alone..

The only place where you can dream,
living here is not what it seems.
Ship of white light in the sky,
nobody there to reason why.



Here I am, I'm not really there,
smiling faces ever so rare.
let's walk in deepest space,
living here just isn't the place.



Stalks of light come from the ground,
when I cry there isn't a sound.
All my feelings cannot be held,
I'm happy in my new strange world.



Shades of green grasses twine,
girls drinking plasma wine.
A look at love, a dream unfolds,
living here, you'll never grow old.



Don't you hear me call?



Strange World - Iron Maiden

review - Paul Di'anno The Classics: The Maiden Years

(Nak dekat dua tahun dah cd ni. Tu jam bila diumumkan je, kelam kabut rush advance order, pasal janjinye 150 keping aje worldwide. Kemudian ada Jepun nye pressing, tapi kaler putih, gambo cover pun lain. Jadi mungkin betul kot yang merah ni cuma 150 keping je satu dunia, I have no idea.)


( click all photos to enlarge )

150 copies only.
That was the promise when the announcement was made for this cd. I guess so because although I knew there is a Japanese print out there, but it has a different front cover while the one that I have is red.
So I guess, maybe I do have one of the 150 copies out there.


From http://www.pauldianno.com/
Title The Classics - The Maiden Years
Released 2006
Catalog number 060070 710365 (Wild World Production)
Format CD
Notes New 48 track digital studio recordings - 150 copies
Line Up
Paul Di'Anno - Vocals
Mikale Fassberg, Carlo Micheletti, Staffan Osterlind, Antonio Amante, Lea Hart, Bill Liesgang - Guitars
Matteo Panzavolta, Andreas Grufstedt - Bass Guitar
Gianfuca Calanca, Johan Nelgesson, Pete Jupp - Drums




The spectacular tracklist from the early days being sung again by the original singer with modern production-

Wrathchild
Strange World
Charlotte The Harlot
Killers
Prowler
Murders In The Rue Morgue
Running Free
Remember Tomorrow
Phantom Of The Opera
Sanctuary
Women In Uniform
Iron Maiden

Every single song a classic, and every single song performed for this album is for me a perfect 10.



This is one of the rare questions posed to Paul Di'anno regarding this special release at that time -
Rock N Roll Universe: Also recently you put out "The Classics: The Iron Maiden Years", which consists of 12 re recorded versions of songs culled from the first two IRON MAIDEN albums. Now, there are some "fans" who have been very critical of this release, saying that you're still trading upon past glories by recording versions of songs you originally recorded over 25 years ago. What led you to the decision to put out the album, and what is your response to someone who might feel that way?

Paul Di'Anno: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I've always thought the first MAIDEN album sounded awful (I know Steve [Harris] agrees with me), and I wanted to update the songs a bit. I'm hardly making any money of it, so it's not like I rip anyone off.





My opinion of this release is its just fantastic. Paul Di'anno with his backing musicians really made this a special one.

I enjoy all the songs, this is a type of cd that I will just play from start to finish all the time without having to skip any track.
" Women in Uniform " is included and I have never enjoyed this song so much before.

The songs sounds so familiar, but at the same it sounds so refreshing. Maybe because of the new production. Paul vocals is fantastic in both the fast and slow songs.
" Strange World " is such a beauty on this album.

I guess many of the songs here were written with Paul's vocals in mind, and rightly so. We all enjoy Bruce ( and Blaze ) renditions of the songs on the first two albums, but Paul still rules when it come these songs.
I read somewhere ( I forgot from where ) that Steve Harris was asked who among the three sings " Iron Maiden " best, and of course, its Paul.



Looking at Paul's childhood photos it remind me of a Get Fuzzy strip, where Rob and Satchel were looking at Bucky's baby photos and he said something like " He was so cute then, what the #!%* happened? "

Up The Irons.

Factory pressed bootlegs of long ago..

