Iron Maiden: Greatest Second Act of All Time?

I see a few mentions regarding the songwriting quality in reunion-era Maiden vis-à-vis late 90s solo Bruce, pointing out that Adrian Smith was on Accident Of Birth and The Chemical Wedding, but that focus is misguided. Smith contributed little in terms of writing for those albums, the overwhelming majority being Bruce-Roy Z collaborations. As lovely as Adrian's guitar playing is, the main thing that made those albums great was the songs.

I've often felt that had Roy Z become Maiden's third guitar and/or producer, and had Harris agreed to delegate a bit, we might've had some truly awesome Maiden this century. I mean, even after Accident Of Birth and Chemical Wedding, Dickinson and Z were still coming up with stuff like Silver Wings, the new track on 2001's Bruce's 'Best Of'. Just like on the two aforementioned Bruce albums, on this song you can hear all the energy and drive that's lacking in a fair amount of Maiden's recent output.

I would so love to hear Nicko and Steve and Davey playing on stuff like this:

One might argue from the 90s, even.


Having said all that, I still love them pretty much unconditionally. I always find something to enjoy on their new albums (weren't If Eternity Should Fail and the album's title track great or what?) despite the Caveman; happily buy every new concert film (where's the Book Of Souls Live blu-ray, dammit?); still go see them live every chance I get and keep having the time of my life at their shows (they're definitely better live than on record). I've already got my tickets to see them this summer and I can't wait. It'll be my 10th or 12th Maiden show, I don't know.

Long live Iron Maiden.


PS.
Martin Birch rules.

 

Coming back to the original premise of the thread, I'd like to offer a humble vote for Anthrax. They aren't enjoying anywhere near the level of success they did around the time of the classic line-up, but this second go-round with Belladonna has so far produced two really great albums, Worship Music and For All Kings. If anyone had told me in 1990 that 20+ years later this band would be making records that I'd like better than Spreading The Disease or Among The Living or Persistence Of Time I would've asked you to share your drugs; but DAMN if Worship Music and For All Kings aren't my favourite Anthrax since they came out. And I really can't decide which of the two I like best.

 

I agree with everyone regarding how superior solo Bruce was to modern Maiden and would the band to step out of Steve Harris/Kevin Shirley formula that has long sucked out all life from the band despite an odd good track here and there. Bruce can still sing, it's just that he hasn't sung anything exciting for are a long time (and yes, If eternity shall fail was a good one on the otherwise dreary album, another dreary album since the reunion).

 

Aerosmith were absolutely huge from Permanent Vacation through around the time of "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." For sheer quality output after a 10+ year hiatus, then The Swans 2010 and onward return is a good contender. And if we're talking of unexpected later career surprises then the Ray of Light (peak) through Confessions Madonna run and Johnny Cash' American Recordings albums are good examples.

 

I'd be surprised if Maiden wrote something as good as The Chemical Wedding currently.

 

RUSH from 2002 onward. However, like Iron Maiden their great second act is due to live performances. The albums are ok to pretty good, but don't come close to their 1974-1987 run .

 

Bringing back Belladona was such a lame decision. Bush is by miles a better singer and everything he recorded with Anthrax absolutely smokes the rest of the catalog. The last two studio albums are nowhere near as good as WCFYA. The only good thing Belladona does is diying is hair.

 

I was actually disappointed when I heard of the 80s line-up reunion, precisely because We've Come For You All was such a great album. I thought it was gonna kill that momentum and I wasn't best pleased about it (though getting a chance to see the reunion live was good, after all). The nonsense that followed in the ensuing years killed my hopes for another album of WCFYA's quality too. However, all was forgiven with Worship Music. It was a long time coming but, together with For All Kings, it's turned out to be my favourite Anthrax era. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm happy things happened the way they did.

As for albums like Volume 8 or Stomp 442 being better? Nah, not for me. Not by a lonnnnnng shot.

 

SOWN rules supreme in the Anthrax universe.

 

I think the 3rd guitar on The Trooper sounds awful and totally ruins the song when I hear live versions with the 3 guitars.

 

Most Anthrax is pretty lame, to be honest. Bush was better off in Armored Saint.

 

I love the reunion albums of Maiden - I sometimes feel they'd still be my favorite band (or close) if I only knew those - not something I could say of, say, Genesis - whose post 70s albums are enjoyable but nowhere near in the same league as their prog stuff.

However, Genesis could join Aerosmith and AC/DC as bands who's second decade saw them take a giant leap in popularity, even if some fans may respect and prefer the earlier works. Scorpions, Metallica, and a number of other bands also could join this group.

I think Deep Purple's reunion had some pretty good stuff - I'd rate "Perfect Strangers," "The Battle Rages On," "Perpendicular," and "Abandon" up with the original MKII classics.
The prog band Camel also put out some really solid albums in the 90s - getting back to their melodic, artsy prog roots in a slightly new way.

I've realized that around 2008 there has been a resurgence in the more "80s rock" end of metal - with bands like Whitesnake, Uriah Heep, Tygers of Pan Tang, and Diamond Head putting out albums that rival their classics. On the darker side, heavier underground 80s metal bands like Angel Witch and Satan have also returned with some stuff that rivals their best.

