Bruce Dickinson – More Balls To Picasso

With all the perpetual technological developments, remastering albums has become almost a necessity. The quality of remastered recordings varies – from clear improvements to actual downgrades.

Re-recording a classic album, on the other hand, is far less common. When it does happen, the results are rarely overall improvements. That’s partly because these are, by definition, classic records, and the original recordings are a significant part of what made them classics in the first place.

So why do artists even do this? The reasons are often legal. Bands may not own the rights to the original recordings, and the only way to re-release an album – for instance, to mark an anniversary – is to re-record it. Paradise Lost did this with Icon 30, and W.A.S.P. followed suit with ReIdolized (The Soundtrack to the Crimson Idol). One could argue that some improvements were made along the way, but in general, both of these albums were better left untouched.

Enter Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, who just released a reworked version of his 1994 album Balls to Picasso. Unlike the two aforementioned examples, Dickinson’s motivation wasn’t legal – it was artistic. He was apparently never fully satisfied with some of the production and arrangement choices on the original. So, instead of a complete re-recording, More Balls to Picasso is a remix, remaster, and partial re-recording. Also, with all due respect, Balls to Picasso never reached the iconic status of Icon or The Crimson Idol.

Still, it was a significant album for Dickinson. Though technically his second solo effort, it was his first since leaving Iron Maiden. Unlike his debut, it saw him experimenting and exploring new creative territories. That adventurous spirit was one of its biggest strengths. Its raw, alternative sound was a major part of its identity – and that’s exactly the aspect More Balls to Picasso alters the most.

That’s evident right from the start with the opener – and one of the original’s highlights – “Cyclops.” The stripped-down alternative metal approach of the 1994 version is now enhanced with added guitars and, most noticeably, orchestration. The overall sound is fuller and more polished – arguably at odds with the original’s more direct, raw feel.

This trend continues throughout the album. In addition to a typical remastering polish, there are more guitars, but it’s the horns, percussion, and orchestral arrangements that really shape More Balls to Picasso. And while it’s generally well executed – horns make “Shoot All the Clowns” and “Fire” swing like never before, additional percussion fits “Gods of War” nicely, and the orchestration on “Tears of the Dragon” is tastefully arranged – these additions often feel unnecessary. They sometimes come across as embellishments made simply because they could be.

The overall mood of the album has shifted – and that’s a shame. The original’s raw, primal energy was what gave it character. Losing that is a big deal, especially if you’ve been living with the original album for more than 30 years.

More Balls to Picasso exists somewhere between a classic remaster and a full re-recording. Its mission was to enhance the original and add elements that, for whatever reason, didn’t make it onto the 1994 release. The result is fine – but arguably unnecessary. Ironically, the new version ends up feeling less original than the original release, despite being released three decades later.

More Balls to Picasso is certainly more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. Give it a few spins and decide for yourself.

Much like other re-recording reviews, this one comes without a score.

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