Of Tomorrow
Don't think this track is particularly well thought of --but Janick's lead is superb. Screeches in wildly, then rambles away in Janick's typical choppy, erratic style; there's then this little fill & then Janick's back in again. I love it.
3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
I still find this section pretty exciting when it kicks in. You're waiting for the lead & Janick's is pretty cool. Loads of right hand technique to deliver this flurry of quick notes; typical of his early style.
4. Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter
Quite conventionally rocky (to begin with), but with added Janick. Live he went pretty mental with the old tremolo bar (i.e. Live At Donington), which sounded even more wild. But on the album it's all really well thought out sounding. Isn't too mental; still follows a basic melody.
5. The Assassin
How good is this? Dave's lead is over a fairly steady rhythm section, but then it all kicks off when Janick comes in. Nice little mini-break in the middle & then more mental breakneck Janick.
6. Weekend Warrior
I think this is another exceptional Janick lead hidden away on a truly (awful?) mediocre track. There are several different plays on Janick's "tripping down the stairs" (my label) technique; the best example of which is 04:06. Lovely little joining the melody section at the end too.
7. Dance Of Death
Janick's lead work on his own tracks are always pretty good; this is no exception. Lovely little open string pull-off section towards the end & probably tops the other two, as it (perhaps) should on his own track.
8. Fortunes Of War
A lot of this track infuriates me; it could have been truly immense, but some of the structure (to me) doesn't work/fit. That aside, Janick's lead is really nice; lovely, simple note choice. As I said, I particularly like the little quick gallop (05:18) before Dave comes in.
9. Brave New World
Loads of energy & nice clean runs from Janick. The series of bends, taking the pace out of the lead, is very melodic, & quite a good example of Janick's style on this album.
10. The Pilgrim
Another great lead on his own track. Lovely eastern feel to the track generally & the lead has some really nice touches, particularly towards the end.
__________________________________________________
I ran out out of steam, with my comments, towards the end; still, that was way too long!
I decided to have a good listen to each lead/solo on its own, but without the rest of the track (i.e. I just jumped to it.) Purely from a technical point of view, I thought this would help rate individual leads (in my opinion) by quality. But I also wanted to rate some leads in context --they may have fitted a particular track really well, while not necessarily being outstanding improvisations in their own right; or they may have followed on from some other great section; etc. (Some others have pointed out a few which don't really fit too, but which they thought were good e.g. Janick's in Brighter Than A Thousand Suns). And, of course, I also just wanted to put in "gut instinct" (first reaction) leads; particularly ones I just love listening too again & again. Ones where, after it's finished, I bump back to the start of the lead & listen to it again; sometimes doing this half a dozen times. Anyway, this is a big mixture of all these ideas.
I probably found Dave's top 10 the hardest, as there seemed to be a lot that I really thought deserved to be in there, but which there just wasn't room for. I don't know if anyone else thought this too --but I feel over the last few albums (TFF particularly) many of the leads are far more blended & integrated into the tracks; more atmospheric, often longer & more broken up, & just generally less standard "rock solo". All part of Maiden's development (especially with three guitarists now), but for this reason (alone) I found less standouts from more recent albums. I found this particularly true of Adrian, where I had noted (to myself) when listening to AMoLoD & TFF things like: no standout, all VG --etc. With Janick, I always thought he had cracking leads on otherwise mediocre tracks; re-listening to them all only reinforced this, for me. And his best really are great; so different from the other two. They're all sort of in order, but it's very difficult...
___________________________________________________
Top 10 Dave Murray Lead Guitar Parts:
1. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg [Intro + Main lead]
I just love Dave's guitar work on this. In fact, it's probably my favourite post reunion track. A lovely melodic Dave intro (one of half a dozen or so that pepper Maiden's discography), with a simply gorgeous guitar tone. The main lead... I just seem to have such an emotional attachment to it; I don't know what else to say. I love the backing guitar & rhythm underneath too, & Dave just glides over his notes, rising & soaring near the end to a couple of screeching, heart wrenching bends, before the lead concludes. Love it.
2. Powerslave
Lovely slow lead, beginning a whole section of memorable Maiden music. To me, this brings together Dave's very earlier playing style (characteristic slow legato improvisations), with a far better sound/tone. It sounds more thought out than leads were on earlier albums too --& it's housed, quite simply, in a great song. A lovely, typically Dave, (slow) lead.
