Dickinson's replacement in the 90's
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Topic: Dickinson's replacement in the 90's
Posted By: Melomaniac
Subject: Dickinson's replacement in the 90's
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 11:13
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First, I had to post this poll here, since polls cannot be posted in the prog related lounge (and Iron Maiden is prog related).
Anyways, I never understood why IM settled on Blaze Bailey when there were many others who could have been much better, and some who were interested.
So who would you have liked to take Bruce's place instead of Blaze Bailey ? ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Replies:
Posted By: Psychedelia
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 11:30
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Ronnie James Dio is one of my favourite singers, best in heavy metal. He would have done the best. he has power in his voice and emotion as well as an almost operatic feel. Fantastic. ------------- Another emotional suicide, overdosed on sentiment and pride |
Posted By: Ahmadbarqawi
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 11:41
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none of the above
i think the great singer Mattew Barlow (ex Iced Earth) would've been a great fit
also Jorn Lande of Ark
& oh zackary stevens (ex Savatage)
------------- {Flashlights shade shrunken views Of a red demon’s foxtrot in brews Guns & flowers crown morning news Panic-stricken guilt now ensues} |
Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 11:42
Interesting choices indeed ! ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Ahmadbarqawi wrote:Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 13:12
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I would have set the world afire by getting the beast back in - Paul D'ianno. During a time when metal didn't rule & the punk inspired grunge movement did, Paul's growl might have roughened their edges again.
------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: mistertorture
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 13:24
I Think Maiden (Harris) recruited a singer with the idea of filling a hole, not beginning a new Maiden era. Blaze Bayley was perfect for that for three things: a) He was an almost unknown singer back then. b) His style, range, tone and everything you can imagine about his voice is drastically different than Bruce's. c) He's English. Besides all this, I think Bayley (and the Bayley era in general) was unfairly bashed . For example The X Factor is a gem in Maiden's catalogue, a very different one for sure but it works because of the atmosphere it creates, its innovative and fresh sound (for the Maiden standards at the time), its solid compositions (especially compared with the two last albums recorded with Dickinson before he left) and mainly because the music matched Blaze's voice and as a result it didn't sound forced. Virtual XI fails in that point but still have some great songs. Now to the poll  ,
I think Doogie White (Malmsteen, Rainbow among others) would have been
a great replacement. His voice is crystal clear, melodic, powerful and
is not a Dickinson clone. He is not exactly English, but is Scotish, so
almost (maybe not enough for Harris  ). In fact I think he did auditions for joining Maiden at that time.-------------  
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Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 15:24
Oh don't get me wrong, I think the Bayley albums are great musically, it's only that Bayley was too often either flat or sharp, and that makes me cringe, even moreso due to the fact I think the songs are great. When I play either X Factor or Virtual XI, only because of Bayley, I sometimes have a hard time listening to them until the end, but I do because the music is so good (X Factor is the darkest of Maiden albums and the good songs on Virtual XI are really good).
