Diesel and the Appreciation of Live Maiden

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Diesel 11

Diesel 11

As you scream into the web of silence...
Ok so I didn't know where else to post this stuff so I thought I'd open this thread here. If anyone knows of a pre-existing thread that this would be fit in better I'd be obliged.

So recently I've started getting into live Maiden stuff after a long time of avoiding it. I have seen the following:

TBOS: The Live Chapter - Highly good, this is basically what got me to start watching their live stuff.

Flight 666 - I really enjoyed this one, it's kind of a "best of" compilation instead of a "concert" like it's called. Rime of the Ancient Mariner is probably the greatest live song in history, based mainly off of this recording.

Curitiba 1998 - This is a concert from the Blaze era and despite the flak he gets as a live frontman I thought he did a very nice job. His own songs were spot on, and while he's not perfect doing Bruce's material (but then Bruce isn't either) he still managed to pull it off. The ending of Hallowed had some amazing singing on his part, I'm impressed he held those notes for as long as he did. Not to mention the part in Sanctuary where he got the crowd screaming. Nice stuff.

Next on the roster is Raising Hell, which I started watching but have not yet finished. Rock In Rio and Live at Donnington are also on my list, and eventually I should get around to watching Live After Death (though I've heard the album).

Any other live videos / concerts I should check out?
 
I love the Death on the Road DVD. Great setlist and great performances. However the fast-cut editing bothers a lot of people. I got used to it pretty quickly and appreciate it for what it is.

En Vivo is also very good with an amazing South American crowd. Flight 666 is king, though.
 
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Rock in Rio from '01 is un-fuckable, one of the things that got me into Maiden.

My personal recommendation: Eddie Rips Up Europe Tour from '05, I think there is whole gig from Ullevi, Sweden on Youtube somewhere, I know it was broadcasted live at the time.
 
1981 Japan bootleg (so-called "full version" of Maiden Japan). Any decent bootleg from Somewhere On Tour. Ditto, World Piece Tour.
Beast Over Hammersmith, Donington '88.
 
There's no live album you should or could miss, no matter what people will tell you. Each one has its place in the history and lore of the band. Maiden is primarily a live band, and if you reduce your appreciation to the studio albums, you're simply ignoring what this band is about.

Having said that, of course I have my favourite live albums, which are Beast Over Hammersmith, Flight 666 and Rock in Rio, in that order. But this doesn't mean I don't like the others. As far as the official releases go, it's all or nothing in my book.

You would do well to seek out some of the live b-sides as well. The NPFTD/FOTD era singles have all of the NPFTD tracks that were performed live, and you can't find most of them anywhere else. I also have a very deep love for the Ed Huntour B-Sides that are on the BNW-era singles. These are some of the best official live performances they ever put out.

When it comes to bootlegs, some of the important ones have already been mentioned. Japan 1981 is a must-have, as is Ullevi 2005. Next to those, the best-known bootlegs are probably New York 1982 and Dortmund 1983. The Curitiba gig you checked out is a good starting point for the Blaze era, but the big ones are Gothenburg 1995. A few of the songs from that gig also turned up on some b-sides. There is also a tv broadcast of a Brazilian gig in 1996 from a festival I think. Buenos Aires 1998 is also one you should listen to, not only because it's Blaze's last gig with the band, but also because it's bloody good. My favourite Blaze-era bootleg would be Madrid 1998, though.
Apart from those, my favourite bootlegs are probably London 1983 (I forgot which date, I can check when I'm home), Madrid 1986 and Shepherd's Bush (First night) 2001.
 
I guess your appreciation depends on what had already been released when you discovered Maiden - which has a kind of "mythical" status, compared to what has been released afterwards. It is natural I guess: how can "new products" live up to those which got you into the band and opened new worlds for you, made your imagination work? It is how I function anyway, maybe others tend to follow the same pattern.

Basically, I discovered Iron Maiden with Fear of the Dark, A Real Live One and Live At Donnington (sic) in 1993 (by the time A Real Dead One was released, I knew much of the discography). The band with just Janick still is "real Maiden" for me and the best version of "Fear of the Dark" is on ARLO, as far as I'm concerned. For example, I like (the band's performance, sound and setlist in ) Raising Hell (1994) a lot, compared to the average fan I guess.

