OK, which one of you is this?

[nofi]

they don't sound like a metal band to me. never have.

[gearHed289]

they don't sound like a metal band to me. never have.

Maybe that's why they're one of the only metal bands I have a remote interest in?  Seriously, I don't follow metal (but I do love some classic old stuff like early Priest, Scorpions, and Rainbow), but I have huge respect for Maiden. They work their asses off, and seem genuinely devoted to their (enormous) fan base. Even as a teen, I found Steve Harris' playing and ideas to be very rudimentary, despite the amazing right hand fingers stamina. But as a whole, I think they're a lot of fun and kick some ass!

[gearHed289]

http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/bass-player-steals-the-show/1gl3r4rp2?cpkey=b969fc68-6f9b-47cd-b21b-57d48bb77c2c%257c%257c%257c%257c

Wow, way to ruin a beautiful song. What a f&*king DORK!

[uwe]

Have you heard the isolated tracks?

I have a hard time believing it is actually Steve Harris. Although the sound seems genuine, the playing is so godawful it just doesn't make sense this man fills large venues all over the world...

Sure I have, what do you think? Well, he does jump around quite a bit and they play these enormously long tours where they get more knackered every night, so I'm not as surprised/disappointed as some former Dutch juvenile Maiden fans such as ...   I've seen the man in concert, all that clacky-di-clack never sounded accurate to me (but then Chris Squire was quite sloppy too when I saw him recently). Isolated tracks can be cruel. Music - Nofi will love me for this - is more than the sum of its parts!

There really is no good definition of Heavy Metal. I remember the MC 5 - before they were all of the sudden punk godfathers - being called heavy metal. Judas Priest consider themselves Heavy Metal, Deep Purple have been called it often enough, yet disdain the term. Motörhead don't want to be called a heavy metal band, but they don't sound like reggae to me either. Even Bachman Turner Overdrive were called heavy metal (never mind Randy Bachman's penchant for Latin Amercian chords: "Looking out for No 1"). Angus Young likes to believe he's more Chuck Berry than a heavy metal guitarist, but seeing him live in concert you might think otherwise. Iron Maiden were at the forefront of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), yet they do have a proggish (if pedestrian) influence too. Holding Hard Rock, Heavy Rock and Heavy Metal apart, is tricky sometimes and maybe there isn't a real differentiation.

We can attempt a definition here, I'll start:

"Heavy Metal is a blues-derived guitar riffs and solos oriented high energy music of dramatic nature with minor chords often prevailing, aimed at a mostly male and adolescent audience, with usually high-pitched vocals whose melodies tower over the instrumental melée while the rhythm section provides a steady backbeat in quarter, eights, sixteens or shuffled triplets."

Even while writing I can think of bands that are regarded as heavy metal, but don't qualify for all or even most of the above. You guys come up with a better definition, we'll copyright it then.

[uwe]

Wow, way to ruin a beautiful song. What a f&*king DORK!

Don't be so harsh. A) He's South American, they like their rhythm sections a bit more lively down there. B) Yes, he overplays, but he overplays with a heart and is enjoying himself and entertaining his audience. C) Ignoring all the little - sometimes pleasantly hilarious - fills (not every musical contribution has to be stone-facedly serious), his groove is good, unsurprisingly a bit sambaish. D) hey, unless you copy Stu Cook note for note, how can you not overplay compared to him?  E) There is probably not a single non-bass player in the hall who thought "He plays too much.", but a whole lot going: "Wow, look at this guy!"

[gweimer]

While this is pretty good, when you hear the isolated tracks, the little flaws and skips come through.  I have great respect for talented producers, who can work with the raw tracks and create art.

[Basvarken]

http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/bass-player-steals-the-show/1gl3r4rp2?cpkey=b969fc68-6f9b-47cd-b21b-57d48bb77c2c%257c%257c%257c%257c

Whaaahaa that is hilarious.
I bet he was showing off for his new girlfriend / potential groupie.

How many strings can you need for a CCR song? He even managed to do some slapping.
His "dancing" is very white. Like Eddie Murphy showed us:

[Granny Gremlin]

There is probably not a single non-bass player in the hall who thought "He plays too much."

Sure there were - any guitards in the audience (there's always a few)

but a whole lot going: "Wow, look at this guy!"

And laughing.  Those twirls are ridiculous and make no musical sense.  ... then again, I'm sure his moves net him a steady catch of weird rythmnless chicks (there's one at every show, you know, bad posture, waaaay too into it, little nerdy, moves like a clutsy football player.... the one at my band's last show was epic, but a sweetheart; the one at the first show I ever played was a narc who looked like Tom Petty and after dancing to my horrible solo set with only 10 other people in the room, none anywhere close to the stage, asked to buy drugs off of me before I had even packed up my gear). with whom he goes off after the show to have horribly awkward sex with.

[TBird1958]

Always better sex with the crazy ones.......Just don't go for a repeat . 

[Granny Gremlin]

Oh, no, not crazy; weird.

It's not just the dude that needs to have rythmn.

[TBird1958]

Oh, no, not crazy; weird.

It's not just the dude that needs to have rythmn.

Ahhh........ yes, the New Rhythm Method 

[gweimer]

Ahhh........ yes, the New Rhythm Method 

The Epileptic Bop.

[uwe]

Ok, if ethnicity and dance ability is now the new subject, shouldn't you give him some credit for being a Brazilian? I thought those people can dance.

[gweimer]

Ok, if ethnicity and dance ability is now the new subject, shouldn't you give him some credit for being a Brazilian? I thought those people can dance.

And don't forget that Patrick Moraz was known to introduce a bit of Brazilian rhythm into his phase of Yes.

[uwe]

Not to forget the other Patrick!