I am including Live After Death for two reasons: firstly, it leaves the remainder of the albums to discuss in better sets of twos, and secondly because it is one of the most kickass live albums of all time.

OK now, Powerslave. Well what can I say? This album begins the ultimate trio of Maiden albums for me. And this is also when I began buying Maiden albums, each one of them as they were released ever since, with the exception of Virtual XI, which I got only a couple of years ago. I bought the record of Powerslave and eventually scratched it to shit (I was 11!) and then rented it from the library and taped it!

What an album, man. Kicking off with the two singles "Aces High" and "Two Minutes To Midnight"... these were my favorite songs when I was 11. My friends and I would 'air band' to the videos, and fight over who was a better player: Murray or Smith? (I was always on the Smith side - now, I don't care ) And Bruce's scream at the end of "Aces High" is

I've always loved "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)", such a cool instrumental. I wish they would do more instrumentals.

One thing that strikes me is how awesome Maiden are at capturing the mood they are going for. The song "Powerslave" sounds Ancient Egyptian! One of my favorite Bruce lyrics too. And following that one, capping the album off, the amazing epic "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner". This track, simply, RULES. I love the intro, the slow middle section, the Bruce "then down in falls come the RAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!" scream (and the Sabbath section that follows), and the finale. A classic, and definitely the showpiece of the album. Harris was showing some of his prog heroes tendencies on this track.

And from that "World Slavery" tour, came Live After Death - and I eagerly snatched it from the record store shelves. One of their best covers, IMO. I recall one of my friends had the two live singles from this album too, he was an early completist. Probably still has them, but I don't know him anymore. Pretty sure one of them was "Run To The Hills" and I think the other was "Iron Maiden". If not, it was something from the early days. But they came in the cool covers as well, not just the plain white cover that so many singles came in.

How can you not love the intro of Churchill's classic war speech to lead into "Aces High"? What an awesome intro! I've always loved the rendition of "Revelations" that's on here. I have never cared too much for this "Number Of The Beast" rendition, not sure why. Maybe it's Bruce on this one, I don't know. Murray and Smith do those awesome tradeoff solos before Harris treats us to the bass lick that leads back into "This can't go on". Yeah, instrumentally it is great,

Anyway, it was definitely time for a live album, after having only a live EP from the Killers era. (Maiden Japan, which strangely was a takeoff on the Deep Purple live album Made In Japan, produced by Martin Birch!) And Maiden succeeded in releasing a kickass one! That tour was 190 shows.

Proceed.