What Are You Listening To?

[Avaitor]

Acid Bath- "Paegan Love Song"

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, I don't understand how people can't at least respect her. She sounds even better when you're there.

...someone clearly needs rubber pants.

[Avaitor]

Well now I have Fear of the Dark on, so I don't.

You know that Maiden is the one thing that matters more to me than Demi (give or take HIMYM), but I can't really defend this album.

[Nel_Annette]

It's a shit ton better than No Prayer For The Dying, at least.

[Avaitor]

It's a shit ton better than No Prayer For The Dying, at least.

Very true! No Prayer has like 3 songs I like, while Fear has six. Out of twelve, but still.

Clutch- "Crucial Velocity"

Now I'm onto their new album, and I'm really digging it thus far. I can't believe these guys opened for Nickelback at one point.

[No-Personality]

More 90's... And I've realized something: Brandy... is someone I keep being very grateful to come across randomly. My playlist isn't exactly on Shuffle but a lot of these songs I didn't know well in the 90's so, the order is very much like shuffle. I'm playing her contribution to the Batman Forever soundtrack, "Where Are You Now?" and... it gets my seal of approval.

[Nel_Annette]

It's a shit ton better than No Prayer For The Dying, at least.

Very true! No Prayer has like 3 songs I like, while Fear has six. Out of twelve, but still.

Still, I don't think Maiden's made a bad album. I still find plenty to like on every one. At worst, they're okay. And even then, not even No Prayer or Fear are my least favorite, believe it or not. They're both in my bottom 3 though.

I went on a splurge on Friday, and bought Rock In Rio, Flight 666 and En Vivo!, so I've been digging into those.

[Avaitor]

What's your least favorite then? Personally, I think the Blaze era is underrated.

[Nel_Annette]

I actually really like The X Factor and Virtual XI (barring The Angel And The Gambler chorus x9000). Songs like Sign Of The Cross and The Educated Fool are fantastic. My least favorite is Powerslave. Which is apparently blasphemy to the hardcore IM fans, but I think that after the first two (great) tracks, the middle of the album drags, and I've never been able to get into Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Not a bad record, but very bland compared to the other 80s stuff and the one I least go back to overall.

[Avaitor]

My least favorite is Powerslave.

[Spark Of Spirit]

My least favorite is Powerslave.

Uh oh.

[Nel_Annette]

My least favorite is Powerslave.

[Avaitor]

Man, I dunno, there are so few albums I can listen to from start to finish and not get sick of, no matter how many times I've heard it.

Even with Maiden, only Powerslave and the post-revival albums do that for me.

[Nel_Annette]

The only albums I can do that with Maiden are Brave New World and A Matter Of Life And Death. You're right though. Very few albums I can genuinely sit through all the way without it feeling like a chore.

Don't know what to tell you though, man. I've sat through every studio album and Powerslave just does the least for me. But like I said, it's not a bad album at all. Personally, my top 5 goes

5. Somewhere In Time
4. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
3. The Final Frontier
2. Brave New World
1. A Matter Of Life And Death

I feel like IM is one of the few bands from the 60s/70s/80s that has only gotten better the further on they get in their career.

[Avaitor]

I'm bored enough, so I'll make a list of IM songs that I tend to skip or get bored of per album:

Iron Maiden:

Sanctuary
Strange World
Iron Maiden (original studio recording- live is stronger)

Killers:

Prodigal Son

The Number of the Beast:

Invaders
Run to the Hills (mehhhhhhh)
Gangland
Total Eclipse

Piece of Mind:

Flight of Icarus
Still Life

... "Quest of Fire" is a guilty pleasure, sue me.

Powerslave:

Honestly, none. Well, "2 Minutes to Midnight" and "Losfer Words" aren't big favorites, but I do very much enjoy them.

Somewhere in Time:

Sea of Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great (my vote for their most overrated song)

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son:

Can I Play With Madness?
The Prophecy

No Prayer for the Dying:

Tailgunner
Fates Warning
The Assassin
Hooks in You
Bring Your Daughter... To the Slaughter

Fear of the Dark:

From Here to Eternity
Fear is the Key
Chains of Misery
The Apparition
Weekend Warrior

The X-Factor:

Lord of the Flies
Look for the Truth
Judgement of Heaven
The Unbeliever

Virtual XI:

The Angel and the Gambler
When Two Worlds Collide
Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger

Brave New World:

The Fallen Angel
The Nomad

Dance of Death:

Wildest Dreams
Gates of Tomorrow
New Frontier
Age of Innocence

A Matter of Life and Death:

The Pilgrim (if I want to be generous)

The Final Frontier:

The Talisman

There really aren't as many duds as I'd expect. If I tried this with someone else with a discography this big like AC/DC or even Bowie, I'd probably come out with a much longer list. And those last two albums are pretty close to perfect. Not bad.