Iron Maiden

[deSousa]

Yesterday someone asked what song made one a prog fan. I couldn't recall a single song, but definitely for me my first prog love was Iron Maiden. Now, I accept that many wouldn't classify Maiden as prog, but just give me a chance.

I've been with the Moon far less than an year, but I feel real at home here: I learned a lot and got to knew some fascinating new musical landscapes. All of my top favourite bands are aired here, ELP, Hawkwind, Magma, Pink Floyd, Genesis, ..., all except one.

I came late to Maiden, was about 17, but unlike all the other stuff I heard back then (mostly Punk, can you believe it?) I still listen to, and enjoy, regularly their records. What I love the most is to leave an LP in the shelve forgotten for, say one year, and then go back and listen to it, founding a bunch of new things than my brain hadn't identified in the past. One of the moments I most enjoyed was when I realized the mellotron was there; when I was 17 I didn't even knew what a mellotron was!

Enough talk. I just want to get a feeling of what the Moon's fraternity think of this band. We could have entire records, selected tracks or nothing. No pressure on the Moon's technicians, I just want to know what you folk think.

Before the poll, I'll just leave some references:

1984 – Powerslave
The band finally leaves behind the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, of which they were at this time possibly the sole survivor. Important tracks:
. Flash of the Blade
. Powerslave
. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (how can this track not be in the Moon's playlist?)

1986 - Somewhere in Time
No special track, all interesting. This was the first LP were they used synthesizers, it blended space and symph on a very fast tempo. I understand the tempo is a bit hard on most folk.

1988 - Seventh Son of Seventh Son
Special LP, first with the mellotron. Important tracks:
. The Evil That Men Do
. Seventh Son of Seventh Son
. The Clairvoyant

1992/1993 – A Read Live/Dead One
Probably the height of the band's popularity, put on record the live interaction with the public, which functions as a sort of “human mellotron”. Some tracks turned out completely different, as the popular rendition of Fear of the Dark.

1994 – The X-Factor
One of the band's most important and best LP, recorded with the London Orchestra. They finally decided for prog, after major hesitations in the two previous records. Introspective atmospheres, exploration of alternative melodic settings, a sorrowful tone, almost every track could make it to a prog playlist.

1998 – Virtual Eleventh
Not that good LP, a few tracks worth listening:
. Lightening Strikes Twice
. When Two Worlds Collide (this track was great with the human mellotron)
. The Educated Fool
. Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger

2000 – Brave New World
First LP with three guitars, still trying to find a new course. Tracks to remember:
. The Gost of the Navigator
. Brave New World
. Dream of Mirrors

2003 – Dance of Death
Arguably their best LP so far, with the widest variety of musical influences ever and openly using the mellotron again. Even regular rock tracks have a bit more to it than usual. All tracks except first and last are worth of a careful listen.

2007 – A Matter of Life and Death
Dance of Death was hard to repeat and listening to this record sounds like something is missing. Still, very complex content in long tracks that explore several different melodies and moods.

[Kazuhiro]

I went to the shop of the dish of Italy that existed in Japan before.
I ordered pasta in the shop.
After it does for a while, the clerk has carried pasta to the seat where I sit.
I looked for the spice of being sure to be put on the table.
However, the spice was not put on the table.
I questioned the clerk.

Kazuhiro:"Are there a salt and a pepper?"

Clerk:｢I'm sorry. It doesn't put it on the table to which the guest sits. ｣

Kazuhiro:"Are there Tabasco and a cheese of the powder?"

Clerk;｢I'm sorry. They are not put. ｣

Clerk:｢We have absolute confidence for the taste of the dish that our shop offers. And, the taste has already been included in the pasta. We always hope for the guest not to use the spice and to eat the dish. ｣

I tasted pasta without using the spice.
The taste had been certainly included in the pasta.
And, the pasta that looked simple was a dish that was able to understand the taste of the ingredient enough.

I understood the policy of the shop having pasta.
It was a very interesting experience.
The shop was always offering the guest the fine cuisine with confidence.

