Is Live After Death Overrated?

nuno_c

A hollow universe in space
Although i really appreciate this album, i've always felt that it's a bit overrated. Bruce in particular seems to be struggling a lot. What do you guys think? Is this album so highly regarded because of it's historical context?
 
It's Certainly the greatest live album released up to 1985, and its regarded so highly by critics because it has the safest setlist and is the 1st live album by the "Classic" line-up who were the greatest live band ever
 
It's Certainly the greatest live album released up to 1985, and its regarded so highly by critics because it has the safest setlist and is the 1st live album by the "Classic" line-up who were the greatest live band ever
I totally get that, but don't you realistically think there were much better live albums since?
 
Yep but it's general public/Critics that say Live after Death. most maiden fans Ive met say Rock in Rio or En Vivo
 
Exactly. Many fans i know tend to recommend En Vivo.

I think it's remarkable, btw, how for example on Flight 666 Bruce really hits the high notes on Aces High but, more than 20 years before, he was REALLY struggling with that one on LAD :eek:
 
The "problem" with it is that it is not a complete concert. They used to do a guitar solo and "Losfer Words (Big'Orra)" - a track which is way underrated in my opinion - on this part of the tour.

Besides, on the VHS/DVD, one guitar (I think it's Adrian, if I remember well) goes out of tune during "Sanctuary" (absent from the audio recordings, apart from a B-side) and that really tarnishes the rendition of the song.

Paradoxically enough, this album has suffered from the same criticism as Unleashed in the East, that is "too clean to be honest". One of the bandmembers' arguments during the promotion of A Real Live One and A Real Dead One was that those recordings were much more faithful to what the audience actually hears (e.g the intro of "The Evil That Men Do" and the bass sound, which a lot of people criticize nowadays).

However, hearing Bruce struggling in several parts of LAD suggests it was not as overdubbed as, say, Dream Theater's Score! :nonono:
 
What are you talking about?

every song on LAD is considered "Classic Maiden" Later albums like RIR or En Vivo have songs like Sign of the Cross, The Mercenary, Dance of Death and Coming Home, which are great songs but not considered Classics by non Maiden fans
 
Black Bart, you managed to sum up the problems, but the good thing is this: it is more than one concert. It features songs that were not even played at Long Beach Arena. And what is not on the LP, makes the video, and two singles more special.

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The double LP is the greatest Maiden item to behold.
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:wub:
And the setlist contains some really strong songs.
every song on LAD is considered "Classic Maiden" Later albums like RIR or En Vivo have songs like Sign of the Cross, The Mercenary, Dance of Death and Coming Home, which are great songs but not considered Classics by non Maiden fans
Ok, I see what you mean.
 
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The double LP is the greatest Maiden item to behold.
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:wub:

Amen!
(I have got the original double vinyl, but it is the only lp that I still don't have in the "red box" reeditions - and seeing how beautiful the original is, I am not in a hurry to pay for a scanned copy of it, though official ;) )
 
It's the first Maiden album I owned! I bought it in 1991, around the same time (probably after) as the Sanctuary maxi single.
 
LAD should have been the full concert that is on the last side of the vinyl (Hammersmith, October 8th to 12th, 1984); there are some tears inducing renditions on the original Long Beach Arena show album but, it's not the band's best live offering, though, it's release time was perfect 'cos it cemented Heavy Metal and Maiden as giant forces on the live camp too. The band sounds much better on the Rock In Rio I performance. It is a classic, timeless and great way to introduce Maiden to the young fan but, it's not the peak of Maiden's live game.
 
I totally get that, but don't you realistically think there were much better live albums since?

Like which ones ? Which live albums post 1985 do you think that are better than LAD??? I can only think of Live Shit: Binge and Purge by Metallica which was a monstrous effort that will never topped again not even by Metallica. Decade of aggression by Slayer , Operation Livecrime by Queensryche and Iced Earth's Alive in Athens were very good but I don't think that they are as good and defining as Live After Death.
 
Like which ones ? Which live albums post 1985 do you think that are better than LAD??? I can only think of Live Shit: Binge and Purge by Metallica which was a monstrous effort that will never topped again not even by Metallica. Decade of aggression by Slayer , Operation Livecrime by Queensryche and Iced Earth's Alive in Athens were very good but I don't think that they are as good and defining as Live After Death.
Alive in Athens is an insanely good live album and certainly better performance than LAD, also
Tribute - Ozzy Osbourne
Deadly Lullabyes - King Diamond
Exodus - Another Lesson in Violence
Emperial Live Ceremony - Emperor

and ever more importantly
Bruce Dickinson - Scream for Me Brazil
Blaze - As Live as It Gets

Live After Death is an Iconic album and its very good but it's not the best. not even the best Maiden Live album
 
Live After Death is a great concert video. It is not necessarily a great recording, primarily because of Bruce's incredibly shoddy performance. It's great to see the classic band, the stage setup, the energy...but if I'm looking to hear a Maiden live song, this is literally the last album I would go to.

Besides, on the VHS/DVD, one guitar (I think it's Adrian, if I remember well) goes out of tune during "Sanctuary" (absent from the audio recordings, apart from a B-side) and that really tarnishes the rendition of the song.

That's slight compared to Raising Hell...I swear to God half the show is out of tune. Maybe if both guitarists would have eased up on the furious whammy bar masturbation...
 
Like which ones ? Which live albums post 1985 do you think that are better than LAD??? I can only think of Live Shit: Binge and Purge by Metallica which was a monstrous effort that will never topped again not even by Metallica. Decade of aggression by Slayer , Operation Livecrime by Queensryche and Iced Earth's Alive in Athens were very good but I don't think that they are as good and defining as Live After Death.
I mean live albums by Maiden, not by other bands in general.
 
My 1985 copy of Live After Death vinyl gets tons of listens from me! I just got it a while back used for $20, and it's in great condition! I figured it was only like 2-3 years old, but I looked it up and it's a original 1985 U.S. copy! And it is really awesome!! The cover and the inside art is as great as the music itself! Especially on vinyl! So many great pictures :)
My personal favorite official live Iron Maiden album is Beast Over Hammersmith though. That's an awesome setlist! But the 2 live Maiden albums that get the most listens from me, next to my LAD LP and BOH is Maiden Japan (Japan 1981) and The Greediness (U.K. 1986), which are both bootlegs, but very awesome!! I really wish they would release some more live albums.
 
I mean live albums by Maiden, not by other bands in general.

I guess it's got a lot to do with your age as well how long you have been a fan for and when you actually became acquainted with their music. If you are in >35 years old like I am!!! I would be very surprised to read that LAD or Maiden England is not your favourite live maiden album. Younger people that became fans around the BNW era tend to like Rock in Rio or Death on the Road more than LAD
 
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