Desert Island Discs #4 and #5

Desert Island Disc #4: Iron Maiden "The Number of the Beast" (1982)/Capitol/EMI
Desert Island Disc #5: Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance" (1982)/CBS

Personally, both Judas Priest and Iron Maiden deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Metallica is in (rightfully so, even though they sold out years ago) but these groups so deserve to be. Maybe they are not as heralded as Metallica but you can't get to Metallica without hitting British metal from the late 1970s and this is where Maiden and Priest complete the link between Black Sabbath/Led Zeppelin and Metallica.

My introduction to these gods of heavy metal comes through John Molfetta around 1982.

In 1982, I was living on Klondike Avenue. I was entering 7th grade beginning my foray into classic rock when John Molfetta entered my life. My house was pretty much basketball central because my grandparents put in a basketball court and like moths to light, kids started showing up. John and his brothers lived behind my house and one February day, he hopped my fence and he reciprocated by allowing Mitchell and I to go swimming in his pool that summer. Our mothers worked at Shop-Rite and among heavy metal cassettes, they also were responsible for a few other items which I will not post since I'm an upstanding member of society.

It was John who had cassette copies of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and on an old Panasonic cassette deck would be the first time I would hear "The Hellion" and "Electric Eye". John's friend, Carlos Luna (who lived two houses above mine) and his brother Cesar brought over "The Number of the Beast". From these two classic cassettes, we worked backwards, TNOTB led the Lunas to bring over "Maiden In Japan", "Killers" and "Iron Maiden". The Lunas were a bit older and angered that Iron Maiden fired Paul Dianno and replaced him with Bruce Dickinson (smart move) while John and I listened to "British Steel", "Hell Bent For Leather" and "Unleashed in the East".

It was metal karma when Priest and Maiden toured in 1982. My mother decided to allow me to go see Judas Priest and Iron Maiden at the Meadowlands in October. She had figured if we were going in a limo, we would not have to worry about someone getting busted for a DWI. (MADD was not around and the drinking age was still 18) Computers were not around and neither was iTunes so my parents and grandparents would not see what they looked like nor try to decipher the "screaming" sorry singing of Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson.

The parking lot was filled with all the metal stereotypes-long hair, beer, leather coats (emulating Halford) and some of the people I went with had denim jackets with "TNOTB" or "Killers" painted on the back by local artist, Walter Frawley. I wore a Le Tigre shirt and was the target of ridicule but didn't care. I was ready and prepared to hear songs off both albums and both bands didn't disappoint. However young I was, I knew that one thing would be for certain.....and that was......

I got hooked on Iron Maiden. I like Priest but Priest was a show on metal stereotypes a la Spinal Tap. Maiden was more gritty, more street and a lot harder than Priest. Priest had the bigger catalogue but "TNOTB" and "Run To The Hills" would be in any metalhead's top 10-even mine. I would go on and see Maiden on "Piece Of Mind", "Powerslave", "Seventh Son" and then take a twenty year break.

When I went to see Maiden in 2006, 2008 and 2010 (where I would meet up with a Maiden fan named Heather Gershonowitz (an old student)) nothing much has changed. Maiden refuses to be a classic metal band, they put out great music and now as a sextet, they still kick ass and at 40, I still will never miss a Maiden show.

UP THE IRONS!!!!!!

Thank you John Molfetta, Carlos Luna and Cesar Luna for introducing me to two great bands when I was 12. Jesse Lynn, Ross Goodfellow and Ronen Trincher, thank you for dragging me to see Iron Maiden and helping me remember why Maiden really does kick ass and that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame really needs to let them enter their hallowed halls.