3. Alexander The Great
Following immediately on from Adrian's very technical lead, this is a lovely, sweeping lead section, with Dave lingering long (on the descend) on some of those nice big full bends that he does; there's that lovely little quick middle part & it crescendos up nicely at the end. It's SiT, so the guitar tone is also very pleasing, to my ears anyway.
4. Futureal
I just think this lead it so cool sounding. It has lovely harmonies earlier on (Dave & Janick played this together live, I gather), then in the second half tears away down the fretboard to this wicked tremolo bar growl, before coming back up. All very frenetic, but there's some lovely little skipped notes in those fast runs.
5. Judas Be My Guide
I find this a very uplifting track & Dave's lead fits really well. Nothing overly flashy (a bit of tremolo bar action in the middle), just a nice melody, soaring around, & all sounding very loose & natural.
6. Caught Somewhere In Time
Both Dave & Adrian's CSiT leads are both very, very long; but full of quality. Dave's lead takes us away from the vocal verses into a series fantastic musical passages. Tone is lovely & loads of stuff going on. Prepares the way for Adrian's lead, which is also superb.
7. Hallowed Be Thy Name (LIVE: Rock In Rio '01)
This was a bit of a toss-up between quite a few "classic" early eighties Dave leads (tNotB, Run To The Hills, HBTN, The Trooper, etc), all of which, I think, have suffered from overplay fatigue, what with appearing on literally every live album. Dave's HBTN lead just stands out because of the song it's in, which for me still ranks very high. The album version is so simple, with that tone & nice phase effect, which might just be Dave on his Wah, I don't know --either way it sounds fantastic. I've flagged the RiR live version because I can't imagine I'm ever going to tire of listening to this whole section; including Janick's lead which follows. An old song that isn't tiring, Dave's lead included.
8. Still Life [Intro + Main lead] (LIVE: Maiden England '88)
Like with Benjamin Breeg a lovely intro. In regard to the main lead, I'm cheating a little here: I don't actually find the studio version that good, but I absolutely love listening to the live version on Maiden England. I find the sound of his guitar exhilarating as it comes in & he does this hammer/pull-off up-neck slide, which I remember being mightily impressed by when I first saw it years ago. Still impressed.
9. Prowler (LIVE: A Real Dead One '93)
I get quite nostalgic listening to this, thinking back to Maiden in early, early days; musically simple & full of energy. The band just kicks off & Dave bursts in with this chaotic, rambling flurry of notes; pure improvisation, at breakneck speed, with bends everywhere. I love this live version (despite production flaws) where he absolutely nails the original feel while adding this incredibly fast section (at 02:24). Goosebumps.
10. Public Enema Number One
Nice little melodic build up before the lead comes in. Not sure why I like this so much, just a nice, nice lead. It has that lovely clean(er) NPftD guitar tone where you can really hear Dave twinkling over the notes very quickly (none of that muddy sound); finishes off with a nice tapping section. This was one of about half a dozen that could have slipped into the top 10.
Top 10 Adrian Smith Lead Guitar Parts:
1. Stranger In A Strange Land
I can't get enough of this lead -- the combination of the synth (background), Steve's (lovely) bass improvisation & Adrian's sparkling guitar part, are just so beautiful. The second section has all of Adrian's SiT trademarks: smooth high bends (something he doesn't seem to replicate live very well), a little tremolo bar dive, & that quick repetitive bend section. Lovely sustain & delay throughout. It just sounds fantastic.
2. Heaven Can Wait
I know in more recent times this part has been characterised by fans on stage singing along & Janick taking Adrian's part --but I think Adrian's original is really, really good & prefer it to his (more?) popular CSiT lead. Lovely little chord play around (during the "Whoa __ oh") before the lead proper; loads of squeeks (harmonics), great tremolo bar stuff (04:45), & nice tempo.
3. Caught Somewhere In Time
The rhythm part under Dave's lead (quite high tempo) gives way to a slightly different rhythm part (played by Dave) under Adrian's lead --& Adrian takes this & just makes it feel totally different. It just sounds superb, like most of the lead work on SiT.
4. Alexander The Great
This a great study piece for those wanting to play stuff from SiT: distinct sections & improvised over quite a slow, deliberate passage of music (--probably quite difficult for Adrian to inject any pace here.) Very melodic, & slow sounding, but actually has some pretty quick little sections. Nice contrast to Dave's lead that follows.
