Accident of Birth

Template:About Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: 3 June 1997<ref name="allmusic"/> | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Skunkworks1996The Chemical Wedding1998Studio albumAccident of BirthBruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth Extended.jpgCover art by Derek RiggsBruce Dickinson3 June 1997<ref name="allmusic"/>1997Silver Cloud Recording, Redondo Beach, CA
Sound City Studios, Los Angeles, CAHeavy metal53:38Raw Power/Castle (UK)
CMC International (US)
Victor (Japan)Roy Zx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Accident of Birth is the fourth studio album by Bruce Dickinson, released on 3Template:NbspJune 1997<ref name="allmusic"/> through Castle Communications' subTemplate:Nbhlabel Raw Power in the UK and through CMC International in the US.

Dickinson's second collaboration with guitarist/producer Roy Z, the album is markedly different in style from his previous effort, Skunkworks. As well as RoyTemplate:NbspZ, Dickinson was joined for the album by fellow former Iron Maiden member Adrian Smith; both Dickinson and Smith would later return to their former band in early 1999. Thanks to the slightly bigger success of this album than his previous solo releases, Dickinson would continue to work with RoyTemplate:NbspZ on his subsequent albums, The Chemical Wedding (1998), Tyranny of Souls (2005) and The Mandrake Project (2024)

Album artwork

The cover art was produced by Derek Riggs, best known for being the creator of Iron Maiden's mascot, Eddie, and the artwork on all of Iron Maiden's albums, singles, posters and tour brochures throughout 1980–1990 (and sporadically afterwards up until 2000's Brave New World, other than one additional Eddie drawing for the cover of his book Run for Cover). In reference to this, the jester puppet featured on the cover was jokingly christened Edison ("Eddie's Son"). A grim reaper is also faintly visible in the background, such a figure having previously been included by Riggs in his artwork for Iron Maiden's Live After Death and Somewhere in Time albums, as well as on the band's earlier single "The Trooper".

Four versions of the album cover exist. Originally, the artwork showed Edison graphically bursting from a man's stomach, but for the original European release this image was cropped to remove the man's head (although the poster that came with the limited edition of the album included the original, unedited image). The cover was deemed too explicit for the US market, where the album was instead released with completely different artwork showing a frontal view of Edison. The 2005 re-release again used a different image for the cover, showing the puppet nailed to a cross; this image had previously been used for the Japan-only "Man of Sorrows" single. Finally, the extended edition of the album features the original, unedited artwork, with the head of the man from whom Edison is bursting clearly visible.

Critical reception

The German magazine Rock Hard previewed Accident of Birth as the "Album of the Month" in May 1997. The reviewer praised Dickinson's voice and the songwriting: "Bruce sings like a young god – actually better and more expressive than ever – and has based his songwriting on the milestones of his Maiden years, with the new/old sidekick Adrian Smith coming at the right time" to deliver "their best material since Seventh Son of a Seventh Son".<ref name="rockhard"/> In 2005, Accident of Birth was ranked number 338 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Contemporary reviews are equally positive. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic defined the album "intriguing" and "better than many latter-day Maiden efforts".<ref name="allmusic"/> Canadian journalist Martin Popoff described Accident of Birth as "an unabashed metal record, produced smoothly and firmly" and added that it "would have made an intelligent, and ironically daring Maiden reunion record".<ref name="martin" />

2005 Expanded Edition Disc 2

An extended edition of the album was released with the following tracks on CD 2. Tracks 1–4 appear on the 2 part CD single "Accident of Birth". Tracks 5–9 also feature on the Japanese CD release of "Man of Sorrows".

Personnel

Band members

• Bruce Dickinson – vocals
• Adrian Smith – guitars
• Roy Z – guitars, mellotron, piano, production, engineering, mixing
• Eddie Casillas – bass
• David Ingraham – drums

Additional personnel

• Silvia Tsai – violin on "Taking the Queen", "Man of Sorrows" and "Arc of Space"
• Rebecca Yeh – cello on "Taking the Queen", "Man of Sorrows" and "Arc of Space"
• Richard Baker – piano on "Man of Sorrows"
• Norbert Newfied – string arrangements

Technical personnel

• Stan Katayama – engineering and mixing at Brooklyn Recordings, Los Angeles (on tracks 1, 3-5, 7, 8 and 10-13)
• Joe Floyd – engineering and mixing at Silver Cloud Recordings (on tracks 2, 6 and 9)
• Greg Fidelman, Tom Banghart – assistant engineers

Charts

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Chart (1997)	Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref name="JPN">Template:Cite book</ref>	30