Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Y'all know me. I love lists. Recently I've been watching a lot of CineFix, one of my favorite film channels, and they have a ton of lists on films but always break things up by category, dive below the surface in picking their choices, and include a ton of honorable mentions. So I thought it might be fun to do something like this for Iron Maiden. What categories can you separate their songs into, and what would my picks be? I'm hoping that this is a more discussion-based thread than your typical list thread. You're free to use my categories or come up with your own, I'm really curious to see how other people run with these perameters!
So, my list:
10. To start off, most of the songs on my list come from the current Maiden members, so I wanted to make sure that Maiden's former members could get some time in the spotlight. Of course there's the Di'Anno period, which is kind of where it all began. I'm sure a lot of people would pick something from this era, and I myself love
9. Time to get down to business. You can't talk about Maiden without talking about Steve Harris. His songwriting has always been the backbone of the Iron Maiden output and there's always at least one song per album that's written entirely by him. One of the most beloved Steve Harris tropes is the introspective Steve Harris song. Most the time he does this while also tackling weightier themes from the world at large, whether that's through a narrative story, writing about war, or commenting on religion. Everything he writes feels personal in a way because he's able to empathize with what he's writing about. The most obvious pick here is, of course,
8. Not only does Steve write great songs by himself, but the Maiden discography is littered with classic Harris co-writes with one or more of the other members working alongside the boss. To start with, there's Dave Murray. He's written songs with other members of the band on occasion, of which
7. The other guitarist who usually works with Steve on his material is Janick Gers. This duo can almost do no wrong. It's really interesting that the guy who missed the band's '80s heyday is also the guy who's usually writing the most classic-sounding material on the Maiden albums. Every post-reunion album features a killer Gers/Harris epic, from the vivid
6. Of course when you talk about Iron Maiden guitarists you can't skate by without talking about Adrian Smith. He's one of the band's most prolific writers and the others often expand upon his ideas in really cool ways. You obviously can't overlook the trio of solo tracks he did on Somewhere in Time.
5. It's time to talk about Bruce Dickinson! Not only is he my favorite vocalist ever, but he's also an incredible songwriter. The casual fans could easily just pick
4. I love Iron Maiden epics but man, their shorter songs pack such a punch. I thought it would be lots of fun to highlight Maiden's anthems with this slot. So many of their most iconic songs fall into this category.
3. One of the best things about "Aces High" is that twin-axe attack from Adrian and Dave, twisting around each other in sonic dogfights in both the opening riff and the two awesome guitar solos. The twin guitar approach has been one of Maiden's staples from the beginning. When you hear a Maiden song, you can immediately tell it's an Iron Maiden song just from the guitar alone. So let's highlights the awesome guitar work from the '80s! Even before Adrian Smith joined the band, Dennis Stratton was killing it alongside Dave on the unforgettable
2. As much as two guitars defined the original Iron Maiden sound, it's been 26 years now since the Three Amigos first united into one triple guitar attack.
1. So we've gone from category to category and it's about time to wrap things up. At this stage I think I'm ready to assemble the ultimate Maiden song. I didn't make "epics" their own category just because so many of my picks are epics. But my ultimate Maiden song is going to be an epic, with awesome guitar work, anthemic moments, and a killer Bruce performance. Oh, and it's probably going to be written by Steve Harris. One of the things I didn't initially realize was that the previous four songs are all solo Harris writes. Look, the man has got a penchant for writing awesome songs. But none are more awesome than "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". 13-and-a-half minutes of twin guitar excellence, awesome solos, one of Bruce's best performances, with several different sections that all fit together and bring to life this poetry retelling with a hint of Steve Harris introspection. What else can I say? It's the best.
So to recap, here's my 10 alongside the categories I assigned them to:
10. "Como Estais Amigos" (former members)
9. "For the Greater Good of God" (introspective Steve Harris)
8. "Still Life" (Dave Murray)
7. "The Talisman" (Janick Gers)
6. "The Wicker Man (Adrian Smith)
5. "Empire of the Clouds" (Bruce Dickinson)
4. "Aces High" (anthems)
3. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" (twin guitars)
2. "The Parchment" (triple guitars)
1. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (the ultimate Maiden song)
I spent way too long writing all this but it was a really fun exercise to look at my Maiden favorites from a new lens. Interestingly enough, most of my picks by category would be somewhere in my Maiden Top 20, with the one exception being "The Wicker Man" (which is still in my Top 50). I also could've done a rhythm section category as I didn't really talk about Nicko here, but if you go back and listen to almost any of the songs I mentioned, he is killing it on the kit.
So yeah. That's my list, I'm really curious to see what people do with this formula and what songs they choose with whatever categories they come up with!
So, my list:
10. To start off, most of the songs on my list come from the current Maiden members, so I wanted to make sure that Maiden's former members could get some time in the spotlight. Of course there's the Di'Anno period, which is kind of where it all began. I'm sure a lot of people would pick something from this era, and I myself love
- "Phantom of the Opera" and
- "Murders in the Rue Morgue"
especially, but if you know me, then you'll know I've got a real soft spot for the Blaze albums. The two obvious choices from here are- "Sign of the Cross" and
- "The Clansman",
two epics that still get love from fans and the band and are undisputed classics. My pick, however, is "Como Estais Amigos". Written by Blaze himself, it's a beautiful album closer that features some of the man's most emotional vocals. It might suffer a little from the album's poor production choices but I'm always moved by this one whenever I hear it. The build-up, the passion, the soul, it always leaves me with tears in my eye.9. Time to get down to business. You can't talk about Maiden without talking about Steve Harris. His songwriting has always been the backbone of the Iron Maiden output and there's always at least one song per album that's written entirely by him. One of the most beloved Steve Harris tropes is the introspective Steve Harris song. Most the time he does this while also tackling weightier themes from the world at large, whether that's through a narrative story, writing about war, or commenting on religion. Everything he writes feels personal in a way because he's able to empathize with what he's writing about. The most obvious pick here is, of course,
- "Hallowed Be Thy Name", but I can't really choose it here because of the plagiarism accusations. A lot of others would pick
- "Infinite Dreams", a really stirring track from the band's only concept album. I also really like
- "Heaven Can Wait", with its upbeat take on mortality;
- "Blood Brothers", written in memory of his father; and everyone's new darling
- "Hell on Earth", a massive eulogy to mankind's destruction and a powerful closer for Senjutsu.
But man, as tough as picking just one song is, I still think that "For the Greater Good of God" might be the best of this category. Steve takes on both religion and war, and how often they are two sides of the same coin, delicately in a really emotional epic that also utterly explodes during the chorus. One of the best things about this song and the five others I mentioned is just how well Steve is able to pair his lyrics with his music. In one moment you've got three killer guitar solos building to an incredible three guitar harmony, and in the next Bruce is almost reverential as he ponders what Jesus would say if he saw the chaos. Few Maiden songs hit me quite as hard as this one does.8. Not only does Steve write great songs by himself, but the Maiden discography is littered with classic Harris co-writes with one or more of the other members working alongside the boss. To start with, there's Dave Murray. He's written songs with other members of the band on occasion, of which
- "Judas Be My Guide", co-written by Bruce,
is an absolute favorite of mine. But more often than not, if he's writing a song, you can expect Steve to also be receiving a writing credit. Dave's songwriting approach is often a little darker, a little more melodic, and a little more unorthodox compared to the work of the other Maiden members. One of the big differences is that most Maiden songs are written in E, while Dave will often step outside of this box and utilize other keys for his work. Some of the best examples of his songwriting abilities are- "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg", one of the heaviest songs the band has ever recorded;
- "The Man of Sorrows", a really melodic and emotional track with introspective Steve lyrics; and
- "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate", which depending on the day could easily be my favorite Dave song, especially with that stunning Bruce vocal at the end.
Picking the one definitive Murray/Harris song, though? That's gotta be "Still Life", tucked away on Piece of Mind's second side. It's always incredible to me just how much is packed into this one four-and-a-half minute song. Beautiful melodic intro, driving verses, a big awesome chorus, fantastic twin leads, and utterly killer guitar solos, all setting the stage for the narrative of spiral madness that makes this song so so memorable. Dave doesn't usually write my favorite song on an Iron Maiden album but this one easily outclasses the rest of an already stunning album. I love every second of it.7. The other guitarist who usually works with Steve on his material is Janick Gers. This duo can almost do no wrong. It's really interesting that the guy who missed the band's '80s heyday is also the guy who's usually writing the most classic-sounding material on the Maiden albums. Every post-reunion album features a killer Gers/Harris epic, from the vivid
- "Dream of Mirrors" to the euphoric romp of
- "Dance of Death".
- "The Book of Souls" is considered by many to be not just the definitive song on its album, but also one of the greatest Maiden songs of the 21st century.
To be fair, he doesn't just succeed at epics;- "Stratego" is about as classic a Maiden single as you can get from Senjutsu;
- "Lord of the Flies" is one of the best tracks of the Blaze era; and as much as most want to hate on this song, I can't help but mention the utterly unorthodox
- "The Apparition", which always has a soft spot in my heart.
