Number Of The Beast - Happy 34th Birthday

[The Analog Cub]

One of my least favourite of the classic Iron Maiden albums. Reputation says it's a 10/10. For me it's a 6/10.

 

The next four albums are all much better.

 

Segue, you don't think each song is fantastic, and overall, the album extremely consistent ??

 

Which songs do you think fall short ??

 

( watch, you're going to list the ones that are my favorite !! )

 

Only song I love is Run To The Hills. I hate the title track. The rest is ok.

 

It was my first Iron Maiden album after a best of. It almost destroyed my interest. Killers is a much stronger album, and Piece Of Mind blows it out the water. Then along came Powerslave, and to my ears that is a 10/10. I would rank it below all the modern Maiden albums, above Blaize's records...and possibly above No prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark.

 

It is not a record I can honestly say I will ever desire to own. I won't say it's overrated, it just does nothing for me. All its initial success I put down to the fact that Killers built up great momentum, and Piece Of Mind cemented their fanbase.

 

C'mon Segue, no love for Hallowed Be Thy Name ??

 

22 Acacia Avenue ?

 

I like them. It's honestly not all that great to me.

 

They went on to better things. It had a huge impact, changed the metal landscape for many, but just because it made a wave doesn't mean the subsequent albums are inferior because they weigh less cukturally than the former. They are honestly better to my ears.

 

Number Of The Beast doesn't come close to the brilliance of the modern Maiden albums to my ears either.

 

Yep, just a matter of tastes. I prefer the more fleshed out music from Maiden that started with Piece Of Mind and beyond, even if there are some 10/10 moments on Beast and before.

[Digital Dad]

NOTB song rankings (out of 10) for Craig 3-21-16

 

Invaders 6

Damned 8

Prisoner 9

Acacia 7

Beast 8

Hills 8

Gangland 6

Eclipse 8

Hallowed 10

[Digital Dad]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

[The Analog Cub]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

 

You also put Systematic Chaos as the top DT album! You are odd!

[x1yyz]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

 

You also put Systematic Chaos as the top DT album! You are odd!

 

It is the top DT album!

[Segue Myles]

Iron Maiden- 7/10

Killers- 9/10

 

Number Of The Beast- 6/10

 

Piece Of Mind- 9/10

Powerslave- 10/10

Somewhere In Time- 7/10

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son- 8/10

No Prayer For The Dying- 6/10

Fear Of The Dark- 5/10

X Factor- 6/10

Vital IX 5/10

Brave New World- 9/10

Dance Of Death- 9/10

A Matter Of LIfe And Death- 8/10

The Final Frontier- 9/10

Book Of Souls- 6/10

 

Just coz I have been awake around two full days and I like lists.

[x1yyz]

This is the album that got me into Maiden oh so many years ago. I saw them on this tour as well :D Beast is one of my all-time favourite albums.

[Segue Myles]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

 

I like it! I rate it the same as Beast. But I don't hate anything on the album...even if the highs aren't as high...

[goose]

This is the album that got me into Maiden oh so many years ago. I saw them on this tour as well :D Beast is one of my all-time favourite albums.

[Segue Myles]

The Final Frontier was for two years my favourite Maiden album.

 

It's lost its lustre for me, and Powerslave stands very tall now. Not sure this will ever change...but Maiden are a bit like Rush and Springsteen for me, any album can hit me when I least expect it and I love it more than I remember!

[The Analog Cub]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

 

I like it! I rate it the same as Beast. But I don't hate anything on the album...even if the highs aren't as high...

 

I just can't get into No Prayer. While they still had some of their songwriting going strong, it just isn't my thing. If I want stripped down Maiden I'd probably just go back to Killers or even the debut.

 

When Adrian Smith left the band, they were essentially toast IMO. Bruce lost his writing partner and Harris was left to his own devices.

 

But to each their own. I'm glad every Maiden album (probably even the Blaze albums :o ) has its supporters. They are a band to be treasured and I'm amazed they're all still able to perform live better than most other metal bands.

[The Analog Cub]

The Final Frontier was for two years my favourite Maiden album.

 

It's lost its lustre for me, and Powerslave stands very tall now. Not sure this will ever change...but Maiden are a bit like Rush and Springsteen for me, any album can hit me when I least expect it and I love it more than I remember!

