Iron Maiden: Rock in Rio

I've had this DVD for years. It sounds great, though I still haven't watched it all the way through in one sitting. The editing is butchered by Iron Maiden's very own Steve Harris, and while I appreciate the idea of total artistic control, someone should really have stepped in and stopped him.

From Iron Maiden's own website - "Instead of using the existing TV broadcast the show was completely re-edited by Steve Harris to create an explosive two hour visual feast of the band's intensity on stage. The concert contains thousands of edits (more than the likes of most full length action movies such as Lord Of The Rings or Gladiator!) in a relentless two hour stage performance."

Thousands of edits. Thousands. Relentless? It's unwatchable. Steve Wonder might have done a better job. Good luck.

Iron Maiden: rock in Rio. How do you go about reviewing this title in a way that does not make you sound like you are on the payroll? If you a are a Maiden fan this is a title you must on, like it or not it is a resounding performance delivered by six men at the top of their game. The vocals are clear, the riffs are loud and the drum and bass is spot on. the only fault i have with it is that i wasn't there to witness this truly inspiring feat. there are not many bands out there nowadays that could pull of such a performance and from the intro to the end of run to the hills this performance delivers.

Iron Maiden have since toured the world more than once, and released to more albums, Dance of death might not be to everyones taste but i like it and a Matter of Lfe and Death? the beast is back to its best!

Iron Maiden are one of the worlds best metal bands and this DVD shows why. The sound is fantastic and the camera work is as well. Recorded live in front of 250,000 screaming fans this is Maiden at their best. In an age when most like shows are nothing more than lip synched dance party (Brittney Spears, n'synch, backstreet boys etc.) B.S. where the actual music is nothing more than an after thought, Maiden show what real musicians can do in a live atmosphere. Playing songs that span their 30+ year career these guys show no signs of slowing down. Bruce sounds great, Dave,Adrian and Janick all play their hearts out and unlike most of the bands that have popped up in the last 10 years Maiden plays quality guitar solos. Steve Harris is without a doubt one of the worlds best songwriter/bassists and as far as drummers go Nicko can't be touched. If you're a Maiden fan or metal fan, this is a must see/hear. Up the Irons!!!

Iron Maiden is best when live, and this DVD is an excellent demonstration of that fact. The playing is awesome, with Adrian, Dave and Janick tearing off the walls with their guitars, Steve making the ground tremble, Nicko smashing the drums and Bruce giving the performance of the decade. The band sounds better than ever, the real highlights of this show are: the band (of course), the scenery (the album backgrounds are awesome), and Bruce singing Blaze Bayley's songs (I mean, the Clansman is to me one of the best songs of the whole DVD, the shredding screams of "Freedom!" sound really energetic, completely different from the studio version). So all in all, this is a must have for any Maiden fan, and even if you aren't a fan, this is one of the most awesome DVDs ever.

Iron Maiden has always been about live-shows and Rock in Rio is probably their ultimate live-DVD/album. With the six-piece band now playing in front of the incredible crowd of 1/4 million people you can truly feel Maiden's energy.

There are several high-points during the very long concert with a variety of songs from the (at the time) recent album "Brave New World" and even some of their older ones. Definite high-points include "The Sign of the Cross", "The Clansman" and of course "The Trooper" which sounds more aggressive than ever before.

Naturally "Blood Brothers" and "Brave New World" rise to the occasion and even after 20 years, "Sanctuary" still packs a punch.