Virtual XI

File:070918--blaze bayley.jpg

Virtual XI's title is tied in with two extra-musical events: the release of the band's computer game, Ed Hunter, and the fact that the 1998 FIFA World Cup would be taking place in June of that year.{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=320}} Harris explains, "We figure our fans are pretty much the same as we are, with pretty much the same interests, so we thought, 'It's World Cup year in '98. Let's get the football involved in the new album.' And we were already working on a computer game at that time, so we thought, 'Well, let's bring that element into things, too.'" Prior to the album's release, the band organised a publicity tour in which they held football matches across Europe with "guest musicians and pro-footballers from the UK."{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=72}}

While most of the artwork in the album's booklet was taken from the Ed Hunter game,{{cite journal|title=Reality Check|journal=Metal Hammer Presents: Iron Maiden 30 Years of Metal Mayhem|year=2005|first=Martin|last=Popoff|author-link=Martin Popoff|pages=49}} the cover was created by Melvyn Grant. According to Grant, he was asked to design something related to virtual reality, but was later asked to alter the artwork by adding a football game, the band then having decided to link the release with the World Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.melgrant.com/interview3-index01.html|title=Melvyn Grant Interview for the Iron Maiden Italian Fanzine 'Eddie's'.|access-date=27 November 2011|publisher=Melvyn Grant|archive-date=27 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227192714/http://www.melgrant.com/interview3-index01.html|url-status=dead}} This was also the first album to feature the band's new alternate logo, with the extended ends of the "R", "M", and both "N's" removed. This variant would be used on all future studio albums, live albums (with the exception of Flight 666 and Maiden England '88), and singles up until The Final Frontier. Starting with The Book of Souls, the band's 16th studio album, the original logo was reused.

For this album some keyboard parts were performed by band founder/bassist Steve Harris whereas on previous albums all the keyboard parts had been handled by Harris' bass technician, Michael Kenney.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/virtual-xi-mw0000597969/credits|title=Iron Maiden Virtual XI credits|access-date=27 September 2011|publisher=AllMusic}}

As with their previous world tour, several US shows on the Virtual XI World Tour had to be cancelled as Bayley had vocal issues;{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=322}} however, the official reason given for the cancellation was that he was suffering from a severe allergic reaction to pollen.{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=84}}

This would be the second and final studio album to feature Blaze Bayley, as he resigned from Iron Maiden following a February 1999 announcement that Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith, who had left in 1993 and 1990 respectively, would be returning to the line-up.{{cite web|publisher=Music Legends|url=http://musiclegends.ca/interviews/blaze-bayley-iron-maiden-interview/|title=Blaze Bayley Interview: Iron Maiden Singer talks Wolfsbane|access-date=24 May 2013|date=30 April 2010|last=Saulnier|first=Jason}}

Stylistically, Bayley states that Virtual XI "was a more upbeat album [in comparison to its predecessor], because we'd survived the X-Factor... we were a band and, I felt, we were on our way."{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=69}} According to Harris, "Futureal", whose lyrics were written by Bayley, is "about being locked up in virtual reality", and describes it as "a quite straightforward rocker but done Maiden style."{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=317}} Regarding the album's second single, manager Rod Smallwood claims that he "had a bit of a battle with Steve" over releasing "Futureal" instead of "The Angel and the Gambler" as the album's lead single, but "Steve put his foot down." According to Harris, "The Angel and the Gambler" "is the story of these two characters, one guy who's been a bit of a rogue, a fly by night, and an angel who gets sent down to try and put him right – except he isn't having it."

Of the album's remaining songs, "Lightning Strikes Twice" is, according to Harris, "a never say never-type song ... It's a very positive, hopeful song which you can read in lots of different ways."{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=318}} "The Clansman" was inspired by the film Braveheart{{cite journal|title=The Rest of the Beast|journal=Kerrang! Legends|first=Simon|last=Young|issue=2|pages=124–126}} which Harris states is "about what it's like to belong to a community that you try and build up and then you have to fight to stop having it taken away from you". Speaking about "When Two Worlds Collide", Harris says, "Lyrically, I think Blaze was trying to write about the different sort of worlds he's lived in and maybe about how his world has had to change and adapt to the world of being Iron Maiden's singer." "The Educated Fool" is, according to Harris, about "growing older and everyone expecting you to be wiser but how somehow the older you get and the more you know, the less you have the answers for any of it." "Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger" is inspired by Steve Harris' observation, from a parent's point of view, that "every stranger is a possible threat",{{cite book|author=Wall, Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography|edition=3rd|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-86074-542-3|page=319}} while "Como Estais Amigos" is a tribute to the soldiers on both sides in the Falklands War;{{cite book|last1=Paterson|first1=Lawrence|author-link=Lawrence Paterson|title=Blaze Bayley: At the End of the Day|publisher=Blaze Bayley Recordings Ltd.|year=2009|page=70}} its lyrics were written by Bayley and the music by Gers, making this the first Iron Maiden album where Steve Harris did not write or co-write the final song.

