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Petrovsk Mizinski 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 24 2007
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 Topic: We appreciate Adrian Smith in this thread
Posted: April 15 2009 at 03:50 |
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I've been listening to a bit more Iron Maiden lately.
And my god, Adrian Smith's playing still continues to own my soul.
He makes both Dave Murray and Janick Gers look like hacks.
His note choice, his vibrato, his bends, his phrasing, HOLY CRAP, why doesn't he get more love for his playing?
One of the more overlooked guitarists in rock history and one of my biggest influences on my playing style.
Edited by Petrovsk Mizinski - April 15 2009 at 03:51
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The T
Special Collaborator
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Joined: October 16 2006
Location: FL, USA
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Posted: April 16 2009 at 13:38 |
Well, as none else seems to appreciate Adrian Smith, I'll have to join forces here. Though not an expert in vibrato and mending and whatever, his playing is great. I saw him live with the band a couple of weeks ago and he's great. Gers is the clown on stage, good but just good. Smith is very skilled. Murray, though apparently less vibrato and bending expert, is the mastermind behind the music with Steve Harris so he also deserves my full respect.
Reall, all Iron Maiden deserve it.  |
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Raff
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Posted: April 16 2009 at 13:59 |
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I appreciate Adrian Smith a lot, but I am not a musician, therefore I refrained from posting here. Anyway, I saw him play live with Maiden three times, so I saw firsthand how good he is.
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Alberto Muñoz
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Joined: July 26 2006
Location: Mexico
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Posted: April 16 2009 at 15:55 |
I like and enjoy the Adrian Smith Play, and i respect him a lot
but my favourite is Dave Murray, sorry
The Killer's Solo beats everything.
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rogerthat
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Joined: September 03 2006
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Points: 9869
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Posted: April 18 2009 at 00:40 |
Saw them in 2007 and Smith's solos were the only ones that had sufficient clarity and sounded sharp and precise - though this has much to do with crowd noise and that I couldn't get right to the first one or two rows hard as I tried.  Murray was in the early years the more dominant guitarist but Smith kept getting better and it is no coincidence the band fell off a cliff when he left after SSOASS, he had become a major source of creative input for the band by then.
So why is he not appreciated more? Beats me, one reason could be that Iron Maiden is not nearly as big in the USA as they are in the rest of the world and in metal for some reason what's not big in the USA is just not big as such. They are very popular in India, almost as much as Metallica, maybe more so now that they have made three trips in as many years here. Another reason could be that though he has an original, distinct style, he didn't fundamentally reinvent much and rightly or wrongly critical acclaim seems to be reserved for those who do something drastically different. Then again, um..Kirk Hammett, why, why?
Edited by rogerthat - April 18 2009 at 00:40
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Pekka
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 03 2006
Location: Espoo, Finland
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Posted: April 18 2009 at 01:38 |
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Oh hell yes. Stranger in a Strange Land and Wasted Years. Those songs alone are enough to make me a Smith fan. Both penned by him and especially both solos played by him. Stranger's solo is completely stunning, perhaps my favourite guitar solo of all time.
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Windhawk
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Posted: April 18 2009 at 02:34 |
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Hmmm, A.S.A.P. for Progarchives?
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DatM
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Joined: November 19 2008
Location: Berlin, Germany
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Posted: April 18 2009 at 11:47 |
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You know what? I've been listening to a lot of Maiden as well lately, and I've come to the conclusion that Smith was a big part of the classic Maiden sound. The guitar harmonies and arrangement became a lot more interesting after he joined.
Of course that's just my theory, could be coincidence. But I think that apart from writing some great songs and solos, he also had a big part in the arrangements.
As for Murray vs Smith, I prefer not to compare because they compliment each other so well. Smith did the more composed solos, while Murray tended to improvise a bit more...I think that's a real nice balance.
And Gers...well, he seems like a nice guy and all, but I don't think he really adds much, except when they do 3-part harmonies live, of course.
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WaywardSon
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Posted: April 18 2009 at 11:58 |
The problem with having 3 guitarists is when I listen on headphones I have no idea who is soloing.
Adrian Smith is a great song writer but I think Murray is a better guitarist.
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Raff
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Posted: April 18 2009 at 14:54 |
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Poor Janick Gers gets forgotten so often when Maiden's guitarists are mentioned... He may not be the world's best six-stringer, but he's great on stage, and he's also a very good songwriter, as "Dance of Death" (the song) proves quite well.
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Pekka
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Joined: August 03 2006
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Posted: April 23 2009 at 21:59 |
^I'm not a big fan of his soloing and stage presence in general, but yeah, he's done a lot of great songwriting especially on the latest three albums.