5. Wasted Years
Lovely build up with the opening riff repetition & the rest of the band kicking in. Really simple stuff, with Adrian's usual subtle tremolo bar work. Moves beginning of lead further up fret & repeats, & builds nicely to a soaring high finish, with loads of nice bend work.
6. Die With Your Boots On
I really love this songs guitar work. After Dave's lead we have this lovely harmony part & Bruce's vocals coming in, followed by Adrian's lead. You kind of know where it's going (up!), but listening to it getting there is still pretty exciting. Climaxes in that piercing high section, before taking us down a little in preparation for Bruce's return.
7. The Duellist
The sound/tone is nowhere near as sweet as the guitar work on SiT, but I still think this lead stands out. Embedded in a lovely long instrumental section, it's very melodic; the sort of lead you could whistle along to. I just like the whole thing, especially the second half & finish.
8. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (LIVE: Flight 666 '08)
After the band bursts back in your just waiting for a lead to start --& Adrian doesn't disappoint. The album version is good, but live is just epic. In the Flight 666 version he adds this excellent little tapping section; a departure from the original that works really well, possibly all the more so because it's live, & Adrian doesn't depart from his own (older) originals that much. The lead volume is also nice & prominent (in this mix) & you can really hear Adrian; something that can't be said for quite a lot of other (often older) live recordings.
9. 2 Minutes To Midnight (LIVE: En Vivo! '11)
The tempo underneath is really quite slow & Adrian makes quite a low key section memorable with some nice note choices in this lead. I (again) like the added tapping section in the En Vivo! live version, & the little trailing off addition. Great tone too.
10. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (Part 1)
The improvisation & note choice are just really good here. A lot of Adrian's lead work on Seventh Son has this kind of feel to it, & I think this is a nice example of it.
Top 10 Janick Gers Lead Guitar Parts:
1. Hallowed Be Thy Name (LIVE: Rock In Rio '01)
Janick's improvisation on HBTN is totally different to Adrian's original; also running the lead on quite a bit beyond where it ended on the album, with these lovely high descending runs. He's been having a bash at it for quite a while now, but I think on the RiR version he nails the timing to perfection. Dave's lead, then Janick's; add to this the quality of all the playing generally (& the mix) --the whole thing is immense!
2. Gates Of Tomorrow
Don't think this track is particularly well thought of --but Janick's lead is superb. Screeches in wildly, then rambles away in Janick's typical choppy, erratic style; there's then this little fill & then Janick's back in again. I love it.
3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
I still find this section pretty exciting when it kicks in. You're waiting for the lead & Janick's is pretty cool. Loads of right hand technique to deliver this flurry of quick notes; typical of his early style.
4. Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter
Quite conventionally rocky (to begin with), but with added Janick. Live he went pretty mental with the old tremolo bar (i.e. Live At Donington), which sounded even more wild. But on the album it's all really well thought out sounding. Isn't too mental; still follows a basic melody.
5. The Assassin
How good is this? Dave's lead is over a fairly steady rhythm section, but then it all kicks off when Janick comes in. Nice little mini-break in the middle & then more mental breakneck Janick.
6. Weekend Warrior
I think this is another exceptional Janick lead hidden away on a truly (awful?) mediocre track. There are several different plays on Janick's "tripping down the stairs" (my label) technique; the best example of which is 04:06. Lovely little joining the melody section at the end too.
7. Dance Of Death
Janick's lead work on his own tracks are always pretty good; this is no exception. Lovely little open string pull-off section towards the end & probably tops the other two, as it (perhaps) should on his own track.
8. Fortunes Of War
A lot of this track infuriates me; it could have been truly immense, but some of the structure (to me) doesn't work/fit. That aside, Janick's lead is really nice; lovely, simple note choice. As I said, I particularly like the little quick gallop (05:18) before Dave comes in.
9. Brave New World
Loads of energy & nice clean runs from Janick. The series of bends, taking the pace out of the lead, is very melodic, & quite a good example of Janick's style on this album.
10. The Pilgrim
Another great lead on his own track. Lovely eastern feel to the track generally & the lead has some really nice touches, particularly towards the end.
__________________________________________________
I ran out out of steam, with my comments, towards the end; still, that was way too long!
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Janick Gers – part 1 (part 2 -> here; part 3 -> here)
When Janick Gers arrived, he kicked the asses of his bandmates. He injected them with new rounds of motivation after Adrian Smith left. Janick has always been gifted with an incredible amount of energy.
