There are a few songs on TNOTB I would love to hear from Paul (of course, the young version from '82). 22, Acacia Avenue would sound more authentic with him, I guess. "Beast" was kind of an transitional album from Street- to Epic-Metal
Blaze Bayley is a lot better singer than you could think during his career with Maiden. 1995-1998 was probably his worst years for him. When he was in his previous band wolfsbane, he was able to produce very strong, sustained screams up to C#6.
Its a shame really, he was set up to fail, rather than adjust the style they expected him to “be” bruce, i rate all 3 vocalists that were used after signing, i view them as 3 different bands as apposed to competition
Paul have the Energetic voice and live style but Dickinson got a level up for that much better.(in vocals and perfomrs) Yeah its a "killer" no puns intended but one of the great albums from them they give all of they have for these albums too.
I've known paul for year's I've seen him hit some crazy high note..in a recording studio.. I'm still in contact with old band members. From battlezone..
I don't understand why people hate Blaze Bayley. This guy replaced one of the greatest singers in metal history and the pressure didn't break him. His solo career proves that this guy is a huge talent and his band is not Iron Maiden tribute :)
I agree. The only time I was ever able to see Maiden live was when Blaze was the frontman. He was amazing in 1995. Obviously you can't really compare him to Bruce who is, in my opinion, one of the top 10 ever singers within this genre. No small praise there. Blaze didn't try to emulate Bruce too much - he did his thing and it is still to this day the best concert I've ever been to. My only issue with X Factor (only, as I wasnt' a fan of the next one) as an album was that there wasn't much range or reach in songs... all too similar. I love the band's musicality though so I didn't mind listening to them do what they do so well. Thanks to Paul for helping Maiden become successful enough to attract Bruce. In my opinion they rank from top to least top (respect, always) Bruce, Blaze and then Paul.
Its not because of Blazes talents, its obvious he is a great singer, but when you have had years of a legendary band fronting a legendary singer, even a legendary capable singer will never achieve the same fame, its a poisoned chalice.
@@spill1t Putting Blaze above Paul, tut tut, I would hack you down with a chainsaw, joking aside though, Paul was the original, the seed of Maiden and hence you cannot dis him without wraith from the gods of rock who will smite you down with fire and brimstone.
I was an Iron maiden fan since the beginning and when Paul quit we were sad... but I remember when I listened "The number of the beast" for the first time with Bruce, and wow, was the beginning of a new Era... so powerful
I was the same, I like Paul's slightly more raw, punk(ish) style and it suits those first albums perfectly, but Bruce is a great front man and took them to the next level.
Same here. My best friend and I had the first two albums, and we listened to them over and over. I always loved the more punk and haunting feeling of the first two albums. I feel that some people don't understand, because they have always had the Bruce Dickinson albums to compare to. I do love Bruce, but for my friends and I, he didn't/doesn't capture the essence of the first two albums when we see Maiden live. I'm glad I have the experience of sitting with the first two albums long before "Number of the Beast" came out. They had an overwhelming effect on me. 🤘💖
Blaze was singing out of his range so it put some strain on his voice, it was eventually worn out. In order to sing Bruce's era songs, Harris would need to tune down guitars- he was asked for it and refused. Blaze is barritone and Bruce is operatic tenor so letting barritone sing Bruce's songs in original key wasn't really good idea. If they wanted to fill Bruce shoes they shoud have had of replacing him e.g. with Michael Kisske - another tenor.
It's interesting you mentioned Kiske, because he was asked in some interviews if he was ever considered as a singer for Iron Maiden after Bruce left the band in 1993, and he said there never was any talks with the band about it as he believed the British people would never accept a German singer. Kiske even joked that he was told that he was presented as the new Iron Maiden singer on TV (as I recall it), when none of that was real.
huge mistake didint tune down guitars, it was too obvious he was out of range, i mean, do au audition and sing the Trooper and in the the first 4 bars of voice you can tell if that singer can sing Iron Maiden songs, it´s pretty strange to me why they choose Blaze and didnt change the tonality of songs.
If they choosed Kiske, would've been the same as in Judas Priest when they hired Ripper Owens.. Despite the fact he is really good singer, he is remembered only as a bad copy of Halford..plus, Maiden didnt wanted same aproach they had with Bruce..they wanted somebody angry, emotional, direct and as we all know that is Blaze so from that point of view Blaze was really Great fit..vocal adjustment is something different..this is something what Maiden failled to do and results were devastating for both parties..
Along with his terrible producing skills it's almost as if Arry (while a great bass player) doesn't have the best ears of that crew. (Shit, even Rod knew)
Paul brought such a unique street-quality to Maiden it makes the comparison hard. With "Twilight Zone", he showed that he could hit the high notes well. And in his calmer moments ("Strange World" for example), he had shown such fragility and melancholy, Dickinson needed years of maturation to compete with.
I think Blaze was underrated in this video. He brought creativity contributing with songs, he performed well with his era songs, unfortunately previous maiden songs didn't fit him well. But most importantly he has generated great studio and live albums (in plural) after maiden. There is no doubt Bruce was and is the best maiden singer, but blaze contribution and work cannot be dismissed.
I like Blaze, but he never had the range for Iron Maiden's music. His solo albums are really good. And Bruce Dickinson's The Chemical Wedding is one of the best albums ever recorded.
I agree guy. Blaze didn't fit in iron maiden. But if you want judge the man as a singer. You need to listen to his solo music. He is alot better when he ain't trying to sound like Bruce
This is genuinely the first time I’ve heard Blaze singing Maiden material…. Based on what’s in this video he sounds flat to me…. What is immediately apparent is a lack of stage presence and charisma… might just be in these videos where he’s not on form but he has nowhere near the presence of Bruce, and not even Paul.
Yes, it’s amazing Bruce made some bizarre missteps in his solo career before getting back to just making a sort of William Blake and Mysticism influenced, crunchy modern dark metal music. And the production and overall musicianship is so incredible… I love Adrian Smith on that album and accident of birth, he’s just ripping it. Together, they and Roy etc. make Iron Maiden sound sloppy and repetitive by comparison. Very moody albums in a good way Iron Maiden seems to lack. Even tyranny of souls without Adrian is pretty good. Not the best of the three, but still essential.
Paul is my personal favorite. In my opinion he had a rawness the others didn't. No phoney Opera singing. I love Bruce to but he's a in different more refined Iron Maiden.
Exactly, I think the rawness brought excitement, almost made Maiden a bit Punkified on tracks like Running Free, Bruce just too well refined to make that the hit Paul made it.
Oh my God Blaze Baileys voice was great when it was in his own range and he stayed in tune. Hes really a little underrated in his own style. For Maiden Bruce was and is the best.
I really feel for Blaze. Many of the issues were things out of his control. I think the big mistake that was made whether it be Steve or management was the live set list choice. Blaze just didn't have the vocal range and the chops to cover the Bruce Era stuff effectively. Sounded great on the material that was written for him from the 2 albums they did with him though and as others have noted he's released some cracking material post Maiden. Really nice guy too! I will say this though, Blaze always did a great job of Afraid To Shoot Strangers live. Ralf Scheepers was also apparently a singer that auditioned and I think he'd have covered the Bruce Era stuff live really effectively. Check out Primal Fear's cover of 2 Minutes 2 Midnight as an example.
@@Sabatonrex was he? I believe the band didn't want him because they wanted a british one and Kiske was still upset at the metal scene after his relationship with helloween turned sour. I'm not sure he auditioned.
Steve Harris and the band didn't lower the songs tones to fit Bayley's voice. The singer logically struggled to sing. It would have been great to lower Aces High or The Trooper, to bring a sort Of darker tone.
