Adrian Smith

[Vass]

I guess I've been thinking about AS because of the sig model- But I also picked up Somewhere in Time again after not listening to it for years.

I remember when I was younger thinking AS was the "other" guitarist to Dave Murray. Something about Murray's legato playing just made me feel like he had more chops than Smith, and maybe he does...but time and time again I find myself drawn Smith's solos as opposed to Murrays.

3 that get the fur to stand up on my neck time after time: the fast break after Murray's solo interlude in Powerslave (where Eddie would come out and harass everyone), particularly the pinch harmonic he throws out on Live After Death, Wasted Year's solo, and, perhaps my favorite, Stranger in a Strange Land.

He's really just dancing around in the box, throwing out some blues licks...It's not super complicated "weedle weedle weedle" stuff. But damn, the guy knows where to throw a note or two in.

I find him to be more of a inspiration to my playing the more I really listen to him.

[Larz]

They are both very good, and combined together, they've written some very bad ass music.

There is no mistaking the Iron Maiden sound.

[pebber]

They are both very good

Yes, I think Adrian uses a more compositional approach to solo's, whereas Dave does them more improvised..

I also at first was more impressed with Dave's playing, but that has shifted slightly in favor of Adrian. Don't forget he wrote or co-wrote a lot of Maiden stuff with Harris or Dickinson, far more then Dave did.

[pebber]

They are both very good

oh yes, too bad they keep Gers on board often playing Adrian's solo's.. argh

[Rupe]

oh yes, too bad they keep Gers on board often playing Adrian's solo's.. argh

No shit!!! :think:

[neilli]

Oh god yeah. I'm not a fan of Janick at all, but fair enough that he's there. Just let Adrian play his own solos for godsake...

It's interesting to read the comments above because I was exactly the same - I used to really like Davey's playing and Adrian was just 'the other guy', but now I feel very differenly. Davey's playing seems very samey to me, whereas Adrian is just awesome... Mind you, I haven't really liked much since the first reunion album (Brave New World).

[mccullpl]

I've always felt Adrian had the more interesting solos of the two. They aren't always all that technical or fast, but always fit the song, and full of tasty phrasing. I think the solo to Seventh Son is probably my favorite.

As for Janet....jeez...his solos always come off as ass-toned slopfests...at least to me. Why does he get to butcher Adrian's?

Pat

[Venomboy]

In my youth Dave was my hero. My playing had a lot in common with his. The bubbly tone, the legato runs, the ending of his solo in Aces High, his endless Heaven Can Wait solo...awesome.

I knew how to play some Smith stuff but my friend was the Smith clone.

Now I really dig Smith's playing. +1 on the pinch harmonics comment. His playing on Bruce's solo stuff is amazing too. His solos are definitely more thought out and even today sticks to them pretty well in a live setting. Murray sometimes just widdles on stage now and forgets to play some of the classic licks. Smith has a killer vibrato too.

Janick makes me panick.

[StukaJU87]

The should just pay off that leaping creap and send him packing.

[Ben...]

Somewhere In Time is my favourite Maiden album other than the self titled debut. It's a shame it doesn't get acknowledged all that much. Most people see their album progression as Powerslave then that synthy-cheesy concept album (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, which I actually like quite a bit). They never seem to acknowledge this somewhat of a middle-ground album that had a few synths and Powerslave-esque songs. Songs like Sea of Madness, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Caught Somewhere In Time, Stranger in A Strange Land, and of course, Wasted Years stick out as some of my favourite Maiden songs.

[skorb]

Adrian is one of those players where you know right away it's him, his lead tone just cuts through everything and he's super-melodic in all his solo lines.

he is a writer, not just a guitarist, and his playing is head and shoulders above 95% of guitarists you'll ever hear live or recorded.

talk about tone being in the hands, Adrian Smith has the gift. and it showed in his absence during the 90's.

[skorb]

Somewhere In Time is my favourite Maiden album other than the self titled debut. It's a shame it doesn't get acknowledged all that much. Most people see their album progression as Powerslave then that synthy-cheesy concept album (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, which I actually like quite a bit). They never seem to acknowledge this somewhat of a middle-ground album that had a few synths and Powerslave-esque songs. Songs like Sea of Madness, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Caught Somewhere In Time, Stranger in A Strange Land, and of course, Wasted Years stick out as some of my favourite Maiden songs.

+1 that's my favorite most musical IM record

[triplehold]

Adrian is one of those players where you know right away it's him, his lead tone just cuts through everything and he's super-melodic in all his solo lines.

he is a writer, not just a guitarist, and his playing is head and shoulders above 95% of guitarists you'll ever hear live or recorded.

talk about tone being in the hands, Adrian Smith has the gift. and it showed in his absence during the 90's.

Amen! You can't say it any better than this.

[VitaminG]

I may be the opposite to many of you - Adrian has ALWAYS been The Man to me, and Dave's playing annoyed me with it's looseness & too much senseless meedley meedley meeeee. I've actually come to appreciate Dave's playing more with age & really enjoy his playing on the last few albums, as well as on the early stuff.

But Adrian's playing always resonated with me. The way he'd lead off a solo with a searing unison bend or punctuate a line with a pinch harmonic, and that each solo was a musical statement unto itself. When I'm listening to Maiden, I still look forward to hearing his solos in things like 22 Acacia Avenue & 2 Minutes to Midnight. I especially like when they 1-2 punch you with Dave providing a gentle lyrical build up before H brings the pain like they do in Stranger in a Strange Land.

[El Chiguete]

I was from the first time that I heard Maiden an Adrian Smith fan (and that was with Somwhere in Time also!). I didn't knew at the begging that those parts of the songs where made by him, but latter when I started learning the solos I find out those parts where his. Maybe it was because I couldn't play fast hammers and pulloffs but Adrian parts still to me where more of my liking.

To this day I just play all of his parts and I don't like Maiden without him!!! But I really like the albums with him back, every new one is better than the other. Much recomend them!