170 replies to this topic

[Saskadelphia]

Iron Maiden's 14th album comes out on September 5 (August 29 in Canada!), so what better time to resurrect (and improve upon), the original Maiden Week from 2003. There have to be more fans of the band on this board now than there were three years ago, and even if you're not, bear with me for a bit while I (and hopefully others) celebrate the greatest band ever. And maybe sample an album or two.



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"A friend of mine was doing art at college and he took a mould of my face and we used that at the back of a stage…we gave him this nickname – Eddie the 'Ead – from this joke that was doing the rounds at the time:

Eddie was born with no body and no arms and no legs. Just a head. But despite this slight birth defect his parents loved him very much. So on his sixteenth birthday they run into a doctor that says 'Hey, I can give Eddie a body'... so the parents are going totally nuts because finally their kid can have a body and be like other normal people. They go home and are really excited and say 'Have we got a surprise for you. It's the best present ever!' and Eddie says 'Oh, no, not another fucking hat!'" (Dave Murray)

"We wanted everyone to know who we were and not forget us. And then we used to have this fish-pump thing in the back of the mask that fake blood used to come out of. Dougie [Sampson, drummer] used to get covered in fake blood every night! And he had blond hair, and he could never get the bloody stain out!" (Steve Harris)

[Saskadelphia]

"See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be fought, Iron Maiden can't be sought."


The Soundhouse Tapes (1979)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7tv39e

Paul Di'Anno: vocals
Steve Harris: bass
Dave Murray: guitar
Dennis Stratton: guitar
Doug Sampson: drums

The Soundhouse Tapes are the very first recordings of Iron Maiden. This record features three of the original four songs from the Spaceward demo tape which was recorded in one 24-hour session on 31st December 1978. (The studio would normally be empty over New Year, and the band was able to haggle for a cheap price). The fourth song of the set, Strange World, was not included on The Soundhouse Tapes because the band was a bit unhappy with its recording quality. Consequently, the Spaceward version of Strange World was not released until years later for the Best Of The Beast compilation.
(maidenfans.com)

Reviewing a demo recording may seem like a completely pointless exercise. But when the demo in question is influential enough that the average fan knows it by name, its humble intentions transcend beyond the normal bounds of an imperfect pre-career statement. Such is the case for Iron Maiden's legendary Soundhouse Tapes, which became one of the linchpins of the then-emerging New Wave of British Heavy Metal upon its release in November 1979. Recorded nearly a year earlier and named after one of the group's regular early haunts, the rough recordings gave sympathetic DJs clamoring for Iron Maiden material something to spin while the band still waited for a well-deserved record deal to materialize. Containing three early day live favorites ("Iron Maiden," "Invasion," and "Prowler"), the original 7" vinyl's initial 5,000 unit pressing sold out via mail order in less than a week and offered conclusive proof of the band's potential appeal to EMI, which subsequently rewarded them with an impressive five-album deal. The rest, as they say, is history, and while quite impossible to find in its original pressing, occasional re-releases have kept Soundhouse Tapes' legend alive and well over the years.
(AMG)

My thoughts:

A bit of a clunky recording. "Iron Maiden" lacks energy, "Invasion" sounds really awkward, and only does "Prowler" hold up well. The debut album shows how the constant touring tightened the band's performances considerably.

[Alky 2009]

Nice. I've been looking forward to this, thanks for bringing it back around. As a relatively new Maiden fan, I'm excited to re-visit all of these albums. I half-heartedly followed this thread last time around, but my admiration for the band has really grown since then. Thanks Sask.

[Saskadelphia]

"Out of winter came a warhorse of steel
I've never killed a woman before
But I know how it feels"


Iron Maiden (1980)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/knh1xd

1. Prowler (Harris)
2. Remember Tomorrow (Harris/Di'Anno)
3. Running Free (Harris/Di'Anno)
4. Phantom of The Opera (Harris)
5. Transylvania (Harris)
6. Strange World (Harris)
7. Sanctuary (Harris/Di'Anno/Murray)
8. Charlotte the Harlot (Murray)
9. Iron Maiden (Harris)

Paul Di'Anno: vocals
Steve Harris: bass
Dave Murray: guitar
Dennis Stratton: guitar
Clive Burr: drums

This was Iron Maiden's first full-length studio album, although it contains a couple of re-recorded versions of tracks from The SoundhouseTapes. Most of the songs on this album had been played by the band during the previous several years during their endless series of small gigs at various clubs and pubs around London. For this reason, the album contains a wide range of material that is not really unified into any specific theme or style. The sound is also a bit different from the later albums to which most Maiden fans are accustomed, but after several listens their unique power and depth begin to sink in. This is particularly astonishing because although Will Malone was officially the producer for the album, he never contributed much and the album production was mostly done by the band and the recording engineer. So although the production is a bit primitive, the album virtually explodes with raw energy and power. Several of these tracks have become Maiden classics and still almost mandatory at every Maiden concert.
(maidenfans.com)

