Five Records That Changed My Life, Part 21: Blaze Bayley
Having made a name for himself by fronting Iron Maiden and Wolfsbane, British vocalist Blaze Bayley, then embarked on a very productive solo career, both in the studio and on tour. He has reunited with Wolfsbane and combines that with a still busy solo career. During his years as Iron Maiden’s lead vocalist, he sang on the albums “The X-Factor” and “Virtual XI” and toured globally. Roppongi Rocks’ Stefan Nilsson caught up with Blaze to find out what albums changed his world.
Iron Maiden “The Number of the Beast” (1982)
“The voice of Bruce Dickinson and the powerful rhythms gripped me. This is an album I would listen to when I was 18 years old working nights cleaning the hotel I worked at. I saw Iron Maiden four times at Birmingham Oden near my home. I came to love them. I never dreamed I would have the great honour of becoming the singer in Iron Maiden, and writing with those giants of metal music.”
Dio “Holy Diver” (1983)
“The musical power in the voice of Ronnie James Dio changed my life. Before ‘Holy Diver’ I was a fan of metal. After ‘Holy Diver’ I wanted to be just like Ronnie James Dio, a singer in a band performing in countries around the world.”
Led Zeppelin “The Song Remains the Same” (1976)
“The soundtrack to the legendary concert film of the same name. I was an ordinary boy of 17, listening alone on a Walkman in my bedroom in the dark with my eyes closed. This was my first Led Zeppelin album. It opened my imagination and took me far away from the small town I lived in.”
Black Sabbath “Black Sabbath” (1970)
“Spooky and disturbing. It asked me many questions. The first question was, how can four people make this darkness? It taught me that music can be uncomfortable but still hypnotic. It changed my perception of darkness.”
Sex Pistols “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols” (1977)
“Shocking irreverent and brilliant. The shape of planet earth changed for me and my school friends when we heard this record. It seemed to be the most dangerous recording in musical history. We felt we became dangerous when we listened to it. This album started a fire that would burn forever in my teenage heart. Truth and rebellion had a soundtrack.”
