137: Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)

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“Why can’t you be heavy with Samuel Taylor Coleridge?”

–Bruce Dickinson

Hear that? There goes the siren that warns of the air raid – or maybe that’s just Bruce Dickinson’s voice. This week, Mike continues his quest to make Discord & Rhyme more metal with the album Powerslave by Iron Maiden. In the popular consciousness, Maiden are known for their goofy album covers and hits like “Bring Your Daughter … to the Slaughter.” But if you dig just a little deeper, they were vanguards of the new wave of British heavy metal, with a seven-album run in the ‘80s that ranks among the greatest winning streaks of the album era, metal or otherwise. Powerslave is arguably their peak, boasting some of their greatest compositions and brainiest lyrics, with subjects running the gamut from The Prisoner to the military-industrial complex to the dawn of British Romanticism. But most importantly, it rocks, and Mike has invited Phil, John, and Rich to discuss eight amazing songs that will put you at a losfer words.

Miscellany

• The decaying text effect Mike was thinking of as an analog to death metal vocals is known as Zalgo text.

• All 17 episodes of The Prisoner are now free to watch on YouTube, so you no longer have to wait for an ill-timed TV marathon to see it.

• The stinger comes from the 2000 computer game Escape From Monkey Island, which John has a longstanding fondness for even if he admits it isn’t very good. 

Other links

• The official Iron Maiden website (ironmaiden.com)

• “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (Poetry Foundation)

• “Powerslave (Live at Long Beach Arena)” (YouTube)

• Flight 666 documentary (YouTube)

• Bill McClintock - “Two Minutes to L.A.” (YouTube)

• Wax Audio - “Maiden Goes to Hollywood” (YouTube)

• Licks of the Beast - “The Duellists… and the BLUES of Adrian Smith” (YouTube)

• “Losfer Words” 8 bit cover (YouTube)

• Henry Rollins on Iron Maiden (YouTube)

• Bruce Dickinson BangerTV interview (YouTube)

• “Flight of Icarus” official music video (YouTube)

• The legendarily horrendous Dance of Death album cover (Discogs)

• PowerSlave video game intro (YouTube)

• Discord & Rhyme’s Powerslave playlist (Spotify)

• Discord & Rhyme’s merch store (TeePublic)

• Discord & Rhyme’s Patreon

Discord & Rhyme Roll Call 

• Mike DeFabio (host)

• Phil Maddox (moderator)

• Rich Bunnell

• John McFerrin 

Powerslave tracklist 

1. Aces High

2. 2 Minutes to Midnight

3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)

4. Flash of the Blade

5. The Duellists

6. Back in the Village

7. Powerslave

8. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner 

Other clips used

Iron Maiden:

• Flight of Icarus

• The Angel and the Gambler

• Run to the Hills

• The Ides of March

• Iron Maiden (The Soundhouse Tapes version)

• Phantom of the Opera

• The Number of the Beast

• Intro: Churchill's Speech/Aces High (Live at Long Beach Arena)

• The Trooper

• The Prisoner

• Wasted Years

• No More Lies

• Moonchild

• Hallowed Be Thy Name (Live at Long Beach Arena)

Others:

• Samson - Vice Versa

• Blue Öyster Cult - ME 262

• Budgie - Wild Fire

• Riot - Swords and Tequila

• Tygers of Pan Tang - Hellbound

• Dio - Stand Up and Shout

• Saxon - The Power and the Glory

• Accept - Flash Rockin’ Man

• Praying Mantis - Thirty Pieces of Silver

• Jag Panzer - Warfare

• Venom - Welcome to Hell

• White Spirit - Midnight Chaser

• The Moody Blues - The Story in Your Eyes

• Bill McClintock - 2 Minutes to L.A.

• Stereolab - Ping Pong

• Metallica - Orion

• Wax Audio - Maiden Goes to Hollywood

• Procol Harum - Whaling Stories

• Mastodon - Blood and Thunder

• Iced Earth - The Coming Curse

• Black Sabbath - Neon Knights

Band/album personnel 

• Bruce Dickinson – vocals

• Dave Murray – guitars

• Adrian Smith – guitars

• Steve Harris – bass

• Nicko McBrain – drums

• Martin "Pool Bully" Birch – producer, engineer, mixing

• Frank Gibson – assistant engineer

• Bruce Buchhalter – assistant engineer

• George Marino – mastering 

Credits 

“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of: 

• Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf

• Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste

• The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...

• Faith No More - Midlife Crisis

• Herbie Hancock - Hornets

• Kraftwerk - Autobahn

• Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen

• Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes to Midnight (this episode only) 

You can buy or stream Powerslave and other albums by Iron Maiden at your local record store or the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Instagram @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing is by Rich Bunnell, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and original music. See you next album, and keep as cool as you can.