Good morning folks!
After embarrassingly believing that Phantom of the Opera was on The Number Of The Beast yesterday, I have some #IronMaiden homework todo.
Now, I know Maiden quite OK, but it's not like I know every song on every album. I'll be working on that and will do another A-Z run, another #Metaljourney I guess 🤔
Kicking things off with #IronMaiden's 1980 self titled debut and this killer track:
👉 #Prowler
Iron Maiden closes Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden.
What a track, easily in my Maiden top 10.
Somehow I am a bit sad that we never found out how they would have developed if they'd keep Di'Anno...
The debut album is a 3,5/5.
45 minutes to my next meeting, #Killers is 38 minutes long, so why not listening to #IronMaiden's sophomore release?
Exactely, so here's #Wrathchild
https://song.link/y/qgqVmAyTvIA
I never noticed, but Prodigal Son is an early Queen song sung by Roger Taylor.
#Nowplaying Iron Maiden - Prodigal Son
Here comes the big one: #TheNumberOfTheBeast.
Some say it's their best, some say it only has 3 good songs, the rest is average.
BUT: the 3 songs are The Number Of The Beast, Run To The Hills and Hallowed Be Thy Name. I mean...
#Nowplaying #IronMaiden - Children Of The Damned
#TheNumberOfTheBeast was the first #IronMaiden song I ever heard, soon to be followed by Run To The Hills. And I liked both from the beginning, although I wasn't a metalhead back then. I think I was (already) 16 years old when I first heard these great songs...
Oh, and of course the album marks Bruce Dickinson's entry to the band, but that's common knowledge I guess 😉
#Nowplaying Run To The Hills
Is #HallowedBeThyName my favourite #IronMaiden song? Might as well be...
https://song.link/y/HAQQUDbuudY
Anyhow, after (another) spin of this record, it's time for a rating: To me this is 4,5/5 (masterpiece). Yes, there might be weaker tracks, but the good ones are really really good.
Albums:
1. Beast 4,5
2. Iron Maiden 3,5
3. Killers 3
Songs:
1. Hallowed
2. Iron Maiden
3. Hills
4. Beast
5. Prowler
Continuing my #IronMaiden #Metaljourney with #PieceOfMind, an album I never listened to, except for The Trooper, of course.
#NowPlaying Where Eagles Dare
Somehow Piece Of Mind feels like a before Number Of The Beast album. Like in: they got a new singer, they changed their style a bit, but they're still not there yet.
#NowPlaying Die With Your Boots On
#TheTrooper, of course, is greatness.
Song ranking (up until Piece Of Mind):
1. Hallowed
2.Trooper
3. Iron Maiden
4. Hills
5. Beast
#NowPlaying The Trooper
Nope, I cannot say that I liked #PieceOfMind that much, hence my critical rating: 2/5
(at least some highlights but overall not my cup of tea).
Apart from The Trooper, only Sun And Steel stood out.
#Maiden Album ranking:
1. Beast 4,5
2. Iron Maiden 3,5
3. Killers 3
4. Piece of Mind 2
UPDATE:
I did a re-listen of this album and I have to say that I was an idiot when I did this rating. Piece Of Mind is really good!
Rating goes upt to 3,5/5
After an #IronMaiden album I surprisingly never listened to before, it is time for one I listened to a lot, which is also my favourite of theirs:
Kicking off with #AcesHigh this album is an absolute banger! 🤘
Maiden song ranking:
1. Hallowed
2. Trooper
3. Iron Maiden
4. Aces <--
5. Hills
#NowPlaying Iron Maiden - Aces High
#Powerslave is just so good! It's a 4,5 out of 5 in my book (=masterpiece). I also really love the title track and the atmosphere it transports.
💿 ranking:
1. Powerslave 4,5
2. Beast 4,5
3. Killers 3
4. Mind 2
🎶 ranking:
1. Hallowed
2. Powerslave
3. Iron Maiden
Next on my #IronMaiden #Metaljourney is an album that was released when I was about to become 2 years old.
#LastFM tells me, that I never listened to this album, except for Wased Years. I cannot believe this, because the album opener sounds so familiar...
Anyhow, here we go:
#NowPlaying Caught Somewhere In Time
The guitars on #WastedYears sound the most "classic" Heavy Metal of all #IronMaiden songs if you ask me. And it is a great tune 🤘
#NowPlaying Wasted Years
https://song.link/y/ULsr-fFVjVs
Wait a minute, I think #LastFM is lying, because I know most of the songs.
I guess most of them are on Live records too, or I listened from a device that didn't support scrobbling 🤷♂️
#NowPlaying #IronMaiden - Heaven Can Wait
Ok, here's a song I never heard before:
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
My instant reaction was "WOW!!!" Why is this song not better known?
#NowPlaying #IronMaiden - The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Alexander The Great closes #SomewhereInTime.
Perfect time for a micro review and verdict:
First thing I noticed is the production. This album sounds fantastic, also very 80ish.
Great tunes, great album = 4 out of 5
💿 ranking:
1. Powerslave 4,5
2. Beast 4,5
3. Time 4
4. Iron Maiden 3,5
5. Killers 3
6. Piece of Mind 2
🎶 ranking:
1. Hallowed
2. Powerslave
3. Iron Maiden
4. Aces
5. Wasted Years
6. Hills
7. Beast
8. Long Distance Runner
9. Prowler
10. Mariner
Some say "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is #IronMaiden's best album, but that applies to almost all of Maidens 80s albums.
It kicks off with Moooonchild. 🌚
#Nowplaying Moonchild
Yep, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is a great album. I see why it's a favourite for many.
Personally, I enjoy Powerslave and Number Of The Best a tad bit more. And if I'd had to choose, I'd also prefer Somewhere In Time.
But still, #SeventhSonOfASeventhSon is a great album --> 4 out of 5 half rotted Eddies.
💿 ranking (up until SSOASS):
1. Powerslave 4,5
2. Beast 4,5
3. Time 4
4. Seventh Son 4
5. Iron Maiden 3,5
6. Killers 3
7. Piece of Mind 2
No Prayer For The Dying is the only #IronMaiden album that features a #1 single. It was not Tailgunner.
#Nowplaying Iron Maiden - Tailgunner
I guess you need to be careful using the words "unpopular opinion" when talking about #IronMaiden, but I have one:
#NoPrayerForTheDying would be much much better if The Air Raid Siren would have used his trademark vocal style instead of trying to sound rough. Because that... failed 🫣
Otherwise I like the back to the basic approach.
#NowPlaying Iron Maiden - Public Enema Number One
While Mother Russia closes #NoPrayerForTheDying , time for a verdict:
I like this album, probably better than the common #IronMaiden fan. Nontheless, I don't like Bruce's vocal style on here.
Overall it's a solid album, which means 3 out of 5 Eddies on my scale.
💿 ranking (up until NPFTD):
1. Powerslave 4,5
2. Beast 4,5
3. Time 4
4. Seventh Son 4
5. Iron Maiden 3,5
6. Killers 3
7. No Prayer 3
8. Piece of Mind 2
...and BTW, here's the #1 hit single:
Thomas
Chris Fletch