Sometimes one has such great memories of albums. Due to possibly a relationship one is in (or just been dumped out of) or a group of friends one is hanging out with or even doing something else that one really enjoys (like work !!@@&&??? – I’ve heard that it happens????). Certain albums take on a special significance and become beacons in your past that highlight certain episodes of your life. So far in my life, there are many. Iron Maiden’s ‘Killers’ is one of them. In revisiting these albums I hope to test them for durability and determine whether they really were as good as I thought that they were at the time.
I stumbled across the Iron Maiden website recently (http://www.ironmaiden.com/) while following a news item relating to the fact that they will soon be releasing a Greatest (early) Hits album, and it instantly got the memories going. By the way the Greatest Hits album will be free for three listens or something like that…. I still have a few of their albums in their original vinyl format, I was a big fan in my teens, and when I saw the digital download section on the website, with digitally remastered versions of their early albums – I could not resist. I also saw them live in Johannesburg once with Blaze Bayley on lead vocals, it was pretty good.
My copy of ‘Killers’ is shot and, being my favourite Maiden album in those days, it was my immediate first choice for a download.
Listening to it now, I think my copy back in those days was probably shot right from the beginning. These remasters are crystal clear and have detail that I’ve never noticed before. That is rather a good start to revisiting the album, I would say.
Tracks
The Ides of March
A terrific instrumental opener to the album. Searing guitar soloing screams out, beware a killer set of tracks coming up, beware, beware (sorry William S)! Drums roll on from on high and the portends are there, get ready for some uplifting rock music that will transport to the grimy underworld of serial killers, madmen and bad thing worshippers.
This moves straight into Wrathchild. What a great name for a song. Paul Dianno kicks in on the vocals and Steve Harris seems out to bludgeon the wrathchild with his bass guitar. The great thing about this album is that the songs are carried on a platform of drumming and very melodic bass with the guitarists peeling off solo after solo. Throughout the songs the power chords are incidental. Wow what a formula!
Next is Murders in the Rue Morgue. Poor misunderstood Paul gets into a frenzied case of mistaken identity while in Paris. The whole situation is exacerbated due to the fact that he can’t speak French. Please don’t arrest him gendarmes, he has 8 more tracks to sing, and what about the real killer who has gone free. Oh, I got carried away again, this happened in my teens too. These songs have always done that to me, whisking me away in a fury of duelling screaming axe work, rampant drumming and a galloping bass-line.
Three tracks in and I can’t believe that I have deprived myself of this for so long. What’s next: Another Life. I love the guitar work jumping from structure to structure in the song, and the tone is really cool.
Another life is followed by Genghis Khan another stormer of a tune. This is Genghis with his mind set on mayhem. On his horse storming through the steppes looking for people to slash, slash and slash (he would probably kill me for spelling his name wrong, let me check….). By the way this one is an instrumental – pretty evocative though….
Up next is Innocent Exile starting with Harris on bass causing everyone to question why he didn’t just get a normal guitar and deal out the punishment like we know he can. Ah, I know the bass is more punishing! This is a really cool song to headbang along to, not to mention annoying poser air-guitaring.
The title track Killers brings on some of the most unremorseful killer lyrics I have heard, it’s really fun stuff like ‘oh my God, what have I done? Ooh yea, I’ve done it again’. Starting off ominously, Harris bass foundation is slashed and stabbed at in violent intervals by Dianno yelping and the guitars cutting. I love this stuff. Dianno’s voice is great and the twin guitar attack will kill you if you let it.
After Killers come The Prodigal Son which is one of the slower mellower tracks on the album. I’ve heard that if you play it backwards you can hear Dianno sing ‘the Devils got hold of my soul and he won’t let me be’. Oh, wait a minute, you don’t even have to play it backward to hear him say that.
Purgatory is up next, and that’s probably where I will end up when I’m punished for my corny jokes. The bass echoes the rabid riffing of the guitar attack and rock classics don’t get much better than this, ‘please take me away, take me away, so far way’ go the lyrics, with all the instruments chiming along.
I’m exhausted from moshing in the lounge while trying not to crack my darling’s latest pottery creation, and there are two more songs to go starting with Twilight Zone. Dare I say the weakest track on the album, in my opinion.
Finally shattered, sweating and slightly embarrassed (the kids just don’t understand) we hit Drifter. One guitar starts, the bass joins in the next guitar starts, Dianno and the drums kick in and we have another killer track (OK I waited long enough to use that as a pun, so let me). This has some of my favourite guitar work ever, and the bass is just as good. Dianno exhorting everyone to sing along. Where has he been the last ten tracks, why does he think I’m so hoarse?
