I've always associated October and the Halloween Season* with heavy metal. It's probably Kiss's fault. When I was a kid the primary Halloween costume choices were Star Wars, superheroes, the Universal Monsters and Kiss. I remember rushing home from my elementary school's fall festival haunted house to see Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park on TV.
Lots of heavy metal songs have horror elements so they are a perfect fit for Halloween. Every October I feel the urge to fire up the metal tunes. Last October I listened to every Kiss and every Black Sabbath studio album in order. Earlier this month I took to twitter to see what band I should go through and the majority vote was for Iron Maiden.
I've was never a huge Iron Maiden fan when I was a kid. I didn't have to be. A lot of my friends were so I'd hear their songs at their houses all the time. In a way, my group of metal head friends had a shared library. One of us would have all the Judas Priest tapes, another all of the Ozzy, another all of the Metallica, another all of the Megadeth etc. and we would trade back and forth.
I've never owned an Iron Maiden album but in a way I still grew up with them. I had the t-shirts anyway.
So pals, here we go. All of the Iron Maiden studio albums in order. Feel free to listen along a home and argue with me in the comments.
Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
Dennis Stratton – guitar, backing vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Clive Burr – drums
Right of out of the gate the bass and guitars are really searing hot. Really thumping and shredding. Paul Di'Anno's vocals sounds much more American and commercial than I expected and/or half remembered. There is some Alice Cooper edginess in there. I'm gonna guess that Deep Purple and Bad Company were influences and those guys sounded American too. Good songs. "Running Free" and "Charlotte the Harlot" are the most memorable for me. This album has a much more classic rock sound than the metal sound I would expect from Iron Maiden.
What sets it apart from the music of the 80s (as remembered by me) is how loud the bass is in the mix. The bass guitar is near inaudible on most 80s metal but here it is the focal point around which every other sound is a supporting act. Bassist Steve Harris is the leader. It's his band. He writes the songs etc. So yeah, I guess he turned himself up real good. Plus his finger attack is louder and sloppier (good sloppy, not bad messy) than bass players that use picks so you probably couldn't bury it in the mix if you wanted to.
The good news is that Harris is good. He's very fast. Some of his choices are comical to me though. He really has this deal going on where, even though they have a raw garage band sound, he's fighting against being a simple punk or rocker. Instead of sticking with pentatonic and blues scales he's shoving in full minor and major scale runs wherever he can. Repeating arpeggio patterns over and over where other guys would just be walking a pentatonic scale. That's been a standard part of metal for as long as I can remember (since the "new wave of British heavy metal" era I guess) but hearing it here on this early album with it's raw classic rock sound, it sounds kinda juvenile. Like a Deep Purple band that couldn't find an organ player so the bass player took on all the big arpeggio parts.
Not much stands out as far as the drums go but it occurred to me that "Running Free" is the same beat and rhythm as Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2". Which, is hilarious to me.
Paul Di'Anno – vocals
Dave Murray – guitars
Adrian Smith – guitars
Steve Harris – bass guitar
Clive Burr – drums
The sound on this album has evolved a bit as you would expect on a 2nd studio album. Clive Burr bought some more toms since the first record so you get a lot more of those long orchestral circular drum fills that have been a staple since... since guys like Clive Burr went and bought huge drum kits. Despite this album coming after Iron Maiden it actually feels more like a classic or first wave metal album. It's not as in your face as the first album. The punk elements are more refined and smoothed over. The guitar sound is more nuanced. I'm going to assume that is because of the addition of Adrian Smith. I don't know enough at this point to tell the difference between Smith and Murray but this album has more Pink Floyd guitar moments than the first. The first having zero Pink Floyd moments. There are even some acoustic guitars in there. "Prodigal Son" could have been something Pete Townshend wrote.
Everyone is more confident on this album and you can tell Steve Harris is more confident in the band because he's not burying them with this bass sound as much. Paul Di'Anno is more ambitious on this album. I think he's pretty great.
