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Somewhere in Time is a studio album by Iron Maiden, released in 1986. It was the first Iron Maiden album to feature guitar synths (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son would later feature synthesizers). Bruce Dickinson's song material was refused in favor of second guitarist Adrian Smith who produced the bulk of the songs identified with the album (including the hit "Wasted Years"). Steve Harris's "Heaven Can Wait" can still be heard at Maiden's concerts, during which the band invites fans on stage to sing along.

"Wasted Years" and "Stranger In A Strange Land" were released as singles.

Track listing

1. "Caught Somewhere in Time" (Harris) - 7:25
2. "Wasted Years" (Smith) - 5:07
3. "Sea of Madness" (Smith) - 5:42
4. "Heaven Can Wait" (Harris) - 7:21
5. "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" (Harris) - 6:31
6. "Stranger in a Strange Land " (Smith) - 5:44
7. "Déjà Vu" (Harris, Murray) - 4:56
8. "Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.)" (Harris) - 8:37

Personnel

• Bruce Dickinson - Lead & Backing Vocals
• Dave Murray - Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Guitar Synth
• Adrian Smith - Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Backing Vocals
• Steve Harris - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocal, Bass Synth
• Nicko McBrain - Drums

• Martin Birch - Producer, engineer, mixing, tape operator
• Albert Boekholt - Engineer, assistant engineer
• Ronald Prent - Engineer, assistant engineer

Trivia

• The cover for Somewhere In Time offers us an Eddie the Head and an environment more futurist, too much technology and holds several references to earlier Iron Maiden songs, such as pyramids in the background on the back of the album (Powerslave cover), a clock reading 23:58 ("2 Minutes to Midnight"), "Acacia" on the right ("22 Acacia Avenue"), also Eddie appears in a similar posture like in the Killers album also killing a victim now changing the axe by a futuristic weapon. On the back you can also see, on the left side, the "Aces High Bar" ("Aces High" song), and, below the pyramids, the "Phantom Opera House" ("Phantom of the Opera"). In the background can be seen Bradbury Towers and The Million Dollar Movie Theater both located in Los Angeles. The marquee for the Movie Theater reads Blade Runner, the film which is the obvious inspiration for the futuristic scene. To the right of the clock is a neon sign that reads "Ancient Mariner Seaford Restaurant" which is a reference to the single "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" of the Powerslave album. On the bottom left hand side of the cover is "The Ruskin Arms", famous for being one of the first venues of Iron Maiden, also just above "The Ruskin Arms", there is a neon sign that reads "RAINBOW" another famous venue for Iron Maiden. On the second floor of the "Ruskin Arms" building is a woman sitting in a red lit room which is a reference to "Charlotte" a repeated theme in Iron Maiden songs. On the roof of the same building is a police telephone box; this is likely a reference to the time-travelling TARDIS of the BBC TV series Doctor Who. Above the Bradbury Towers neon sign is Icarus in flames falling from the sky, in the same style of the cover for the single "Flight of Icarus". On the walkway above the clock is an electronic sign that says "LATEST RESULTS.......WEST HAM 7........ARSENAL 3" probably a request by bass guitarist Steve Harris who is a West Ham supporter.

Additional notes

• Catalogue: (LP) Capitol 12524, (CD) Capitol C2-46341

External links

• Album lyrics
• Somewhere In Time review and Iron Maiden history

• 1986 albums
• Iron Maiden albums
• Heavy metal albums