He had good ideas for melodies but, in my opinion, didn't have the talent to execute them properly. ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 16:19
Well.... Eric Beaudin would have brought some fresh blood into the band, although he's more suited as a background vocalist...  Seriously, if someone was to replace Bruce it should've been Paul Di'Anno, I have no idea who else has a voice that really fits in with Iron Maiden's sound.... ------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
Posted By: mistertorture
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 16:30
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Nice to know that you appreciate those albums. In fact I pressume that
the Bayley era is better appreciated now that it's in the past. I think he just didn't fit with the music especially the back (huge) catalogue of the band. Still he did a good job live with some of the old songs like Afraid To Shoot Strangers, Heaven Can Wait, The Evil That Men Do and was fairly good in Hallowed Be Thy Name. But of course those songs weren't written for his voice and there are other songs that I think he can not even sing. At the end of the day I think this whole thing was positive: 1) Bruce did a pretty good and prolific solo career in a short amount of time. 2) Maiden had developed another sound since The X Factor, a sound that is still present a lot in their music (especially in Dance Of Death and A Matter... , even if most of the fans don't want to admit it). 3) I think Blaze was used and then thrown away. (I saw them live in the last show with Bayley here in Buenos Aires on the final date of the Virtual XI world tour). However, Blaze was benefited from all this thing, because, how many singers can say "oh yeah, I was the singer/frontman of IRON MAIDEN". And what is more important here, during his time with Maiden he improved his writing skills a lot learning from uncle Steve, and that is evident if you hear his latest albums, great heavy metal, melodic and powerful music in wich his voice is just what the music demands. (he also sings better than on the Maiden years). 4) And then again we have not only Dickinson back, but also Adrian Smith who was in Bruce's band. So the new line-up is the classic plus Janick Gers, plenty of capable song-writers. Bruce (and the band) sounded tired back in the Fear Of The Dark days, but they all sound refreshed now and with this "new" line-up they penned two masterpieces imo: Brave New World and A Matter Of Life And Death.  -------------
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Posted By: The T
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 18:20
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I also think that Bayley's albums are underrated. Virtual XI wasn't really a gem, but it contained a couple good songs, and overall was a pleasant experience to listen to. X Factor, on the other hand, is a gem. Many would disagree with me but for me that album may well me my favorite Iron Maiden album, right beside Powerslave and (yes, I love it) Fear of the Dark. I loved everything from the music to the concept, to the colors (that dark blue), that album is underappreciated. The two singles were OK (Man on the Edge but specially Lord of The Flies) and the best track, the 10 minute title track.
Of course, as a singer Dickinson sweeps the floor with Bayley...Or maybe not, maybe his voice couls be better in other music.
About other replacements, I think there's no good replacement. Even singers I like a lot like LaBrie or Wilson wouldn't fit in Maiden. ------------- 
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Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 18:49
| I would vote for Edu Falaschi of Angra. Just listen to the song "Ego Painted Grey" off the album Aurora Consurgens, he sounds exactly like Dickinson in his prime. |
Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: May 30 2007 at 19:45
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Of course, as a Bruce & Paul fan, I have to say that Maiden wasn't exactly putting out masterpieces during Blayze's time as singer. Whether Bruce's return gave them a kick in the *** or not, it is an interesting idea
------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 16:14
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IMHO, Blaze Bayley WAS the wrong choice for the band. Paul Di'Anno had a similarly gruff voice (although one that had a lot more personality and individuality than Bayley's, imho) but he was the perfect singer for Maiden then. As he has admitted, Di'Anno wouldn't have fit on the material they were doing from 'Number Of The Beast' onwards. Bayley's vocals lack, ahem, 'The X Factor' that his two predecessors had, imho of course. I never heard 'Virtual XI' but I had 'The X Factor'. To me, it was no improvement over 'No Prayer For The Dying' (the weakest Maiden album ever imho) and 'Fear Of The Dark'- it had a certain tiredness and the songs were lacklustre, imho. In other words, I'm not too sure if any other vocalist would have made the material any better, even though I wasn't fussed on Bayley. For me, there are still a lot of poor songs on the last few Dickinson albums too... Steve Harris said that if Bruce Dickinson had stayed with the band during this period, commercially they would still have hit the skids, as metal was perhaps at its lowest ebb in the mid 90s, imho. Of course, Dickinson's return made them hugely popular again, coinciding with the general resurgence of metal. And some of the vocalists listed in this poll have very similar vocals to Dickinson in the first place, imho, which would have bought about accusations of Dickinson-cloning...
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 16:22
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Russell Allen!
