Coming Home (Smith/Harris/Dickinson) Giving Musicman a breather today. Coming Home explores the familiar Maiden topic of flight but its not WWII Spitfires or the demise of a dirigible on an ill-fated flight. No this time its about the welcoming experience of returning home on an airplane after having flown all around the world. This is a lot like Blood Brothers in that its a song that deals with the more modern approach to different subject matters that Maiden tend to write about. There's a lot to love about this song. Great playing, a mix of light and powerful guitars and a topic where you can tell Bruce really wants to give it his all. The song starts out with it's main melody at mid tempo and right off the bat it has a ballady presence but not too slow or soft. At 25 seconds in however the song does slow down to begin the first verse. As the verse continues the distortion comes in to lead us to the chorus. What a great and highly sing-a-ble one it is too. The first chorus leads right into the next verse. Next we get to the instrumental and solo sections. Dave gets the first lead and it is quite soulful with minimal distortion on the neck pickup. Adrian then takes over the soloing and he tears it up going all out. The last few seconds of Adrian's solo are some of my favorite notes from him. The song ends with the chorus being repeated and that's ok here 'cause it's a good one. Probably my third favorite track off the album. 5/5
I love "Coming Home", Bruce's lyrics have to be about the experience of flying Ed Force One. "Flown the dark Atlantic, over mariners' stormy graves" is a line that gives me the good chills.
Coming Home One of my favourites, really like this. Great opening riff. Good pre-chorus then the chorus, they could've beefed that up a bit with double tracking Bruce's vocal. Never quite in agreement with how the band deal with that situation in their later years, some songs miss it and others have too much, think this might have been improved. I'd have had this as the opening single, maybe too slow to have been given that job but its a very good track. Nice solo's. This has long been part of my best of Maiden playlist. Not quite a 5 for me but a very worthy 4.5/5.
Coming Home: Fantastic, manages to be both a lighter waving inducing ballad and a stomper of a song. Two great solos, once again a ballad like one from Dave then a faster shred-fest from H. Catchy singable chorus that isn’t a one line repeat and that doesn’t out stay it’s welcome. Other than the more modern focus of the lyrics, this song would not have been out of place on Piece of Mind. A favorite From this album and from their canon of songs overall.
Coming Home Sounds like a metal version of some big Eurovision ballad. I'd like to hear the original version, I think I might enjoy it more.
Coming Home - Very unexpected tempo change after the opening heavy riff. The song reminds me of "Wasting Love" off "Fear of the Dark", which I like. This one may be even better. Bruce does a really nice job with the vocals throughout. Solos are really well done and tasteful. I like how they slow it down at first and then build it up at the end. It all goes well with the song and sets up the final chorus well. Thumbs up on this one. 4 stars out of 5.
I think I'm years behind on this thread. Don't even remember where I left off, but since it looks like we're at The Final Frontier, I'll go back to A Matter of Life and Death. This album was due for release a couple of days after I was deploying to Iraq, so I contacted the record company or someeone and asked if I could get it early, and they shipped it to be immediately. So yeah this album means a lot to me, as I played it as much as I could on the way over, and while I was there, and on the way home. Love this album.
Hahaha, you expressed my feelings far more concisely and amusingly than I would have. I don't like "Coming Home." The primary riff is irritating, the verses sound like a generic power ballad and the lyrics in the chorus very loudly celebrate an experience only slightly less mundane than parking your car in your garage. I will say the lyrics in the verses are surprisingly literate and evocative.
