bruce dickinson

DVD/CD RE-REVIEW: Iron Maiden – Flight 666 – The Film – The Original Soundtrack (2009)

“Since their debut in 1980, Iron Maiden have become one of the biggest bands in the world.  With little support from radio or mainstream media, they have sold over 70 million records and played some of the most legendary concerts in rock history – including Britain’s Donington Festival, Rock In Rio, and Poland during the height of communism.  In 2008, they embarked on the most challenging and adventurous tour of their career…”  – Sam Dunn

IRON MAIDEN:

Flight 666 – The Film (2009 UM DVD)
Flight 666 – The Original Soundtrack (2009 EMI CD)

Supporting their newest compilation album, Somewhere Back In Time (released May 11 or 12 2008), Iron Maiden embarked upon a new kind of tour.  Lead singer and licensed pilot Bruce Dickinson wondered if there was a way for the band to buy a plane, modify it to carry all their gear and still have room for the road crew, and fly it from gig to gig.  As an added twist, Bruce often flew the plane himself.  The tour had to be captured on a documentary, so Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen of Banger films took the job.

Since Somewhere Back In Time focused on the Dickinson albums from Number of the Beast to Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Iron Maiden chose a setlist that (mostly) reflected this, with one notable exception.  The interesting thing about this setlist is, because there is only one song played from the Janick Gers era of Iron Maiden (which we’ll get to), he gets more solos on older songs than usual.  The final film was released theatrically, and later on DVD with a CD soundtrack.  The film featured 16 songs, each taped in a different city all over the world, from India to Japan to Brazil.  The concert footage was edited seamlessly into the documentary, but the DVD offers a second disc with the complete songs, unedited.  If you just want the audio experience, the 2 CD soundtrack has you covered.  Since the film had the songs in a certain order to suit the timeline of the tour, we will (mostly) follow the film song order for this review.  The CD features fade-outs between songs, since we all know they are from different shows.  This is the first and only Iron Maiden live album to date, to fade out from song to song.

Flight 666 was recorded over six weeks, from February 1 to March 16, 2008.  The film was released on April 21, 2009 with the soundtrack following on May 11, and the DVD on June 9.  With a running time of 113 minutes, the film made $233,193 at the box office.

1. “ACES HIGH” (Mumbai)

Cut to the airport, and Sam Dunn is boarding the plane Ed Force One.  Bruce is in his pilot’s uniform, and he explains how he came up with this idea to fly themselves on their own plane.  The plane had to be specially modified to carry the gear.  Guitarist Adrian Smith was skeptical.  Special authorization was needed and only came last minute.  Then, a wheel had to be replaced.  The road crew loved the luxury of it, and Dickie Bells gives the slovenly ex-colonial Canadians hell for standing there with their hands in their pockets.  First stop: India.  The band is completely mobbed by a crowd that has been waiting since 6 am.  “Wrathchild” can be heard at soundcheck.  The stage is just made of wood!

You can see a glimpse of the backstage prep before the band hits the stage.  Nicko walks to the stage in flip flops.  The show begins with “Churchill’s Speech”.  The “Aces High” song intro is the studio recording, before breaking into noticeably thicker live version (because of the three guitars).  Bruce in a toque, jumping and leaping everywhere!  He also enjoys playing a gong!  Davey and Adrian’s solo are both magnificent.  First song of the set, and Janick is already dancing!  Bruce’s voice is rougher and lower than Live After Death after 23 years past, and less melodic, but this is still a rather strong version of “Aces High”.

Bruce isn’t flying the plane in the next flight after the show; he is a passenger.  He is only allowed so many hours of work time if he is to fly the plane.  The band talk about manager Rod Smallwood, and they all do their Rod impressions.  Off to Malaysia and Perth Australia, before hitting Melbourne.

The song “Moonchild” is heard but not seen at this point in the film.  On the second DVD, it appears later, so we’ll pick it up then.

 

2. “2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT” (Melbourne)

“SCREAM FOR ME MELBOURNE!”   The crowd handles most of the chorus!  The Australians are absolutely nuts.  Bruce is in great voice.  Janick, dancing once again, twirling his guitar around his body,  irritating some and delighting others.  Adrian’s solo is more effects-laden than the album, but still the same notes.  Bruce and Steve run all over the stage, from left to right.  Top version of “Midnight ” – the best since Live After Death, in fact.

After the show, Adrian seems unhappy about the sound that night, but stresses that you have to push through for the crowd.  Bruce and Nicko praises Adrian’s ability to find all the right notes.

The band enjoys a day off, Adrian plays tennis with Wimbleton champ Pat Cash.  Nicko and Davey go golfing.  Steve brings his kids and enjoys family time.

 

3. “REVELATIONS” (Sydney)

Bruce comments that it took them a while to get to Sydney.  “WAKIE WAKIE!”  His vocals are powerful – no issue with the demanding song.  On this track, the triple guitar harmonies are…revelatory!  Bruce’s vocal is as passionate as it gets.  This is a top version of “Revelations”, second only to Live After Death.  Davey’s solo is like butter, and then Janick’s is sharp like a blade.  Nicko’s powerful right foot does what some drummers do with two bass pedals.  Bruce disappears backstage during the solos to re-hydrate.

 

4. “THE TROOPER” (Japan)

Bruce talks about his family heritage with the RAF.  On flying:  “You can never be the master of it.  It is a very humbling experience.”  There is an Eddie on the dashboard as they fly to Japan.  It is a place that Nicko has always wanted to visit.  The fans are polite and give gifts.  Backstage, Adrian plays some bluesy jams revealing his talent.  Dick Bell is constantly teased about retirement, and if this will be his last tour.  He is stern and hilarious.

For “The Trooper”, Bruce changes into the red coat waving the Union Jack!  The song is a tad faster but Bruce keeps up, and puts in an impressive powerhouse performance.  We’ve had a lot of live versions of “The Trooper” on their many live albums and singles, but this is a good one.  It’s cool when Bruce says “Hey Tokyo…”  The three guitars are blended really well here.  It is a pleasure to watch Davey bend his strings – wide, accurate and with great “guitar mouth” too.

