Iron Maiden/Maiden Japan

So our local University (LakeHead) had a record sale with local businesses and  people selling used/sealed Vinyl,Cds,DVDs,T Shirts basically that kind of stuff so me and my wife Sue along with our 5 month old dog Fender (the wonder dog!) sauntered on down (Saturday Sept 19th) to look for some vinyl for our daughter Lexie as she had to work and as it turns out I scored……

Lemme tell Ya about it….

Muc was the fella who basically got Maiden Japan(recorded May of 1981)the day it came out in  late 1981(Muc bought it in Duluth!)and when i first heard Maiden Japan for the first time I friggin drooled all over my Kiss Dynasty Tour T …I mean geesh this was my first time hearing Maiden Live as just a few months earlier in the summer of 1981 I joined the Maiden ranks in purchasing Killers and becoming a lifer forever!(Yep even thru the Blaze years!)

I was blown away when I heard Maiden Japan for the first time ever! WOWZERS! Iron Maiden was on full audio assault on my young noggin! Live they brought it big time and delivered ….

I was hooked…..

Clive Burr(RIP),Adrian Smith,Dave Murray,Steve Harris and soon to be punted out lead singer Paul Dianno deliver a 5 song Live Ep that just flat out rocks!

Banzai Maiden!

Side 1-

RUNNING FREE-  Dianno asks The Japanese faithful ‘wanna hear Ya sing!”Maiden punch the gas fast and furious on Running Free! I have  heard a lot of versions over the years with Bruce but this one is played at a quick clip and Dianno delivers this tune lyrically (sounds almost autobiographical)and vocally. Too bad his career totally hit the shitter after 1981 but on Maiden Japan there are no quams about his performance! Smith And Murray are in synch on there dualing lead guitar bits whereas Harris and Burr drive the rhythm bus to the finish line “puller here at bottle top,whiskey dancing,disco hop now all the boys are after me,that’s the way its gonna be! Yup Crank The Vid posted!

REMEMBER TOMORROW-this song like Running Free is from the debut album called well,Iron Maiden! Remember Tomorrow starts off real chill and it builds up as it goes along and just unleashes when Dianno and the guitars go “aaaaaaaaargh”. Looking back you could see Harris had the vision of wanting to write epic numbers and Remember Tomorrow is a fantastic start! Brooding dark guitar bits during the verses,cranked power chording metal licks during the chorus with Burr playing a metal type shuffle on his drums. This is epic Maiden and after two full albums(debut and Killers) Maiden is kicking some serious Ass! This ends Side 1….Say Whaaaaaaa?

Side 2-

WRATHCHILD-here comes the first of three from Killers!  Burr smashes the hi hat and Steve-o slaps da Fender Bass while Murray and Smith launch there riffs and we’re off and this this is soooo good! Amazing that Harris being the young chap and composer back in 81 didn’t fall into any cheese schlop metal rock and kept his noggin focused and wrote deadly friggin metal tracks! WrathChild is one of the best from Killers and I love the bass during the guitar solos it just thumps and thumps and Harris riffs on his bass like a madman! Dianno lays down the law with ‘I’m comimg to getcha!” I believe him! I really did back than!

KILLERS-Killers is a wicked wicked song! This is Maiden creeping around those shady streets of London! Big time bass and drums start with Dianno throwing out some “yah yah yah!” And different lyrics which would end up on Killers! While Mr Murray and Mr Smith lay waste on there guitars and Killers rocks the grooves of the vinyl heavy! “Scream For Mercy” Watch the live vid from 1981 and guess what kids it’s from Japan! Case in point Murray and Smith are just sick on there solos! Hoooooooly Sheeeeit!

INNOCENT EXILE-Steve starts off Innocent Exile with some bass riffing and the Maiden fellas all join in! Cool that Innocent Exile was released on the Maiden Japan albums in Canada only! Ha who woulda thunk it right?! Maiden and especially with the guitars they would have little certain melodic samplings and than it all goes out the window with Murray and Smiths soloing! Innocent Exile ramps right up towards the end! Clive does some real slick power drumming and we’re done…..Say WHAAAAAAA …

IN CONCLUSION- Maiden drops down a 5 song live Ep and leaves us all wanting more! They were smart man..I was like More More More…Harris and smart manager guy Rod Smallwood go Nope Nope Nope! Leave them wanting more  and hell it worked! Maiden solidified with me the fact that they were becoming one of my favs quickly! Murray and Smith the dynamic guitar duo basically were making major strides as a quick one two punch to the throat in the dual lead  guitar school. I mean there playing is unbelievable here! Steve Harris not only played  bass but he was the main songwriter as well! Dianno sings awesome on these tracks and too bad he combusted his whole career after Maiden booted him and hired the Air Raid Siren!

Also give Maiden credit they even put it bold white print on the back of the record that a few studio overdubs were done but who gives a shit! Ha good on them! Imagine if Gene And Paul put that on the back of there Live Albums! Hahahaha ……like that would ever happen! Silly buggers those Kiss fellers are…