Number Of The Beast - Happy 34th Birthday

[Digital Dad]

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.

 

Hooks In You (I got the keys to view at number 22) is part of that trilogy as well.

[Rod in Toronto]

Great catch, DD!

 

On the issue of Invaders being played live or not: I must admit I don´t have evidence, and it sounds more like a hoax. But they did a series of pub shows after the World Slavery Tour, under different names (I think one of them was Charlotte & the Harlots), with crazy setlists and with some of the songs being sung by Adrian. Maybe that´s when they might have played?!?!?!

 

Up the Irons anyway!!! :haz: :haz: :haz: :haz: :haz:

 

To this day I´m still in awe at Bruce in Gangland. Especially these bits: "Once you were glad/to be free for a while/now you´re alone, but alive/for how LOOOOONG!!!" and "Ganglaaaand/where the jailbirds DIEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAA!!!"

[goose]

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.

And I am the opposite.

[Lucas]

[Rod in Toronto]

For me, Maiden is impeccable until 07th Son. No Prayer and FOTD have their moments, but the spark was lost. Gers just couldn't keep the songwriting on the same level. When Bruce came back, I thought it was cool but the band just didn't have the same impact on me anymore - I had moved on to Rush and Dream Theater. It would take me years, and several releases, until I was able to come to terms with their current direction. They can still write memorable tunes and impress me, although there's a bit too much self plagiarism on all their recent albums.

[djflex]

Wow , where has my life gone lol

 

Remember when this came out, good times

[goose]

Wow , where has my life gone lol

 

Remember when this came out, good times

Me too. I had played Killers for my buddy, who of course loved it to death. When we saw Beast in the store we immediately got it...popped it in the car stereo and... :haz:

 

 

That opening riff...and endless :haz: till the end of Hallowed be Thy Name. Nothing Maiden followed with could capture the sheer awesomeness of listening to the original two albums, with the band relatively unknown, for the first time. Did I mention :haz: ?

 

 

 

ETA: I take that back. Book of Souls is awesome. :haz:

Edited March 23, 2016 by goose

[Rick N. Backer]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

[goose]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

Screaming for Vengeance tour? :drool:

 

Maiden also supported the Scorpions on their Blackout tour the same year. :drool: :drool:

Edited March 23, 2016 by goose

[Rick N. Backer]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

Screaming for Vengeance tour? :drool:

 

Maiden also supported the Scorpions on their Blackout tour the same year. :drool: :drool:

 

Yes. Another sell out album by the way.:)

 

I saw Scorpions on the Love at First Sting tour. You guessed it. Sell out.

[goose]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

Screaming for Vengeance tour? :drool:

 

Maiden also supported the Scorpions on their Blackout tour the same year. :drool: :drool:

 

Yes. Another sell out album by the way. :)

 

I saw Scorpions on the Love at First Sting tour. You guessed it. Sell out.

The Scorps went neo-glam... Hilarious!

[x1yyz]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

Screaming for Vengeance tour? :drool:

 

Maiden also supported the Scorpions on their Blackout tour the same year. :drool: :drool:

 

I saw Maiden, The Scorpions, Foreigner and Loverboy at Day on the Green #2 July 18, 1982 :D

[Lucas]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

Screaming for Vengeance tour? :drool:

 

Maiden also supported the Scorpions on their Blackout tour the same year. :drool: :drool:

 

I saw Maiden, The Scorpions, Foreigner and Loverboy at Day on the Green #2 July 18, 1982 :D

 

That was less than three weeks after I saw them in Glen Cove !

 

I did see them again twice on that tour - later that fall opening for Judas Priest .. I remember seeing the same guy with a Plasmatics jacket at all three shows

 

Why do I remember these things ?

