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IRON MAIDEN “The Number Of The Beast” – Metal Excellence From 1982 Is Never Forgotten

Posted in hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal songs, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, new wave of british heavy metal, progressive metal music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 11, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

IRON MAIDEN – Just the album cover art with Eddie descending upon the devil is Metal excellence. Derek Riggs was the real deal in creating Iron Maiden album covers… no one else comes even close in my Metal opinion. Getting past the album cover art from The Number Of The Beast and diving into the songs is like a parallel journey of the Metal senses. This is an album, where the cover art represents the songs heard within to brilliant perfection. Invaders, The Number Of The Beast, Run To The Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Name and Children Of The Damned are songs that I can listen to and instantly have this album cover art imbedded in my minds eye. Every song on this ultra-incredible Iron Maiden album does this to me for argument sakes.

This album cover art for The Number Of The Beast has never lost it’s awestruck affect on me, nor have the songs. I toil away, within my own thoughts, as to which album is the “greatest” Heavy Metal album ever… almost on a daily basis. I chose the Black Sabbath classic, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath from 1973, some years ago and have stuck to it since, as being the “greatest” Heavy Metal album ever. Of course this is a “personal” choice of mine and it may change one day… so is the life of being a devout Metalhead, I guess. What gets at me though, is every time I listen to The Number Of The Beast, I feel as this album can very well be considered “the greatest” Heavy Metal album ever. Metal be thy name.

I have always looked upon the first six Iron Maiden albums as being my personal favorites. Convict me of being “Old School”… only I’m not crying in any damned beer about it. God forbid If I remember which albums are the true “classics” of the Heavy Metal genre. To embrace Iron Maiden’s The Final Frontier as the way it “should be” and totally disregard the true essence of this legendary band’s Metal identity of style and sound would make me a phony fan. The Number Of The Beast is an unforgettable Heavy Metal album for me, due to it’s dark themes and 100% dark sound, feel and vibe. The Final Frontier is a new album from Iron Maiden, while The Number Of The Beast is a pulsating highlight of this bands career.

The Number Of The Beast would be the last studio album that has Clive Burr sitting behind the drums. Yes, Iron Maiden did have another drummer… and he was pretty damn good too. Clive Burr was the drummer on the first two Iron Maiden albums as well: Iron Maiden and Killers. This album is also the first that showcases the uncannily soaring vocals of Bruce Dickinson. I look upon The Number Of The Beast as one of the keys that unlocked the door to Metal for me, introducing me to a darker side of Metal when it came to lyrics, as well as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal – (NWOBHM).

The Number Of The Beast was released back in March of 1982, while Screaming For Vengeance by Judas Priest was released in July of the same year. Suffice to say, I realized quickly that these British Heavy Metal Bands were very serious about their Metal back then… and still are. The mood that The Number Of The Beast radiates is untouchable by any other band, a mood so unique that it seems to zero in on my sub-conscious and touches off a feeling of eerie psyche-outness.

Hallowed Be Thy Name is my favorite song on this album, very haunting and desolate are the lyrics. Waiting for your time to die by hanging is as depressingly creepy as you can get with lyrics, only Iron Maiden makes this song seem almost inspiring through it’s melodic Metal… thanks to Dave Murray and Adrian Smith on guitars. Steve Harris on bass even makes the rhythmic melody escalate on this classic Metal song.

On these earlier Iron Maiden albums, especially The Number Of The Beast, the sound coming from Steve Harris’s bass is unlike anything I had ever heard before, almost like Steve Harris was a lead guitarist playing bass. Steve Harris brought to my attention as a young lad, that the bass guitar was just as magical as the guitar to my Metal sponges otherwise known as ears. The atmosphere that Steve Harris created with his bass along with Dave and Adrian’s duo guitars throughout the songs on The Number Of The Beast is what gives this album and band their Metal trademark, in my Metal opinion.

Even as a young lad, I never interpreted Iron Maiden to be a Satanic band due to this or any album they created before it. I was into Creature Feature on Saturday mornings and I never thought of Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi or Lon Chaney Sr. or Jr. to be Satanists either. I’ve always left the Satanic finger pointing to the self-righteous Phd’s and scholars, that try to tell the human race how to live. Metal be thy name.