"Coming Home", this is a good mid-tempo number. It has very Bruce-solo feeling there present, almost could have pictured this to be on his solo-album. Damn, Bruce sounds great and so passionate as he sings about flying, beautiful lyrics which still leave things to interpret (like all great lyrics have more than 1 meaning, depending on how the listener interprets them). I think, of what I remember those times listening to the album for the first time, I just fell into this song and it really did engage me (similar case was with few other songs aswell). I dig this sincere and emotional song, I think it was really important and special song for Bruce. Also important slower song on the album to change the setting and feeling. This is ballad(ish) song and from the guitars at the early part I get some nod towards "Children Of The Damned". I think I just love the feelings and melodies here, this ain't no big epic showing and layered song with multitude tempo-changes, but compact sincere song about one's passion, hobby and work. I think this might be actually one of the most emotional songs ever in the whole Maiden-catalogue. This is really touching and emotional, which surely wouldn't be the case if someone else with less passion would be singing or trying to sing here. I cannot think anybody else singing this song than the one and only Bruce. We get to hear great guitar-solos here, first Dave shows his more bluesier and soulful side with lots of Hendrix-influence, then Adrian takes his turn and let's it tear towards the next gear with his trademark style. These solos were (I think) among the finest on this album. I remember, when I saw them live on this tour, I just had to watch/listen them very carefully during the solos as I had to see it as clear as possible how they play those. I still do that, it's fun and in the live-setting some of the solos really are a bit different and improvised compared to studio-version. Just started my 4 week summer vacation, so get to do stuff and can be somewhat more relaxed than during the hasty work weeks. So, just for the moment, have to drink couple cold Troopers and maybe listen or watch some Maiden..En Vivo-bluray it is as it’s been some time I last watched it. All in all, this is great song and it's just pure perfection for me, I dig it and I love it, so I will grant the full ranks for it now: 5/5
The Alchemist: And now The Alchemist, written by Janick, Steve, and Bruce about mathmetition and occultist John Dee’s life. The track is a typical fast paced Maiden number. It’s not too bad and I can hang with it, but it’s total filler at the same time, it’s not really a standout track. Don’t hate it but don’t love it either, it’s just there.
The Alchemist - The verses are very derivative of past Maiden songs. (Which I can't quite place right now) Pre-chorus/chorus is better but still fits into the Maiden formula. Agree with Musicman1998 in that this song is filler. Non-offensive but it doesn't add much to the album. My apologies for my review also adding very little but there just isn't much to say here. 2.5 stars out of 5.
"The Alchemist" is the first track in a long time that is entirely extruded from a Maiden song machine. Even the garbage tracks on Dance of Death at least had a new smell. This is just Fear of the Dark deep cut level junk. Reasonably competent though.
Got behind and catching up (sorry!)... Mother of Mercy Pretty powerful lyrics about what soldiers must go through when in war. I like the build up and the way the song kicks in. The Maiden March comes in and matches the bleak lyrics. Bruce does a great job of conveying the painful emotion this soldier is going through. Nice soloing, but I wish we got more. Love this song. Coming Home I like the changing moods on this song. After a heavy intro, it gets softer, and then alternates the mood back and forth. The first solo is pretty and the second is heavy. This song belongs to Bruce, though. He's in great form, especially on the chorus. The Alchemist I dig this one. It lacks a hooky chorus, but I love Nicko's drumming (is that cowbell I hear?) and the solos are strong. I also like the sound mix. Bruce sounds fierce on this.
The Alchemist It seems the reunion era Maiden does the longer songs better than the shorter ones. There's nothing bad about The Alchemist but it kind of gets lost in this album. I like the main riff a lot. I prefer the verses over the chorus, both lyrically and melody. I never skip this one but I don't actively seek it out either. 2/5
Coming Home I like the song, but to me, it screams "Dickinson solo leftover!" quite strongly. To be precise, its verses remind me very of "Navigate The Seas Of The Sun". The intro figure (which gets repeated once or twice during the song) sounds quite Maiden-ish to me and is my favored part of "Coming Home", maybe they wrote that bit together in the studio to complete it? What it misses (and declares it to me as Dickinson solo-stuff) is the grandeur Maiden have rather always in their songs. Then again, the chorus is a real grower, find myself singing it every now and then, and is Maiden-ish enough for me. Still, I must say I'm quite unable to relate to the topic. Come on, a sentimental view on his love for flying aeroplanes? I find that rather egocentric... We all know Bruce likes (okay, LOVES) to fly, but then again, who wouldn't? It's just that "normal" people can't afford it, isn't it? That chorus bugs me a bit... I could very well imagine that as a singalong in concerts, but then again it's much too private to do, and, as I said before, how shall I dare to join into that unknown feeling? Oh god, I'm really just thinking way too much about all those things... With its excentric topic, I'd like it much better on a solo output. "Coming Home" is good, but I think it doesn't fit the album, I'm done.
The Alchemist What's worse, a bad song or an uninspired song? With "The Alchemist", we get a faceless mish-mash of the usual suspects/ingredients: 4-5 segments to satisfy the complex needs, a x-times recycled riff for the verses... it goes on this way and I join the "meh" fraction. The only thing standing out is the similarity to Rainbow's "Spotlight Kid" in the intro-figure.