Maiden fly to Anchorage Alaska, and then south to Los Angeles.  The palm trees are a stark contrast to the February snow!  Steve goes to the studio with Kevin Shirley. and works.  You can hear them listening to “The Longest Day” from A Matter of Life and Death.

 

5. “THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST” (Los Angeles)

Kerry King, Lars Ulrich, Scott Ian, Vinnie Appice, Tom Morello and Chad Kroeger are all at the star-studded gig.

Bruce is now down to a T-shirt.  His voice is pushed to the limits here, but he still manages a pretty great opening scream.  The pyro begins, and Bruce is once again leaping, and Janick is kicking up a storm.  Davey’s solo is wonderful when he extends that one note that he is prone to doing.  He really lets it ring.

Back on the plane, Bruce is flying once again and marvels at the change of seasons as they travel, as the jetlag sets in.  Off to Mexico!  Bruce senses there is always a sense of something exploding in Latin America when they arrive.  OLE OLE OLE OLE OLE!  MAIDEN MAIDEN!

 

6. “WASTED YEARS” (Monterey, Mexico)

A potential highlight of the film and sound track is “Wasted Yeats” from Somewhere In Time.   “It’s great to be in Mexico!” exclaims Bruce, as he playfully sits as the crowd cheers “ole ole ole ole ole”.   It’s cool to watch how Adrian plays the main guitar hook – a lot of open strings.  His solo has slightly evolved but it is now even better!  More energy, more shred!  It is skin-tingling when Bruce shouts out “ADRIAN!” and then Smith sings the next line: “So, understand…”   Later, he contributes vocals to the chorus: “Don’t waste your time always searching for those Wasted Years…”  He did write the song, after all.

Off to Mexico City.  Nicko describes Janick as a “lone soldier”, usually looking for an Irish bar.  Janick is also the jester, says Nicko.  Apparently has a degree in sociology.  He’s a free spirit and plays guitar as a free spirit, says Rod.  In Mexico, he explores a pyramid with Nicko.

 

7. “CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS” (Mexico City)

Bruce’s voice is a bit rougher, but his huge sombrero is hilarious!  It’s so out of place!  This is a solid version of the song which is always challenging vocally.  Adrian’s presence on backing vocals improves the song over versions without him, such as Donington and A Real Live One.

Off to San Jose, Costa Rica. Maiden are playing a 27,000 seat football stadium.  Fans line the streets! The fans are a whole level above the rest!  They cannot imagine that Iron Maiden has come to Costa Rica , a once in a lifetime experience for them.  These people are truly starved of metal concerts like Maiden, and they are not shy about showing it.  Nicko goes golfing, but gets hit by a golf ball in the wrist.  Fortunately, a minor injury.  Nicko is the social side of Maiden, says Rod.

 

8. “POWERSLAVE” (San Jose, Costa Rica)

Bruce is wearing the full bird mask!  In full voice too!  SCREAM FOR ME COSTA RICA!  This version of the song thumps harder during the riff.  You can also hear keyboards providing backing melody.  Bruce riles up the crowd with a “HEY HEY HEY HEY!”, and this could be the second best version of “Powerslave” ever, after Live After Death.  Adrian’s solo is actually a very different version, a variation perhaps, of the album solo.  Still great, just new.

Iron Maiden now head Columbia, where soldiers are everywhere.  Bruce is very apprehensive, in case something goes wrong outside.  People camped out for days, sleeping under tarps waiting for Iron Maiden.  Security confiscates all food and all cameras.  There is a lot of tension in the air.

 

9. “RUN TO THE HILLS” (Bogota, Columbia)

Now Bruce is wearing a vest.  The crowd is mixed very loud in the chorus.  Davey’s wah-wah laden solo is cool, but otherwise this is just another version of “Run to the Hills”.  The crowd is what makes this version different as they are absolutely nuts.  One fan who caught Nicko’s drum stick is crying with emotion at the end of the show (during “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”).  He thanks God, as other fans nearby weep in joy.

Nicko eats a pizza – says he likes the “sweaty feet” kind of cheese.   Off to Sao Paulo, Brazil next.  Bruce talks about their 1985 visit to Rock In Rio, and old video footage is shown from the televised event (which is also “Run to the Hills”).  Fascinatingly, there is a Priest who has a ministry in Brazil with 162 Iron Maiden tattoos.  He includes their lyrics in his sermons.  He named his son Steve Harris.  Incredible.

 

10. “HEAVEN CAN WAIT” (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

The band is seen playing football, and then we cut to the stage.  The football players have joined for the “Woah oh oh!” singing on “Heaven Can Wait”.   It’s pandemonium on stage, with dozens of people jumping up and down.  Janick takes the first guitar solo while Bruce hides behind a sarcophagus.  Bruce kicks the gong this time!  The triple guitars don’t seem to blend so well on the harmony solo, but Bruce is killing it on the vocals (aside from only singing “Heaven can…” most of the time.)   Janick’s solos are great here, defying those who call him second rate.  Again, Nicko’s right foot is doing the work of two feet.

The band continues to travel through South America for several more gigs, into Buenos Ares, Argentina.  They are greeted by fans at the airport once again.  Fans following them around 24 hours a day and it gets to be a bit much for Adrian.  He wants peace and quiet when he’s at the hotel, but fans are a mob at the front door.

 

11. “FEAR OF THE DARK” (Buenos Ares, Argentina)

This is the one and only song that does not fit into the Somewhere Back In Time era.  Why was it included?  It probably serves a dual purpose:  to give Janick a song from his era on this tour, and because it has become a concert staple.  The Argentinians don’t seem to mind.  The crowd are almost louder than the band.  Though we have many versions of “Fear of the Dark”, this one is solid.  Janick’s single harmonic note is always a favourite part.  The way the crowd blends with Bruce on the chorus is powerful.  Dickinson is in great voice, and you can hear every delicious pick scrape on the guitars.  This is a solid go-to version.

