How many songs have you gotten to so far, just wondering? And for the record, after Only the Good Die Young and the two b-sides, there will be some time off where you can catch up on any songs you missed
"The Clairvoyant", stellar song and I've always liked this one and it's still one of the favorites in the catalogue. This is one of my wifes favorites aswell, I think it must have been among the first Maiden-songs she remembers hearing. I like that cool intro from Steve, the classic-Maiden basslines. All the little stuff that he does on bass is always really effective and powerful, all the great intros and especially this one still sounds magical. Steve's got his unique, totally own style and sound, I think he's terribly underrated as musician. The essential part of the whole Maiden and he's done amazing work that has influenced many, many musicians. I think it's important, great and nice to have bass in the introduction and start of the song, setting the ground and base for the atmosphere, like on the newer stuff aswell (The Red And The Black). The whole building up, from the intro and the whole band joins the song and until the very ending outro of the song, it keeps things interested all the way and doensn't loosen my interest at all away. Performances are top and what needed. Everything seems to work precily here: the riffs, the basslines, the solos, the lyrics, the chorus and the melodies. So musically this is just pure brilliance and guaranteed Maiden. And Bruce sounds great on this one, the lyrics are interesting, deep and meaningful similar to what "Infinite Dreams" was and yet again good that they didn't use the word clairvoyant in the chorus at all. That Donington version might be one of the best, if not even the best live-version of the song, I really like it. Have to listen to it more later. Still have to mention that @Cheevyjames your post summarized it just perfect. This one gets full ranks from me: 5/5 as that's what it deserves.
The two last songs are my favourite part of the album. There are some clever musical tricks on The Clairvoyant that give it a quirky sound, like the guitar intro/outro being in D major, while most of the song is in D minor, including the intro variant between verses. The solo part is particularly fun, it's mostly in E major but is built around the G# note (the major third), which adds a Phrygian element to it. Nigel Tufnel once said that D minor is the saddest of all keys, and personally I find D major one of the happiest. This makes the ending more uplifting and that leads nicely to the final track.
Interestingly I went to one of the days of the Raising Hell filming at Pinewood Studios back in '93. A few more albums before then. Nothing major to share, no real gossip but it just reminded me of the show seeing that clip. Agreed, don't like the use of the whammy bar. Spoils it. Adds zero to the song.
You know a lot more than me about the keys the songs are in. Never noticed that before although assuming the amount of time changes in Maiden songs that it must be quite common?
Sure is and it isn't always very cohesive, I've had this theory that they have a stack of instrumental middle parts in a box and throw dice about which song to inject them in.
The Clairvoyant The band just kills it in the chorus, including Bruce. I like how they go into a different key with the chorus later, which makes it more dramatic. Great song all around. Thematically, I would have put this track before "The Prophecy". This song has the prophet questioning his powers, and in "The Prophecy" he feels he's failed. Useless trivia: This is the seventh track on Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, which is Maiden's seventh studio album. You dare question the wisdom of Nigel Tufnel? Blasphemy!
Yep, the dramatic change done with different key is interesting and it does sound more dramatic. Anybody here, who knows music-theory well, could you please tell more of this?
I would never do that! My opinion was of D major, his of D minor. The Clairvoyant alternates between the two.
Modulating downwards is indeed uncommon. There's some talk about it here: Songs with good-sounding key change or modulation* Post #19 gives a couple of rare examples.
I haven't been around since early on in the Killers talk but just wanted to jump in at this point to say that Powerslave was the last Iron Maiden album I bought on release. I didn't keep up with them after that...until one day in the late 90s when I was driving a rental car down the New Jersey Turnpike and "The Clairvoyant" came on the radio. Once that chorus kicked in I remembered why I had loved them so much in my youth and immediately went out and bought Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son, No Prayer for the Dying and Fear of the Dark on CD and have really liked a lot of the 21st century records since, all thanks to that one song. "The Clairvoyant" is great (although "The Evil that Men Do" and "Infinite Dreams" are my favorites on the album) and Seventh Son is the only original Dickinson-era record other than Number of the Beast that isn't riddled with clunkers. Definitely the 80s LP I listen to the most now. That little "tss-tss tss-tss tss-tss" cymbal thing at 8:59 in the title track is the best Maiden moment ever.