"The Alchemist", solid fast uptempo rocker from Janicks pen, straight to the point and straight forwards pounding song. Punchy and relatively compact. Maybe, this has also sort of solo-Bruce feeling present but I don't mind it as it's still ok. I like the melodies, they could have been like from some other older album (bits and pieces resemble slightly of past) and we get to hear great solo from Janick. Not actually too much to say about, this is ok, but it fails to lift to another level. This is ok song and I dig it, so it has nice place on the album and this one has been growing with me through the years. The next song will be interesting as for me "Isle Of Avalon" was the instantly the best one from the album as I heard it for the first time. Just had to think wisely what sort of rank would this song deseve, this is fine rocker from Janick and I dig it, so I will have to do no other thing but grant this the ranks it's surely deserved: 4½/5.
I can't stick "Coming Home". I'm a long time fan who owns everything and Coming Home would easily be on my "Worst of IM" album... The chorus is terrible, and the vocal is mixed too loud... Just my opinion.
Coming Home (Smith, Harris, Dickinson) The excellent intro riff leads us to believe the song will have a different feel than it does and so I love how it's a little bit of a "fake out" before it turns to the more mellow stuff. I love the way the triple harmony guitars sound, along with Nicko's syncopated drumming. Great use of keyboards right before the vocals come in that brings a nice majestic quality. We don't get too many slow songs with Maiden so I love it when we get one that's constructed as well as Coming Home is. It does remind me a bit of Out of the Shadows, but it doesn't bother me. I love Bruce's lyrics here, because it not only ties in with his deep love of flying, but also great in how it feels to come home after some time away. I'm sure it's even more meaningful coming in from the air and seeing your beautiful country spread out before you. These are great and heartfelt honest lyrics and it really stands out on an album where there's so much sci-fi. Then again, what if you're flying a spaceship and you come home to Earth? It works both ways and that's perfect. Bruce's voice is in fine form on this song. I LOVE the little tag at the beginning of the chorus, the "to Albion's Land" part. It's like a pre-chorus built in to the chorus, just this little tag, but it makes the chorus even that much more powerful. This is an outstanding chorus, one of the best in the catalog. You have the soaring vocals, emotional lyrics and the killer harmony guitars. Maiden to the core; it sounds both classic and timeless. Nicko's drum fills are just fabulous throughout this song. I like hearing the killer intro riff again before we head into these GORGEOUS solos by Dave and Adrian. Damn, guys. Dave's guitar tone is excellent and he brings out this slice of amazing goodness. Adrian takes a totally different approach to his solo and it's equally as great. It's like the old days, but better. I don't really notice Steve much during this song, or much during this era really. It's been brought up by a few of us but he basically just plays standard bass lines and has been since Fear of the Dark probably. I know there are a few instances here and there, some cool things on X Factor, but I haven't consistently heard him write creative bass lines since No Prayer. So, he's fine here. Janick is also a perfect team player on this track. Yeah, Coming Home for me is firstly about Bruce, then Adrian, Dave and Nicko. It's amazing to me how Maiden can write this song that nearly 6 minutes, but it still feels like a compact 3:30 song. No wasted time, no over-long bits...just a damn perfect song. Coming Home is my favorite song on the album, probably my favorite "reunion era" song up to this point (though it definitely gets passed on BOS) and one of the best songs Maiden has ever written. Top 10 of the whole catalog, surely. LOVE IT.
The Alchemist (Gers, Harris, Dickinson) I appreciate Janick for one of his important contributions: he frequently brings out the short-blast rockers and they really balance out Steve's numerous epics. I think this is a good song overall, but how could it not be a letdown after Coming Home? Still, taken on its own I do like it. Great harmony guitars at the beginning, though I wish Steve was doing something more substantial. Maybe he's just mixed too low. I don't love the vocal melody (thanks, 'Arry) and once again there's too many words crammed in to the verses. The chorus is definitely weak. I really like the change to the mid-chorus riff where Bruce sings "I am the master of the tides". It's a cool touch how the 2nd chorus gives us the harmonized guitars, that's a nice bit of arrangement. The 2nd verse features Bruce straining a bit, esp. toward the end. Janick takes a double-length solo and it's enjoyable, but a little bit random. Good guitar harmony line after the solo. Nicko does a nice flourish at the end of the song. I do put this in the "good" category, but just barely. It's a filler song and I don't have a problem admitting that. I enjoy it when listening, but don't seek it out.
Toiling my way thru this album again...that's what it feels like. This is a little better than I thought. 3/5