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Adrian Smith int.
by Guitar.com
"Like any soccer
team, you have to field the best players, and the players to best
complement each other," says Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray,
referring to the Iron Maiden's current lineup. Early last year, the
band reached all-star level again when guitarist Adrian Smith and
singer Bruce Dickinson rejoined the legendary British metal band.
Along with third guitarist Janick Gers (look out Lynyrd Skynyrd!), the
blokes who brought us such powerhouse tracks as "The
Trooper," "Number of the Beast," and "Aces
High" were back at full strength, and then some.
The sextet embarked on
a brief "greatest hits" tour to support Ed Hunter, a
double-disc compilation/computer game. (For all you non-metallists,
Ed is Eddie, Maiden's illustrious rotting-corpse mascot). But no
matter how inventive classics like "Flight of Icarus" and
"Aces High" sounded, something was missing. So after the
tour, the group began recording their 12th studio album, the epic,
sprawling Brave New World.
Produced by Kevin
Shirley (Aerosmith, The Black Crowes) and co-produced by
bassist/main songwriter Steve Harris, Brave New World recalls both
the galloping power of Piece of Mind (1983) and the exotic prog-rock
grandiosity of Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988). At the same
time, the record's monstrous three-way guitar attack and
atmospheric keyboards (played by Harris) transport the band to new
sonic frontiers.
Guitar.com: What
led to this latest Maiden lineup?
Dave Murray:
Bruce [who left the band in 1995 and was replaced by Blaze
Bayley] made it known to our management that he wanted to come
back again, and at the time, he was doing a solo project with
Adrian [who left the band in 1990 and was replaced by current
Maiden guitarist Gers]. I think it was Steve who suggested
that we get Adrian back in the band as well.
Guitar.com:
What was it like to reform with three guitarists?
Adrian
Smith: Obviously we didn't quite know what would happened
until we actually started playing, but Dave, Janick, and I
get on very well as people. We call ourselves "the
three amigos." So it was great to play the older
stuff on the Ed Hunter tour. The fact that we did a new
album was like a bonus.
Guitar.com:
The three-way guitar onslaught must have been
challenging at first.
Smith:
We had to check our egos at the door. It's a real team
effort. On some of the stuff we do live, Jan and I are
playing unison leads, which is quite cool.
Dave
Murray: They're playing the same notes but sometimes
the playing isn't completely parallel, which gives
it a delay kind of effect. Behind that I often play
rhythm stuff. Years ago, we wouldn't do three-part
harmonies in the studio because we couldn't r-create
them live. But we had no problem doing them on this
new album. And when we play a lot of the older songs
live [on the upcoming tour], there's gonna be some
third guitar elements that weren't on the original
recordings.
Smith:
When I first came back I actually re-learned a lot
of the old songs and tried to play them a bit
differently with different tunings, like drop D,
to bring in different color.
Murray:
And he adds a lot more weight to songs like
"Fear of the Dark," which he didn't
originally play on.
Guitar.com:
How would you differentiate your guitar work?
Smith:
I've known Dave since we were 15. We were
the guys with long hair in our neighborhood.
He started me off playing guitar and taught
me quite a lot. And he's always sounded the
same out of whatever equipment he's used.
He's got very strong, big hands, and one of
the most distinct guitar styles around.
Davie plays a lot of neck stuff. He does a
lot of fast hammer-ons. He's got that real
round, mellow kind of tone. I've got more of
a "cutting" sound; I play a lot on
the bridge pickup. I go more for the Michel
Schenker sound, lots of down-strokes while
picking most of the notes. I'm always trying
to stretch myself
Guitar.com:
How did that apply to Brave New World?
Smith:
By doing faster picking stuff, and just
trying to get more flash into my
playing, like my solo on "The
Mercenary." But Dave goes even
crazier before me [on that song]. He
must have had his skates on when he did
his solo [laughs].
Guitar.com:
Why did you leave Maiden in 1990 to
form A.S.A.P. with drummer Zak
Starkey?
Smith:
I think I was a bit burned out from
all the touring and recording we'd
done in previous years. And there
was vibe to do a garage-y kind of
album and I wasn't into that and
wasn't really happy. I also wanted
to some solo things. Now, coming
back to the band with a completely
different attitude and outlook feels
marvelous. It's like leaving home
and then reuniting with your family.
