When The River Runs Deep

How good is When the River Runs Deep on a scale of 1-10?

  • Total voters
    19
Just getting it out of the way, I love the title to this song. It sounds a lot like When The Wild Wind Blows, and given that song, one would expect this to be an epic of similar proportions. One would be wrong. At first I was disappointed that it was a faster-paced track, but a few re-listens and now I wonder why I was. I honestly think it's a great song, a highlight of the album as a whole. 7/10.

Y'know what? Fuck it. I've been giving so many 7's today I'm gonna bump it up to 8. It's a great track, and a highlight of the album. That deserves something higher. A strong 8/10.
 
I really enjoy the fast, almost thrashy nature of the guitar and drum work on this song. The solos are also well done. Unfortunately the "now with nothing to hide going nowhere" section kind of ruins the vibe for me and slows things down when everything else is superb. Take that part out and I would bump it up to 8.5, as it stands I would give it 8/10.
 
I don't think this song gets as much attention as it deserves. It's one of Maiden's best short(er) songs, and definitely a highlight of the album (quite possibly the second-best of the songs under 6 minutes). Being quite a straightforward (almost thrashy) rocker, it gives the listener some time to breathe after such a massive epic that is "The Red and the Black", and it works beautifully. I love the chorus on this one! Deserves a 9.
 
Very good song from start to finish. Despite being 6 minutes long, it feels very short compared to the rest of the album. The intro sounds to me somewhat like a waterfall, I don’t know why. The chorus is pretty different from usual, yet it works. 8/10
 
An uptempo melodic lead underpins a soaring vocal intro. This kicks into a groovy, driving verse and a nice pre-chorus before dropping into a catchy, lower-tempo chorus.

Another round of verse through chorus and we break into a nice melodic interlude punctuated by a pair of strong solos. This eventually cuts into more of an eastern groove and an outstanding wah-laden solo before returning to the chorus and closing out with an intro reprise and a big rock ending.

I don't know why people rag on this song -- aside from some vocal straining on the pre-chorus I think it's consistently great. 8/10.
 
I like the guitars and drums on this song, but Bruce's performance is a bit weak. 7
 
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"When the River Runs Deep" is stuck precariously between two great epics, which lowers its ability to stand out too much. The weakest part here is the pre-chorus, but everything else is pretty solid. It's far from being one of the best rockers of the band's 21st century releases, though, but as a whole it's definitely above average. 6
 
I like the fast tempo of the song. Cool intro, great riff, verses and meldoies. I'm not a fan that the chorus slows the song. Dave's solo is awesome, Janick's is fitting perfectly, while Adrian's solo is brutal! Great drumming too. Underrated song. 7/10
 
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I came back to this album after not listening to it in a while and I still find this song gives me a little frown, it is definitely the one that could have been cut from the album.
The shame about it is it is almost a very good song. I like Bruces singing (apart from the start), the chorus and pre chorus is catchy.
The first bug let down is the lyrics. They really are just terrible from a band who has been around 35 years. This isnt Britney. It’s rocknroll. Go hard or go home. They done neither with this song.
Then the slow down doesnt really work for me. I get it, it’s different. But the sound there is too thin if that makes any sense.
Some of the riffs are really cool, i like the moonchild near the end. They are quite lively.
Should have been named “When the effort runs thin”
4/10
 
Together with Speed Of Light my least favorite song of The Book Of Souls.
I don't like the strained vocals of Bruce in the beginning of the song.
The bridge and chorus are ok though. A fair 6/10
 
Nediam Nori said:
The first bug let down is the lyrics. They really are just terrible from a band who has been around 35 years. This isnt Britney. It’s rocknroll. Go hard or go home. They done neither with this song.
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Funny, cuz I really like them. The song always reminds me of Dorothy Sayers’s The Nine Tailors, only a bit brighter than that novel.
 
Diesel 11 said:
Funny, cuz I really like them. The song always reminds me of Dorothy Sayers’s The Nine Tailors, only a bit brighter than that novel.
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Never read the book. They come across to me as lazy and without any real direction. I always find it hard to like a song when the lyrics bug me.
Different folks different strokes
 
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