Number of the Beast Iron Maiden's most overhyped album.

UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS wrote:

No love for Piece of Mind, Shawn?

It's a good album, it's just not "as good" as the other albums that surround it.

Quest For Fire is laughable, so far below their usual level of quality. I also think Sun & Steel is basically a throwaway tune. The final track has an awesome instrumental second half, but the first half is one of those Steve Harris compositions where the lyrics are so complex it makes it almost impossible to sing, leaving it sounding disjointed and tuneless...I always skip to the middle of that song once the vocals are over.

Witchfinder wrote:

 Their post-reunion albums have all been boring, old-man prog albums for the most part.  No thanks.

You need to come up with new material, you say that every time someone brings up the current Maiden albums.

As a fan of Prog for over 30 years I can also tell you that their current sound ISN'T prog. It's just mature Iron Maiden.

I don't think it's over hyped I think it's a great album.

Fantastic album.  Dare I say it, but, possibly an ESSENTIAL album.  Let's take a moment, though, and consider how fortunate we are to debate NotB vs PoM, Powerslave, SiT and 7thSon.

Is it overhyped?  In what way - it's quality, notoriety or status as a landmark release..?   In my opinion the only over-hyped aspect was the supposed satanic vibe which any educated person who bothered to listen or read the lyrics would know was nonsense.

It would take some time to do the research but I would feel that at least 3 songs from NotB are included any night Maiden step on stage.

Lastly, my personal favourite track from NotB has always been the Prisoner.

S.D. wrote:

Witchfinder wrote:

 Their post-reunion albums have all been boring, old-man prog albums for the most part.  No thanks.

You need to come up with new material, you say that every time someone brings up the current Maiden albums.

As a fan of Prog for over 30 years I can also tell you that their current sound ISN'T prog.  It's just mature Iron Maiden.  

Why would I need to come up with a new opinion? The albums haven't changed. They are too slow and plodding for my tastes. You enjoy them. Great. Go listen to them.

You say the same things constantly as well - namely that some older bands new, slower material is "mature" or "evolutionary and not the same album recorded over and over again." Hooray for you!

Witchfinder wrote:

 Their post-reunion albums have all been boring, old-man prog albums for the most part.  No thanks.

I wouldn't say a lot of their new albums but certain songs feel like this. Their latest album I kinda got that feeling though.

S.D. wrote:

MoonChild wrote:

Gilbert wrote:

the last few albums are boring, with the exception of brave new world.

Yes they are.

No. They aren't.  

Iron Maiden actually continued to evolve their sound, which I find refreshing compared to most of the old-dog bands from the 80s that basically just continue to release carbon copies of the stuff they did back then.  We don't need Powerslave Part 2, they've been there and done that.  

What SD said!

I would never say its over hyped.... it was their real 'break' through if you can call it that... I saw the last 90 seconds of the Run to the Hills video in 1982... I musta had that chorus stuck in my head for months before I could scratch enough cash together to buy Beast....

Once I bought it.... I was pretty well blown to pieces... Except I thought Hallowed was boring... too long... (weird coming from a Rush fan!! HA) .... hated Gangland and when I found out about Total Eclipse a year later on the import 12" single I wished mightly they had included that track instead...

I loved The Prisoner and INVADERS (never played live) I found to be one of the best metal openers ever.... energy driving insanity.... I couldn't stop playing Number and Run back to back to back to back.... it was awesome....

myself I'm pretty burnt out still on this album... yes its a classic but I really have to be in the right frame of mind.... especially after my middle son sang in a Maiden tribute band for two years.... Invader...... I've been on Maiden burn out for quite a long time.... lol....

Witchfinder wrote:

Why would I need to come up with a new opinion?  The albums haven't changed.  They are too slow and plodding for my tastes.  You enjoy them.  Great.  Go listen to them.  

You say the same things constantly as well - namely that some older bands new, slower material is "mature" or "evolutionary and not the same album recorded over and over again."  Hooray for you!

Bingo.

Which is worse: "more open-minded than thou" or "more troo than u"?
2 sides of the same coin.

I didn't say he needed to change his opinion!. Where did I say that, specifically? I said "new material" referring to him constantly saying "boring old man prog", which to me is inaccurate because THEY AREN'T f*cking PROG! And of course that's MY OPINION.

He's entitled to his opinion, I'd never ask him to change it, more power to him. He has every right to ignore them, hate them, whatever. I really don't give a F*ck one way or another.

S.D. wrote:

UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS wrote:

No love for Piece of Mind, Shawn?

It's a good album, it's just not "as good" as the other albums that surround it.  

Quest For Fire is laughable, so far below their usual level of quality.  I also think Sun & Steel is basically a throwaway tune.  The final track has an awesome instrumental second half, but the first half is one of those Steve Harris compositions where the lyrics are so complex it makes it almost impossible to sing, leaving it sounding disjointed and tuneless...I always skip to the middle of that song once the vocals are over.  

Ah, but if you're a fan of Dune (the novel moreso than the movie), then those lyrics are pure gold. Love To Tame A Land.

I would agree about Piece of Mind; Quest for Fire and Sun & Steel are two tracks I skip every time. The rest of it is really great, but NOTB, Powerslave, and SIT are more consistent.