Paul Di'Anno was great... BUT.. I don't think Iron Maiden would have lasted like it has. At the time Punk was big and I think Paul's raw and gritty style helped get them noticed. In the end Bruce has the versatility and effects to pull off a much broader range (almost operatic) and those epic classic Iron Maiden story driven songs which is why he is my favourite. I like Blaze, but Bruce typically sang the song from those Blaze albums better live in Rock in Rio. I'm glad we got to enjoy so much talent, regardless who was singing at the time. I think for the most part we would have been poorer without them. Iron Maiden are still playing and belting out great music.
Oh I dont know man, I'd like to think Paul would have equalied, with the different singing style I think Steve would have written different songs to match him.
Of course at this point Bruce is pretty much the voice of Iron Maiden but Paul sounded great for the earlier material. Many times, I take a quite a bit of heat when I defend Blaze but I have to tell you that when I saw Maiden fronted by Blaze in a club in NJ it was absolutely amazing. I cant say for sure at this point if the vocals sounded perfect or not but I can tell you that the energy was super high from both Blaze and the band as well as the audience. I will always remember that show as something special.
Agreed! When I saw Blaze perform twice in Toronto, he killed it. He was absolutely incredible. He wasn't on Bruce's level, but the crowd went nuts for both of the concerts.
I loved Blaze’s albums with Maiden and was absolutely gutted when Dickinson came back however if that didn’t happen we wouldn’t have had Blaze’s band Blaze. (Later renamed Blaze Bayley when the band changed) and Silicon Messiah is a superb album. I’ve only seen Maiden once and it was during the FXI tour and I absolutely loved it.
Bruce Dickinson - Hands down!!! His range, his delivery of the lyrics on ANY song he sings, the power he puts into his vocals & his stage presence!!! His solo stuff rocked as well. People just wanted their BD in Maiden. (BD is in my top 5 all time vocalists) I know a lot of the hardcore Maiden fan’s have an infinity for Paul Di’Anno, but for me, BD is the voice of Maiden. Blaze did a good job, but he’s no BD.
Bruce also did his solo things in the 90's. That's the deacade that killed music. Every band went through an identity crisis then. Had it been hip hop or grunge it may have done better.
Not me. If maiden ended after killers I’d have been happy with just having those two albums instead of two legendary albums followed by subpar albums. Even powerslave NOTB and NPFTD which are the only three with Bruce that I like are so subpar and neutered compared to the first two
Paul Dianno for me. He's not the best schooled with amazing range and vibrato. But... the rawness and unique voicing he had is something that really make maiden stand out at the time.
Bruce, for me he doesn't have any real competition. I guess it's raw talent right there. Not only his vocal technique has served him great over the years - honestly, his voice is aging like a good wine - but his tone is so strong and beautiful. He doesn't need to use any distortion, since his natural clean tone has volume in abundance. And that operatic vibrato
I think Bruce and Paul both suit there maiden era’s perfectly - that being said, despite Paul’s unique melancholy tone, Bruce is just another level. The range, the theatricality, the energy etc. there’s a reason Bruce Dickinson is generally regarded as one of the best metal singers. From what I gather, Bruce’s solo stuff was received VERY well, it was just that most people weren’t listening to metal in the 90s lol.
You should have include "Strange World" when reviewing Di'Anno to be fair. He shows so much more of his capabilities on that song compared to the other songs. Also you should have review Blaze with those songs that were written with him and which suit his range better (as many early songs were just better with Paul than with Bruce because it was written for his personality). So basically You compared Paul at his average but not at his best performances to Bruce in his own territory then Blaze in Bruce's songs instead of X-factor-era where he contributed the most. Technicaly Bruce would win anyway if that was a competition, but all three singers had things that they were the best in.
What people overlook is Paul with Battlezone and Killers . His range increased and you have U turn of styles vocals . He also went heavier while maiden and bruce went Lighter and cleaner
Greetings from Sarajevo, I agree with everything said, just to add..🤗 even if it's not a topic... Man, you better watch what you say about Mr. Bruce Dickinson, because in addition to everything he did in music, he rose above all with his humanity when he came to my city during the war to support the tortured people of Sarajevo, and held a concert under siege, grenades and sniper fire, live as part of his solo album which is more than great, the documentary exists look at that ... Albums - his solo stuff I recommend to everyone, really good production, and playing, far enough from the sound of Maiden but still in Hard n 'Heavy style, just the other day I listened again to a song that surprised me again and I listened to it many times is '1000 points of lights', guitar and everything is wow !!! An amazing artist and man today is an honorary resident of my city and he got it a few years ago, after his return and meeting with Sarajevo, the survivors he met in the war, there was again a ceremony and a live concert ... A touching story, 'SCREAM FOR ME SARAJEVO !!!' thank you Bruce ...
Everyone from them have a his own peace of history of Iron Maiden. I love Bruce, but Paul is a real legend. I have a deep respect to this man, even in wheelchair hi is a metal head. This man is a real motivation for many people. 30 years ago i start listen Maiden with Di'anno. Blaze was great with X factor in 1995.
Halloween conducted a reunion of all 3 singers, they recorded a live LP and gave world tour concerts with all3 singers Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske and AndiDerris. MaybeIron Maiden should make a world tour with Bruce, Paul and Blaze. It would be very interesting and amazing!!
Blaze was forced to sing higher than what's natural to him; he's actually much better later with solo projects. Bruce is the best, but I like Di'Anno more
Have to agree with your blaze comment. Those were difficult shoes to fill. But i personally though he did ok all things considered. Agree his solo stuff afterwards were better especially his first three albums.
Paul - there's a tonal quality that he has that Bruce doesn't have. A clearer, less gothic, punky style that I love. If he had stayed Maiden would be a different band today. Bruce - there is no equal. I love his style, his rasp, his power, his range. His later solo stuff is even better than a lot of Maiden if you ask me. The perfect fit for this band, but that said those first two Dianno records are great. Blaze - Yes. He does not have the range that Bruce has and his performances on those 2 albums seem a little lackluster, but that may be because we were expecting someone to come out with a range like Bruce has in Run To The Hills. Listen to Blaze's solo stuff post Maiden. I will point you to Silicon Messiah, The Tenth Dimension, The Man Who Would Not Die, Promise & Terror. He still doesn't have the range or power that Dickinson has, but his voice fits here and doesn't sound like he is reaching.
Paul Battlezone and killers band was better than maiden. Sharp heavy metal with range and melody to Hardcore screaming and growl too. No way bruce can do that . Bruce was really good but with maiden it became A stale caricatural over singing in clean operatic style with no warm tone and no blues , no agression , no texture .... There s more than just Jump on stage and moovr your arms out of necessity
The problema with blaze is the band doesn’t change the key to suit better to his voice. He sound better on his albums with Maiden then singing songs from Bruce and Paul
Can we get a video on Paul’s unique singing style and vocal analysis! I’ve been checking back everyday to see if you have one. Paul is one of my favourite singers of all time and his style is perhaps the most unique I’ve heard in metal. Rock on Ken!
@@kentamplin I agree with above suggestion too, there is ALWAYS reactions to Bruce, but NEVER to Paul... which is sad, because those first two albums are what made Maiden huge in the first place.
I love Paul Di'Anno's aggressiveness, almost punk attitude...that's the Maiden I heard and loved first...good memories...heep on rockin' Ken Tamplin...
Yeah, there's a grittiness to the first two albums that vanished in the Bruce era. I've always liked Di'Anno for that. Is Bruce the "better" singer? Sure. But... those Di'Anno era albums have a quality that Bruce just doesn't possess, and I think they're all the better for it. There's a raw, almost sleazy, feel to them, like they belong in a poorly lit dive bar. Bruce's stuff belongs in arenas. Neither is "better" or "worse," they're apples and oranges. Both shine in their own ways.
