Track by Track: Iron Maiden - Piece of mind (1983)


40 years ago, today, on May 16, 1983, Iron Maiden released the album "Piece Of Mind". Here's some info about the songs and my rating track by track. Let me know what you think in the comment section or through social media.

1) Where Eagles Dare 
The song opens with one of the most iconic drums intros where the new member of the band Nicko McBrain shows off his drumming skills (he replaced Clive burr). Where eagles dare is a fantastic opener based on the 1968 war film of the same name. Amazing performance by Bruce Dickinson too. Rating 88/100

2) Revelations 
A complex and epic song written by Bruce Dickinson, inspired by the occult writings of Aleister Crowley and G. K. Chesterton. The song is a masterpiece with lots of different parts and atmospheres, in "only" 6 minutes and 49 seconds. If Maiden would write this one today it would be at least around 15 minutes. Rating 100/100


3) Flight of Icarus 
The first single from the album is a mid-paced about the Greek myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with his wax wings and fell into the sea. The song has a catchy chorus and a fantastic vocal performance by Dickinson, but was criticized by some fans for being too commercial (Steve Harris is not a fan of the song, that's why they stopped playing it live for a while). Rating 90/100

4) Die with Your Boots On
A fast and energetic song co-written by Dickinson, Steve Harris and Adrian Smith, about facing death with courage and defiance. This is not a very important song in Iron Maiden's catalog but I always liked it a lot. I love the bass lines and the vocals. 87/100

5) The Trooper 
The second single from the album is a classic Iron Maiden anthem about the Crimean War. The song, to this date, is still one of the band's most popular live staples and features Eddie as a British soldier on the cover. Definitely one of the highlights of this album and of the entire career of the band. Rating 95/100


6) Still Life
A dark, strange and atmospheric song about a man who becomes obsessed with a painting that comes to life and haunts him. The song also features a hidden message at the beginning, which is Nicko McBrain burping and saying "What ho said the t'ing with the three 'bonce', do not meddle with things you don't understand...", followed by "Don't meddle wid t'ings you don't understand" backward (en.wikipedia.org). Another great, a little different than usual for the band. 87/100 

7) Quest for Fire 
A short and simple song about the discovery of fire by prehistoric humans, inspired by the 1981 film of the same name. The song is considered one of the weakest tracks on the album, despite the usual great vocals by Bruce Dickinson and super catchy bass lines. I agree. 68/100

8) Sun and Steel 
A fast and upbeat song about the life and philosophy of the Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi, based on the 1968 essay by Yukio Mishima. Another song considered "not the best" of this album. Tracks 7 and 8 on Piece of Mind are not bad at all, it's only that the other songs are too good, in comparison. It's not their fault. 69/100

9) To Tame a Land
A long and epic song about the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert, tells the story of Paul Atreides, who becomes the leader of a desert planet and its native people, the Fremen. The band wanted to call the song "Dune," but Herbert's representatives, who despise heavy metal music, denied them permission. The song has multiple sections, each with a different mood and tempo, and features some of the band's most progressive and experimental elements, with probably my favourite performance by Steve Harris. I would listen to this song, bass only. One of the most underrated songs by the band, in my opinion. I don't understand why they never play it live. Rating 98/100


Overall rating 90/100
Giovanni Gagliano

Passionate about music I wrote my first article for "Given To Rock" in 2012, reaching now 30K global followers. I am also a musician, gigging around London.

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