Any band of any Rock genre can tweak or change their entire approach, in how they want to sound or write music. The one constant that can never change is which album or albums that any respective band created that are considered to be measuring sticks of a particular Metal era… and looked upon as classics. The Number Of The Beast is one such classic, from an era when Heavy Metal was not just being molded into form, Heavy Metal was breathing a new found life into a generation of fans that are undisputedly loyal to this very moment. I’m one of them… and The Number Of The Beast shall continue to breathe it’s tantalizing, Old School and macabre teetering spell on me till the end of days.

This is one Iron Maiden album I still have the vinyl copy of… still in unreal great condition too. I without question, upgraded this classic to CD years ago as well. No, I don’t have a cassette version, yet if I find one I’d probably buy it, just to play in my good ‘ol Ford Taurus. The Number Of The Beast has become, over the decades, not just a required album to own if you are a Metalhead… this Iron Maiden album could easily be described as an absolute and necessary appendage to thine Metal senses. This is my Metal opinion, so let it be Metal written, so let it be Metal done.

* For more info on IRON MAIDEN, just click this link: IRON MAIDEN

IRON MAIDEN as they appeared on The Number Of The Beast:

Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals

Steve Harris – bass

Dave Murray – guitar

Adrian Smith – guitar

Clive Burr – drums

Original 1982 Track Listing For The Number Of The Beast:

Invaders

Children Of The Damned

The Prisoner

22 Acacia Avenue

The Number Of The Beast

Run To The Hills

Gangland

Hallowed Be Thy Name

* On May 9, 2009, I posted why I feel Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the “Greatest Heavy Metal Album of All Time”. Just click the large header below to read it… if you like.

The greatest Heavy Metal album of all time is…

* On December 6, 2009, I posted about my antique store find… the picture disc of IRON MAIDEN – Run To The Hills. The B side is the song – Total Eclipse, which did not appear on The Number Of The Beast in 1982. Total Eclipse later appeared on the 1995 CD reissue of The Number Of The Beast. You can read more about this fantastic picture disc I found, with photos of it, by clicking the oversized header below:

IRON MAIDEN “RUN TO THE HILLS” PICTURE DISC – AN ANTIQUE STORE FIND!

LONG LIVE IRON MAIDEN.

Stone.

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IRON MAIDEN – 1993 FLASHBACK: “A REAL LIVE ONE” AND “A REAL DEAD ONE”

Posted in 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal songs, 1980's metal bands, 1980's metal music, 1990's heavy metal albums, 1990's heavy metal bands, 1990's heavy metal music, Album Review, collecting metal music, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current heavy metal bands, essential heavy metal albums, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 1993, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 1993, live heavy metal albums, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, old school heavy metal, old school heavy metal bands, rock music, scary album covers, vintage heavy metal albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Iron Maiden was alive and well back in the decade that supposedly ignored Heavy Metal… the 1990’s. The year was 1993 and Iron Maiden released not one but TWO live albums. You read that correctly, two. What a splendid feeling it was, back in 1993, to have Iron Maiden release these two live albums. Oh, yeah, here are the two live album titles: A Real Live One and A Real Dead One. (Yes, I did use the word splendid on Metal Odyssey… two lines ago). You see, Heavy Metal did exist in the 1990’s, it never went away, nor did it hide for cover due to any Grunge Bands coming out of Seattle, Washington either. In my Metal opinion, Grunge only enhanced the diversity of Metal Music… Alice In Chains epitomizes that school of thought. Heavy Metal and Iron Maiden never went astray during the 1990’s, all one has to do is just uncover this decade for it’s bounty of Metal worth… it’s out there. Well, not to get off track here, Iron Maiden quietly released these two live albums during what was supposedly “the heart” of the Grunge Music invasion… and they both are really good too.

I totally disregard any lame reviews that these two live Iron Maiden albums have received over the years, (from of course, professionally paid Rock critics), instead I embrace these two albums as being legit as anything Iron Maiden has ever done. No, I am not ever going to say A Real Live One and A Real Dead One are equal to or better than the Iron Maiden classic from 1985 – Live After Death. What these two 1993 live Iron Maiden albums have accomplished is capturing this band at what they do best, playing fast and non-mainstream Heavy Metal in which proves to be an incredible listen as well as Metal historical. How often are fans trying to find live bootleg CD’s and/or DVD’s of their favorite bands? So many times the notion of bootlegs surfacing is considered cool and “must have”… well here are two live Iron Maiden albums that were legitimately released, (originally on Capitol Records) and are light years better in quality than any bootleg available.

In 1993, Iron Maiden stuck to their Metal guns and released two live albums for their fans to embrace. Regardless of what was the mainstream/Rolling Stone Magazine flavor of the month back then, Iron Maiden provided what they always were known for up to that point in time… real Metal. Real live Metal as well. Lately, I have been on an Iron Maiden kick, Metal be damned I’m proud of it. I bought A Real Live One and A Real Dead One on cassette back in 1993. I still have both cassettes too… in super mint condition. I took really great care of the music I bought, regardless if it was an album, cassette or CD… for the Metal Music I bought throughout the decades has taken great care of me.

A Metal Note: The Iron Maiden Band Lineup For Both A REAL LIVE ONE and A REAL DEAD ONE:

Bruce Dickinson – vocalist

Steve Harris – bass guitarist

Dave Murray – guitarist

Janick Gers – guitarist

Nicko McBrain – drummer

A REAL LIVE ONE – was released on March 22, 1993

The Track Listing for A REAL LIVE ONE:

Side One:

Be Quick Or Be Dead

From Here To Eternity

Can I Play With Madness

Wasting Love

Tailgunner

The Evil That Men Do

Side Two:

Afraid To Shoot Strangers

Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter

Heaven Can Wait

The Clairvoyant

Fear Of The Dark

* A REAL LIVE ONE was recorded on the Iron Maiden – Fear Of The Dark Tour 1992. The liner notes of A REAL LIVE ONE, (my cassette version from 1993), contains fabulous full color photos of each band member, (the liner notes fold out into 6 panels, double sided). A detailed equipment list for each band member is shown, as well as the usual credits and a cool thank you from Steve Harris/bass guitarist. These liner notes are done right and are very cool indeed. (I said indeed again, wow).

A REAL DEAD ONE – was released on October 18, 1993

The Track Listing for A REAL DEAD ONE:

Side One:

The Number Of The Beast

The Trooper

Prowler

Transylvania

Remember Tomorrow

Where Eagles Dare

Side Two:

Sanctuary

Running Free

Run To The Hills

2 Minutes To Midnight

Iron Maiden

Hallowed Be Thy Name

* The liner notes for A REAL DEAD ONE, (my cassette version from 1993), do not contain any photo’s or fold out panels like A REAL LIVE ONE does. A REAL DEAD ONE does contain a fold-out mini poster though!! Yeah man!! It came inside of this cassette back in 1993! My copy is in mint shape, with the crispest of edges too! (Save for the original creases from it having to be folded, to fit inside the cassette box). On the front side of this great little Iron Maiden poster are dozens of mini concert photos of all the Iron Maiden members of 1993! At the top/across of this mini poster is the classic Iron Maiden logo in all of it’s vintage Metal glory! The backside of this mini poster has – get this – an Iron Maiden Family Tree!! Yeah Man! It details all of the Iron Maiden members, (up to 1993, of course), with their respective bands they were a part of, both pre-Iron Maiden and post-Iron Maiden! Iron Maiden history, all detailed here on this mini poster gem!

* This mini poster is an oddball piece of Iron Maiden memorabilia… at an oddball size too, it measures approximately 7″ x 11.5″. I really wonder, just how many of these mini posters survived from A REAL DEAD ONE cassettes over the years? How many Metalheads threw them away? How many became ruined from spilled beer? How many were tacked up onto walls and were subsequently faded and torn? I will go out on a Metal limb right here, stating this mini poster just might be… semi rare… to… rare?

For the first time today, I decided to take this mini poster of Iron Maiden from the safe storage of it’s A REAL DEAD ONE cassette box… and finally put it into a thick and sturdy poster sleeve. Now I can better enjoy it, display it and read the Iron Maiden Family Tree whenever I want to! Yeah! From Steve Harris’s first band – Gypsy’s Kiss to Adrian Smith’s band in 1992 – Untouchables, with Bruce Dickinson’s bands – Shots and  Samson in between! Trust me, there is quite a bit involved with this Iron Maiden Family Tree, (and it is only up to 1993), thus making for quite a detailed – future post on Metal Odyssey… that would be a tremendous amount of keystroking!

In Metal summary, I rediscovered A REAL LIVE ONE and A REAL DEAD ONE from 1993, Iron Maiden does not disappoint me. Plus, the rediscovery of the Iron Maiden mini poster and Iron Maiden Family Tree makes this Metal flashback all the more sweeter indeed. (Wow, I said indeed for a third time, as well as the word sweeter… on Metal Odyssey).

