IRON MAIDEN: THE VOYAGE OF THE MAIDEN

By César Fuentes Rodriguez

Excerpt From CHAPTER 3…

In our little tale, the action takes place in England during the last five years of the seventies. England in the midst of political disorientation that shelters an eminently conservative society, just about to confront deep social change. Somehow, the marvelous utopy set forth in the early seventies seems to have dilluted. The attempt to bring rock music to the highest imaginable artistic heights without harkening to conventions or concessions had been sucessful; the flag was thrusted upon the perennial snow and there it remained ever since, visible but unreachable in the blue peak, on the edge of the sky. But the adventure was over. Progressive music was already in full drawback in 1975, unable to produce another Pink Floyd, another Yes, or Emerson Lake & Palmer, or Genesis, and even their own recent creations were not as magnificent as their past ones. Music industry was to blame for this. Bands that were caught in the middle of such process, like Queen or the highly deserving British glam rock representatives Sweet or Slade, became isolated phenomena or had to face an almost immediate decadence. Heavy rock was visibly stagnant, waiting for the moves of the main exponents; Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath, by then quite weary because of internal conflicts and pressure. And even though there always were available bands for a recharge, it never actually happened because the creative weight of such monsters was enormous enough as to resist and even ridicule any comparisons.

A crisis ensued over all the music scene flanks. And it had started in 1973 with the oil embargo set forth by the producing arabic countries to the West. Vinyls and tapes were then manufactured with oil subproducts, hence the recording industry specially suffered the shortage. Or better put, the artists did. Without oil, record production had to be reduced and through this, vynil was available only for already established succesful bands and for the few newer ones promising secure sales. By the last few months of 1974, trade with Middle East was almost fully reestablished, but the aftermath for the entertainment world proved catastrophic. It was the end of experimentation as a mass, popular reach project. In such musical context our Iron Maiden boys were growing up as teenagers avidly seeking for a sound that make them feel like (according to the expression that would later serve as title of one of their most succesful albums) “powerslaves”.

At that point, however, the overall deception was large and the holes were difficult to fill. It would seem as if the acts that sold out all their concerts at stadiums and arenas had in fact nothing new to tell to youngsters. “Everything was tenth-copy-of-Zeppelin or tenth-copy-of-tenth-copy of Elton John” as put by Tommy of The Ramones. The advent of punk rock took everyone in business by surprise and its sudden blast in the British Isles, main spot of the genre, became unstoppable. Long, flowing hairstyles that were once a symbol of rebellion now suddenly became gentryfied. They were replaced by the extravagant, grotesque and staggering haircuts of the punk fauna. London 1976 witnessed its traditional streets boiling with rabid beer-drinking, corner-smoking teenagers dressed in painted rags and leather, military boots and hairdos dyed in pink, green and orange, stretched out to the top with gel to make it pointy, star or crest shaped, their wardrobe ridden with razor blades and safety pins. Clubs were suddenly filled with a crude and uncultivated music that did not know of subtleties or hopes. Was it a return to the origins or a visible step backwards? There won’t ever be an answer satisfying enough for everyone.

Matter of fact is, the punk euphoria didn’t last long. The nihilisitc, self-destructive philosophy it offered did not leave space for truly durable manifestations. The aftermath, on the contrary, did last long. In 1977, British punk’s top icons did not only show signs of clear decadence but also were on the very verge of disintegration; though fashion continued since big corporations that at first dismissed the movement were now interested in it using all their promotional weapons, and, as usual, out of time. Nine out of ten bands sprouting in the British scene were self proclamated as punkies; monopolized album releases and media attention and mobbed the club scene. Punk was about to engender an offspring, also familiar with pop and afterwards named “new wave”.

Meanwhile, something quite different was breeding underneath all that fading excitement. There was an entire generation of youngsters that were never able to assimilate punk’s coarse energy. In any case, they missed a different type of energy, more resounding and refined. They missed the splendour of the vibrant and proud music they had grown up listenting to. Kids that came from working families and modest neighbourhoods. Their concerns were related, in a sort of inexpressible way, to the smoke blown by factory chimneys and warm beer poured in pubs. With heroic deeds, also, and visions of the Apocalypsis. With the chord or the vengeful scream that could take them to far away regions of power and glory.

Those kids revered the sacred monsters of British Heavy Rock and, naturally, they sported long hair.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

IRON MAIDEN: The Voyage Of The Maiden

By Cesar Fuentes Rodriguez

The unofficial biography of  IRON MAIDEN from 1975 to 2008 is on pre-order now. For the first time available for English speakers, this book made its impact in Spain and Argentina and now it’s completed with several new chapters to match the unstoppable ongoing career of The Beast to the very present day. An uncompromising look into one of the greatest Heavy Metal bands in the world: their musical power, the rising, the glory, meanings to lyrics and symbols, their solo projects, the reunion, and the whole Maiden experience revealed for fans and curious alike…!

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Prestigious journalist and author César Fuentes Rodríguez, a big fan himself, took advantage from the many interviews done with band members and plenty of touring chronicles to compose an amazing picture of the phenomenon, electrifying as the band himself and completed with some of his own archive photographs never seen before. Being the first biography written fully in Spanish, it received an enthusiastic welcome by Spanish readers and the author was even lately interviewed for Sam Dunn’s (from “Global Metal” and “A Headbanger’s Journey” fame) forthcoming documentary about Iron Maiden.

What reviewers said so far…
“A book that is to Iron Maiden what The Silmarillion is to Middle Earth. Some luxury of work in language both pleasant and direct”

Jorge Bobadilla. Kerrang! Magazine

“In some ways, C.F.R. is the ideal reviewer for Iron Maiden, since he shares with them their love for history and literature. If you didn’t get satisfied with the official bio, The Voyage Of The Maiden can do it for you”

Daniel Renna. Popular Uno Magazine (Spain)

“As I repeated many times, a book of obliged reading to the laymen and recommended purchase for everybody”

Alvar De Flack. The Sentinel Web