From: pw15@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Philip  Wang)
Subject: Re: Iron Maiden info?
Reply-To: pw15@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Philip  Wang)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 02:13:33 GMT

In article <1993Jan25.192911.6932@newstand.syr.edu> ejrasiel@rodan.acs.syr.EDU (Ethan J. Rasiel) writes:
>I am attempting to collect information on Iron Maiden.  If anyone has
>any interviews, bibliographies, reviews, articles, personal opinions,
>anything like that, I would love to see it.  

I've got an interview with Steve Harris on the songs off the first four
albums, which came with the guitar transcriptions for each (don't get the
Hal Leonard Publications transcriptions - they suck, and some of the notes
are wrong and some of the lyrics to the first album are wrong. Actually, a
lot of the riffs aren't transcribed too well because they ask for you to
go up and down the neck when string jumping would be easier, etc.) Plus,
they mix both lead guitar and bass guitar into the same transcription, so it's 
not like a music score, but like a piano book and you have to figure out who
plays what.

>Also, here a few assorted comments to spark discussion:
>Iron Maiden sound better live, it is true, yet Dickinson cannot hit the
>high notes.  On LAD it get silly at the end of Flight of Icarus when he
>doesn't even try; he just emits this goofy screaming laugh.  Could he
>ever hit those notes?  Are there any live recordings which feature him 
>singing the song right?  

Well, if you want the best of his vocals, try Samson's FEATURING BRUCE
DICKINSON LIVE AT READING '81. One song off SURVIVORS, one song off METAL
EXPLOSION FROM THE FRIDAY ROCK SHOW, both tracks off the "Hammerhead"
single, "Gravy Train" (previously unreleased), and four songs off SHOCK 
TACTICS and one song off HEAD ON. Great recording, Paul Samson does some
cool guitar work, Chris Aylmer just punds away strongly on the bass, and the
only disappointment is that by this time Thunderstick already left on his
solo career. Mel Gaynor does an impressive job, however. Check it out. It's
on Grand Slamm Records.

People have e-mailed me about this and they said that on the From Here To
Eternity Tour Dickinson is in top vocal form and does sing those high notes.
It did annoy me for a while like on LAD where Dickinson doesn't go all the
way on "Flight Of Icarus" and "Run To The Hills." Not even on "Aces High."
Never knew why he did that live but sang better in studio, or at least hit
the high notes.

>Why did Di'anno really leave?  I have heard that he destroyed his voice
>on the Killers tour, but that sounds like BS.

I heard it was a number of things like his grandfather dying, his girlfriend
giving him some pressure, and maybe because of that he had too much beer and
cigarettes and decided to quit before he brought Maiden down.

>Is Weekend Warrior about role playing games?  It would seem so.

Dunno about that.

>There are two Iron Maiden songs about The Prisoner.  Does anyone know 
>why these songs (The Prisoner and Back in the Village) both have enough
>references to make them undoubtedly about the show, yet the rest of the 
>lyrics make no sense. (there's a fox among the chickens?  On the run, hunt
>to eat?  the truce is black and burned?)  I can't figure this out.

Neither have I since I haven't seen the show before.

>Is Killers a concept album?

No. 

>Whew!  Sorry to babble... one thing I do have that might interest fans
>is a copy of the Killers demo tapes.  If anyone is interested I will write
>up a review of this.
>
I'm interested.
Go for it.

wei hao



Wang Wei Hao                            E-mail at pw15@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu
"I have loved, I have lost, I have killed those who have loved me so. I have 
 learned, but at what cost, Lord, I don't know... I'm living on borrowed time"
                       - Diamond Head, "Living On Borrowed Time"