Off to Chile, and once again the fans are over-the-top crazy to see the band, mobbing them at the airport and making the national news.  At one point, Iron Maiden were banned in Chile for “Satanic” lyrics, so this is a big deal for the fans.

 

12. “IRON MAIDEN” (Santiago, Chile)

Bruce creates a neat muffled voice effect by singing “SCREAM FOR ME SANTIAGO!” into a paper drinking cup.

Out comes the Somewhere In Time Eddie!  You can see the guy controlling him too, with a massive remote.  Nicko is particularly pounding on this version of “Iron Maiden”.  Janick throws guitar in the air, and twirls it around, which the South Americans don’t seem to be complaining about.

 

13. “MOONCHILD” (San Juan, Puerto Rico)  Full song on CD and DVD disc two

Contrary to other live versions, the acoustic intro is live this time, not pre-recorded.  The usual synth part is re-created on guitar with an echo effect, by Adrian.  A unique version unlike the prior ones, and Steve is killing it on the bass, too.  Thge bass is  very prominent in the mix.  This is a great version of “Moonchild” and a delight to fans of Seventh Son era Maiden.

 

14. “THE CLAIRVOYANT” (Curitiba, Brazil)  Not in film at all – only on CD and DVD disc two

A fan makes it on stage and is promptly escorted off, you can see Bruce mouth “Who’s he?” to the audience.  The opening guitar harmonies are rich with the three guitars, and Bruce is in strong voice, bellowing the verses.

 

15. “RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER” (New Jersey)

Back to North America.  This the other show highlight.  “Rime” has a heavier riff with the three guitars.

Bruce is now dressed in a black cloak, spending a lot of time on the ramp over the drum kit.  This is the song he was most excited to revisit.  It really is a dramatic scene, and the fans are clearly psyched to hear this song again.  Keyboard accents (in spots) are added to provide a melodic backing.  There are loads of explosions and after the middle section is finished.  Quite a spectacle!  Adrian throws in a brand new tapping section into the guitar solo.  The triple harmony part at the end of the solos is thick, fresh and exciting.  Never before have we had this with three guitars.  A landmark version of the song.

Bruce is interviewed by Eddie Trunk.  He explains that they are doing this setlist for new, young fans who never got to hear these songs before.  Bruce notes that their audience keeps getting younger.  He doesn’t mention backlash to the Matter of Life and Death tour, which featured the new album played live in its entirety, but that probably also impacted their seasons to “play classics” this time.

Finally, onto Toronto Canada!  The CN tower can be clearly seen as they land in snowy Toronto.  Last show.  They did it.  It’s a successful tour.

 

16. “HALLOWED BE THY NAME” (Toronto)

SCREAM FOR ME TORONTO!  The atmosphere is electric as the fans clap along, and sing the opening section.  The beautiful harmonics on the guitar by Janick add texture.  Once the song picks up, everyone is leaping in the air.  Bruce is in great voice here, hitting the higher notes, and clearly putting 100% into his performance.  One of the heaviest versions of “Hallowed” available.  A good go-to live version of the song.

That’s the album, and that’s the film.  We go out to the end credits music:  Monty Python’s “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life”.

 

Taken as an album, this is a top three Iron Maiden live album.  Taken as a film, it is for fans only.  Unlike other metal documentaries, there is not much in terms of narrative or drama.  Nicko being hit by a golf ball, and Adrian complaining about mobs is as dramatic as it gets.  Who cares?  It’s Iron Maiden.  It’s a fascinating trip around the world in under two hours.   To be able to be a fly on the plane bulkhead wall with Iron Maiden is the whole point.

5/5 stars

 

🅻🅸🆅🅴 50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 30: Somewhere Back In Time & Flight 666

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 30: Somewhere Back In Time & Flight 666

A special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 episode

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #139

Scream for me, YouTube!  In May 2008, Iron Maiden released a new “best of” CD, unlike the previous four.  Yes, that makes Somewhere Back In Time– The Best of: 1980-1989 the fifth Iron Maiden “best of”.  Despite the title, it has no songs from the first two albums, subbing in live versions with Bruce singing.  The actual tracklist focused on the Dickinson albums from 1982-1988 (Number of the Beast to Seventh Son).  Then, Maiden embarked upon a tour designed to recreate the Live After Death era, with some added goodies (and Eddies) from Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son (plus one song that didn’t fit).

Singer Bruce Dickinson, who was also a licensed pilot, had an idea:  would it be possible to modify a passenger jet to carry all their gear and crew, and fly it from gig to gig no matter how far?

It was indeed possible (if not difficult), and Ed Force One took to the skies to bring Iron Maiden to their fans around the world.  In the pilot’s seat:  Bruce himself!

The first leg of the Somewhere Back In Time tour was documented by Sam Dunn and Banger films for a movie:  Flight 666.  This film played theatrically, and was eventually released on a double DVD set with the movie and all the complete songs.  There was a complete soundtrack on CD and vinyl, and tonight we’re going to look at it all.

Mike and Harrison will dive deep into the film, the songs and the tour.  Mike has over 2000 words of notes, and copies of Flight 666 on CD, DVD and vinyl.  We will tackle Somewhere Back In Time itself as an album, and Harrison will discuss the tour legs that followed.

This will truly be an epic episode, so do not miss it.  We love to interact with the comments.

 

Friday February 27 at  7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 29: A Matter of Life and Death with Uncle Meat

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 29: A Matter of Life and Death

With special guest Uncle Meat

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK episode 137

“I love work. I can sit and watch it for hours.” – Nicko McBrain

Our longest episode of the entire series, A Matter of Life and Death is a special album in the Maiden arsenal.  Bringing back one of Maiden’s most popular lyrical topics, the album largely focused on warfare, with a sideline into religion and social commentary.  There might even be an original fictional tale or two here, sprinkled in with the cold historical reality.  A Matter of Life and Death is a high water mark, we will argue, and hope you’ll listen to what we have to say.

