Iron Maiden - Powerslave

Σαν χθες -νέα μόδα στα "σαν σήμερα" άρθρα- 3 Σεπτεμβρίου του 1984 οι Iron Maiden κυκλοφόρησαν τον πέμπτο τους δίσκο με τίτλο Powerslave..

Εντάξει... τι να πεις για αυτόν τον δίσκο...;;;

καθαρό heavy metal απο το πρώτο μέχρι το τελευταίο δευτερόλεπτο...

πατάς το play και κοπανιέσαι ασταμάτητα...

Είναι ο δίσκος που τους έβαλε στην κορυφή των heavy metal συγκροτημάτων, και έκλεισαν έτσι με ενα απίστευτο σερί, απόλυτα metal δίσκων, το πρώτο μισό της δεκαετίας του '80...

Σε αυτή την περιοδεία γύρισαν πραγματικά ολόκληρο τον πλανήτη -οκ αφήσανε εκτός την Αφρική...- και εξαντλήσανε όλη τους την ενέργεια σε αυτήν...

Να αναφέρω επίσης ότι σε αυτή την περιοδεία "χρίστηκαν" για τελευταία φορά στην καριέρα τους σαν support στο Rock In Rio -μπροστά σε 300000 κόσμου- κάτω απο τους Queen...

Η εμπορική επιτυχία του δίσκου ήταν τεράστια, αφού έφτασε στο #2 των Αγγλικών charts, #5 σε Νορβηγία, Σουηδία και Ολλανδία, και έγινε 3πλά πλατινένιος και 2πλά χρυσός...



Το tracklist είναι το εξής:


1. Aces High
2. 2 Minutes to Midnight 3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
4. Flash of the Blade
5. The Duellists 
6. Back in the Village 
7. Powerslave
8. Rime of the Ancient Mariner

και τα μέλη αυτου΄του δίσκου:

Bruce Dickinson - φωνητικά

Steve Harris - μπάσο

Dave Murray - κιθάρα

Adrian Smith - κιθάρα

Nicko McBrain - τύμπανα


Διαμάντι του δίσκου: Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Καλά κρυμμένο διαμάντι: The Duellists

Filler: κανένα



Εξώφυλλο: 10/10

Παραγωγή: 9/10

Δίσκος: 10/10

Θεματολογία: Αρχαία Αίγυπτος, Β Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος, Μεσαίωνας, Ψυχρός Πόλεμος...(γενικώς της πουτάνας...)

Ανάλυση: Το Aces High αναφέρεται στον Β Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο και συγκεκριμένα στις αερομαχίες μεταξύ RAF και Luftwaffe. Το 2 Minutes to Midnight στον πυρινικό εφιάλτη του Ψυχρού πολέμου, αλλά θα κάνω μι επισήμανση... Οι στίχοι του 2MTM είναι ΑΠΙΣΤΕΥΤΑ επίκαιροι... αναφέρεται στους πολιτικούς και οικονομικούς λόγους για τον οποίο "οι τυφλοί" απο πατριωτισμό ξεκινάνε εναν πόλεμο και πως ποτέ -αυτού του είδους ο πόλεμος- δεν παύει να είναι στην μόδα... (βγάζω το καπέλο στους Smith- Dickinson), το Big Orra είναι ορχηστρικό που απλά γαμάει..., το Flash Of The Blade αναφέρεται σε εναν Ιππότη του Μεσαίωνα και την "αποστολή" του, το The Duelists αναφέρεται σε μια μονομαχία τιμής -ίσως το πιο άκυρο στιχουργικά τραγούδι οτυ δίσκου-, το Back In The Village ειναι μια συνέχεια του Prisoner -βλ. The Number Of The Beast- και μια επέκταση στις επιδρομές που γίνοται σε περίοδο πολέμου, το Powerslave αναφέρεται σε εναν Φαραώ ο οποίος πολύ σωστά αναρωτίεται, "αφού είμαι Θεός, πως γίνεται να πεθαίνω;" -ελα ντε... και τέλος... το υπέρβλητο -όχι το σούπερ-βλήτο...- το και-χωρίς-χημικές-ουσίες-γράφω-κομματάρες-πόνημα του αρχηγού το Rime Of The Ancient Mariner...το οποίο για άλλη μια φορά είναι επιρεασμένο απο κάποιο βιβλίο (διαβαστερός ο Στέφανος) και συγκεκριμένα απο το ομόνυμο ποίημα του Samuel Taylor Coleridge...



