Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
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Free Music Notes for Somewhere in Time
Free Music Review: Caught somewhere in time
Hit: 5 Stars
Iron Maiden were the biggest Metal band in the world in 1986. Their reputation had been forged through tireless touring and prolific, high quality, very Metal albums. Having produced five studio albums in five years, and backing them all up with extensive world tours featuring massive live productions must have become tiring. While the band released Metal's greatest double live album `Live After Death' in 1985, no studio album was forthcoming that year. Was there a problem? Was Maiden tiring?
When `Somewhere In Time' was finally released in September 1986, shock horror, Iron Maiden had done something different!
The cover art offered a clue. Eddie had sprouted wires, a bionic eye and a laser, and was standing as a gunslinger in a Blade Runner/Terminator sci-fi cityscape. While not a concept album, like 1988's `Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son', a future shock/passage of time theme connects much of the album. The biggest change was the addition of synth bass and guitars, much to the consternation of long-time fans of the band. The synth sounds of the guitars and bass added to the cyborg feel, combining both the organic and the mechanical. Steve Harris' bass doesn't have quite the same gallop as on previous albums, but the minor change goes along with the band trying to do something a little different. And just because the guitars sounded a bit different didn't mean Adrian Smith and Dave Murray had forgotten how to play them.
While the singles "Wasted Years" and "Stranger In A Strange Land" were highly successful, neither were instant classics like "Number Of The Beast" or "Run To The Hills", but as a whole, this album is far more consistent than the previous three. There are no fillers, like "Back In The Village" or "Invaders". "Two Minutes To Midnight", from the `Powerslave' album would have fitted perfectly on to `Somewhere In Time', perhaps even hinting toward the direction of this album.
There are some great moments of pure Maiden on this album. Bruce Dickinson's voice is allowed to really soar at times, like on "Sea Of Madness" and "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner". The latter also features a snare/kick drum pattern from Nicko McBrain to simulate the runner's footsteps. "Wasted Years" is a song about not wasting opportunities and the brilliant descending scale riff is one of the best the band has ever recorded.
"Alexander The Great" is one of Iron Maiden's greatest epics. It was also impossible to play live until recent years, because it has so many different guitar lines weaving in and out of each other. The lyrics are a dramatisation of Alexander The Great's conquests, and like great Classical pieces, like "William Tell Overture" or "Hall Of The Mountain King", the multi-faceted, layered music also tells the story. Despite Bruce Dickinson having a degree in history, "Alexander The Great" was written by Steve Harris.
Science Fiction influenced Metal albums are a dime a dozen now, but back when Iron Maiden released `Somewhere In Time', it was innovative and more than a little surprising. Despite criticism levelled at the band back then, and in the years since, `Somewhere In Time' has held up well. Even casual Maiden fans need to hear this album.
Free Music Review: ...And realise you're living in the golden years...
Hit: 5 Stars
Somewhere In Time, Iron Maiden's 6th album, and in my opinion their best up to that year.
In the late 80's, metal music was changing, becoming more daring. Bands were implementing new and different instruments for a better sound. This is the album where Maiden did just that.
Using guitar-synths, and using them exceptionally well, Iron Maiden released Somewhere In Time in 1986. Hidden in between Powerslave and Seventh Son, this album may be sometimes forgotten, but make no mistake, this album is one of Maiden's best ever.
Caught Somewhere In Time comes at you straight away, and already you can hear these guitar synths improving the sound, giving it a "futuristic" feel. It's a great opening song, but it is only the beginning, as things get even better.
Wasted Years is the next track, and one of, if not the best Maiden song ever. The whole song is awesome and catchy and stays in your head for a long time. It is so popular, many other bands have done their own versions of this masterpiece, whether it be for a tribute album, or a part of the band's own album.
If you can stop yourself from repeating Wasted Years over and over, the next track is called Sea Of Madness. It's a good song, with the typical Maiden feel with heavy Harris bass. Not the best track on the album, but still good.
Heaven Can Wait comes next and it's another top song on the album. Very popular when performed live, as it gets the fans involved, and it's just as good when listening at home. If your not singing along during the middle part, you're just not a Maiden fan.
The next song, The Lonliness Of The Long Distance Runner, in my opinion, is the poorest song on the album. Although it has great guitar riffs, the structure and the way it is sung always annoyed me. And as a result I could never get into it.
The second best track on this album is next, Stranger In A Strange Land. From beginning to end, the song is supurb and a classic. It's everything you want in a Maiden track, with a killer solo too.
