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In
this era of bland bands with no memorable personalities
to define and identify the group, Iron Maiden remain a
shining example of a band with not one but three
instantly identifiable members. Of course there’s
bassist and main-man, Steve Harris, who has kept the
Iron Maiden flag flying since he formed the band. Then
there’s vocalist Bruce Dickinson, the ‘air-raid siren’,
not only one of the best singers and frontmen in the
business but in a century that seems to increasingly
value stupidity and banality over intelligence and
creativity, he is very much a renaissance man. As well
as the piloting, the book-writing (no mean feat in
itself), the fencing, he is also the co-writer along
with Julian Doyle (Julian, amongst his other claims to
fame has edited films for Terry Gilliam, worked with
Terry Jones, and directed videos for Iron Maiden), of
The Chemical Wedding, a film about British occultist
Aleister Crowley, which tackles a difficult subject in
fine and original style, I recommend it highly. The
third member of Iron Maiden, however, was not born of
woman, rather, Eddie The Head, is the fruit of the
fertile imagination of Derek Riggs (born 13th February,
1958, in Portsmouth, putting him in the same age group
as Harris and Dickinson). Riggs like so many-talented
people, was self-taught. |
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Eddie owes his
genesis to a character called Electric Matthew, that had
featured in a painting symbolising the punk movement
(While Maiden were very much in the vein of
Priest/ Purple/ Sabbath, they had the fire and energy of
punk). Legend has it that Maiden’s management came
across the said painting and commissioned a new version,
albeit one with the requisite long hair!
Such is the
impression that Riggs’ artwork had on me as a schoolboy,
that I can recollect all the artwork mentioned in this
article from memory, even though in some cases it has
been many years since I have actually looked at them.
The first Maiden album I bought was Powerslave,
and the artwork, with it’s Egyptian Eddie was a major
attraction, while listening to the album, I would peruse
the sleeve for details I
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had missed before, then try and
draw the cover, to a much less impressive effect. To
this day I cannot believe a human being could draw such
incredible and detailed artwork, and it was all Riggs’
own work, no Photoshop in those days (which is why
Riggs’ art has stood the test of time, Photoshop is like
CGI, fake as a politician’s promise). I worked backward
from there, using the money from various summer jobs,
Number of Beast was incredible, its artwork easily
matching the title track, though as an adult I can know
see the sly humour there, something many po-faced metal
bands miss out on these days. Killers featured a more
serious Eddie by far, again complementing the music,
though I was disappointed that Bruce wasn’t singing on
the album. I found the Iron Maiden debut album
disappointing by comparison, but that’s what happens
when you work backwards, and now I find it has a certain
charm. |
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Piece of Mind was a great concept, one that needs to be
seen on vinyl to appreciate the visual pun of its
gatefold sleeve.
But for me, it’s Somewhere In Time with it’s cybernetic
Eddie that blows the mind, I remember getting on the bus
to buy it, and being worried that the music wouldn’t
match the artwork, but it did and it remains a firm
favourite.
For me, the final entry in this classic period of Rigg’s
artwork is Seventh Son of A Seventh Son, an epic, almost
abstract in places presentation, one that matched the
ambition of the music.
From this point onwards however, Slayer, Celtic Frost,
Sabbat, Bathory and many others entered my musical life,
and Maiden got put on the back-burner.
But quality never goes out of style, and recently I have
returned with a vengeance to the Iron Maiden’s embrace,
and a major part of that embrace is the artwork of Derek
Riggs. |
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As well as producing work for Gamma Ray, Bruce Dickinson
and Stratovarious, (Brutal Legend’s Derek Riggs is a
tribute!) Riggs has returned to Iron Maiden with his
incredible artwork for the Somewhere Back In Time
compilation, and also he has produced the artwork for
the debut album of all-girl Iron Maiden tribute band The
Iron Maidens. Riggs has produced a female version of
Eddie which just has to be seen to be believed…but that
is totally in the spirit of Riggs’ Iron Maiden artwork,
constantly progressing, like the band themselves, but
always consistent!
Long may they both remain so!
Derek Rigg's website can be found at:
www.derekriggs.com
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