I like your channel very much ...really ...I am glad to write here. You're an artist who was in front of a stage ..in studio ...is part of rock music... So knows it all ...God bless you and your family and friends
Paul was the punk side of Maiden, was a big influence in my music growing up. But Bruce put it over the top. But Paul has those songs that can’t be replaced by any other singer. It’s really 2 different bands, not sure how to explain that. Both great!
I'm a Paul Di'anno fan myself. Sure, Bruce is more talented, and their best selling albums all feature Bruce. But there was something magical about Paul. A great frontman, great stage presence and punky vocal style I loved.
Bruce obviously is their best singer and handled Blaze and Paul's tracks amazingly, but Paul by the Killers era was phenomenal and Blaze sounded awesome by Virtual XI, so each of their sophomore efforts
Bruce Dickinson took Iron Maiden into the stratosphere but Paul Di’Anno got them off the launch pad. For me the first two albums are the stuff of legend, raw power, grit and energy.
Bruce is absolutely beats all of them. His command of the voice is phenomenal. He brought Iron Maiden to the next level with his spectacular charisma, raw energy and crazy range. I'm transfixed by his limitless abilities and versatility. Bruce is the league of his own. Paul and Blaze are rough around the edges.They're both pretty good but Bruce is beyond comparison.🎸💖🤘💞👍🏻🥰❤🎸 Thanks, Ken, for the analysis. You're on fire🔥
Bruce improved as the years went by in many areas, that shows how his technique is really good. Even now that he is older he sounds really decent and can crush others easily with his powerful voice.l
I think Bruce hit his best era about 15 or so years ago, when Maiden played those shows in Sweden you can find on UA-cam. Live al Ullevi. He was still in his 40s, that’s the best time of life for some singers. I saw them them, they were incredible…
What a contribution Bruce has been delivering to Maiden and to the music in general!!! Amazing! It is a pity that he does not teach singing classes. LO!
Blaze was spat on by someone in the crowd in the final clip which is why he and Steve are just staring someone and later start shouting at them. Gotta say Paul is the best in my opinion :)
You did Blaze really dirty by having him sing only Bruce songs. X-Factor and Virtual XI showcased Blaze's vocal depth the overall different sound that Maiden rarely used.
Totally agree, I’m sure Paul wouldn’t stand a chance singing the Bruce era of Maiden. Honestly it should’ve been them singing songs from each of their eras or all singing the same songs.
I’d agree with that. I’d even argue it would be doing blaze dirtier to show Bruce at rio singing lord of the flies. Really showed how large the level difference was between the the two.
Ken , just to add. This footage were Blaze does not give his best is from Chile (96). He was pissed with some guys spitting on him . That’s why the attitude and the lack of technique. It was pure rage. It does not to what you said but is something to consider.
I like Bruce up to Powerslave, yet my favorite Iron Maiden record was and is always Killers. My attraction to that record was that the band over all - with Paul - was this "punk rock" feel or tone mixed with Iron Maiden's budding heavy metal song writing (which Bruce complimented and solidified it best over Paul). If you allowed me to choose out of all the records in your Maiden collection I will always pick Killers and put it on your turn table...... every time.
What these guys need to do at maiden is to get all the old gang together and do one massive chronological show. Have Dianno come out first, then dickinson and then blaze and back to dickinson again and perhaps finish with all three in some new track... that would be the best send off ever!
Wow! Just got done watching you and Gabriela do "Two Minutes to Midnight". Had to catch my breath. You guys did a awesume job. I think you may have had a lesson or two. :) Now for this video I Love Maiden and have seen them many times. I Like Bruce the best because he total control of his singing and he literally doesn't slow down live. Such a great range and clear. "Hallowed Be My Name" was one I was hoping you would do and give us your take. Since I put Bruce on a pedestal I would also like to mention that I do lile Paul singing for the material he did. That music was dark and his voice fit that. Didn't care for Blaze but understand that Steve had to do something to keep his band going.
Maiden did Blaze Bayley a huge disservice by not tuning the classic songs down to suit his voice. Check out any of the original material he sang and all of his solo material to hear his voice shine. And it's worth mentioning that Blaze is a real class act. If you had to choose one of these three guys to have a beer and a chat with, it should surely be Blaze.
3 completely different singers, Bruce has the better range, which totally suits the bands requirements. I have seen all three live, they sing their own material very well, Blaze really struggled with Bruce's songs, Bruce is easily the better performer, such a great personality
I honestly love Blaze era Maiden. Seeing that last blaze live clip was brutal, but really they were playing so fast he couldn’t keep up. Also if they would have tuned down a bit to match his voice better I think blaze would have been fine live, but you can even hear Bruce having a hard time keeping up when they fly through a song at 100 mph.
Blazes voice is made for the Blaze era albums. ”The X-Factor” is my favorite Maiden album and Blazes voice fits better for songs like Sign of the Cross.
Always liked that album even though it is very dark. Blaze's voice is really nice on songs like the Aftermath & Fortunes of War. Another deceptively impressive moment is near the end of 'Edge of Darkness' ('Here I am, the knife in my hand...). If you don't already know why, try singing along to those few lines.
I have to disagree, Blaze does "his own" songs better than Bruce, Sign of the Cross is the only song Bruce does well imo, but even Blaze is a bit better here. Problem with Blaze era was because most the songs written over there were very boring (Angel and the Gambler Zzzzzz) and that the production is complete garbage. Bruce does a very meh job at all others and even butchers some Blaze songs (no hate), BUT it's still nice to see him play them live.
Love both Blaze albums and tours. British singer Doogie White "Rainbow" was also one of the "hot" singers at audition when Blaze got the Job. Love Blaze. But Bruce is the best/right lead singer for Iron Maiden
Bruce defined Iron Maiden as we know them today. I listen to Maiden's whole catalog and enjoy it all, but Bruce brought something entirely different. To be fair in the video clip of Blaze singing The Trooper, he was too focused on staring down some chump in the audience who'd done something stupid. But Blaze did Blaze just fine, but he struggled to do Bruce.
I´ll go with Bruce all time. He did indeed put his mark on the band, he dominated the "metal-scene" in Maidens "hey-days" like few artists done. In my book he was no lesser than Dio or Hallford... taking his rightfull place as a metal-king when performing live. I agree concerning the tone regarding Blaze vs Bruce, but the fact that Bruce is the "benchmark" here says quite a lot. Bruce Dickinson made himself immortal, and even though they do/did a great work, i can´t say that about Paul or Blaze.
Dickinson is tenor, Bailey baritone. Uneven comparison. All those three vocalists are brilliant in their own way Check Di'Anno singing Twilight Zone, a single which wasn't included in Killers album. He's brilliant. Speaking of Kiske, it'd be great to do isolated vocals of "I Want Out". There's a very long note there after the guitar solo 🤘😎👍
I like Di anno the most. Its just the sound of his voice. It s unique to me! If I was a singer he is who I would want to sound like. Can a singer make their selves sound like that.... Or is that just his natural singing voice??
Paul was more of a punk style singer with a little bit of metal mixed in. Bruce is a better all around singer and amazing front person. I honestly haven't heard Blaze, at least until I watch the rest of this vid :)
Paul was the bomb , he was amazing live , Bruce to me sounds like grampa Simpson , wailling and always over the top , Bruce brought them to the dungeons and dragons era Paul was more rock and roll , pity he didn't get more time with them
In that Trooper performance by Blaze, I think there was more going on there that was contributing to the poorness of that performance. I think Blaze and Steve were involved in an altercation with someone in the crowd during that and Blaze was distracted.