The only stand out songs for me are "Prodigal Son" and "Women in Uniform". "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is memorable but that chorus is so forced it bothers me. Apparently "Women in Uniform" was not on the original release. That's a shame. It's instantly one of my favorite songs. Iron Maiden didn't actually write it but I'm going to give them credit for being smart enough to cover a song with the lyric "commando raid on the Lebanese border, Sergeant Anita, she gives the order."
It doesn't get much better than that.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
Clive Burr – drums
This is the Iron Maiden sound I grew up with. "Run to the Hills" was probably the first Iron Maiden song I ever heard on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. We now have Bruce Dickinson on vocals. He's not that huge of a departure from Di'Anno. His range is is obviously stronger but they both have that first wave of British heavy metal influence. Dickinson has the Ian Gillan Deep Purple influence the same as Di'Anno but he's also got that Ronnie James Dio Rainbow long vibrato going on. Dickinson is more operatic. These song's feel more like show tunes. I can hear Julie Andrews singing the chorus to "Run to the Hills". I'm sure there has to be a Sound of Music mashup out there.
I think I prefer Di'Anno's tone but it's hard not to get charged up by Dickinson's power. I get his popularity and the popularity of this album. I'd say this album is 2nd only to Somewhere in Time when it comes to number of times I heard it as a kid. Listening to it now I hear so many licks and riffs that would be stolen by other metal groups on the 80s and 90s.
This album is the first in what I would think of as the 80s metal sound for Iron Maiden. It's not just Dickinson's theatrics but also the guitar. This is the first album where I notice a lot of fret tapping and tremolo picking. The shadow of Eddie Van Halen is clearly looming over Britain by this point. But don't worry, there are still plenty of Ritchie Blackmore arpeggio runs. It's kind of the full history of rock guitar through 1982 but in minor keys. I love this era of guitar playing and Murray and Smith are fantastic. Maybe the best metal guitar duo of their time? Better than Priest? Maybe.
While I think I like the tone of Iron Maiden and Killers better I think Beast is the better album. Especially the 2nd side. "The Number of the Beast", "Run to the Hills", "Gangland" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" are about as strong a four song run on an album as I can think of. They make you want to stand up and start punching and kicking things. That's good.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Steve Harris – bass guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums
This is the first Iron Maiden album with Nicko McBrain. I assume Iron Maiden hired him on the spot because his name was Nicko McBrain regardless of whether or not he even played drums. He's a good drummer. I think the sound is thicker with him. Clive Burr was good but was playing fairly standard beats dialed up with over the top fills. McBrain has his snare playing locked in more tightly with the rhythm guitars. It's more of a thrash sound. The focus of Metallica's Lars Ulrich drumming has that same snare/guitar lock and Metallica's first album came out the same year as Piece of Mind.
The guitars are still evolving a little on this album. More unison playing between Murray and Smith. But while the playing and sound are great there aren't any songs that jump out at me on this one. It doesn't have the energy of the first three. "Die With Your Boots On" and "The Trooper" are the standout songs for me. "To Tame a Land" should be the greatest song ever since it's about Dune but it's just ok. Still, much respect for rhyming Gom Jabbar.
Bruce Dickinson – vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Steve Harris – bass guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums
From the opening notes I like the sound of this album better. Brighter guitars. More highs. More color. The energy is stronger than Piece of Mind. That jump up and kick over the coffee table sound is back. There are some simpler driving riffs more reminiscent of Judas Priest here. And that's good. I dig it. Lots of hammer on/pull off primary riffs you'd normally see in an intro or solo used as main verse or chorus riffs. ("Back in the Village" for example.) Murray and Smith are having fun. I'm guessing this was all the 90s prog metal dudes favorite album. The chorus vocals also seem to have more backing layers and get at that Rob Halford vibe more than Dickinson has before.
I hate when people describe things as epic but the scale of these songs is... ambitious. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" alone would have been a monumental EP. I was a thrash metal guy in the late 80s and I'm increasingly coming to the realization that all the bands I liked stole just about everything they had of value from Iron Maiden. Not as many catchy rockers as some of the other records on this journey so far but maybe the easiest to get lost in and enjoy as a complete album.
