Love and Rockets
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ferent . And we were listening to a lot of Orbital , Leftfield , that whole techno thing that was going on in the ‘ 90s . We loved electronica , we loved it . So that was our … attempt , if you like , to do something really different , because that was a huge influence on us at the time . And I thought , at the time , that this was either going to be our Dark Side of the Moon , or it was going to be a big commercial flop . And unfortunately , it was a big commercial flop . People didn ’ t want that from us – they wanted how we sounded in the past , before that album . But we ’ re still very proud of that record , even though it didn ’ t go down well with the record company at the time . In fact , I remember one representative from the record company came to see me at a gig and was asking me , “ Can you put some guitar on this record ?” And I said , “ Absolutely not – it is what it is , and it ’ s not gonna change . It ’ s fully realized .” Unfortunately , commercially , it died the death , but I think if people hear it now , they ’ ll realize that it ’ s actually a great record . And we ’ re very proud of it .
IE : I ’ d almost forgotten about your final album for the tough little indie imprint Red Ant . DA : Actually , you know , there ’ s one track on that album which we recently found by chance almost , but we ’ re really into it – it ’ s called “ Deep Deep Down ,” so we ’ re gonna be playing that live . And it ’ s something that I know I ’ d forgotten about , but I texted Dave and said , “ Wow ! You ’ ve got to listen to ‘ Deep Deep Down ’! It ’ s amazing !” And he and Kevin were both in love with it already – they were like , “ Yeah ! We ’ re gonna play that one !” We were all in agreement on playing it , and it ’ s a really underrated track , I think .
IE : But ultimately , post-coronavirus , we ’ re al still here , right ? Even though the music busi ness is completely different now . Why buy an artist ’ s album when you can stream or Spotify it ? DA : Yeah . Well , you know , it ’ s changed . Every thing has changed so much . And I often say to people , “ When was the last time you sat down and listened to a whole album ?” And they can ’ remember . It ’ s just a sign of the times . It ’ s mor instant now , and people are into only one or two tracks . But then again , if you go to people lik Taylor Swift , then all the girls are gonna buy th whole album , and good ! Great ! But it ’ s been long , long time since I ’ ve sat down and listened to a whole album myself ! I ’ d rather be out trav eling on two wheels – it ’ s my thing , that ’ s my life and it ’ s been that way since I was about 16 . I even used to steal my dad ’ s scooter . Motorcycle peopl are a certain breed , and you can ’ t really explain i to people who don ’ t ride . It ’ s an addiction . If you see some interviews with Keanu Reeves , he talk about it – he says , “ If I don ’ t ride my motorcycle I begin to get unwell . It ’ s not good for my health to not ride .” And it ’ s a real thing . When it wa raining here in California for six weeks in a row on and off , I was losing my mind . I was begin ning to get cabin fever , bad , and I was mentally not in a very good place . And it ’ s a great addic tion . I call it Lazy Man ’ s Zen because it forces you to concentrate . And if you don ’ t concentrate ? You can kill yourself , so it forces you to focus on on thing . It ’ s fantastic – I couldn ’ t live without it .
Appearing 6 / 6 at Riviera Theatre , Chicago .
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Continued from page 18 foolish and warring humanity . Someone call Greta Thunberg if she ’ s not already using this as a theme song . There are sure to be fans who prefer “ Gangland ,” but for most , the trade for “ Total Eclipse ” is a winner that fits the dire themes of The Number of the Beast . The album closes with the thundering epic metal of “ Hallowed by Thy Name ,” another adrenalin shot of pummeling rhythm , dazzling solos , and unison riffing . Harris ’ lyric portrays a doomed man in his last moments , pivoting from terror to contemplating peace and enlightenment in the afterlife . The package offers the fun of playing the original studio album , and then following with the live album . Imagine you ’ re joining the hometown crowd at Hammersmith Odeon London , hearing now-classic “ Run to the Hills ” as a brandnew song in 1982 during Maiden ’ s ninemonth juggernaut world tour . The 18 performances captured on Beast Over Hammersmith feature seven of the album ’ s eight tracks , omitting only the opening track “ Invaders ” and including the newly instated “ Total Eclipse .” Harris thanks the British audience for carrying “ Run to the Hills ” to # 7 on the charts the prior week , and the audience can be heard offering their hands and voices as the band rages . The live show opens with the creepy glam of Edgar Allen Poe-inspired “ Murders in the Rue Morgue ” from the 1981 sophomore album Killers . The set list includes a feral version of debut album mainstay “ Iron Maiden ,” and closes with the album ’ s “ Prowler .”
The LPs are pressed on 180-gram vinyl and presented in a triple gatefold sleeve that collapses to display the studio , and live album covers on opposite sides . The package includes inner sleeves with photos and notes from the 1982 lineup and new liner notes by Harris . The bassist recalls the mad five-week rush to complete the album before the tour . He shares the sense that the band may not have had its greatest album in the works , but they knew they had solid tunes to bring onto the road . Forty years later , with the band still performing these songs , that durability is unquestionable . ( ironmaiden . com )
– Jeff Elbel
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