everything that's on my mind

The dream is true

Part 6 of 6

When Bruce left Maiden, I was disappointed, of course, but also thrilled to hear his solo work. Tattooed Millionaire had been a favorite, and his first post-Maiden album, Balls to Picasso, was also great. I never got into Skunkworks as much, but Accident of Birth and Chemical Wedding were very good. In other words, he was putting out some great stuff on his own.

But in early 1999, the news broke: Iron Maiden had replaced their lead singer. There was really only once choice …

A fire in the sky

Part 5 of 6

In the mid-90′s, the internet was not yet the go to place for news. Since I didn’t read music magazines or watch much of the music channels (unless “Beavis and Butt-head” were on), I continued to be somewhat in the dark when it came to Iron Maiden news.

I found out about the release of The X Factor when I walked by it in my local Best Buy and saw it sitting there with the other Maiden albums. I didn’t even realize it existed, much …

A man who walks alone

Part 4 of 6

After their impressive run in the 1980′s, the following decade would get off to a bad start and only get worse.

In 1989, before the band began work on their followup to Seventh Son, guitarist Adrian Smith decided to leave the band and carry on with his own band. The so-called “classic lineup” was no more.

Bruce Dickinson had also been working on a solo album at the time, and his guitarist for that album, Janick Gers, was chosen to replace Smith. This would be …

And the tale goes on and on

Part 3 of 6

In the summer of 1984, I got to experience the anticipation of an Iron Maiden new release for the first time. Their first new release since I discovered them about six months earlier was due in stores in September, just after the beginning of my senior year in high school. I don’t believe I’ve ever so eagerly awaited an albums’ release as I did that summer. And when I finally got my copy of Powerslave, it delivered in a big way.

After the success of …

Woe to you O earth and sea

Part 2 of 6

In the fall of 1983 I was standing in an Alco store in Searcy, Arkansas, surveying the cassette tapes they had to offer. I don’t know what possessed me to pick up Iron Maiden’s Piece of Mind – perhaps the artwork of Eddie, maybe I’d read something about them, whatever – but I did. I had never heard an Iron Maiden song at that point. For some reason, I bought the cassette anyway.

I removed the plastic from the cassette box inside my car and …

Iron Maiden’s gonna get you

Part 1 of 6

In a couple of weeks Iron Maiden will release their 15th studio album, and after a four year wait – the longest between studio albums during their 35 year career – all I can say is that it’s about time. I don’t know if it’s that extra time or what, but not since 2000′s Brave New World have I anticipated a new Maiden album like I am this time around. And from everything I’ve read thus far, I expect it to blow me away. …

Now playing: mid-year favorites

For nearly a month I’ve been planning to post my mid-year music list, but just haven’t been able to carve out time to write such a post. I’ve put a list together, but have nothing else so far.

Therefore, due to my lack of time and/or diligence, and while I await the release that will most certainly top my list at year end, here’s an abbreviated version of my mid-year favorites list, lacking any commentary on my part.

These are not in order – again, I didn’t get around …

Faith, hope and… doubt

I occasionally write about struggles with faith, doubt, and the spiritual questions that, to me at least, don’t seem to have good answers (as I did recently.) I’m currently reading Jason Boyett’s book O Me Of Little Faith: True Confessions Of A Spiritual Weakling, and came across this section where he relates some of his thoughts on faith, doubt and hope. I can definitely relate and it probably describes best where I am most of the time.

Where does my dissatisfaction and doubt come from? I want to explain …

The Fugees family

In yesterday’s post I mentioned Warren St. John’s book Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, An American Town, an excellent book about the work Luma Mufleh is doing with children of refugees who have settled in Clarkston, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta.

Here are a few videos about her and her soccer teams (known as the Fugees), including a 2-part story from NBC’s Today Show and some footage of the author speaking about the book and his experiences with Luma and her teams. Part 2 of the NBC story …