After Bruce Dickinson rejoined the band, Iron Maiden continued to play both "Futureal" and "The Clansman" in concert. While "Futureal" was only performed live in 1999, "The Clansman" appeared in the group's setlists until 2003; it was also used during 2018's Legacy of the Beast tour. Live recordings of both songs with Dickinson on vocals have been released officially: "Futureal" was issued as a B-side to "The Wicker Man" single, while performances of "The Clansman" can be found on the live albums Rock in Rio and Nights of the Dead. The Rock in Rio recording was also included on Iron Maiden's 2011 compilation CD From Fear to Eternity.

Four songs that were written during the sessions for Virtual XI ended up on its follow-up Brave New World: "Nomad", "Dream of Mirrors", "Mercenary" and "Blood Brothers".

Blaze Bayley recorded solo versions of "Futureal" and "When Two Worlds Collide" on his live album As Live as It Gets. He regularly performs the album's closing song "Como Estais Amigos" in concert, a song which never appeared on any Iron Maiden setlist.{{cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/blaze-bayley-3bd680d0.html?songid=23d1781b|title=Como estais amigos by Blaze Bayley Concert Statistics | setlist.fm|website=setlist.fm}}

The track "The Clansman" was sampled by singer Brandy in her song "I Tried".{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/pop-singer-brandy-samples-iron-maiden-audio-available/|title=Pop Singer Brandy Samples Iron Maiden|access-date=28 November 2011|date=29 June 2004|publisher=Blabbermouth.net}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r346603|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen|access-date=26 June 2011|title=Iron Maiden – Virtual XI}}

| rev2 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

| rev2Score = 0/10{{cite book|last1=Popoff|first1=Martin|author-link1=Martin Popoff|title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties|publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing|date=1 August 2007|location=Burlington, Ontario, Canada|page=213|isbn=978-1-894959-62-9}}

| rev3 = Sputnikmusic

| rev3Score = 3.5/5{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/7532/Iron-Maiden-Virtual-XI/|title=Iron Maiden – Virtual XI|access-date=26 June 2011|date=11 June 2006|last=Stagno|first=Mike|publisher=Sputnikmusic}}

}}

Virtual XI was met with mixed to negative reviews from critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commented that "on the surface, there's nothing terribly wrong with the record, as it delivers all the crunching riffs and demonic horror of their best records. The problem is that there's nothing memorable about the hooks, riffs, or songs, and there's little visceral energy to the music or production. As a result, it sounds lifeless to all but the most devoted fan." He also stated that Blaze Bayley is "a competent but faceless vocalist".

{{Track listing

| headline = Virtual XI track listing

| total_length = 53:22

| title1 = Futureal

| writer1 = {{hlist|Steve Harris|Blaze Bayley}}

| length1 = 3:00

| title2 = The Angel and the Gambler

| writer2 = Harris

| length2 = 9:51

| title3 = Lightning Strikes Twice

| writer3 = {{hlist|Dave Murray|Harris}}

| length3 = 4:49

| title4 = The Clansman

| writer4 = Harris

| length4 = 9:06

| title5 = When Two Worlds Collide

| writer5 = {{hlist|Murray|Bayley|Harris}}

| length5 = 6:13

| title6 = The Educated Fool

| writer6 = Harris

| length6 = 6:46

| title7 = Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger

| writer7 = Harris

| length7 = 8:11

| title8 = Como Estais Amigos

| writer8 = {{hlist|Janick Gers|Bayley}}

| length8 = 5:26

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Japanese limited edition bonus disc{{Cite web|title=Iron Maiden = アイアン・メイデン* – Virtual XI = バーチャル・イレブン|url=https://www.discogs.com/Iron-Maiden-%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A2%E3%83%B3%E3%83%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%87%E3%83%B3-Virtual-XI-%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AC%E3%83%96%E3%83%B3/release/599638|access-date=2020-07-15|publisher=Discogs|date=18 March 1998}}

| total_length = 12:48

| title1 = Blood on the World's Hands

| note1 = live

| writer1 = Harris

| length1 = 6:05

| title2 = The Aftermath

| note2 = live

| writer2 = {{hlist|Bayley|Gers|Harris}}

| length2 = 6:43

}}

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Virtual XI|others=Iron Maiden|date=23 March 1998|publisher=EMI}}

• Blaze Bayley – vocals
• Dave Murray – guitars
• Janick Gers – guitars
• Steve Harris – bass, keyboards on "The Clansman", "The Angel and the Gambler" and "Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger", production, mixing
• Nicko McBrain – drums

• Michael Kenney – keyboards on all tracks except "The Clansman", "The Angel and the Gambler" and "Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger"

• Nigel Green – producer, engineer, mixing
• Mick McKenna – assistant engineer
• Simon Heyworth – mastering
• Melvyn Grant – sleeve illustration
• Synthetic Dimensions – sleeve design, 3D imagery
• Simon Fowler – photography
• George Chin – photography
• Ross Halfin – photography
• Rod Smallwood – management
• Merck Mercuriadis – management
• Andy Taylor – management

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Virtual XI|artist=Iron Maiden|award=Silver|type=album|relyear=1998|certyear=2017|id=14334-1438-2}}

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Category:1998 albums

Category:Iron Maiden albums

Category:EMI Records albums

Category:Albums recorded in a home studio