(Click all photos to enlarge k.)
Ku dihalaman rindu kejap k. Imbas kembali zaman sebelum wujud pc, internet, dan cd-burner.

Ni post membawa kita ke suatu masa dahulu, awal tahun 1990an, waktu tu cakera padat mula popular, pelan2 ambik alih kaset tape.
Sapa yang muda2 baca blog ni, korang kena ingat zaman tu, takde internet, takde komputer.


In the early 1990s, when compact disc start to become popular, home computers, internet, cd burners , cdrs are still unheard of. Fortunately, the advance of cds result in productions of live recordings of fantastic bands, with lavish packaging too.
These are some Maiden factory pressed bootlegs of that era up to the mid 90s which I manage to salvage and rescue from my mostly dusty, fungus infected collection.


Aku rasa aku pertama kali lungsur internet mungkin tahun 1997? Zaman tu ialah zaman 28.8kbps or something like that. Yang modem besar tu. Aku mula guna broadband aku rasa tahun 2000 kot.

Kemunculan compact disc tahun2 awal 1990an membawa dimensi baru untuk aku. Akhirnye, aku dapat dengar dan kumpul seberapa banyak Iron Maiden dan jugak band2 lain punye bootlegs yang pressed on cd.


An example of the packaging. Some recordings are soundboard source as this one, so you can see the grading given on the back cover.
Extra information - The Sweden gig is the recording from which most Blaze era Bsides are taken from for Maiden's releases. And that infamous Scotland gig where Blaze screwed up Fortunes Of War big time, and if I am there, i will be joining in jeering him. Blaze got problems with remembering lyrics and he cant do that when fronting Maiden because the fans knows the lyrics inside out.


Korang kena ingat, zaman tu takde komputer lagi untuk man on the street. Tak wujud perkataan CD Burner, dan tak wujud CDR.

Jadi, bootlegs semua nak dapat, kita kena carik factory pressings, ngan syarikat2 macam KTS ( Kiss The Stone ) dan OXY antara popular untuk muzik genre Metal.
Apa aku tahu syarikat2 ni semua kat Italy, pasal seems kat Italy tu jam, ada protection untuk bootlegging kot hahaha.


This is one of my favourites in my collection. The bootleg was entitled Purgatory - Nagoya Japan May 23rd 1981. I bought this cd in the early 90s after saving up for quite some time. Because back then, I dont have any live versions of how early Maiden with Paul Di'anno & Clive Burr sounds. To hear Strange World live for the first time when I listen to this cd, was a magical moment.
Anyway, check out this bootleg of this night ( I dont really checked it out but isnt it the same night Maiden Japan was recorded? ), anyway, the EYO! YO ! YO! YO!! of Drifter on this gig is the most heavenly of all Drifters singalong with the audience ever!!





Factory pressed bootlegs ni popular, sampai tahun2 akhir 1990an, lepas tu, orang dah mula kenal apa tu komputer, apa tu internet ( walau mula2 ialah 28.8kbps nye speed, tu jam takde such thing as Broadband k ) dan jugak cd burner.
Dengan ini, pengumpul2 live recordings dah masuk dimensi baru untuk expand koleksi dorang.

Untuk aku, its a big regret, aku let go quite a number of my bootlegs yang factory pressing. Pass sana pass sini, semua tak datang balik ekeke. 'Metallica totally destroy Canada'. Kalau ada lagi kat kedai bootleg ni, ngan pressing kaler merah tu, aku akan beli lagi sekali. Soundboard best sangat bunyi rekoding dia.


I dont know much about this interview cd, but its beautifully cut to shaped. And its numbered as #50. So I guess it should be limited.


Dan jugak, at that time, masih sekolah, impossible nak beli banyak2, so banyak terlepas..
tapi aku ada Kings Of Twilight Zone Boxset triple cd, walaupun kotak dia dah hilang haha.
Nak kena susun baik2 la apa yang masih tinggal...



