I'm old enough to have bought Iron Maiden's Fear of the Dark on tape, very close to the day of its release in May 1992. If I'm correct my buddy Pete and I bought a copy at a long defunct Strawberries (RIP). Popped it in the car stereo on the drive home and listened all the way to the end, even after arriving at our destination. Our ears were alert to every note. This was Maiden! They deserved our full attention.
We were blown away by "Fear of the Dark," the last song on side 2. Which has since become a classic and concert staple.
... and unfortunately underwhelmed by the rest, and the album as a whole. A rare miss by Maiden.
Except for one other track on side 2.
Take a listen and I think you'll agree about "Judas Be My Guide."
Nothing is sacred
Back then or now
Everyone's wasted
Is that all there is?
Is that it now?
Short, barely makes it past 3 minutes. Powerful, almost no foreplay save for a bit of atmospheric guitar work, then straight in. I love Dave Murray's guitar work after the bridge between the second and third chorus. Bruce is singing at a high level here.
It rips. A great little overlooked song that deserves more attention in Maiden's catalog.
In hindsight "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" is pretty good too.
1 comment:
I definitely agree that Fear of the Dark is one of Iron Maiden's lesser albums. In fact, the '90s as a whole were not great for them. But still, even a weak album can contain some gems, as you point out. Even the Blayze Bayley albums have their moments. The only album of theirs that doesn't have any highlights for me is No Prayer for the Dying. The band tried to strip things down to the basics, and the result is a record that's underwhelming from start to finish.
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