Audie – Halloween Friday is a great time to talk about one of my favorite metal bands from the 80s, as well as cover acts in general.
Before I’d heard a single Iron Maiden song, the band had already scared the s$%t out of me with album art like this:
I was 11 when this album came out, and even absent my father’s visceral hatred of heavy metal music, there’s no way I’m either asking for or receiving this as a present. Side note: this album not only contains the "The Trooper", which the Finns Steve’N’Seagulls covered, but also a song called "Cross Eyed Mary" which is itself a Jethro Tull cover, a band I was becoming a fan of at the time (and still am).
My perception of Iron Maiden changed completely the moment I saw this video on MTV. Heavy metal bands – especially one with the name Iron Maiden – weren’t supposed to fence, play soccer, pose for pictures with poodles, or even smile for that matter. This video showed them having fun, the horror! I was 15 by this point, had made some money mowing lawns, and decided to spend it on a cassette tape of "Somewhere in Time." It was my second music purchase, the first being a closely guarded secret.
My father’s objection to heavy metal originated from the idea that he didn’t believe the bands had any musical talent. Having none myself I couldn’t really argue with him, I just liked the songs. But in a sense the musical legacy of any band can be measured by the cover acts they inspire, and by this measure Iron Maiden’s influence has been considerable.
Consider this Ryan Adams cover of "Wasted Years," the song that sold me on Iron Maiden in 1986. No anger, but a beautiful rendition of what is a very well written and moving song. I first heard this version during the closing credits of the show Californication and found myself singing the lyrics before having a surreal experience trying to figure out how I knew that song.
Another talented cover act is named, appropriately, Iron Maidens.
I’ll let you decide to what core demographic they likely appeal, but they are very talented musicians who do wonderful versions of Maiden classics.
Here’s another cover of "The Trooper," sung by a talented 11 year old and supported by a band of teenagers. Call me crazy but I think I’d rather have my 11 year old daughter singing Iron Maiden than twerking to Miley Cyrus.
I could do this all day (Taylor Swift singing Def Leppard anyone?), but this video spoof of The Who by a group called Minnesotans For Global Warming: "Frozen Wasteland"is quite possibly my favorite cover of all time.
Anyone who’s ever spent a winter up there will sympathize with the refrain. My parents now winter in Florida for precisely this reason.
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