Original Grab A Stack of Rock alumnus Uncle Meat returns for an album that he picked, because he was fortunate enough to see this tour.  That will become important later on.  Along with Mike and Harrison, each of the 10 new songs are broken down musicially and lyrically, with historical and personal context added for colour.  An album laden with highlights, we take our time to appreciate the minor details.

We’re only just getting started:  This album has a whopping 11 assorted bonus tracks and B-sides to discuss, plus a vital bonus DVD.  The extra tracks come from many formats:  A magazine CD tribute album to Deep Purple’s Machine Head, a DVD single, several CD singles, a 7″ and 10″ vinyl, just to get all the tracks.  There is also an additional promo CD single to mention, and an exclusive live track that you can’t get anymore because it was a download-only.  Bummer.

When we’re done all that, and have discussed the included documentary DVD in detail, we move on to the tour(s).  And oh, what they did nearly tore fandom apart.  As illustrated on Mike’s bootleg CD, Revenge Is Living In The Past, Maiden played all 10 album tracks in sequence before getting to a smattering of classic hits (including of course “Fear of the Dark”).  Uncle Meat was there when it went down in Toronto, and not knowing what we was in for, he describes his immediate impressions.  As a group, we tackle the tour’s historic importance, and the fallout that came next.  The next time around, Maiden had cut the 10 songs down to just five, and added more classics back into the set.

This 1 hour 38 minute episode includes the last musical B-sides or bonus tracks we’ll get from Maiden, save one RSD picture disc we’ll discuss later on.  The bonus tracks are a wonderful, confounding collection to complete.  We hope you enjoy the level of detail we went into for this episode.  We felt the album deserved nothing less.

 

Friday February 13 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T., 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

 

 

Past episodes:

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50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: Reissued Singles with New B-Sides 2002-2005

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: Reissued Singles with New B-Sides 2002-2005

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK bonus episode

This 22 minute bonus episode finally wraps up some of the loose ends that we skipped over in prior instalments.  We wanted to group these special singles into one episode.

In 2002, Maiden reissued “Run to the Hills” to support a special fundraising gig for the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund.  The first CD single included songs from Beast Over Hammersmith, also released in 2002 on Eddie’s Archive.  This single also supported the forthcoming Rock In Rio album.  A second CD included two tracks from Reading 1982.  Both singles included Camp Chaos videos later released on Visions of the Beast.  “Total Eclipse” is a previously unreleased live version.

In 2005, to support The Early Years DVD, Maiden reissued “The Number of the Beast” on CD and vinyl.  There were new B-sides here as well, from the Clive Burr support gig at Brixton ’02.   The single also included a Camp Chaos video, and a live video from Brixton.

Finally in 2005, supporting Death on the Road, “The Trooper” was reissued on multiple formats.  A highly coveted download-only version of “The Trooper” from Iceland in 2005 remains one of Maiden’s most highly sought rarities, simply because it had no physical release and is no longer for sale on their website.  The singles on various formats included a slew of early tracks from the Eddie Rips Up The World Tour.  Once again the CD version included videos, but no Camp Chaos this time.

Harrison and Mike will go through all the versions of all the singles, in detail tonight.  That wraps up all the loose ends before we get into the next studio album, A Matter of Life and Death.  Don’t miss this special, crucial part of Maiden history.

Friday February 6 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T., 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

 

 

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

🅻🅸🆅🅴 50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 28: Death on the Road

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 28: Death on the Road

A special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 episode with guest Jex Russell

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #135

Scream for me, YouTube!  We’re back with our first live Maiden episode of 2026.  We try and do the live albums as live episodes, since we love that live show experience so much.  With us this time is a lucky owner of the Death on the Road DVD, Mr. Jex Russell!  We first saw his copy of the DVD back in June 26 on a special episode on our Maiden collections.  That set being such a rarity, we had to get Jex back on board when it was time to talk about it.

The early 2000s were an incredibly busy time for Iron Maiden, and for the first time ever we had two consecutive live albums after two consecutive studio albums.  This leads to natural comparisons with Rock In Rio, which also received CD and DVD releases.

Tonight we go all-in for the live album, breaking it down track by track.  Harrison and Jex will have their DVD copies on hand to detail us on its contents.  All three of us will be live to answer your questions and comments as we go!  Don’t miss this special live episode!

 

Friday January 23 at  7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

Past episodes:

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50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: The Essential Iron Maiden

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: The Essential Iron Maiden

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK bonus episode

This week’s bonus episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden falls on a Tuesday.  This is a shorter episode, that we wanted to run mid-week.

On 12 July 2005, Sony released The Essential Iron Maiden in North America.  As Maiden’s fourth compilation (and third multi-disc compilation), it was interesting for several reasons.  First and most obviously, there is no Eddie on the cover.  Second, it was released as part of Sony’s Essential series, and we’ll look at another disc from that series for comparison.  Third, it is again mostly reverse-chronological, almost like an updated Best of the Beast without the rarities.

We’re calling it the “weirdest” Iron Maiden best of album for these reasons and more.  Would you buy it?  Have a watch and let us know about this truly un-essential Essential release by Sony!

Wednesday January 13 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T., 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

 

 

Past episodes:

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REVIEW: Iron Maiden – The Early Days (2004 DVD)

IRON MAIDEN – The History of Iron Maiden Part 1: The Early Days (2004 EMI DVD)

Staying on the cutting edge, Iron Maiden released one of the best and most value-packed videos of anyone’s career with The History of Iron Maiden Part 1: The Early Days.  We won’t get too much into how they never really properly followed it.  We’ll just praise it for what it is:  A must-buy DVD for your Iron Maiden collection, and your education.

