SOMEWHERE IN TIME

I just got the remastered and expanded versions of this, and Seventh Son, for £10 the two at musiczone. A wonderful bargain! Now, I am no fan of heavy metal, and not a particular fan of most of Maiden's output. Tracks like 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter' leave me cold. But this album is different. It certainly has progressive elements, and whilst the guitars are riffing and screaming, as befits the genre, they also provide some subtle touches at times, and Steve Harris' bass playing is a delight. Every track here has something of value in it; no weak songs on this album. Melody is in abundance all over the place, and Bruce sounds really powerful and at the top of his game here. My favourite track must be the epic 'Alexander The Great' which closes the record, but 'Sea Of Madness' and 'Stranger In A Strange Land' run it close. My least favourite is probably 'The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner' but even that song is highly listenable and has some excellent playing on it. All the songs contribute to the atmosphere on this album, yet all are different enough to remain in the memory long after the cd has stopped, and you may well find yourself humming segments from different tracks to yourself for days after! Highly recommended! Although not strictly prog, it is still a strong four star album.