Concert write up: Iron Maiden, July 20, 2010

Iron Maiden has been my favorite band for about 7 years now. I was bored my first year of college, and decided that I needed a new band to be into. I started looking into some heavier stuff than what I was used to at the time, which was Styx, Queen, Aerosmith, Van Halen… mainly classic rock stuff. Well, I came across the Maiden album covers and decided I needed to hear them. I downloaded some music videos, (No Youtube back then folks!), and they are still my favorite band today. I first saw them live two years ago on the Somewhere Back In Time Tour. That tour was a “classics” tour with most of the songs being from the 1980s. (All but one, which was the setlist staple, “Fear of The Dark” from 1992.) That was the best concert I’d ever been to. It had pyro, lots of dry ice, a great stage design, and of course classic songs. The concert this year, which was for the Final Frontier World Tour was about as different from that as you can get…


The Set:

This North American leg of the tour is just a sort of fling for the band before the Final Frontier album comes out on August 17th. They are trying to get the album as high on the charts as they can. (The last album, “A Matter of Life and Death”, made it to #9 in 2006.) They will be coming back to tour for the actual album next year. As the album isn’t out yet, they are playing only one song from the new album this time around, and that’s a song they released for free on the internet last month called “El Dorado.” There are also not many 80s songs in the set. In fact, most of the songs are from the last 3 Iron Maiden albums! In the horrible concert climate right now, that takes balls, and yet whilst American Idol has cancelled 8 days, Iron Maiden came filled the seats of almost every show. They played to 80,000 people in Ottawa this tour, and they’ve broken their own records for crowds at most every show. Sure, there’s been some complaining about the setlist. You won’t hear “The Trooper”, “Run To The Hills”, or “2 Minutes To Midnight”. My response? Who cares?! Iron Maiden is one of the few bands that their new stuff is just as good as their classics. Now yes, it’s a different type of metal now, more progressive and dark, but it’s just as catchy and you can still sing along pretty well. Those classics will be there again. The band and the hardcore fans just wanted to do the new stuff for a bit.

Setlist was as follows.

1. The Wicker Man (from Brave New World, 2000)
2. Ghost of the Navigator (from BNW)
3. Wrathchild (from Killers, 1981)
4. El Dorado (from The Final Frontier, 2010)
5. Dance of Death (from Dance of Death, 2003)
6. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg (from A Matter of Life and Death, 2006)
7. These Colours Don’t Run (from AMOLAD, 2006)
8. Blood Brothers (from BNW, 2000)
9. Wildest Dreams (from DOD, 2003)
10. No More Lies (from DOD, 2003)
11. Brave New World (from BNW, 2000)
12. Fear of The Dark (from Fear of The Dark, 1992)
13. Iron Maiden (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
Encore:
14. The Number of The Beast (from The Number of The Beast, 1982)
15. Hallowed Be Thy Name (from TNOTB, 1982)
16. Running Free (From IM, 1980)

Notice that there are no songs from the true “classic” Maiden period, which was the four album stretch between 1983-1988. Now the setlist did change a bit from the first couple of shows. There was in fact, one more newer song in the set. It was a longer song from their last album called “Brighter Than A Thousand Suns”. It was replaced after the first date of the tour with the much shorter early 80s number, “Wrathchild,” which is not one of my favorites. Also, in the first part of the tour, they were alternating between “Paschendale” and “Dance of Death”, which are the two main epics from the “Dance of Death” album (2003). After a while, they just stuck with “Dance of Death.” Both songs are excellent, but “Paschendale” is harder to play by a long shot. They just couldn’t get it right and apparently one of the backdrops failed or something.



The Production:

The show had a much smaller production than the ones on the last tour. There was no big inflatable Eddie rising behind the drum set, there was no pyro… Eddie still did his walk on appearance, even miming playing a guitar! There was still some dry ice as well. The show on the whole just felt a lot more intimate as a result. I don’t know if it was because I sat a bit closer this time or if it was the minimal production though. The stage set was also not as complex, looking a bit like a derelict landing pad or something. All of this did not really detract from the show though. It was nice that it was more intimate. Also the light effects were much better. The last tour had a yellow, white, and red color scheme for the lights, as it was Egypt themed. This one was mainly red, blue, green and white. It was darker on the whole. It was subtly space themed, and so those lights worked. The light programs were more complex as well, and the lighting rig was… interesting to look at.



The Crowd:

Here’s the one aspect of the show I’m kind of saddened about. The last tour the audience was really into it. They knew every song, they were jumping up and down, head banging, fists in the air the whole show. This time… I felt I was the only one in my area doing anything. Sure, the pit was still pretty active, but as I looked around me, most people had their arms crossed… few knew the words… there was too much texting going on. Do you really go to concerts to text nowadays? That’s almost worse than doing it in the movies! What a waste of money! Anyway, the crowd got better about five songs in. I guess they realized that this was not a classics tour and that they should just enjoy themselves. More people started banging their fists along with the music and head banging, and by the end of the concert, it was pretty wild.