The DVD is divided into several sections, with the main feature The Early Days winding up on Disc Two.  That’s where we’ll start.

 

 

Disc Two

The Early Days

Released to DVD on, The Early Days is a 90 minute feature directed by Matthew Amos.  Impressively and most importantly, they gathered together as many past members as were willing and able.  Many of them have never seen interviewed before:  Doug Sampson, Rob “Rebel” Matthews, Dave Sullivan, Terry Rance, Bob Sawyer, Terry Wapram, Paul Di’Anno, Dennis Stratton, and Clive Burr.  This in addition to Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Nicko McBrain.  We gain some insight into the formation of Steve’s early band Gypsy’s Kiss.  What Steve really needed was a band where he could lead.   Gypsy’s Kiss broke up after a mere five gigs, due to the usual “musical differences”.  Iron Maiden formed, and gained fans via word of mouth.  There is the claim that original singer Paul Mario Day didn’t have a great stage presence, according to original drummer Ron “Rebel” Matthews.  Looking for a showman, they went with Wilcock who was highly influenced by Kiss.  He had this sword gimmick with fake blood coming from his mouth.  Musically, Dave Murray was the turning point, but Dennis Wilcock convinced Steve to fire the whole band.  Steve and Wilcock formed a new Iron Maiden, with Thunderstick on drums.  You know!  The guy with the leather mask, best known from Samson.  He blew a gig (on drugs) and was fired.  Maiden tried a keyboard player instead of a second guitarist, until Wilcock suddenly left the band.  Doug Sampson from one of Steve’s first bands, Smiler, joined in.  Dave Murray came back, and they found Paul Di’Anno.  This would prove to be the foundation of Iron Maiden.  They toiled with a four-man lineup, as they tried out guitarists.  Paul Todd, Tony Parsons, and “Mad Mac” all their moments, but don’t last.  Parsons, at least, was recorded on a number of tracks now released on Eddie’s Archive.  Speaking of whom, Eddie is finally created (as a smoke-breathing head), and Maiden had a mascot.  The Soundhouse Tapes were recorded, and handed to DJ Neal Kaye.  This led to a live gig at the Soundhouse and things began to snowball.

Future manager Rod Smallwood got hold of the tape.  Somehow he managed to sign Iron Maiden to a three record deal, which was an incredible guarantee for Iron Maiden.  Doug Sampson unfortunately was not healthy enough to enjoy the spoils.  He would not be able to tour, and had to be replaced.  The talented Dennis Stratton came aboard on guitar and backing vocals, bringing drummer Clive Burr with him.  The lineup that recorded the EMI debut was set.

The band were not happy with original producer Will Malone, who was disengaged and uninterested.  Artist Derek Riggs was found, and Eddie was brought to life.  Iron Maiden performed live on Top of the Pops, the first band to actually play live since the Who in the 1970s. Touring with Kiss, Maiden took note of their stage and performance.  It is acknowledged that Kiss were their model when they chose to get more theatrical on future tours.  Unfortunately for Stratton, Dennis was let go at the end of the Kiss tour.  Regardless of his talent, they were not cut from the same cloth.   They knew Adrian Smith from his band Urchin (“Roller” is shown).  Martin Birch (Deep Purple) is recruited to produce the more satisfying second album, and they band embark on their first world tour.

The beloved Paul Di’Anno began to falter.  Even Paul acknowledges that Maiden did the right thing by getting Bruce Bruce from Samson.  Bruce electrified the band, in the studio and on stage.  He enabled them to push it further.  On stage, he was an acrobat.  This caused some friction with the bass player, who was quite used to standing next to the singer on center stage.  Now, there was a madman running about, colliding with Steve Harris at center stage as they battled for position.  It only made the band that much better live.

It’s clearly a tough gig.  Clive Burr was not doing well.  The drummer was given three months to sort himself out but he couldn’t.  Lacking time, the band had to move on.  Nicko McBrain was known from the band Trust, and was the natural guy to take over.  Food For Thought was considered for the next album title, but we all know it became Piece of Mind.

Cut to Maiden live at Dortmund.  To be continued.

 

Disc One

Live at The Rainbow (originally released on VHS on 11 May 1981) – 30 minutes

Recorded 21 December 1980

The video quality on Live at the Rainbow is incredible – feels more like late 80s than early 80s quality!  However it was recorded and remastered for DVD, they did a smashing job here.  This lineup features a short-haired Adrian Smith on guitar, and has a stage set with the first album Eddie as the backdrop.  Paul Di’Anno is rocking mega spikes on his arms and belt, as was the look at the time.

The set begins with a cracking good version of “Wrathchild”.  Then Paul introduces the “Title track from the second album!”, but the lyrics are the early version from before the words were finalized.  “Killers” features an incredible top-speed Clive Burr.  There are great closeup of Davey playing the descending harmonics.  The lights go dim, and the band are in darkness for the quiet opening of “Remember Tomorrow”.  The lights really go nuts on heavy parts.  Steve moves to the front for the instrumental “Transylvania” as he becomes the focus on stage.  The epic “Phantom of the Opera” follows.  Clive shows the world why he was so beloved in Iron Maiden.  He’s absolutely hammering here.  This could be the greatest version of the song ever released.  The set closes with “Iron Maiden”.  Davey starts with a whammy dive, before going into the main lick.  Paul has jacket on.  You can tell there was some editing here, as Paul had no shirt on the previous song, and now he has his jacket.  It’s a treat to see Dave and Adrian play those harmonies and leads though.

Beast Over Hammersmith (full audio available on Eddie’s Archive, video previously unreleased) – 45 minutes

Recorded 20 March 1982

They claim the full show is unwatchable.  They say they had to do a lot of work just to restore the nine songs on this DVD.  Regardless, this show including Bruce is great to watch because of the contrast.  Now the band were on the big stage.  Now they had a stage show.  Now they had Bruce.