Deja-Vu is the next track, and again it is rathy catchy and you'll find yourself singing it in your head once you've listened to it. A rockin' track which I think should be included more often in Iron Maiden's live shows.
The album ends with a bang with Alexander The Great. An awesome epic track which could stand side by side with Rime Of The Ancient Mariner and To Tame A Land. Simply brilliant.
In my opinion, I think Somewhere In Time is Iron Maiden's 2nd best album out of the 13 studio albums they have done, in terms of best to least best. If you dont have this album yet, go out and buy it right now.
(rating each song is as follows: 0.98-1= killer track, 0.95-0.97= awesome track, 0.90-0.93= very good track, 0.85-0.88= OK/good track, 0.80-0.83= poor/average track. Once you add up the scores, divide by the number of tracks to get the percentage)
Caught Somewhere In Time: 0.95
Wasted Years: 1
Sea Of Madness: 0.90
Heaven Can Wait: 0.95
The Lonliness Of The Long Distance Runner: 0.85
Stranger In A Strange Land: 1
Deja-Vu: 0.92
Alexander The Great: 1 = 7.57, divided by 8 (tracks) = 94.6%
Free Music Review: Iron Maiden at their very best!
Hit: 5 Stars
Here it is folks. "Somewhere in Time". The finest album produced by Iron Maiden in my opinion, with "Piece of Mind" a close second. This is not only my favorite Maiden album but along with Metallica's "Ride the Lightning", it's my favorite Heavy Metal album ever. It's purely genius musicians working at their highest level of creativity and talent. It was definitely a change from anything they had done previously. They now had the money to experiment in the studio, and that they did. It's a very effects driven album, but no other album or band has used "effects" in a better way or style than right here. It's possibly their darkest, moodiest, and clearly the most progessive sounding album they've done, filled with time changes, mood changes, and great long, fast and slow solo's from the best. This album features the songwriting ability and talent of Adrian Smith, as the acrobatic fingers of Dave Murray, and his fast signature solo's take somewhat of a back seat. It's very melodic, moody, and still fast. It's the first Maiden album I listened to, and I probably don't recommend lisdtening to this first, if you're new or looking to get into Maiden. I would recommend starting with "Number of the Beast" or "Powerslave". It took me a few listens to finally appreciate the genius behind the creation of this fine pice of Heave Metal History. The album begins with the classic dual guitar sound in the intro of "Caught somewhere in Time". A long, fast, and fabulous intro to the album. Two long and great back to back solo's from Murray and Smith. The next song "Wasted Years" is one of their biggest hits ever, and really made here in America. Great catchy chorus, and great solo. One of my personal favorites from the band. The next song is one of the meanest riffs and vocals ever performed from the band. Great fast song, and great time change in the middle slowing down the pace after the fabulous solo from Adrian Smith. The next song "Heaven Can Wait" is a classic long epic from Steve harris, bassist and main songwriter. It also remained in their live set for years to come. The middle of the song between the two solo's is the highlight of the song, a great anthem during live shows meant for the crowd to sing along. "The loneliness of the long distance runner" is next, and features another great, cool, intro. A solid song, but the following song, another single and hit, "Stranger in a strange land" is one of the best on the album. It's a slower song, but features a fantastic moving solo from Adrian Smith which begins slowly and then heats up into a great jam that continues through the end of the song. "De Javu" is next, not the best song on the album, but the finale "Alexander the Great" is not just the best off the album, but possible my personal favorite song from Maiden. A great intro, which begins with "Philip of Macedon" giving his kingdom over to his son Alexander. The song is a narrative of his life and conquests, and you can really invision him leading his troops into battle throughout the intro. Among the best long, epic, thematic songs that typically close Maiden albums. This is by far Iron Maiden at their finest hour. Plain and simple. Every song is superb. Buy it!!Free Music Review: It's a "nightmare" from a drummer's point of view ;)
Hit: 5 Stars
It's unbelievable how many people mention Nicko's work here with very modest words! For the unenlightened: In the drummers' world, he's often cited as the world's fastest right foot. And this album shows this _fact_ clearly. I can't imagine that even the foot-profs like Virgil Donati, Simon Phillips or Gregg Bissonette could play some of these songs with one foot.OK let's begin. Listen closely to the "Caught Somewhere in Time", after the intro. He does these 8th-triplets and doubles in an mind-numbing tempo with his right foot (4th note at ~140-150 bpm), without a sweat. Even if you can manage to do it once or twice, you can't endure that long.
If you don't get satisfied with that, then listen to "Deja-Vu"! Pretty much the same incredible foot-work, but now with the addition of some very nicely placed hi-hat opens. He pulls off it very easily but don't you try this at home.