LONG LIVE IRON MAIDEN

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IRON MAIDEN – “KILLERS” STILL REIGNS AS A KILLER OF A METAL ALBUM

Posted in 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal songs, 1980's metal bands, 1980's metal music, 1981 heavy metal music, 1990's heavy metal bands, Album Review, classic heavy metal albums, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current heavy metal bands, essential heavy metal albums, guitar legends, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 1981, heavy metal bands, heavy metal bands from england, heavy metal drummers, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalists, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, old school heavy metal, progressive metal, rock music, scary album covers, vintage heavy metal albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 12, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

As decades pass and thousands of Heavy Metal albums are released, there will always be those select titles that are still left standing tall. Iron Maiden Killers is one of those select albums that reigns as a killer for me… 28 years after it’s June 1981, U.S. release. Killers epitomizes Old School Heavy Metal, plus Iron Maiden legitimizes the single word – Metal, as it’s very own sub genre. Whenever I think of “Metal” the first band that comes to my mind is Iron Maiden. I sometimes debate myself senseless, asking why isn’t Iron Maiden my favorite Heavy Metal band of all time? Then, I ease my confusion by just knowing that Iron Maiden is and forever will be a “core” band of mine. Killers essentially was faster and harder than many traditional Heavy Metal albums of it’s time… the great part is that Iron Maiden was just beginning to “touch upon” the progressive side of Metal Music, an attribute they became so legendary for.

Back in 1981, the Thrash Metal movement was the welcomed storm on the horizon… Iron Maiden was the baddest and heaviest outside of just a select group of their peers. Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Scorpions and Accept come to mind, when deciphering which Metal bands were as hard and heavy as Iron Maiden, back in 1981. Still, outside of Motorhead, Iron Maiden was about speed, the songs on Killers are overall – fast. Exceptions do exist, Prodigal Son is a slower paced Iron Maiden song without a doubt. The tempo being dictated by the acoustic guitars only magnifies the slender tempered sound of Prodigal Son. (Going back to the debut Iron Maiden album, Remember Tomorrow signified the flirtation with somberness that this legendary band would revisit in future albums, Prodigal Son carry’s over this assertion).

Backtracking to the intro of Killers, The Ides Of March, I insist that this was the sign of all Metal things to come on this prolific album. The Ides Of March is heavy, it is melancholy, dark and foreboding… in essence, a Metal prelude or warning if you will, that Iron Maiden was not fabricating or pretending. Twilight Zone is the song from Killers, where I feel Paul Di’Anno is at his giant best, vocally. Certainly, it is my personal opinion, as is the case with this entire article. Genghis Khan is the Metal instrumental that catapulted the musical identity of Iron Maiden, the trademark sound of this soon to be – historic Metal band. My eyeballs still pop open wide, to this very day, each time I listen to Genghis Khan.

When it comes down to musicianship, what honestly can be nit picked here? Iron Maiden as a unit on Killers made layering famous and vogue – basically instigating Progressive Metal from it’s dormancy. I cannot and never will find a fault with this legendary Iron Maiden lineup, Paul Di’Anno was the lead singer for this band in 1981 and a damned great one too… Metal case closed. Even back in the mid 1980’s, I never gave a damn about comparing Paul Di’Anno to Bruce Dickinson… what’s the point? Any seasoned Metalhead knew then and should know now, that these two lead singers are worlds apart with technique and range. In my Metal opinion, one is not better than the other, they are both unique and stylistically genuine. Paul Di’Anno gave the songs on Killers a mysterious tone, his vocals created a fog invading sound scape that bordered on macabre.

Murders In The Rue Morgue is my favorite song on Killers. Again, it’s speed, hard and heavy that this song illuminates. Paul Di’Anno never needed to hit the highest note on the planet to make Murders In The Rue Morgue an Iron Maiden classic, instead his fiery swagger is not just heard vocally, it is felt. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith unleashing their duo guitar leads proved that there was another one-two Metal guitar punch out there… alongside Metal guitar legends Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing of Judas Priest. Clive Burr on drums was not an enigma, he was THE drummer for Iron Maiden during the most important years of their maturation. And then, there is THE bass guitarist for Iron Maiden. To better accentuate my Metal point here, what Babe Ruth will forever be to the history of baseball, what the Mona Lisa will forever be to the history of fine art portraits, Steve Harris will forever be of equal importance to the history of Heavy Metal and Metal Music. Go ahead, listen or re-listen to Iron Maiden Killers… then listen really closely to the bass guitar playing of Steve Harris, hopefully you might just understand what I mean.

