30 Years Later - Iron Maiden "The Number of the Beast"
That quote, as read by the recently departed Barry Clayton, is instantly familiar to anyone who has heard the title track from Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast album, released 30 years ago today. It could have however sounded very different, had it been read by the actor the band originally wanted.
During the recording of The Number of the Beast in early 1982, Iron Maiden sought out actor Vincent Price for the quotations from the Book of Revelation, but the rather high price of Vincent to do the read caused the band to go with the unknown Barry Clayton. This was a better choice for two reasons. First and foremost, the sinister intonations of Clayton burned the quote into the minds and psyche of heavy metal fans each time they heard it. Secondly, as wonderful an actor as Vincent Price was, frankly after being on The Brady Bunch, it just feels like his performance could have come off as comical, perhaps not having the same impact which the final version did. Besides, a year later, Price would provide narration in Michael Jackson's "Thriller", which would have likely lessened anything he may have performed for Iron Maiden.
Released March 22nd, 1982, The Number of the Beast as an album further established Iron Maiden in the minds of critics and earned them legions of new fans, including yours truly, and featured what would become three of their signature songs, all performed live to this day. It was also unfairly maligned and misunderstood in the minds of religious detractors, whom had they bothered to read and pay attention to the lyrics of the title track, would have realized the song was in fact not about devil worship, but about a man who has seen a truly horrible vision and questions whether it was real or a dream. The song was actually inspired by a nightmare which bassist Steve Harris had after watching the film Damien: Omen II along with the cautionary tale of what happens to the protagonist of Robert Burns' epic poem, "Tam o' Shanter", who after a inebriating night down the pub, rides home only to witness what can be best described as a supernatural kegger involving the Devil and witches from which Tam barely escapes. Or was it all a hallucination? Indeed, this was just one of several cautionary tales told through the album's lyrics, with themes including the dangers of prostitution, warring between native peoples and colonists and the final thoughts of a man bound for the hangman's noose which those who sought to demonize the band and its music completely missed in their ignorance. It is the band's unique style of insightful, scholarly lyrical inspiration that set apart Iron Maiden from other bands in 1982 and why they are even more interesting to listen to in 2012.
The title track of The Number of The Beast wasn't the only song from the album inspired by science fiction and horror-themed entertainment. Side 1 of the album features a back-to-back pairing of two staples of British sci-fi, starting with "Children of The Damned", based on the film of the same name and its predecessor, Village of the Damned.
The title track of The Number of The Beast wasn't the only song from the album inspired by science fiction and horror-themed entertainment. Side 1 of the album features a back-to-back pairing of two staples of British sci-fi, starting with "Children of The Damned", based on the film of the same name and its predecessor, Village of the Damned.
The next song on the album, "The Prisoner", is an example of money well spent on an intro voice over, as it just would not have been the same without the short audio clip featuring Patrick McGoohan from the classic British television series of the same name. Seek out the original series of The Prisoner and you will begin to understand why it inspired Iron Maiden to record not one, but two songs about it (the other being "Back in The Village" from the Powerslave album).
While we are on the subject of Side 1 of the album, it would be remiss not to mention the naughty Miss who resides at "22 Acacia Avenue", which is the second (and frankly the best) part of the four song "Charlotte the Harlot Saga".
For the uninitiated, The Number of the Beast was the third album from Iron Maiden and the first with then-new vocalist Bruce Dickinson. It came out at a time when the visual appeal of a band was as equally as important as its music. One need look no further than the music video for its lead single, "Run to the Hills" for an excellent example of this.
For me personally, this video is the point at which my passion for metal began. The still-hilarious imagery of a silent film Western juxtaposed against the band performing were incredibly attention grabbing to The MTV Generation. It was and still is one of the best examples of editing visuals on the beat of a song and really, never has a band looked cooler than Maiden does, in all their hair flying, spiked leather gauntlet glory as they perform in full gallop in front of a wall of Marshall Stacks. (Apologies, as I just regressed to adolescence there for a moment).
Beyond "Run to the Hills" and the infamous title track, the album also features what many fans and critics alike consider to be one of the best songs of the heavy metal genre, "Hallowed Be Thy Name", where we hear the tale of a condemned man on his way to his fate, told in the first person. Stop reading for seven minutes and take in this performance from London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1982.
Truly one of the finest examples of lyrical story telling committed to tape.
Beyond the hits, beyond the striking cover art of Derek Riggs, even beyond the songs themselves, it truly is the intelligence and thought that went into creating the stories of The Number of The Beast, which make this album an even better listen today, than 30 years ago.
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