That energy certainly went into his solos. Especially in the beginning he vigorously attacked the material with his guitar. He must have been very excited and wanted to give his utmost best. And when you look at the nature and topics of these songs, it matches. Janick Gers did fit into this rougher side of Maiden.
Much intensity and aggression go hand in hand into some of his solos on his early work.
Nowadays he still goes back to that uncontrollable but also exciting and passionate style.
First I’d like to say a few things about his leads on the No Prayer for the Dying album.
None have made it to my top 10, but 3 or 4 would have been in the 11-15 zone.
Best of the rest: Janick on No Prayer for the Dying.
Tailgunner
Entrez Janick Gers! First solo of the album is his. The way he presses and bends those notes! Lots of tension. If a video would exist of him while recording it, I’d love to see that.
The Assassin
I dig the 1st and 3rd quarter the most in this one. Very fast stuff, but it is not as messy as one might think during a first listen. It feels like the solo actually has a certain amount of rhythm. But at the same time he clearly must have improvised, because he does things that are probably uncopyable, even by himself, especially in the 3rd. If you listen carefully with headphones, you can even hear a very short roar (like he grips a chord during a fraction of a second). The beginning of the 1st quarter sounds like the laugh of the assassin, going into a mental frenzy right after that.
Run Silent Run Deep
This solo marks an interesting contrast with the tight, continuing rhythm and (bass)guitars underneath. It features the unpredictable side of Janick that I like a lot. The unexpected moves towards some of the higher notes are really cool and in my opinion his specialty. Even after more listenings it’s not easy to know at which exact moment they come. As unexpected as the bite of a snake, or in this case, the sudden impact of a torpedo. ;-)
Mother Russia (first Janick solo: 3.37-4:00)
This solo sounds like he prepared it pretty well. Less aggressive and it swings quite nicely over the marching rhythm.
The next ones might not be among the best of his oeuvre but they are worthwhile enough to mention when talking about his first album with Maiden: Hooks in You and Fates Warning feature a different side of Janick. His solos in these songs are short and have good memorable melodies.
When Janick Gers arrived, he kicked the asses of his bandmates. He injected them with new rounds of motivation after Adrian Smith left. Janick has always been gifted with an incredible amount of energy.
That energy certainly went into his solos. Especially in the beginning he vigorously attacked the material with his guitar. He must have been very excited and wanted to give his utmost best. And when you look at the nature and topics of these songs, it matches. Janick Gers did fit into this rougher side of Maiden.
Much intensity and aggression go hand in hand into some of his solos on his early work.
Nowadays he still goes back to that uncontrollable but also exciting and passionate style.
First I’d like to say a few things about his leads on the No Prayer for the Dying album.
None have made it to my top 10, but 3 or 4 would have been in the 11-15 zone.
Best of the rest: Janick on No Prayer for the Dying.
Tailgunner
Entrez Janick Gers! First solo of the album is his. The way he presses and bends those notes! Lots of tension. If a video would exist of him while recording it, I’d love to see that.
The Assassin
I dig the 1st and 3rd quarter the most in this one. Very fast stuff, but it is not as messy as one might think during a first listen. It feels like the solo actually has a certain amount of rhythm. But at the same time he clearly must have improvised, because he does things that are probably uncopyable, even by himself, especially in the 3rd. If you listen carefully with headphones, you can even hear a very short roar (like he grips a chord during a fraction of a second). The beginning of the 1st quarter sounds like the laugh of the assassin, going into a mental frenzy right after that.
Run Silent Run Deep
This solo marks an interesting contrast with the tight, continuing rhythm and (bass)guitars underneath. It features the unpredictable side of Janick that I like a lot. The unexpected moves towards some of the higher notes are really cool and in my opinion his specialty. Even after more listenings it’s not easy to know at which exact moment they come. As unexpected as the bite of a snake, or in this case, the sudden impact of a torpedo. ;-)
Mother Russia (first Janick solo: 3.37-4:00)
This solo sounds like he prepared it pretty well. Less aggressive and it swings quite nicely over the marching rhythm.
The next ones might not be among the best of his oeuvre but they are worthwhile enough to mention when talking about his first album with Maiden: Hooks in You and Fates Warning feature a different side of Janick. His solos in these songs are short and have good memorable melodies.