It was a great show. Very different from my first, but almost as good! I will be sure to see them on the proper album tour, even if the closest they come in New York. Maiden are playing better than they ever have. Even better than the 80s! Bruce can still hit the notes, even while he’s running all over the stage and jumping over monitors. I very much recommend an Iron Maiden show to anyone. Even if you don’t know the songs, they always put on a hell of a show for ya.


Oh, and just a few words about the opening act, Dream Theater. I just recently got into Dream Theater big about six months ago. Before that I only owned two of their earlier albums. They’ve gone through a big change in the past 10 years towards a more metal direction, away from their progressive rock sound. I’m not too happy with that, and most of the songs they played were from this period. They played 6 songs, only 2 of them being from the 90s. Even the songs they played from their newer albums were the “hits”. Constant Motion and Panic Attack are both Rock Band 2 songs, even. Still, the band was entertaining. The highlight was Mike Portnoy’s drum solo, which incorporated parts of four Maiden songs. (Run To The Hills, The Trooper, Where Eagles Dare, and The Prisoner.) For The Prisoner part, the guitarist, John Petrucci, was out of tune a little, and out walks one of Maiden’s guitarists, Adrian Smith. He looks at him weird and walks offstage smiling as Petrucci tries to hand him the guitar. Other than that moment, the only parts that real caught my interest were the end song, Pull Me Under, and Home, the other 90s song. When it comes to Dream Theater, you really need to see one of their 3 hour concerts.

The Lost Soul's 50 favorite albums - #30-26

#30. Keeper of The Seven Keys - Helloween (1988/1989)

I'm sort of cheating on this one. Keeper is actually two albums. (Pt1 and Pt2 released a year apart.) However, they are both fantastic, and both are the same style. Both are German power metal, made with the genre's founder, guitarist Kai Hansen, later of Gamma Ray. The albums are somewhat cheesy and lighthearted.

Best songs: Halloween, Eagle Fly Free, and I Want Out.


#29. In Rock - Deep Purple (1970)

This is one of those albums I was blown away with the first time I heard it. It's loud, it's hyper... It sometimes sounds like the band pressed record and put down whatever came to their heads. It's probably harder edged than any other rock album at the time. This isn't Smoke on The Water. This is something much more rocking.

Best songs: Flight of The Rat, Child In Time, and Hard Lovin' Man.

#28. 2112 - Rush (1976)

It took me a while to appreciate this one. I mean, the first track is 20 1/2 minutes! Still, that track has a great sci-fi story to it, and the rest of the songs are of exceptional quality. One of the few Rush albums that doesn't have EVERY song lyric by Neil Peart.

Best songs: 2112, A Passage To Bangkok, and Something For Nothing.

#27. Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins (1993)

One of the few 90s albums on here. Regretfully in the early 90s, I wasn't listening to the rock hits of the day. I discovered this album about three years ago. I was blown away. This is much better than Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The songs flow better, they are better written, and they rock harder.

Best songs: Geek USA, Silverfuck, and Disarm.


#26. Piece of Mind - Iron Maiden (1983)

This is Maiden's pop culture album. The songs are all about historical figures, mythology, movies, and books. A few people think the last half of the album is lacking. It's still good to me. Quest For Fire may be silly, but the guitar solos are great. This album also includes one of Maiden's best known songs... The Trooper.

Best songs: Where Eagles Dare, Revelations, and The Trooper.

The Lost Soul's 50 favorite albums #35-31

#35. The Metal Opera - Avantasia (2001/2002)

I'm semi-cheating here. This is actually two albums released seperately, Part 1 and Part 2 of a full work. Still, I count it as one album. If you ever want an all-encompassing feel of power metal, get these albums. It includes most of the best power metal performers from a dozen bands. The album is a metal opera in the way a rock opera is an opera. Different people for different roles. The story is pretty good too.

Best Songs: Farewell, The Tower, and The Seven Angels

#34. Let It Be - The Beatles (1970)

Yes, I'm one of the few that really loves this Beatles album, and I even love Phil Spector's production. It may be Beatles leftovers, but that's better than most band's best stuff. The song selections flow pretty well, whilst keeping a "jam" type feel, complete with studio chat between tracks. I also must point out that the version of the song Let It Be included on the album is much better than the more popular single version.

Best Songs: Let It Be, I've Got A Feeling, and Dig A Pony.