There is an opening montage of the crowd entering the venue, lots of jean jackets and patches, to the tune of “Murders in the Rue Morgue”.  Bruce enters like a whirlwind!  The lighting rig is cool – like a “V” of lights on stage below Clive.  “Run to the Hills” is early in the set and now it’s refreshing to go back to 1982 and hear Young Bruce singing it at full lungs.  Bruce is noticeably a far more visual frontman than Paul was.  Only one studded arm though!  “Children of the Damned” is next, as the lights dim a bit and Bruce stands center stage.  No running about, this time.

“The Number of the Beast” sees the crowd fairly calm during the opening, since it is a new song and they don’t know the opening yet.  Davey headbangs through the whole thing!  Annoyingly, the camera avoids Adrian during his part of the guitar solo.  During “22 Acacia Avenue”, Bruce reveals that Adrian had some bruised or broken ribs!  Though musically brilliant, this is where the band lost their way.  Charlotte appears on stage in the flesh, dancing next to Adrian, raising her legs, and moving to center stage in front of Bruce.  It’s a rare miss for Iron Maiden as it takes the focus away from the band.

Bruce introduces the “B-side of our current single!”, and it’s the rarely played “Total Eclipse”.  Bruce’s vocal is far more expressive than the studio version.  This time the camera focuses on the appropriate guitar players during the split solo, thankfully.  Bruce then removes his leather jacket for the melodic masterpiece “The Prisoner”  For “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, he most dramatic song of the set, Bruce stands on the “V” steps by the drums.  Then, he comes down later to rile up the crowd as the song gets faster and harder.  Finally, it’s “Iron Maiden” and Bruce explains to the crowd what the torture device does.  The band really explode onstage for this fast blaster!

Live In Dortmund – Rock and Pop Festival (previously unreleased) – 45 minutes

Recorded 18 Dec 1983, broadcast only once

Maiden headlined over Ozzy, Scorpions, Def Leppard, Priest and Michael Schenker if you can believe it.  Maiden over Ozzy.  For this Piece of Mind era show including Nicko McBrain, we only have the surviving broadcast tapes.  “Iron Maiden” was also played, but cut from broadcast due to an Eddie “lobotomy” with tissues and ribbons counting as “excessive violence”.  The recording of that song is now lost.

Bruce had what we’ll call his “caveman look” with a shirt like something Fred would wear on the Flintstones, paired with some leather trousers.  We open with “Sanctuary” and a very animated Nicko on the cymbals, when he stands for the cheer break.  Bruce’s vocal delivery is a tad too operatic for this song.  Davey’s solo is gravy.  Onto “The Trooper”!  Bruce waves the union Jack, with smoke all over the stage.  The guitars are a bit thin sounding on this recording.  One cool moment is when Steve runs up drum riser and plays face to face with Nicko.  Steve is a real band leader, interacting with all the members on stage.  It is during “Revelations” that Bruce plays a Les Paul during the guitar harmonies.  Plays, or “plays”, it was rarely seen and here it is documented.  (It is this version that is included on the Best of the Beast vinyl LP limited edition.  His vocal here is powerful and far more expressive than the album.  It is a brilliant, full sounding version, loaded with energy.  There is however an annoying close-up on the stage Eddie (behind Nicko) during instrumental mid-section that keeps repeating.

“Scream for me, Dortmund!  The Flight of Icarus!”  The bass sounds heavier on this version.  Bruce nails the chorus.  No backing vocals audible as on Live After Death.  An absolutely killer rendition.  Back to “22 Acacia Avenue”, there is no dancing girl this time, Maiden having learned their lessons.  The audience is a sea of hands.  A great live version, with Bruce adding extra flair.

Now that they are familiar with the song, the audience speaks along to “The Number of the Beast” and its opening narration.  A grim reaper, concealed in smoke, appears on stage.  The band leaves, and then returns for the encore “Run to the Hills” and final song of the included set.  The chorus sounds different this time, lower perhaps.  Maybe it is because Steve’s backing vocals being so high in the mix?  At the end, Bruce destroys a drum kit!

 

Disc Two

There is plenty more to be seen and heard on disc two of this set, besides just The Early Days documentary.  There is a whole other 45 minute unreleased set of music from the band’s own archive, and lots of TV stuff included as well.  Here is a detailed breakdown of everything else on Disc Two.

20th Century Box – 21 minutes

Recorded & broadcast 1981

This television special is primarily framed in terms of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (here called a “revival”), and the musical culture of the time with Punk also reigning high.  There is rare black and white footage from the Marquee club, including “Phantom of the Opera”, “Drifter” and “Iron Maiden”.  There are interviews with Steve and Paul (in a comics shop!), Neal Kaye, Geoff Barton, famed air guitarist Rob Loonhouse (age 23), and many fans.  Produced for television, everything is slick and pro-shot.  A valuable time capsule.

Live at the Ruskin (previously unreleased) – 45 minutes

Recorded 14 April 1980

As of this DVD, Live at the Ruskin is the oldest known video of Iron Maiden live.  It is single camera of surprising quality, probably filmed by road tech Vic Vella.  The Ruskin was kind of a home base to Iron Maiden, and so the introduction goes:  “Welcome, your very own Iron Maiden!”  Paul is very talkative, as if presiding over a party with friends.  Heck, his own mum is in the house!  And so is guitarist Dennis Stratton, not yet sacked, and very much showing his value in this video.

“This is a song you should all know by now, it’s our next single.” And know it they do.  “Sanctuary” lights the place up.  The young band appears crowded on that small stage.  Dennis’ Les Paul solo is speedy magnificence.  Davey takes the second solo, with wah wah pedal.  Paul Di’Anno is very growly, and the “chuggy” section at the end is longer.  The video gets blurry a bit on “Wrathchild”, but it’s awesome to hear a version with Dennis’ solos.  The sweat is visible on Di’Anno’s face during “Prowler”.  Again, it is amazing to hear a live version with Dennis, as his tone was not the same as Davey’s or Adrian’s.  He also sings ample backing vocals, and his voice is different from Adrian’s.

