The Iron Maiden Thread v. The Merge of Souls

[faizoff]

I'm doing something I don't think I've ever done before and just listening to their live albums only.

When done please post a quick synopsis/review with your rankings. Would enjoy reading your thoughts.

Now that's a project! Will do, oddly enough my very first Maiden album bought was the Live after Death cassette back in the early 90s and is really etched in my brain as the greatest live album of theirs. Though I think probably Rock in Rio has taken that place but would be very interesting how I rank their live albums in terms of sound and performance. Death on the road is no slouch I had forgotten how fantastic this album sounds.

[Cool Chris]

Curiously, I do not own one Maiden live album despite owning all their studio albums and counting them among my favorite bands.

[Stadler]

Bruce: "This is like some fucking awful infomercial, isn't it?"

Umm... yes.

Just my opinion but I just want them to get back in the studio. I have zero interest in this. Another live Maiden album? Yawn. Sign Of The Cross live sounded arbitrary. Bruce's vocals were not good, imo. He's my favourite vocalist and great in person, running about and stuff, but often sounds pants on live recordings.

His vocals on Aces High truthfully has made me consider skipping this release.  First one ever.  The last one I only listened to once anyway.

......aaaaaaaand I saw this on the weekend and picked it up. 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Love it!   

[Stadler]

I'm doing something I don't think I've ever done before and just listening to their live albums only.

When done please post a quick synopsis/review with your rankings. Would enjoy reading your thoughts.

Now that's a project! Will do, oddly enough my very first Maiden album bought was the Live after Death cassette back in the early 90s and is really etched in my brain as the greatest live album of theirs. Though I think probably Rock in Rio has taken that place but would be very interesting how I rank their live albums in terms of sound and performance. Death on the road is no slouch I had forgotten how fantastic this album sounds.

Don't skip Maiden Japan!   That was fresh out when I got into them back in '82, and it's still one of my favorites. 

[cramx3]

I'm doing something I don't think I've ever done before and just listening to their live albums only.

When done please post a quick synopsis/review with your rankings. Would enjoy reading your thoughts.

Now that's a project! Will do, oddly enough my very first Maiden album bought was the Live after Death cassette back in the early 90s and is really etched in my brain as the greatest live album of theirs. Though I think probably Rock in Rio has taken that place but would be very interesting how I rank their live albums in terms of sound and performance. Death on the road is no slouch I had forgotten how fantastic this album sounds.

Don't skip Maiden Japan!   That was fresh out when I got into them back in '82, and it's still one of my favorites.

Maiden Japan was an official release?  I thought that was just a bootleg, but regardless, it's really solid and a good capture of that period of the band.

[ShadowWalker]

I'm doing something I don't think I've ever done before and just listening to their live albums only.

When done please post a quick synopsis/review with your rankings. Would enjoy reading your thoughts.

Now that's a project! Will do, oddly enough my very first Maiden album bought was the Live after Death cassette back in the early 90s and is really etched in my brain as the greatest live album of theirs. Though I think probably Rock in Rio has taken that place but would be very interesting how I rank their live albums in terms of sound and performance. Death on the road is no slouch I had forgotten how fantastic this album sounds.

Don't skip Maiden Japan!   That was fresh out when I got into them back in '82, and it's still one of my favorites.

Maiden Japan was an official release?  I thought that was just a bootleg, but regardless, it's really solid and a good capture of that period of the band.

Yes it was. Unfortunately it never made it to a stand-alone CD release (I assume vinyl back in the day as well as cassette). The only place on CD that I know it exists is on the bonus disc of the Castle Records re-release of Killers back when that label did a re-release of the catalog (and the Castle Records release has all five tracks).

[Stadler]

I'm doing something I don't think I've ever done before and just listening to their live albums only.

When done please post a quick synopsis/review with your rankings. Would enjoy reading your thoughts.

Now that's a project! Will do, oddly enough my very first Maiden album bought was the Live after Death cassette back in the early 90s and is really etched in my brain as the greatest live album of theirs. Though I think probably Rock in Rio has taken that place but would be very interesting how I rank their live albums in terms of sound and performance. Death on the road is no slouch I had forgotten how fantastic this album sounds.

Don't skip Maiden Japan!   That was fresh out when I got into them back in '82, and it's still one of my favorites.

Maiden Japan was an official release?  I thought that was just a bootleg, but regardless, it's really solid and a good capture of that period of the band.

Nope, it was legit.  I had it on vinyl in the day ("Special Mini LP!") and it's available on the two-CD Sanctuary reissue of Killers. 

[wolfking]

Bruce: "This is like some fucking awful infomercial, isn't it?"

Umm... yes.

Just my opinion but I just want them to get back in the studio. I have zero interest in this. Another live Maiden album? Yawn. Sign Of The Cross live sounded arbitrary. Bruce's vocals were not good, imo. He's my favourite vocalist and great in person, running about and stuff, but often sounds pants on live recordings.

