Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast (1982)
[Album 666/1001]
There are 3 albums from the 1001 list whose review #s were planned well in advance:
a) The first side of Slippery When Wet, by Bon Jovi, was review #501A/1001, on December 1, 2016. Exactly halfway to 1001 albums, exactly halfway to the 10 year deadline. Whoa!
b) The Beatles, by The Beatles, will be review #1001 (ideally on or before December 1, 2021). Which is coming up sooner than expected. Whoa!
c) Number of the Beast, by Iron Maiden, could only be this review #. My only regret? I didn’t start the project sooner & arrive at this review on June 6, 2006!
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A neighbourhood sign, updated with some help by Microsoft Paint
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This is a great soundtrack for a jog (or as Ron Burgundy might say, with a soft j, a yog).
It provided the accompaniment on a run this weekend.
You’ll never guess the distance I ran…and thanks to the energetic & controlled tunes here, it was one of my more consistent and (by my standards) quick runs of the season!
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Perhaps I have a lucrative future in wrist-modelling?
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The Number of the Beast is like a long distance run.
After all, some people think running is hellish!
Some may say the same about listening to Iron Maiden, where an album equates to an interminable endurance test.
However, much as it is for those who have caught the running bug, there’s no substitute for 30-40 minutes spent outdoors/with Steve Harris & co.
Like an ideal run, the playing here is fast, but never rushed or uncontrolled.
Though the kilometres/songs fly by, they’re not necessarily effortless & runner/listener 
persistence is rewarded.
The band doesn’t go out too quickly & blow up on the final few kilometres: there’s enough left in the tank to finish strong.
And it’s that consistency that’s most admirable: if a runner’s happy with their run, chances are that each kilometre time hovered right around the mean.
On Number of The Beast, there isn’t a dud track in the set, and the high energy & performance levels remain constant.
Now approaching their 45th anniversary, the band doesn’t appear to be slowing down either, consistently producing quality output at reasonably regular intervals.
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Verbalize the Positive
Cheers to the consistently excellent Deke @ Thunder Bay Arena Rock whose recent Back to School/Iron Maiden post inspired me to get to this review by today.
He bought Powerslave 35 years ago today & he is seeing them in B.C. tonight, enjoy the show Deke!
I’m not a big heavy metal guy but I like Iron Maiden a lot. Heard a bishop recommend this in a prayer meeting once.
I liked this a lot too – and I’d be interested in attending a meeting with that sort of bishop!
You are right, this post could not have been done at any other time. Perfect! And a little scary on the distance run. But than again, I think running is scary to begin with.
It was a terrific soundtrack for the run – just as I’m starting to get tired, cue Run to the Hills for an extra energy kick!
That would get the juices flowing except if you were actually running a hill. That would suck.
I think there’s a hill in the Boston Marathon called Heartbreak hill!
In Atlanta they have the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th and there is a hill called Cardiac Hill.
That sounds unpleasant!
Yeah, a perfect album in my books. I consider this to be their debut. Their first two are great, but just warmups for the official launch with Dickinson!
Third time’s the charm for the official Maiden debut!
Thanks for the shoutout Geoff!
So you live on 22 Acacia Avenue(what a brilliant opening riff to that tune)
It was a sign from the Metal Gods after your 6.66 km run!
Your right not a dud amongst the tracks here!
Psyched for the show tonight!
Have a good day back at school
Up The Irons!
Anytime Deke – thanks for the inspiration to get the post done in time for the Sept. 3 powerslave anniversary & BC show!
Have a stellar time tonight, looking forward to hearing about the setlist!
What a show Geoff! The review will be posted tomorrow!
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
I was considering a number score for the album – would have had to fit the #6 in somehow, the 6 horns feel even more appropriate!
“On Number of The Beast, there isn’t a dud track in the set, and the high energy & performance levels remain constant.
Now approaching their 45th anniversary, the band doesn’t appear to be slowing down either, consistently producing quality output at reasonably regular intervals.”
Not only has Iron Maiden never made a bad album, but there are many albums, most of them in fact, with no duds. And has any other group remained so consistently good for so long? What other group which has been around for 40 years or more has many fans who think that their latest album is one of their best, if not their best?
“On Number of The Beast, there isn’t a dud track in the set, and the high energy & performance levels remain constant.
Now approaching their 45th anniversary, the band doesn’t appear to be slowing down either,
consistently producing quality output at reasonably regular intervals.”
Not only has Iron Maiden never made a bad album, but there are many albums, most of them in fact, with no duds. And has any other group remained so consistently good for so long? What other group which has been around for 40 years or more has many fans who think that their latest album is one of their best, if not their best?
Well said Phillip – when an artist with decades of material says, “and now for some new stuff” at a show, typically that’s when the audience takes a bathroom/drink break.
But with Iron Maiden, I doubt that would happen!
Of course, the proper Maiden song for running is “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner”. 😀
Haha, Maiden & Running really do go together!
Not their best, but certainly a 1001. I know they would prefer to drop Gangland.
The self-titled was also on the 1001 – I felt that one belonged there too!
I enjoy their iconic 80s stuff but I honestly can’t listen to heavy metal anymore as it just makes my ears ring. So I stick to softer music these days 🙂
There’s a Pursuit of Happiness song, I’m an Adult Now, I find more relateable each year – “I can’t take too much loud music,I mean I like to play it, but I sure don’t like the racket!”
Yeah, relatable lyrics!
Great album. Worth it for Run to the Hills alone!
Run for your lives!