Iron Maiden - Phantom Of The Opera (1980) reaction commentary - Heavy Metal

Today I listen to English heavy metal band, Iron Maiden perform Phantom Of The Opera from their 1980 self-titled debut album.


Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Phantom Of The Opera
7:32 - My thoughts
10:16 - Who are Iron Maiden?


Links
Original video:    • Phantom of the Opera (2015 Remaster)  

Iron Maiden playlist:    • Iron Maiden  

Heavy Metal playlist:    • Metal  


Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's debut album, 1981's Killers, and 1982's The Number of the Beast – its first album with Bruce Dickinson, who in 1981 replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer. The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career, establishing them as one of heavy metal's most important bands. The Number of the Beast is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide.

Iron Maiden is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 14 April 1980 by EMI Records in the UK and Harvest and Capitol Records in the US. The North American version included the song "Sanctuary", released in the UK as a non-album single. Iron Maiden is one of the band's two albums listed in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (The Number of the Beast is the other). In 2017, it was ranked 13th on Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".

Iron Maiden
Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Dennis Stratton – guitar, backing vocals
Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
Clive Burr – drums

Phantom Of The Opera is track four, written by Steve Harris.

Inspired by The Phantom Of The Opera a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux that was later turned into a popular musical adaptation for the stage and screen. The song is written from the perspective of Christine, the singer the phantom yearns for. The phantom is a conflicted but menacing presence.

Bass player Steve Harris, who wrote this song, explained: "This is a very long song that was done in sections. The middle part was totally separate but it fit in very well. It felt right to go from the slow part into the middle section. Phantom is one of the best pieces I've ever written, and certainly one of the most enjoyable to play. It's got all these intricate guitar lines which keep it interesting. Then there's the slow middle part which creates quite a good mood. It's also got fast heavy parts which are really rockin'. And it's also got areas for crowd participation. It pretty much covers all the bases for the band. It was also a good example of what I wanted to get across."


Lyrics
[Instrumental Intro]
Oh-woah, yeah!

[Verse 1]
I've been looking so long for you now
You won't get away from my grasp
You've been living so long in hiding
And hiding behind that false mask
And you know that I know that you ain't got that long to last
Your looks and your feelings are just the remains of your past

[Verse 2]
You're standing in the wings there, you wait for the curtain to fall
And knowing the terror and holding you have on us all
Now, I know that you're gonna
Scratch me and maim me and maul
And you know I'm helpless from your mesmerising catcall
Ooh

[Chorus]
Keep your distance, walk away, don't take his bait
Don't you stray, don't fade away, yeah
Watch your step, he's out to get you, come what may
Don't you stray from the narrow way, yeah

[Instrumental Break]
[Guitar Solo]
[Guitar Solo]
[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 3]
I'm running and hiding, in my dreams, you're always there
You're the Phantom of the Opera
You're the devil, you're just out to scare
You damaged my mind and my soul, it just floats through the air
You haunt me, you taunt me, you torture me back at your lair

[Outro]
Torture me back at your lair