IRON MAIDEN (UK) - Best of the Beast (4-LP, EMI, 1996)

RATING: 6/10

OK, let's make this one as short and sweet as possible, so we can swiftly move to more interesting (or at least more relevant) Iron Maiden releases. Usually, I'm not really into reviewing best-of compilations, save from situations where there's a fair percentage of unreleased or otherwise rare material - and "Best of the Beast", apart from its historical significance as the first legitimate compilation released by the group, does indeed have a few brand-new recordings to talk about, which just about justifies a review around here. In fact, the timing of the release does say something about the tricky situation Maiden was trying to navigate through: it didn't celebrate any anniversary, there was no label change going on (and therefore no need to fulfill contract obligations with such a release), it was simply a case of, hmmm, putting some Maiden classic songs together in a package people would be willing to buy. To make money, if you want to put it bluntly. Now, I don't think there's anything wrong about using your own legacy as a cash cow on occasion (most of all when it is of such an immensely high standard), but the simple fact that Maiden needed to do it was clear indication that their new incarnation (with Blaze Bayley assuming vocal duties) wasn't exactly a resounding sucess in terms of shifted copies and ticket sales.

Accordingly, it was released on many different formats (so collectors would be tempted to buy multiple versions, of course), the most interesting by far being the 4-LP package: I don't have it anymore, but it's quite a thing of beauty, believe me -  and vinyl releases weren't that common an occurence back in 1996 as they are nowadays, so it's a good one to add to your collection if you can't live without it, though you better prepare to spend some stupid money on it. That's the tracklist I'll include on this post, as it has the most songs included - and there's also a minor diamond hidden among the nuggets, this being a live version of "Revelations" recorded live in Westfalenhallen, Germany during the tour to promote "Piece of Mind". It's unique to the 4-LP version, and it was never re-released anywhere, which immediately turns the package into a must-have for the most obsessive Maiden completists. For the rest of us, well, it's a pretty nice recording of an undisputed Maiden classic, so it's definitely a pleasant listen, but there's nothing too extraordinary on it to justify any sleepless nights if you don't have a copy. And oh yeah, there's also the demo recording of "Strange World" from 1978, that was previously unreleased up to that point - but it did appear on so many bootlegs through the years that you can hardly list it as a surprise, though it was obviously nice to be able to have an officially-sanctioned version of it at last.

Apart from that, the main focus of interest would obviously be the two new recordings with Blaze Bayley, a live rendition of "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" and a brand-new composition named "Virus". This particular tune would also be released as a single (in no less than three different versions, as the band really wanted the collectors to reach into their pockets, you know), but never appeared on any full-length album, being something of an oddity on Maiden's repertoire. It's not a bad song, mind you, but nothing too memorable either, a bitter tirade on sensationalistic media and the music press in general that switches from somber leanings to more lively tempos without a proper hook to put it all together. The lyricism is grumpy, the songwriting is kinda lacking, and the song as a whole don't show Iron Maiden in a particularly shiny light, I'm afraid. Not a song you will be willing to revisit on a weekly basis, and also something of a bad omen of things to come, though we're nowhere near the cringe-worthy territory of some tunes that would come next (more about that on the next review, I guess). That being said, I really like the live take to "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" (recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995): it was notoriously one of the few songs from Maiden's back catalogue that Blaze mastered right from the start, and he sings it so well that some can even try to make a case it's better than Dickinson himself, though I personally wouldn't quite go that far. Anyway, it's a good rendition for the song, and considering that Maiden will probably never release a full live package from the Blaze era (and, let's face it, understandably so), this recording (along with "The Aftermath", "Blood on the Worlds Hands", "The Evil that Men Do" and "Man on the Edge", all released as B-sides) will be your best chance to hear, in officially-released material, how he sounded upon a stage.

The remaining cuts are a mostly adequate selection of Maiden highlights from throughout their career thus far, with mostly obvious choices and very little in the way of surprises. The selected tracks run in a chronological order, the most recent cuts being followed by older classics straight into "The Soundhouse Tapes". It's a fine way to spend a few hours with Eddie and the boys if you don't feel like preparing a playlist yourself, and I guess it served its original purpose to keep Iron Maiden's name alive while they tried to figure out what to do next. But even the Iron Maiden camp don't seem to regard "Best of the Beast" as a particularly representative compilation, as it's been long out of print (unlike most recent best-of releases like "Edward the Great" and "From Fear to Eternity") and there seems to be precisely zero prospect for a reissue anytime in the future. 