If you need more than speed & endurance, then take "Wasted Years". He hits the bass drum every 4th downbeat, whereas opens the hi-hat every 3th, playing some independent paradiddles with the hands, and makes it odd-time by adding an extra note every 2 measures. It took me years (though without much practicing, and with the "independence-feel", not computing the times) to play that chop. I've heard many Maiden cover-albums with this song in it, but no drummer can play it as fluent as Nicko does. And creatively, he wrote one of the most distinct and unforgettable grooves to one of the heavy metal's finest melodies (Adrian's intro). From a creativity point of view, in my book this rhythm proudly stands next to Gene Krupa, Neil Peart or Steve Gadd grooves. IMO, a nice groove should be complicated in its simplicity, and Nicko definitely manages to do that.
Though the album is full of Nicko's gems, his snare-roll on "Alexander the Great"s intro deserves particular mention: It is one of most homogeneous rolls I've ever heard in an album, you can't hear the initial speeding-up or force exertion, it simply begins and ends, like a car goes from 0 to 60mph in zero time! The vaguely-heard bass & hihat notes give it an even nicer edge.
Although Nicko didn't compose a song until recent "Dance of Death" his additions to Maiden albums, and especially "Somewhere in Time" are fine compositions in themselves.
Well, if you've listened to the album and still don't get convinced with his talent, I'd say you better need a slap on the back!
Anyway, surely he isn't a technical freak like Steve Smith, Mike Mangini or Terry Bozzio, but his performance on this album is the reason that I've started playing the drums 17 years ago and it's still in my "best of" list, and he's hell of a nice "band drummer" (his solos are funny :P). Too bad, _IMHO_, he couldn't match this performance & originality; except Brave New World came very close. Whatever.. In his style I'd say "This guy is 'kin' unbelievable he is" ;)
Free Music Review: Maiden's best 80s album?
Hit: 5 Stars
After the physically excrutiating World Slavery Tour, which lasted 11 months and consited of 193 shows, Maiden took sixth month a break to recharge their batteries and in January 1986, got back together to write their first album to feature synths: SOMEWHERE IN TIME. This was the first album NOT to be part of the Golden Years era, and the first of their "Experimentation" era.
This is Maiden's best 80s album they ever recorded. Best listening setting would be on a cold winter night, in the house with a fire going on and the lights out. But really, it's great anytime and anywhere.
CAUGHT SOMEWHERE IN TIME: 10+/10: BEST MAIDEN OPENER EVER. From the moment that the Blade Runner-ish intro to the song blasts out of the speakers, you're in for a very fun ride! The song goes into a gallop that is fast, heavy, and awesome, and contains the 2nd most amazing Guitar solo from Adrian! This song sounds great live too, in fact the Osaka '87 bootleg version sounds fantastic.
WASTED YEARS: 9/10: A beautiful song with amazing lyrics. Apparently the band wrote this while on the World Slavery Tour, and you can tell. Bruce's voice is fantastic on this, and the intro is pretty cool.
SEA OF MADNESS: 10+/10: Maiden's heaviest track yet, and maybe even the best song on the album! Bruce's voice soars, and the guitar truly makes the song. The vocal haromony is great.
HEAVEN CAN WAIT: 8/10: Very catchy and singalong-able track, and the bridge is very popular where fans go onstgage at concerts and sing the oohing part. I wish I was onstage at the show I went to, especially with my favorite band (Maiden, of course)! This sounded fantastic at the show I went to on June 6th!
THE LONLINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER: 9/10: The tediousness of the ridiculously long title, but other than that, this song ROCKS!!!!! The gallop is fantastic, Bruce's vocals shine on the album here. And the "I've got to keep ruuuunning..." part just blows me away everytime I hear it.
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND: 10/10: A catchy song that does a good job at creating a desperate mood. Definitely creates a video in your head too, of a desperate man lost and looking for help.
DEJA VU: 4/10: This song isn't that bad, but the song sounds like it was recorded in one take (in other words rushed- Moonchild was recorded in one take but at least it sounded awesome), plus Bruce sounds awful on this song.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT: 10/10: A fantastic epic song that creates the "warrior" feel. Time signature change is very prominent here, and Bruce and Adrian truly shine, as well as Nicko's drumming is fantastic.
Overall, this is Maiden's best 80s album. I got it back in Febuary and have loved it ever since. BRAVE NEW WORLD is my favorite Maiden album, but this one still rocks! Buy it if you don't have it!