Iron Maiden's 1980 self-titled album is certainly one of heavy metal's all-time best debuts. Surfacing from the underground along with a host of other New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands (e.g., Def Leppard, Motörhead), Maiden's debut proved to be incredibly influential for future metal bands — it was one of the first to merge heavy metal's power with punk's riffing and attitude, forging a blueprint for such genres as thrash, speed, and death metal. While the band would branch out musically on future releases, Iron Maiden contains some of their most straight-ahead compositions, such as "Prowler," "Sanctuary," "Charlotte the Harlot," and the title track. The group's more progressive direction is signaled by the seven-and-a-half-minute epic "Phantom of the Opera," as well as by the breakneck instrumental "Transylvania." Also featured was Maiden's first Top 40 U.K. single, the anthemic "Running Free," plus several calmer compositions like "Remember Tomorrow" and "Strange World," which showed that there was more to this young band than just bashing away. Bassist/leader Steve Harris proved to be the band's main songwriter/wordsmith early on, with lyrics that often proved thought-provoking — a sharp detour from the expected topic of sex, drugs, and rock & roll that most metal bands relied on, while vocalist Paul Di'Anno's oft-rough vocals were also a main ingredient. Add to it inspired performances by the other members (including second guitarist Dennis Stratton's sole album appearance with Maiden), and you have a promising, ultimately classic debut.
(AMG)

My thoughts:

This is a very solid debut album, the only thing holding it back being Will Malone's pedestrian production. Di'Anno's tough bloke presence gives it a real street-wise metal feel, as songs like "Prowler" (an underrated classic), "Sanctuary", "Running Free", "Iron Maiden", and "Charlotte the Harlot" are all straightforward, three, four-minute rockers. "Remember Tomorrow" and "Strange World" are decent ballads that hint at a more progressive sound, but the centerpiece for the entire album is "Phantom of the Opera", Maiden's first great song. It possesses all the characteristics of what would be the definitive Maiden sound: complex time signatures, literary/historic subject matter, chugging riffs, operatic vocals, and an overall epic feel. The instrumental "Transylvania", which immediately follows, continues to hint at a more epic sound to come in the future.

Singles:


Running Free

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Top of the Pops, February 1980


Sanctuary

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Ruskin Arms pub, London, April 14, 1980

B-sides:

"Burning Ambition"
"Drifter (live)"
"I've Got the Fire (live)" (Montrose cover)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/w8pvgc

[Saskadelphia]

Ugh, they're singing about girls!


Women in Uniform (1980)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/kscfl2

1. Women in Uniform
2. Invasion (second version)

It is a rather shallow little womanizing song that does not match Maiden's style and, against their better judgment, the band was convinced by their publishers (Zomba) to release it as a single in the hopes of generating a hit; a decision that the band has regretted ever since. 'Women in Uniform' also became the band's first video, a live production on stage at the Rainbow.
(maidenfans.com)

My thoughts:

Pure shit. Only worthwhile for the classic video.

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[Jimmy TKB]

"Women in Uniform" is pretty silly. I do love this version of "Invasion" though. And "Burning Ambition" has to be one of the best b-sides around. Man, I love that track!!!

[Undercooked Sausage]

Oh man, this is an awesome thread. I've never really listened to Iron Maiden before so this should be neat. Thanks sask.

[Diesel]

Nice. I've been awaiting the return of Maiden Week (or fortnight, really).

I'll add what I can, but there's no fucking away I can even begin to compete with this awesome format you've got up here, so I'm just checking in for now. I've actually never heard Soundhouse Tapes, so even I have something to learn here.

And yeah, the "Women In Uniform" video almost, but not quite, justifies the single's existence. Totally out of character.

[Pavement Ist Rad]

Oh man, this is an awesome thread. I've never really listened to Iron Maiden before so this should be neat. Thanks sask.

DOWNLOAD KILLERS, NUMBER OF THE BEAST, PIECE OF MIND, AND POWERSLAVE. AWESOME FOUR ALBUM RUN RIGHT THERE.

[Vivian Darkbloom]

Oh, I am SOOOOO geeked about this. This is a true public service, Sasky. You rule.

[Umberto Eco The Dolphin]

"Women in Uniform" is pretty silly. I do love this version of "Invasion" though.

And "Burning Ambition" has to be one of the best b-sides around. Man, I love that track!!!

"Burning Ambition" is supposedly the first song Iron Maiden wrote. At least that's what I heard long, long ago.