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IRON MAIDEN “RUN TO THE HILLS” PICTURE DISC – AN ANTIQUE STORE FIND!

Posted in 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's heavy metal hits, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal picture discs, 1980's heavy metal songs, 1980's metal bands, 1990's heavy metal bands, antique shopping finds, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current heavy metal bands, hard to find records, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 1982, heavy metal bands, heavy metal bands from england, heavy metal memorabilia, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 1982, heavy metal on vinyl, heavy metal picture discs, heavy metal record finds, heavy metal records, metal odyssey, Music, new wave of british heavy metal bands, old school heavy metal, old school heavy metal bands, rare heavy metal records, rock music, vintage heavy metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 6, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Heavy Metal memorabilia and records can be found in antique stores… and why not? Heavy Metal does go back at least four decades, for sake of argument. I am a collector, of various things… probably too many things! Oh well, you only live once. One of my favorite “things” to collect are Heavy Metal picture discs, records that are adorned with graphics/photos and artwork. These Heavy Metal picture discs bestow the images that are usually tied into the band itself, being the band’s logo and/or mascot and at times the album or song’s theme. The images on these type of picture discs are often times attention grabbing. Heavy Metal picture discs always have been and still are intended to catch your eye, therefore making the respective picture disc into a collectible you display, more than the record you play.

Today, I strolled about an antique store not very far from my home, it just opened for business around the third week of November, 2009. Great place, loaded with great stuff… lot’s of records too, vinyl that is! Yes, based on the number of vinyl record albums I have been coming across lately, on my antique store journey’s, there obviously is a market out there for this vintage form of music media. I am part of that market, you betcha. The adrenaline rush I experienced today, while perusing the hundreds of vinyl albums at this new found antique store, well, it was memorable. There were dozens of Heavy Metal titles in the mix, from the late 1970’s right through the 1980’s. Hard Rock and Southern Rock titles caught my eye too… I stayed in control and only bought what I could afford. Here is one of the two records that I did buy today, (I will save the other record purchase for a future post):

IRON MAIDEN – RUN TO THE HILLS 7″ PICTURE DISC

Please note, that upon my eyes becoming affixed upon this incredible Iron Maiden picture disc, it took approximately one second for me to have it in my grasp. Oh man, the thrill of the Heavy Metal hunt is a sweet and glorious feeling. As I held onto this Iron Maiden picture disc, the thought crossed my mind… Heavy Metal hunting victory is mine! To find such a sensational collectible, especially of a band that I have listened to, collected and followed since the early 1980’s… wow. I felt as if this was my moment, a moment to cherish, while walking towards my wife, with my face filled with Heavy Metal glee. My wonderful wife then made the purchase for me… she wanted to be the one to pay for this joyous find. I thank my wife from the bottom of my Heavy Metal heart for treating me to this Iron Maiden picture disc. Here are the specs on this Iron Maiden picture disc:

Iron Maiden Run To The Hills 7″ picture disc

Price Paid – $10 (U.S.) – this price is just unreal good for me!

Original Year of Release – 1982

Age of Picture Disc – 28 years – yeah, I cannot believe it’s been that long.

Record Label – EMI

# of Songs – 2, Run To The Hills and Total Eclipse

* Run To The Hills is found on the original 1982 and 1995 reissue version of The Number Of The Beast album.

* Total Eclipse being the b-side to this picture disc, was not on the original 1982 album The Number Of The Beast. Total Eclipse was later included in the reissue version of The Number Of The Beast, released in 1995. The 1998 reissue and the 2002 ECD version also include Total Eclipse as well.

Picture Disc Country of Origin – United Kingdom

Check out the front and back artwork of Derek Riggs on this sensational Iron Maiden Run To The Hills 7″ picture disc below. The photo of Iron Maiden shows, from top left to top right, Adrian Smith, guitarist and Steve Harris, bass guitarist. The bottom row, from left to right, Clive Burr, drummer, Bruce Dickinson, vocalist and Dave Murray, guitarist.  Man, I always seem to find the coolest Heavy Metal collectible when I least expect it.

