Talking obscure live releases, I always really liked Raising Hell. The magic stuff is shit but the performance is raw as hell. Pretty sloppy but great energy. One of my fav Dave performance ever, along with Donigton. His playing was amazing in that era.
Lots to chew on here, Kade!
First, the setlists for these shows highlight how strong the Fear Of The Dark tracks are. I know the album catches a lot of flack but these songs translate really well live.
Secondly, the addition of Janick Gers really seemed to light a fire of energy under Dave Murray. I know No Prayer is a bit lackluster, but that tour was amazing. The band, especially Dave, had so much energy. It's one of my favorite tours.
I think Live At Donnington is a great live album (the video fucking blows). I love it, and the A Real Live One/A Real Dead One set is also excellent. That tour had great setlists, and when it became clear that Bruce was leaving, they pulled some classics out, as evident on A Real Dead One. I like these albums a lot.
And I might feel differently about Raising Hell if all I had was the audio, but honestly, it is tough for me to watch. The magic show is garbage if you ask me, and the band's performance, while energetic as hell, is...I don't know..kind of hard to watch. Knowing it was their last show...bittersweet isn't the word, but there's just something...cringeworthy isn't the word either. I don't know how to describe my feelings towards this.
Story time!
So Raising Hell was going to air as a Pay Per View special. I actually bought it,and then my damned gf made fucking plans the night it was going to be on. So I set my VCR to record it. We got back the next morning, and I ran to the VCR. But...IT DIDN"T RECORD!!
I ended up buying the VHS, but I have never bothered with the DVD.