Iron Maiden - "Killers"

We heard today that Paul Di'Anno, the first singer for Iron Maiden, died recently.  While he had a number of health problems through the years, it was still a surprise ("66" doesn't seem as old as it once did).  Almost 10 years ago, I reviewed their debut LP "Iron Maiden" and detailed my fondness for the first two Iron Maiden LPs over the rest of their extensive discography. By nearly any metric, Bruce Dickinson is a "better" vocalist, but I -- and others, apparently -- just love Di'Anno's raspy, punk growl.  

Their second LP, 1981's "Killers", is an extraordinary LP with no weak moments and several that are simply transcendent.  "Killers" finds them settling into their classic sound: guitarist Dennis Stratton was replaced by Adrian Smith, who combined with Dave Murray to solidify the "Iron Maiden dual harmony" sound that would define their career.  In addition, "Killers" was the first LP to have their long-time producer, Martin Birch, which resulted in a slightly fuller if muddier and heavier sound than their first LP.  

As I said in my review of "Iron Maiden", I enjoy the first two LPs without the crutch of nostalgia or a hint of irony (cf. my recent review of "Too Fast for Love"). They were right to fire Di'Anno in late 1981: he was a troubled addict, and Iron Maiden would never have become "Iron Maiden" had he stayed at the helm.  But the first two Iron Maiden LPs are special. 

Standout songs: "Ides of March / Wrathchild", "Murders in the Rue Morgue", "Killers", "Prodigal Son", "Purgatory" (Full LP)

Skip 'em songs: none. 

Final rating: 10/10.  A NWOBHM masterpiece. 

Bonus link: my review of "Live at the Rainbow", a 1980 concert with Paul Di'Anno. 

Iron Maiden - "Live at the Rainbow"

Today's post is something that I barely remember from back in the day and was only reminded of it when I recently stumbled across it while browsing online: Iron Maiden's 1981 "video LP", "Live at the Rainbow".  I can't remember if Robert had this in HS -- maybe I just saw it for sale in a record store (remember those?) or in a video rental store (remember those too?!).  Even the rectangular (i.e., "portrait") shape of the cover art reflects a VHS orientation.  

I've earlier proclaimed my love for Paul Di'Anno-era Iron Maiden, and since his tenure was brief, you have to appreciate the material you can find.  Recorded at London's historic Rainbow Theatre on December 21, 1980 (during the sessions for Killers), guitarist Adrian Smith had just recently joined the band, replacing Dennis Stratton.  While Stratton was instrumental in the creation of the classic Iron Maiden "harmony guitar" sound, it really became what we know today when Smith joined up with Dave Murray.  Murray and Smith are arguably the best, most influential, and also most recognizable metal guitar duo.  

It turns out that the videos for "Wrathchild" and "Iron Maiden" (I especially remember this one) that populated the early days of MTV were pulled from this concert.  

I've embedded the video as released (~30 min) above, but the full concert (~76 minutes) is also available.  

The only live Di'Anno-era Maiden I had back in HS was their excellent but far-too-short EP "Maiden in Japan", so it was quite the unexpected pleasant surprise to (re-)discover this on Youtube.  

Iron Maiden - "2 Minutes to Midnight" (forgotten song)

A State of the Union special...

Last week the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the Doomsday Clock by 30 seconds to 2 minutes to midnight.  The Doomsday Clock is a symbol, created in 1947 by the Science and the Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist at the beginning of the Cold War, of our proximity to human-made apocalyptic disaster, most notably nuclear war. 

In 1984 Iron Maiden released "2 Minutes to Midnight", a single from "Powerslave", about the Doomsday Clock.  Interestingly enough in 1984 when the song was released the clock was set "only" to 3 minutes; the Clock has only been at 2 minutes once before (1953) and never closer than 2 minutes.

Hearkening back to my discussion with Drew about how themes from 80s metal songs are sadly relevant again, choosing "2 Minutes to Midnight" is a little on the nose but it also seems unavoidable.

"As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun"

Iron Maiden - "2 Minutes to Midnight" (lyrics)

Iron Maiden - "Iron Maiden" (LP Review)

Although Budgie is typically credited with inventing the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), perhaps the most well-known and successful example is Iron Maiden, whose self-titled 1980 debut LP is the subject of today's post.

I really liked Iron Maiden growing up although perhaps not as much as Robert Gordick, my friend & neighbor who was a super fan.  But I always held a minority opinion: I prefer the vocals of Paul Di'Anno to that of Bruce Dickinson.  Di'Anno only appears on the first two LPs (this one and 1981's "Killers") while Dickinson is far more well-known and appears on the classic line up (which, more or less, has been reformed & active since 1999).  I don't dislike Dickinson, and I'll be the first to admit that Dickinson is technically a much better singer, but I just prefer the gravelly, growling punk style of Di'Anno.  While I have most of the classic-Dickinson LPs on tape somewhere (recorded from Robert Gordick's collection), I only felt compelled to buy the first two LPs on CD later in life.  When I was in HS, I preferred "Killers", but over time I've come to prefer "Iron Maiden".  Today, I still enjoy both LPs, even without a hint of irony or nostalgia.

What makes this LP so enjoyable to me is the range of songs & the tight production (this is the only LP in their early years to not feature super-producer Martin Birch).  "Killers" has an arguably heavier sound, but it is a bit muddy where "Iron Maiden" is pretty crisp.  Bassist & primary song writer Steve Harris (he & guitarist Dave Murray are the only ones to appear on all Iron Maiden LPs) is clearly the centerpiece here, effectively playing bass as a lead instrument (esp. on "Phantom of the Opera").  "Strange World" is a standout while being barely a metal song (without being a sappy ballad), and "Remember Tomorrow" is a rich and complex song as well.

Di'Anno was kicked out of Iron Maiden in 1981 for substance abuse problems, something I'm not sure he ever really got past.  He sang in a lot of bands afterwards but with little critical impact.  Of course, post-Di'Anno Iron Maiden went on to become one of the world's most successful and long-lived bands, with the kind of loyal fan base that other artists envy.  Iron Maiden probably would never have achieved their success had they stayed with the unstable Di'Anno, but I still think the first two LPs are their best.

Standout songs (contemporary live versions): "Prowler", "Remember Tomorrow", "Running Free", "Phantom of the Opera", "Transylvania", "Strange World", "Iron Maiden"

Full LP (use these for studio versions): original 1980 tracklist,  remastered 1998 version with bonus tracks

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final score: 10/10.  While Iron Maiden did not get big in the US until "The Number of the Beast", this is probably the first really big NWOBHM LP.  While the classic "Iron Maiden Sound" wasn't fully developed yet, you can hear it emerging on this LP. 

Montrose - "I Got the Fire" (forgotten song)

I wanted to acknowledge the recent passing of Ronnie Montrose, the influential guitarist and founder of the band Montrose. Never heard of him? That's because Ronnie nicely illustrates the difference between influential and popular. I only knew a little bit about Montrose during my metal years and never owned any of their LPs. One reason I knew little of them is their popularity was brief and peaked in the mid-70s. Apparently Ronnie was hard to work with and his interests wandered, not being especially interested in continuing to refine the formula of their successful 1973 eponymous LP.

But they had a huge impact on the bands that defined my metal years. You might have known that Sammy Hagar got his start as the vocalist for Montrose (read Sammy's tribute to Ronnie in Rolling Stone). What you might not have known is that Eddie Van Halen was heavily influenced by Ronnie, and Van Halen played Montrose covers during their bar band days.

My first introduction to them was via the Iron Maiden covers of "I Got the Fire" (which Iron Maiden retitled "I've Got the Fire"). Robert Gordick had all of the import singles and EPs, including the 1980 "Sanctuary" single whose b-side featured a live version with original vocalist Paul Di'Anno, as well as the 1983 single "Flight of Icarus" whose b-side featured a studio version of the song with the more famous vocalist Bruce Dickinson. I remember first hearing this song and being blown away by the riffs and hooks. "I Got the Fire" originally appeared on the 1974 LP "Paper Money", and was one of the last of the (original) collaborations between Sammy and Ronnie.

Other Montrose songs are arguably more popular ("Space Station #5", "Rock Candy", "Bad Motor Scooter"), but in part to the Iron Maiden covers, my favorite is "I Got the Fire". Short, simple, and an unforgettable guitar riff. Thanks to Ronnie for influencing the bands that influenced me.

Montrose: "I Got the Fire" (live in the studio version)

Iron Maiden (w/ Paul Di'Anno): "I've Got the Fire"

Iron Maiden (w/ Bruce Dickinson): "I've Got the Fire"