Woot Woot Woot! ------------- 
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Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 16:25
I forgot him in the choices, what was I thinking ??? ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 16:32
OK, just for that we are taking away your birthday.   -------------
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Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: May 31 2007 at 17:46
 Seriously, I would have loved to hear what DIo could have pulled in IM. That would have been 4 classic albums with 4 different bands for the man ;
Rainbow - Rising
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Dio - Holy Diver
and try to imagine Dio singing "The sign of the croooooooss"... that would have been amazing !!! ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: Draconean
Date Posted: June 13 2007 at 13:56
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I voted for "Other". IMO only Paul Di'Anno could replace Bruce and fit in well in the Maiden sound. ------------- I'm running still, I shall until, one day I hope that I'll arrive |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 13 2007 at 14:00
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Yesterday I heard the X Factor after a few years without having touched it... My feeling were proven true: I LOVE that album, and the music is highly progressive and excellent. I would give it 5 stars with no doubt except for one little factor: the AWFUL voice of Bayley. He's not a good singer, and yes, he was a bad choice. I'd just love to see XFACTOR being recorded again with Dickinson... It would so totally rule the world.....
No replacement for Dickinson.. -------------
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Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: June 13 2007 at 14:16
That would be awesome indeed. Why not do the same with Virtual XI ? It would be that much better too, even if only half the album is really good. ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 13 2007 at 23:52
yes, there's really not much that can be done with "Como estais amigos"... Dickinson, Pavarotti, Justin timberlake, Diddy, LABrie, Dio, Caruso, nobody could save that song.... -------------
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Posted By: Prog Serpent
Date Posted: June 20 2007 at 11:43
| I was always OK with Blaze Bayley. No one can replace Bruce, but at least Blaze was not trying to sound like Bruce. It does not really matter who was singing at the time of Virtual XI, that album was so bad no one could rescue it. |
Posted By: Melisma
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 22:52
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Definitely Dio for me. He's the closest theatrical singer to Dickinson.
Personnaly, I think the whole idea around the use of Bayley was a trick
to get Dickinson back in Maiden... Harris just couldn't do that to Maiden, Bruce had to return one day or another!
------------- Melisma Life is a trip! Death is an odyssey... |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 22:56
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Arch would have been awesome in IM. -------------  |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 23:14
considering how much Fates Warning sounded like a proggy Maiden during that era... ------------- 
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Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 23:25
I have only heard Awaken The Guardian from Arch-era FW..... Having said that, 1. the music sounds like a poor-man's IM... (later FW would be great, not that one)....2. Arch, in my eyes (ears) is awful, at least in that record. I don't think he could've replaced anyone much less Dickinson. -------------
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Posted By: spo1977
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 04:15
| Ricky Van Helden, His band Attack (German metal band) was really good. His vocals on the album "The Secret Place" are great. I also prefer his bass work to that of Steve Harris. |
Posted By: spo1977
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 04:17
| P.S. I think John Arch's finest moment is the song "Guardian". I think he could have done fine with Maiden but he is just too close to Dickinson. That guy that replaced Halford was a great singer, only problem was, he was not Halford. |
Posted By: Roskisdyykkari
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 13:01
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Ronnie James Dio is a very good singer, but Dio in Maiden? Doesn't make any sense in my opinion. Blaze Bayley was a good replacement. The X-Factor is an excellent album, and it's very dark and heavy, and Blaze Bayley's voice is just perfect for those songs. The only problem was that Blaze wasn't very good at singing some of the older Maiden-songs from the Bruce-era. Well, Blaze DID sing Afraid To Shoot Strangers well. But songs like The Evil That Men Do etc? Horrible! For those who hate Blaze Bayley, check out his solo albums. They are actually very good and I really like Bayley's vocals on those albums. ------------- And the sand-castle virtues are all swept away in the tidal destruction the moral melee. |
Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: July 28 2007 at 17:22
| I think Blaze was the perfect replacement, because if it had worked out better with somebody else, Bruce might not have ever returned. Plus they did two very good albums together, better than the two previous works with Bruce. |
