What type of Blaze-era Iron Maiden fan were you?

What type of Blaze-era Iron Maiden fan were you?

  • Listened when new, liked Blaze era based on merit

    Votes: 34 26.0%

  • Listened when new, disliked Blaze era based on merit

    Votes: 19 14.5%

  • Listened when new, liked Blaze era based on loyalty to Iron Maiden

    Votes: 9 6.9%

  • Listened when new, disliked Blaze era based on loyalty to Bruce

    Votes: 1 0.8%

  • Discovered later, liked Blaze era

    Votes: 52 39.7%

  • Discovered later, disliked Blaze era

    Votes: 16 12.2%
  • Total voters
    131
Well, you probably didn't have a clue how authentic it sounded. The rough vibe of a live concert, in your living room. Excellent.
I probably was a more tolerant (bigger) fan of the band in those days. I certainly loved it and had no issue at all with the sound.
I also think it's ridiculous to be bothered about production on a mid-teen age. That was absolutely minor for me. Now I do care, but I can't imagine how something like this should spoil a great, energetic performance of such vibrant music. What a handicap that is, such a spoiling loss, hurting a young, riping love for a band!

Yes, songwise and soundwise worse than LAD, but hey, this was the tour I just visited. It was 100% the vibe of the times. Different but excellent.
That experience won't go away, even after decades.
 
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Forostar said:
Well, you probably didn't have a clue how authentic it sounded. The rough vibe of a live concert, in your living room. Excellent.
...and had no issue at all with the sound.
Now I do care, but I can't imagine how something like this should spoil a great, energetic performance of such vibrant music.
It was 100% the vibe of the times.
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^ This.

A Real Live/Dead One live albums are not perfect, but for sure are not that bad. I kinda like their rough sound and energy.

...the worst produced live albums of Maiden are from the 90's though.
 
Forostar said:
Well, you probably didn't have a clue how authentic it sounded. The rough vibe of a live concert, in your living room. Excellent.
I probably was a more tolerant (bigger) fan of the band in those days. I certainly loved it and had no issue at all with the sound.
I also think it's ridiculous to be bothered about production on a mid-teen age. That was absolutely minor for me. Now I do care, but I can't imagine how something like this should spoil a great, energetic performance of such vibrant music. What a handicap that is, such a spoiling loss, hurting a young, riping love for a band!
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I still love the albums but I admit I'm a bit coloured by nostalgia when it comes to them :) I remember I used to think it was awesome that the shows were recorded at various locations throghout Europe and the booklets with all the imagery played into that tour feel you got listening to them. A Real Dead One were always the "darker" of the two, fantastic collection of songs there!
 
Jer said:
Well, let’s be honest, ARLO and ARDO are still shit live albums, even if they served as a gateway for some new fans. The production is bad, Bruce sounds winded and raspy, and don’t get me started on Janick again.

At this point I don’t think I’ve listened to either one in over 20 years. Maybe the next time I’m feeling masochistic I’ll pop one in and see how far I can get…
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I'm one of 'em that came aboard with ARLO as my first "new release" as a Maiden fan. It's easier to see the flaws nowadays than back then (Bruce sounds like he's going to fall asleep on ByYDTTS), although ARLO still has my favorite performance of FotD on it, and hey, I'll relisten to those albums waaaaay before I relisten to Nights of the Dead, since we're on the subject of awful live albums.
 
srfc said:
Thumbs up for point about FOTD live definitive version being on ARLO, no thumbs up for NOTD comment.
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Agreed. I am listening to the album right now and, crowd fake sound aside, I think it sounds pretty good. It is not Flight 666, but it is definitely more enjoyable to these ears than their 90s live albums.
 
I think it might be live album fatigue from fans rather than something specifically wrong with NOTD. Is it Maiden's best live album? No, nor anything like it, but it stands up well against live albums I have by other bands.
 
srfc said:
Thumbs up for point about FOTD live definitive version being on ARLO, no thumbs up for NOTD comment
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I've always loved that version because of the "bounce" in the instrumental midsection that I haven't heard replicated in other versions. It still gets me every time I hear it.

As for NotD, the band sounds incredible, especially Nicko on that album. Bruce's voice, however, makes it near unlistenable for me. Since all but one song had been released (often multiple times) on other live albums where Bruce's voice is its old, powerful self, I just don't see the reason to listen to vastly inferior versions of those songs. No, I absolutely don't expect him to sound like he did in the old days, and he's holding up better than MANY other singers at this late stage in their careers. But for me it was just tough to listen to, but might have to give it another try.

It's a bummer, because his voice was still in pretty great shape for his age in 2018. 2019, I have yet to hear a good showing of it. Hoping for the best when they get up and running again in 2022.
 
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Discovered later, liked Blaze era. The X Factor is one of their best albums as far as I'm concerned.
 
Listened (yet again) to Blaze's War Within Me and Tenth Dimension, and thought it was a shame we didn't have THAT Blaze on TXF and VXI. I know he said he learned a lot about using his voice in that style from Steve, but it's a shame he was still figuring things out on the Maiden albums. His voice is 100% more dynamic, powerful, and emotive on his solo work than what we got on the two Maidens.
 
CA Bryers said:
Listened (yet again) to Blaze's War Within Me and Tenth Dimension, and thought it was a shame we didn't have THAT Blaze on TXF and VXI. I know he said he learned a lot about using his voice in that style from Steve, but it's a shame he was still figuring things out on the Maiden albums. His voice is 100% more dynamic, powerful, and emotive on his solo work than what we got on the two Maidens.
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Even if we had THAT Blaze, the production and thin guitar sound wouldn’t do him any favors.
 
Not sure about those shops. I’m in Australia but have family in Virginia so visited Tracks in Georgetown many times in the 80s-90s. Went to a metal festival out at Jiffy Lube too!
 
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