OK, I loved this album then, and I still do! It is a real classic. In addition who can deny the brilliance of the album artwork? It is possible that this album was over-shadowed by the ‘Number of the Beast’ album, the arrival of Bruce Dickinson, and the over-whelming momentum gathered due to their spectacular live shows.
I stumbled across the Iron Maiden website recently (http://www.ironmaiden.com/) while following a news item relating to the fact that they will soon be releasing a Greatest (early) Hits album, and it instantly got the memories going. By the way the Greatest Hits album will be free for three listens or something like that…. I still have a few of their albums in their original vinyl format, I was a big fan in my teens, and when I saw the digital download section on the website, with digitally remastered versions of their early albums – I could not resist. I also saw them live in Johannesburg once with Blaze Bayley on lead vocals, it was pretty good.
My copy of ‘Killers’ is shot and, being my favourite Maiden album in those days, it was my immediate first choice for a download.
Listening to it now, I think my copy back in those days was probably shot right from the beginning. These remasters are crystal clear and have detail that I’ve never noticed before. That is rather a good start to revisiting the album, I would say.
Tracks
The Ides of March
A terrific instrumental opener to the album. Searing guitar soloing screams out, beware a killer set of tracks coming up, beware, beware (sorry William S)! Drums roll on from on high and the portends are there, get ready for some uplifting rock music that will transport to the grimy underworld of serial killers, madmen and bad thing worshippers.
This moves straight into Wrathchild. What a great name for a song. Paul Dianno kicks in on the vocals and Steve Harris seems out to bludgeon the wrathchild with his bass guitar. The great thing about this album is that the songs are carried on a platform of drumming and very melodic bass with the guitarists peeling off solo after solo. Throughout the songs the power chords are incidental. Wow what a formula!
Next is Murders in the Rue Morgue. Poor misunderstood Paul gets into a frenzied case of mistaken identity while in Paris. The whole situation is exacerbated due to the fact that he can’t speak French. Please don’t arrest him gendarmes, he has 8 more tracks to sing, and what about the real killer who has gone free. Oh, I got carried away again, this happened in my teens too. These songs have always done that to me, whisking me away in a fury of duelling screaming axe work, rampant drumming and a galloping bass-line.
Three tracks in and I can’t believe that I have deprived myself of this for so long. What’s next: Another Life. I love the guitar work jumping from structure to structure in the song, and the tone is really cool.
Another life is followed by Genghis Khan another stormer of a tune. This is Genghis with his mind set on mayhem. On his horse storming through the steppes looking for people to slash, slash and slash (he would probably kill me for spelling his name wrong, let me check….). By the way this one is an instrumental – pretty evocative though….
Up next is Innocent Exile starting with Harris on bass causing everyone to question why he didn’t just get a normal guitar and deal out the punishment like we know he can. Ah, I know the bass is more punishing! This is a really cool song to headbang along to, not to mention annoying poser air-guitaring.
The title track Killers brings on some of the most unremorseful killer lyrics I have heard, it’s really fun stuff like ‘oh my God, what have I done? Ooh yea, I’ve done it again’. Starting off ominously, Harris bass foundation is slashed and stabbed at in violent intervals by Dianno yelping and the guitars cutting. I love this stuff. Dianno’s voice is great and the twin guitar attack will kill you if you let it.
After Killers come The Prodigal Son which is one of the slower mellower tracks on the album. I’ve heard that if you play it backwards you can hear Dianno sing ‘the Devils got hold of my soul and he won’t let me be’. Oh, wait a minute, you don’t even have to play it backward to hear him say that.
Purgatory is up next, and that’s probably where I will end up when I’m punished for my corny jokes. The bass echoes the rabid riffing of the guitar attack and rock classics don’t get much better than this, ‘please take me away, take me away, so far way’ go the lyrics, with all the instruments chiming along.
I’m exhausted from moshing in the lounge while trying not to crack my darling’s latest pottery creation, and there are two more songs to go starting with Twilight Zone. Dare I say the weakest track on the album, in my opinion.
Finally shattered, sweating and slightly embarrassed (the kids just don’t understand) we hit Drifter. One guitar starts, the bass joins in the next guitar starts, Dianno and the drums kick in and we have another killer track (OK I waited long enough to use that as a pun, so let me). This has some of my favourite guitar work ever, and the bass is just as good. Dianno exhorting everyone to sing along. Where has he been the last ten tracks, why does he think I’m so hoarse?
OK, I loved this album then, and I still do! It is a real classic. In addition who can deny the brilliance of the album artwork? It is possible that this album was over-shadowed by the ‘Number of the Beast’ album, the arrival of Bruce Dickinson, and the over-whelming momentum gathered due to their spectacular live shows.
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