#33. Origin of Symmetry - Muse (2001)

I love every Muse album... the first one a bit less than the others. Surprisingly though, my favorite is the one that comes right after my least favorite. It's not so mainstream as their modern stuff, and the sounds are amazing. Matt Bellamy's screams and falsetto are a force to behold.

Best Songs: Hyper Music, Bliss, and Plug In Baby.

#32. Damnation - Opeth (2003)

Opeth's only soft albums. No death metal vocals on this one, as it's creepy sounding progressive rock all the way through, and it is amazing. This should be listened to whilst immersed in a dark room.

Best Songs: Death Whispered A Lullaby, Hope Leaves, and To Rid The Disease.

#31. A Day At The Races - Queen (1976)

No, not Night At The Opera... Day At The Races. I know it's probably not the BETTER album, but I like it better. It has a very nice flow to it. It's conductive to a complete listen through on the fly. That's one of the most important things to me. Also, the album has many of the Queen songs that I find underrated like You and I & Teo Torriate.

Best Songs: Long Away, Somebody To Love, and Teo Torriate (Let Us Cling Together)

The Lost Soul's 50 favorite albums #40-36

#40. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John (1973)

Despite it being a double album, I think all the songs on here are great. (Yes, even Jamaica Jerk-Off!) The first side of the first record was of course the big hit, and is also MY favorite part. I still find Bennie and the Jets to be trying in large doses though.

Best Songs - Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding), This Song Has No Title, and Roy Rogers.

#39. Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath (1980)

...and here we are with Dio again! Now, I gotta say, I like Dio-fronted Sabbath more than Ozzy-fronted. It's a completely different style and sound. Dio made the band sound more like Rainbow, which is a great thing. The lyrics turned towards sorcery and such over women, which is what the last few Sabbath albums before this had been about. A great turnaround and a perfect album.

Best Songs - Die Young, Heaven & Hell, Wishing Well (hard to choose really)

#38. Somewhere Out In Space - Gamma Ray (1997)
It was hard to choose between Gamma Ray albums. They are probably my favorite power metal group. Their problem is that some of their albums don't flow together as well as they should. This one does. It's a pretty long album, but it's still one I play a lot. Every song is space themed. I wish they'd play more songs from it in concert, especially Shine On/Rising Star.

Best Songs - Beyond The Black Hole, Pray, and Shine On/Rising Star

#37. Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy (1976)

Thin Lizzy is another one of those bands that I got into within the last five years. This was the first album I got. I had heard that they'd inspired my favorite group, Iron Maiden. Well, the whole album is fantastic. Not one weak song in the whole bunch. Again, it's short and lends itself to repeated listenings all the way through. It includes their only American hit, The Boys Are Back in Town, but I prefer The Cowboy Song.

Best Songs - Jailbreak, Cowboy Song, and Emerald

#36. Van Halen - Van Halen (1977)

It's a classic for a reason in this case. Hard enough to almost be metal at parts, but not so much that the mainstream radio didn't like it. It also was the premier of the great Eddie Van Halen. It's known mainly for the first three tracks, which admittedly show off the band very well, but the rest of the album is just as good, if not better. This was one of the first bands and albums I got into that my dad didn't like first when I was 15, so it's very special to me.

Best Songs - Ice Cream Man, I'm The One, and Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

The Lost Soul's favorite albums #45-41

#45. The Nylon Curtain - Billy Joel (1982)

This is another of those albums I've had in some form since I was about twelve, and it's my favorite full Billy Joel album. In my opinion, it's also his last truly great album. It's a tribute to the Beatles, really. All of the songs have a latter day Beatles sound, especially Surprise and Laura, which sound very Lennonesque.

Best Songs - Surprise, Pressure, and Scandinavian Skies

#44. Holy Diver - Dio (1983)

I only heard this album in full a few months ago, but I had previously heard all but two songs from the album. It's Dio's first, and arguably his best, solo work. It's moody, cryptic, and another of those short albums that just flows so well you can listen to it all the way through any time anywhere.

Best Songs - Holy Diver, Don't Talk To Strangers, and Shame On The Night

#43. Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? - Megadeth (1986)

If most people were to pick the two best Megadeth albums, I can about guarantee it'd be this and Rust In Peace. Well, I agree on this album at least. Their second album, and one of their heaviest. Chris Poland was always my favorite Megadeth guitarist. This is the one of the last Megadeth albums where I still feel Dave Mustaine's anger fueling things.

Best Songs - Peace Sells, Bad Omen, and My Last Words (probably my favorite Megadeth song)

#42. Imaginations From The Other Side - Blind Guardian (1995)

I love German power metal. The music is so over the top and happy sounding... Well, most of the time. This album is pretty dark in comparison to most power metal. Blind Guardian is very literature based, but on this album, not as much. No Dark Tower or other Stephen King based songs here. It's their most cohesive work along with Nightfall In Middle Earth. Mordred's Song is one of my top 5 Blind Guardian songs. Check it out.
Best Songs - Imaginations From The Other Side, A Past and Future Secret, and Mordred's Song

#41. The Turn of A Friendly Card - The Alan Parsons Project (1980)

My dad was a big Alan Parsons Project fan in the late 70s, early 80s. I had heard 2 or 3 albums by the time I was 10, but not this one. I finally heard it in full about 5 years ago, and it's now, surprisingly here in my top 50. It's another short album, with both pop and progressive elements. The only weak part is the instrumental "The Gold Bug". The 5 part suite at the end is phenomenal, and Games People Play is probably my favorite disco-ish song.

Best Songs - Turn of A Friendly Card, Games People Play, and Time

The Lost Soul's favorite albums #50-46

*This is just a notice. This is not a "best album" list, but rather a "favorite album" list. There is a difference. I don't think that all of these albums would be great for everyone. These are simply what I listen to the most because I enjoy them the most. Got it? Good. Also this list will not include live albums or greatest hit packages.

With that out of the way, here we go!

#50. Images and Words - Dream Theater (1992)

This is the most recent addition to my list, not by year, but of my approval. I used to not like Dream Theater much. I had only heard their Train of Thought album, which is not their best. This one is more prog rock, less noodly metal. It's got some very pretty songs on it. It's only their second album too, and their first with James Labrie.

Best Songs - Surrounded, Pull Me Under, and Learning To Live


#49. The Grand Illusion - Styx (1977)

I've had this album in various forms since I was about twelve. There's not one song on here I don't like. Some are stronger than the others, or else it'd be in the top 20. When someone talks about "art rock", they are probably referring to an album like this. Sort of prog-rock lite.

Best Songs - Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man), Man In The Wilderness, and Castle Walls

#48. Destiny - Stratovarius (1998)

Most have probably not heard of this band. They are a Finnish power metal group. This album is from their heyday. It's the most progressive release, although I had a hard time picking between this and it's follow up, Infinite. Lots of feeling in these songs, along with some playful keyboard and guitar work. It's a dark-sounding album, musically, but lyrically it's pretty hopeful.

Best Songs - Destiny, No Turning Back, and Anthem of The World

#47. Argus - Wishbone Ash (1972)

This is an album that's been scandalously forgotten by most of the world. It's Wishbone Ash's only great album, and it inspired countless bands (Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy to name two). It's one of the first albums to have twin guitar harmonies, and nowhere else on the album is two guitar brought to better effect than on Throw Down The Sword, which has two beautiful guitar solos going on at the same time, playing two different things, but converging in the middle, just to split again afterwards.

Best Songs - Throw Down The Sword, Time Was, and The King Will Come

#46. Van Halen II - Van Halen (1979)

To be truthful, the first four Van Halen albums are pretty equal in my view, but I listen to this one a lot. It's short, it's excellently played, and experimental. What more could I ask for? The cover of You're No Good is superb, and Dance The Night Away is their best pop type song.

Best Songs - Light Up The Sky, You're No Good, Dance The Night Away

The Plan

Hello all, I promised an outline of how things will be done here, and well… here it is. Hopefully this will make the blog easier to navigate, and the updates more constant. It’s all about keeping me motivated, after all. Well, maybe not, but I like to think so.

At any rate, here’s the plan for the next few months.

July will focus on my top 50 favorite rock/metal albums of all time. I’m really excited to finally compile this list, which I’ve been thinking of doing for the past 2 or 3 years. Obviously my musical tastes have expanded since then. Why rock albums? That’s what I listen to. In reality therefore, it’s my 50 favorite OVERALL albums, but if I didn’t specify the genre, it just wouldn’t seem fair to, say Gustav Holst or Miles Davis now would it?

August and September will be dedicated towards compiling my 50 favorite films. I’ll be attempting to post one a day at that point, with reasons why it’s one of my favorites. After those 50 days we have like 10 left, and I’m still kind of thinking about what to do there… Possibly I’ll work in some leg-room so that I can have ten days during those two months where I don’t have to post.

Now, in regards to the Outpost Hub, and how that figures in with these specials… I’ll probably post an update every ten installments on there, and it will include just the list. There won’t be any comments from me on them. I’ll leave those to my personal blog, as it’s easy to access it from the Hub.

Along with these special top 50 lists, I’ll still be posting book/film/album/concert reviews, special comments on media topics, links to upcoming short stories that I do, etc. So all in all, this is gonna be one busy blog in the coming months. I’m very much looking forward to this, so stay tuned. I hope you like it.