Bruce Dickinson – vocals
Dave Murray – guitar, guitar synthesiser
Adrian Smith – guitar, guitar synthesiser, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Reach Out"
Steve Harris – bass guitar, bass synthesiser
Nicko McBrain – drums
It's notable that his is the first album that took longer than twelve months to hit the shelves than its predecessor. That's because Powerslave was the album that broke Iron Maiden was a worldwide big venue main eventer and they toured forever. MTV was becoming a huge influence on US kids during that time so by 1986 even rural kids like me that were never near an Iron Maiden show had seen videos and were ready to buy the next album. I remember geeking out over the Somewhere in Time album cover before I ever heard any of the songs. It was around this time that all my friends started wearing Iron Maiden t-shirts even if they never owned one of their tapes.
Somewhere in Time was the Iron Maiden album my friends and I probably listened to most so it's the first in this series where I can't really separate my 2017 listen from my previous experience. No fresh ears on this one and I can't really turn off the nostalgia... but I'll try.
Sonically it's a continuation of the Powerslave sound. We're still in the mid 80s guitar sound with bright searing tones and lots of hammer on/pull off riffs. There is more synth on this album and I remember the hard core metal heads and a lot of the rock magazines knocking this album's sound. There were some "sell out" accusations going around. Usually they call you a "sell out" by your third album so Iron Maiden did pretty well to keep that tramped down until their sixth. And part of that is the use of synthesizers. Synthesizer hate was real ya'll. For many of us the day Eddie Van Halen bought a synthesizer was rock n' roll's September Eleventh. This was also the same year Judas Priest put out Turbo which I remember all the Priest guys I knew dismissing it as their disco album.
But I don't think Maiden sold out. They just got some new toys. Listening to Piece of Mind, Powerslave and Somewhere in Time back to back to back there is no radical departure. It's just different songs. They needed to sound different. And in some ways these are better songs. I think you could make the argument that this album has some premeditated arena sing alongs worked in but you'd expect that after having been on tour for over a year.
Friends, "Wasted Years" is a magnificent song. Adrian Smith wrote a classic. I remember folks frowning on it after they'd heard it for the three hundredth time and I'd say the fact that every guitar player on Earth learned the song's intro didn't help but I think it holds up.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar, synthesiser
Steve Harris – bass guitar, string synthesiser
Nicko McBrain – drums, percussion
I remember fairly clearly going friend's house after school and listening to this album the week it came out. I remember it having a long gatefold insert in the cassette with all the art and lyrics and I think it was one of the first tapes my circle of pals got where the case and cartridge were clear. Before that, the back half a cassette case would always be black. I remember the smell of all that plastic, glossy paper and ink.
I remember the album too. "Can I Play With Madness" was on Headbanger's Ball every week. It's a great song (even if the theme inexplicably changes from empowerment to damnation in hell between the 1st and 2nd verse.) I had the t-shirt. "The Clairvoyant" is another classic and hearing it again now I can see that it had a lot of influence on some of the songwriting in my own metal band in the 90s.
I remember my pals bitching about the keyboards on the album but listening to it now they work well with the whole "concept album" thing. I think you'd be pretty generous to call this a true "concept album" though. There are repeating themes but there is no story. But who cares? I can't ever figure out the point of most "concept albums" anyway. The songs are good and the performance is great.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Steve Harris – bass guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums
Michael Kenney – keyboards
This album sounds like a big step backwards for Iron Maiden. Like it would fit in more easily before Number of the Beast than after. I can only assume that losing Adrian Smith decreased the band's prog rock tendencies. The sound is not as polished either. Wikipedia tells me it was recorded in a barn and it sounds like it.
This is the first album with Janick Gers. As I said before I've not seen Maiden live enough to know who plays what guitar part but I have a pretty good guess that Gers is the one that sounds more like Jimi Hendrix and has that stratocaster whammy bar sound. I like Gers. I've always liked that he played strats and that he looks like most of the men on my dad's side of the family. (If the men in my family had lion manes.) Just comparing this album to its predecessors I don't think Gers is as technically adventurous as Smith was but I think some of his licks are more memorable. The guitar playing is really the only thing I like about this album.
