In 1994, after leaving Iron Maiden for a while (he returned to the band in 1999), Bruce Dickinson released his second solo album, titled Balls To Picasso . The name is a tribute to the pioneer of Cubism, whose representations of spherical objects were made in the form of squares, reflected in the graffiti-style cover, on a bathroom tile wall. The album belied its irreverent title by consolidating Dickinson's reputation as a serious solo artist.
This was his first album in collaboration with Roy Z and was recorded with Z's band, Tribe Of Gypsies . The album went through several versions before its release and was produced by Shay Baby . The original album included several classic tracks and favorites from Dickinson's live shows, including the singles "Tears Of The Dragon" and "Shoot All The Clowns," as well as the epic and much-loved song "Laughing In The Hiding Bush," which was the album's original title.
Despite its positive reception at the time, the album never fully captured Dickinson's original vision, which was even broader in scope and ambition. However, with the possibility of revisiting his solo catalog— and following the success of the acclaimed 2024 The Mandrake Project More Balls To Picasso , has been partially re-recorded, remixed, and remastered. This version reimagines the work as a fresh and contemporary release; a vibrant collection, full of energy and ambition, with exquisitely crafted and realized songs.
Bruce Dickinson reinvents More Balls To Picasso
Dickinson says of the album: “While mixing my entire catalog in Dolby Atmos, I felt a constant desire to revisit and reinvent the record. So, putting 'more balls' into Balls … was a labor of love. Of course, we reinforced the guitars — courtesy of our 'Swedish destroyer,' Philip Naslund — and also added some really beautiful work by Adassi Addasi on 'Tears…'. Brazilian composer Antonio Teoli contributed impressive orchestral arrangements and, in a unique contribution, added indigenous Amazonian instruments, recorded by himself when he lived there, at the beginning of the track 'Gods Of War'.”
In addition, More Balls To Picasso includes two previously unreleased live studio tracks: “Gods of War” and “Shoot All the Clowns.” The album will be available as a double splatter vinyl and also on CD in a three-panel digisleeve packaging.
More Balls To Picasso is now available on all platforms .
