Piece of Mind

Untitled Document Iron Maiden's "Piece of Mind" was released in the summer of 1983 on Capitol Records. Produced by Martin Birch, it was the first album to showcase the power drumming of Nicko McBrain (ex-Pat Travers skinsman). Iron Maiden's mascot "Eddie" was also given a new look; that of a bald headed lunatic in a straight jacket with a "piece of mind" removed from his skull! Overall, "Piece of Mind" was a heavier album than "Number of the Beast". The guitar sound was crisper and stood out more in the final mix; the drumming was cannon-like; the bass lines galloping; and the vocals were powerful, in control, reaching octaves uncharted by the forefathers of metal. "Piece of Mind" was also an album that included more complex songwriting, the use of more guitar harmonies and quiet intros to be followed by a barrage of power chords. A couple of videos for MTV, (Flight of Icarus and The Trooper), helped Iron Maiden gain the momentum to becoming the biggest concert draw in the states. The lyrical content of "Piece of Mind" touched on various subjects. The track, "To Tame A Land", is a song based on Frank Herbert's Sci-Fi novel "Dune". The book itself can be pretty confusing to follow. Steve Harris did a great job in giving a nice summary lyrically of what it's all about. At that time this was Maiden's longest song, a template if you will for the many others that would later follow this format and style. "The Flight of Icarus" deals with the tragic Greek mythology story of Icarus, son of Daedalus. Daedalus made wings for man, held together by wax, which would melt if one were to fly to close to the sun. Icarus didn't listen and paid the price. "The Trooper" gives us the first person point of view of a soldier's last moments of war; "acrid smoke, horse's breath, plunging into sudden death". "Quest For Fire" teaches us a history lesson on the creation of fire and how it affected the way of life millions of years ago. "Sun and Steel" tells of a young boy's coming of age into that of a Conan-like warrior. Overall, there is enough diversity lyrically for a listener to take out the CD booklet and read the words while Bruce Dickinson is belting out the songs. Once you immerse yourself in the music, the lyrics provide the framework for pictures only your mind can imagine. "Piece of Mind" was the first Iron Maiden album I ever bought. Since that time I have purchased all of their studio and live albums. This one is my favorites to date, a true classic!