Which is crazy because Steve chose him as the replacement specifically because he wanted someone totally different from Bruce. That is why he didn’t choose Doogie White who would have been a damn good replacement for Bruce.
@@Blackmailer78 I agree. If you’re gonna compare the three then you should compare them all singing the same songs or compare them singing songs of their era
André Matos, who was a Brazilian singer, unfortunately passed away 2 years ago. Probably the best melodic Brazilian singer! Thanks for bringing his name in!!!
The first 2 maiden albums are my favorite hands down Paul Di´Anno for the win.... also there are full concerts with him here on youtube very high quality. His voice was great.
Would be cool to see a Black Sabbath... Ozzy, Dio, the aforementioned Glenn Hughes, and Tony Martin. Interesting to get your take on the lesser looked at vocalists in the context of the ones everyone knows.
I'm kind of surprised that Maiden didn't tune down a half step (or even maybe a whole step) for Blaze. I don't think it would have taken anything away from the songs and he wouldn't have had to strain his voice.
paul: rough, aggressive voice - a great singer who was perfect for what they did on those 2 albums. it's sad that after maiden he never had the success he deserved. bruce: can go up really high with his great vocal range, no further comment needed. blaze: replacing a tenor with a baritone is a stupid idea and harris oughta have known fucking better!
I love Bruce , but I have always preferred the edginess of Paul ! I have to say Killers is my favorite album. I kind of feel like Iron Maiden with Paul would have been a much heavier band. Paul reminds me of Lemmi Kilmister! Of course, I had not thought about Thin Lizzy until you mentioned it. So maybe a cross between the two.
Blaze went through all kinds of hell trying to tour at all. There were even dates I think that were canceled. He already has more limited range compared to Bruce, but couple him getting apparently sick throughout, that was definitely going to effect how well he could handle older material. And yeah, they should have tuned down. If Steve wanted a lower singer, they needed to accommodate for him and they didn't.
No one does it better than Bruce but Paul's voice was perfect for Iron Maiden at that time and not enough people comment on the beautiful richness of tone of Blaze's voice.
Each of the three vocalists were perfect for their respected eras. I think its not really fair to compare them because they each brought something different to the band.
Dickinson gets the nod for technical prowess. But Maiden were at their best overall first three albums , particularly first 2, with Paul. And while Paul didn't have the range Bruce did, I preferred Paul's approach. He wasn't dramatic. He just got it done. Straight ahead, raw, no nonsense vocals
Bruce is IMO their best singer (all your mentioned factors in mind). Im a huge Maiden-fan and has overlooked the Blaze-era for years. Recently I have dwelled into that era. Blaze has some good qualities. I think the era from 95-98 is more slaughtered by bad ideas - not Blaze´ vocals (of course Dickinson era was hard to sing, but maybe they could have tuned down the guitars a half-step for ex..) Its too bad you could not show any recordings of the songs from the records he did (ex: Lightning Strikes twice live in Brazil ´98). And btw: when he sang The Trooper on your last video, from the X-factour 95-96, he got spit on constantly by a guy from the crowd which I guess its quite anoying when you are the one who is going to fill the shoes after Dickinson.. I think the «Blaze-era» has more Rock & Roll, straight forward, back to roots Kind of vibe. I like it. Though Bruce are the perfect Maiden singer. Up The Irons!
Dickinson wins hands down, however I'm impressed how intelligent the comments are for Blaze after seeing many a troll-fest develop when he's mentioned. I love 'The X Factor' and bits of 'Virtual IX', but you've got to dive into his solo stuff to really hear how his era with Maiden should have sounded vocally. Better yet, go see him live. I've seen him solo 4 times and he does not disappoint.
It's not fair to Blaze to clip him singing Bruce's era songs. It will always turn to a "who can sing higher" race. All the other singers were singing their own stuff. Blaze did a great job on songs like "The Lord of the Flies", for example.
Bruce all day! There is a reason that he is considered a part of the holy trinity of heavy metal along with Dio and Halford
Bruce
Not everyone can sing
like Rob , Ronnie and Bruce.
There’s not just 3. There’s 4, and everyone knows it’s Geoff Tate.
yes there is a reason. the media and ships that followng them. 'dickinson is a below average singer
@@roaringivory bwahahahahaaaaaaa🤪
I couldn’t imagine the Killers album being sung by anyone but Paul. For the rest,of their catalog,it’s got to be Bruce!!
Facs
@@borizh I actually prefer Bruce's live performance of Killers in the Maiden England live concert.
There are a few songs on TNOTB I would love to hear from Paul (of course, the young version from '82). 22, Acacia Avenue would sound more authentic with him, I guess. "Beast" was kind of an transitional album from Street- to Epic-Metal
Yes Agree 100% Paul brought a Rawness that Bruce didn't have but he was the perfect replacement.
@@XAMS “gave me some bad dreams, this one”!! Ok, you’re right…. maybe killers should be given to Bruce.
People always speak of Bruce's range, but seldom do they mention his incredible breath control, and he has it mastered.
Boy could hold a high note for as long as Ken with no training. He's good, no doubt.
Paul taught him that on the docks before he let him have his lead singer position, lol sorry sick sense of humour, I love Bruce really.
Blaze Bayley is a lot better singer than you could think during his career with Maiden. 1995-1998 was probably his worst years for him. When he was in his previous band wolfsbane, he was able to produce very strong, sustained screams up to C#6.
Its a shame really, he was set up to fail, rather than adjust the style they expected him to “be” bruce, i rate all 3 vocalists that were used after signing, i view them as 3 different bands as apposed to competition
Blazes solo stuff is amazing especially the infinite entanglement trilogy
Dickinson’s solo albums were very well received. The problem was it was the 90s and everyone was listening to grunge.
Balls to Picasso Album was/is still is top-notch ❤️💕🤘
I love Paul Di'anno's voice! I think "Killers" is their best album!
Agreed
Paul have the Energetic voice and live style but Dickinson got a level up for that much better.(in vocals and perfomrs) Yeah its a "killer" no puns intended but one of the great albums from them they give all of they have for these albums too.
I don't think Bruce could've done a better job on that album./M\
Same. Don't get me wrong, I like Dickenson, but Paul almost had a punk rock vibe to him.
I've known paul for year's I've seen him hit some crazy high note..in a recording studio.. I'm still in contact with old band members. From battlezone..
I don't understand why people hate Blaze Bayley. This guy replaced one of the greatest singers in metal history and the pressure didn't break him. His solo career proves that this guy is a huge talent and his band is not Iron Maiden tribute :)
I agree. The only time I was ever able to see Maiden live was when Blaze was the frontman. He was amazing in 1995. Obviously you can't really compare him to Bruce who is, in my opinion, one of the top 10 ever singers within this genre. No small praise there. Blaze didn't try to emulate Bruce too much - he did his thing and it is still to this day the best concert I've ever been to. My only issue with X Factor (only, as I wasnt' a fan of the next one) as an album was that there wasn't much range or reach in songs... all too similar. I love the band's musicality though so I didn't mind listening to them do what they do so well. Thanks to Paul for helping Maiden become successful enough to attract Bruce. In my opinion they rank from top to least top (respect, always) Bruce, Blaze and then Paul.
No One can replace a legend of any Band, thats not fair I love Baileys old stuff before He join Maiden.
I never hate him .
Hate is a strong word. It’s just that people love Bruce and Blaze couldn’t quite fill those shoes. He was not a bad singer by any means.