Posted By: rudderhead
Date Posted: March 05 2008 at 21:23
| I 'm glad that they choose Blaze Bailey and not the vocalists listed above. Because except for Dio and Bach the rest of the singers are in that typical powermetal vein what doesnt fit with the classic hardrock of Iron Maiden. Blaze on the overhand if you like him or not did have the right attitude. Because allthough Iron Maiden had some long complex songs they still had a rock n roll attitude that lot of these bombastic and overblown powermetal bands didnt. RJD and SB would not have been a good idea because it is not good to use well established singers unless your Black Sabbath. I personly think Steve Grimmet of Grim Reaper would have been a good choice because he could sing really well but he also had a rough sound and the right heavy metal attitude to go with it |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: March 07 2008 at 13:11
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Anyone else rather than Bailey would have been a great choice!!! |
Posted By: rudderhead
Date Posted: March 07 2008 at 16:56
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Somebody mentioned Attack. That is a good band. Not very wellknown. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: March 09 2008 at 09:24
| every1 is going to say Dio.. He has one of the most amazing voices ever. |
Posted By: crimson87
Date Posted: March 16 2008 at 22:33
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I think Blaze was the right choice becouse he had a pretty good voice ,(altrough different than Bruce`s) X factor is way better than No prayer.... or Fear of....Besides the man had a lot of energy and passion on stage.I have a bootleg of a concert in 1995 on Argentina and he sounds honest , I don`t know how to explain it... like when he says "Canten conmigo!!!" on the trooper. Probably he and the Ripper Owens are the most shadowed and underrated singers on metal
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: March 19 2008 at 20:56
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Michael Kiske no doubt. I remember everyone thought that him leaving Helloween at that time meant it was inminent that he would join Maiden!!! I later heard him with Adrian Smith (and also Kai from Hellowen) on his first solo album and thought "I would have been so cool..."
But alas, it was not to be and they settled on the worse possible singer available...Blaze.
Excellent singers auditioned like Doogie White (later of Rainbow) and I believe Angra's Andre Matos too. What a shame. I also have to disagree and say that to my ears the two albums of that era were very poor. Did Steve choose Blaze just because he was english and could play soccer well???
But it's only just an opinion, of course.
By the way, I just received the "Live After Death" DVD...amazing
 And poor Di'Anno - great as he was - is playing a small disco next month 3 blocks away from my downtown flat. Ain't life fair...
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Posted By: EnglishAssassin
Date Posted: April 05 2008 at 19:12
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I'm apt to agree with Rudder'ead. I can't imagine a power metal-type vocalist fitting at all well to Maiden. (Okay, a more power metal-type vocalist. than Bruce.) I can understand why, at the time, Blaze seemed like a good choice, even if it didn't quite work out. Bringing Di'anno back would have simply looked embarrassingly desperate. Not to mention that, at least going by thing's he's said in interviews, the man's a right pillock. Perhaps, given Steve Harris' supposed desire at the time to reinvent the band's sound as something heavier, darker and more contemporary, they should have been a little more adventurous, and looked for an aggressively modern-sounding vocalist. It's a stretch of the imagination, but I can almost hear Chris Cornell's voice working. Or maybe not. Out of interest, I recall reading at the time that both James LaBrie and Doogie White were supposedly in the frame, but can anyone remember who else, as well as Kiske and Matos (both of whom were news to me), was actually rumoured for the job back in '94? |
Posted By: Statutory-Mike
Date Posted: July 23 2008 at 18:14
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I <3 LaBrie and anything that has to do with DT ------------- 
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Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: July 23 2008 at 18:20
| I heard a rumor once that Kiske was offered the job but he didn't want it. Might be getting my rumours mixed up... but that would have been AWESOME |
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: July 23 2008 at 18:28
I thought this was about Emily Dickinson.  So I voted other.
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Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: August 17 2008 at 14:50
How about NO REPLACEMENT!!! No Dickinson, no Maiden!!!
------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: martinprog77
Date Posted: August 18 2008 at 04:26
 ------------- Nothing can last there are no second chances. Never give a day away. Always live for today. |
Posted By: martinprog77
Date Posted: August 18 2008 at 04:28
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...how about woman . that would be interesting ------------- Nothing can last there are no second chances. Never give a day away. Always live for today. |