The tracklist that follows refers to the 4-LP package. Tracks marked with a * were also included on the 2-CD version. Tracks marked with a ** appeared on the 2-CD and single CD/MD versions. All tracks taken from the standard album releases where they originally appeared, unless otherwise noted

Side A

01. Virus (previously unreleased studio track) ** / 02. Sign of the Cross * / 03. Afraid to Shoot Strangers (live 1995, previously unreleased) *

Side B

01. Man on the Edge ** / 02. Be Quick or Be Dead ** / 03. Fear of the Dark (live, 'A Real Live One' vrs) ** / 04. Holy Smoke * / 05. Bring Your Daughter... To the Slaughter **

Side C

01. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son / 02. Can I Play with Madness ** / 03. The Evil that Men Do ** / 04. The Clairvoyant **

Side D

01. Heaven Can Wait * / 02. Wasted Years ** / 03. 2 Minutes to Midnight ** / 04. Running Free (live, 'Live After Death' vrs) **

Side E

01. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (live, 'Live After Death' vrs) * / 02. Aces High ** / 03. Where Eagles Dare * / 04. The Trooper **

Side F

01. The Number of the Beast ** / 02. Revelations (live 1983, previously unreleased) / 03. The Prisoner / 04. Run to the Hills ** / 05. Hallowed Be Thy Name **

Side G

01. Wrathchild * / 02. Killers / 03. Remember Tomorrow / 04. Phantom of the Opera * / 05. Sanctuary *

Side H

01. Prowler (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs) / 02. Invasion (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs) / 03. Strange World (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs, previously unreleased) * / 04. Iron Maiden (The Soundhouse Tapes vrs) *

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know! 

IRON MAIDEN (UK) - The X Factor (CD, EMI, 1995)

RATING: 8/10

Ok, we have all heard the stories. Thousands of tapes from aspiring vocalists, hailing from nearly every corner of the Earth, all painstakingly heard, ranked and evaluated - some names annotated on a spreadsheet, most simply catalogued and shelved for the time being. Some candidates were stronger than others, of course. Michael Kiske. Steve Grimmett. Glynn Morgan. André Matos. James LaBrie. Who would be chosen to fill the vacant slot left by the mighty Bruce Dickinson and become the new singer for Iron Maiden? Now, I don't want to pretend I'm a scholar on Maiden's convoluted history (you can go straight to Stjepan Juras' books, for instance, if you want to learn the band's history in minute detail), but it still amazes me just how much fan-fiction and legend were added to this particular topic. Contrary to what many Maiden forum users may argue, André Matos (RIP) did not get an audition with Maiden (Rod Smallwood, in particular, loved his voice, but the singer himself admited to have called the process quits before the final stages), Michael Kiske was never even considered, and fanciful options such as Joey Belladonna, Tony Martin, Joe Lynn Turner and Tobias Sammet (a mere 16-year-old at the time, for God's sake) were never on the cards, not for a single moment. In fact, the strongest candidates (and who actually got as far as sharing a studio with Maiden) were way less bombastic - and, to be fair, far more credible: Damian Wilson, Doogie White, Russ North (now that would have kicked ass) and of course, eventual winner Blaze Bayley. It seems that good old Steve Harris had Blaze as his heart choice from the very beginning, but the whole process went along nonetheless, and Doogie White (then a relative unknown, not long before him joining Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow) seems to have been a strong second place - but, as we all know, it was Bayley who got the gig, a choice that started a difficult, sometimes quite tense and confusing, but still very important and interesting period in Maiden's career.