This album cover is also a step backwards. The least impressive cover so far and it feels out of continuity because Eddie has lost the bionics he had picked up in previous covers. The whole thing feels dated. And not dated for 1990. Dated for 1980. It feels like an album for the sake of an album. A rush job. A year later Kurt Nirvarner would try to smother metal to death with a flannel shirt. Metal probably should have seen it coming.
Bruce Dickinson – vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Steve Harris – bass guitar, producer, mixing
Nicko McBrain – drums
Michael Kenney – keyboards
I'm positive I never heard a note of this album before. By January 1992 Nirvana's Nevermind was the number one album and trying to find metal on TV or the radio was... well, a lot like trying to find metal on the TV or the radio right now. This album sounds better than the last. Wikipedia tells me that for this album they turned the studio in the barn into a proper studio that used to be a barn. The drum and vocal sounds are noticeably better. I think the songs are better too. They have some catchy moments. "From Here to Eternity" stands out. "Childhood's End" is fantastic.
"Wasting Love" is a lousy Whitesnake knock off though. Reading about Iron Maiden there seems to be reluctance from Harris when it comes to going with Dickinson written songs. I'd say Harris is correct. Most of Dickinson's songs up to this point are pretty bad.
There is a lot more going on here rhythmically than most Maiden albums. There is still plenty of the Harris bass gallop but the drums are looser and there is more room for the guitar riffs to breath.
New cover artist on this one. I'd say that was a serious mistake. It's just not the same quality as Derek Riggs. The guy just isn't in the same class. Nope. Not even close. Sorry. Decent record though.
The X Factor (1995)
Steve Harris – bass, producer, mixing
Blaze Bayley – vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums
Michael Kenney – keyboards
The Xpression Choir – Gregorian chants on "Sign of the Cross"
Bruce Dickinson is out and Blaze Bayley is in. This sounds like a parody of a metal band covering European folk songs. Dickinson era Maiden sounded like European folk songs as told by the demon prophet/warrior/wizard that felled the cursed beast of a thousand sorrows. This sounds like European folk songs as told by the great grandson of the farmer who lived three farms over from the field where the demon prophet/warrior/wizard felled the cursed beast of a thousand sorrows.
Oh man. This is kinda painful. Blaze isn't a terrible singer. It's not like he's off key. He's just not right. Sounds like an elderly folk singer in a bar where you leave as soon as the music starts. It's like a Pete Townshend solo album with worse songs. There is no reason for these songs to be this long. Sorry Blaze Bayley fans. This is bad. Yikes.
The cover also sucks. Looks like bad 90s video game covers. I love video games but video games are the worst thing that ever happened to everything that isn't a video game. You're better than this Iron Maiden.
Additional negative points because none of the songs have anything to do with the Louise and Walt Simonson X-Factor comic books.
Steve Harris – bass guitar, producer, mixing, keyboards
Blaze Bayley – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitars
Janick Gers – guitars
Nicko McBrain – drums
Michael Kenney – keyboards
I like this one quite a bit more than The X Factor. I really like the guitar parts and playing. Blaze is still Blaze. Maybe a bit better than the last album. More like a Roger Daltrey solo album than a Pete Townshend solo album. This sounds more like a bunch of old rock dudes making a record than a bunch of old metal dudes. I could see Eddie Money singing these songs. Of course, that's probably not what you want when you buy an Iron Maiden album.
Honestly, I don't know if these two Blaze Bayley albums would be better with Dickinson. The songs are not that strong and the lyrics are so tedious I don't know that a different voice would make much difference.
So many weird decisions in this era of Maiden. "The Angel and the Gambler", for example, is a straightforward rock radio friendly track but for some reason they decided it should be nine minutes long. It repeats the chorus at least ten thousand times. Somebody go back in time and get these dudes a Ramones record. A lot of these chorus heavy songs sound like show tunes to me.
Apparently this album was intentionally tied in with video games and sports. Sigh. Like, why? Why would you do that on purpose? I get that British dudes are super into kicking balls around but what does that have to do with heavy metal? So, again the album art has a video game feel and again it is very bad. Even the logo is changed. Wait, let me bring in the sports elements to this write-up, BOOOOO!
Again, I love video games but video games are the worst thing that ever happened to everything that isn't a video game.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Steve Harris – bass, keyboards, co-producer
Nicko McBrain – drums
Bruce Dickinson is back and he sounds great. Maybe a little less operatic than before. This album sounds like Queensrÿche and that's okay with me. I like Queensrÿche. I notice one riff that is an exact Queensrÿche riff but Queensrÿche probably stole it from Iron Maiden earlier.
Adrian Smith is back on guitar too and Janick Gers stuck around so now, along with Dave Murray, we're up to three guitarists. I don't notice much of an impact on the guitar sound. Maybe an extra power chord behind the main riffs as opposed to just the two guitars on the riff. Maybe a bit more harmony guitar. All of the leads are still stellar. Nice drum work from McBrain on this album too. Maybe Harris's bass is not as prominent in the mix but it's a subtle thing. I can still hear him galloping along.
The songs are much better than the last two albums. A lot of this holds up to Maiden's stuff from the 80s. "The Wicker Man" is pretty catchy with plenty of premeditated stadium sing along whoa-oh-oh-whoas in there. I would have dropped the sappy intro on "Brave New World" but once they start rocking the song is good. "Blood Brothers" is a cinematic waltz deal. I don't usually care for Maiden's slower stuff but it works. I really enjoy the symphonic sound they get with the harmony guitars.
"The Nomad" is as corny as anything Iron Maiden has ever recorded up to this point. Comedy sketch eastern melody and children's song lyrics but the guitars are still strong. Harris has taken over the keyboards from Michael Kenney at this point and he gives himself a keyboard solo that sounds like a kid learning chopsticks. It sounds like a rejected super hero theme song. It's so hilariously dumb I'm sure I'll have it in my head for the rest of my life.
All in all a good "comeback" album with a few misses. This is the album that should have followed Seventh Son. Most importantly Derek Riggs is back working on the album cover art.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass guitar, keyboards, co-producer
Dave Murray – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums
This feels like a less ambitious continuation of the Brave New World album. Lots of power chords and not a lot of strong riffs. Even Harris's bass gallop is more laid back. Dickinson is good but musically this one is pretty lazy by Maiden standards. More harmony guitar sections than shredding. That's probably a smarter way to go when you have three guitarists but I likes me some shredding.
The songwriting is better lyrically and melodically though. These seem to be more personal songs and less about storytelling. I like "No More Lies" a lot. "Face in the Sand" is very good also. "Paschendale" is the one stand out epic story song. I may or may not buy this album but I'll probably buy "Paschendale" at some point.
There is an all acoustic tune on this one but it's not as much as a departure as you'd expect. It still has drums and keyboards and with Harris and three guitars in there it is still filling up all the level meters on the soundboard. Even on acoustics, subtlety isn't really in Iron Maiden's mojo bag.
We're back to lousy video game looking art for this album cover but I don't have time to talk about that I've got to go play DOOM.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar, guitar synthesiser
Janick Gers – guitar
Steve Harris – bass guitar, keyboards, co-producer
Nicko McBrain – drums
Respect to Iron Maiden for acknowledging that war is happening. At the time of this album the US and its allies/parnters had been at intense war in the middle east for a solid five years (give or take several decades depending on how you look at it) but seeing the world through the lens of popular entertainment you wouldn't know it existed. I've known a lot of vets and active military through the years and almost all of them are Iron Maiden fans. I think they can relate to Maiden's historical and fantasy warfare story songs. This album seems to be made specifically for them.
The tone of this album is more serious. I like it. I think I kinda need it. With all the news of fallen soldiers over the past weeks this album feels as much 2017 as it does 2006. Relevant songs, great performances and more interesting guitar riffs than the last album. Lots of Adrian Smith writing on this album and I tend to like his songs best. None of these songs individually jump out at me as hits but I think the album as a whole is one of Maiden's most enjoyable. "For the Greater Good" is probably my favorite song on this album.