The three Maiden guitarists are a funny bunch of performers, the rocker, the clown and the happy grandpa. Dave Murray is probably the least metal metal guitarist in the world, but damn if he isn't real and adorable  The most polite down-to-earth musician in the world, I read again in an article last night. Everybody says so, so I guess it's true. |
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aapatsos
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Posted: April 26 2009 at 14:59 |
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A. Smith is for me the most ''creative'' of all three in Maiden. I can distinguish his solos out of the Maiden songs. I also respect Murray for his fantastic compositions and ''bluesy'' approaches from time to time.
Indeed, Adrian is the ''rocker'' and also has some weird and oriental ideas in his solos.
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Petrovsk Mizinski
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 24 2007
Location: Ukraine
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Posted: April 27 2009 at 07:23 |
 rogerthat wrote:
Saw them in 2007 and Smith's solos were the only ones that had sufficient clarity and sounded sharp and precise - though this has much to do with crowd noise and that I couldn't get right to the first one or two rows hard as I tried. Murray was in the early years the more dominant guitarist but Smith kept getting better and it is no coincidence the band fell off a cliff when he left after SSOASS, he had become a major source of creative input for the band by then.
So why is he not appreciated more? Beats me, one reason could be that Iron Maiden is not nearly as big in the USA as they are in the rest of the world and in metal for some reason what's not big in the USA is just not big as such. They are very popular in India, almost as much as Metallica, maybe more so now that they have made three trips in as many years here. Another reason could be that though he has an original, distinct style, he didn't fundamentally reinvent much and rightly or wrongly critical acclaim seems to be reserved for those who do something drastically different. Then again, um..Kirk Hammett, why, why?
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Good post. And yes, the Kirk Hammett love is just stupid. Don't want to turn this into a Kirk Hammett bashing thread, but christ, at least Adrian Smith doesn't butcher his OWN solos like Kirk does on stage frequently. Adrian Smith can also play in tune consistently too and always plays cleanly, whereas Kirk's playing is the definition of disgusting slopfest.
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Pekka
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Joined: August 03 2006
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Posted: April 27 2009 at 12:27 |
rogerthat wrote:
So why is he not appreciated more? Beats me, one reason could be that Iron Maiden is not nearly as big in the USA as they are in the rest of the world and in metal for some reason what's not big in the USA is just not big as such.
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I've never thought that for example Europeans would give a poop about what's big or small in the USA. Iron Maiden is massive in Finland and I believe in Europe in general. Then there's been many occasions when I hear a name and a mention that they've sold platinum in USA, and nobody here has a clue.
(I read your original text again and realized that what I said doesn't really relate to it that much... )
<- Ha! The Number of the Beast 
Edited by Keppa4v - April 27 2009 at 12:29
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Alfonsomdt
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Joined: October 22 2006
Location: Argentina
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Posted: May 05 2009 at 17:52 |
Adrian is GOD
I would recommend to listen to ´´Accident of Birth´´ and ´´Chemical Wedding´´, from B. Dickinson. Adrian work there is amazing!!!
In Argentina Maiden are really BIG!!
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JJLehto
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Posted: May 05 2009 at 22:57 |
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Huge fan of Iron Maiden!
Therefore I must agree Adrian Smith = Jeebus!
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toroddfuglesteg
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Posted: May 06 2009 at 01:28 |
Iron Maiden has never been better than on the last three albums..... and I am a big fan of the Peace Of Mind/Powerslave/Somewhere In Time/Seventh Son era. So that takes a lot for me to admit. The input of Adrian Smith was crucial in both the two eras and I can only thank him from the bottom of my heart. I never understood what Janick Gers are doing in Iron Maiden. But then again; never change a winning team. It seems like Janick Gers deserve a lot more credit than he is given. Today's Iron Maiden works and I have been a returning fan for the last eight years.
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LinusW
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Posted: May 06 2009 at 05:57 |
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Appreciating.
My clear favourite of the three.
Can't describe it right, but he's just a master of making guitar solos sound like so much more. Interesting, emotional, surprising and always in tone with the backing mood and music. Expressive in a "pleasingly technical" way.
Edited by LinusW - May 06 2009 at 06:03
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jimidom
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Joined: August 02 2007
Location: Houston, TX USA
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Posted: May 06 2009 at 10:55 |
Adrian Smith is one of my favorite metal guitarists. Although his tone and his soloing are superb, his riffing is out of this world., such as "Back In the Village" and "Wasted Years".
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We appreciate Adrian Smith in this thread