Its not because of Blazes talents, its obvious he is a great singer, but when you have had years of a legendary band fronting a legendary singer, even a legendary capable singer will never achieve the same fame, its a poisoned chalice.
@@spill1t Putting Blaze above Paul, tut tut, I would hack you down with a chainsaw, joking aside though, Paul was the original, the seed of Maiden and hence you cannot dis him without wraith from the gods of rock who will smite you down with fire and brimstone.
I was an Iron maiden fan since the beginning and when Paul quit we were sad... but I remember when I listened "The number of the beast" for the first time with Bruce, and wow, was the beginning of a new Era... so powerful
I was the same, I like Paul's slightly more raw, punk(ish) style and it suits those first albums perfectly, but Bruce is a great front man and took them to the next level.
Same here. My best friend and I had the first two albums, and we listened to them over and over. I always loved the more punk and haunting feeling of the first two albums. I feel that some people don't understand, because they have always had the Bruce Dickinson albums to compare to. I do love Bruce, but for my friends and I, he didn't/doesn't capture the essence of the first two albums when we see Maiden live. I'm glad I have the experience of sitting with the first two albums long before "Number of the Beast" came out. They had an overwhelming effect on me. 🤘💖
Blaze was singing out of his range so it put some strain on his voice, it was eventually worn out. In order to sing Bruce's era songs, Harris would need to tune down guitars- he was asked for it and refused. Blaze is barritone and Bruce is operatic tenor so letting barritone sing Bruce's songs in original key wasn't really good idea. If they wanted to fill Bruce shoes they shoud have had of replacing him e.g. with Michael Kisske - another tenor.
It's interesting you mentioned Kiske, because he was asked in some interviews if he was ever considered as a singer for Iron Maiden after Bruce left the band in 1993, and he said there never was any talks with the band about it as he believed the British people would never accept a German singer. Kiske even joked that he was told that he was presented as the new Iron Maiden singer on TV (as I recall it), when none of that was real.
huge mistake didint tune down guitars, it was too obvious he was out of range, i mean, do au audition and sing the Trooper and in the the first 4 bars of voice you can tell if that singer can sing Iron Maiden songs, it´s pretty strange to me why they choose Blaze and didnt change the tonality of songs.
If they choosed Kiske, would've been the same as in Judas Priest when they hired Ripper Owens.. Despite the fact he is really good singer, he is remembered only as a bad copy of Halford..plus, Maiden didnt wanted same aproach they had with Bruce..they wanted somebody angry, emotional, direct and as we all know that is Blaze so from that point of view Blaze was really Great fit..vocal adjustment is something different..this is something what Maiden failled to do and results were devastating for both parties..
Along with his terrible producing skills it's almost as if Arry (while a great bass player) doesn't have the best ears of that crew. (Shit, even Rod knew)
Paul brought such a unique street-quality to Maiden it makes the comparison hard. With "Twilight Zone", he showed that he could hit the high notes well. And in his calmer moments ("Strange World" for example), he had shown such fragility and melancholy, Dickinson needed years of maturation to compete with.
Yeah only like 1 year or less.
I think Blaze was underrated in this video. He brought creativity contributing with songs, he performed well with his era songs, unfortunately previous maiden songs didn't fit him well. But most importantly he has generated great studio and live albums (in plural) after maiden. There is no doubt Bruce was and is the best maiden singer, but blaze contribution and work cannot be dismissed.
I like Blaze, but he never had the range for Iron Maiden's music. His solo albums are really good. And Bruce Dickinson's The Chemical Wedding is one of the best albums ever recorded.
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I agree guy. Blaze didn't fit in iron maiden. But if you want judge the man as a singer. You need to listen to his solo music. He is alot better when he ain't trying to sound like Bruce
This is genuinely the first time I’ve heard Blaze singing Maiden material…. Based on what’s in this video he sounds flat to me…. What is immediately apparent is a lack of stage presence and charisma… might just be in these videos where he’s not on form but he has nowhere near the presence of Bruce, and not even Paul.
Yes, it’s amazing Bruce made some bizarre missteps in his solo career before getting back to just making a sort of William Blake and Mysticism influenced, crunchy modern dark metal music. And the production and overall musicianship is so incredible… I love Adrian Smith on that album and accident of birth, he’s just ripping it. Together, they and Roy etc. make Iron Maiden sound sloppy and repetitive by comparison.
Very moody albums in a good way Iron Maiden seems to lack. Even tyranny of souls without Adrian is pretty good. Not the best of the three, but still essential.
@@larrywelling1731 - I like Blaze, but he should know better than to exceed his singing capabilities… part of it is on him.
And lastly check "Iron Maiden Most Wanted 1995". This was on MTV studio, Blaze performs flawlessly "Man on the Edge" and "Wrathchild".
Bruce Dickinson, before even watching. I'll hear what you have to say, but he's THE Iron Maiden singer
Yeah definitely! Bruce is the man!
Paul is my personal favorite. In my opinion he had a rawness the others didn't. No phoney Opera singing. I love Bruce to but he's a in different more refined Iron Maiden.
Exactly, I think the rawness brought excitement, almost made Maiden a bit Punkified on tracks like Running Free, Bruce just too well refined to make that the hit Paul made it.
Oh my God Blaze Baileys voice was great when it was in his own range and he stayed in tune. Hes really a little underrated in his own style. For Maiden Bruce was and is the best.
Thanks for sharing!
Di'Anno injects the energy of punk into his sound and no operatics. "Killers" forever.
Iron Maiden with Paul is actually REAL Iron Maiden for me - I can't stop listening !!! Thanks for video.
I really feel for Blaze. Many of the issues were things out of his control. I think the big mistake that was made whether it be Steve or management was the live set list choice. Blaze just didn't have the vocal range and the chops to cover the Bruce Era stuff effectively. Sounded great on the material that was written for him from the 2 albums they did with him though and as others have noted he's released some cracking material post Maiden. Really nice guy too! I will say this though, Blaze always did a great job of Afraid To Shoot Strangers live. Ralf Scheepers was also apparently a singer that auditioned and I think he'd have covered the Bruce Era stuff live really effectively. Check out Primal Fear's cover of 2 Minutes 2 Midnight as an example.
I agree and feel the same way about Gary Cherone when he was in Van Halen.
Mickael Kiske whas on that aoudition too
@@Sabatonrex was he? I believe the band didn't want him because they wanted a british one and Kiske was still upset at the metal scene after his relationship with helloween turned sour. I'm not sure he auditioned.
Steve Harris and the band didn't lower the songs tones to fit Bayley's voice. The singer logically struggled to sing. It would have been great to lower Aces High or The Trooper, to bring a sort Of darker tone.
@@Sabatonrex Kiske was on lists of suspected replacements by various trade magazines when news of Bruce leaving came out
Paul Di'Anno was great... BUT.. I don't think Iron Maiden would have lasted like it has. At the time Punk was big and I think Paul's raw and gritty style helped get them noticed. In the end Bruce has the versatility and effects to pull off a much broader range (almost operatic) and those epic classic Iron Maiden story driven songs which is why he is my favourite.
I like Blaze, but Bruce typically sang the song from those Blaze albums better live in Rock in Rio. I'm glad we got to enjoy so much talent, regardless who was singing at the time. I think for the most part we would have been poorer without them. Iron Maiden are still playing and belting out great music.
Oh I dont know man, I'd like to think Paul would have equalied, with the different singing style I think Steve would have written different songs to match him.
Of course at this point Bruce is pretty much the voice of Iron Maiden but Paul sounded great for the earlier material. Many times, I take a quite a bit of heat when I defend Blaze but I have to tell you that when I saw Maiden fronted by Blaze in a club in NJ it was absolutely amazing. I cant say for sure at this point if the vocals sounded perfect or not but I can tell you that the energy was super high from both Blaze and the band as well as the audience. I will always remember that show as something special.