The Kings Of Twilight Zone triple CD, comes with a lavish color booklet. Little stories of each song, where they were recorded, what is the significant of that era, and lots of little snippets. Check out that specific track " Caught Somewhere In Time - Extended demo " those were the days...

2 again..

Sambungan. Click to enlarge.





Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
Oh my little girl





All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm





Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable





All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm





Enjoy the silence - Depeche Mode

my PAINTing

Kadang2, the most simple things in life can bring us so much joy and entertainment. Aku baru realise program PAINT kat komputer yang free tu bleh buat drawing apa kita nak. So ni first try aku guna program PAINT yang ada dalam most computers tu.


( click to enlarge )
First try aku draw album cover TNOTB :-)

Tak cantik takpe, tapi I draw it with my whole heart and full of passion \m/

F1

aku tak pernah gi nengok F1. Smalam time F1 pun, aku ngah F1 jugak tapi F1 bas express lumba2 kat NS hiway ekekeke.
Hujan wooo. Malam lagik. Berdesut bas semua.
Last2 bas aku naik rosak kat Seremban lak. :-(
Tapi abang drivers dua2 cool je.

Kalo sapa2 semalam kat tol Seremban tu ada bas rosak tepi jalan tu, tu bas aku naik ler tu. Tapi nasib baik terus ada bas lain (SKS-Seremban) berenti nak tolong, ada tempat kosong so kita tumpang. :-)

Anyway some souvenirs from F1 Sepang smalam. Ada orang dapat pegi woo :-)
Souvenir BMW Sauber nye team. Autograf pix sey..



Not bad eh dorang tahun ni, smalam Si Kubica no 2, Heidfeld no 6. Nak nengok F1 nak kasi thrill, kita mesti ada team kita sokong dan ada team kita slalu mintak2 keta dorang terbabas ke, rosak ke ( Ferrari booo ). wakaka. So ok la, this year aku sokong BMW Sauber sikit la ekeke.Ye la, sponsor pung Petronas kan :-)

Siot, aku yo yo oh, nak gi F1 bulan 9 yang racing malam nye, siot tengok tiket, forget it. Aku bukan cakap tiket regular atau high end tau, tapi tiket untuk the unwashed peasants, punye la mahal. Dah beratus dah.
Tapi dia racing kat tepi jalan pe, so cammana dia nak block semua orang takde tiket tu kan? hmmm..

Anyway should be interesting la racing malam bulan 9 ni, tu hari aku naik 133 nak gi Marina Square ( fu yo, Marina Sq lepas renovate, best siak ), nengok tepi jalan semua cam tengah preparation bulan 9 je.

2

(click to enlarge)



Walk away if you want to
It's okay if you need to
You can run but you can never hide
From the shadow that's creeping up beside you



There's a magic running through your soul
But you can't have it all



Whatever you do
I'll be two steps behind you
Where ever you go
And I'll be ther to remind you
That it only takes a minute of your precious time
To turn around
I'll be two steps behind



Take the time to think about it
Just walk the line you know you just can't fight it
Take a look around you'll know what you can't find
Like the fire that's burning up inside me



Now there's a magic running through your soul
But you can't have it all



Whatever you do
I'll be two steps behind you
Where ever you go
And I'll be there to remind you
That it only takes a minute of your precious time
To turn around
I'll be two steps behind



There's a magic running through your soul
But you, you can't have it all



Whatever you do
I'll be two steps behind you
Where ever you go
And I'll be there to remind you
That it only takes a minute of your precious time
To turn around
I'll be two steps behind

Ulasan buku - Run For Cover, The Art of Derek Riggs ( part i )

19/10/2014 UPDATE-
PHOTOS ARE HERE - http://www.deaf-angel.blogspot.sg/2014/09/six-years-later-blog-text-is-still.html

The text remains on this post..


( 9 JUNE 2010 )

Hi Maiden fans all over the world, I think you may come acrosss this page for one reason or another, another way to check on the Maiden stuffs before you guys proceed to get the items is to take a look at the photos on my Multiply page, which can be found on the " WHERE EAGLES DARE " link on the right hand side of the blog.

