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I have no intention of causing any kind of childish rivalry between the two musicians in question; I see this merely as a reflection that always comes to mind.”
By César Costa
I always ask myself this question, not only as an admirer of these two great instrumentalists, but also as an amateur drummer myself. Anyone who knows Iron Maiden can clearly see the great change the band went through; their sound changed considerably after the transition of drummers around 1982, during the Beast On The Road , which aimed to promote the album titled The Number Of The Beast in North American territories.
With the departure of the then master of drums, Clive Burr , who left the band for reasons that will not be discussed here, a new member was added, the charismatic Nicko McBrain .
Let's start with Clive Burr. In my opinion, Clive had a unique way of conducting the music, with fast and heavy hands, possessing an extremely firm and consistent grip. He fulfilled his role as a heavy metal drummer with extreme mastery, maintaining a firm, steel-like beat that perfectly complemented Steve Harris , without many frills or excessive notes, with killer and incisive fills, which probably offered more security to his bandmates in terms of joint performances and musical cohesion. I dare say that Clive had a slight punk influence in his playing, with just the right touch of virtuosity.
After leaving Iron Maiden, Clive continued working on other musical projects, unfortunately without achieving the same level of recognition. Clive Burr passed away in 2013 due to complications from a serious degenerative disease called Multiple Sclerosis. Clive's great work during his brief time in the band still endures decades later, and can be heard on the Maiden's first three albums: the self-titled Iron Maiden from 1980, the iconic Killers from 1981, and the classic The Number Of The Beast from 1982.
Regarding Nicko McBrain, what immediately catches the eye is undoubtedly his enormous drum kit, with a vast array of drums and cymbals. But this drum kit doesn't just contribute to the aesthetics on stage; listening to Nicko's drum lines, you quickly realize that the size of his instrument is proportional to the musician's skill level. Another strong point of Nicko is his good humor. Besides being a very skilled drummer with impeccable technique for a heavy metal drummer, he is able to captivate the audience with his charisma, not falling short of his predecessor.
Already in his first album as the band's drummer, titled Piece Of Mind , from 1983, he showed that he was there to stay. Besides being technically skilled, Nicko is also very creative; the opening track of the aforementioned album, "Where Eagles Dare," along with its killer introduction, is proof of that. Without a doubt, the musician added a lot to the band. Technically speaking, in my view, Nicko's skills provided new creative horizons to be explored, and the fact that he offered something new and challenging may have further inspired and excited his bandmates to give their best, whether in the studio or in live performances. Nicko's work can be heard on all recordings made by the band from 1983 to their most recent release, the album The Book of Souls , released in 2015.
I don't intend to create any kind of childish rivalry between the two musicians in question; I see this simply as a reflection that always comes to mind. After all, who was the best? Clive or Nicko? The answer to that is subjective and depends a lot on each person's point of view. I think the best thing to do is to appreciate the best of these two great music professionals, whether you're a drum lover or not.
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
