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Title: A transitional album
Review: Somewhere In Time came between what I consider to be the two best albums in the Iron Maiden catalog. On this one, they use synthesizers for the first time, and for the most part it works. Whereas the synthesizers became more a part of the main structure of the music on Seventh Son, on this album they're used mostly for texture.Strip away the electronics, and you're left with good ol' fashioned Maiden: Steve's propulsive, in-your-face bass, Dave and Adrian's guitars either in harmony or trading solos, Bruce's soaring voice and Nicko's drumming. The band shared writing duties on this one more equitably than they did on past albums, although there's not a single writing credit for Bruce.As for the songs, my favorites are the first two, "Caught Somewhere In Time" and "Wasted Years". Pretty much all the material here is good, but I have to take a couple points off "Alexander The Great"; the music is terrific, but the lyrics read like an encyclopedia entry.
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