Piece of Mind
The fourth album, the first with drummer Nicko McBrain, written in Jersey and recorded in the Bahamas.
Iron Maiden, 1983
- Released
- 16 May 1983
- Recorded
- February to March 1983
- Studio
- Compass Point Studios, Nassau
- Label
- EMI
- Producer
- Martin Birch
- Length
- 45:28
After Clive Burr left in December 1982 and Nicko McBrain joined, the band took over the Le Chalet hotel in Jersey to compose, rehearsing in its restaurant. In February 1983 they went to Compass Point Studios in Nassau to record, finished in March, and the album was mixed at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
The lyrics lean on books, history and film. To Tame a Land was inspired by Frank Herbert's Dune, and the band was meant to title it Dune but Herbert's agents refused permission. The Trooper draws on Tennyson, and Where Eagles Dare and Quest for Fire are based on films. Flight of Icarus and The Trooper were the singles. Piece of Mind reached number three in the UK and number 14 on the Billboard 200. A Kerrang! poll of the greatest metal albums in 1983 ranked it first and The Number of the Beast second.
Track listing
- Where Eagles Dare6:08
- Revelations6:51
- Flight of Icarus3:49
- Die with Your Boots On5:22
- The Trooper4:10
- Still Life4:37
- Quest for Fire3:40
- Sun and Steel3:25
- To Tame a Land7:26
Personnel
- Bruce Dickinson vocals
- Dave Murray guitars
- Adrian Smith guitars
- Steve Harris bass guitar
- Nicko McBrain drums
- Martin Birch producer, engineer, mixing
More from Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden (1980), Killers (1981), The Number of the Beast (1982), Powerslave (1984)
Sources
- Piece of Mind, Wikipedia