Yet, I am not surprised to see that for those who discovered Maiden later on, Rock In Rio is a must. Personally, I think that while the middle of the concert ("Blood Brothers" up to "Dream of Mirrors") looks good on paper, it is a bit overloaded for my taste especially when I just listen to it (I appreciate it more on DVD). Besides, I find the sound a bit too clean compared to the 1993 live releases.

All in all, that doesn't prevent me from appreciating pretty much every live the band has released. I regret there is no official full live release from the 1990-91, 2003, 2005 and 2010 (summer) tours though.
 
Don't forget to watch the early stuff either - Live at the Rainbow 1981, their first concert film, is excellent. Watch the Live at the Ruskin Arms 1980 too that's on the Early Days DVD. Awesome to see where/how things started.
 
Black Bart said:
I guess your appreciation depends on what had already been released when you discovered Maiden - which has a kind of "mythical" status, compared to what has been released afterwards. It is natural I guess: how can "new products" live up to those which got you into the band and opened new worlds for you, made your imagination work? It is how I function anyway, maybe others tend to follow the same pattern.

Basically, I discovered Iron Maiden with Fear of the Dark, A Real Live One and Live At Donnington (sic) in 1993 (by the time A Real Dead One was released, I knew much of the discography). The band with just Janick still is "real Maiden" for me and the best version of "Fear of the Dark" is on ARLO, as far as I'm concerned. For example, I like (the band's performance, sound and setlist in ) Raising Hell (1994) a lot, compared to the average fan I guess.

Yet, I am not surprised to see that for those who discovered Maiden later on, Rock In Rio is a must. Personally, I think that while the middle of the concert ("Blood Brothers" up to "Dream of Mirrors") looks good on paper, it is a bit overloaded for my taste especially when I just listen to it (I appreciate it more on DVD). Besides, I find the sound a bit too clean compared to the 1993 live releases.

All in all, that doesn't prevent me from appreciating pretty much every live the band has released. I regret there is no official full live release from the 1990-91, 2003, 2005 and 2010 (summer) tours though.
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Going slightly off-topic (but not totally), I do not think it is just "pretty much every live the band has released". You can also say: pretty much every album the band has released.
I think "our generation" (the ones who started in the early nineties) could be the most tolerant towards all these different eras. I haven't done scientific research, but if my memory (and experiences out here) serve me well, then I'd say this is the case.

We learned and had time to appreciate all these albums. There was less Maiden to choose from as well. We were into the new releases, we were able to see the tours from that time, especially then it was extra special because it was very new, and we loved to discover the old albums. Downside (speaking for myself), I got more critical (intolerant?) with every newer album that got released. Still I have never felt I utterly disliked more than 1 or 2 songs one one album, and I find several very satisfying moments on all Maiden albums. As opposed to lots of eighties or reunion era fans who treat complete decades or (lack of)singer/guitarist-eras as the worst ever done by mankind. "No Broose? Bah. No Adgian? Not good."
 
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Magnus said:
I honestly envy you.


For me it has nothing to do with "no Broose" or "no Adgian", it's just that the early material mostly felt like flowing effortlessly where later stuff tends to hiccup and stumble.
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I don't totally disagree: there is a "before-FOTD" and an "after-FOTD" for me. Still, I always find scrumptious bits to nibble at in the latter output, more rarely full songs I admit - but that may be due to the shortening of my attention span because of the Internet and ageing! ;)
 
Black Bart said:
I don't totally disagree: there is a "before-FOTD" and an "after-FOTD" for me. Still, I always find scrumptious bits to nibble at in the latter output, more rarely full songs I admit - but that may be due to the shortening of my attention span because of the Internet and ageing! ;)
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Fear of the Dark the song is probably the last one for me that doesn't feel strained from start to finish. Later stuff has great music here and there mixed up with totally useless bits. "Rarely full songs" - exactly, and I'm obviously ageing worse than you ;)
 
Forostar said:
Still I have never felt I utterly disliked more than 1 or 2 songs one one album, and I find several very satisfying moments on all Maiden albums.
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I would honestly agree, and go even further - something I brought up before, I don't think they've ever released a bad song, let alone album. For instance, Purgatory is my least favorite album cut, but that's only because the rest of the band's music stands up so well.

The albums as a whole don't drop below a 6/10 ATM, and Killers is probably the only one I give that to.
 
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