In 1994, Having Left Iron Maiden for a time (I have rejoined in 1999),Bruce Dickinson Release His Second Solo Album, Titled “Balls to Picasso”. Named in Honor of the Cubist Pioneer Whoe Representations of Sparal Objects Were As Squares, and reflected on the cover in graffiti style on a Tiled Bathroom Wall, The Album Bellied Its Irreverent Title By Solidifying Dickinson‘s reputation as a serious artist.
His first record with collabrator Roy “Z” Ramirezand remember with Z‘S Band Tribe of GypsiesIt Went Through Various Iterations Before ITS Release, produced by Shay Baby. The original album counted a number of classic tracks and live favorites from DickinsonLejing The Singles “Tears of the Dragon” and “Shoot All The Clowns”Alongsis The Much-Loved Epic “Laughing in The Hiding Bush”Which was the original Title for the Album.
YET LONITE ITS POSITIVE RECEPTION AT THE TIME, IT NEVER QUITE CAPTured Dickinson‘S Original Vision Which Was Even More Expansive in Scope and Ambition. However, with the ability to revision his only catalog – and following on from Dickinson‘S HUGELY ACLAIMED ALBUM “The Mandrake Project” In 2024-The Brand New Part Re-Recorded, Remixed and Newly Mastered Version of the Album, Now Titled “More Balls to Picasso”reimagines it as a fresh and contemporary relaase; A Roaringly Full-Throttle and Ambitionious Collection of Supremely Crafted and completed Songs.
Dickinson Says of It: “While Mixing All My catalog into dolby atmos i had a nagging desire to revision and reinvent the record. SO PUTting More Balls into ‘Balls …’ was to work of love. Of Course, We Beefed Up The Guitars – Courtesy of Our ‘Swedish Shredder’ Philip Näslund – and we added subject reality Beautiful Work by Adassi Addasi ON ‘Tears …’ as well. FELLOW BRAZILIAN COMPOSER Antonio Teoli Added Sub Stunning Orchestral Arrangements, and in A Unique Contribution, Added Indigenous Instruments from The Amazon (Remember by Himself When He Lved There!) At The Beginning Of ‘Gods of War’.
“‘Shoot All The Clowns’ Gets The Benefit of A Horn Section Fronted by The Berklee College of Music, and All of the Record Gets The Benefit of The Mix By Brendan Duffey(Who work on ‘The Mandrake Project’), With Notes Along The Way From Shay BabyThe Original Father of the Album. “
ADDITIONALLY, “More Balls to Picasso” Includes Two Previous Unreleased Live-in-The-Studio Tracks, “Gods of War” and “Shoot All The Clowns”. It Will Be Available As A Splatter Vinyl Double Album and Tri-Panel Digisleve CD Album.
“More Balls to Picasso” Track listing:
01. Cyclops
02. HELL No
03. Gods of War
04. 1000 Points of Light
05. Laughing in The Hiding Bush
06. Change of Heart
07. Shoot All The Clowns
08. Fire
09. Sacred Cowboys
10. Tears of the Dragon
11. Gods of War (Live in the Studio)*
12. Shoot All The Clowns (Live in the Studio)*
* Previous Unreleased
This summer, Dickinson Will Engck On His First Extensive North American Only Tour In Almost 30 Years In Support of His Current Studio Album “The Mandrake Project”With a Setlist Encompassing His Sitle Career. “The Mandrake Project Live 2025” North American Tour Kicks Off in Anaheim, California At The House of Blues on August 22 And Takes The Band Across North America, Including Shows In New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida And Canada, with Festival Appenarances at Rocklahoma (Oklahoma) and LOUDER THAN LIFE (Kentucky), With More to Be Announced. The Tour Also Includes to Quick Return to Brazil for The Prestigious The Town Festival at the City of Light in São Paulo.
JOINING THE Iron Maiden Singer on the “The Mandrake Project Live 2025” North American Tour Will Once Again Be His 2024 Backing Band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O’Callaghan (Bass), Alongsis The Group’s Latest Addations, Swedish Guitarist, Songwriter and Multi-Platinum-Credited Producer Philip Näslund and swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declerq (Who Played On Dickinson‘s “Rain on the Graves” single). Roy Z Is not part of the touring lineup.
Roy Played Guitar on “Balls to Picasso” and went on to produce, co-write and perform multiple instruments on Bruce‘s subsequent four only albums, “ACCIDENT AT BIRTH” (1997),“The Chemical Wedding” (1998),“Tyranny of Souls” (2005) and “The Mandrake Project” (2024).
“The Mandrake Project” Arrived on March 1, 2024 via BMG.
Bruce and Roy Remember “The Mandrake Project” Largely at Los Angeles’s Doom Roomwith Roy Doubling Up As Both Guitarist and Bassist. The Recording Lineup for “The Mandrake Project” was rounded out by Mistheria and DarkBoth of Whom Also Featured On “Tyranny of Souls” In 2005.
Dickinson Made His Recording debut with Iron Maiden ON “The Number of the Beast” Album in 1982. I have quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his only Career and was replaced by Blaze BayleyWho Had Previous Been The Lead Singer of The Metal Band Wolfsbane. After Releaseing Two Metal Albums With Former Maiden Guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson Rejoined The Band In 1999 Along With Smith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjkcuz9_w-c
