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Someone please explain all the love for Steve Harris

#181
clickclack said:
There's a cool guy at youtube who is somehow able to find bass backing tracks. Most I found doesn't sound like processed if that's how he does it, must be a sound genius. I'm using those.
Click to expand...

The isolated tracks comes from Guitar Hero video games who uses the master tracks.
It's necessary for the game because the instrument you are supposed to play only plays if you tap it right on the toy guitar.
 
#182
While we're talking albums and such, what did you guys think of "The Book Of Souls"? I thought it had a lot of great songs, but should have been trimmed down to one album. The songs I would keep:
  • If Eternity Should Fail
  • Speed of Light (At first I didn't really like this song. Then it grew on me. I think of it as Iron Maiden does Deep Purple.)
  • The Great Unknown
  • The Red and the Black
  • The Book of Souls
So pretty much just the 1st disk. I like Shadows of the Valley and The Man of Sorrows, but not as much as those others. Tears of a Clown has an interesting backstory and lyrics, but it just seems forced to me.
 
#183
wintremute said:
While we're talking albums and such, what did you guys think of "The Book Of Souls"? I thought it had a lot of great songs, but should have been trimmed down to one album. The songs I would keep:
  • If Eternity Should Fail
  • Speed of Light (At first I didn't really like this song. Then it grew on me. I think of it as Iron Maiden does Deep Purple.)
  • The Great Unknown
  • The Red and the Black
  • The Book of Souls
So pretty much just the 1st disk. I like Shadows of the Valley and The Man of Sorrows, but not as much as those others. Tears of a Clown has an interesting backstory and lyrics, but it just seems forced to me.
Click to expand...

I haven't even listened to the whole thing yet. I haven't been able to get into any of their stuff after Brave New World.
 
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#186
*Maiden Day update*

I got through everything up to and including 7th Son. I liked some of Powerslave and more than half of 7th Son.

Conclusion:
Happy to back down and say I think I now understand the love for Steve. Not sure I’d put him top 10 but these lists are there to provoke debate. He’s obviously gifted and a monster player.

I also now have a Maiden playlist in my iMusic app that has the best part of 4 albums on it.

All good.

Now if someone could explain the love for John Paul Jones...
 
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#190
socialleper said:
If you don't like jazz, you won't get Jaco.
If you don't like Motown, you won't get Jamerson.
If you don't like metal, you won't like Harris.
One of the first metal bands I listened too was Iron Maiden, Piece of Mind to be specific, and the bass jumped out at me, even though I didn't know what a bass was. His tone and playing is really what drove their music for the first 6 albums. Then I saw a VHS of Live After Death and I wanted to play whatever that guy was doing. Done.
The man has incredible technique and presence in a genre not known for great bass players, unlike funk or jazz where every player is a monster. Plus he writes a large percentage of Iron Maiden's material. Coupled with commanding stage presence, it is hard for metalheads not to love him. Like Geezer Butler, it is very hard to explain the love for him, his playing either speaks to you or it doesn't; but when it does it is loud.
Click to expand...
This +100
 
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#191
Yonni said:
*Maiden Day update*

I got through everything up to and including 7th Son. I liked some of Powerslave and more than half of 7th Son.

Conclusion:
Happy to back down and say I think I now understand the love for Steve. Not sure I’d put him top 10 but these lists are there to provoke debate. He’s obviously gifted and a monster player.

I also now have a Maiden playlist in my iMusic app that has the best part of 4 albums on it.

All good.

Now if someone could explain the love for John Paul Jones...
Click to expand...

Did any particular basslines stand out for you?
 
#194
eriky4003 said:
Obimark,
Like you, I believed Steve Harris used a three finger technique (mostly because of him, I learned it) but I've seen either on this forum or elsewhere that he's only a two-finger guy(?!). He also uses flats(?!). What's this world coming to?

Back on track for the thread, I'd say the love for Steve is due to leading Iron Maiden, song-writing, great technique (and stamina) and is not one to sit in the back of the stage a la Bill Wyman (who I also like).
Click to expand...
in an interview in BP magazine he was adamant about using two fingers only.
 
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#197
wintremute said:
While we're talking albums and such, what did you guys think of "The Book Of Souls"? I thought it had a lot of great songs, but should have been trimmed down to one album. The songs I would keep:
  • If Eternity Should Fail
  • Speed of Light (At first I didn't really like this song. Then it grew on me. I think of it as Iron Maiden does Deep Purple.)
  • The Great Unknown
  • The Red and the Black
  • The Book of Souls
So pretty much just the 1st disk. I like Shadows of the Valley and The Man of Sorrows, but not as much as those others. Tears of a Clown has an interesting backstory and lyrics, but it just seems forced to me.
Click to expand...

I like it a lot actually.
Was listening to it today as a part of "Iron Maiden Day", it had been awhile. I can understand your comment about cutting it down to one great album but I don't think that any of the songs are "bad", a few were just not as good as the rest.
 
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#200
What am I missing?[/QUOTE]

Well, the Steve Harris innovator you mention managed to come up with not just a bass sound, but a compositional style which influenced a lot more than just him being a bass player. He's been involved with his bands audio and video production through the years, from vinyl and videotape to DVD. He's been involved with some more running of the band stuff and creative direction as well.

The next time your four strings make a decades long commotion, develop a knack for songwriting which sounds fresh through the years while managing to get the singer of the band to fly you across oceans and continents to conquer arenas, stages, festivals and God only knows...

Well, if you manage to do any of what Steve Harris did you be sure to tell us!

Not trying to be a jerk, but just because he didn't play jazz, funk or redefine the role of bass in pop doesn't mean he ain't what others are claimimg. The man took four strings and helped develop and define a style of music. He is part of the family of the bass guitar and has done so honorably by laying it down with the drums on albums and concerts for about as long as I've been alive.

Got Harris? ;)
 
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