BRUCE DICKINSON · Balls to Picasso | BLACK LP

Black vinyl in gatefold cover with printed inner sleeve. 180g vinyl.

Background information about 'Balls to Picasso'

There are solo albums that feel like a side note, and then there's "Balls to Picasso" — Bruce Dickinson's second solo outing from 1994, now freshly remastered and pressed on vinyl. At the time, the Iron Maiden frontman was at a crossroads: the band had just parted ways with him (temporarily, as it turned out), and Bruce was out to prove he was more than just the world's most iconic metal vocalist. And boy, did he deliver.

This record is a wild, sprawling ride. From the crushing opener "Cyclops" — a riff-monster that could go toe-to-toe with anything Maiden had cooked up — to the brooding, atmospheric "Tears of the Dragon", Dickinson flexes muscles you didn't even know he had. There's swagger, there's vulnerability, and there's a whole lot of experimentation. "Shoot All the Clowns" is pure, unhinged fun, while "Laughing in the Hiding Bush" shows off a more introspective, almost psychedelic side of the man. The production, handled by the legendary Roy Z, gives everything a warm, punchy edge that the 2017 remaster only enhances.

This isn't just an album for Maiden completists — it's a testament to Bruce's restless creativity and his refusal to be boxed in. It's raw, it's honest, and it rocks like a bastard.

For fans of:
Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Queensrÿche, Saxon

Track listing

A1. Cyclops
A2. Hell No
A3. Gods Of War
A4. 1000 Points Of Light
B1. Laughing In The Hiding Bush
B2. Change Of Heart
B3. Shoot All The Clowns
B4. Fire
B5. Sacred Cowboys
B6. Tears Of The Dragon

Manufacturer: Universal Music GmbH, Mühlenstraße 25, 10243 Berlin, Germany, Contact: umusic.com