Time to go deep into the history and music of another of my favourite rock icons, give you a flavour of what they're about. As these profiles are as in-depth and complete as I can make them, they usually exceed the character count allowed for one post, and this one is a monster! So it's split up into four parts, which in fact mirror the four incarnations, as it were, of the band in question.
Though there will be few who will not at least know the name Iron Maiden, it's possible that some of you younger 'uns may not realise that the “classic” lineup we see today is not how it always was, Indeed, of the current band members, only Steve Harris and Dave Murray were there at the beginning.
Part One: Killers runnin' free on the Rue Morgue: Formation and the Di'Anno years
Formed in 1975 by bass player Harris, Iron Maiden went through a few guitarists, singers and drummers before they came up with what would be their first “real” lineup, under which they would record and release their first ever recording, an EP called “The Soundhouse Tapes”, which rapidly sold out. Two of the tracks on that EP, “Prowler” and the eponymous “Iron Maiden”, would later feature on their first album, which they would also self-title. In 1979 Maiden signed to the huge label EMI, and had two other tracks included on a heavy metal compilation album called “Metal for muthas”. These were “Sanctuary” and “Wrathchild”, the latter of which would again feature on their debut album for the label.
In 1980 Maiden had the following lineup: Steve Harris (bass), Dave Murray (guitar), Clive Burr (drums) Paul Di'Anno (vocals) and Dennis Stratton (guitar), though Stratton left the band a few months later, to be replaced by Adrian Smith, who remains with them to this day. The album was a huge hit, with its raw power and yet melodic tracks, and Iron Maiden became one of the bands to spearhead the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) which signalled a renaissance of the heavy metal movement in the UK and led to the formation of some major bands.
The debut album featured a scary creature on the cover, a half-skeletal, half-humanoid monster with long spiky hair, who would become the band's mascot and sigil, and would feature, in different guises, on most Iron Maiden album covers. They called him Eddie the 'ead, though he was usually just known as Eddie. In keeping with the theme/layout of each album Eddie would take on different characteristics. For “Powerslave”, for instance, with its mystical and eastern themes and its title track written about an Egyptian god, Eddie was a pharaoh on the cover, while for “Somewhere in time”, with its futuristic setting, he was an alien hunter. Here, he is just seen looking out at you from the cover, standing in a street at night and looking very evil and scary. He looks like he's ready to kill.
Eddie was the creation of artist Derek Riggs, who would go on to illustrate all the Maiden sleeves and bring his often warped sense of creativity to each new one. One thing was certain: a Maiden cover was never boring! But what about the music? Well, as mentioned, it was raw and powerful, with a double guitar attack that would become the trademark of Iron Maiden, but I personally found the production very shoddy. Notable tracks from the album are “Phantom of the opera”, with its instantly recognisable guitar intro, which found fame when it was used for a Lucozade ad in the 80s. At the time, it was also their longest and most ambitious song, clocking in at over seven minutes and with distinct sections, or movements within it.
Also on the album is “Transylvania”, an instrumental, one of very few that Maiden ever wrote. It's punchy, powerful and very much part of the Iron Maiden sound. They also included a ballad on the album, which again would be few and far between as Maiden reached for the heavy metal stardom that would be theirs. “Strange world” features some really nice echo guitar work from Murray and is almost prog rock in its theme of a world without laughter. It's also a very good vehicle for the softer side of Di'Anno's vocals, which apart from this song always seem to be a snarl. “Remember tomorrow” actually fools you into thinking it's a ballad, but you're soon disabused of that notion as it kicks into top gear and Di'Anno starts screaming.
The album also features, as mentioned, “Prowler” from “The Soundhouse Tapes” and also the title track, which would become something of an anthem for the band. Their second album, “Killers” was released the following year, and this time Eddie is seen as a homicidal maniac on the cover, sporting a bloodstained hatchet, and indeed referred to generally in the lyric to the title track. Another old song, the one featured on the compilation album, is included on this album, and indeed after the short opening instrumental “The ides of March”, it's “Wrathchild” that opens the album proper.
This album was very much a Steve Harris project, as he wrote every song on it bar the title track, which was co-written with Paul Di'Anno. The album also features “Murders in the Rue Morgue”, based loosely on the Edgar Allan Poe horror short story, and another ballad, the superlative “Prodigal son”, but the title track is the crux of the album, and features Di'Anno in full madman mode, revelling in his narrative as the shadowy killer who
”Walks in the subway/ His eyes burn a hole in your back!/ A footstep behind you/ He lunges, prepared for attack!” The guitars on this song need to be heard to be believed. Di'Anno goes out in a blaze of glory, roaring his lungs out on the closer “Drifter”, and in fact his scream is the last sound on the album, bar the final guitar chord.