Now, there's one thing that Blaze Bayley would hint in later interviews that I really think should be highlighted. As for his understanding, the fact that he turned out to be chosen should be attributed, most of all, to the creative connection between him and the other guys, most of all Steve Harris. They sure ran through a lot of Maiden classics during the auditions (and I would definitely want to hear the tapes, if they do exist), but they also experimented with a few ideas here and there (most of all, a particular leftover from the Fear of the Dark sessions that would eventually become "Judgement Day"), and it seems that Blaze came with the most interesting input, clearly pointing to a different direction from what Iron Maiden was doing in the early '90s. And, though Steve Harris seems to have been somewhat biased towards Blaze from an early stage (to the point that he may have gravely overlooked the singer's inability to emulate Dickinson in some decisive moments from their repertoire), he deserves credit for having a strong (and, IMHO, quite commendable) vision about what Iron Maiden should do next. He didn't wanted a Dickinson clone, and he didn't wanted to churn out the old regular Maiden fare: he wanted something different, capable of giving the band something of a rehaul in terms of singing, attitude and songwriting. And they sure went somewhere else on "The X Factor", whether you're enamoured with it or not.

Oh well, let me make this clear: no, I don't simply think that "The X Factor" is a good album. In fact, I actually think it kicks serious ass. It's one of my favorite metal albums from the 1990s, and seriously one of the very best things Iron Maiden ever did IMO. But perhaps the most significant thing to say is that it is an important record, an effort that damn sure made a difference in the band's fortunes from that point onwards. When it comes to Iron Maiden, it's easily one of the most significant turning points in their career (perhaps second only to "The Number of the Beast"), and it went a long way into redefining the band's outlook and sound. After "The X Factor" was out, things would never be the same for the Beast, for good or bad - and, in a sense, we're still listening to the version of the band that came out of this particular period of soul-searching and creativity, nearly 30 years later.

Let's listen to "Sign of the Cross", for instance. Easily the most daring and unexpected opening number Iron Maiden ever employed on an album, it's also one of the very best: it takes its time to create a remarkably somber atmosphere, then launches into a rollercoaster ride of changing tempos and guitar patterns, without ever losing its sense of storytelling or its grip on the listener's attention. It's over 11 minutes long, and it works like a beast, every second of it. And when you are as big as Iron Maiden, and you open your first record with a new singer with such a convoluted, uncompromising track, you're also making a statement of sorts, you know. We mean business, they're saying, and we don't feel like churning out straight-to-the-point, 4-minute-long, easy-to-understand verse-chorus tunes anymore. No, we're going to tell you some stories from now on, and we're gonna take our time doing that. 

I mean, of course they would write plenty of short-and-sweet hard-hitters in the years to come - even "The X Factor" has at least one, the intense and engaging "Man on the Edge". But the band's records would no longer be centered around its shorter cuts: quite the opposite, actually, as the group's creative ambitions (and the listener's expectations, and their heated discussions as well) would consistently shift towards the longer, often very cinematic tunes that graced every Maiden album from then on. In "The X Factor" (which, clocking in at around 70 minutes, is quite a long record), no less than three songs move beyond the 7-minute mark, and "The Edge of Darkness" gets pretty close as well - something rivaled only by "Somewhere in Time" previously, a record widely regarded as the more progressive-inclined done by the group until then. After the two final albums with Dickinson (both filled with tracks that mostly kept far away from the 5-minute mark), it was quite a change, and a road the band would never move away from on later releases - in fact, they would only venture deeper and deeper into that territory, as subsequent reviews will surely demonstrate.

"The X Factor" is a dark album. It sure reflects Harris' state of mind, having to deal with a divorce while handling the difficult task to find a new singer for his platinum-selling band - but it also hints to something else, something that seems to work in an intelectual level, so to speak. I mean, just give a close listen to his basslines: apart from a few songs like "Blood On the World's Hands" and "The Unbeliever", gone are the flamboyant, fast and technically challenging parts, substituted by a markedly more simple, let's-work-for-the-music approach. It's almost as the musician gives way to the songwriter, if you know what I mean: rather than being one of the most influential bass players to ever grace a stage, regardless of genres, Steve Harris seems to decide he wants to be acknowledged as a guy who can write great songs, and all his focus and vision will be devoted to such a cause from now on. 