A touch slower version of “Remember Tomorrow” follows, and then Clive leads the clapping on “Running Free”.  Vocally this is one of the best versions available, and that’s partly due to Dennis’ audible backing vocals.  Dennis and Davey perfectly in sync on guitar harmonies.  Outstanding version.  The instrumental “Transylviania” also features a lot of Dennis.  He does the first solo, and the main guitar lick of the song.

Time for band intros, as Paul removes his shirt.  Then it’s onto “Another Life”, the only official live version with Dennis ever released.  Steve’s bass is dominant, with a lot of high notes.  This is back when Maiden still had drum solos.  “Clive Burr on drums!” The audio goes out for a second, it’s not your DVD.

“Phantom of the Opera” features Steve and Dennis on backing vocals, in a very version.  Amusingly , you can spy lots of beer cans visible behind Davey on his amp.  Then we end the recording with “Charlotte the Harlot”.  Paul explains that it’s a song about a whorehouse, a brothel!  He can’t say more, as his mum is in the house!  There is a meandering intro, but Iron Maiden were not an arena act yet.  Another powerful version!

Top of the Pops

Two tracks here:  “Women in Uniform” (22/02/1980) with Adrian on guitar.  Actually live!  This is the only official live version of “Women in Uniform”, ever.  The drums sound shit, and you can hardly hear the guitars.  It’s not like Top of the Pops knew how to broadcast a live rock band.  The second track is “Running Free” (13/11/1980) which sounds better.  Paul is wearing the striped shirt under leather jacket.

Rock and Pop ZTV

Only one track here, from a German broadcast in 1980.  It’s a mimed “Running Free” with Adrian on guitar.

Five Promo Videos

You’ve seen ’em on TV, on Visions of the Beast, and now here too:  “Women In Uniform”, “Run to the Hills”, “The Number of the Beast”, “The Trooper” and “Flight of Icarus”, all original versions.  It doesn’t matter what people think today; back in the 80s these were some of the coolest music videos ever!  “Flight of Icarus” even had footage from inside the recording studio, which was not common for a lot of metal bands.

Steve’s Diary & Scrapbook, On The Road

Click and flick through the scans!  Interesting stuff about seeing Genesis at the Hammersmith, and the Stones at Knebworth.  There’s even some band bookkeeping:   getting paid 5 pounds for expenses, 10 pounds for a gig at Cart and Horses.  The biggest payout you see in these receipts was 25 pounds.  Steve even documents his bass amp payment installments.  Some major Maiden history is recorded:  the day Dennis Wilcock auditions to replace Paul Day (“Mon the 20th”).  Steve’s thoughts: “Now the hard part is to tell Paul…”  Paul Mario Day did 26 gigs in total, and understood when Steve broke the bad news.  The scrapbook has gig ads back to 1976.  One gig has them second to Samson (at the Music Machine, in Camden).  The section titled “On the Road” contains photo galleries going all the way back to 1973, Smiler, and the first Iron Maiden lineup.  There are pictures of Vic Vella, Rob Loonhouse, and many more.   This goes up to 1983, and includes tour programs, tour dates (back to 1979), shirts, backstage passes and assorted art.  All very fascinating stuff, but limited by the DVD format.  Today you’d do this on a website.

There is also an album and singles discography, with art.  Again this is something that works better on a website today.

And that’s an exhaustive review on an essential Maiden DVD.  There is even a beefy booklet with liner notes to read.  Maiden even toured for the DVD, playing only songs from the “Early Days”.  Now that’s how you do a release.  If only we had a live album from that tour!  Deluxe edition, lads?

4.5/5 stars

 

 

 

 

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 27: The Early Days DVD

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 27:  The History of Iron Maiden Part 1:  The Early Days

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #133

Buckle up, for tonight is one of the most detailed episodes of 50 Years of Iron Maiden to date!  In 2004, Iron Maiden went out on tour, but not to promote a new album.  This time (and for the first time!) they were out to promote a video:  The History of Iron Maiden Part 1: The Early Days, on DVD.  Tonight, we break down the entire contents of the DVD release (including the special features you probably never watched!) and the tour to boot.  Yes, this is an episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden as essential as any!

The DVD itself centers on The Early Days, a 90 minute documentary on Maiden history from 1975 to 1983 (the “early days”).  It includes interviews with Maiden members you’ve probably never met before, such as Ron “Rebel” Matthews, Terry Rance, Doug Sampson and many more.  The history of the band is run down with great care, ending in Dortmund in Germany on the World Piece Tour.

There are four concerts, in various states of completion:  Live at the Ruskin (1980), Live at the Rainbow (1981), Beast Over Hammersmith (1982) and Live in Dortmund (1983).  Even though we have discussed some of these tracks in previous episodes (including a full episode on the CD version of Hammersmith), we will go through every single track in exhausting detail.  Then there are the Top of the Pops and other TV shows to cover!  Then, Mike will take you through all the interesting details in the bonus features, such as Steve’s diary and scrapbook.  Find out exactly how Steve fired original singer Paul Mario Day, and when!

When this all said and done, Harrison will guide us through the Eddie Rips Up the World Tour, including the setlists and an incident involving Sharon Osbourne.  You might have heard about that one!  It happened on this tour.

Don’t miss the premiere of this episode, as we always like to interact in the comments!  Up the Irons!

Friday January 9 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T., 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

BONUS:  Tomorrow, January 10, Mike will post his written review of this DVD, never before seen, right here on this site.  This review, at almost 3000 words, is for those who prefer to read!  Mike never wrote a review of this release back in 2013 when he did his Maiden review series.  This is brand new and will not be exactly the same as what we will present in the video.  Enjoy both!

 

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – More Balls to Picasso (2025)

For a review of the original Balls to Picasso album, click here.