Only The Good Die Young: And now we conclude the album with Only the Good Die Young, written by Steve and Bruce as a bitter reflection the events that have unfolded. The song kicks off with the Maiden gallop accented by the synth, with Bruce coming at :22, giving a vocal filled with fury and self doubt. You can tell he's really wondering if it was all worth it. At 1:29, we get a very strong solo from Adrian, and then a neat little thing from Arry at 1:51, wow it took this long for Steve to take a solo. But at 3:32, Dave comes in and shows why he's THE Maiden guitarist, with Nicko rumbling like a beast underneath. And then we get the opening to Moonchild as a bookend, a neat touch. This is a solid tune and closer overall.
The Clairvoyant Great song. Music and lyrics, super melodies and time changes, what can I say other then Maiden.. Up the Irons!
Overall Thoughts and Rankings Seventh Son wraps up what is known as the band's classic period, and it's definitely not a bad way to end an era. I don't think it's anywhere near the Di'Anno era or NOtB or PoM or Powerslave, but it's way better than I previously gave it credit for, and I think it's better than SIT, sure as hell better than the next two going by memory. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (5/5) Moonchild (5/5) Infinite Dreams (5/5) The Clairvoyant (5/5) The Evil That Men Do (4.5/5) The Prophecy (4/5) Only the Good Die Young (4/5) Can I Play With Madness (3.5/5)
Only The Good Die Young Very good song to finish with, but Its not one that I really return too. There are 4 outstanding songs on this album....which I can play randomly. Only one song I have never warmed to at all... 4/5
Only The Good Die Young This is a good one but probably the most forgotten song in Maiden's classic era. I mean I've visited many a Maiden message board and website in my day and can't really remember any discussion about this track. I really like the chorus and feel it would've went over well live. Its nice to hear Steve really tickle those bass strings at around 1:51 as @Musicman1998 points out. I like the Moonchild acoustic bookend as well.
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988) Overall Thoughts..... Rightly looked upon as Maiden's last truly classic album. They have recorded some great songs since...but I feel (yes my opinion) they have never released a complete cohesive album since. A combination of band members leaving a loss of direction....they have never been as good since. I saw Maiden on every tour upto and including No Prayer for the Dying. They always seemed to get better live...the peak being The World Slavery tour. The NEC gig of 88' made me think for the first time...that the only way now was down. Don't get me wrong...they played well and it was very professional...but for the first time I think they were on auto pilot. As someone said in the music press at the time....they took their first step down the other side of the mountain. All these years on...it's amazing how popular they still are....certainly as a live act. I do feel tho, in part its down to the comic book album covers, Eddie....(Imagine if they had never developed him with every album cover/tour etc.....) which like many I love. They are a very slick merchandising machine....Rod Smallwood take a bow. I'll certainly be sticking around as the thread goes but for me....this is where the classic era ends. A stereotypical bandwaggon of thoughts....but true, for me anyway. 5/5
So Far... 1 Powerslave 5/5 2 Iron Maiden 5/5 3 Piece Of Mind 5/5 4 Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son 5/5 5 The Number Of The Beast 4/5 6 Somewhere In Time 4/5 7 Killers 4/5 8 Live After Death 3/5 I used to rate Beast above Seventh Son...but as always...the wind has changed direction. My top 3 never change.
If I were to rank the classic period..... Killers Iron Maiden Piece of Mind Number Of the Beast Powerslave Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Somewhere in Time
I'd like to just quickly state that i LOVE the acoustic outro, and would have welcomed something 5 minutes long that sounded like it.
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Probably my favorite Iron Maiden album of all time. That could change though at any given listen to another album. I really like concept album theme even if it weren't the original idea going in for the band. This thing has Infinite Dreams, my favorite so of course its going to rank high. Yes this was the band's highest point (for now) and looking back at the stage sets as well as the songs themselves, you couldn't really go anywhere but down. I totally understand the band's logic for stripping down the sound and sets for No Prayer but we'll get to that unfairly maligned album soon. Don't take too long @Musicman1998, I don't want withdrawl symptoms lol. I came into this band right around the time after Seventh Son was released and right before No Prayer so I didn't understand the outcry over what was to come next or how the mighty have fallen as it were. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Piece of Mind Powerslave Somewhere In Time Number of the Beast Killers Iron Maiden
Ranking the classic period: Piece of Mind Killers Number of the Beast Powerslave Iron Maiden Somewhere In Time Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
