In a new interview with Dom Lawson for Prog, Iron Maiden bassist, Steve Harris, geeks out on Peter Gabriel leaving Genesis, covering Jethro Tull but not wanting to meet Ian Anderson, the length of ELP solos, his struggle to get into Marillion and more. An excerpt follows...

Prog: Most Maiden fans are well aware that you’re a fan of Jethro Tull, thanks to your cover of "Cross-Eyed Mary"…

Steve Harris: "It was a bit of a shame, really. When we recorded that, Bruce wasn’t there. I can’t remember where he was, but I spoke to him and said, ‘Are you alright with the key this song’s in?’ and he went ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah…’ So of course when it came to record his vocals it was suddenly… ‘Oh, shit.’ It wasn’t really the right key for him. He could either sing it really low or really high, so he went for the high one and it was a bit too high, even for him. He wasn’t 100 per cent happy with it. It came out okay, though."

Prog: Bruce Dickinson has worked with Ian Anderson before, so have you ever met the great man?

Harris: "I’ve never actually met Ian. I sort of don’t want to meet him, in a way, because I love him and his music so much. I’ve seen Tull live so many times. I’ve admired him from afar, really. I just think the man’s a genius, as a songwriter. I think he’s unbelievable, the stuff he’s done over the years and he’s still out there doing it."

Prog: Do you have a favourite Jethro Tull album?

Harris: "I love Aqualung, obviously, but the one I loved the most and probably still do is Thick As A Brick. I love A Passion Play and he got a lot of stick for that. Quite rightly, he got the hump with it. I love that album, though. At the time I thought I might be the only person in the UK that liked it, but I found a few more people over the years. It’s an acquired taste, isn’t it?"

Read the full interview here.