[Ben]

Yeah! Maiden! I expect some serious meditation on guitar solo harmony. And how much it rocks.

[beansimpson]

"See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be fought, Iron Maiden can't be sought."


The Soundhouse Tapes (1979)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7tv39e

Paul Di'Anno: vocals
Steve Harris: bass
Dave Murray: guitar
Dennis Stratton: guitar
Doug Sampson: drums

The Soundhouse Tapes are the very first recordings of Iron Maiden. This record features three of the original four songs from the Spaceward demo tape which was recorded in one 24-hour session on 31st December 1978. (The studio would normally be empty over New Year, and the band was able to haggle for a cheap price). The fourth song of the set, Strange World, was not included on The Soundhouse Tapes because the band was a bit unhappy with its recording quality. Consequently, the Spaceward version of Strange World was not released until years later for the Best Of The Beast compilation.
(maidenfans.com)

Reviewing a demo recording may seem like a completely pointless exercise. But when the demo in question is influential enough that the average fan knows it by name, its humble intentions transcend beyond the normal bounds of an imperfect pre-career statement. Such is the case for Iron Maiden's legendary Soundhouse Tapes, which became one of the linchpins of the then-emerging New Wave of British Heavy Metal upon its release in November 1979. Recorded nearly a year earlier and named after one of the group's regular early haunts, the rough recordings gave sympathetic DJs clamoring for Iron Maiden material something to spin while the band still waited for a well-deserved record deal to materialize. Containing three early day live favorites ("Iron Maiden," "Invasion," and "Prowler"), the original 7" vinyl's initial 5,000 unit pressing sold out via mail order in less than a week and offered conclusive proof of the band's potential appeal to EMI, which subsequently rewarded them with an impressive five-album deal. The rest, as they say, is history, and while quite impossible to find in its original pressing, occasional re-releases have kept Soundhouse Tapes' legend alive and well over the years.
(AMG)

My thoughts:

A bit of a clunky recording. "Iron Maiden" lacks energy, "Invasion" sounds really awkward, and only does "Prowler" hold up well. The debut album shows how the constant touring tightened the band's performances considerably.

Bless you Sask, a Maiden disk I don't have!

I only wish I could add to the awesomeness of this thread, but there's no way I can come close to the bar you set last time. I'll just chime in with the occational compliment.

[Saskadelphia]

Hey, glad to see the nice response! I ducked out for the afternoon to do some boating, but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. I'm hoping to cover about two studio albums per day, just to keep things moving and not make this last two weeks like last time.

"Women in Uniform" is pretty silly. I do love this version of "Invasion" though.

And "Burning Ambition" has to be one of the best b-sides around. Man, I love that track!!!

"Burning Ambition" is supposedly the first song Iron Maiden wrote. At least that's what I heard long, long ago.

I'm not a fan of "Invasion" at all..."Invaders" slaughters it. "Burning Ambition" is pretty good. I would have stuck on the live "Phantom of the Opera" from the Women in Uniform single, but I could never find it on slsk.

Hey, does anyone have the original 5-track Maiden Japan EP on mp3? I only have the cassette. The only thing that's out there is the complete concert (which is pretty great, too)...if anyone wants to post either, that'd be cool.

[Saskadelphia]

"The death call arises,
A scream breaks the still of the night.
Another tomorrow
Remember to walk in the light."



Killers (1981)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/w6jwzx

1. The Ides of March (Harris)
2. Wrathchild (Harris)
3. Murders in the Rue Morgue (Harris)
4. Another Life (Harris)
5. Genghis Khan (Harris)
6. Innocent Exile (Harris)
7. Killers (Harris/Di'Anno)
8. Prodigal Son (Harris)
9. Purgatory (Harris)
10. Twilight Zone (Harris)
11. Drifter (Harris)

Paul Di'Anno: vocals
Steve Harris: bass
Dave Murray: guitar
Adrian Smith: guitar
Clive Burr: drums

Killers continued Iron Maiden on their rise to prominence, selling over four times as many albums after its release than did its predecessor. Overall, Killers is an excellent album, although it lacks the usual epic track that almost all the other Maiden albums contain (for example: Phantom of the Opera, Hallowed Be Thy Name, To Tame A Land, and Rime Of The Ancient Mariner). However, it contains a great deal of innovative material, including two of Maiden's best instrumental tracks.
(maidenfans.com)

Iron Maiden's sophomore effort, 1981's Killers, proved to be a more focused and developed affair than its predecessor. Contributing factors included the first appearance by new guitarist Adrian Smith, who helped develop Maiden's signature twin-guitar harmonies with original member Dave Murray, plus respected metal producer Martin "Deep Purple" Birch manning the controls for the first time (his first of ten albums with the band). Killers contains a much livelier sound than the debut, while bassist Steve Harris again played a prominent role in the songwriting, penning ten of the album's 11 tracks, while co-writing another. Chock full of classics, Killers is one consistent highlight — the homicidal tales of "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and the title track, the crushing instrumental "Genghis Khan," as well as such forgotten first-rate rockers as "Innocent Exile," "Purgatory," "Twilight Zone," and "Drifter." Inexplicably, the album's two best tracks — the shout-along anthem "Wrathchild" and the melodic "Prodigal Son" — were never issued as singles. Another hit album back home in England, Killers also gave the quintet their first taste of U.S. chart success, spurred on by their first stateside tour. Killers is another bona fide Maiden classic, but would also prove to be vocalist Paul Di'Anno's last with the group.
(AMG)

My thoughts:

Many fans like this album and many fans love this album. Personally, I think it's a very good record, but more of a second-tier album, sort of a transitional one, as the band started to really become a force. Much of the credit goes to the addition of guitarist Adrian Smith, who would prove to be a key member of the band over the next eight or nine years, and of course, producer Martin Birch, who had worked with most of the big UK metal bands of the 70s, including Deep Purple and Rainbow. Birch's sound is much more muscular than that of the debut, something you hear instantly on the opening instrumental "The Ides of March". This is really Paul Di'Anno's album; he's in rare form during the entire record. His screams on the title track are amazing. As good as Killers is, there are two songs that stand above the rest. "Wrathchild" is one of the band's most enduring songs, with Harris's classic bass intro, Di'Anno's menacing howl ("I'm coming to get you...ooh, yeah yeah!"), and Murray's shredding solos. Unbelievably, it was the B-side on the "Twilight Zone" single! Then there's "Killers"; one of the darkest songs the band would ever record, its slasher flick imagery fitting perfectly with the unforgettable album cover. As for the other tracks, "Murders in the Rue Morgue", "Innocent Exile", "Purgatory", "Twilight Zone", and the terrific "Drifter" all hold their own, but lack the timeless quality of "Wrathchild" and "Killers". But things would get much, much better on the next album...

Singles:


Twilight Zone


Purgatory

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"Wrathchild", London, December 21, 1980

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"Killers", London, December 21, 1980

[avec]

Great thread!!! I don't care much for D'anno's voice, though. Much prefer Dickinson. I like the self titled better than Killers. Love The Phantom of the Opera! That riff kills.

[Pavement Ist Rad]

Wait, Sask, are you just copying and pasting your blurbs from the old Maiden thread? Don't think I don't notice! I'm on to you.

Anyways, Killers is awesome. I love that part in the middle of "Purgatory" where Di'Anno is all like, "PLEASE! TAKE ME AWAAAAYYYY! TAKE ME AWAAAAAYYYY! SO FAR AWAAAYYYY!!!!" And then he goes all falsetto like, and it's totally righteous! "Prodigal Son" is also fantastic. It sounds like friggin' Peter Gabriel or something! The little isolated lead guitar harmonies throughout "Another Life" also rule ass. And "Murders In The Rue Morgue" is all pop-punky and shit. I love that part at about 1:27 in "Wrathchild" where Di'Anno goes, "UH!" or "MMPH!" or something. Good times!

Sometimes I'll be all like, "Yeah, it's my favorite Maiden album," but then I'll be like, "Well, Number of the Beast is just such a stone cold classic, you know?" And then I'll be all, "You know, Powerslave is quite obviously the best thing they ever did." And then I will reconsider and be like, "What about friggin' Piece of Mind? What a brilliant set of songs that is! 'Sun & Steel,' anyone? Good shit! Agh..."

[ggw]

Has anyone seen Maiden recently? Can they still bring it? I saw them circa 1987 and it was phenomenal. I'm thinking about trekking up to their show in New Jersey in October.

[Pavement Ist Rad]

Oh, man, lead guitar line at the beginning of "To Tame a Land" is so fucking boss!

I love friggin' Iron Maiden, damnit.

[Saskadelphia]

Wait, Sask, are you just copying and pasting your blurbs from the old Maiden thread? Don't think I don't notice! I'm on to you.

Well, I'm tidying them up a bit. No sense in repeating myself by typing everything over again!

"Prodigal Son" is also fantastic. It sounds like friggin' Peter Gabriel or something!

Yeah, that's a real oddity in the catalogue. They didn't return to acoustic guitar like that again until Dance of Death.

Has anyone seen Maiden recently? Can they still bring it?

Oh, hell yeah. You need to see Rock in Rio and Death on the Road. There'll be YouTube embeds coming later this week!