Track title: “Prodigal Son”
Album: Killers
Year: 1981
Written by: Steve Harris
Subject: Soulsearching?
Type: Ballad (!)
Length: 6:05
Familiar? Very
Rating: 9/10
I suspect this is a song most of you don't like. I mean, Maiden? Doing a ****ing ballad? Give me a break! But hell, it works. And though I'm a sucker for the ballads on any album, I love this because it shows, despite what I would have thought, that Paul Di'Anno can really tone it back when he has to. All through Killers he's been raving, growling, rasping and snarling, but here, as the album heads towards its end, he's able to deliver a wonderful sensitive ballad. We got a foretaste of this on “Remember Tomorrow” on the debut, just a little teaser before he went off yelling again (and that's a great song, don't get me wrong) but here he's in total laidback mode, and he does a great job.
Kudos also to Adrian and Dave, who manage to create a guitar backdrop that is both soft and also has teeth, so that it doesn't sound like a soppy ballad. Of course, we've had “Strange World” on the debut, but really, that's about it for years and years, even decades, as far as Maiden are concerned, so if you're here looking for lovesongs, well, try some other band. Not that this is a love song, either, far from it: this seems to be a man examining his actions, his past, looking into his very soul and asking for help to be a better person. Or something. But it's a superb song, and definitely on my list of top ten, and quite near the top too. Credit too must be given to new boy Martin Birch, who makes the production full and lush, a far cry from the job done on the first album.
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