80s prog-metal band Fates Warning's original singer has come out of retirement and put out a couple of "solo" albums with current members of Fates Warning that are also worthy of the classic days



Regarding retaining Janick for the reunion, I do sometimes think the 3 guitar sound is a bit muddy and wish they'd go back to two guitars - and Janick tends to have a "rougher" guitar sound than the other two boys. That said, often I like their sound on the new albums. And, as others have pointed out, he does contribute some good songwriting. A previous commentator said "they would've been a-holes for firing him," but that's what pretty much every other band in the history of rock would do (and has done), and to be fair the albums after he joined in the 90s were a significant drop in quality from the 80s album (and sales dropped, too), so they couldn't've been blamed if they dropped him in 1999. It's really unusual that they decided to keep him - I get the impression they get along great as people and bandmates.

 

I personally park the drop in quality after 7th Son as down to the band having two remaining songwriters having to make up for the loss of the third, rather than a change of guitarists. The same happened again for The X Factor; one songwriter now having to shoulder the entire writing burden whereas it was split in two beforehand.

Despite Adrian having coming up with epics such as Paschendale, he was the master of the shorter, melodic, hookier elements of Maiden’s 80s catalogue. When he went, so did those songs. When he returned to the band, so did those songs. The reunion era has had Adrian, Bruce and Steve writing great tracks. Keeping Janick was a class move, allowing the trademark lead harmonies together with rythmn guitar on stage. His songwriting has also been most welcome; Janick adds more than one string to Maiden’s bow.

 

I think three guitarists is too much. I have nothing against him, but he probably isn't needed. Although what do I know.

 

Santana. Disappeared in the 80s then came back huge in '99

 

No

 

Best 2nd act? No way..... Iron Maiden’s last good record is SSOASS.

 

Not even remotely close, but thanks for your incredible insight.

 

I think he's nearer to the truth than this unnecessary sarcasm deserves. No Prayer and Fear of the Dark are very patchy and then there's the Blaze years, which are divisive at best. Then Bruce and Adrian rejoin and Maiden put out a run of much loved albums, but all of them are unnecessarily far too long.

 

I love Maiden but their music hasn’t been that good for a long time.


Kevin Shirley. That’s all I’m going to say.

 

Far too long has nothing to do with the quality of music which is mostly very good. They are much loved for a reason. Some people are just too closed minded to listen to anything new from an older band or won’t accept that they evolve. All well and good. But that has no bearing on the actual quality of the music. What classic metal or hard rock band has been as consistently good and successful or better at this point in their career?? None.

Everyone fills the entire CD these days, can’t penalize one band for it. It is what it is.

There is a reason the band is still as huge as it is around the world and it’s albums chart around the world. Because they have maintained a quality later in their career that most don’t.

What other band that’s been around as long as them comes out and does as many new songs in their set and gets away with it without everyone going on a piss break? They played an entire new album and it was one of their better tours.

It deserves more than sarcasm. I was being polite.

Up the Irons!!

 

Last I checked he didn’t write the music

 

Except Rush I don’t see any band which were creative in their long career.

AC/DC bores since Back in Black.
Judas Priest since Defenders
Dream Theater since Awake
Black Sabbath since Sabotage
Deep Purple since Purpendicular
Def Leppard since Pyromania
Uriah Heep since Return to Fantasy

etc...

Rush last album was a fresh statement IMO

 

I agree totally and think it's incredible that Maiden are still as creative and relevant as the are so far into their career. It's phenomenal and they deserve total respect for it.

I still buy Iron Maiden's albums and enjoy them, they've never put out a real duffer, at least with Bruce. I'm all for Maiden epics too. Empire of the Clouds is stunning. I've only seen Iron Maiden once and it was on the Dance of Death tour and I loved it. They played loads of that album, didn't play classics I expected (nothing from Powerslave!) and I wasn't at all disappointed. I like the Dance of Death album a lot.

The reason I don't think the more recent albums don't generally hold up to the 80s ones is mainly because I dislike the production on them. They sound flat to me. Something Iron Maiden's music isn't, they deserve top quality production.

I also think that stretching the songs to getting on for 8-10 minutes each diminishes the impact of them. Songs like Rime of the Ancient Mariner & Hallowed Be The Name have a big impact as the epic of their albums. A lot of long tracks in a row gets wearing to me, especially as they often tend to just sing the title over and over or not do much they haven't done before, usually on the same album. They don't seem to have many songs like The Trooper, Aces High, Can I Play With Madness, Number of the Beast etc nowadays, where the songs are kept to what's necessary and have a huge impact. There's a lot to be said for keeping songs concise, then the epics have some contrast and sound huge.

Iron Maiden aren't just the greatest heavy metal band ever, they're one of the greatest bands ever. Long may they continue...

UP THE IRONS!!

 

Respectfully, I disagree on some of the bands you've listed.

Certainly, Uriah Heep have made some amazing music over the years. I have a particular fondness for the Pete Goalby years where they tried something a little different and hit their chosen targets spectacularly. However, because they deviate from the "traditional" Heep template so much, I completely understand when other fans aren't as enthusiastic about them as I am. The music they've made in the last twenty five years though, is like classic Heep with a modern sheen. They've been on a real roll. If you haven't heard them, I heartily recommend Sea Of Light, Wake The Sleeper and Living The Dream.

Again, if you can manage to listen to Black Sabbath's Tony Martin years, without loading them with the baggage of history, you might find them more interesting than you remember. There's some really good stuff across those records, I reckon.