But yeah, it's the modern Gers/Harris epics that, beyond the chaotic guitar solos, will be the man's lasting legacy with Iron Maiden, and my favorite of the bunch is "The Talisman". His epics always open with an acoustic intro, and this is easily my favorite, with two minutes of quiet, pensive ol' salt Bruce Dickinson narration before the riff actually kicks in. And Jesus Christ, how it kicks the fuck in. It's easily one of the most intense songs in the band's entire discography. There is a thundering drive to think one that really brings to life the roaring, unforgiving ocean. Bruce is singing at the top of his lungs and at the top of his register which only heightens the tension. But even amidst the fear there is so much beauty. The refrain never fails to run chills up and down my spine in pure Maiden euphoria, and the utterly stunning chorus is one of Bruce's all-time greatest moments. Janick and Steve were absolutely COOKING when they wrote this song, it's incredible.6. Of course when you talk about Iron Maiden guitarists you can't skate by without talking about Adrian Smith. He's one of the band's most prolific writers and the others often expand upon his ideas in really cool ways. You obviously can't overlook the trio of solo tracks he did on Somewhere in Time.
- "Stranger in a Strange Land", especially, has possibly my favorite guitar solo ever in it.
He's written a lot of songs with Steve, including the obvious choice of- "Paschendale", an unorthodox epic from him but goddamn what an epic it is; plus I have a soft spot for the rockers
- "The Fallen Angel",
- "Different World", and
- "When the River Runs Deep".
But when you think of Adrian Smith and rockers, you think of the classic songwriting team of Smith/Dickinson, which came up with several awesome rockers in both the '80s and modern incarnations of Iron Maiden (not to mention Bruce's solo career). There's- "2 Minutes to Midnight",
- "Back in the Village", the album-opening
- "Moonchild"; even
- "Speed of Light" and
- "The Writing on the Wall" have been kickass first singles from their albums.
On occasion, though, you'll get Smith & Dickinson teaming up with Harris to create the ultimate rocker, and even though your first choice might be Seventh Son's- "The Evil That Men Do",
I think the most awesome example of this is "The Wicker Man". I wish I was alive to feel the impact this song had on its release. Bruce and Adrian have just returned to Iron Maiden and here's an incredible monster of a single that feels so utterly alive and hungry without sacrificing the DNA the band had built up during the Blaze years. It hits hard, it's infectious, and makes you wanna scream along, and it's all thanks to that opening, killer, Adrian Smith riff.5. It's time to talk about Bruce Dickinson! Not only is he my favorite vocalist ever, but he's also an incredible songwriter. The casual fans could easily just pick
- "The Number of the Beast"
to represent him on this list, and I was really tempted to include that song because my god his performance is insane. But almost every performance of his is awesome so I think I'm going to have to go with one of his solo writes instead. There's only six of them, but somehow he's struck gold with almost all of them ("Bring Your Daughter..." is a little weaker than the rest). There's- "Revelations", one of POM's most beloved songs;
- "Powerslave", which seems to have become a Top 3 Maiden song for this forum while I was asleep; and of course
- "If Eternity Should Fail", the mystically awesome opening track to The Book of Souls.
Okay, you probably saw this coming, but my pick is the massive track at the other end of TBOS, "Empire of the Clouds". It's been years since I first fell in love with this song and I'm still utterly amazed by it. It is both simple and yet so complex. Bruce's poetry throughout the narrative is incredible - it's one of my favorite set of lyrics ever. The constant build-up and his delivery of each line is just... ugh. It's so good. Maiden writing an 18 minute piano ballad sounds like a recipe for disaster but Bruce was actually crazy enough to pull it off.4. I love Iron Maiden epics but man, their shorter songs pack such a punch. I thought it would be lots of fun to highlight Maiden's anthems with this slot. So many of their most iconic songs fall into this category.