However, if the shop greatly changes the policy suddenly, the tune of BGM of the shop will use Iron Maiden.

[TheFish]

Nope. Can't see it. But then I think quite alot of progressive metal is not prog at all.

so shoot me.

[ProgressivePaul]

Seventh Son of Seventh Son And Powerslave would be fine i think, maiden is nothing like other crappy prog metal they have very intricate musicial passages and soaring vocals that could be deemed prog, you know i have acutally had people ask if me if they think Iron Maiden is prog because alot of people my age (19) do not know the true progressive rock so they must find other ways to relate and Maiden is usually one of the bands they say..IMO they are more prog than Dream Theatre(lame)

[deSousa]

Originally Posted by ProgressivePaul

IMO they are more prog than Dream Theatre(lame)

Yep, I feel the same. Dream Theatre have yet to produce an LP with the deepness of something like TXF. I feel the same about most of what is labeled prog metal, that's why I put the pool up.

I believe most people stash Maiden away because of the mythology around them and their earlier association with bands like Def Leopard. I doubt any of them ever listened to tracks like Edge of Darkness, Dance of Death or The Flash of the Blade.

[ProgressivePaul]

Wow, Maiden should NEVER be associated with horrible acts like Def Leopard. EVER! But I still continue to agree there should be some Maiden on here, I mean after all why not give it a listen instead of instantly dismissing it because of preconceived notions? OPEN THY EARS MOONIES!

[mailotron]

i'm not a metal fan, and progressive metal is metal to my ears prior to be prog.
I even like some IM's track, Passendaele ( related to a heavy and bloody battle of the 1WW in Belgium) is good example.
the Moon is not the place to be for metal , there are enough stations which air metal all around the clock; same personnal assessment for a more jazzified moon

[ErikM]

mailotron wrote :

i'm not a metal fan, and progressive metal is metal to my ears prior to be prog.
I even like some IM's track, Passendaele ( related to a heavy and bloody battle of the 1WW in Belgium) is good example.
the Moon is not the place to be for metal , there are enough stations which air metal all around the clock; same personnal assessment for a more jazzified moon

Mailo, you took the words right out of my mouth !
There's nothing wrong with Iron Maiden, but you can hear that band on all other metal stations. And I'm pretty sure most of the Moonies haven't any interest to hear that kind of music here.

[deSousa]

Originally Posted by ErikM

mailotron wrote :
There's nothing wrong with Iron Maiden, but you can hear that band on all other metal stations.

That's pretty much my problem, I don't want to hear heavy metal, I want Iron Maiden

I think the poll should have been more about Maiden being prog than having them at the Moon. One of the reasons I've been sticking with the moon is because there's less heavy prog here!

Really, Iron Maiden is about the only heavy metal band I listen to. I also dig Sabbath, Scorpions (pre Mattias Jabs), Hendrix, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, Priest (pre 1980), but none of that would really classify as metal.

IMHO The best metal band (some would say the purest metal band) are Motorhead.

I also feel that certain of their tracks eg. Capricorn have a "proggy" feel to them. I'm not in any way suggesting that they be added to The Playlist btw.

Comments??????

[ErikM]

KeithieW wrote :

IMHO The best metal band (some would say the purest metal band) are Motorhead.

I also feel that certain of their tracks eg. Capricorn have a "proggy" feel to them. I'm not in any way suggesting that they be added to The Playlist btw.

I have several Motorhead albums from 70's, 80's and 90's. I'm totally agree with you.

[deSousa]

Originally Posted by KeithieW

IMHO The best metal band (some would say the purest metal band) are Motorhead.

I also feel that certain of their tracks eg. Capricorn have a "proggy" feel to them. I'm not in any way suggesting that they be added to The Playlist btw.

Comments??????

I like the stuff with Fast Eddie and Larry Wallis. But their song writing is pretty simple, I would say.

[deSousa]

Just to thank all the folk who bothered participating. I rest my case.