 

Aces High is the best concert opener EVER! :haz:

[Digital Dad]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

 

You also put Systematic Chaos as the top DT album! You are odd!

 

It is the top DT album!

 

I really don't f***ing get why so many people hate it so much. Baffles me.

 

Its not as great as 6 Degrees though, that one is amazing. Thank Mick! ;)

[Digital Dad]

The Final Frontier was for two years my favourite Maiden album.

 

It's lost its lustre for me, and Powerslave stands very tall now. Not sure this will ever change...but Maiden are a bit like Rush and Springsteen for me, any album can hit me when I least expect it and I love it more than I remember!

 

Aces High is the best concert opener EVER! :haz:

 

With the Chruchill intro? Amazing.

[The Analog Cub]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

 

You also put Systematic Chaos as the top DT album! You are odd!

 

It is the top DT album!

 

I really don't f***ing get why so many people hate it so much. Baffles me.

 

Its not as great as 6 Degrees though, that one is amazing. Thank Mick! ;)

 

Prophets of War and Repentance Six Degrees is far and away my favorite.

[The Analog Cub]

The Final Frontier was for two years my favourite Maiden album.

 

It's lost its lustre for me, and Powerslave stands very tall now. Not sure this will ever change...but Maiden are a bit like Rush and Springsteen for me, any album can hit me when I least expect it and I love it more than I remember!

 

Aces High is the best concert opener EVER! :haz:

 

With the Chruchill intro? Amazing.

 

It doesn't get better than this! :haz: Bruce you MONSTER!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COvCPJGjaiE

[Digital Dad]

I really like No Prayer. Its solid

 

Feck off if you don't agree! ;)

 

I like it! I rate it the same as Beast. But I don't hate anything on the album...even if the highs aren't as high...

 

I just can't get into No Prayer. While they still had some of their songwriting going strong, it just isn't my thing. If I want stripped down Maiden I'd probably just go back to Killers or even the debut.

 

When Adrian Smith left the band, they were essentially toast IMO. Bruce lost his writing partner and Harris was left to his own devices.

 

But to each their own. I'm glad every Maiden album (probably even the Blaze albums :o ) has its supporters. They are a band to be treasured and I'm amazed they're all still able to perform live better than most other metal bands.

 

I agree, without H they were shite. but FOTD is awful and Blaze is unlistenable.

[Lucas]

I saw them on this tour, and that has a lot to do with my love for this era of Maiden .. It was my transitional time, from Rush and Kiss and Thin Lizzy and Aerosmith into metal

 

It was a general admission show at the North Stage Theater in Long Island .. Three friends and I went to see The Thing the night before, and then my parents dropped us off for the show ..

 

Sitting in the first row of the balcony, we could see everything - even looking down at the guy who was working the amazing light show my hand, playing the board like a keyboard

 

I still have the t shirt

[The Analog Cub]

I can only hope we get a new live recording the later half of this year :haz: 2015 was an excellent year for music and is going to be hard to top!

[Lucas]

http://49.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8xbfoFs8v1r5pqito1_500.gif

[x1yyz]

http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o371/x1yyz/image_zpsz7ohjrgk.jpeg

[Blue J]

One of my least favourite of the classic Iron Maiden albums. Reputation says it's a 10/10. For me it's a 6/10.

 

The next four albums are all much better.

 

Segue, you don't think each song is fantastic, and overall, the album extremely consistent ??

 

Which songs do you think fall short ??

 

( watch, you're going to list the ones that are my favorite !! )

 

Only song I love is Run To The Hills. I hate the title track. The rest is ok.

 

It was my first Iron Maiden album after a best of. It almost destroyed my interest. Killers is a much stronger album, and Piece Of Mind blows it out the water. Then along came Powerslave, and to my ears that is a 10/10. I would rank it below all the modern Maiden albums, above Blaize's records...and possibly above No prayer For The Dying and Fear Of The Dark.

 

It is not a record I can honestly say I will ever desire to own. I won't say it's overrated, it just does nothing for me. All its initial success I put down to the fact that Killers built up great momentum, and Piece Of Mind cemented their fanbase.

