helterskelter.ca

DICKINSON, Bruce
1990 - Tattooed Millionaire.
1997 - Accident Of Birth.
1998 - The Chemical Wedding.
more DICKINSON, Bruce.
way more Helter Skelter.

May 8, 1990 - 2020: 30 years of: Tattooed Millionaire.

The clairvoyant went back in the village ...like a stranger in a strange-land !

After a taste of solo-work on the Nightmare On Elm Street 5 soundtrack with the "Bring Your Daughter ...To The Slaughter" to-be epic cut, Bruce went back to basics. No more masks, no more concepts, no more elaborate stage-set, no more Eddie ...this time, the vibe is of a local bar-band playing hard-bluesrock and their singer happens to be that bloke from IRON MAIDEN !

The classical-guitar intro sets the mood, slowly, for "Son Of A Gun", a nice laidback classicrock track and unto the title-track, which exposes all the excesses of the hardrock scene of Sunset Strip in the glorious 80s. The frontman sums it up like this: "You and all your entourage, to me are all the same, You and all you entourage, playing foolish games." Dickinson even calls-out MÖTLEY CRÜE's Vince Neil in the line: "He got a wife, she ain't no brain-child, ex mud-queen of Miami".

Balls to the wall British hardrock is found on "Hell On Wheels" and "No Lies", while the sing-along anthem "Dive ! Dive ! Dive !" is due for arenarock stardom. More rebel-rock is apparent on "Lickin' The Gun" ...the THIN LIZZY vibe is strong here. The MOTT THE HOOPLE-reprise in the immortal classic "All The Young Dudes" is a fine adrenalized addition. Imagine that: a British band covering another British band ...oh blimey !

Produced by legendary hardrock engineer Chris Tsangarides, the Tattooed Millionaire project is a bare-bones 70s hardrock collection filled with blues overtones. Sadly commercial success wasn't up to par with the MAIDEN-catalog, yet Dickinson was fine with that, the man just wanted to jam. After returning home for 2 more records, Bruce would then jump full-time as a solo-artist, until the inevitable reunion in 1999.

Heaven couldn't wait ...but in the meantime: welcome aboard Janick Gers !

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Tattooed Millionaire = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdpMx0-AlDs
All The Young Dudes = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu4uzJsqIxE
Dive ! Dive ! Dive ! = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lRyqd3zF9c
Tattooed Millionaire = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8J1Vd2Kl1M&list=OLAK5uy_lSZ7a5wJHiGzoTAyyvhh-UsFNvnjfLnEM
Interview in 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gll-qtJZza4
Dive Dive Live in Los Angeles in 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZszIbWSrm3g
The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace = the paperback novel
https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Iffy-Boatrace-Bruce-Dickenson/dp/0283060433/ref=sr_1_2?crid=USBCIR28K8HR&keywords=lord+iffy+boatrace&qid=1652474958&s=books&sprefix=Lord-Iffy-Boatrace%2Cstripbooks%2C177&sr=1-2

May 14, 1997 - 2022: 25 years of: Accident Of Birth.

The voice, the legend ...rebirthed !

Life after IRON MAIDEN does not compute for most of us, but Mr. Bruce Dickinson proved us all wrong. After a taste of solo-work with 1990's bluesrock Tattooed Millionaire CD, Bruce officially left the almighty ones in '93.

A couple of lukewarm records were released throughout the nineties, yet it is in 1997 that the trooper returned to form ...returning to reclaim the metal Union Jack. Reenergized by the stale state of heavymetal of the late-90s and with producer / writer / guitarist Roy Z, Accident Of Birth is the true red-blooded British heavymetal album most fans were fantasizing of ...since 1984's Powerslave LP.

THE voice, brutal riffs, catchy rhythms and modern guitar-tones, made Accident Of Birth one of metal's strongest return, ever ...and he brought a friend along: ol' buddy and former MAIDEN-guitarist Adrian Smith is back from retirement. Both matured men were now loaded with attitude and inspiration, that would go on with one more Dickinson solo-CD and then: the monumental return in IRON MAIDEN in 1999.

The RPM goes into overdrive as the opener "Freak" kicks-in, instant classics like "Road To Hell", the massive "Starchildren" and the powerful hooks of "Accident Of Birth" are some of metal's best tracks of the entire decade. The emotive powerballad "Man Of Sorrows" elevates the band as top-contender in this twisted game. The magnum opus of the decaying 90s.

It's two minutes to midnight, this ain't no accident, the metal-madness shall play deeper and darker with 1998's The Chemical Wedding CD.

Thanks Sonia !

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Accident Of Birth = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxwhiqguXQs
Road To Hell = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEOPm5Fl2Z0
Man Of Sorrows = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqUtK9HtOWA
Accident Of Birth = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ttGcGcYL3o&list=OLAK5uy_n3RKDgnBlDnx2Fp7GmZwExgPBaII_rf4k
Interview in 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG7g_FAN7Zg
Live in Chile in 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLj6i7zq5RM
some band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaD_gJcyiG8

September 15, 1998 - 2023: 25 years of: The Chemical Wedding.

Round Two.

Following 1997's metal-comeback of the decade, the Accident Of Birth CD would get a brutal companion to play along. Bruce Dickinson's next offering would up the game, deep into morbid powermetal. Still playing along Adrian Smith and Roy Z. ...this match is a chemical wedding.

In 1998, Europe had powermetal where Dickinson is the "King In Crimson", a face-crusher of divine-powers. Brutal melodies, as provided on the steel attitude of "Machine Men" and the Japan-only bonus of "Return Of The King".

Aggressive hooks rips the flesh apart on the "Book Of Thel" along the loud air-raid sirens of the "Trumpets Of Jericho". More morbid melodies arises from the ashes of below at the "Gates Of Urizen" and the über dark title-track for "Chemical Wedding". Straight on the road to hell, we make a pit-stop at "The Tower", a gigantic modern hybrid of classic metal-lines, armed with cutting-edge flair.

During the late-90s heavymetal drought, Bruce Dickinson stands tall and gains more credit than the combination of the early-80s struggling mammoths. A tattooed millionaire ? ...all balls into Picasso, this ain't no skunkwork accident: Bruce Dickinson is on top of the heavymetal mountain.

Yet the table is set, next commercial move: a full blown IRON MAIDEN legacy-tour and reunion-album ...2000's Brave New World CD. Forwarding Bruce's next solo-move, 2005's mega-metal Tyranny Of Souls CD.

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The Tower = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw9pzRsTxl8
Killing Floor = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0UoV3HAs-M
The Chemical Wedding = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkUDc2lpX-g&list=OLAK5uy_kbOAB8bAXDo-NGtKF5JyGEZARt0dJ5hXc
Scream For Me Brazil = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2917pQ9s28&list=OLAK5uy_kojAMsYhQZcuNM9EOC29qyLAYKLZ7PK_0
VH1 interview in 1998
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuiIRmdEZgg
Live in Sao Paulo in 1999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhWnFlHFfQE

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