His vocals on Aces High truthfully has made me consider skipping this release.  First one ever.  The last one I only listened to once anyway.

......aaaaaaaand I saw this on the weekend and picked it up. 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Love it!   

After all these years I still have a problem. 

[TAC]

Curiously, I do not own one Maiden live album despite owning all their studio albums and counting them among my favorite bands.

That's crazy talk right there.




I got the cassette version of Maiden Japan for Christmas '82.

[faizoff]

Don't skip Maiden Japan!   That was fresh out when I got into them back in '82, and it's still one of my favorites. 

Now there's an album name I haven't heard in a long time. I don't know if I've ever heard the album or if I did must've listened to it eons ago, but I do remember its reputation as one of the best as well.

[Cool Chris]

Curiously, I do not own one Maiden live album despite owning all their studio albums and counting them among my favorite bands.

That's crazy talk right there.

I know. I got in to Maiden late in the game (after DoD), so there's that.

[wolfking]

Curiously, I do not own one Maiden live album despite owning all their studio albums and counting them among my favorite bands.

That's crazy talk right there.

I know. I got in to Maiden late in the game (after DoD), so there's that.

Definitely start checking them all out mate.

[kirksnosehair]

To me, the gold standard in Iron Maiden live albums is the "Live After Death" album. 


But I've been listening to their latest live album, "Legacy of the Beast" and it's pretty killer.  I saw them live a couple of years ago and they still put on one hell of a show

[bobzor]

I almost never revisit Maiden live albums but the ones I enjoy the most are Maiden England and Live at Donington. The version of Fear of the Dark on Donington is one of the first experiences I had with the band, when I found a crappy video of it on the internet back in 2003, when I was getting into metal music. Maiden England came way later, in fact only when they re-released it as Maiden England '88. I suppose I like that one because of the track list.

Good memories of the A Real Live/Dead One combo as well, as it was one of the early albums I got by them. Many of the tracks on that album were in fact the first versions I heard of some of the songs, like Remember Tomorrow for instance. Not quality recordings by any means, and arguably one of Bruce's worst performances on tour. Still, holds a nostalgic place in my heart.

Live after Death is of course a classic from the golden era of the band.

[wolfking]

I love Live at Donington.  I think it's very underrated.

[Stadler]

I think KNH is right as rain: the gold standard is Live After Death.   

I was going to make a list, but first, there are more live releases than I realized, and second, after the obvious, how do you rank them?  None outright suck, and while I'm less inclined to take the compilation ones (that have a fade in between each track) I am a big fan of the "Real Live/Dead" releases.   

I guess if I had to pick, I'd say the top three are LAD, The Beast On The Road and En Vivo! But then again, Maiden England, Death On The Road...

(By the way, for those that don't know, the CD - across four nights - and the video - across two nights - of LAD are different performances, though there is some discrepancy as to what's what.)

[wolfking]

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.

[cramx3]

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.

I like it mostly for the magic. Its cheesy but its such a cool element to the show, the performance is otherwise shit and they look so uninterested. I do love this DVD for the oddness of it.

Can't argue against LAD but RIR is really what got me into Maiden so I think that may be my favorite, or Flight 666 since I was upfront for the Rime in NJ performance

[wolfking]

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.

I like it mostly for the magic. Its cheesy but its such a cool element to the show, the performance is otherwise shit and they look so uninterested. I do love this DVD for the oddness of it.

Can't argue against LAD but RIR is really what got me into Maiden so I think that may be my favorite, or Flight 666 since I was upfront for the Rime in NJ performance

Both Dave and Bruce perform like it's Maidens final show ever, for different reasons.  Dave is playing like the band is actually over.

[TAC]

This kid gets it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AihjrlrTiTU

[cramx3]

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.

I like it mostly for the magic. Its cheesy but its such a cool element to the show, the performance is otherwise shit and they look so uninterested. I do love this DVD for the oddness of it.

Can't argue against LAD but RIR is really what got me into Maiden so I think that may be my favorite, or Flight 666 since I was upfront for the Rime in NJ performance

Both Dave and Bruce perform like it's Maidens final show ever, for different reasons.  Dave is playing like the band is actually over.

He played so well his hands were cut off  https://youtu.be/FQi_rSQLGt4?t=2450

[wolfking]

Haha, yeah that bit was pretty cool. 

[cramx3]

Haha, yeah that bit was pretty cool. 

It's so cheesy but makes the whole show so unique, plus there's the real live raw energy to the performance.  I still think it's very lackluster in some ways because "it was the end" but it certainly has a lot of cool moments that make me really enjoy it for what it is.  Also, the Iron Maiden at the end, seemed so fitting. 

