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Why have I only just discovered Iron Maiden / Steve Harris??


bagsieblue
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I think I learned the whole of the Killers album by ear when I was at school. Just couldn't get enough of it! Yeah, love a bit of Maiden. I'd love to get my hands on one of the 'arry Signature basses. They sound good in review and people seem to like them. Big chunky bass necks :)

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Ah man Steve Harris is the dogs.

I can't say I listen to Maiden a great deal now, but as a teenager I was mesmerised by them - can probably play the whole Live After Death album even now!

Great bassist - some of it doesn't seem hard until you play it and realise how consistent and nonstop pummelling his basslines are.

I met him once at the national music show in Birmingham in 1997 and was so star struck I couldn't say anything as he signed my Rotosound flyer. Ahh happy days...

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I really enjoyed discovering their back catalogue in 1988.
Now I'm wondering would it still have the same impact in 2016?
Sad day for me was going into Virgin megastore to buy the new maiden album in 2000 to be told "you should find it in the classic rock section" .
I was only 26 but felt so much older.

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I can't stand them personally, not just them, the whole genre does nothing for me.

However, I had to learn one of their songs for a live performance at uni. It was without doubt one of the hardest things I've ever had to play. I remember looking at the score, and thinking "that's not too hard", then I saw that after the first 8 bars or so, the tempo suddenly shot up to something like 180 bpm........eeek !

He's without doubt one hell of a player, does he do lead vocals too, either way, I have a lot of respect for his playing.

Edited by ambient
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He's pretty astonishing, isn't he? I don't like the band (not old git's music), but he's dynamite. I remember Ed Friedland did a piece on him on his YouTube channel and said he reckoned he'd (Ed) have tendinitis within a couple of weeks if he tried to play like Steve every night.

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[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1472757511' post='3124018']
As a self confessed rocker - Why have I only just discovered Iron Maiden / Steve Harris??.
Found a Transcription book in a charity shop, having great fun playing through the early songs.....
[/quote]


Just think of all those "Wasted Years "

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He's one of many players whose playing I respect but I really don't like the music one bit. Sometimes I'll watch clips on You Tube of IM, Rush, Dream Theater, Yes and fusion stuff to just to check out the bass players chops. But there comes a point when enough is enough. What I'll say for SH is he' s got powerful fingers and a mastery of keeping time at speed

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[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1472795815' post='3124260']
I've always wanted a chance to gig The Trooper
[/quote]
We used to gig that & running free too a few years back,mind I was a big Maiden fan then,I got a few compliments from the punters for my galloping fingers.
Sadly the drummer passed away so we decided to pack the band in.
I don't think my old fingers could go at that speed anymore.

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[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1472795815' post='3124260']
I've always wanted a chance to gig The Trooper
[/quote]

I did that on a dep gig last year at a pub that was celebrating that they'd just started selling Trooper beer, they were quite pleased we played it.

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I followed them religiously from the time they supported Priest at Aberdeen Capitol up to about Donington 1992. Saw them at Long Beach, two Doningtons, a pre-Dono gig at Queen Mary's College in London in 88, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham ... seen them a couple of times since but, like AC/DC and the Scorpions, they're now an over-rehearsed, play-it-safe behemoth. I won't be going back, even to hear Aces High played live one more time.

We have Running Free, Wasted Years and Hallowed in our set currently.

Children of the Damned is a splendid workout ... particularly if you try to play it with only two right hand fingers as Mr Harris does. Truly he must have bionic implants. Go on, try it ...

Having said that, aside from the power in Harris' fingers, his chord structures and lines are just a touch repetitive. How many songs can you possibly write that go E-C-D at a gallop, then a variation of a few notes up and down the scale for a fill, then E-C-D again? Quiet bits use pretty much the same patterns, but slowed down. :)

But he seems a nice bloke, and undoubtedly loves what he does. Can't fault the guy.

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