 

Iron Maiden was beyond incredible - esp when they headlined the smaller venue .. I like Priest, but by that time they were almost like a Vegas act, and the combo of Dave Holland and Ian Hill were nowhere near what Clive Burr and Steve Harris were at the time

Edited March 23, 2016 by Lucas

[goose]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

Screaming for Vengeance tour? :drool:

 

Maiden also supported the Scorpions on their Blackout tour the same year. :drool: :drool:

 

I saw Maiden, The Scorpions, Foreigner and Loverboy at Day on the Green #2 July 18, 1982 :D

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

[Lucas]

Just listened to Gangland, and then Total Eclipse

 

Gangland the perfect link between Run To The Hills and Hallowed Be Thy Name

 

Taking this in from the album perspective, after side one was over, we had Number Of The Beast into Run To The Hills, and I don't know of a better start to a side two of any album ever .. Then Gangland keeps the momentum with that beat and the incredible verses by Bruce

 

Total Eclipse is a great song, but it is out of place, esp leading into Hallowed Be Thy Name

 

Gangland into Hallowed was perfect

 

Just like the entire album

[Segue Myles]

Run To The Hills is a chooooon!

[J2112YYZ]

Run To The Hills is a chooooon!

 

A what?

[Rick N. Backer]

I saw Maiden open for Priest on the tour for Beast. So amazing.

Screaming for Vengeance tour? :drool:

 

Maiden also supported the Scorpions on their Blackout tour the same year. :drool: :drool:

 

I saw Maiden, The Scorpions, Foreigner and Loverboy at Day on the Green #2 July 18, 1982 :D

 

That was less than three weeks after I saw them in Glen Cove !

 

I did see them again twice on that tour - later that fall opening for Judas Priest .. I remember seeing the same guy with a Plasmatics jacket at all three shows

 

Why do I remember these things ?

 

Iron Maiden was beyond incredible - esp when they headlined the smaller venue .. I like Priest, but by that time they were almost like a Vegas act, and the combo of Dave Holland and Ian Hill were nowhere near what Clive Burr and Steve Harris were at the time

 

The drummer in my high school garage band was a big Burr fan. He thought McBrain was a great drummer, but Burr was his guy.

[Rick N. Backer]

Just listened to Gangland, and then Total Eclipse

 

Gangland the perfect link between Run To The Hills and Hallowed Be Thy Name

 

Taking this in from the album perspective, after side one was over, we had Number Of The Beast into Run To The Hills, and I don't know of a better start to a side two of any album ever .. Then Gangland keeps the momentum with that beat and the incredible verses by Bruce

 

Total Eclipse is a great song, but it is out of place, esp leading into Hallowed Be Thy Name

 

Gangland into Hallowed was perfect

 

Just like the entire album

 

Gangland has Burr's great intro to boot.

 

Total Eclipse is a great tune though. A b-side of something, if memory serves.

[Rod in Toronto]

I think Total Eclipse was a B-side to either Run to the Hills or The Number of the BEast - one of the singles off TNOTB. Clive wrote it, too!!! The only Maiden song written by a drummer until Nicko wrote New Frontier for Dance of Death.

[Rod in Toronto]

Actually Clive has writing credits on Gangland too.

[Rick N. Backer]

I think Total Eclipse was a B-side to either Run to the Hills or The Number of the BEast - one of the singles off TNOTB. Clive wrote it, too!!! The only Maiden song written by a drummer until Nicko wrote New Frontier for Dance of Death.

 

I'm pretty sure it was Run to the Hills, now that you say that. I seem to recall having a picture disc with Eddie fighting the devil from the cover.

[Rod in Toronto]

I think Total Eclipse was a B-side to either Run to the Hills or The Number of the BEast - one of the singles off TNOTB. Clive wrote it, too!!! The only Maiden song written by a drummer until Nicko wrote New Frontier for Dance of Death.

 

I'm pretty sure it was Run to the Hills, now that you say that. I seem to recall having a picture disc with Eddie fighting the devil from the cover.

 

That´s the one!!!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_to_the_Hills

[J2112YYZ]

When I first got Beast on cassette 20 something years ago it didn't have Total Eclipse on it. The CD version I bought of it a few years later does. But it just doesn't sound right to me on the album even though it's a very good song. Hallowed coming after Gangland is the only way to go.

[Segue Myles]

Run To The Hills is a chooooon!

 

A what?

 

a chooooon!