tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176950784481540459.post5613484646270245492..comments2023-11-22T14:56:24.331+13:00Comments on Jetsam: Talkin' Eds: Iron Maiden (14/4/1980)Jet Simianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00393803864740299439noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176950784481540459.post-48915696262735952262010-02-03T13:46:47.931+13:002010-02-03T13:46:47.931+13:00Haha, London Calling wasn't intended as a comp...Haha, London Calling wasn't intended as a comparison, possibly a replacement for the Queen album ;)<br /><br />I think my comment re: coming at the albums from the middle out was to listen to them for what there are/were, rather than going 'Oh well, they did that idea better on Powerslave' because, well, Powerslave was 5 years away at that point :) (And I'm not referring to anything specific, more the mindset I adopted as a listener).<br /><br />I too have more to say on D'ianno and the impact of a certain drummer on the sounds of those first three albums, but I'll leave that for later...Timbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176950784481540459.post-59157893994977420932010-02-02T16:32:12.453+13:002010-02-02T16:32:12.453+13:00Hi Tim
Like you I collected the albums out of seq...Hi Tim<br /><br />Like you I collected the albums out of sequence (although the first three are a revisit) and yes, it's all too tempting to view the ealy stuff of any band in the context of a 'road to point X' rather than in their own light. With IM it's that much more significant when one of their most significant personnel changes - possibly their most important - also gave them their greatest album success. And naturally I was looking for 'seeds' of writing, riffs and technique in this album as much as Killers. To wit:<br /><br />Harris' bass is there, but less flashy - watch this space! Historical subject matter in the lyrics? Watch this space! <br /><br />There's more I want to say about Di'Anno's style so, er, watch this space? Suffice it to say I preferred him on this album, but his Killers stuff is growing on me. As for Blaze, well he has one good album with Maiden and one really not so good - you make an interesting point comparing his range to PD's, and I think I'll be covering that angle too once we get to The X Factor.<br /><br />I think I said recently that we listened out for different Hendrixes in Dave Murray's playing! I'm thinking of the less incendiary style - the Hendrix of Little Wing, maybe, in Strange World's intro. Richie Blackmoore's a big miss for me (d'oh!) - I'll just say that I think Running Free is the godchild of Space Trucking with a better chorus and move on! <br /><br />I'm intrigued by your comparison with London Calling and Boy. London calling deserves a post by itself, but I'm not sure I'm the person to do that; it's just such a monumental album :)<br /><br />As for boy… paging our resident U2 fan! Paul?Jet Simianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00393803864740299439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176950784481540459.post-75520989674743202412010-01-31T14:12:44.871+13:002010-01-31T14:12:44.871+13:00Have only recently listened to this one (was fourt...Have only recently listened to this one (was fourth to last that I bought, behind Killers, Dance of Death and Somewhere In Time)<br /><br />It’s interesting coming to a band in the middle of their output and either working backwards to the start or going right back to the beginning to play catch- <br />up, as you can only view anything you hear with the benefit of hindsight knowing which direction the band took the ideas from their earlier albums. In some <br /><br />ways this is nice for Maiden because they mostly built on what the ideas they laid down on this album. All the seeds of future albums are here: the attempts at epic-prog rockers <br /><br />(Remember Tomorrow and Strange World), the Harris chugga-chugga bassline (on Running Free), use of historical material to thread a narrative (Phantom of the <br /><br />Opera, Iron Maiden) straight to the point album openers (Prowler, Sanctaury), the start of the reoccuring song characters (Charlotte the Harlot).<br /><br />D'ianno does have a boot boy swagger but is no slouch himself in the vocal department; no he doesn't have the operatic range of Dickinson (and you could <br />argue the two albums with Blaze could've given us a glimpse of what might have been, even though Blaze's vocal register is lower than D'ianno) but he does <br /><br />have the 'street authenticity'.<br /><br />D'ianno sounds like he's from an East End, punk background. Bruce Dickinson always reminded me of a public schoolboy (which he may well have been) <br /><br />benefitting from being raised in that environment. Making good use of what he had is paradoxically what sealed D'ianno's fate early on and two albums later <br /><br />he was gone.<br /><br />I concur with the remarks about Dennis; for half the songs on this album I'm not even sure there is another guitarist, this is possibly due me being so used <br />to Dave's sound (or maybe they mixed the second guitar too low?) And its apparent there's no foil for Dave to bounce off during the quiet bits (Phantom of <br /><br />the Opera is a case in point; Dave sounds like he is soloing with himself in the middle!). And sorry P, I don't hear much Hendrix there, plenty of Blackmore <br /><br />though, esp in the solos (and how can there not be with that strat :)<br /><br />Overall, this is a solid debut and its surprising to see it came out the same year as U2's Boy, which inhabits a completely different soundscape yet draws from the same pool of influences. Both bands have ended up in the same place by having one thing in common: sticking to their strengths and not compromising to passing trends (bass synths aside!). And how many other bands can say that?<br /><br />Hey P, how did you miss London Calling on your list (or were you only looking at Uk releases?) It was released in the US in January 1980, so that’s why it <br /><br />always makes 'Best of 80s' lists. Though I suppose it's more punk than metal...Timbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176950784481540459.post-35031852085509221982010-01-29T10:01:20.167+13:002010-01-29T10:01:20.167+13:00Crikey, how did I miss that? Oh yeah - Wikipedia! ...Crikey, how did I miss that? Oh yeah - Wikipedia! <br /><br />There are a few odd inclusions there - Rush and maybe UFO. Some I would say are hard rock rather than metal (and I'm not splitting hairs!). But yeah - Queen ain't metal!Jet Simianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00393803864740299439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5176950784481540459.post-57172609110937991502010-01-29T08:43:50.385+13:002010-01-29T08:43:50.385+13:00Wait... Queen's The Game is heavy metal? Surel...Wait... Queen's The Game is heavy metal? Surely not!Paul Scooneshttp://www.paulscoones.comnoreply@blogger.com