This album is far from overhyped or overrated. It's an excellent and essential Iron Maiden release.

It's obvious that post 92 they were going in a more "prog" direction. Longer "epic" songs, "deep" lyrics asking existential questions, etc.

Not in terms of being more technical though.

Longer songs don't automatically equal prog, that's a common misconception.

Harris was a fan of progressive rock, there are little touches of prog THROUGHOUT their discography, but it's flavoring, they were never an actual prog band. Go back and listen to the self-titled and Killers and you'll find lots of little moments.

They had long songs in the 80s too; Hallowed By They Name (7 minutes), To Tame A Land (7:30), Powerslave (7:12), Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (13:42), Caught Somewhere In Time (7:26), Heaven Can Wait (7:21), Alexander The Great (8:36), Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (9:53), etc.

There are more long songs on their recent albums, but it's not unprecedented in their discography.

S.D. wrote:

UNCLE SAXON'S KICKASS CDS wrote:

No love for Piece of Mind, Shawn?

It's a good album, it's just not "as good" as the other albums that surround it.  

Quest For Fire is laughable, so far below their usual level of quality.  I also think Sun & Steel is basically a throwaway tune.  The final track has an awesome instrumental second half, but the first half is one of those Steve Harris compositions where the lyrics are so complex it makes it almost impossible to sing, leaving it sounding disjointed and tuneless...I always skip to the middle of that song once the vocals are over.  

I agree. To Tame A Land is probably my least favorite Maiden tune. I just could never get into it.

007 wrote:

I agree. To Tame A Land is probably my least favorite Maiden tune. I just could never get into it.

I think the instrumental second half of that song is one of the best things they ever did, I just don't like the vocal sections.

S.D. wrote:

I didn't say he needed to change his opinion!.  Where did I say that, specifically?  I said "new material" referring to him constantly saying "boring old man prog", which to me is inaccurate because THEY AREN'T f*cking PROG!  And of course that's MY OPINION.  

He's entitled to his opinion, I'd never ask him to change it, more power to him.  He has every right to ignore them, hate them, whatever.  I really don't give a F*ck one way or another.  

I wish they would mix in some faster, punchier material with their longer epics.  I would prefer a few more cuts like "The Wicker Man" on their albums to spice things up. I found their new material to be too turgid and "proggy" for my tastes.

Even "Wicker Man" is a really, really weak "rocking" track. Such a generic riff and lame melodies during the harmony. I wonder which parts Roy Z wrote. Maybe all of them. Wasn't it supposed to be on Bruce's solo album before the "hurry up and let's write an album before we tour" reunion album?

They have more long songs these days than ever before. I'm not saying they didn't do it before to mix it up on their albums. Having a few is one thing, making it the majority of your album is another.

Having said that though "Sign of the Cross" is one of their very best songs. It is very memorable all-around and doesn't overstay its welcome.

Had Adrian ever written a great long tune? Not in my recollection.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Had Adrian ever written a great long tune?  Not in my recollection.

Brighter Than A Thousand Suns.

Iron Maiden is over rated altogether imo. Doesn't mean they're not good though. I don't think there is a single album I dislike.

corplhicks wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

Had Adrian ever written a great long tune?  Not in my recollection.

Brighter Than A Thousand Suns.

You should know in advance that nothing you choose will meet the lofty expectations of "THE RIFF JUDGE". He eats RIFFS for breakfast, RIFFS for lunch, RIFFS for dinner...and hates 99% of them.

S.D. wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

Had Adrian ever written a great long tune?  Not in my recollection.

Brighter Than A Thousand Suns.

You should know in advance that nothing you choose will meet the lofty expectations of "THE RIFF JUDGE".  He eats RIFFS for breakfast, RIFFS for lunch, RIFFS for dinner...and hates 99% of them.

LMAO!!!!! I would add GREAT long songs (I used anything over 7 minutes) written by Smith:

Paschendale
Journeyman
The Longest Day
Lord Of Light
Isle of Avalon
Starblind

Looks like a great track record to me! And Wicker Man is killer song with a cool riff. Brave New World wasn't "thrown together for the tour" - they had already done the Ed Hunter tour and wrote the album in the same amount of time they always take to write an album. Did they bring ideas they already had? Sure, why wouldn't you???

I don't think it is overrated or overhyped. I listen to Piece of Mind and Powerslave far more than Beast. I agree that some of the second half of PoM is a bit of filler but "Revelations" and "Still Life" absolutely crush. Like many other albums from the 80's it's a sentimental fave. A classmate of mine in 7th grade gave PoM to another kid on cassette for his birthday and he hated it. So, a few weeks later I made a trade for it and have loved it ever since.

Powerslave beats both Piece of Mind and Beast. Doesn't mean any of them are overrated.

Or... maybe all classic Maiden is overrated? I agree that the X-Factor and reunion-era Maiden are underrated in comparison.

EDIT: the most overrated album in this thread is Somewhere in Time. It's just a mediocre album by Maiden standards. It's the one that falls in between the golden era and the glorious Seventh Son. And Di'Anno era is better than SiT, too.

thejokeriv wrote:

The Longest Day

Yes. One of my favorites off the newer albums.