For Christmas this year I picked up a bunch of CDs for myself and my kids, some of which were on behalf of my Grandma (dad's mom). Which means my son can now say that his Great-Grandma bought him his first Iron Maiden album. He knows who actually picked it up, but it sounds cooler the other way.
Now when it comes to Christmas shopping, especially for music, I try not to buy the children albums I already own. I like them to have their own music. When they move out they can ask me to buy them albums I own and they miss, much like I'll have to do with some of theirs. This is why my son's first Iron Maiden album is Somewhere In Time.
I spent a lot of time debating over this album, or Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. The only reason this album won out, was due to my personal bias. Adrian Smith wrote three of the tracks on this album himself, including one of my all time favourites. He only co-wrote the same number of tracks on Seventh Son.
The album opens with the sort of title track, Caught Somewhere In Time. This is your pretty typical Maiden track. Steve Harris gallops, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith guitar duel, Nick McBrain plays at rapid pace, and Bruce Dickinson does that thing he does so well. The chorus, which is the song's title sung over and over, is rather catchy, and musically the song is completely solid. Also, only Iron Maiden can succesfully kick off an album with a song that clocks in at 7:26.
The second track on this album is one of my favourite Maiden songs. Wasted Years is one of Adrian Smith's babies, and it's so amazing. The opening guitar riff, which is smoking, is one hell of a lead in to a song, that is very Maiden, but without the Steve Harris effect. This is one of the songs that doesn't gallop, but instead just speeds/soars away. Then there's all the texturing and blazing fast repeat of the main riff, before they finally break into the solo. This song is pretty much a wet dream for me, as far as the music goes. Lyrically, it's your standard song about reflecting on the time passing by, but I like singing this one.
After that comes Sea Of Madness, which is pretty much the same continued orgasmic music as the last track, but not quite as good. This song sounds a little more typical of the time in which it was released. The extremely wicked guitar shredding and bass (still not galloping) ripping during most of the instrumental sections is top notch playing and excitement. The vocal parts aren't as musically exciting for the most part.
Heaven Can Wait is not a favourite of mine. I respect the hell out of the song, and I love it live, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not a Maiden song that I have to listen to. That being said I don't ever feel a need to skip it either.
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner, is one of those songs that I wouldn't bother with if the CD wasn't in the player. Musically it's decent enough, but nothing special. This is one of those tracks that are more filler than anything else to me. Just for the record I don't think anyone could do a successful song about running. I think the snare drum should have been turned down a bit as well.
Next up is the last Smith song for the album. Stranger In A Strange Land is sexy sounding musically. It struts and demands attention. Lyrically I find it very intriguing. "Was many years ago that I left home and came this way / I was a young man, full of hopes and dreams / But now it seems to me that all is lost and nothing gained / Sometimes things ain't what they seem / No brave new world, no brave new world / No brave new world, no brave new world / Night and day I scan horizon, sea and sky / My spirit wanders endlessly / Until the day will dawn and friends from home discover why / Hear me calling, rescue me / Set me free, set me free / Lost in this place and leave no trace / Stranger in a strange land / Land of ice and snow / Trapped inside this prison / Lost and far from home / One hundred years have gone and men again they came that way / To find the answer to the mystery / They found his body lying where it fell on that day / Preserved in time for all to see / No brave new world, no brave new world / Lost in this place and leave no trace / What became of the man that started / All are gone and their souls departed / Left me here in this place / So all alone". After that it gets repetitive with the chorus and pre chorus. But that's not a complaint. There's some really great musical work in between, and it's a great listen. This is probably my third favourite song from this album. Cleary my favourite is Wasted Years, and the second one finishes off the album.
De Ja Vu is a really interesting musically. You can hear the sound experimentalism the band is going to use more on the next album, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. Lyrically it's a pretty standard affair. Still, I have to give my props to this track. I find it impressive.
The album finishes with Alexander The Great, which is an 8:36 account of the ancient Macedon ruler. If you like Iron Maiden epic songs, than you should enjoy this one. I'm even able to overlook and enjoy the synth work on this song. I like the fact that this song takes me somewhere musically. In some cases it feels more like a soundtrack score than an actual piece of Heavy Metal music.
I actually find it interesting how much I dig this album now. When I first heard it in my teens, I found it a bit overly complex, for the sake of musical masterbation. Now a days I don't feel that way at all. I think a lot of my problem back in the day, was a bias against the Power Metal feel and vibe to the album. Where as now, I find it much better than Power Metal, and feel like I originally insulted the album lumping it in with the that particular genre.
My biggest complaint about this album is the volume level of the drums. I found the snare drum a bit too loud in most of the mix, and the drums sound to centred to me, while the rest of the instruments have a more expanded sound, which in some cases has the guitars sounding too distant, or quiet.
7/10 - content
6/10 - production
8/10 - personal bias
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