Hi John,

First of all, let me thank you for taking the time to provide such a detailed, thorough explanation. I really appreciate your efforts. Now, with regards to Maiden and the quality of "BNW" (or lack thereof, as the case might be), let me just say that, in the end, still enjoy it. I don't consider it to be as good as "Piece of Mind" (my personal fave) or "Number of the Beast" (a very close 2nd to "PoM"), but I still like it. I agree that some of the songs are a little long, and err... cumbersome. But in the end, somehow I still like it, overall. Maybe it's just because my expectations weren't as high as those of bigger Maiden fans. In any case, you've given me lots to think about when I listen to the album from now on.

As far as the Priest vs. Maiden thing goes, we'll simply have to agree to disagree. With the exception of their last three studio albums ("Ram It Down," "Painkiller," and "Jugulator"), I love all of their albums and I can't think of too many Priest tunes that I'd consider to be filler. In fact, I love the fact that when I listen to most Priest albums, I get quality from start to finish. I even love "Turbo" despite the fact that it was a deliberate sell-out/blatent attempt at commerciality (there are some d@mn catchy tunes on that album!!!). I cannot hear anything I'd even remotely consider wanting removed from albums like "Screaming For Vengeance," "British Steel," "Stained Class," "Sad Wings of Destiny," etc. On the other hand, I could probably name at least one track from most of the Maiden albums (and several from some) that I could easily live without. Again, it comes down to personal preferences, doesn't it?

Once again, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I really do appreciate it. You are obviously not only extremely knowledgeable, but also very gifted in terms of your ability to clearly communicate your thoughts and opinions (I guess that's why I asked you for clarification with regards your opinion of "BNW"). I really respect that, and as always, I look forward to reading more of your posts. Take care.
Don