Di Anno or Dickinson?
Discussion
Just reprised my Iron Maiden Early Years DVD and wondered if what the consensus was on Maiden frontmen (I'm not including Blaze in this debate 
)?
I first bought a Maiden album in 1986 when I was at primary school and have loved them ever since, growing up with Bruce's vocals. I only bought 'Iron Maiden' and 'Killers' relatively late and hadn't really heard Di Anno, but to be honest those albums blew me away and 'Iron Maiden' is probably in my top three Maiden albums with 'Number of the Beast' and 'Piece of Mind'. Not as good a range, but Di Anno's gravelly voice really suits earlier Maiden better IMO, he does stuff like 'Iron Maiden' and 'Running Free' with more conviction. Would like to hear him do some of the later tracks like 'Be Quick or Be Dead'.
Oh, and Clive Burr or Nicko McBrain?
)? I first bought a Maiden album in 1986 when I was at primary school and have loved them ever since, growing up with Bruce's vocals. I only bought 'Iron Maiden' and 'Killers' relatively late and hadn't really heard Di Anno, but to be honest those albums blew me away and 'Iron Maiden' is probably in my top three Maiden albums with 'Number of the Beast' and 'Piece of Mind'. Not as good a range, but Di Anno's gravelly voice really suits earlier Maiden better IMO, he does stuff like 'Iron Maiden' and 'Running Free' with more conviction. Would like to hear him do some of the later tracks like 'Be Quick or Be Dead'.
Oh, and Clive Burr or Nicko McBrain?
always thought Bruce just couldnt sing Paul's songs as well... trying to raise them too high (same with Bruce now singing Blaze's songs - listening to Bruce sing Lord of the Flies and Sign of the Cross - it just doesnt work for me)
IM & Killers are fantastic albums - but they needed that switch to bruce.
Clice/Nicko - i cant choose - both great drummers (and i think 'arris has always been lightly disappointed that Clive couldnt cope with the tour schedules and had to quit)
IM & Killers are fantastic albums - but they needed that switch to bruce.
Clice/Nicko - i cant choose - both great drummers (and i think 'arris has always been lightly disappointed that Clive couldnt cope with the tour schedules and had to quit)
Paul DiAnno for me, but then I was a fan from "Running Free" onwards.
Maiden were the best live band I ever saw 1980/1 at Bracknell Sports Centre......also saw Motorhead on their Bomber tour there too and they were equally brilliant.
Paul DiAnno is still touring and he played Farnborough last year, which I unfortunately missed as I had to collect my car from France.....other half went and he was fantastic apparently
www.pauldianno.com/
Maiden were the best live band I ever saw 1980/1 at Bracknell Sports Centre......also saw Motorhead on their Bomber tour there too and they were equally brilliant.
Paul DiAnno is still touring and he played Farnborough last year, which I unfortunately missed as I had to collect my car from France.....other half went and he was fantastic apparently
www.pauldianno.com/
on the singist front it's got to be dickinson for me, though phantom of the opera live is one of my all-time great rock tracks, dianno sings that with gusto.
of the burr/mcbrain duel I'd have to say that there's nothing between them, both stunning.
Maiden are the definitive "hard rock band with a tune". I love them.
of the burr/mcbrain duel I'd have to say that there's nothing between them, both stunning.
Maiden are the definitive "hard rock band with a tune". I love them.
qube_TA said:
Still think that 'Live After Death' is one of the finest live metal albums ever recorded.
Matthew
True
but i have it on cassette and the compression is too severe, i can't imagine it sounded like that in the auditoriums. Production is dirgy at best (reminds me of Whitesnake's pityful production on Saints and Sinners in that respect) .. but still a great listen and good x-section of maiden tracks over the years to that point.
I always remember it said that the dynamic range on many Maiden LPs was compressed to get the playing length up and the signal to noise ratio of LPs and cassettes isn't great
.. so are the remastered CDs any better in respect of dynamic range?I think Bruce is is a 'better' singer in terms of range, technique, etc, but in terms of delivering material, DiAnno was better at singing the material from the 1st 2 albums - well he would be. he wrote them/they were written with his singing style in mind. Especially that the DiAnno era maiden always had a punk-type attitude which suited them.
Likewise, Bruce is the only one who could sing amy maiden stuff from 'Beast' onwards. Bearing in mind that many maiden songs are almost stories put to music, I think Bruce is the ideal bloke to put them across.
Now as for the drummmist debate, Clive Burr was a brilliant drummer - who else could carry off putting a swing beat into a heavy metal song - invaders from NOTB- but Nicko is also a very good drummer, and a certifyable lunatic to boot.
Which ever way you look at it DiAnno was the man for his time, as is bruce. And although it is somewhat arguable, I agree that Maiden would not be the band that they are today had Bruce not joined.
Let's not forget that the new album - A matter of Life and Death hits the shops in early September - can't wait (see www.ironmaiden.com for further details)
Likewise, Bruce is the only one who could sing amy maiden stuff from 'Beast' onwards. Bearing in mind that many maiden songs are almost stories put to music, I think Bruce is the ideal bloke to put them across.
Now as for the drummmist debate, Clive Burr was a brilliant drummer - who else could carry off putting a swing beat into a heavy metal song - invaders from NOTB- but Nicko is also a very good drummer, and a certifyable lunatic to boot.
Which ever way you look at it DiAnno was the man for his time, as is bruce. And although it is somewhat arguable, I agree that Maiden would not be the band that they are today had Bruce not joined.
Let's not forget that the new album - A matter of Life and Death hits the shops in early September - can't wait (see www.ironmaiden.com for further details)
Defo Dickinson - DiAnno is just a Wwwwoooaaaarrrrrr merchant in comparison.
McBrain / Burr - hmmm this is very much closer. I listen to live performances by both and I like them as much as each other but slightly differently. Burr has a more attack on site approach, where Nicko listens very much to what the guitars are doing and works with them aswell as locking in with Steve's bass as you would expect.
I think I would have to say Nicko though, because he has had quite an influence on my own playing and instrument choice (Sonor drums and that awsome 22" Bell Ride cymbal
)vetteheadracer said:
Paul DiAnno for me, but then I was a fan from "Running Free" onwards.
Maiden were the best live band I ever saw 1980/1 at Bracknell Sports Centre......also saw Motorhead on their Bomber tour there too and they were equally brilliant.
Paul DiAnno is still touring and he played Farnborough last year, which I unfortunately missed as I had to collect my car from France.....other half went and he was fantastic apparently
www.pauldianno.com/
Maiden were the best live band I ever saw 1980/1 at Bracknell Sports Centre......also saw Motorhead on their Bomber tour there too and they were equally brilliant.
Paul DiAnno is still touring and he played Farnborough last year, which I unfortunately missed as I had to collect my car from France.....other half went and he was fantastic apparently
www.pauldianno.com/
Cheers for that link... have spent an hour or two downloading tracks and just purchased the limited edition 48 track album.
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff