Number of the Beast - Im only 27 years too late

27 years ago on the 29th of March 1982 an up and coming heavy metal band called Iron Maiden released their third studio album called Number of The Beast. This album was different to their previous two albums (Iron Maiden and Killers) as it debuted their new singer Bruce Dickinson (who would be a mainstay of the band for years to come) and it involved songwriting from their drummer at the time Clive Burr for the first time along with songwriting from Adrian Smith, a guitarist, as well. Though it was not initially received fantastically by the mainstream media as time passed peoples opinions of the album changed and it became one of the most critically acclaimed metal albums of all time and cemented Iron Maidens status as one of the biggest metal bands on the planet.

This also happens to be one of my favourite albums of all time too done by one of my favourite bands. However it wasn't always so. When I was younger I was not really into heavy metal as i found it too noisy and was caught up with the preconception made by a lot of the popular media that heavy metal was just thrash and noise and was a general offense to the ear drums. To be fair they had a point when heavy metal is done badly it can be all those things I mentioned but I hadn't given this band much of a chance despite the fact they were also one of my fathers favourite bands too.

Then one day I gave them a chance and i found that i did like their music and that i did like heavy metal music when it was done well. I sat there and played their 'greatest hits' or 'best of' album and found that i loved the squealing guitar solos and the lyrics that weren't about love and heartbreak like all pop music i had ever listened to but of other things that i hadn't heard a band sing about before and I loved it. It was this that got me to ask my father if he had any other albums by Iron Maiden that i could listen to and it was one of these times that he produced an old cassette of the album Number of the Beast. Now i had heard three of the songs already as they were on the greatest hits album but it was great to hear the other songs on this album from an early point of their career (a point that was before i was even born) as their style changed over the years as various changes to the band line up occurred and they got older. I quickly became a big fan of this album and despite getting other albums by Iron Maiden I found I would always be coming back to this album which lead me to believe that this along with another of their albums Powerslave was some of their greatest work.

And now i plan to share it with you. It may not necessarily be your type of music and I am not trying to convert you. I am just putting it forward so as you can form your own opinion on it and I hope you can keep an open mind. Through the magic of YouTube i shall be putting in videos of the songs from the album, including one that was not on the 1982 original but instead on the 1998 remastered version, in track listing order. Where possible i will have a video with lyrics included and i will offer an explanation of the song along with why i like it.

Track One - Invaders



This first song called Invaders is strangely enough about an invasion. It like many other Iron Maiden songs focuses on a period of history , in this case the period of Saxons in England. It is about the invasion of the Vikings and their take on the battle and experiences that would have taken place as the Vikings drew nearer in their Longboats before arriving on shore and attacking the locals.

Now i like this song as it has got a good pace to it giving you the impression of how quickly things were happening there. Also when i first listened to it it was different to the songs i was used to listening to as it was a bit more graphic near the end in the final verse or two where he describes the fighting and the wounds. Completely different to the lovey dovey lyrics to pop songs of the late 90's early noughties. The guitar solos are also one of my favourite parts of this song and a lot of Iron Maiden songs. I could mention it in every song but i won't as it would get tedious so i shall make a point of saying it here.

Track Two - Children of The Damned



This one i find more complicated to explain as its mostly in the title really. The song starts off by describing this individual who is quite clearly not ok. He is not moving properly and he stares right through you. He then dies engulfed by flame as if by spontaneous combustion. Here its revealed this was meant to happen and therefore making him a member of the damned and it ends by saying we are children of the damned.

This has to be one of my top three favourite songs off this album. Its a bit slower than most Iron Maiden songs and i have heard it described by members of the band that it was the slowest song they've ever done. Lyrically i love it. The description and imagery created here, while others may find it gross and a bit graphic, fascinates me. From my years of reading many books i have always enjoyed good description and this song gives me a perfect image in my head of what this guys going through.

Track Three - The Prisoner



The third song of the album the Prisoner is based on the TV series of the same name which was broadcast from September 1967 - February 1968. The spoken extract at the beginning was taken from the TV series after the manager of Iron Maiden phoned the writer of the show to ask his permission. For those of you who haven't heard of the show it was about a guy held captive against his will in a society where you had no individuality and were just given a number and his attempts to escape.

This song I like because of the message of the lyrics. The message that "I'm not a number, I'm a free man, Live my life where I want to". I believe in that and believe we should live like it. Also again i cannot fault this song musically.

Track Four - 22 Acacia Avenue



The fourth song is a continuation of the "Charlotte the Harlot" saga started on one of the earlier two albums and is the second in the saga. Charlotte by her very title as a harlot is a prostitute who resides at 22 Acacia Avenue (I do not know how factually accurate that is) and the song starts off by suggesting if u feel lonely why not go and see this lady at this address. It then switches to trying to suggest to Charlotte that should stop what shes doing before switching back to encouraging you to see her before switching back to trying to get her to stop again before he says basically sod it I'm taking you away from all this.

I like the song because of the way the lyrics switch from both different view points. The view point promoting it (and the lyrics for this i like) and the other view saying that she should stop. The conflict is something I don't see in songs too often and i found it to be rather original when i first heard it. Also being one of the longer songs on this album gave it greater scope melodically as it kept changing pace and this keeps me interested in it as a song as it doesn't get repetitive.

Track Five - The Number of the Beast



Track five is the title track of the album. It opens with an actor called Barry Clayton reading a passage from Revelations. And although originally thought by people to be a song written by a bunch of satanists it turns out the song was based on a dream the bassist (Steve Harris) had after watching Damien: Omen II late at night. So that is what is all about. The lyrics are related to what Steve Harris saw in his dreams and how he felt about them.

This was one of the first Iron Maiden songs i ever heard and as such its become a favourite over the years. I like the mythology of it and the way the song opens which again was a first for me really when i heard it. Its got a good pace to the song and i find it easy to sing to.

Track Six - Run to the Hills



This has got to be the most famous Iron Maiden song of all time. It was one of their biggest hit singles charting at number 7 in the UK chart. It also earned them one of their first if not first appearance on Top of the Pops. If you follow this kind of music you have probably heard this song even if you didn't know who it was. The song in itself goes back to the period of time in history where the U.S army were forcing the Native Americans to move to the western United States. This song is from the Native Americans perspective and how they may have seen the actions of the U.S Army.

Now this song isn't one of my favourites but that is not because i dislike the song. It is just being one of the most popular Maiden songs I feel it has been overplayed to me and so I prefer to listen to other songs by them. However I think it has good subject matter and you can learn something about that time period if you knew nothing about it.

Track Seven - Gangland



Gangland, from my interpretation of it at least, seems to be about an area rife with gang activity, possibly from a mob like time, and the character in the song has crossed one of these gangs and is now on the run and hiding from them as he is a dead man in the gangs eyes and dead men tell no tales.

Another good song of this album that i thoroughly enjoy listening to even if its not my favourite song on the album. Its got a good quick pace on it which works for the song as the guys on the run from the gang and there is no letting up as you are being hunted down by someone who is trying to kill you.

Track Eight - Total Eclipse



This song was originally not on the album and was put on the 1998 remastered re-release of the album. It was originally the B-Side to Run to The Hills but the band felt that it was too strong a song to miss off the album so that is why they put it on in this version. Now this song being about the total eclipse to me suggests that this song is about the Sun going out for good and how people would react to that. People stopping what they are doing as an eternal winter falls.

Now this song wasn't on the original cassette version that my father gave me so was a surprise to me when i went out and bought my own version on CD. Its a good song again, interesting subject matter, although perhaps not their best musically as i found it a bit rough around the edges but it has grown on me the more i listen to it.

Track Nine - Hallowed be Thy Name



The final song on the album Hallowed be Thy Name is a song which depicts a mans thoughts just before he is taken to the gallows to be hung. It is about how a man finds that despite his belief that he wasn't afraid to die that perhaps he was after all. He then comes to terms with it as he then believes that his soul will live on and that he is going to find the truth. With this i am guessing he means the truth in what happens to you after you die.

Now this has to be my favourite song on the album. I think it is a brilliant way to end the album what with it being the longest song and even considering the subject matter. The song is about the end, albeit of a mans life, and its the end of the album. Lyrically i really like it. The subject matter and the way it is written really engrosses me. Musically again i think it is brilliant. It is over seven minutes long and the way they change the pace of the song keeps you interested and the guitar work i find immense. This is by far one of the best songs Iron Maiden have ever done in my opinion.

Well that is it. I hope you enjoyed reading and listening to the music if indeed you did. As i said near the beginning i know it is not to everyone's taste but i hope you can see why i like this album as much as i do. I would rather no one commented saying how rubbish they think this album is if you indeed feel that way. It is your own opinion but i would rather you keep it to yourself rather than just writing here to slag it off. I wouldn't do it to you so i rather you didn't to me. Other than that thank you and goodnight.