ulasan Mind The Acoustic Pieces - Maiden UniteD

(Review first in Market Malay then in Broken English.)



Maiden UniteD are
Vocals: Damian Wilson (Threshold/Ayreon)
Guitar: Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation)
Bass: Joey Bruers (Up The Irons)
Piano: Marco Kuypers (Silkstone)
Drums: Mike Coolen (Cloudmachine)
Guest singer on the album: Anneke van Giersbergen (Agua de Annique)


Review 1st in Bazaar Malay and then in Broken English. As usual the contents are not exactly the same.

Sejarah kumpulan Maiden United ni mula dari tahun 2000, ngan band tribute Up The Irons dan dari situ berkembang sampai line-up skarang dengan visi dorang sendiri.

So ni album pertama mereka Mind The Accoustic Pieces yang dorang main ikut dorang punye intepretasi sendiri secara akoustik lagu2 dari album Piece Of Mind Maiden yang asal dari tahun 1983.

Selain dari cd album ni, aku jugak dapat cd single dorang The Trooper ngan alternate version bside Sun And Steel dinyanyikan penyanyi jemputan awek tu.

Dan jugak cd aku diautograf lima2 orang Maiden United ni.

Lagipun, Piece Of Mind ialah kaset Maiden yang paling pertama aku dengar masa budak2 tahun 1983 dulu dan tentulah aku harap sangat versi2 lagu POM dalam Mind The Accoustic Pieces tak menghampakan aku.

Lagi jugak aku takut, aku tak boleh terima jika lagu2 aku suka giler ni dijahanamkan dan jadi macam sial, tapi nasib baik tidak.

ok.. suara penyanyi sedap, ye la dia bukan Bruce Dickinson tapi tetap merdu, gitar akaustik, piano, bass, drum jazzy2 gitu... seronok layan telinga.

-Lagu2 Where Eagles Dare dan The Trooper best giler. Hebat.

-Revelations masih sayu dan menyentuh sanubari aku,

-lagu Sun And Steel menghiburkan tapi dengar berulang jadi boring lak versi ni,

-Flight of Icarus pulak mengejutkan ngan intro best dan 1st verse dia cara bercakap,

-Quest For Fire ngan Still Life pulak tetap naikkan bulu roma aku, in fact aku rate ni dua lagu aku nye feberet la bila kadang2 dengar cd ni.

-Die With Your Boots on dari rock terus jadi slow giler dan moody abis.. , ni lagu ingatkan aku kat versi Gangland Dream Theater.

-Tak lupa, To Tame A Land ngan arrangement lagu ni dirombak ngan starting dia verse " the time will come for him to lay claim his crown.. " lagu ni duet, awek ngan penyanyi lelaki. Makin dramatik lagu ni.

Aku dah lama tak dengar the whole studio album Piece Of Mind, abis tu lak dengar lagu2 Maiden United ni, jadi aku suka sangat... rindu sangat..., ngan versi dorang betul2 menyenangkan hati aku, lembut aje tapi tetap gerek lagu2 versi ni...

CD ni paling best ialah bila dengar kat mp3 player waktu jalan kaki malam2 sorang2, kul 12 malam gitu balik kerja jalan sorang2, ngan earphone cocok dalam telinga bukak volume besar2...
ternaik bulu roma.. tangkap.

Aku ada mungkin lebih sedozen la tribute2 cds maiden aku kadang2 kumpul la jugak mana yang aku suka, dan sua terang cd Maiden United ni antara yang terbaik pada pendapat aku.

Now in English.

I first heard the name Maiden United when I read about the Within Temptation member sideline project playing acoustic Iron Maiden songs.

As a curious Maiden fan who indulge in being a busybody about anything Maiden-related thingys worldwide, I start to read up more about Maiden United, and check them out on the internet.

So when they announced the released of their first cd, " Mind The Acoustic Pieces ", which is their own acoustic interpretation of songs from the Piece Of Mind album, I knew I had to get a copy.

A fantastic deal really as I also received their Trooper cd single ( the Bside is an alternate version of Sun & Steel with a female singer ) and also had the cd autographed by the five members of the band.

I'm the sort who is grateful with a half full glass of water so I was not having really high hopes and anticipating any greatness from this cd.

When I first heard the opening track Where Eagles Dare which was actually the first Maiden song I ever hear as a young boy chasing dragons, I was very pleased.

Further listening and I am impressed.

By the third play of the whole cd, I can say I really enjoy the Maiden United's version of Piece Of Mind. Its not boring although slower in comparison to the real deal, its unique, its pleasant and entertaining.

Coupled with a nice packaging.. I think this cd is worth having to add to your Maiden-related collection. Definitely one of the best 'Maiden tribute' cds in my collection.

- To Tame A Land is the most dramatic version here, a lovely song with Arabic flavour, with all the sandriders,Muad'Dibs,Kwizatz Haderachs,Caladans and the part I really like when Bruce sang "Gorn Jabbar" gets a make-over with the soaring female voice and rearrangements.
- Sun And Steel sounds 'cheerful' especially on the Trooper Bside with a woman singing it. I wont visualise the samurai swords when I heard Maiden United version of this song.

- Where Eagles Dare without the Nicko intro and booming drums is interesting and hearing all this piano makes me smile . Anyway, I was just so wishing this song is the final song of the setlist of the Maiden coming tour. It would make a glorious ending.
- Revelations is always a special song for me. Its a song I seek shelter with when I was a kid and Maiden United's version is touching. I really like it.



- The Trooper - A slow suspenseful version.
- Quest For Fire is always one of my favorites even though some people dont like it for its lyrics. Maybe due to my age when I first listen to the original, an adventure song if there ever is one written for school kids. So Maiden United version here is always alright with me - to me it sounds so medieval Robin Hood.

- Still Life - the intro is superb. The whole song is. I like it.
- Flight Of Icarus - Superb intro, a suprising spoken first verse.

In conclusion, maybe I do get a bit bias praising this cd as I have not listen to the complete POM for some time, so its refreshing to hear a different version of the songs and in different track sequence as we are so familiar with.

This cd definitely is one of the best Maiden tribute cds in my collection and worth buying.

Best to listen to when alone in the dead of the night, walking home, with earphones at loud volume.