In "The X Factor", this stance take shape as a handful of really thoughtful, quite somber tunes, showing a new-found interest for atmosphere (the intro to "Fortunes of War" and some main sections of "Sign of the Cross" being good examples) as well as a penchant for serious, world-conscious lyrics. Even when good old Steve allows himself to write some more fantasy-driven verses (like in "The Unbeliever" and, in a sense, "Judgement of Heaven") he's more inquisitive than ever before, basically questioning the deep meaning of everything around him. I always enjoyed his lyricism, and it got more and more interesting to me as time went on - culminating in deep pieces of honestly moving poetry like "Hell on Earth" and "Lost in a Lost World", to mention his most recent input (all right, more on that later, I'll try to control myself from now on). And then the presence of someone like Blaze Bayley really starts to click: his deep register works truly well throughout the record, and his songwriting input is way more down-to-earth than Dickinson ever was up to this point - or can you imagine Iron Maiden writing a song like "2 A.M." in the '80s? Me neither. You have every right to dislike the results, but you can't deny that Blaze brings something new to Maiden's picture - something that was undeniably in tune with the creative avenues Steve Harris wanted to explore.

Some (well, many actually) complaint about the record's production - even myself, for a while, felt it was below par for Maiden standard. But my opinion has changed a lot through the years: today, I really like the dry sound of the drums and the thinly distorted guitars, as they help to paint a cold, eerie sonic picture that suits perfectly well with the album's contents. "The X Factor" is like staring to the dark corners of Iron Maiden's castle, an unique experience that is quite rewarding if you allow it to take its time. My personal favorites here would be the aforementioned "Sign of the Cross", "Lord of the Flies" (some very nice riffing and a powerful vocal performance from Blaze), "The Aftermath", "Judgement of Heaven" and "The Unbeliever" - a song that is often overlooked, but that I consider to be the first of many worthy collaborations between Harris and Janick Gers through the years. Maybe "Look for the Truth" is a bit too simplistic for its own good, and "2 A.M." (perhaps for appearing quite late in the running order) sound a bit tired and redundant when compared to the strongest cuts here featured; apart from that, though, "The X Factor" is quite a cohesive, coherent record, devoted to its vision and that never slides away from its path. I really like it, you know, and I suggest you to give it a careful listen next time around, as there's definitely a lot of interesting stuff going on within its grooves.

Unfortunately, the record didn't exactly signaled a period of newfound success and recognition for the group. The world tour supporting it ("The X Factour", how clever of them) was something of a difficult affair, with canceled dates and many gigs (most of all in the USA) rescheduled to smaller venues, as they simply couldn't sell as much tickets as before. Besides, it didn't take long (the very first bootlegs from the tour, that is) for people to realise that Blaze, while doing a mostly good job with his own songs, simply couldn't do justice to many Maiden classics, as his range and register had very little to do with Bruce Dickinson's trademark high belting. Album sales were the lowest since "Killers", and you didn't needed to be a genius to understand that Iron Maiden were facing the risk of a serious decline in popularity. Some may argue that the right option was to double the bet and move the band more radically towards Blaze Bayley's characteristics - that is to say, drop some classics from the setlist and further invest in Maiden's darker tone in a new album. Iron Maiden decided to do a bit of the opposite, trying to recapture some of their usual magic while not completely turning their backs to the new features Bayley had to offer. It could have worked, but it turned out to be something of a disaster, a cautionary tale on how you simply can't please all the people all of the time. A subject to be further discussed in the next instalments of the series, that's for sure.

Blaze Bayley (V), Dave Murray (G), Janick Gers (G), Steve Harris (B), Nicko McBrain (D).

01. Sign of the Cross (Harris) 11:16
02. Lord of the Flies (Harris/Gers) 5:02
03. Man on the Edge (Bayley/Gers) 4:03
04. Fortunes of War (Harris) 7:25
05. Look for the Truth (Bayley/Gers/Harris) 5:10
06. The Aftermath (Harris/Bayley/Gers) 6:20
07. Judgement of Heaven (Harris) 5:10
08. Blood on the Worlds Hands (Harris) 6:00
09. The Edge of Darkness (Harris/Bayley/Gers) 6:39
10. 2 A.M. (Bayley/Gers/Harris) 5:37
11. The Unbeliever (Harris/Gers) 8:05

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know! 

