Review Summary: If you ever run across this buy it although it may not be as advertised as some Maiden albums its an amazing album and worth every penny.
Every so often a really great album can be overlooked. A band may put out a really good record but few people come to appreciate it. This is the case of Iron Maidens record entitled Somewhere in time. Somewhere in time never really charted high and only released one single entitled Wasted years. This single is what made people buy this album because it was such a good song. Overall the album never really hit it as big as some earlier releases, such as The number of the beast, Piece of mind and Powerslave. This is quite sad because the album is brilliant.
Somewhere in time is unlike any record Iron Maiden has ever released. The overall feel of this album is almost futuristic like the title may suggest. We also see a little more of the progressive side to Iron Maiden in this album due to the style of some tracks. Like I said the main success of this album is due to the only single Wasted years. This track is very impressive kicking off with a nice guitar line and then leading into a great combination of the technical and catchy side of Iron Maiden.
Tracks on this album seem to impress and impress as it moves along. Kicking us off is the title track Somewhere in time, which is a very long and remarkable song. As usual Bassist Steve Harris shows off his stuff. Steve Harris has never disappointed any bass fan but his lines are most noticeable on this album, compared to others previous. Harris is most impressive in songs like Heaven can wait which has a nice bass opener followed by the typical bass superiority that Mr. Harris delivers.
Guitar work is also at an all time Maiden high. In many tracks such as Wasted years we have a great opening guitar line. Throughout the whole album Lead guitarists Adrian Smith and Dave Murray deliver great guitar work, which is equally spread out all over the album. And as usual soloing is at an all time high. Some songs that show great soloing are Alexander the great or Caught somewhere in time.
As usual Maiden has insightful and even historical lyrics in their music. The song Alexander the great is entirely about you guessed it Alexander the great. Throughout the whole track Bruce tells the story of the great conqueror Alexander. Other tracks display lyrics with a story like Heaven can wait. Some songs have lyrics that don’t really explain much like Stranger in a strange land. Maiden lyrics have always been satisfying and that surely shows in this album.
Although we have some softer Iron Maiden tracks we still have some fast paced ones. The song Sea of madness land is a good example of a higher energy song and it is also a good track. Drumming is also a great side of this album delivered by Nicko McBrain. Besides always delivering the perfect drum beat Nicko has some great shining moments. Sea of madness has some really excellent drumming on it and so does the track DéjÃ* vu. The bottom line is Nicko McBrain delivers almost flawless drumming in this album, which is a definite bonus.
Filler isn’t really a word that associates itself with Somewhere in time. Every track on this CD has something special to deliver and really there is no dragging moments. If I were forced to choose a track as the lowest I would probably select DéjÃ* vu, although it is in fact quite excellent. It does not have as much vigor as the rest of the tracks and the lyrics are just ok. When I listen to Somewhere in time though I rarely skip a track.
As for choosing the best track I would without a doubt choose Alexander the Great. Alexander the great starts off slower like many Maiden tracks then picks up into an epic that is most certainly unforgettable. Everything about this track is unforgettable: the guitar, the vocals, the lyrics and the bass all astound me every time. Next to Hallowed be thy name, Alexander the great is one of my favorite Iron Maiden songs ever.
Let me just end by saying this is an amazing album. I can honestly say that after giving this more listening this is my favorite Iron Maiden album ever. There really is no bad track and the instrumentals and vocals are at an all time high. Sadly though this album doesn’t nearly get enough of its needed attention. Somewhere in time was overlooked and is a sadly hidden gem. For those of you who own this album you know what I mean when I say that it is a classic. Iron Maiden fans everywhere need to indulge in this if you haven’t and if you are looking for good music period I would strongly recommend this.
Pros.
Great musicianship
Fantastic Vocals
Astonishing songwriting
A good lengthy album
Alexander the great
Cons.
Album is seriously overlooked
The top 3 tracks
Alexander the Great
Heaven can wait
Wasted Years
