[!--QuoteBegin-DaringEagle810+Oct 6 2004, 07:17 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(DaringEagle810 @ Oct 6 2004, 07:17 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]1) Leave Metallica alone.
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Why? I must have missed the memo that said Metallica are immune to criticism.
[!--QuoteBegin-DaringEagle810+Oct 6 2004, 07:17 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(DaringEagle810 @ Oct 6 2004, 07:17 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]2) SinisterMinister....you say asking for more than is neeeded is unnecessary but yet you defend Janick? It is absolutely unnecessary for Maiden, or any ohter band for that matter, to have more than 2 guitarists. I dont personally have anything against any of the three in Maiden, i think they're all great, but honestly it's un-needed.
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First, let's assume you're right about "2 guitarists is the most any band could need." (You're not right, but let's pretend like you are for a minute.) I find it interesting that you immediately assume Janick is the 3rd - and therefore unnecessary - guitarist. As I recall, he was already in the band with Dave when Adrian decided to come back. Based on that chronology, Adrian is the 3rd guitarist and he should get lost. Or maybe the guitarists should be dumped in the order the joined the band - get rid of the stale musicians, like a grocer rotating stock. In that case, Dave should go.
Obviously, my point is that Janick is just as essential to Maiden's current sound as Dave or H, and expelling any one of them would be a grave mistake.
As far as "bands could never need more than 2 guitarists" - in most cases, that is certainly a correct statement. One of the problems with guitar (for a composer) is that it takes up a lot of musical space. With more than 2 guitars, there often isn't room to fit much more into the song and still have every part clearly audible.
However, just because that rule applies in most situations doesn't mean it works every time. On DoD, both Paschendale and DoD would sound dramatically different (and worse) if one of the 3 guitar parts was eliminated. Or on BNW, both Blood Brothers and BNW come to mind as songs that used 3 different guitar parts effectively.
When H came back to the band, every person in the band said how excited they were at the prospect of writing songs for 3 guitarists. They have lived up to their word. They are proving that they can handle 3 guitars quite well, a feat which few bands have accomplished.
Regarding the rest of your comments, about wanting the next album to be diverse and experimental - sounds good to me!