Record Collection Random Choice (RCRC) - I: Iron Maiden - Killers

Iron Maiden's second album was released 10 months after the debut, and like a lot of second albums was made up of old tracks that didn't make the cut for the debut plus a couple of new tracks.
The debut sold well on release and hit the top 10 supported by a couple of single releases that broke the Top 30 and saw Iron Maiden grace the nations TV screens on Top Of The Pops.
The debut would come to be recognised as one of the foremost documents of NWOBHM, and showcased the bands twin guitar attack, mixing Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash, and vocalist Paul Di'Anno's (sometimes strained) delivery with a hint of punk-y attitude.

Buoyed by the success of the debut, and their increasing reputation as a live band, 'Killers' (almost entirely written by bassist Steve Harris) was pieced together with old tracks which had never been recorded (apart from "Wrathchild" which appeared in slightly different form on the EMI 'Metal For Muthas' compilation).  Two new tracks ("Murders In The Rue Morgue" and "Prodigal Son") were inserted, and album #2 was ready to go.

The production was more considered (professional?) than the debut, and the signature Iron Maiden sound can be heard forming in your ears.
Whilst the sound is there, unfortunately some of the songs fell short - they are all good songs, not one you could class as filler, or a gap-filling knock off, but they just don't feel as vital as those on the debut.
One thing that is apparent on the album is there is a stretch going on, a bit of ambition that was somewhat lacking in other New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM, 1979-1982 RIP) alumni.
They're pushing it and breaking (or at least hacking at the edges) of the template, they're playing with the song structures, and many of the tracks together can be read together as a bit of a concept album.

Initial reviews cited "more of the same" and sales were slow.
The usual "quick fix" to slow album sales is to pluck a single from the album.
Iron Maiden did go down the route of a single release, but decided to issue the non-album track "Twilight Zone" (probably the closest Maiden ever got to sounding like Thin Lizzy).  The single failed to crack the Top 40, and 'Killers' sales slowly limped on.

Not actually the failure it was made out to be.  It did get to Number 12 and (in the end) sold respectfully well (just not as well as other IM outings).
The supporting tour spawned the EP "Maiden Japan", which was Paul Di'Anno's last recorded output with the band.
After the Killers Tour, Paul Di'Anno was sacked / invited to leave (delete as applicable), and a replacement vocalist sought.
With the band still heavily in debt to EMI, Bruce Dickinson took the job and the rest, as they say, is history ...

'Killers' remains probably the least regarded Maiden album of the early years (I'll be honest, I think the later Blaze Bayley-fronted albums are even lower on the list), but 'Killers' was a necessary step (mis-step?) on the way to becoming the biggest Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Band ... In The World.

Prodigal Son

Twilight Zone