- "Wrathchild",
- "The Trooper",
- "Can I Play With Madness",
- "Run to the Hills" (the first Maiden song I fell in love with); even (and especially) the pseudo-epic
- "Fear of the Dark"
...these are all songs that the entire crowd can scream every word along with Bruce during a live show. So what's my pick gonna be? Look, of all the anthems this band has written over their career, no song hits half as hard as the legendary album and concert opener "Aces High". Lightning fast, heavy as fuck, featuring Bruce dialing in one of his craziest vocal performances - if this song doesn't immediately pump you the fuck up, then something might be wrong with you. Whether it's opening Powerslave, Live After Death, Flight 666, or the first Maiden concert I got to see (on the Legacy of the Beast Tour), it never fails to leave me breathless in bliss.3. One of the best things about "Aces High" is that twin-axe attack from Adrian and Dave, twisting around each other in sonic dogfights in both the opening riff and the two awesome guitar solos. The twin guitar approach has been one of Maiden's staples from the beginning. When you hear a Maiden song, you can immediately tell it's an Iron Maiden song just from the guitar alone. So let's highlights the awesome guitar work from the '80s! Even before Adrian Smith joined the band, Dennis Stratton was killing it alongside Dave on the unforgettable
- "Phantom of the Opera". The guitars on this song are utterly delightful.
Once Adrian joined the band you got some incredible dual-guitar riffs on songs like the schizophrenic- "Killers" and the sci-fi
- "Caught Somewhere in Time";
and multiple spell-binding guitar solos from awesome songs like- "The Duellists" and
- "Alexander the Great".
I think this is another category most people would easily slot- "Hallowed Be Thy Name"
into, and I thought about it, because I do love the riffs on that song a lot, but I think the Maiden twin guitar sound has never sounded more enrapturing than on the incredibly epic "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son". A centerpiece in three acts, the finale transports you to another realm of existence entirely. Adrian and Dave arise from out of the bassy seas with scorching, precise and pristine guitar solos, both guitarists trying to one-up the other in quick succession. And then they unite in the most glorious dual guitar harmony of possibly any Maiden song. Holy fucking shit. It's amazing.2. As much as two guitars defined the original Iron Maiden sound, it's been 26 years now since the Three Amigos first united into one triple guitar attack.
- "Brave New World" is one of my favorite early examples, with Janick and Dave dropping killer solos and Adrian joining three for an incredible three-guitar harmony before the final chorus.
- "The Red and the Black" is probably the first modern example that comes to mind for most people, with that whole glorious instrumental second half filled with the Three Amigos at their best.
I think that The Final Frontier gave the three guitarists a lot of great moments to shine, especially on- "El Dorado", with its three awesome back-to-back solos, and
- "When the Wild Wind Blows", which has amazing solos and amazing three part harmonies.
But Senjutsu is also filled with fantastic guitar work from the Three Amigos, especially with the three back-to-back solos on- "Death of the Celts"
and - did you see it coming? - the six solos from the Eastern-tinted war epic "The Parchment". I really didn't think I was going to find a way to talk about this song in this post until I realized that it's the perfect example of Maiden's triple guitar lineup at their very best. Dave's solo moves the soul; Adrian dials in and builds mystique; and Janick is having the time of his life being in Iron Fucking Maiden. Their skills and strengths are on full display here in one of the best Maiden songs, not just of the past 25 years, but of their entire 50 year career.1. So we've gone from category to category and it's about time to wrap things up. At this stage I think I'm ready to assemble the ultimate Maiden song. I didn't make "epics" their own category just because so many of my picks are epics. But my ultimate Maiden song is going to be an epic, with awesome guitar work, anthemic moments, and a killer Bruce performance. Oh, and it's probably going to be written by Steve Harris. One of the things I didn't initially realize was that the previous four songs are all solo Harris writes. Look, the man has got a penchant for writing awesome songs. But none are more awesome than "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". 13-and-a-half minutes of twin guitar excellence, awesome solos, one of Bruce's best performances, with several different sections that all fit together and bring to life this poetry retelling with a hint of Steve Harris introspection. What else can I say? It's the best.
So to recap, here's my 10 alongside the categories I assigned them to:
10. "Como Estais Amigos" (former members)
9. "For the Greater Good of God" (introspective Steve Harris)
8. "Still Life" (Dave Murray)
7. "The Talisman" (Janick Gers)
6. "The Wicker Man (Adrian Smith)
5. "Empire of the Clouds" (Bruce Dickinson)
4. "Aces High" (anthems)
3. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" (twin guitars)
2. "The Parchment" (triple guitars)
1. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (the ultimate Maiden song)
I spent way too long writing all this but it was a really fun exercise to look at my Maiden favorites from a new lens. Interestingly enough, most of my picks by category would be somewhere in my Maiden Top 20, with the one exception being "The Wicker Man" (which is still in my Top 50). I also could've done a rhythm section category as I didn't really talk about Nicko here, but if you go back and listen to almost any of the songs I mentioned, he is killing it on the kit.
So yeah. That's my list, I'm really curious to see what people do with this formula and what songs they choose with whatever categories they come up with!