 

C'mon Segue, no love for Hallowed Be Thy Name ??

 

22 Acacia Avenue ?

 

Two of the best on it!

 

And I would never disparage anyone for not liking whatever they don't like (and I'm not saying that's what is going on here, either; not at all)...in my opinion it's a great album, but I understand why the themes, the songwriting, may not do a lot for you, Segue. We all have our own tastes.

 

The first Maiden album I ever bought was Live After Death, in 1987. I was 14 years old then. And then I quickly bought Somewhere in Time, and then all of the earlier albums. So my introduction to their catalog, at that time, was sort of backwards. And there was something about Beast that sounded so primitive to me- I felt the musicianship had grown by leaps and bounds by the time they recorded Powerslave, for example. But since I recently got back into Maiden, within the past year or so, hearing it again for the first time in more than 20 years, the way that my ears hear it now, and the way I experience it now, that 'primitive' quality that I sensed in the past is what I would now call 'primal' Iron Maiden.

 

It was the very beginning of their evolution with Bruce Dickinson- with all the grandeur he brought to their sound, and his stage presence really sending it into another realm altogether- all of that energy was there in Number of the Beast, from the very start.

 

Great, great album. Great thread too, Lucas!

[Rick N. Backer]

One of my least favourite of the classic Iron Maiden albums. Reputation says it's a 10/10. For me it's a 6/10.

 

The next four albums are all much better.

 

I feel much the same. It's got amazing tracks on it, but it doesn't come close to reaching the highs of Piece of Mind (which I have gained more appreciation for), Powerslave, Somewhere In Time, or Seventh Son.

 

I like Brave New World (top 2) and AMOLAD, and perhaps Book Of Souls more than Beast as well. Book of Souls perhaps because there is simply more music to enjoy.

 

I don't agree, but I can see liking Piece to 7th better.

 

The second paragraph, however, is another matter. Egads, BC.

 

:)

[Rod in Toronto]

There isn´t a weak track on the album. One may argue that Total Eclipse should have replaced Gangland, but I think it works quite well the way it is. Some thoughts on this release:

 

1 - Gangland has some of the most impressive screaming Bruce has ever done;

 

2 - Did you guys know that Bruce created the beat at the beginning of The Prisoner?

 

3 - I love Clive´s work on the first three Maiden albums, even though I find Nicko to be a better fit for Harry´s bass. On the other hand, he was never able to play the intro to Run to the Hills the way Clive did;

 

4 - I don´t think Bruce could ever sing Total Eclipse live again after that tour;

 

5 - I just saw Maiden last week, and Bruce nailed Children of the Damned!!! He sang it better than in Live After Death!!!

 

6 - I ran a marathon last year, and TNOTB was one of the albums I listened to in full during the race. More details here: http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/95057-good-luck-rod-in-rio-marathon-man/page__hl__marathon

 

7 - Bruce had to redo the scream in the intro of the title track a number of times, and Martin Birch drove him to the edge for him to deliver the perfect take!

 

8 - Bruce used to hold Dave Murray on his back during the solo of TNOTB live. I dunno why he stopped doing that, it was a fun and much awaited move on stage;

 

9 - I love Invaders. Rumour has it they played this one in selected dates of the World Slavery Tour, but I´ve never seen or heard it live. Does anybody know?

 

10 - 22 Acacia Avenue is part of a semi-official trilogy: Charlote the Harlot - 22 Acacia Avenue - From Here to Eternity. Charlotte was actually re-recorded with Bruce and Adrian (along with Prowler) for the The Evil that Men Do single;

 

11 - During Hallowed be thy Name live last week, Bruce had a rope with a knot around his neck, which he kept waving until it hit Nicko´s cymbals.

[J2112YYZ]

I'm pretty sure Invaders has never been done live. Setlists weren't as well kept back then as they are now but for Maiden it seems like the fans have done a good job of keeping their sets well archived through the years, much like Rush fans. If it was played before, we would probably know for sure. There's a chance it could have been done at some point while touring for Beast but it doesn't seem like it was played a lot if that was the case.

 

Not sure why Bruce stopped carrying Dave around stage during the solo for Beast. Maybe he got worried about accidentally dropping him or Bruce wanted to avoid hurting himself.