Iron Maiden Album: “Somewhere in Time [Expanded]”

This is the most complete Maiden album ever! Every song could appear on a "Best Of" album of theirs (which makes me wonder why they don't...) because each song is so full of melody, epic grandeur, and complex musicianship. Many of Iron Maiden's fans that have been around since the beginning usually mark Powerslave as their last great album, but that's just foolish. Somewhere In Time is their best album, followed by 7th Son of a 7th Son. Here is how i rate every song:

Caught Somewhere In Time - excellent, fast opening track with lots of synths! 10/10

Wasted Years - melodic, beautiful, great solo, great chorus 9.5/10

Sea Of Madness - one of Maiden's heaviest tracks! 9/10

Heaven Can Wait - this is such a fun song, I can't help but smile everytime I hear it 9.5/10

The Lonliness Of The Long Distance Runner - if it weren't for the cheesey lyrics, this song would go down as one of their best ever, but otherwise, it's still a great song 9/10

Deja Vu - very interesting lyrics and a slower paced song then the rest of the album...excellent, one of the best! 10/10

Stranger In A Strange Land - best song on the album! just listen to that solo!! 10/10

Alexander The Great - epic, epic, epic! not only do you get a fantastic epic song, but you also get a history lesson in just 8 minutes! 10/10

There you have it, Maiden's finest hour

By the time "Somewhere in Time" came out in 1986, I was well into Iron Maiden. I owned every album available in the States, had read "Running Free," and took in my very first concert -- 1985's World Slavery Tour. (What a first concert!) Fairly or unfairly, I had high expectations for this next album, feeling that my musical heroes could do no wrong.

I had read that the group would be incorporating a guitar-synth on the next album. I also had heard that Bruce Dickinson wanted to take a different direction and do an acoustic album. What really got me interested was that Adrian Smith was going to take a lead role in some of the songwriting. With having a hand writing songs such as "The Prisoner," "The Flight of Icarus," "22 Arcacia Avenue," and "2 Minutes to Midnight," I couldn't wait!

I managed to pick up the cassette on the release date, and was again impressed by yet another Derek Riggs masterpiece. I know I missed out on the album art detail with the cassette, but records were well on their way out at this time, and I wanted to listen to this album on the way home. Those that have the album can see all the little jokes on neon signs and in the storefront windows.

My first impression? I was under-whelmed. The opener "Caught Somewhere in Time" fell somewhat flat -- I just couldn't get into the guitar synths. At that time, some of the other songs seemed like throwaways -- "Heaven Can Wait," "Deja Vu," "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," and "Alexander the Great" really didn't do much for me. To me, Adrian Smith's songs were by far the strongest on the album. "Wasted Years" and especially "Sea of Madness" and "Stranger in a Strange Land" really showcase some fine songwriting skills.

I think the album as a whole was a letdown to me because it seemed somewhat uninspired and lacked direction. It wasn't until years later that I learned there were some creative differences within the band at that time that might have affected the material. I also looked at "Alexander the Great" as an attempt to recapture the lyrical magic of Powerslave's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Musically, it's interesting, but lyrically, it fell flat. Coleridge's epic poem translated much better to music than Plutrarch's history.

But time has a way of putting things in perspective; and looking back at this album, knowing what was going on within the band at this time, and hearing the music again after all those years, I find I enjoy listening to the whole thing. I still think Adrian's songs are the strongest, but I have a new appreciation for those songs I kicked to the curb back in '86. I will even go as far as saying musically they've rarely been in better form on an album.

1986/87's Somewhere on Tour concert was spectacular -- probably better than the World Slavery Tour by a hair. Flying spaceships, Bruce's pulsing neon-tube vest, and a robot Eddie...what's there not to like? I found the SIT songs translated very well live -- even with the synth guitars. I remember Adrian and Dave performing a really cool guitar-duet they called "Walking on Glass." A top notch show.

For me, this one ranks three and a quarter stars. Almost four, but not quite.

I admit, I may not be the biggest "Iron Maiden" fan. In fact, when it comes to the metal realm of music, I tend to gravitate towards more extreme bands like "Slayer", "Death", "Deicide", "Napalm Death", etc. However, the influence and effect "...Maiden" has had on this musical genre cannot be disputed.