I Hope to take new photos of all these and other stuffs like programmes page by page and place it at my FLICKR account.

I HOPE TO DO IT NEXT TIME>> ENJOY!!.


This is my first part review of one of the most important books ever produced for the past few decades. The second will follow after I have finish reading it hehehe.

(click all photos to enlarge)
Run For Cover, The Art of Derek Riggs
Written by Martin Popoff


I am very very lucky...
Buku yang aku dapat, ada sketch Trooper dan buku personalised untuk aku, dan aku dapat tiga autographed artworks prints. Yang pencil sketch tu rasanye sema dapat, tapi aku dapat jugak Trooper nye print dan book cover nye print tambahsn, semua Derek Riggs sign taruk nama aku :_)
Cammana wa tak touching giler. Wildest Dreams come true untuk aku.


Lawa ek


I always known this book ( both in hard cover and soft cover editions ) will be good, but I didnt know it was this good till I got it in my hands just now.
Its bloody thick, and the quality of the papers in the book seems the expensive kind. The one with gloss, thick and should be hard to be easily torn away.
I read Derek's foreword and I agree completely, this book was written by Iron Maiden fans for the Iron Maiden fans. You can see so much love and research have been done to produce it.


Most of the pictures in this book relates to Eddie that Derek created. All kinds of Eddies from the early days in 1980 to his current on-off-on-off again contributions to Maiden works.
There are some fantastic never before seen Eddies such as the one above.



I havent really sit down and read the book, I just browse through and already I am so excited to find the time to relax and consume whats inside this book.
Derek Riggs tells in details about lots of things related to his Maiden relationships, his Eddies and how and why and where they were drawn, and not forgetting about his beginnings, his early pre-Maiden and post Maiden works with Bruce Dickinson solo, Gamma Ray and his other fantastic works too.



Being officially sanctioned by Iron Maiden, this book includes interviews and stories by Rod Smallwood and its nice for me as a Maiden fan to know that whatever happens between Derek Riggs and the Maiden organisation, I guess they can still work together as Derek Riggs is so essential in contributing to where Maiden is now. Correct he is just the artist, and most of the time, he draws based on the themes submitted by the band, but he adds the lettuce and pickles to Maiden's burger. Try imagining Maiden without Eddie.



Or this one, try imagining this was Piece Of Minds album cover instead.


I didnt know about all these details in Flight Of Icarus till just now LOL!! I got to dig out my vinyl 7inch and check the details, oppss hahaha. Or maybe I should hunt for the 12 inch vinyl? oh la la.
I wish I can afford all these stuffs, every month on getting my salary I will save up bit by bit and after saving a fortune, I will battle it out at Ebay for some useless vinyls ( as I dont even have a record player ) or cds or whatever Maiden related but its not possible isnt it?, life have priorities, and Maiden is not one of them :_(



Together will the rest of the world, I knew I had done my part in making Iron Maiden members filthy rich and they bloody well realised that its us peasants who put them where they are now at their castles, mansions and barns of course.



This book do mentioned a bit about the Charge Of The Light Brigade. Sometimes when I look at The Trooper Eddie, I was thinking that did he know that he is charging to his death. Though he is supposed to be on a horse and not on foot as in the artwork, but is he aware that he will die? there is a Russian soldier having him in his sight about to squeeze the trigger? Its just like real life. You wont know it too.



Tell me, how am I supposed to grow up when it has something to do with Iron Maiden?
I will be forever be a small kid when it comes to Maiden.
Remember the Toys R Us song? I dont want to grow up, I am Toys R Us Kid la la la.
That sums me up. Jolly good.



So much hidden details and secrets to unveil on this artwork. Somewhere In Time, my very first original cassette Tape back in 1986. Sigh. And now its 2008. My hair all white already hahaha.


Till the part two of this fantastic book , UP THE IRONS.