Absolutely true, i saw them with Blaze in 1998, best performance i've ever been to...that rocked man !!!
Agreed! When I saw Blaze perform twice in Toronto, he killed it. He was absolutely incredible. He wasn't on Bruce's level, but the crowd went nuts for both of the concerts.
I loved Blaze’s albums with Maiden and was absolutely gutted when Dickinson came back however if that didn’t happen we wouldn’t have had Blaze’s band Blaze. (Later renamed Blaze Bayley when the band changed) and Silicon Messiah is a superb album. I’ve only seen Maiden once and it was during the FXI tour and I absolutely loved it.
Bruce Dickinson - Hands down!!!
His range, his delivery of the lyrics on ANY song he sings, the power he puts into his vocals & his stage presence!!!
His solo stuff rocked as well. People just wanted their BD in Maiden.
(BD is in my top 5 all time vocalists)
I know a lot of the hardcore Maiden fan’s have an infinity for Paul Di’Anno, but for me, BD is the voice of Maiden.
Blaze did a good job, but he’s no BD.
Bruce also did his solo things in the 90's. That's the deacade that killed music. Every band went through an identity crisis then. Had it been hip hop or grunge it may have done better.
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Not me. If maiden ended after killers I’d have been happy with just having those two albums instead of two legendary albums followed by subpar albums. Even powerslave NOTB and NPFTD which are the only three with Bruce that I like are so subpar and neutered compared to the first two
I'd love to see Maiden with all 3. That would be an incredible show.
10:27 thats a point a maiden fan will never admit :D i loved the punk metal sound they had with Di'Anno
Paul Dianno for me. He's not the best schooled with amazing range and vibrato.
But... the rawness and unique voicing he had is something that really make maiden stand out at the time.
Bruce, for me he doesn't have any real competition. I guess it's raw talent right there. Not only his vocal technique has served him great over the years - honestly, his voice is aging like a good wine - but his tone is so strong and beautiful. He doesn't need to use any distortion, since his natural clean tone has volume in abundance. And that operatic vibrato
I think Bruce and Paul both suit there maiden era’s perfectly - that being said, despite Paul’s unique melancholy tone, Bruce is just another level. The range, the theatricality, the energy etc. there’s a reason Bruce Dickinson is generally regarded as one of the best metal singers. From what I gather, Bruce’s solo stuff was received VERY well, it was just that most people weren’t listening to metal in the 90s lol.
Paul without a doubt! There’s a feeling of early metal. Bruce made it more pop.
You should have include "Strange World" when reviewing Di'Anno to be fair. He shows so much more of his capabilities on that song compared to the other songs. Also you should have review Blaze with those songs that were written with him and which suit his range better (as many early songs were just better with Paul than with Bruce because it was written for his personality). So basically You compared Paul at his average but not at his best performances to Bruce in his own territory then Blaze in Bruce's songs instead of X-factor-era where he contributed the most. Technicaly Bruce would win anyway if that was a competition, but all three singers had things that they were the best in.
Noted!
That whole section he plays of Paul "screaming" in his falsetto is from the end of Strange World...
@@EpictheEpicest nope, he is singing remember tomorrow
What people overlook is Paul with Battlezone and Killers .
His range increased and you have U turn of styles vocals .
He also went heavier while maiden and bruce went Lighter and cleaner
Greetings from Sarajevo, I agree with everything said, just to add..🤗 even if it's not a topic...
Man, you better watch what you say about Mr. Bruce Dickinson, because in addition to everything he did in music, he rose above all with his humanity when he came to my city during the war to support the tortured people of Sarajevo, and held a concert under siege, grenades and sniper fire, live as part of his solo album which is more than great, the documentary exists look at that ... Albums - his solo stuff I recommend to everyone, really good production, and playing, far enough from the sound of Maiden but still in Hard n 'Heavy style, just the other day I listened again to a song that surprised me again and I listened to it many times is '1000 points of lights', guitar and everything is wow !!! An amazing artist and man today is an honorary resident of my city and he got it a few years ago, after his return and meeting with Sarajevo, the survivors he met in the war, there was again a ceremony and a live concert ... A touching story,
'SCREAM FOR ME SARAJEVO !!!' thank you Bruce ...
Everyone from them have a his own peace of history of Iron Maiden. I love Bruce, but Paul is a real legend. I have a deep respect to this man, even in wheelchair hi is a metal head. This man is a real motivation for many people. 30 years ago i start listen Maiden with Di'anno.
Blaze was great with X factor in 1995.
Halloween conducted a reunion of all 3 singers, they recorded a live LP and gave world tour concerts with all3 singers Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske and AndiDerris. MaybeIron Maiden should make a world tour with Bruce, Paul and Blaze. It would be very interesting and amazing!!
I love Dickenson’s scream at the end of Flight of Icarus. Bruce is an epic singer. Maiden rocks! 🤘
I loved Paul and Bruce, saw them both live. Paul was more gritty, Bruce more melodic. And Bruce flew Ed Force 1, how cool was that!
Blaze was forced to sing higher than what's natural to him; he's actually much better later with solo projects. Bruce is the best, but I like Di'Anno more
Blaze was in the same boat as Gary Cherone. Forced to be someone they're not.
Definitely True!!
Have to agree with your blaze comment. Those were difficult shoes to fill. But i personally though he did ok all things considered. Agree his solo stuff afterwards were better especially his first three albums.
In Wolfsbane he hits high stuff
Paul - there's a tonal quality that he has that Bruce doesn't have. A clearer, less gothic, punky style that I love. If he had stayed Maiden would be a different band today.
Bruce - there is no equal. I love his style, his rasp, his power, his range. His later solo stuff is even better than a lot of Maiden if you ask me. The perfect fit for this band, but that said those first two Dianno records are great.
Blaze - Yes. He does not have the range that Bruce has and his performances on those 2 albums seem a little lackluster, but that may be because we were expecting someone to come out with a range like Bruce has in Run To The Hills. Listen to Blaze's solo stuff post Maiden. I will point you to Silicon Messiah, The Tenth Dimension, The Man Who Would Not Die, Promise & Terror. He still doesn't have the range or power that Dickinson has, but his voice fits here and doesn't sound like he is reaching.
Chemical Wedding is an _awesome_ album, high quality stuff! And as an added bonus Adrian Smith was right there in the band too!
Paul Battlezone and killers band was better than maiden.
Sharp heavy metal with range and melody to Hardcore screaming and growl too.
No way bruce can do that .
Bruce was really good but with maiden it became A stale caricatural over singing in clean operatic style with no warm tone and no blues , no agression , no texture ....
There s more than just Jump on stage and moovr your arms out of necessity
The problema with blaze is the band doesn’t change the key to suit better to his voice. He sound better on his albums with Maiden then singing songs from Bruce and Paul
OMG FINALLY! It's about time someone said this.
I cant agree more!
Can we get a video on Paul’s unique singing style and vocal analysis! I’ve been checking back everyday to see if you have one. Paul is one of my favourite singers of all time and his style is perhaps the most unique I’ve heard in metal. Rock on Ken!
Thanks for the suggestion!
@@kentamplin I agree with above suggestion too, there is ALWAYS reactions to Bruce, but NEVER to Paul... which is sad, because those first two albums are what made Maiden huge in the first place.
Paul is my spirit animal, true destructive force and rawness.Makes me wanna go and destroy some shit :D
I love Paul Di'Anno's aggressiveness, almost punk attitude...that's the Maiden I heard and loved first...good memories...heep on rockin' Ken Tamplin...
