Up The Irons!

Ahh, Iron Maiden.  Where to start...  How about at the beginning?  It's my junior year in High School and I'm a full fledged solo Ozzy and Randy Rhoads freak, driving around with my buddy listening to whatever metal tape we have at the time.  What we were listening to now was a cassette of the first Maiden album, most likely recorded from the album because the sound was terrible but the songs were great and we listened to it over and over again.  The next time I was at the mall I went to the record store as per usual and I went looking under Iron Maiden.  There in the stack I found Iron Maiden and behind that was Killers.  I glanced to shelf above it where the new releases were and there was the Number of the Beast.  Decisions, decisions.  Well I wasn't going to spend my hard earned money on the album that I had a million times.  I needed some new Maiden but which one.  In looking over both albums I noticed a new singer on the Beast album.  What the hell?  They changed singers already.  I thought that was strange but I wanted the newer one and it didn't hurt that it was called the Number of the Beast.  As a young metalhead I figured any mention of the Devil the album had to be heavy.  So there it is the first Maiden album I bought is the best Maiden album still. 

There it is The Number of the Beast.  An Iconic release, one of the cd's that you have to have if stranded on a deserted island.  So that was my introduction to Maiden, since then I've seen them many times live and I faithfully buy every new cd and dvd.  One cool thing, the first time I saw Maiden was in Jersey in 1982, they opened up for Judas Priest.  How great of a double bill was that?  I went to school the next day with a shirt I had brought in the parking lot with the Priest Screaming for Vengeance cover on front and Iron Maiden Killers cover on back.  That got me promptly sent to the office.  HA, there wasn't much of a metal following in my High School to say the least.  My homeroom teacher thought my shirt was offensive.  Imagine that!

 In some future blogs I'll talk about some of the Maiden shows I've been to, I have some good stories to share about them.  Anyway before I sign off for the day I thought I'd list my top 5 Bruce Dickinson Maiden cd's and also my top 5 underrated songs.  You know the songs you don't hear much but are great.  I notice I don't have many followers but if you happen to read this leave your top 5 under comments.

My top 5 Bruce Maiden cd's

The Number of the Beast (of course)
Piece of Mind
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
PowerSlave
Brave New World

5 underrated Maiden songs

Children of the Damned
To Tame a Land
Back in the Village
Blood Brothers
No More Lies

Well Rivetheads I'm out for now.