Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls 2016/2017 World Tour discussion [LIVE ALBUM NOV. 17]

[Amir]

Empire of the Clouds is now one of my favourite ever Maiden songs. There are tracks less than a third of its length that are tedious to get through but I can just keep on listening to this.

[bran]

Empire of the Clouds is now one of my favourite ever Maiden songs. There are tracks less than a third of its length that are tedious to get through but I can just keep on listening to this.

its too short

[Powerage5]

Seriously though, it doesn't feel anywhere near as long as it really is. Even compared to Rush epics (Which I love) like Hemispheres (Almost the same length to the second) or The Fountain Of Lamneth, this song flies by.

I hope when Bruce does eventually release his next solo album, we get his version of If Eternity Should Fail. I don't think it's totally unrealistic since he regularly puts bonus tracks on his albums.

[moreblack]

Seriously though, it doesn't feel anywhere near as long as it really is. Even compared to Rush epics (Which I love) like Hemispheres (Almost the same length to the second) or The Fountain Of Lamneth, this song flies by.

I hope when Bruce does eventually release his next solo album, we get his version of If Eternity Should Fail. I don't think it's totally unrealistic since he regularly puts bonus tracks on his albums.

It sounds like him and Roy Z came up with some real winners. They've been really good together since Balls To Piccasso and Accident Of Birth.

[Powerage5]

Roy Z and Bruce are one of the best songwriting pairs ever IMO. I mean, it speaks volumes that their output in the mid 90's was so much better than Maiden's, especially when you consider that Steve has always been the centerpiece of the songwriting aspect for the band. Hell, Bruce was playing bigger venues than Maiden were with Blaze even!

What's everyone starting to think for a tour setlist? Bruce has said they won't do Run To The Hills on this tour, that he'd like to do The Wicker Man, and that Maiden won't play Empire Of The Clouds (Though he'd like to solo). Bruce is usually a pretty good indicator of the setlist since he gets the most say in that department, next to Steve.

I posted on the Fan Club I expect something along these lines:

1. If Eternity Should Fail

2. Speed Of Light

3. 2 Minutes To Midnight

4. El Dorado

5. The Book Of Souls

6. The Trooper

7. Death Or Glory / When The River Runs Deep (Hope they do WTRRD, but I expect DOG)

8. Brave New World

9. These Colours Don't Run

10. Tears Of A Clown

11. Man On The Edge

12. The Red And The Black

13. Fear Of The Dark

14. Iron Maiden

---

15. The Wicker Man

16. Number Of The Beast

17. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Zeppelin]

Well, now that I've had some time with the album, I must say that I'm really enjoying it. Without going into a full review yet, I will say that The Red And The Black is the one song that just hasn't stuck with me yet. It's got some good things going for it, but I just can't seem to get into it past the first few minutes. I also seem to be one of the few who really enjoys Death Or Glory. A nice, high-energy song with a bit of a letdown for a chorus. But I still love it.

Still kind of processing my thoughts about it as I listen more. Empire is such an immense accomplishment and I adore it. Wonderful opus, even if one of the riffs from The Legacy is in there a bit But I don't mind that. Doesn't hurt it at all. It's such a unique song for Maiden, so it's great that it worked so well. I was worried that it would be some kind of chore to listen to, but like many have said, it absolutely flies by.

I'll come up with a review for it shortly, but it seems like quite the album so far.

[Powerage5]

I agree on TRATB - it really isn't growing on me much. I'm seeing lots of posts on Facebook and the Fan Club calling it, absolutely hands down, the best song on the album, and I just don't get that at all. Actually, I'd go as far as saying it's my least favorite 9+ minute Maiden song besides Angel & The Gambler and The Nomad.

[Cosmo]

Really? It stood out to me as the best on the album almost immediately, it's awesome! And You guys prefer Death Or Glory to Man of Sorrows? Really?

[Powerage5]

No, Man Of Sorrows is definitely worst on the album. I'm not sure if I like Death Or Glory better than TRATB yet, but DOG is growing on me with each listen while TRATB isn't. Like I said earlier, to me it sounds like Steve made a list of every trope there is in his songwriting, checked each one off as he went, and after 14 minutes said "That'll do". Not bad, but not particularly exciting compared to other Maiden epics. It just doesn't have any big "holy shit" moment.

[Black Sabbath]

The Red and the Black could be like 3 minutes shorter, but I like it. I like Man of Sorrows a lot too. Better than Death or Glory for sure.

Still though, If Eternity Should Fail is great.

[Zeppelin]

I love Death Or Glory, and The Man Of Sorrows for that matter. The second disc is a wonderful journey through Maiden's several approaches to songcraft.

[Cosmo]

Man, I'm not sure what's my least favorite... Death Or Glory or Shadows of the Valley. Definitely not Man of Sorrows, it's growing on me.

[bran]

In the mean time, off of Paul Di'anno new official live dvd:

The funniest shit is when famous 2010 grin fat face came up in the related videos (i haven't checked a GNR video in a month now so...)

Anyway, if he wasn't drunk it will be a bit better, the band was OK

But yeah, all of the ex singer's living in the past and some of them failed miserably

that was brutal but still not his worst. i cant hate di anno since i love the stuff he did with maiden but man he let himself go.

