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.