Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls

Witchfinder wrote:

Why release a 27 second clip from a 90 minute album?

Does seem like a bit of a dick tease to only give us 27 seconds, doesn't it. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the new album.

Bands release stupid little teasers like this all the time for promotional reasons. Pink Floyd did several before The Endless River came out. Not sure why it's such a big deal, if you don't want to hear just 27 seconds don't click play and wait until the single is released.

It's not a big deal. I was just making a joke. Lighten up, Francis.

My post wasn't directed at you, I had just finished reading a bunch of similar complaints on Facebook and it was more of a global response.

Thankfully I'm not on Facebook or I'd tell them all to reach around and pull out the giant knot they have in their collective panties.

I get the "listen or don't" view, but from a promotional point of view, release a single or don't. I hate these "teasers."

"Oh listen! A drum fill! I like those! Um... A riff! Sweet and... Well, there were words.. No context, but I guess they could be badass awesome..."

I mean, they just give no real impression of an album. You could say the same about a single, but at least you're hearing a full song so production, songwriting and performance are at least sampled as part of a total THING rather than this rapid fire slideshow.

It's just a movie teaser applied to album promotion. You know, the short little trailer before the actual trailer is released.

Works better with a movie than an album.

S.D. wrote:

It's just a movie teaser applied to album promotion.  You know, the short little trailer before the actual trailer is released.  

Just enough for some folks to make up their mind that the new album is going to suck, the production is terrible, the songs are boring, the playing is mediocre, the artwork is terrible, Bruce can't sing anymore, etc. etc. etc.

ZombieHavoc wrote:

Works better with a movie than an album.

Sometimes just getting in the tip is good enough if you're not allowed to go all the way. *Wink*wink*nudge*nudge*know what I mean?

What's cracking me up is all the focus on how long the album is. If you don't have the attention span...hit the stop button and finish the album later.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of long albums myself.

I like a nice lean record.

The worst was in the, I don't know, earliest 90s, when hip hop/rap records started making FULL use of the CD running time capabilities...so every album was a good 78 minutes long. So much fat that really, really needed to be trimmed.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

ZombieHavoc wrote:

Works better with a movie than an album.

Sometimes just getting in the tip is good enough if you're not allowed to go all the way. *Wink*wink*nudge*nudge*know what I mean?

Well, I think you won "comment of the day" with that one.

If a band primarily focuses on short punchy rock tunes of the 3 minute variety then yeah, I actually prefer a shorter album. I don't need a 20 track release of 3 minute songs.

But, if the band focuses more on long form composition then I'm fine with a longer running time. Most of my collection is songs in the 7 minutes and over range. 6 minutes is a single in my mind.

I'm no fan of the hard and fast "3.5 minutes for a single" thing because of things like Bohemian Rhapsody that called bullshit on it. That said, some albums don't need to be as long as they are and the advent of the CD runtime along with digital-only albums has encouraged far too many bands to avoid trimming the fat (or, weirder still, taking great tracks and holding them back as bonus tracks for "deluxe editions" and letting weaker tracks make up the album).

None of us are fortune tellers, so we have no idea if the Maiden album will have that, but I can definitely understand some trepidation going in given the trend.

This is a 2-CD release with each disc being in the 45 minute range. Makes it simple enough to listen to one half and then later pop in the 2nd disc. I often listen to double albums in that way.

I look forward to a new Iron Maiden live album + DVD, presumably being released the week following this album. We definitely need one of those.

Rush has released a live DVD from every tour they've done for the past 13 years. Doesn't hurt anyone. If you're interested buy it, if not then don't.

S.D. wrote:

Rush has released a live DVD from every tour they've done for the past 13 years.  Doesn't hurt anyone.  If you're interested buy it, if not then don't.  

Well...obviously? I will still make comments about it though.

S.D. wrote:

Rush has released a live DVD from every tour they've done for the past 13 years.  Doesn't hurt anyone.  If you're interested buy it, if not then don't.

I always assume it's an attempt to make up for the crap sonics of the previous live dvd/album. Those Canadians will get it right eventually!

R30 sounds good, as does Snakes & Arrows: Live and Clockwork Angels Tour.  Rush In Rio is probably my favorite, but it's the weakest from the recording standpoint. I cannot speak for the CD releases of these titles, I have the blu-ray of R30 and the DVDs for everything else.

Rush in Rio was the last one I heard and it sounded like I had cotton in my ears. Glad to know the other ones improve as they go though. I'll have to check them out.

Did you ever pick up that box set of the archival live videos? I owned it, but ended up selling it never having watched it. Been contemplating picking it up again.

My only problem with that archival box was the remastering on Exit...Stage Left overdid the low end, I preferred the sound of the original VHS release.

S.D. wrote:

My only problem with that archival box was the remastering on Exit...Stage Left overdid the low end, I preferred the sound of the original VHS release.

Weird choice...

Well, one thing Iron Maiden and Rush have in common since 2000 is I'm not crazy about the production sound on any of the records from either band. I like the material enough to give it a pass, but I'd love to hear these bands with a recording that actually has some instrumental separation and dynamic range for a change. Especially since both bands have past discographies that feature those very things.