Ahhh the 80s…a simpler time when email, the Internet and Blackberrys were things we just saw in movies like Back to the Future and weren’t everyday necessities. This was also a time when music choices weren't as complicated—the choice was pretty much 80s pop or heavy metal. Those were my Jr. High and High School years when young impressionable minds tend to gravitate toward heavy guitar riffs, pounding drums, and lyrics about war, the occult and morbid scenes depicting a fictional mascot that goes by the name Eddie. For me, the choice was obvious.
I was, and still am, a huge Iron Maiden fan through the entire period represented on the Somewhere Back In Time compilation. This release is inspired by their current tour that is going by the same name and is revisiting what is largely considered to be the golden age of the band. After giving this several listens, it’s obvious the band has chosen the crème de le crème of their material that has supported their decades of touring, which not so coincidently happens to be some of their best material of that period. “Churchhill’s Speech,” which kicked off every stop on the World Slavery Tour in 84–85, is followed up by “Ace’s High.” Both are off of the Live After Death (1985) release that documented that tour. The live version of this song combined with Winston Churchill’s gravely voice delivering his resolve to the British Parliament in 1940 eclipse the studio version making them the perfect choice to kick off the 14-track nostalgic romp. The studio version of “2 Minutes to Midnight,” off of Powerslave (1984), backs the opening track and was also the second song played on every stop of the World Slavery Tour. The third cut up is “The Trooper,” which also is a studio track taken straight from the Piece of Mind (1983) release. Hands down, this is the best track off of Piece of Mind. How can you go wrong with the first three cuts? Answer: You can’t. Then the flow of Maidenology is somewhat interrupted by “Wasted Years,” off the Somewhere In Time (1987) release. This isn’t a bad track by any means. It does represent a conceptual time for the band that shifted their sound and seems a little disruptive in the number 4 spot. If you can get by that, the next three tracks should melt your mind.
1982’s “The Number of the Beast” was the beginning of a new era for the band with Bruce Dickenson’s vocals, replacing Paul Di’Anno, helping to put the final piece into place for what would be considered by many to be the true “Iron Maiden.” “Children of the Dammed,” “The Number of the Beast” and “Run to the Hills” take us to track number 8 and are songs that this band has built their reputation on. For me the first three-song combo or this three-song combo are tracked out incredibly well and could be a flat-out tie for the best three Iron Maiden songs of all time.
The remaining tracks on this release are a mishmash of songs that span the 1980–1989 spectrum. This includes three tracks originating off of Iron Maiden (1980) and Killers (1981): “Phantom of the Opera,” “Wrathchild” and “Iron Maiden.” However, these were also taken from Live After Death, presumably because they feature Bruce on vocals and the live versions add that extra zest to what otherwise would be studio versions. There are also two cuts of off Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988), “The Evil That Men Do” and “Can I Play with Madness.” These two tracks are probably a couple of the best off this release, but could have been left off in my opinion. These songs again delve into Maiden’s experimental side again in the late 80s and don’t mesh well with material off of Iron Maiden, Killers, The Number of The Beast, Piece of Mind and Powerslave. However, they do fall into the decade represented and I guess that’s the point. The studio cut for "Powerslave," the title track to the 1984 release, is included along with “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” from The Number of the Beast, to round out the 14 tracks.
If you have the early Iron Maiden catalogue, you most likely have or all of this material. For the die-hard fan, this is not a must purchase. It really seems designed for the fan that may have worn out cassette versions of these tracks from the 80s and need some digitally updated versions before attending the upcoming Somewhere Back In Time tour from May through August. Which, if you like the lineup on this compilation, I would highly recommend checking it out when they hit the road for their North American Tour starting this week.
Luckily, I had parents cool enough in 1984 to understand that as a freshman in High school I should be allowed to attend concerts. As a result, I was fortunate enough to catch two stops on the World Slavery Tour in Chicago where I grew up in 84 and 85. These were actually some of my first live shows and they left quite and impression on me. I saw them one more time in 1988 on the 7th Son Tour, before putting my decade of Maiden dedication into other musical interests. Recently, I dusted this off when a good friend of mine got a pair of tickets to the L.A. Forum show last February and invited me along. The show didn’t disappoint and my attendance at the bigger, badder version of this show on May 30, 2008, at Verizon Amphitheater in Irvine is a guarantee.
Somewhere Back in Time is out now on Sony/EMI.
More info on Iron Maiden: www.ironmaiden.com
Iron Maiden Somewhere Back in Time Tour Dates:
USA May 21, 2008 San Antonio, Tx Verizon Wireless
USA May 22, 2008 Houston, Tx Woodlands
USA May 25, 2008 Albuquerque, Nm Journal Pavilion
USA May 26, 2008 Phoenix, Az Cricket Pavilion
USA May 28, 2008 Concord, Ca Concord
USA May 30, 2008 Los Angeles, Ca Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
USA May 31, 2008 Los Angeles, Ca Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
USA June 2, 2008 Seattle, Wa White River Amphitheater
Canada June 3, 2008 Vancouver, Bc Pacific Coliseum
Canada June 5, 2008 Calgary, Ab Saddledome
Canada June 6, 2008 Edmonton, Ab Rexall Place
Canada June 8, 2008 Regina, Sk Brandt Center
Canada June 9, 2008 Winnipeg, Mb Mts Centre
USA June 11, 2008 Rosemont, Il Allstate Arena
USA June 12, 2008 Cuyahoga Falls, Oh Blossom Music Center
USA June 14, 2008 Holmdel, Nj Pnc Bank Arts Center
USA June 15, 2008 New York, Ny Madison Square Gardens
USA June 17, 2008 Camden, Nj Susquehanna Bank Centre
USA June 18, 2008 Columbia, Md Merriweather Post Pavilion
USA June 20, 2008 Mansfield, Ma Tweeter Center For The Peforming Arts
Canada June 21, 2008 Montreal Parc Jean-Drapeau
Italy June 27, 2008 Gods Of Metal Festival Bologna
Belgium June 29, 2008 Dessel Graspop Festival
France July 1, 2008 Paris Ominisport De Bercy Arena
France July 2, 2008 Paris Ominisport De Bercy Arena
England July 5, 2008 London Twickenham Stadium
Portugal July 9, 2008 Lisbon Super Bock Super Rock Festival
Spain July 11, 2008 Merida Via De La Plata Festival
Spain July 12, 2008 Zaragoza Metalway Festival
Sweden July 16, 2008 Stockholm Stockholm Stadium
Finland July 18, 2008 Helsinki Helsinki Olympic Stadium
Finland July 19, 2008 Tampere Ratina Stadium
Norway July 22, 2008 Trondheim Lerkendalstadium
Norway July 24, 2008 Oslo Valle Hovin
Sweden July 26, 2008 Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium
Denmark July 27, 2008 Horsens Horsens Gods Bane Pladsen
Germany July 31, 2008 Wacken Open Air Wacken Festival
Greece August 2, 2008 Athens Terra Vibe Park
Romania August 4, 2008 Bucharest Cotroceni Football Stadium
Poland August 7, 2008 Warsaw Gwardia Stadium
Czech Republic August 8, 2008 Prague Slavia Football Stadium
Croatia August 10, 2008 Split Split City Stadium
Hungary August 12, 2008 Budapest Sziget Festival
Switzerland August 14, 2008 Basel St Jakobshalle
Holland August 16, 2008 Assen Assen Tt Circuit
Russia August 19, 2008 Moscow Olympic Stadium
