Wasted Years

How good is Wasted Years on a scale of 1-10?

  • Total voters
    36
SinisterMinisterX

SinisterMinisterX

Illuminatus
Staff member
My vote: 4.5 stars

Several things which I like about this song:

1. The opening guitar lick on the high E string. Adrian loves this type of playing: juxtaposing notes played on a single string with playing the string open (not fretted). Two other examples that come to mind are the intro lick from Paschendale and Adrian's solo in Aces High.

2. The chord changes in the verses don't happen on the first beat of the new measure; Nicko's drum patterns also de-emphasize the "one" at times. This makes the whole verse flow together as a collection of melodic phrases, instead of sounding like a typical 'play this bit four times while Bruce sings something'.

3. Modulation (that's a key change, for you non-musicians) from E minor in the verse to G major in the chorus. These two keys use the same 7 notes; the difference lies in what chords get emphasized. This is why the chorus sounds more upbeat that the verses.

4. Great bass licks by Steve during the solo, and Adrian ends the solo with a great climax.

My only complaint about the song comes from the fact that I don't like unnecessary repetition of parts within a song, and I think the repeated chorus at the end is unnecessary. One chorus would have been fine. Not that two are terrible here, but I don't think the final chorus improves the song.
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

Here is my review for the song. I might put up a site with Maiden reviews one day, but for now, you'll have to scan the forums for them.

By the second time I heard this song, which was while I was watching the video on the enhanced CD, I was hooked to it. I think the riff and the chorus did it for me, but I'm not sure about it.

The song kicks off with an exciting and beautiful riff, and the bass and second guitar give it the majestic touch that is evident of the "Somewhere In Time" Album.
There is no doubt about it. On this album, Bruce was on his very peak in terms of voice and vocal range. A minor flaw, however, is that Bruce does sound a bit bored in the choruses. But that may also be due to the backing vocals, which were not needed, in my opinion.
The chorus is one of Maiden's catchier ones. As a matter of fact, I think not even AC/DC ever made a chorus this catchy. There is also something in it what makes it universal in it's meaning.
A minor flaw in the song is that it takes one or two riff repeats too long until the solo starts. The riff is beautiful, but without a change to hold it together, it can get a bit long.
But once the solo begins, I'm totally back. The solo perfectly fits the song. It is fast-paced, exciting and beautiful. The only flaw is that it's too short!
The lyrics to this song are great. It is about stopping to long for the past and facing the fact that you won't get it back again, and making the best of today. A surprisingly positive approach, at least for a metal band. But still, the mood transmitted in the verses is rather dark. I'm not sure if this fits to the lyrical topic -as a matter of fact, the lyrics in the verses are also quite dark- but it fits perfectly to the general theme and mood of the album.

"Wasted Years" one of the more catchy songs done by Maiden, but that doesn't mean it's bad. In fact, despite the few minor flaws described above, I would say it is a great song. The riff and chorus are enough to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face, while the song still manages to keep up the dark atmosphere of the album. Combining these two elements is hard if you want the song to be good, but Adrian does good work at it, proving that he is an excellent songwriter.

The b-sides to this song were the wonderful cover "Reach Out" (on the 7" and 12" singles) and the legendary "Sheriff Of Huddersfield" (only on the 12" single).

Rating (though I'm reluctant on star ratings): 4
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

I'd like to briefly comment on the imagery which this song spawns in my mind.

As the song opens, I see a dark, very rainy night. There is a passenger train which is nearly empty hurtling along to some far-off destination. Alone in one compartment is a 30-something man in a wrinkled white shirt with his tie still around his neck but loosened. He has not shaven that day. There is an open briefcase on the seat next to him and papers around him. He has apparently been trying to catch up on some work, but is having difficulty keeping on task.

The man is looking out the window and is obviously becomming depressed. He lost the love of his life (she left him, died, or something...he can't have her) a few years ago and has thrown himself into his work to cope with the loss. No matter what he does, though, he can't get over her. He thinks of her when he's alone, sees her in his sleep, etc.

He sings the refrain to himself in a whispered, half mocking tone - as if he doesn't actually believe what he's saying.

********************
On another note, this is one of the best-penned Maiden songs. I used the refrain as my 'farewell message' in my high school yearbook, much to LooseCannon's ammusement.
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

A great melodic song with a pretty catchy chorus. To me one of the best singles they ever released.
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

[!--QuoteBegin-IronDuke+Jul 25 2004, 08:55 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(IronDuke @ Jul 25 2004, 08:55 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]I'd like to briefly comment on the imagery which this song spawns in my mind...
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For some odd reason, I never saw the Duke's post until just now. And all I can think to say is...

Duke! Don't hog the bong, dude! [!--emo&:P--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

Four and a half because I like the "lighter" 80s sound of Somewhere in Time. And this song represents it. Also agree on the wicked bass, it's great.
Just to say something new, I also like Bruce's trousers in the video....
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

Ohh one of my favourite H compositions! In my opinion the intro is one of the best made by the band and the solo flows inside me like my own blood!
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

[!--QuoteBegin-Groucho Smith+Jul 29 2005, 07:55 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Groucho Smith @ Jul 29 2005, 07:55 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]... and the solo flows inside me like my own blood!
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[!--emo&:)--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/smile.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'smile.gif\' /][!--endemo--] I know the feeling...
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

Love it! the intro makes you pay attention and then it just raors in, increadibly catchy chorus (obviously), the only maiden song I can picture getting radio play but still kick ass, not their best, but up there.
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

Hi,
Here's a link of a Female fronted band called Damones.
They do a mellow version of Wasted Years, and I think it's pretty good, especially the string section at the end. I'm suprised how well the song translates to this softer style....proof of a good composition!
What do you guys think?
(WARNING - Don't expect Metal!)

(Click on 'music and video' on the top of the page, then scroll down for Wasted Years and click 'audio')

http://www.damone.net/
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

"Wasted Years"
Written by D. Hengst, N. Leblanc, M. Vazquez, M. Woods
Click to expand...
:huh:

Anyway, I listened to it and I must say it's alright, despite the lack of solo and Bruce.
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

Conor said:
:huh:

Anyway, I listened to it and I must say it's alright, despite the lack of solo and Bruce.
Click to expand...

They probably mean 'arranged', but got a little mixed up with their plagarism...I mean, terminology. :innocent:
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

I have to say, I quite like it.
 
Re: Daily Song: Caught Somewhere in Time

I used the refrain as my 'farewell message' in my high school yearbook, much to LooseCannon's ammusement.
Click to expand...

I did a similar thing for my own high school; took some old videos/photos from the years there, and put them to the song (bit like the music video). Golden years indeed...

Anyway, great song, great message and great feeling. Sure, it's not quite typical Maiden but variety is always a good thing.
 
Daily Song: Wasted Years

Welcome to the Daily Vote Thread! Rules are here.

Remember, only a decent review will count towards the contest.

Today's song: Wasted Years

Yesterday's song remains open for voting! You can find it here.

I have always liked this song, and it has always been a favourite in my circle of friends. No joke - the Duke put the verse and chorus into our highschool yearbook as his personal text.

However, it's not as great as many songs in its class - 9/10.
 
Re: Daily Song: Wasted Years

I really like this song. The guitar hook is perhaps the easiest recognizable in the Maiden catalog, the lyrics are great and the solo likewise. It is one of my favourites out of the "hit single" bunch, together with songs like Aces High, The Trooper and The Clairvoyant. It's maybe a bit too simple to earn the top mark, so I copy your 9.
 
Re: Daily Song: Wasted Years

The video clip of this track accelerated my love for Maiden, and I can't really think of anything negative.
Despite my love for this song, I have grown more attached to some others from this album.

Since I want to give a few 9s and 10s to some of the other SIT songs, I'll reserve a thick 8 for this track.
 
Re: Daily Song: Wasted Years

Agree with Wingman, this song is among the best of the short, catchy Maiden numbers. I especially love singing along to these lyrics. Must be...
9/10
 
Re: Daily Song: Wasted Years

I said earlier that Wasted Years is possibly Maiden's best 5-minute track.  The lyrics can be related to by anyone, the chorus rocks, and Adrian's solo is one of my favourites from him.  I would like to give this a 10, but I've only given 10 to Phantom, Hallowed, Revelations, and Rime, and Wasted Years can't quite reach that level.  But a very generous 9 at least.
 
Re: Daily Song: Wasted Years

After a few months on Maidenfans, it’s pretty clear users favour Maiden’s prog side. This, in my opinion, is the band’s best pop song. I mean it’s Maiden with the killer riff and the off-kilter rhythms, but the core of the song is its melody, particularly the gorgeous chorus. I expect to stumble into a coffee shop someday and hear it played by some guy on an acoustic guitar. And I’m curious to see how it plays with the “too happy” Can-I-Hate-With-Madness crowd on the site and why. To me this is a clear-cut nine, flirting with double digits.
 
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