Iron Maiden: Greatest Second Act of All Time?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Meyer, Feb 14, 2018.

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  1. Meyer

    Meyer Heavy Metal Parking Lot Resident Thread Starter

    Listening to "Brave New World" by Iron Maiden last night got me thinking: has there ever been a band that has had a better second act than them?

    Considering Bruce and Adrian have been back in the band for 19 years, with several well-received albums and sold-out audiences worldwide that have only increased their global popularity, I can't think of any other bands that have come back from irrelevance or the loss of significant band members, only to return to the top of the heap with all key bandmembers back in the fold and creating great music for such a prolonged period.

    I'd love to hear opinions and suggestions for other acts who have managed to pull off a similar feat.
     
  2. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    They’re definitely up there. Aerosmith comes to mind, but a lot of people would probably say they came back worse than ever. I like post-comeback Aerosmith, but not as much as post-comeback Iron Maiden.
     
  3. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Black Sabbath is another one. Most fans would agree that the last couple of albums of the first Ozzy era are not very good, and that the first two Dio albums are great.
     
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  4. jmpatrick

    jmpatrick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    Not a popular opinion I imagine, but having Janick Gers in the band is redundant and unnecessary.
     
  5. segue

    segue Psychoacoustic Member

    Location:
    Hawai'i
    yes, Fleetwood Mac

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2018
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  6. tinnox

    tinnox Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Judas Priest second time around with Rob Halford is very good looking forward to their new album Firepower

    Iron Maidens second time has also put out a great string of LPs my favorite is A Matter Of Life And Death
     
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  7. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    That’s true, but a lot of fans would argue that Fleetwood Mac’s middle period was just as good as the Peter Green era.

    If Fleetwood Mac counts, you could also make a case for Pink Floyd: Syd Barrett left, then they put out a bunch of experimental albums to limited success, then they went prog and were hugely successful.
     
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  8. Olompali

    Olompali Forum Resident

    Grateful Dead had a pretty sweet revival from 87-95
    Third act is hanging strong.
     
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  9. segue

    segue Psychoacoustic Member

    Location:
    Hawai'i
    Eagles too
     
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  10. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    Up there, but not the greatest. There's stuff I love on every reunion-era Maiden album, but good lord, all those albums are so freaking long. I love Maiden, but I think there's a reason none of their classic studio albums from the 80's were double LP's.
     
  11. Szeppelin75

    Szeppelin75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Panama
    Beat me to it.
     
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  12. Sentient Six

    Sentient Six Forum Resident

    Location:
    Annandale, NJ USA
    Death Angel. They regrouped in the early 2000s and the albums they have released since are even better than their first time around and some of the best metal released in that time frame. I actually find it hard to think of any metal bands that have put out better music since The Art Of Dying came out in 2004 to now.
     
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  13. tinnox

    tinnox Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    One of the best second go around is AC/DC Bon Scott to Brian Johnson though I prefer Bon era
     
  14. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Maybe not popular...... but absolutely completely true!!!!.
     
  15. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    [​IMG]

    Swoon!!
     
  16. tkl7

    tkl7 Agent Provocateur

    Location:
    Lewis Center, OH
    Uriah Heep, while not reaching heights of the Byron years, has put out 3 very good albums in a row. Saxon has also put out several quality records in a row over the last few years.
     
  17. BurtThomasWard

    BurtThomasWard Guided by Loke In Memoriam

    Location:
    Norge
    I thought that was the popular opinion. I enjoy his songwriting contributions, tho.
     
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  18. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    Well, Elvis had his comeback.
    Tony Bennett too.
    There is argument for Frank Sinatra.
    Bob Dylan has a really good stretch since Time Out of Mind.
    Eric Clapton took a 25th anniversary box set and has kept going for another 25 plus.
    The Allman Brothers Band did similarly well.
     
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  19. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I heard that Adrian Smith wouldn't rejoin the band if they didn't retain Gers..
     
  20. BurtThomasWard

    BurtThomasWard Guided by Loke In Memoriam

    Location:
    Norge
    I've never really heard the actual specifics of how this came to be, but I always thought it was the greatest moment of actual gentlemanship in the history of the music business. To keep the guy that helped keep the ship afloat when you let the two prodigal sons re-enter the fold. But what you said makes sense. That he was Bruce's friend probably didn't hurt either.

    Too bad about his playing and prancing live, IMO. But he seems like a good guy. And a lucky SOB.
     
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  21. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    He's a friend of mine's neighbour. Top bloke by all accounts.
     
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  22. BurtThomasWard

    BurtThomasWard Guided by Loke In Memoriam

    Location:
    Norge
    I like to hear that. Nice guys do actually get paid sometimes.
     
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  23. weekendtoy

    weekendtoy Rejecting your reality and substituting my own.

    Location:
    Northern MN
    Aerosmith

    Better the first half, perhaps bigger the second half.
     
  24. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    He's a great songwriter and when they use the triple-harmony (as on Trooper), it sounds amazing. They would've been a-holes for firing him.

    As for the original question, yes, Maiden "2nd act" is best. No doubt.
     
  25. nibblet

    nibblet Active Member

    Location:
    Great Britain
    If you move away from the rock genre, it's worth considering the Jacksons as a follow-up to the Jackson 5.
    Some of their output was overshadowed by Michael's solo career, but their 1980 Triumph album is a masterpiece of its genre and time period.
     
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