A – SIDE:

B – SIDE:


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IRON MAIDEN – “Cross Eyed Mary” 1983 cover song is a rare Metal Music treasure

Posted in 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's heavy metal hits, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal songs, 1980's metal music, Album Review, cool album covers, cover songs, essential heavy metal albums, essential metal music albums, essential progressive metal albums, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal cover songs, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal memorabilia, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 1983, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal vocalists, Iron Maiden, Metal, metal music, metal music ep's, metal odyssey, Metal Reviews, Music, old school heavy metal, prog metal albums, prog metal music, progressive metal, progressive metal albums, progressive metal music, progressive metal music eps, vintage heavy metal albums, vintage heavy metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 5, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Iron Maiden "The Trooper" EP album artworkIron Maiden released their fourth studio album, “Piece Of Mind” in 1983. An amazing Heavy Metal album it was and forever will be. I bought that album back in ’83… stared at the front cover for hours, which in fact, probably equals out to actual days. I have always been mesmerized by artist Derek Riggs artwork of mascot Eddie. This album does not contain the cover song of “Cross Eyed Mary”, instead, it was released as a “b” side to the single “The Trooper”, taken from the “Piece Of Mind” album. To the best of my Metal research, “The Trooper” single was released on June 20, 1983. I frequented a small and independent record store on an almost daily basis back in the ’80’s, (I won’t divulge the name of this store for personal reasons), upon a daily stop there… there it was… Iron Maiden “The Trooper” Maxi Single on vinyl no less!! My Metal memory is very vivid about this moment… I stared this beautiful Iron Maiden rarity down, bought it and have kept it pristine ever since. Plus, this was the only copy this store had, I never saw this Iron Maiden single on vinyl again. (Certainly, there has to be more out there in collections or online today, I just never happened to come across one in person). This Iron Maiden Maxi Single as it is called, again, is on vinyl that is the actual size of an album -(an EP if you will), it plays at 45 rpm.

As for “The Trooper” it is and always will be an amazing work of Metal Music, this song no Metalhead could ever possibly tire from. An unreal great Metal song is “The Trooper”. Now, for the Metal juicy part of this important single… “Cross Eyed Mary”. I always have and will continue to give Jethro Tull a listen now and again… they are cool by me, despite what Metallica may think of them. The original Jethro Tull version of “Cross Eyed Mary” does not even come remotely close, to the prolific Metal power of Iron Maiden’s cover version though. I am talking extremely Metal prolific, when I mention this Iron Maiden cover of “Cross Eyed Mary”. Whoa, man, this Iron Maiden cover sends Metal chills up and down my spine. I am not sugar coating a thing… this Iron Maiden cover is the real thing, hands down it is my most favorite and cherished Metal cover song that has ever been recorded. Not to sound cheesy or lame here, the opening guitar leads sends me into Metal orbit… really. Bruce Dickinson is outstanding on vocals with this song, Iron Maiden took hold of “Cross Eyed Mary” and turned it into a Metal masterpiece. NO flutes or piano are on this Iron Maiden cover version of “Cross Eyed Mary”, no sir.

My copy of “The Trooper” vinyl single looks just like the above image, with the exception that my copy has “Maxi Single – super sound version” printed on the front cover, inside a red outlined circle. The bottom image shows what the Japanese import version of “The Trooper” looks like on CD, however, “Cross Eyed Mary” is NOT on this CD single!? The two songs on this Japanese import are: “The Trooper Live (2003)” and “The Trooper” (album version). Go figure that out, the same artwork, it is “The Trooper” single, yet “Cross Eyed Mary” is not included anymore. It would have been Metal genius, if Iron Maiden included “Cross Eyed Mary” on their “Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of 1980-1989″ album, that would have been a perfect song to add into the historical Metal mix. I am just psyched that I still have this vinyl single of Iron Maiden, this is one Metal treasure I just will not part with – no way.

Some Metal extra notes about this Iron Maiden single, to benefit, guide and nourish your Metal mind: 

Iron Maiden, as they appeared on “The Trooper” and “Cross Eyed Mary”: Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals, Dave Murray on guitar, Adrian Smith on guitar, Steve Harris on bass guitar and Nicko McBrain on drums. * This 1983 “The Trooper” single was originally released on EMI records.

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IRON MAIDEN “FLIGHT 666” is now boarding Metalheads!

