Rock In Rio DVD Discussion

Spaldy

Spaldy

Ancient Mariner
I've currently got this bad boy on. I must have watched it 100 times since its release (because it's their best live video) and I couldn't find a dedicated thread to it.

Anyway I noticed something curious. There are several shots on the dvd that look like there are Go-Pro cameras attached to the band. On GOTN it looks like it's on Janick's guitar and later on Wrathchild it's on Bruce’s mic but on the wide shots there's no camera there. Were they using micro cameras not visible to the naked eye or was this some post-production trick?

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Also, what are your opinions on the video in general? Personally, it's the best live document Maiden ever released and possibly the greatest live album of all time.
 
In addition, when I saw them at the London Earls Court Metal 2000 gig, during SOTC, Bruce was raised up on stage on a massive crucifix and there were cross shaped hologram lights circling the arena during the mid-section. This is absent from RiR. Do you think this was due to the largely Catholic sensibilities of Brazil and the reason they didn't use the overt Christian symbolism?
 
I think there was a issue with the crucifix. Didn't it fall off in New York or something like that?

Regarding the cameras, a lot of the visual shots used are from Santiago gig, including the stuff with the mounted cams, which were pretty big (camcorder size but mount was rather clumsy). There are audience shots from Santiago gig too. When you know that, you can see the parts that don't belong to Rio due to different lighting.

The RiR product is totally compressed, the sound is banging, but dynamics are gone. If you haven't seen the bootleg, do it now. I wouldn't trade RiR for anything but the way the complete band thunders behind Smith's intro riff is completely absent on the DVD. A lot of stuff in guitar department is blended up to the wall of sound. The bootleg is muddy but provides some extra detail that is gone from the end product.

You also have the Chile gig as pro bootleg if you want to see the true source of the Wrathchild's visuals.
 
And also they cut Bruce rants and talking. If you listen songs like Wickerman, Clansman and FoD on every chorus Bruce is singing that part, but that is just copy/paste voice of Bruce, because in bootleg show you can hear that Bruce let audiance to sing that part of song.
 
Spaldy said:
Also, what are your opinions on the video in general? Personally, it's the best live document Maiden ever released and possibly the greatest live album of all time.
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^ This. Rock In Rio is Maiden's best live album/concert!

Edit: with the best performance of the band and with the best sound too.
 
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gazda said:
And also they cut Bruce rants and talking. If you listen songs like Wickerman, Clansman and FoD on every chorus Bruce is singing that part, but that is just copy/paste voice of Bruce, because in bootleg show you can hear that Bruce let audiance to sing that part of song.
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I was at the festival and I can say that unfortunately the dvd is heavily edited. Both in terms of sound and visual. All of Bruce's jokes were dropped (he mocked Britney Spears who performed the day before, quoted Michael Jackson's moonwalker as he climbed on the rail camera, etc.)

Small technical errors in the execution of the songs were also masked. And in my super modest opinion that's part of what makes a live concert unique.
 


Starting at approx 48 seconds on this, there's a video clip on youtube as well but the noise isn't as prominent on it
 
Spaldy said:
Personally, it's the best live document Maiden ever released and possibly the greatest live album of all time.
Click to expand...

Yeah, no. It's a good live album, but as @waspfan points out, some of the edits are quite obvious. Once I heard that Bruce's "fear of the dark line" after shouting "you!" was copy/paste from the previous one, I could not unhear it. The video has problems, such as guitars magically switching colours during a song and so forth.
Those are nitpicks, but in general, to me it's not the best live album simply because in my opinion there are better ones. Beast Over Hammersmith is an obvious candidate, and I'd say even Maiden England is better, at least following the re-release.
It was an important live album when it was released because it for the first time showcased the six-piece lineup, it finally got the balance between a good performance and a good audience sound right, and the DVD bonus features were the first time we actually got a thoroughly personal view of all the band members. I know it's hard to imagine now, but before 2001, we didn't publicly know that Adrian liked fishing. The whole set feels like a re-introduction to Maiden in a new era, and as such it's an important landmark.
But to say it's the greatest live album of all time, oh boy. Aren't you asking it to carry a lot of weight there? Is it even fair to compare it to records like Live at Leeds or Made in Japan? Wouldn't we have to do a lot of defining work towards what makes a "great" live album before we start making superlative statements?
 
