Published on Aug 17, 1999
Since I’ve amassed a decent sized music collection covering
several genres over the past 13 years, it never ceases to amaze me
that I develop tastes for artists whose work I might not have
listened to for some time. I mean, they sit on the shelves for
months – sometimes years – and do nothing more than collect the
dust of ages. But once I get the taste for that group, look
out!
Recently, this occured with Iron Maiden, a band I absolutely
loved in high school, but fell away from for no good reason. I
don’t know exactly what started it, but soon I found myself digging
out my
Live After Death video and listening to some of their albums
incessantly.
One of these was their 1983 release
Piece Of Mind, which marked the fourth different Iron Maiden
lineup in as many albums. (Gone was drummer Clive Burr; in came
Nicko McBrain.) While this album has some time-honored classics
that sound as good today as they did 16 years ago, there are some
moments on this disc that deserve to be forgotten. (Once again, by
the way, I’m turning away from one of the many CD reissues, and am
reviewing this on my original record I bought way back when.)
Piece Of Mind is notable, first and foremost, for the even
and fair mix. Unlike some albums that brought founding
member/bassist Steve Harris to the forefront, on this album, you
hear Harris, vocalist Bruce Dickinson, guitarists Dave Murray and
Adrian Smith, and McBrain on the same level – which helps the music
immensely. Instead of being rocked by Harris’s bass work (which, as
always, is outstanding) on tracks like “Where Eagles Dare”, each
instrument sounds crisp. This is a welcome change.
Piece Of Mind is also notable for a group of four songs.
“Revelations” got notice from some after its inclusion on
Live After Death, but it is a very progressive song that
allows the band to develop a true musical piece, moving from slow
to fast (highlighting some incredible guitar work from Smith and
Murray), back to the gentle strains to close the song. The
intertwining lead guitar work is brilliant, and should not be
missed. Immediately following is one of Iron Maiden’s best songs
from this period, “Flight Of Icarus” — in which Dickinson can be
heard doing a little bit of a Ronnie James Dio impersonation after
the first chorus. (I happen to find it both entertaining and
endearing.)
“The Trooper” is another song that will forever define Iron
Maiden; fortunately, it’s another solid track that has withstood
the passage of time and remains a high-water mark for the band. The
final song in this group, “Die With Your Boots On,” is one that
might not be as well remembered, but is just as deserving of the
spotlight.
For all the solid moments on
Piece Of Mind, there are two mistakes — one small, one
major. The small mistake is on the track “Sun And Steel,” just one
song that draws upon Dickinson’s love of fencing. (There would be
two references to swordplay on their next album,
Powerslave.) It turns out to be a pretty decent track in the
end, but it starts out tentatively. The big mistake comes on “Quest
For Fire,” a song that is as cornball as anything the hair metal
bands were putting out. It might have been a decent concept, but
you know you’re in trouble with the first lyric: “In a time when
dinosaurs walked the earth” — ugh! I honestly can’t picture
Dickinson singing this one without gagging. This is a track that
can easliy be skipped.
The remaining tracks, “Still Life” and “To Tame A Land,” are
decent efforts, but don’t measure up to the level of excellence
that Iron Maiden shows for the bulk of the album. Even the opening
track, “Where Eagles Dare,” is a pretty good number — though I
guess it’s better if you’ve read the book. (Incidentally, I
haven’t; I tried a few years ago, but got so bored I pitched the
thing.)
The strong moments on
Piece Of Mind make sure that this album remains a must-own
for anyone who wants to fully appreciate Iron Maiden. But they also
show that when they hit a landmine, they step on it full force —
which turned out to be a warning sign for the future.