Plus Killers is their best album
@@ZoeyPaigeLunaPhD - Nah!!! *Killers* would be the band’s 2nd best album, thus far. Immediately following their iconic self-titled debut.
Yeah, there's a grittiness to the first two albums that vanished in the Bruce era. I've always liked Di'Anno for that. Is Bruce the "better" singer? Sure. But... those Di'Anno era albums have a quality that Bruce just doesn't possess, and I think they're all the better for it. There's a raw, almost sleazy, feel to them, like they belong in a poorly lit dive bar. Bruce's stuff belongs in arenas. Neither is "better" or "worse," they're apples and oranges. Both shine in their own ways.
Paul Di'Anno would be my choice. I like the rawness in his voice.
Paul is Paul and Bruce is Bruce Both are great in their own segment... It is hard to say who is the best
I like your channel very much ...really ...I am glad to write here. You're an artist who was in front of a stage ..in studio ...is part of rock music... So knows it all ...God bless you and your family and friends
Paul was the punk side of Maiden, was a big influence in my music growing up.
But Bruce put it over the top.
But Paul has those songs that can’t be replaced by any other singer.
It’s really 2 different bands, not sure how to explain that.
Both great!
Yeah, they both had very different styles.
So nice you mentioned Andre Matos
You should do a "Who did it better?" Andre Matos - Edu Falaschi - Fabio Lione, the three singers from Angra
I'm a Paul Di'anno fan myself. Sure, Bruce is more talented, and their best selling albums all feature Bruce. But there was something magical about Paul. A great frontman, great stage presence and punky vocal style I loved.
Bruce obviously is their best singer and handled Blaze and Paul's tracks amazingly, but Paul by the Killers era was phenomenal and Blaze sounded awesome by Virtual XI, so each of their sophomore efforts
Bruce Dickinson took Iron Maiden into the stratosphere but Paul Di’Anno got them off the launch pad.
For me the first two albums are the stuff of legend, raw power, grit and energy.
All three of them can sing really good, my favorite is Paun,because i like the first two albums better then the rest
Bruce Dickinson.. Hallowed Be Thy Name 🤟
Just that song alone does it for me! Thanks Ken!!
Bruce is absolutely beats all of them. His command of the voice is phenomenal. He brought Iron Maiden to the next level with his spectacular charisma, raw energy and crazy range. I'm transfixed by his limitless abilities and versatility. Bruce is the league of his own.
Paul and Blaze are rough around the edges.They're both pretty good but Bruce is beyond comparison.🎸💖🤘💞👍🏻🥰❤🎸
Thanks, Ken, for the analysis. You're on fire🔥
Bruce improved as the years went by in many areas, that shows how his technique is really good. Even now that he is older he sounds really decent and can crush others easily with his powerful voice.l
Make sure to pick up they're new album Senjutsu coming out on September 3rd.
I think Bruce hit his best era about 15 or so years ago, when Maiden played those shows in Sweden you can find on UA-cam. Live al Ullevi. He was still in his 40s, that’s the best time of life for some singers. I saw them them, they were incredible…
imo bruce was at his zenith as a solo artist. accident of birth and chemical wedding eclipse anything maiden ever did.
He’s always been pretty powerful imo 🔥🔥🤘🏼🤘🏼 even in his older years
And he recovered from throat cancer, still wailing.
What a contribution Bruce has been delivering to Maiden and to the music in general!!! Amazing!
It is a pity that he does not teach singing classes. LO!
Blaze was spat on by someone in the crowd in the final clip which is why he and Steve are just staring someone and later start shouting at them. Gotta say Paul is the best in my opinion :)
I personally think Bruce’s solo stuff is awesome. Definitely a different vibe than Maiden, but I love it just as much!
Amazing. Come on, Bruce is in a league of his own and still is even today.
You did Blaze really dirty by having him sing only Bruce songs. X-Factor and Virtual XI showcased Blaze's vocal depth the overall different sound that Maiden rarely used.
Totally agree, I’m sure Paul wouldn’t stand a chance singing the Bruce era of Maiden. Honestly it should’ve been them singing songs from each of their eras or all singing the same songs.
I’d agree with that. I’d even argue it would be doing blaze dirtier to show Bruce at rio singing lord of the flies. Really showed how large the level difference was between the the two.
Blaze was also great, I like Blaze's stuff, he's solo career is great..
His solo stuff is dang good
'Silicon Messiah' was/is one of the best metal albums of the '00s easily
@@machine-madedog5059 I love the new album "War Within Me"
Ken , just to add. This footage were Blaze does not give his best is from Chile (96). He was pissed with some guys spitting on him . That’s why the attitude and the lack of technique. It was pure rage. It does not to what you said but is something to consider.
I like Bruce up to Powerslave, yet my favorite Iron Maiden record was and is always Killers. My attraction to that record was that the band over all - with Paul - was this "punk rock" feel or tone mixed with Iron Maiden's budding heavy metal song writing (which Bruce complimented and solidified it best over Paul). If you allowed me to choose out of all the records in your Maiden collection I will always pick Killers and put it on your turn table...... every time.
What these guys need to do at maiden is to get all the old gang together and do one massive chronological show. Have Dianno come out first, then dickinson and then blaze and back to dickinson again and perhaps finish with all three in some new track... that would be the best send off ever!
Wow! Just got done watching you and Gabriela do "Two Minutes to Midnight". Had to catch my breath. You guys did a awesume job. I think you may have had a lesson or two. :) Now for this video I Love Maiden and have seen them many times. I Like Bruce the best because he total control of his singing and he literally doesn't slow down live. Such a great range and clear. "Hallowed Be My Name" was one I was hoping you would do and give us your take. Since I put Bruce on a pedestal I would also like to mention that I do lile Paul singing for the material he did. That music was dark and his voice fit that. Didn't care for Blaze but understand that Steve had to do something to keep his band going.
Maiden did Blaze Bayley a huge disservice by not tuning the classic songs down to suit his voice. Check out any of the original material he sang and all of his solo material to hear his voice shine. And it's worth mentioning that Blaze is a real class act. If you had to choose one of these three guys to have a beer and a chat with, it should surely be Blaze.
3 completely different singers, Bruce has the better range, which totally suits the bands requirements. I have seen all three live, they sing their own material very well, Blaze really struggled with Bruce's songs, Bruce is easily the better performer, such a great personality
There's a clip of Blaze Bayley singing Afraid to Shoot Strangers, a song from Dickinson era. In my opinion he truely shines in that one.
I honestly love Blaze era Maiden. Seeing that last blaze live clip was brutal, but really they were playing so fast he couldn’t keep up. Also if they would have tuned down a bit to match his voice better I think blaze would have been fine live, but you can even hear Bruce having a hard time keeping up when they fly through a song at 100 mph.
I still listen to Paul - Maiden but Bruce blew my mind
Blazes voice is made for the Blaze era albums. ”The X-Factor” is my favorite Maiden album and Blazes voice fits better for songs like Sign of the Cross.
I agree Bruce does ok Blaze does it better. His voice fits the song better.
Always liked that album even though it is very dark. Blaze's voice is really nice on songs like the Aftermath & Fortunes of War. Another deceptively impressive moment is near the end of 'Edge of Darkness' ('Here I am, the knife in my hand...). If you don't already know why, try singing along to those few lines.
I have to disagree, Blaze does "his own" songs better than Bruce, Sign of the Cross is the only song Bruce does well imo, but even Blaze is a bit better here.
Problem with Blaze era was because most the songs written over there were very boring (Angel and the Gambler Zzzzzz) and that the production is complete garbage.
Bruce does a very meh job at all others and even butchers some Blaze songs (no hate), BUT it's still nice to see him play them live.
Bruce all the way!!! when you here the name Iron Maiden, you instantly think of Bruce !!!
Love both Blaze albums and tours. British singer Doogie White "Rainbow" was also one of the "hot" singers at audition when Blaze got the Job. Love Blaze. But Bruce is the best/right lead singer for Iron Maiden
Bruce above all!
I must say I think Blaze sounds like a "Tweener" to Di'anno and Dickenson
Bruce defined Iron Maiden as we know them today. I listen to Maiden's whole catalog and enjoy it all, but Bruce brought something entirely different. To be fair in the video clip of Blaze singing The Trooper, he was too focused on staring down some chump in the audience who'd done something stupid. But Blaze did Blaze just fine, but he struggled to do Bruce.
All of them are simply fantastic in there own way
I´ll go with Bruce all time. He did indeed put his mark on the band, he dominated the "metal-scene" in Maidens "hey-days" like few artists done. In my book he was no lesser than Dio or Hallford... taking his rightfull place as a metal-king when performing live. I agree concerning the tone regarding Blaze vs Bruce, but the fact that Bruce is the "benchmark" here says quite a lot. Bruce Dickinson made himself immortal, and even though they do/did a great work, i can´t say that about Paul or Blaze.
Dickinson is tenor, Bailey baritone. Uneven comparison.
All those three vocalists are brilliant in their own way
Check Di'Anno singing Twilight Zone, a single which wasn't included in Killers album. He's brilliant.
Speaking of Kiske, it'd be great to do isolated vocals of "I Want Out". There's a very long note there after the guitar solo 🤘😎👍
I like Di anno the most. Its just the sound of his voice. It s unique to me! If I was a singer he is who I would want to sound like. Can a singer make their selves sound like that.... Or is that just his natural singing voice??
Paul was more of a punk style singer with a little bit of metal mixed in. Bruce is a better all around singer and amazing front person. I honestly haven't heard Blaze, at least until I watch the rest of this vid :)
Paul was the bomb , he was amazing live , Bruce to me sounds like grampa Simpson , wailling and always over the top , Bruce brought them to the dungeons and dragons era Paul was more rock and roll , pity he didn't get more time with them
In that Trooper performance by Blaze, I think there was more going on there that was contributing to the poorness of that performance. I think Blaze and Steve were involved in an altercation with someone in the crowd during that and Blaze was distracted.
IMO.... Blaze deserves a ton of respect. Dude blew out his voice to sing in Maiden.
Agree!
Which is crazy because Steve chose him as the replacement specifically because he wanted someone totally different from Bruce. That is why he didn’t choose Doogie White who would have been a damn good replacement for Bruce.
We heard only Bruce era songs from Blaze?! Not so happy about that.
Doogie is a good singer but not in Iron Maiden. Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper) would have been a really good choice.
@@Blackmailer78 I agree. If you’re gonna compare the three then you should compare them all singing the same songs or compare them singing songs of their era
André Matos, who was a Brazilian singer, unfortunately passed away 2 years ago. Probably the best melodic Brazilian singer! Thanks for bringing his name in!!!
The first 2 maiden albums are my favorite hands down Paul Di´Anno for the win.... also there are full concerts with him here on youtube very high quality. His voice was great.
Bruce is obviously the best vocalist, but I love the first two albums so much! 🏴
Would be cool to see a Black Sabbath... Ozzy, Dio, the aforementioned Glenn Hughes, and Tony Martin. Interesting to get your take on the lesser looked at vocalists in the context of the ones everyone knows.
I'm kind of surprised that Maiden didn't tune down a half step (or even maybe a whole step) for Blaze. I don't think it would have taken anything away from the songs and he wouldn't have had to strain his voice.
paul: rough, aggressive voice - a great singer who was perfect for what they did on those 2 albums. it's sad that after maiden he never had the success he deserved.
bruce: can go up really high with his great vocal range, no further comment needed.
blaze: replacing a tenor with a baritone is a stupid idea and harris oughta have known fucking better!
One thing Bruce did that no other male metal singer did, he had bangs and wore them like a badass.
Paul Di’Anno is my favorite singer by far with much compliments to Bruce D.🎉
Blaze Bayley did great job . 2 A.M still my favorite .
I love Bruce , but I have always preferred the edginess of Paul ! I have to say Killers is my favorite album. I kind of feel like Iron Maiden with Paul would have been a much heavier band. Paul reminds me of Lemmi Kilmister! Of course, I had not thought about Thin Lizzy until you mentioned it. So maybe a cross between the two.
Paul was raw and great on those first 2 albums but Bruce was brought the whole package to the band
Blaze went through all kinds of hell trying to tour at all. There were even dates I think that were canceled. He already has more limited range compared to Bruce, but couple him getting apparently sick throughout, that was definitely going to effect how well he could handle older material. And yeah, they should have tuned down. If Steve wanted a lower singer, they needed to accommodate for him and they didn't.
Technically Blaze has more vocal range, but Bruce knows how to use his Better. Love both singers.
Bruce has amazing stamina, with all that running and jumping around on stage.
On his solo album, I enjoyed immensely Tattooed Millionaire!
Cant criticise Bruce, BUT listen to Pauls Strange World, he brought a different fabric to the table as it were, not all about power notes.
No one does it better than Bruce but Paul's voice was perfect for Iron Maiden at that time and not enough people comment on the beautiful richness of tone of Blaze's voice.
Each of the three vocalists were perfect for their respected eras. I think its not really fair to compare them because they each brought something different to the band.
Dickinson gets the nod for technical prowess. But Maiden were at their best overall first three albums , particularly first 2, with Paul. And while Paul didn't have the range Bruce did, I preferred Paul's approach. He wasn't dramatic. He just got it done. Straight ahead, raw, no nonsense vocals
Fun fact: the lyrics Paul sings in that Live at the Rainbow performance of Killers are entirely different from the album.
I've noticed it as well. I was about to make the same comment then I saw yours then I quit.
Wow! I never noticed this, maybe why i'm brazilian guy and don't have an fluent english yet! 😆😅
He apparently wrote them on the day just prior to that show
It’s on the early days DVD.
Bruce is IMO their best singer (all your mentioned factors in mind). Im a huge Maiden-fan and has overlooked the Blaze-era for years. Recently I have dwelled into that era. Blaze has some good qualities. I think the era from 95-98 is more slaughtered by bad ideas - not Blaze´ vocals (of course Dickinson era was hard to sing, but maybe they could have tuned down the guitars a half-step for ex..)
Its too bad you could not show any recordings of the songs from the records he did (ex: Lightning Strikes twice live in Brazil ´98).
And btw: when he sang The Trooper on your last video, from the X-factour 95-96, he got spit on constantly by a guy from the crowd which I guess its quite anoying when you are the one who is going to fill the shoes after Dickinson..
I think the «Blaze-era» has more Rock & Roll, straight forward, back to roots Kind of vibe. I like it. Though Bruce are the perfect Maiden singer.
Up The Irons!
Well said dude! 😎👊🏼
Dickinson wins hands down, however I'm impressed how intelligent the comments are for Blaze after seeing many a troll-fest develop when he's mentioned. I love 'The X Factor' and bits of 'Virtual IX', but you've got to dive into his solo stuff to really hear how his era with Maiden should have sounded vocally. Better yet, go see him live. I've seen him solo 4 times and he does not disappoint.
Agreed.
It's not fair to Blaze to clip him singing Bruce's era songs. It will always turn to a "who can sing higher" race. All the other singers were singing their own stuff. Blaze did a great job on songs like "The Lord of the Flies", for example.