In chronological order, songs I think would work great on stage:
The Duellists - I think all of Powerslave would have translated to the live setting terrifically, but this one is the one I’d love to see most. The solo section is incredible and spread across three different acts, which could be wonderfully adapted with the three amigos. Also more Bruce vs Eddie sword fighting which is always a win.
Alexander the Great - I mean duh. Look, this song is explosive and would 100% work on stage. Don’t remember the solos? Rewrite them and make them easier to play, I really don’t give a fuck. As soon as the heavy riff kicks in you’re gonna see the entire house jumping. Come on man, let’s get on the ball!
The Apparition / Judas Be My Guide / Weekend Warrior - I don’t know how well these three would work on stage but I have a pretty big soft spot for them in the actual album and I think it would be pretty fun to see them attempt it live. Maybe even as a little medley?
Montségur - This one I feel like should’ve been a no-brained on the DoD tour, even on “No More Lies”. Imagine how much heavier this one would’ve been on stage. Bruce wailing and the amigos kicking our asses, would’ve been awesome.
Isle of Avalon / Starblind - “Isle” has some recording issues (particularly Bruce’s dry vocals) and “Starblind” is a weirdly sung “Infinite Dreams” rewrite, yet I believe that live? They would have RULED. All the other TFF songs played not only sounded great, but felt entirely natural onstage. In fact it’s probably one of my favorite records in how well it translates to the stage. I wish we could’ve seen these two also get the live treatment because man, we might have just missed the definitive versions.
When the River Runs Deep - The balance between short songs and lengthy epics on TBOS made for a pretty strong album and it also translated really well onstage. I quite like this rocker too and wish it had also been brought out into the arena.
Empire of the Clouds - The biggest problem with EOTC, in my mind, isn’t the way they can play it live. I doubt the band wouldn’t be unable to figure out how to bring along a grand piano on tour. The really issue is fitting it in the setlist because it’s such a mood-changer from the rest of the material they’ll play, and means cutting out twenty minutes that could be allocated to other songs. Despite this, it’s an incredible composition and I believe deserves the ability to get a shine in the spotlight one day. Whether that’s through a one off performance or a fixed staple on a setlist, it would bring the house down 100%.