[bran]

as a side not i hope if bruce does a new solo album that he implements more piano.

Edited September 7, 2015 by bran

[Powerage5]

I think I'm confident enough to say this is at least my second favorite album since the reunion. Maybe it will top TFF with more listens, but it hasn't yet. I think the big thing TFF has over this album is a more concise sound. It's not that there's any "bad" songs on TBOS, but I just feel like the songs on TFF seem to…fit better with each other I guess? I hear a lot of different styles and approaches to songwriting on TBOS which is cool, but it can make some songs feel a little out of place - does that make any sense? Also, TBOS is quite dark along the lines of AMOLAD, so it may be one that I won't always be in the mood for. I really do love AMOLAD, but it's not an album I can just pop in whenever and listen to it, I need to be in the mood for it.

My current ranking of the reunion albums:

1. The Final Frontier

2. The Book Of Souls

3. Brave New World

4. A Matter Of Life And Death

5. Dance Of Death

[wasted]

I'm trying to get into the album. I need more ale and to play Fable II again.

[Amir]

[Strange Broue]

Roy Z and Bruce are one of the best songwriting pairs ever IMO. I mean, it speaks volumes that their output in the mid 90's was so much better than Maiden's, especially when you consider that Steve has always been the centerpiece of the songwriting aspect for the band. Hell, Bruce was playing bigger venues than Maiden were with Blaze even!

What's everyone starting to think for a tour setlist? Bruce has said they won't do Run To The Hills on this tour, that he'd like to do The Wicker Man, and that Maiden won't play Empire Of The Clouds (Though he'd like to solo). Bruce is usually a pretty good indicator of the setlist since he gets the most say in that department, next to Steve.

I posted on the Fan Club I expect something along these lines:

1. If Eternity Should Fail

2. Speed Of Light

3. 2 Minutes To Midnight

4. El Dorado

5. The Book Of Souls

6. The Trooper

7. Death Or Glory / When The River Runs Deep (Hope they do WTRRD, but I expect DOG)

8. Brave New World

9. These Colours Don't Run

10. Tears Of A Clown

11. Man On The Edge

12. The Red And The Black

13. Fear Of The Dark

14. Iron Maiden

---

15. The Wicker Man

16. Number Of The Beast

17. Hallowed Be Thy Name

If they play this setlist, i will happily buy a ticket now

[Cosmo]

Roy Z and Bruce are one of the best songwriting pairs ever IMO. I mean, it speaks volumes that their output in the mid 90's was so much better than Maiden's, especially when you consider that Steve has always been the centerpiece of the songwriting aspect for the band. Hell, Bruce was playing bigger venues than Maiden were with Blaze even!

What's everyone starting to think for a tour setlist? Bruce has said they won't do Run To The Hills on this tour, that he'd like to do The Wicker Man, and that Maiden won't play Empire Of The Clouds (Though he'd like to solo). Bruce is usually a pretty good indicator of the setlist since he gets the most say in that department, next to Steve.

I posted on the Fan Club I expect something along these lines:

1. If Eternity Should Fail

2. Speed Of Light

3. 2 Minutes To Midnight

4. El Dorado

5. The Book Of Souls

6. The Trooper

7. Death Or Glory / When The River Runs Deep (Hope they do WTRRD, but I expect DOG)

8. Brave New World

9. These Colours Don't Run

10. Tears Of A Clown

11. Man On The Edge

12. The Red And The Black

13. Fear Of The Dark

14. Iron Maiden

---

15. The Wicker Man

16. Number Of The Beast

17. Hallowed Be Thy Name

If they play this setlist, i will happily buy a ticket now

Hope they to WTRRD! It'd be awesome. But P5, where'd you get the old songs from? I mean, the lesser known ones like these colours don't run, man on the edge, brave new world..? Edited September 7, 2015 by Cosmo

[Powerage5]

They usually do a few post-reunion songs besides new album stuff on a new album tour, so those are just guesses. I'm not saying "hey guys, this will be the setlist!", but I expect something pretty similar to that. MOTE is obviously the big wild card there, I'd just love to see a Blaze song live.

[bran]

man on the edge would be cool, but i would love to see sign of the cross bruce owns that song

[Cosmo]

From the post-reunion songs, I'd love to see no more lies or dance of death. Heaven Can Wait could be on the setlist too, would mean a lot to bruce now wouldn't it?

[bran]

From the post-reunion songs, I'd love to see no more lies or dance of death. Heaven Can Wait could be on the setlist too, would mean a lot to bruce now wouldn't it?

damn definitely a good point, would love to hear it a badass song with new meaning for bruce plus its a song that the crowd can participate in to give even more energy. would be great for a live album or dvd.

[Powerage5]

We would know if HCW is in the setlist quite soon, as they'd have to run the HCW contest for the Fan Club - I think for SBIT they put it up more or less as gigs were announced.

[moreblack]

man on the edge would be cool, but i would love to see sign of the cross bruce owns that song

That tune is one of the highlights of not only the album it's on, but the Rock In Rio concert dvd.