If you watch the televison broadcast from Chile on youtube, you can see Bruce wearing a go-pro camera. That footage on the DVD is taken from there.

Spaldy said:
:eek: What, during the RiR show?
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Yes, it's only clearly audible on the television broadcast though, not the DVD version.
 
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Unforutnately Maiden video albums are not just good as they could be.

I always prefere just to listen live audio than watch Maiden video album.

For me live video album should be as closest as possible to a live experience. But Maiden videos always have some strange editing (split screens, black and white screen, slow motions...)

RiR is great but just too much edited, I really dont understand why they copy/paste Bruce voice on every song. There is 250 000 people, let them sing.
 
srfc said:


Starting at approx 48 seconds on this, there's a video clip on youtube as well but the noise isn't as prominent on it
Click to expand...

On my version, I hear the banging sounds then a voice that isn't Bruce very clearly says... I know it isn't but I can't hear it as anything other than "kill him". It's interesting that it's not present in that audio. Has anyone else heard that too?
 
Perun said:
But to say it's the greatest live album of all time, oh boy. Aren't you asking it to carry a lot of weight there? Is it even fair to compare it to records like Live at Leeds or Made in Japan? Wouldn't we have to do a lot of defining work towards what makes a "great" live album before we start making superlative statements?
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I think he just meant it’s his favorite live album. Which honestly, you could do so much worse. Tight performances, great setlist, it’s up there for me too. Does it really matter if it was edited in the studio? There’s so many iconic live records that were overdubbed and pieces punched in, like Kiss’s Alive, Priest’s Unleashed in the East, and even Maiden’s own Live After Death (IIRC?). These are all held up as some of the best ever, at least in the rock world, and I think it’s no issue if it was edited in the studio or not if the overall product slaps. And I think it does.
 
I don’t think there is a stereo track on the DVD. I seem to remember that is why the audio is off in places. Both options are 5.1. Am I misremembering?
 
Perun said:
Yeah, no. It's a good live album, but as @waspfan points out, some of the edits are quite obvious. Once I heard that Bruce's "fear of the dark line" after shouting "you!" was copy/paste from the previous one, I could not unhear it. The video has problems, such as guitars magically switching colours during a song and so forth.
Those are nitpicks, but in general, to me it's not the best live album simply because in my opinion there are better ones. Beast Over Hammersmith is an obvious candidate, and I'd say even Maiden England is better, at least following the re-release.
It was an important live album when it was released because it for the first time showcased the six-piece lineup, it finally got the balance between a good performance and a good audience sound right, and the DVD bonus features were the first time we actually got a thoroughly personal view of all the band members. I know it's hard to imagine now, but before 2001, we didn't publicly know that Adrian liked fishing. The whole set feels like a re-introduction to Maiden in a new era, and as such it's an important landmark.
But to say it's the greatest live album of all time, oh boy. Aren't you asking it to carry a lot of weight there? Is it even fair to compare it to records like Live at Leeds or Made in Japan? Wouldn't we have to do a lot of defining work towards what makes a "great" live album before we start making superlative statements?
Click to expand...
You must have missed the part where I said 'personally'. Maybe I should make it clearer. In my opinion it's the greatest live album. I am well aware of the copy/pasted parts and editing but if you think that practically every other live album doesn't have editing then you should probably educate yourself.

It's interesting you quote Made In Japan which is about 50% recorded in the studio.
 
srfc said:


Starting at approx 48 seconds on this, there's a video clip on youtube as well but the noise isn't as prominent on it
Click to expand...
I always thought that sound was Nicko mucking about. I never knew there had been an accident.

Fair play to Bruce for keeping the show going like nothing had happened.
 
I'm not stupid guys, I know that @Spaldy was stating his own opinion, but he also said "Also, what are your opinions on the video in general?"

Well, sorry for trying to discuss this.
 
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