This made me go look for my DVD... and I can't find it, also the Early Years V1 DVD... wtf I'm not happy about that.



 I have such a good memory of finding the Raising Hell DVD at the mall in PA while in college and then watching it with my roommate and loving how that little kid was rocking out next to Steve Harris during HCW.  We always joke about that how we were jealous of that kid while watching it but a few years later we would then be that kid on stage for HCW.  Things like this are why they are my favorite band, easily.

[425]

I think it's hard to argue with Live After Death as the band's best live album, since it's them on the top of their game playing a spectacular setlist. There are a lot of iconic moments for me within that show, like "Los Angeles, can you feel it?" in Revelations.

I would put Rock in Rio up there next to it. I think there's a special energy to the band, playing a festival of that size, coming off the reunion and a very successful new album. The setlist is also really, really good, outside of the sort of baffling inclusion of The Mercenary (instead of, say, Out of the Silent Planet). I'd probably put it and LAD together at the top, and then En Vivo! third, partly due to my love of the reunion era and especially The Final Frontier.

Seeing all the praise for Death on the Road makes me want to go back and revisit that one. I recall the editing of the video being not very good, but maybe I should just do the audio.

[TAC]

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.

[cramx3]

  I'd be so pissed

[TAC]

I'd be so pissed

You have no idea. 

I was so pissed when she said we were going to spend the night at a friend's house with another couple. I was like, "But it's Iron Maiden's last concert!".

I was trying to talk her into me buying it for our friend's house so I could watch it.

[TAC]

The single best thing about Iron Maiden's live albums is the guitarists in different channels. If there's one thing Iron Maiden has perfected, it's the mixing of a live album.

[wolfking]

The single best thing about Iron Maiden's live albums is the guitarists in different channels. If there's one thing Iron Maiden has perfected, it's the mixing of a live album.

I'll give opinions on your other thoughts later, but this 1000%!

[gazinwales]

Anyone else ever check out Adrian Smith's 'Silver & Gold' album from 1989?
I really like it has some great songs and vocals from the great man.

[wolfking]

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.

No Prayer was one of my first introductions to Maiden along with the Donington VHS.  I used to watch that VHS every arvo after school, I loved it personally.  The footage with the slow motion images and black and white isn't the greatest, but that wasn't an issue for me back then.

The energy of this show is immense and as you said Tim, Janick brought the band alive again, especially Dave.  His soloing went up another level on No Prayer and Fear.  FOTD may be my fav Dave album truthfully.

The Real/Live Dead albums are great too with some excellent deep cuts, and solid performances.

I too wish there was an audio version of Raising Hell.

In terms of those old live albums, I've said before I used to Love panning the speakers and jamming along as Adrian or Dave.  So much fun with the harmonies especially.

One full live show I always wanted was Donington 88.  Bruce is obviously sick but the songs we got in Eddie's Archive I bloody love.  Great sound.

[bobzor]

Speaking of Fear of the Dark and No Prayer: In general, I feel the early 90's albums are pretty much overlooked among others than hard core Maiden fans. No Prayer for the Dying and Fear of the Dark both contain really good tracks, and while they for sure are no match to albums like Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son, I want to judge them by their own merits. I probably listen to those early 90's albums more than the comeback albums.

While they may not be the "return to the roots" that Harris strove for, they present an interesting sort of re-birth of a band that just couldn't go more epic after 7th Son. No Prayer is certainly pretty basic and the epic elements are totally stripped off, but I still find songs like Public Enema Number One to be among my favorites.

[Zydar]

There are some nice songs there, but I'm not a big fan of the change in vocal style that Bruce did. The kind of raspy voice he started with on those albums bring the enjoyment down somewhat for me.

I get that they felt they needed to take things down a notch or two from the epicness from the previous albums though. And Judas Be My Guide will always be a big favourite of mine.

[The Curious Orange]

Maiden Japan had a CD release as part of the First Ten Years series, released as a stand-alone and as part of the box-set way back in 1990. Hard to find now, of course.

[Stadler]

There are some nice songs there, but I'm not a big fan of the change in vocal style that Bruce did. The kind of raspy voice he started with on those albums bring the enjoyment down somewhat for me.

I get that they felt they needed to take things down a notch or two from the epicness from the previous albums though. And Judas Be My Guide will always be a big favourite of mine.

I wish he covered that in more detail in his book.  I'm fascinated by that; was it necessity?  Was it his choice (Tattooed Millionaire seems to suggest that)?  Steve's (the hiring of Blaze seems to suggest that)?

I like Raising Hell; I ripped the show to my hard drive so I have the audio (it's not perfect, what with the intercut magic segments).   At first I thought the music behind the magic was Maiden, doing something different, but it's not.   

TAC, I know what you mean; there IS something about that show that's different.  I can't put it into words either.