I've always had an interest in early "...Maiden" up until their seventh release, "Seventh Son Of a Seventh Son". Wasn't too crazy about that particular recording or one of the hits from it, "Can I Play With Madness?" I'm not putting it down, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I never really bothered to follow "Maiden" after that. Yet their previous stuff intrigued me. After I saw a VH-1 doc. on the metal genre, my interest in "Maiden" became renewed. I reviewed some "Maiden" history, and I discovered the early "Maiden" recordings have been remastered and re-issued, so I dived in.

"Somewhere In Time" is an amazing album, everything clicks. I was surprised to see that Bruce Dickinson received no song/lyric writing credit here, but I expected to see Steve Harris' name quite a bit, and he delivers. Highlights include "Caught Somewhere In time", "Wasted Years", "Stranger In a Strange Land" and "Deja Vu". Yet "Heaven Can Wait" and "Alexander the Great" totally blew me away. Fantastic songs, but I wasn't too crazy about "Sea Of Madness" and "The Loneliness Of the Long Distance Runner."

"Iron Maiden" really carved a niche for themselves in metal history with their unique brand. I never understood why people consider this cheesy, but I love it when bands write songs about history, literature & movies. Along with their eye-catching titles and cover art, they satisfy in the lyrical department with great music to match.

Well, that's my opinion, like it or lump it. If you're already a "Maiden" fan, my review is pointless. I'm sure there are many more detailed reviews written by die-hard fans. However, my review is geared more toward someone with a passing interest in "Maiden" who wants to know a bit more about them. Don't start with this one, work your way up to it. It's well worth it, and you may discover why these Brits have perservered for as long as they did.

There is an Iron Maiden video (circa 1985) called "Behind the Iron Curtain" in which a seemingly drunken Bruce Dickinson tells a fan: "you can't play heavy metal on a synthesizer." Well, Bruce was wrong. He and his bandmates proved this with 1986's Somewhere In Time. Oddly, while Dickinson himself is not credited with authorship of a single song on the album, it is perhaps his finest vocal effort. The true genius of the album, however, lies in the guitar playing of Adrian Smith. He shines, on every track, but Alexander the Great deserves special mention. In a single minute of guitar playing, Smith outflashes Van Halen or Vai, AND plays with more soul than Clapton or Beck at their best moments. That he had anything at all left in him for Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (my vote as THE greatest album recorded anywhere, anytime, by anyone, ever) 2 years later is a minor miracle. That he surpases his SIT performance on the album, well that's just spooky!

Somewhere In Time is the first studio-album from Iron Maiden I have ever heard and it is still one of my favourite albums of all time. Somewhere In Time, released in 1986, was the first album on which Maiden uses guitar and bass synths. It gives the album a different vibe when comparing it to their earlier albums. The album starts out with "Caught Somewhere In Time", one of the most underrated Maiden songs of all time. This song always grabs me when the intro starts. "Wasted Years" is one of Maiden's more radio- friendly songs. In the Netherlands it was Maiden's greatest hit. It is a catchy rocker, written by Adrian Smith.

Although the guitars on Somewhere In Time do not sound heavy due to the synths, I would say that Somewhere In Time contains the fastest songs Maiden has ever released. Just listen to "Loneliness Of The Long Distant Runner" and "Heaven Can Wait." Fortunately there are also some slower song like "Stranger In A Strange Land" and "Alexander The Great". "Stranger In A Strange Land" is an atmospheric simple bass and drums based song, with an excellent solo. Therefore it is a pretty unusual song, but it is still great. "Alexander The Great" is a rather slow and epic song. This song probably contains the longest guitar-solo Maiden has ever played on an album. It is one of my favourite Maiden solos. "Sea Of Madness" is the heaviest (guitar-sound wise) song on the album. Check out the intro of "Sea Of Madness". I think that this song is also one of the must underrated Maiden songs.

I personally think that Somewhere In Time is one of Maiden's strongest albums. I really like the desolate atmosphere on the album. The whole sound on the album is totally different than on all of their other albums. Even Bruce Dickinson's vocals sound different. Although I am normally not a fan of high range vocals, the vocals on this album work perfectly. The songs are both catchy and complex (for Maiden standards). Although Somewhere In Time is not one of Maiden's easiest albums to get into, I highly recommend this album.