για τους μη-μυημένους: Πάρτε μια βαθιά ανάσα.. σφίξτε δόντια...πατήστε play.. αφεθείτε να σας παρασύρει το γνήσιο heavy metal ποτάμι... -δυστυχώς για εσάς δεν έχει "εύκολα" η εύπεπτα τραγούδια...



Tip: Ο αρχηγός -ένας είναι ο αρχηγός..δεν ρωτάμε τέτοια πράγματα- σε συνέντευξή του, είπε πως κάτω από την πίεση του χρόνου, γράφτηκε κάπως γρήγορα το Rime Of The Ancient Mariner... και ερωτώ...αν είχες χρόνο ρε μπαγάσα... πόση διάρκεια και πόσο μεγαλύτερο έπος θα έκανες;;;

Αγαπημένα:.. δύσκολα ξεχωρίζω κάποιο τραγούδι... αλλά αν μου έβαζες ενα μαχαίρι στο λαιμό και ζητούσες κάποια απάντηση επίμονα...ε τότε θα σου έκανα την χάρη και θα σου απαντούσα... το The Duelists για την αμεσότητά του, τις κιθάρες του που σε κατακεραυνώνουν και το μπάσο που δεν αφήνει μέτρο χωρίς γέμισμα...  -αλλά είπα και παραπάνω οτι στιχουργικά θα το προτιμούσα πιο δυνατό...-

σου παραθέτω παρακάτω βίντεο και στίχους για να μάθεις -εσύ που δεν ξέβρεις...-

οι υπόλοιποι...

n'joy : ))

1. Aces High

There goes the siren that warns of the air raid
Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne
Got to get up for the coming attack.

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines
Remove all the wheelblocks there's no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Gotta get airborne before it's too late.

Running, scrambling, flying
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live. Aces high.

Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers
Let off a sharp burst and then turn away
Roll over, spin round and come in behind them
Move to their blindsides and firing again.

Bandits at 8 O'clock move in behind us
Ten ME-109's out of the sun
Ascending and turning our spitfires to face them
Heading straight for them I press down my guns

Rolling, turning, diving
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live,
Aces high.

2. 2 Minutes To Midnight

Kill for gain or shoot to maim
But we don't need a reason
The Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death.

[Chorus]
The killer's breed or the demon's seed,
The glamor, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain,
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.
Two minutes to midnight
The hands that threaten doom.
Two minutes to midnight
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout let the creatures out
We'll show the unbelievers
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast, yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy,
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

[Chorus]

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two
And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on you.
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song,
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

[Chorus]

Midnight, all night

3. Big Orra

4. Flash Of The Blade

As a young boy chasing dragons with your wooden sword so mighty,
You're St. George or you're David and you always killed the beast.
Times change very quickly,
and you had to grow up early,
A house in smoking ruins and the bodies at your feet.

[Chorus]
You'll die as you lived
In a flash of the blade,
In a corner forgotten by no one.
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his honor.

The smell of resigned leather
The steely iron mask
As you cut and thrust and parried at the fencing master's call.
He taught you all he knew
To fear no mortal man
and now you'll wreak your vengeance in the
Screams of evil men.

[Chorus]

5. The Duelists

He threw down a glove you made the mistake
Of picking it up now you're gone
The choosing of guns or fighting with swords
The choice of weapons is done
He'll tear you apart as soon as you start
You know you don't have a chance.
CHORUS
OH...OH...Fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for the pleasure
OH...OH...Fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for your life!
Ready to start the duel begins the best man wins in the end.
A lunge and a feint, a parry too late
A cut to the chest and you're down
Seeing the stain then feeling the pain
Feeling the sweat on your brow.
CHORUS
The fighting resumes, a silence looms the swordsmen move 'gainst each
other
A cut and a thrust, a parry, a blow, a stab to the heart and you're down
The Angel of Death hears your last breath
Meanwhile the Reaper looks on.
CHORUS
OH...OH...Fought the honour
Fought for the splendour
Fought for the pleasure
OH...OH...Fought for the honour
fought for the splendour
Fought to the death

6. Back In The Village

Turn the spotlights on the people,
Switch the dial and eat the worm.
Take your chances, kill the engine,
Drop your bombs and let it burn.

