This is a tribute to one of my idols, who sadly passed away last month.
My first proper metal album was IronMaiden, 'The Number Of The Beast'. It's got a pretty good lineup, with Bruce Dickinson's incredible vocals, Aidrian and Dave's twin guitars, and of course Steve's bass. And the drummer. Clive Burr.
At first, I hated the album. One day though, it was raining, so I stayed inside to listen to it. Slowly, I fell in love with it. The guitars (and bass) are perfection, no one could match Bruce's vocals, and throughout the album, the drums kept an amazing beat. To this day, it is my favourite album.
I learned all the lyrics by heart, and the rhythms of the guitars were second-nature for me. The drums though, they were fast, smooth, perfect. That was the magic of it. Only Clive Burr could have played like that.
I listened to other IronMaiden albums, and many more different bands and genres, but they were always my favourite. My first, my forever. Nothing could replace them. The line-up changed though, because nothing stays the same forever. It didn't lose anything though, because the songs kept on coming, so heart-wrenchingly beautiful it seemed impossible.
The new drummer, a certain Nicko McBrain, is brilliant, and probably had more actual skill than Clive Burr. But Clive Burr, his music had a great feel to it. He put his heart and soul into his music. It was his world. He gave it life, and it pushed him further. You can hear it. It sounds strange, saying you can hear a person's soul when they play the drums, but with this person, you honestly could.
To me, nothing is more beautiful than the sounds of Aidrian Smith and Dave Murray shredding their guitars, Steve Harris and his trademark 'gallop', Bruce Dickinson hitting those high notes, and Clive Burr laying down the foundation for it. Secretly, I call those lads the 'Magic Five', because that's what their music is. Magic.
Clive Burr was incredible. Just . . . incredible. Of course, he played for other groups. This old dog was always learning new tricks. IronMaiden will always be what I remember him for though.
I never knew him, not personally. I never saw any of his gigs. Hell, he was big in the eighties, and I'm a Millennial Generation kid. From what I heard, he was a great guy, though, and I will always remember him.
Clive Burr passed away in his sleep on the 12th of March, 2013. I hope his death was peaceful. He will not be forgotten.
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Clive Burr,
1957-2013
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"When you know that your time is close at hand,
Maybe then you'll begin to understand,
Life down here is just a strange illusion."
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WE DON'T FORGET
