En Vivo! 2CD Set [Live]

Ever since listening to the Live After Death upon release back in 1985, I believed that there would never be such an awesome live album. But since we moved from Metal's climax in the 80's to "Alternative Grunge" in the 90s, and even more to pop/idol senstations (and I use those terms loosely, mind you( of today in the 00's, I've given up hope that crowds are truly as interested in seeing the performer as much as the performer is interested in seeing the crowds.

That said, 30 years later, and finally picking up a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance (Which they couldn't pick up due to touring - you gotta love their dedication to fans when they're on the road!), they come back full force with an album that doesn't compromise, doesn't "explore new directions" like other bands have unsuccessfully done, and remains classic Maiden metal while delivering fresh new songs, topics and energy while delivering that familiar sound that some of us have enjoyed for years - and decades.

Having been blown away by the new material when Iron Maiden toured North America in 2010, I saw them in concert. They toured before the release of the album, so we heard the songs before Final Frontier hit the shelves. I truly wished I could have heard the songs first and THEN see the concert. It was a great concert, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to be familiar with the songs, especially when they make up a significant portion of the show. So after missing the Somewhere Back In Time Tour, and previewing the Final Frontier content prior to release, I was really looking forward to En Vivo. I was ready for every song they've written, and excited to hear them live - again!

The concerts in the States pale in comparison to some of the shows Iron Maiden plays around the world, and I'm really glad they showcased Santiago Chile, as the crowd is absolutely amazing, and hungry for really good European Metal. Since this isn't about the concert clips, and I"ll be reviewing the movie later, it will suffice for now that the music and audio is amazing, but hearing the audience like you can on this album gives you goose bumps. This kind of fandom doesn't happen in the States. But Chile was on fire for a night of metal, and if this album is an indication, they sound like they got everything they wanted.

The lineup really focuses on the material from Final Frontier -Coming Home, El Dorado, The Talisman- and peppers in a few classics -2 Minutes to Midnight, Running Free and others- while digging into some later "classics" like The Wicker Man, Blood Brothers and Fear of the Dark. The dividing of tracks makes sense, and represents Maiden thoroughly. The live performance of When the Wild Wind Blows, however, is probably the track worth considering. It's flawlessly executed, and ranks up there with Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Alexander The Great (Neither included on this disc, and I wish they'd record Alexander the Great live one of these days!), which I think are two of Maidens longest - and best - songs. Bruce is at his best vocally, and really sounds like every song is given 100%.

The mix I've got the CDs now (Vinyls on order for the real test!) is right, as the bass is represented, guitar solos aren't faded in (thank goodness, some live performances do that to avoid pop notes and feedback), Steve Harris pounds that bass like a spoiled child and Bruce shows the Mic respect, as no p-pops or Mic bumps are heard throught the entire performance. This is where professionals and rookies are separated and Iron Maiden has shown that they're consummate professionals.

You might say, Hey, you're a fan. You gave it 5 stars. You go to their concerts. Yes, that's correct. In fact, I'll even counter that with, "I have pit tickets for their show in the summer with my wife and teenager and I'm a member of the Fan Club". It's true. I'm a fan of a great show, new music, having Iron Maiden as old friends on my turntable, and I enjoy watching Maiden continue to evolve into the greatest rock act ever to grace a stage. Nobody today even comes close. They deliver a product unlike any other band from the album art, website, pictures, inserts, even the colored vinyl is a touch that shows that the fans are still important, and still gets benefits for buying their records. In a world where "less is more" and "Look at me, I'm sensitive and care for the environment as evidenced by my paper CD packaging and private jet world touring" types, which is a popular marketing strategy, it's nice to see some of the excesses of modern metal still delivered by the guys who do it best. That's worth paying extra for, assuming I had to. I didn't. This price is insane for what you get.

Up The Irons!

This 2-CD set captures a monumental performance from probably the best live heavy metal band of all time. Look at their enormous tours, legendary concerts, and rabid following, and you can't really argue against it. In this show from Chile, Bruce Dickinson proves for the millionth time that he has preserved his voice better than anyone else in hard rock or metal. The man is in his 50's and doesn't sound a day over 25 or 30. Having a gigantic force like that fronting an older band is almost unheard of, as many of Dickinson's peers' voices have succumbed to age, hard living, or both. The rest of the band are no slouches either, delivering a powerful set with conviction and enthusiasm. Speaking of the set, En Vivo has a good mix of different eras. You get 17 songs, with five from the early 80's (from Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast, and Piece of Mind), one each from Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son from 1984 and 1988 respectively, one song from the 90's (the title track to Fear of the Dark), three songs from the early 2000's, and six from The Final Frontier, the album behind the tour. Overall, they don't rely on their "greatest hits" in this show, playing many modern Maiden tunes, but they still deliver mandatory numbers like The Number of the Beast and The Trooper. The crowd in Chile completes the package for En Vivo, providing a massive wall of backing vocals, cheers, and chants. If you're a fan of Iron Maiden, pick this up for a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours.

Okay, first let me dispense with the obvious: this is another 2-CD live Iron Maiden album. There are a great many of these, and most of them are very good to great snapshots of an amazing band. Do you need it? No. Rock in Rio and Flight 666 offer the same sonic weight from the band and energy from the crowd found throughout En Vivo. So why might you buy it? Two reasons, I think. First, you're a huge Maiden fan and you pretty much buy all their stuff, regardless of whether of not you really need yet another live version of Hallowed Be Thy Name. That's me. Or second, you're a Maiden fan and you want to hear some particularly good live recordings you can't get on other CDs, or you're looking for some live versions that are clearly different from those found on other, earlier, works. If you fit this second description, En Vivo would go really well alongside Rock in Rio and F666.

For example, Coming Home is a great tune off Final Frontier, and the version on En Vivo is amazing, sonically. It has something of the anthemic power of Blood Brothers or Fear of the Dark, and highlights all members of the band. The Final Frontier and El Dorado are a great opening pair, too, much like Aces High/2 Minutes to Midnight or Wicker Man/Ghost of the Navigator. And you can't get these three songs on other discs.

Dance of Death is as good, or better, than what's on Death on the Road - and that's a great version of the song. Fear of the Dark is closer to that on Rock in Rio than F666 (and I think that's a good thing), and yet distinct. Listen to them both and they differ - and are both really good. 'Iron Maiden' offers a slight variation on the main riff, different from F666.

When the Wild Wind Blows is actually better live than in the studio - there's another one, along those others I mentioned, that make the album unique. Finally, Running Free's here, which was missing from F666, and I think it's a better live version than what you'll find on Live After Death (I know! Heresy! But the recording/production value is 20+ years newer, and picks up so much more of the song...like Rime of the Ancient Mariner on Live After... vs. the version on F666...the latter blows the older one away). And here's a random note: Adrian has a lot more wah in his solos on this album than others - it offers nice texture you don't hear as readily on RiR or others. I like the difference.

Anyway, it's a very solid album that you do not need, and yet will likely enjoy a great deal if you buy it. So Up the Irons and buy it!