White flags shot to ribbons,
The truce is black and burned,
Shellshock in the kitchen,
Tables overturned.

[Chorus]
Back in the village again,
In the village.
I'm back in the village again.

Throwing dice now, rolling loaded,
I see sixes all the way.
In a black hole, and I'm spinning
As my wings get shot away.

No breaks on the inside,
Paper cats and burning barns,
There's a fox among the chickens,
And a killer in the hounds.

Questions are a burden
And answers are a prison for oneself
Shellshock in the kitchen
Tables start to burn.

[Chorus]

But still we walk into the valley
And others try to kill the inner flame
We're burning brighter than before
I don't have a number, I'M A NAME!

[Chorus] 

7. Powerslave

Into the abyss I'll fall-the eye of Horus
Into the eyes of the night-watching me go
Green is the cat's eye that glows-in this temple
Enter the risen Osiris-risen again.

[Chorus]
Tell me why I had to be a power slave
I don't want to die, I'm a god, why can't I live on?
When the Life Giver dies, all around is laid to waste.
And in my last hour,
I'm a slave to the power of death.

When I was living this lie-fear was my game
People would worship and fall-drop to their knees
So bring me the blood and red wine for the one to succeed me
For he is a man and a god-and he will die too.

[Chorus]

Now I am cold but a ghost lives in my veins,
Silent the terror that reigned-marbled in stone
Shell of a man God preserved-a thousand ages
But open the gates of my hell-I will strike from the grave.

[Chorus]

8. The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

Hear the rime of the ancient mariner
See his eye as he stops one of three
Mesmerizes one of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen to the nightmares of the sea.

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by
Caught by his spell and the mariner tells his tale.

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice
To a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross
Hailed in God's name, hoping good luck it brings.

And the ship sails on, back to the North
Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on.

The mariner kills the bird of good omen
His shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears, they justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime.

Sailing on and on and north across the sea
Sailing on and on and north 'til all is calm.

The albatross begins with its vengeance
A terrible curse a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung.

And the curse goes on and on at sea
And the curse goes on and on for them and me.

"Day after day, day after day,
we stuck nor breath nor motion
as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere and
all the boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."

There calls the mariner
There comes a ship over the line
BUt how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no tide.

See...onward she comes
Onward she nears out of the sun
See, she has no crew
She has no life, wait but here's two.

Death and she Life in Death,
They throw their dice for the crew
She wins the mariner and he belongs to her now.
Then, crew one by one
they drop down dead, two hundred men
She, she, Life in Death.
She lets him live, her chosen one.

"One after one by the star dogged moon,
too quick for groan or sigh
each turned his face with a ghastly pang
and cursed me with his eye
four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan)
with heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
they dropped down one by one."

The curse it lives on in their eyes
The mariner wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures
But they lived on, so did he.

and by the light of the moon
He prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them
God's creatures all of them too.

Then the spell starts to break
The albatross falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the sea
Then down in falls comes the rain.

Hear the groans of the long dead seamen
See them stir and they start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits
None of them speak and they're lifeless in their eyes

And revenge is still sought, penance starts again
Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on.

Now the curse is finally lifted
And the mariner sights his home
spirits go fromhe long dead bodies
Form their own light and the mariner's left alone.

And then a boat came sailing towards him
It was a joy he could not believe
The pilot's boat, his son and the hermit,
Penance of life will fall onto him.

And the ship sinks like lead into the sea
And the hermit shrives the mariner of his sins.

The mariner's bound to tell of his story
To tell this tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example
That we must love all things that God made.

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man
And the tale goes on and on and on.