Good day!
After Iron Maiden dropped the X-Factor, their weakest effort to date, they follow it up with 1998’s Virtual XI. While it’s definitely not a great album by any means, with few standout tracks, the uptick in energy is much appreciated. It’s also shorter, so it feels less like a slog, even if certain tracks amble on longer than needed.
This is the second and final studio album to feature Blaze Bayley on vocals, as Bruce Dickinson returns to the fold in 1999.
Cover Art
This is definitely a step up from The X Factor, I’ll say that much. It’s much closer to what Maiden album art should be, but it’s not going to compete with Derek Riggs’ best stuff. One thing that long-time Maiden nerds may notice is the logo. The R, M, and both Ns are normally extended, but starting here, those letters were shortened to make everything the same length. They’d keep that lettering through 2010’s The Final Frontier.
The art incorporates virtual reality, back when it was a new, exciting concept, and soccer, with a pitch being visible on the left. Melvyn Grant’s original art had a more standard outdoor setting, but the band, especially noted football fanatic Steve Harris, wanted to link the release to the 1998 World Cup.
The virtual reality angle tied into the band’s computer game/greatest hits compilation, Ed Hunter, which, after several delays, came out in July 1999. The supporting tour for the game would be notable for the fact that it was the first to feature both Bruce Dickinson and
Adrian Smith after their respective departures earlier in the decade.
8. The Angel and the Gambler
Well, this is a hell of a way to start. “Angel” is probably my least favourite Maiden track. Well, at least for now. That designation can very much change over the course of this project.
Sure, there’s been some middling tracks, and there will definitely be some slop to come, but this is the one that sticks out to me. The big reason for this: it’s just too damn LONG and repetitive. The song would have been perfectly cromulent if it were about 3-4 minutes as there’s a half-decent concept in there and some fun instrumentation, but at nearly TEN MINUTES, it just goes on. And on. And on. The chorus is repeated over 20 times, which is just insane to me. Why this was the choice for the lead single is beyond me. Blessedly, the single version was cut down to 6:05, but there was still plenty of fat to trim.
We’ll see many songs that overstay their welcome, but “Angel” crashes on your couch, ties up the bathroom in the morning when you’re trying to get ready for work, refuses to chip in for rent or groceries, drinks milk right out of the carton, and gives unsolicited advice to your kids that results in them abandoning their medical school ambitions to become failed fulltime Twitch streamers.
It’s a tad long-winded, is what I’m trying to say.
Even the cover art for the single is bad. The early-era CGI look really takes away a lot of Eddie’s character and the arrangement just looks messy.
7. Don’t Look to the Eyes of a Stranger
“Stranger” is basically 8 minutes of Blaze Bayley telling us not to talk to strangers. While I did give “Angel” a hard time for being repetitive and overlong, this one is actually more so. While it’s a minute and a half shorter, it actually repeats lyrics far more often than “Angel”.
However, what keeps “Stranger” out of the basement is the fascinating instrumentation. The opening is weird and almost haunting, and we do get some good guitar work amongst the drudgery.
6. Lightning Strikes Twice
Sonically, “Lightning” feels like it would have been at home on The X-Factor because of the slower, melodic opening and sombre guitars, which ironically clash with its somewhat optimistic theme of hope.
I enjoy how some of this one sounds, particularly the solos from Janick Gers and Dave Murray, and it does pick up in volume and pace. However, you’ll likely forget it by the time you pull the needle off the record or press “Stop” on your Walkman.
5. When Two Worlds Collide
“Two Worlds” could be interpreted literally as a meteor, asteroid, or some sort of heavenly body crashing into the Earth, but it could also be looked at as a metaphor for a clash of ideals or cultures or the changes to Bayley’s life after becoming the lead singer of Iron Maiden.
It’s another track that isn’t bad by any means. Bayley’s lyrics are competently sung and some of the guitar work is rather good, but it’s another one that runs a bit long for what it has to offer.
4. The Educated Fool
“Fool” explores the idea that when you’re older, you should be wiser, but the protagonist finds that not to be the case. It’s honestly pretty relatable subject matter, especially if you’re someone like me who tends to dabble in a little of the ol’ self-doubt.
It’s actually a pretty enjoyable track with a foreboding opening, driving guitar riffs and percussion, and nice vocals from Bayley. Again, it does run a bit longer than it should, but it’s not as egregious as some of the other tracks.
3. Como Estais Amigos
The album closer du jour is a tribute to the fallen soldiers from both sides of the Falklands Wars in 1982 between the United Kingdom and Argentina, and it’s a rather nice song. It’s suitably melodic without falling victim to the dreariness trap that ensnared a good chunk of The X-Factor.
It’s one of the rare final tracks that isn’t an epic, and it really didn’t need to be. It did a better job than most of this album in terms of time management. While it’s probably not going to make a lot of “Maiden Essentials” playlists, it does enough to earn the bronze medal position here.
2. Futureal
One of the shorter Maiden songs you’ll find, but it’s definitely one of the better tracks of the Blaze Bayley era. It’s a brisk opener with great energy and blistering riffs. I like the fact that THIS opens the album, immediately establishing a change of pace from the darker tones of the prior album.
Sure, the rest of Virtual XI doesn’t continually follow through with that increase in tempo, but you can’t fault “Futureal” for that. Plus, I sometimes find myself shouting, “WHAT IS REAL? FUTURE EEL!” when Blaze belts out the chorus.
“WHAT IS REAAAALLLLL! FUTURE EEL!”
Still not 100% sold on the CGI cover art, but at least it makes sense based on the song’s concept, and Cyborg Eddie lends himself well to the medium.
The single did come with a pretty cool poster by Derek Riggs, though.
1. The Clansman
My favourite song from the Blaze Bayley era, the Braveheart-inspired “Clansman” is almost as long as “Angel and the Gambler”, but it’s much more musically interesting and just plain fun to listen to. Sure, much like the film, it’s not exactly a wellspring of historical accuracy, but it’s an awesome sing-along track, and the instrumentation evokes the themes quite well.
Bruce Dickinson does a great job of this one live, but Bayley’s vocals REALLY fit with the studio version.
More of Ryan Ranks coming soon to CGCM Rock Radio/Website: Ryan Ranks