BRUCE DICKINSON – More Balls to Picasso (2025 BMG)

A time of turmoil!  As Bruce explains in the excellent liner notes within, there was a lot going on in the early 1990s.  Aside from leaving Iron Maiden in order to spread his wings as an artist, Bruce ended up scrapping the new solo album a couple times.  The first was an attempt with the UK band Skin.  Bruce was dissatisfied.  He tried again in America with Keith Olsen, a more pop version that Bruce said was influenced by Peter Gabriel.  Olsen had some issues, and that record too was scrapped when Bruce met a band called Tribe of Gypsies.  Immediately finding chemistry with guitarist Roy Z, Bruce started over again with producer Shay Baby, retaining only the song “Tears of the Dragon” from the earlier attempts.  Most of the Olsen album was ultimately released on B-sides, and on the 2 CD deluxe edition of Balls to Picasso.  The released 1994 album was heavy, and very 90s.  Little did we know, however, that Bruce wasn’t fully satisfied with the final album either.  By the time Bruce reunited with Roy and the Tribe of Gypsies in the late 1990s on Accident of Birth and Chemical Wedding, Bruce was questioning if Balls to Picasso should have been heavier.  More guitars.

Now, you can decide for yourself.  More Balls to Picasso is a remixed version of the album, with guitars added after the fact, and other enhancements made using the original tapes.  Given that the original is considered an important album in Bruce’s solo j0urney, it’s a risky record to revisit in this way.  Yet, Bruce did have a point.  As good as it was, it stands out in the discography as different; a lone rock.

The running order is unchanged.  “Cyclops”, a song more relevant today lyrically, is about living in the camera’s eye.  The sonic changes are immediate.  You can hear the sparse instrumentation of the original mix, but with thicker guitars and an added keyboard part that just shrieks.  It’s a very cool enhancement and the first clue that messing with this album was not a bad idea.  All the original elements are there, from Roy’s sparse guitar to the exotic percussion that often set the stage on this album.  Now there is just more to listen to.  You realize, there was always room for more.

“Hell No” opens as the original did, with more percussion and more guitar chords.  The bass has more thump, and the keyboard licks are a nice touch.  “Gods of War” has an added “war drum” part, along with some keys that sound like howling winds.  This song is one of the more transformed of the lot, though still not drastically so.  “1000 Points of Light” has one of the best enhancements.  In the chorus, you get a sudden guitar and keyboard duo lick that was never there before, and never would have existed in 1994.  It’s much more in line with the kind of metal melodies that Bruce did later in his solo career.  This hook improves the song 1000 percent, but never would have made the 1994 record.

Side two would have come at this point on the original album, which opens with “Laughing in the Hiding Bush”, never a standout song, but similarly remixed with additional atmosphere.  Now, “Change of Heart” is one that shouldn’t be messed with.  You don’t enhance perfection.  The keyboard/string arrangement is a nice touch, but the original is just too ingrained.  Its sparse arrangement was part of what gave it such lonely impact.  Now it sounds less special.  Less unique.  Less like a dark room with a sole occupant.  On the other hand, “Shoot All the Clowns” (which was a single) is much improved.  The song always felt a little cringey, with Bruce doing that rap part.  Now, with a horn section added, it makes much more sense.  A solid improvement.  “Fire”, meanwhile has more going on with the guitar and bass, and feels more engaging.  There are also what sounds like keyboards playing horn-like parts.  Moving on to the blazing “Sacred Cowboys”, this one would be difficult to improve upon.  Bruce’s double-tracked vocal on the original was so hypnotic.  This remixed version sounds strangely nasal.  Finally, “Tears of the Dragon” is another sacred song that you don’t want to mess around with.  The added string-like keys don’t really add.  Once again, the original was already perfect and this new one is like Bruce’s version of Drastic Symphonies.  Some may love it, but the original will remain the go-to for most.

Two added “live in the studio” bonus tracks are included.  Previously unreleased, these are heavy versions that should have been issued last time they released this album!  Bruce absolutely wails on “Gods of War”.  “Shoot All the Clowns” meanwhile gives you something to compare the horn version with, but Bruce’s vocals are very different on the verses.  They’re actually cooler here.

What this sounds like is Bigger Balls to Picasso.  It’s the same album.  With a couple exceptions, what we loved about the original record is still here.   In the liner notes, Bruce talks about being most comfortable in a “band” situation, rather than just with a bunch of hired musicians.  This sounds like the same band, but bigger.  It’s basically the Balls to Picasso band, as if they added a backing guitarist and a keyboardist and went out to play the songs live in the new configuration.  Some songs lose in the exchange, but more end up sounding better.  That’s it in a nutshell.

4/5 stars

 

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: The Greatest Iron Maiden Tribute Album You Never Heard – Food For Thought

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: The Greatest Iron Maiden Tribute Album You Never Heard – Food For Thought

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #130

This is an episode that we have been looking forward to since the very start of this series.  Tribute albums wouldn’t usually figure into our Iron Maiden story, but this is one that we felt so strongly about that there wasn’t even a question.  Check out Sweden’s Food For Thought, who did the best Iron Maiden tribute you’ve never heard.

With 19 tracks spanning the debut album all the way to Dance of Death, Now That’s What I Call ‘Kin Music / What Are We Doing This For? (2003) is the coolest tribute album you’re likely to hear.  Each track is performed in a unique style, from metal to folk to electronica, often in the style of known artists.  Therefore if you would like to hear “Sanctuary” done in the style of Deep Purple’s “Speed King”, you will hear it on this album.  What if Lemmy was in Iron Maiden?  Or Bon Scott?  All those questions will be answered tonight.

Harrison and Mike break down the album’s 19 tracks, including deep cuts, hits and a B-side. We also play song clips to illustrate our points.  It might not be an easy album to find, but our goal is to get your shopping for Food For Thought at the episode’s conclusion.

We hope you enjoy this episode and ultimately the album!  Tune into the premiere as we always like to interact in the comments.

Friday December 12 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T., 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist: