As long-time readers will know, I almost
always randomly select what album I’m going to review. Despite this randomness,
sometimes the happiest accidents happen. That was the case here, where I rolled
an Iron Maiden album only a couple of weeks having seen them live in Portland.
It feels like the universe is telling me I
should review the show, so following this review that’s what I’ve done.
Disc 1301 is… Iron Maiden (Self-Titled)
Year of Release: 1980
What’s up with the
Cover?
It’s Iron Maiden’s perennial zombie monster mascot, Eddie! In later appearances
Eddie will be equipped with an axe, a laser pistol, and even a tank. This is early
in his career so all he’s got is a plain old white tank top and a smile to get
him through un-life’s many challenges. Yes, that’s a smile. You should see what
he looks like when he’s scowling.
How I Came to Know
It: I’ve been an Iron Maiden
fan since I was a kid. This particular album caught my eye when it was part of
a broader re-release of their catalogue in 1998.
How It Stacks Up: I have 11 Iron Maiden albums. Their self-titled
debut lands respectably at #4.
Ratings: 4 stars
Iron Maiden’s 1980 debut is a seminal moment
in the development of the massive musical landscape of metal that exists today.
Yes, Black Sabbath came first, and Judas Priest had been at it for a few
records themselves, but Iron Maiden’s arrival was a seminal moment in the
development of the genre.
On their first record the band is still
finding its style, and as a result is more of a blend of the early hard rock
sounds of bands like Thin Lizzy and Sweet with the later “anthemic gallop”
sound that they are now famous for.
Bruce Dickinson’s powerhouse vocals are missing
from this record (he wouldn’t join the band until 1982) and instead we have
Paul Di’Anno. Dickinson is one of rock’s great vocalists, but Di’Anno is no
slouch, and on the band’s debut album he sounds great. He has a bit more of a
punk edge than Dickinson, and while he can’t soar up into the notes Bruce can
hit, he is an amazing singer in his own right.
It helps that bassist and songwriter Steve
Harris was there from the beginning, meaning you are going to get brilliantly
constructed songs and some of the most creative basslines in music. As ever, you
can listen to Maiden’s soaring guitar riffs (fun) or let your ear drift down to
the wizardry Harris is unleashing on the bass (equally fun).
“Phantom of the Opera” is good song to
do both. In its seven minutes of glory you are treated to the galloping guitar
riff Maiden is famous for, intricate basslines (including what is almost – gasp
– a bass solo) and some killer guitar solo work from either Dave Murray or
Dennis Stratton (to my shame I don’t know which – maybe it’s both).
And yes, “Phantom of the Opera” is the
tale you think it is. Iron Maiden’s first album doesn’t have a lot of the literary
and historical references of albums to follow - this one and an instrumental
called “Transylvania” are about it - but these songs tease at what’s to
come. They are also two of the best songs on a record with a lot of good ones.
“Remember Tomorrow” has the doom-filled
punch of Black Sabbath mixed with the slow crooning of early Scorpions. I’m not
sure what the hell it is all about, but that doesn’t make the song any less awesome.
Other songs are more straightforward hard rock,
such as “Running Free,” which I was not surprised to find was one of the
album’s singles. It reminded me a lot of Sweet with it’s pop-flavoured drum
intro coupled with grimy staccato vocals and guitar licks. I liked it, but my
ear gravitated more to the anthemic sounds of the Maiden I have known and loved
all my life.
And despite misogynistic lyrics that have aged
poorly, “Charlotte the Harlot” remains a killer tune with interesting
musical transitions and a furious tempo. It covers some uncomfortable subject
matter, however, so consider this a trigger warning if you decide to check it
out.
The record is solid throughout, with
exceptional musicianship and songwriting. It is easy to see how this band was
going to go on to bigger things and soon.
Best tracks: Prowler, Sanctuary, Remember Tomorrow, Phantom of
the Opera, Transylvania
The Concert: Friday, September
6, 2019 at the Moda Center, Portland
When Sheila and I travel we often adjust our
travel window to maximize our ability to see a concert or two. That is what we
did for our Portland trip earlier this month, and I’m glad we did.
Seeing Iron Maiden was the fulfillment of a
lifelong dream for me. As a kid I never got the opportunity, and later in life
I was off exploring other musical genres as time slowly slipped away on Maiden’s
career. When the opportunity came to see them perform in Portland (for the
first time in over 30 years, no less) I jumped at it.
The Moda Center was set up for 15,000 fans
that night and it was packed. Sheila and I got there early to check out the merch
table. There were a lot of awesome shirts, but we ended up both liking this one
the most.
Not a problem, since this is the only time we’re
going to wear them at the same time. I was disappointed that they didn’t have a
sticker for my lunch box, though. Ah, well.
My fellow Maiden fans were just as excited as
I was, even the ones who’d seen the band multiple times. Everyone was friendly,
and many were feeling no pain. I was sober, but still felt at home and among my
people.
The Raven Age
The opening act was a band called The Raven
Age. They played a kind of moody Gothic metal which was OK but didn’t inspire
me to run out and buy their album.
Their main stage decoration were three wooden
boxes that various band members would strike ‘totally metal’ poses on. It did
not strike awe in me the way I believe the band intended.
I would have preferred a band like Sabaton as
an opener but given that one of the Raven Age’s guitar players is Steve Harris’s
son, I don’t see them getting replaced anytime soon.
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden took the stage to the sound of 15,000
screaming fans in full-throat, me among them. These guys are all in their early
to mid-sixties, but you wouldn’t know if from the energy they put out. From the
opening notes of “Aces High” through to the final song of the encore the
band’s energy never waned. They ran around the stage, they spun their guitars, jumped
up and down and generally acted like a bunch of 12-year-old boys playing war.
It was awesome.
Also awesome was how well they played. The
musicianship was top notch and the songs sounded as crisp as the studio
recordings, but organic and different enough to make the live versions special.
Bruce Dickinson’s vocals still sound incredible. He hit every single note like
he was 25, with the exception of the highest one in “Aces High.” For
that, he rewrote the melody so he doesn’t have to. The song still sounded
great.
The stage show was also brilliant. During “Aces
High” there is a very realistic looking spitfire on wires ducking and
wheeling above the band’s head. On “The Trooper” a 20-foot-tall Eddie
comes out on stage and has a sword fight with Dickinson.
There was a giant Icarus figure, a massive demonic
Eddie that burst out of the back of the stage and so much pyro we even felt the
heat a couple of times in the nosebleeds.
Most of the non-fire effects were generated with
inflatable models that were beautifully rendered.
In terms of the setlist, Iron Maiden was not
touring a new album. I was a little disappointed at that, but it ended up just
being a lot of their biggest hits and crowd pleasers. I was suitably pleased,
most notably that they played “Flight of Icarus” which is one of my
all-time favourite Maiden songs.
Iron Maiden that has lost very little over the
years, and even after having played many of these songs live a thousand times, still
puts every ounce of enthusiasm they have into each of them.
I found out later that there was even a small
group of protestors outside, still angry at all the demonic imagery in the band’s
stage show and lyrics. I bet it made Iron Maiden happy to know they were still
causing moral outrage after all these years. Long live rock and roll.
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