Apparently this album was not mastered. Meaning, they didn't pay someone to take what they did in the studio and make it sound super flat and lifeless so that it wouldn't scare radio. Most mastering is bad. It's almost always a reduction of sound instead of an enhancement. Any time I hear that a classic album has been "digitally remastered" I throw up a little. I'm not going to say that I'm an expert audio engineer or anything, I just know the guitars have a much richer tone on this album.
The album cover is by comics cover artist Tim Bradstreet so it's much better than the video game junk but Ed isn't prominent enough for my tastes so it doesn't really feel like an Iron Maiden cover. I give it a B minus. The digital covers all get F minuses.
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Steve Harris – bass, keyboards, co-producer
Nicko McBrain – drums
I don't see this as much of a departure from previous three albums. Maybe a bit more upbeat. These songs are looser and feel a bit more improvised. More power cords than memorable riffs. I notice Harris' bass the least on this album of all of them so far. He's allowed himself to be buried in the mix for some reason. There are some good leads from the guitar trio and Dickinson sounds great but none of the songs jump out at me. "Starblind" has some neat Jimi Hendrix licks scattered throughout it but it's too lyric heavy. There are some neat guitar moments like in "The Man Who Would Be King" where there is melodic slide guitar on top of the lead guitar. The coffee table is safe and won't be kicked over during this album.
Apparently this album sold very well so I guess I don't know what I'm talking about. It's impressive that a metal band that debuted in 1980 could have the number one album in multiple countries at a time when the record industry had been dead for years. I don't know anything about anything but I'm gonna assume that touring around the world forever helps.
I'm not a big fan of the cover. I like that it's scifi but I don't like turning Eddie into a cliche Predator alien.
The Book of Souls (2015)
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals, piano on "Empire of the Clouds"
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Steve Harris – bass, keyboards, co-producer
Nicko McBrain – drums
I like the songs on this album a lot more than on The Final Frontier but my complaints are mostly the same. More power chords than riffs. The sound is a little too tight for my tastes. Sounds almost like someone wrote a computer program for what an Iron Maiden song is then just updated the lyric, guitar solo and song length parameters. There are guitar solos on top of guitar solos and the resulting sound is just a bunch notes that sound like they were created by a random note generator program. The three guitarist thing works best when they take turns.
"Speed of Light" is a good rocker. I don't know that it would make you kick over your coffee table but you might throw some air punches. They steal from themselves a lot on this album. "Shadows of the Valley" has an intro that is almost identical to "Wasted Years". I like the songs on this album but there is no reason for them to be this long.
"Empire of the Clouds" just too much. Maybe the most self indulgent song of all time clocking in at 18 minutes long. Dickinson's lyrics read like a Wikipedia entry and the music sounds like it was composed by someone that was learning piano as they were recording it. Which, I'm pretty sure was the case. The piano on this song is comically bad. Nope. Not for me.
I approve of this album cover though. It's simple but at least Eddie looks like Eddie.
XXX
So there you have it. All sixteen of the Iron Maiden studio albums in order. I enjoyed them all except that I had a hard time getting through the Blaze Bayley stuff. None of them are terrible. I'd say Powerslave is the best complete album. A Matter of Life and Death may be my favorite. I loved the Di'Anno albums too though. If I were to recommend an Iron Maiden crash course for the casual metal fan I'd probably start them with Killers so they could get a taste of Maiden's importance in those early years of the new wave of British heavy metal. Then Number of the Beast, Powerslave and Somewhere in Time to cover Maiden's 80s prime. And finish with Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death for the best of the "comeback" six piece version of the band. There really isn't any reason to listen to the Blaze Bayley albums.
Iron Maiden is still amazing on their last album for a band that had their first album 37 years ago. And their minimal number of lineup changes is astounding. I think their "comeback" six piece lineup is actually their best. I guess I'll have to check out the live material to hear this lineup cover some of the earlier songs. Maybe next October I'll go through their half a million live albums.
*The Halloween Season starts July 5th and ends when I eat Thanksgiving dinner.
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