Between 1982 and 1986, IRON MAIDEN would release five albums concluding with the ambitious 193-date World Slavery Tour. The tour so enervated vocalist Bruce Dickinson he considered leaving the band and becoming a full-time fencing coach. Adrian Smith compared the tour to "doing time." The band held it together and during these four years Maiden, without question, produced their most influential and innovative work, including their critically acclaimed live album, Live After Death.
KERRANG! magazine (as well as others) have even gone so far to say Live After Death is the greatest live metal album ever recorded. When KERRANG! conducted their annual Readers' Poll in January of 1986, the band swept eight categories including the coveted "Best Album" for Somewhere in Time. So when KERRANG! reached out to Iron Maiden to see if they would take a stab at answering their Readers' Poll questions themselves, they said yes. And the results are, well, interesting. So let's take a look at Steve Harris, Nicko McBrain, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Bruce Dickinson's favorite albums, musicians, and sex objects (?) back in 1986. As it turns out, Bruce wasn't a big fan of the B-52's. Who knew? Maybe.
Steve Harris:
Favorite Band: Golden Earring
Favorite Male Singer: Geoff Tate
Favorite Female Singer: Ann Wilson
Favorite Sex Object (Male): I'm not that way inclined!
Favorite Sex Object (Female): Ann Wilson
Bore: The radio
Dave Murray:
Favorite Band: Deep Purple
Favorite Bass Player: Geddy Lee
Favorite Video: "Blind in Texas" (W.A.S.P.)
Favorite Sex Object (Male): Sooty (the adorable yellow bear glove puppet and star of UK television, stage, comic book and, films. Understandable)
Favorite Female Singer: Kate Bush
Favorite Album: The Good, The Bad, and the Waysted by Waysted (1985)
Adrian Smith:
Favorite Band: Saga
Favorite Bassist: Billy Sheehan
Favorite Drummer: Tony Thompson
Favorite Film: Pale Rider
Favorite Female Singer: Tina Turner
Nicko McBrain:
Favorite Band: Steven Marriott's Packet of Three
Favorite Female Singer: Tina Turner
Favorite Guitarist: Adrian Smith (awww)
Favorite Drummer: Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe)
Favorite Sex Object: The missus (Rebecca McBrain)
Favorite Film: The Neverending Story
Bruce Dickinson:
Favorite Band: Marillion
Favorite Album: Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
Favorite Guitarist: Ritchie Blackmore
Favorite Keyboard Player: Ms. Edna Scroabes, 13 Edgehill Road, Leeds 7 (?)
Sex Object (Female): Nancy Reagan
Favorite Album Cover: The one with the pregnant lobster on it
Worst Rock Group: Anything to do with lobsters
Work Rock LP: Revenge Of The Shogun's Crayfish
Bore: Politicians
So what have we learned here? In addition to Bruce maybe slyly bagging on the B-52's (and the only member of Maiden to answer both the "Worst Rock Group and Worst Rock LP category), it's cool to see Adrian Smith confessing his admiration for Ontario rock band Saga, and Steve Harris showing some love for Golden Earring. And honestly, if I were Tommy Lee, I'd go out and get a shirt with the words "Nicko McBrain thinks I'm great" fucking immediately. Kind of like a tweet these days, print media is forever and KERRANG! kept all the receipts.
Fan-shot footage of Iron Maiden performing "Wasted Years" in Sheffield, England in 1986.