GEMAGE (UK) - The Story So Far (7'', self-released, 1980)

RATING: 7/10

Once upon a time, there was a British rock group named Gemage that released a sole 7'' single in 1980, and no one seemed to know a damn thing about them. In fact, though not the most typical NWOBHM-sounding band you'll ever hear in your life (more on that later), there was (and still is) a lot of people willing to spend money on their reasonably scarse "The Story So Far" B/W "Bring Me Death" vinyl release, and the paucity of info regarding the band created a certain aura of mystery around them - as well as opening way for a few long-standing misconceptions regarding the outfit's biography. Not that Gemage's history is now known in minute detail, but it's fair to say that now we do actually know a thing or two about this combo, though there are still a lot of blanks to be filled on this particular profile (can you fill 'em? Get in touch!).

Hailing from Blackburn, Lancashire UK, this particular 5-piece seems to have existed for less than two years in total, probably forming sometime in 1979 and disbanding in the latter half of 1980, or early 1981 at the very latest. The two tracks released in the single are their only studio recordings, and were laid down to tape in around Christmas 1979 at Rochdale's Cargo Studio, being independently pressed and released in the early months of 1980. Contrary to widespread belief, Gemage doesn't refer to any member's real surname: the 'B. Gemage' credited as songwriter is none other than vocalist Billy Sumner, that seems to have chosen to adopt this rather bizarre stage name for no fathomable reason. Alongside him were guitarists Pete Frayne and Paul Lowery, bassist Steve Horsefield and drummer Jimmy Byrne - a certain Gas Sumner (Billy's brother, I'd wager) seems to have laid down backing vocals to the recordings, but judging for his very minor contribution to the songs (and though the concept of dedicated backing singers in rock bands isn't exactly unheard of), I'm pretty sure it was more of a casual appearance during a visit to the studio rather than any long-term commitment to Gemage's cause. Incidentally, I was once told that all band members used the same Gemage surname when playing live, in a typical Ramones-family scenario - but I never found any tangible evidence (or an eyewitness account) to support this, so I'll keep that possibility in the 'urban legend' file until further notice. Anyway, the 7'' was seemingly meant to be sold at gigs, but I reckon they never made more than a handful of shows around their geographical area after all, and therefore not many items ever made into circulation at the time, which would help explain its reasonable scarcity.

"The Story So Far" is the main focus of interest by far, being a reasonably forceful track that truly passes out as a legitimate attempt to play metal until the chorus, when a change in tone brings a more snotty, noisy, definitively punk feel to the proceedings. The main riff (a twin-guitar lead, in fact) sticks to your head at first listen, and Mr. Gemage's voice, though far from being your typical dose of metal (sound more like a new wave singer, in fact) works remarkably well in this songs' particular setup. Job well done, lads, and I would definitely buy this 7'' in virtue of this track alone (if I had the money, that is). Things get a bit weird on the flipside though, with "Bring Me Death" being way more inclined toward groups like Love, Procol Harum and The Byrds rather than anything more metallic - or contemporary, for that matter. It's a half-acoustic, psychedelic-tinged semi-ballad which is nice enough if you're in the right frame of mind, but I suspect it was something of an oddity in the band's repertoire, and can't help but think that picking a more orthodox rocker to complete their innaugural 7'' would have been a more representative choice, showing their collective powers in a more effective light.

I don't think Gemage lasted for too long after their sole single started doing the rounds, and it's reasonable to assume they had bitten the dust in a matter of months, quickly realising their considerable talents and youthful enthusiasm alone wouldn't take them to the next step - or maybe they just decided to do something else with their lives, which is fair enough. Accordingly, I suppose most of the lads just retreated to their day jobs thereafter - the only exception being bass player Steve Horsefield, who have been playing with local heroes The Itch for quite a while now, and is also known to have been a member of the Cottontown Sound Corporation, that released an independent CD in 2014. Not much else to report I'm afraid, at least for now - let's see if some enterprising individual (or some of the band members themselves) can help us to paint a clearer picture of Gemage in the not-too-distant future.

Billy 'Gemage' Sumner (V), Peter Frayne (G), Paul Lowery (G), Steve Horsefield (B), Jimmy Byrne (D). Also performed: Gas Sumner (backing vocals). All songs by B.Gemage.

01. The Story So Far
02. Bring Me Death

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!