Guitar.com:
Where was Brave New World written?
Murray:
The whole band went down to
Argarve, Portugal, for three
months last year to write. Steve
came in with many complete
songs, both music and lyrics, as
he often does. He had many
guitar parts already in mind.
But there was also collaboration
between everybody. We sat down
in a circle and played ideas,
whether on acoustic guitar or on
tape. Sometimes Adrian would
play something and Steve would
go, "I've got a bit to go
with that." We picked out
the strongest ideas and fit them
together like a jigsaw puzzle.
We then went on the Ed Hunter
tour. Later, we got together
again in Antwerp, Belgium, to
write, and then we went into the
studio.
Guitar.com:
Where was the album recorded?
Murray:
In Guillaume Tell Studios,
which is in a very quiet
little village in the
outskirts of Paris.
Smith:
The studio is in a
converted theater. Halfway
through the recording,
these two really old
people came in asking
where the movie was. We
had to help them out and
explain to them in French
that it was no longer a
theater and in fact a
studio where a heavy metal
band was recording. They
were very confused.
Guitar.com:
Can you describe how you
two and Janick set up to
record?
Smith:
We set up all in the
same room, pretty much
like we do on stage.
Kevin Shirley
persuaded us to put
most of the tracks
down live.
Murray:
We're in rehearsals
at the moment [for
the tour], and I
have my amps set up
pretty much the same
way. So when we come
to the new songs
[while rehearsing],
I'm actually doing
the same thing I did
in the studio.
Guitar.com:
How was the band
getting along
during the
recording process?
Smith:
We had a couple
of little
hiccups. I
usually want to
play for the
sake of the
guitar, so I
play a song a
bit slower,
whereas Steve
likes to play
things right on
the edge. So
there was little
friction about
that, but
nothing
unhealthy.
That's what a
band's all
about: You have
to have a bit of
debate otherwise
it just sounds
very bland.
Guitar.com:
Brave New
World goes
where most
Maiden album
haven't gone
before.
Murray:
I think the
identify of
Iron Maiden
is still
firmly
there, but
there's more
moods, more
light and
shade, than
usual, as
opposed to
just goin'
out and
thrashin'
away
[laughs].
But there's
some
straight-ahead
rock stuff
that's real
in-your-face,
too.
Smith:
A lot of
times when
people
make a
heavy
album, it
sounds
like
you're
getting
your head
slammed
into a
brick
wall.
There's a
bit of
that on
here.
"The
Wickerman"
has the
energy of
earlier
material,
the
"2
Minutes to
Midnight"
sort of
hard rock
thing. But
the record
also has
progressive
elements.
Guitar.com:
That's
especially
true on
some of
the
longer
tracks,
like
"Dream
of
Mirrors"
and
"The
Nomad."
Smith:
You
can
probably
create
two or
three
four
minute
songs
out of
one of
those
[laughs].
Guitar.com:
Was
the
band
influenced
by
British
prog-rock?
Smith:
Steve
has
always
loved
the
old
Yes
and
Genesis
music,
and
I
kind
of
like
the
later
incarnations
of
those
bands,
so
there's
always
been
a
bit
of
a
progressive
influence.
Murray:
From
Jethro
Tull
as
well.
Some
of
the
songs
on
Brave
New
World
have
some
exotic
music
elements.
he
riffs
and
melodies
on
"Blood
Brothers"
have
a
Celtic
feel,
whereas
"The
Nomad"
has
an
Arabian
kind
of
flavor.
Guitar.com:
Anything
to
add
about
the
upcoming
tour?
Murray:
We
plan
on
playing
about
75
percent
of
the
album,
plus
a
lot
of
the
old
stuff.
Visually
it's
going to
reflect
the
new
album.
Not
to
give
too
much
away,
but
it's
going to
be
a
massive
stage
show.
With
Bruce
and
Adrian
back
in
the
band,
we
really
want
to
celebrate.
There's
going to
be
lots
of
pyro
and
Eddie's
gonna
be
out
there.
Smith:
It's
kind
of
a
stunning
thing
when
he
comes
out
on
stage.
Love
him
[Eddie]
or
hate
him,
you
can't
get
away
from
him.
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