Posted in 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's metal music, Album Review, classic metal, concerts, cool album covers, current heavy metal albums, current heavy metal music, current live heavy metal albums, current metal albums, current prog metal albums, current prog metal music, current progressive metal albums, essential heavy metal albums, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 2009, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 2009, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal this decade, heavy metal vocalists, Iron Maiden, Metal, metal music, metal music today, Metal Reviews, Music, new heavy metal album, old school heavy metal, prog metal albums, prog metal music, progressive metal, progressive metal albums, progressive metal music, progressive metal today, recent heavy metal albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 11, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

fullsizeYou bet your Metal memory I picked up the new and live double CD “Flight 666” from Iron Maiden, (released June 9, 2009). How could I possibly pass it up? This is Iron Maiden we are talking about… Metal icons… Metal elite. I first saw this new Iron Maiden CD, yesterday, at f.y.e., they were asking $16.99… I knew I could do better than that. So, I went to good ol’ Super Walmart to pick up necessities, like… food, then my body was on automatic pilot and went straight to the CD aisles. Iron Maiden is a necessity in my Metal life, therefore, I purchased “Flight 666” along with various food items from Walmart. I embarked for my car, with my daughters by my side and I am one happy dude. The Walmart price? I paid $13.88 for “Flight 666”, if I continued to search for a cheaper price than that, I would be wasting gas in my tank. Plus, I was able to save $3.23… sounds like chump change, yet it adds up throughout the years when you shop around a tad. I am going to put the DVD version of “Flight 666” on my want list for now… I listen to Metal light years more often than I watch Metal.

Now, for the Metal music on “Flight 666″… again, this is Iron Maiden! What in the Metal world could I possibly find fault with here? This live double CD is juiced up with many prime Metal tunes from the expansive Iron Maiden catalog of albums. Quality, quality and more quality. That is what you hear from the production, sound and of course, the Metal from this Iron Maiden live CD. No Iron Maiden and/or Metal fan could possibly expect any less from this band. When I listen to “Flight 666”, I truly realize how I have never grown weary of any Iron Maiden tunes. If anything, listening to this CD makes me appreciate this band all the more, Iron Maiden is still cranking out Metal across the world… and doing so with their trademark, brilliant musicianship. These guys have not missed a step going on three decades. “Flight 666” is proof of this. The Progressive Metal exuberance of Iron Maiden, with their multi-layered triple guitar attack are in a Metal class all their own. Being a live CD, the nuances and ambiance of the musicianship and the thousands of screaming Iron Maiden fans make for an exciting listen. Not everyone is into live albums… I never fell in love with every live Metal album I have listened to either – “Flight 666” is a live Metal album that I will boast about forever.

There are six tracks on “Flight 666” that are post “Powerslave” era Iron Maiden. “Wasted Years” and “Heaven Can Wait” are from the “Somewhere In Time” album. “Heaven Can Wait” is my favorite post “Powerslave” Iron Maiden tune, it is played live in incredible Metal fashion here. “Fear Of The Dark” is from, of course, the “Fear Of The Dark” album. “The Clairvoyant”, “Moonchild” and “Can I Play With Madness” are off of the “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” album. The remaining eleven tracks are just killer, vintage and monumental Iron Maiden from the debut “Iron Maiden” album up to and including, the “Powerslave” album. The opening live trademark of “Churchill’s Speech” gets the Metal juices flowing for what is about to come… “Aces High”… pure Iron Maiden, pure Metal intensified! “2 Minutes To Midnight” and “The Number Of The Beast” roar with Iron Maiden – Metal history. I am glad to see that “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”, from the “Powerslave” album, is added to this amazing set of Iron Maiden classics… at almost 14 minutes long, Iron Maiden makes an epic story turn to epic Metal greatness. My favorite Iron Maiden tune ever is found on “Flight 666” as well and I am ecstatic… “Revelations” from the “Piece Of Mind” album.

I guess you may have figured out by now, that I am a life long fan of Iron Maiden. I am obviously not alone with my Metal allegiance towards this band. I could go on forever about how much I dig this band and “Flight 666”, however, all great Metal posts must come to an end. If you are already an Iron Maiden fan, you know you will own this album, (if you not already have it). For new fans of Metal or Iron Maiden, it is time to get on board for “Flight 666”!!

Iron Maiden are: Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals, Dave Murray on lead & rhythm guitars, Adrian Smith on lead & rhythm guitars, Janick Gers on lead & rhythm guitars, Steve Harris on bass and Nicko Mcbrain on drums. If these guys are not legitimate Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, then nobody is. Iron Maiden is in my Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and they epitomize what the word Metal means.

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