Iron Maiden: Rock in Rio

I've owned Rock in Rio on DVD since it came out and its a really great Iron Maiden performance. All the band members are here putting on a great show for all the fans in Brazil.Bruce Dickenson hasn't seemed to lose any of that vocal ability he has. The set list is good as ever. They always have a great stage setup and lights. The sound mix is right on. I've seen them live on the 86' Somewhere on Tour and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son in 88'. They're one of the best live metal bands in the world. Rock in Rio is a really good DVD to own for any Maiden fan. The Early Years is also another one to check out for the Iron Maiden of old.

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.

On August 1, 2000, I witnessed Maiden's Brave New World Tour in Toronto. It was the opening show of the North American leg of the tour. This DVD captures the last show of the same tour, and it certainly captures the energy of Maiden's live performance.

The concert is enjoyable for Maiden fans young & old, because the set strikes a balance between new material (6 tracks off BNW) and a good mix of the classics. Bruce injects new life into the Blaze-era tracks "Sign of the Cross" and "The Clansman", and this DVD shows why he is one of the best frontmen in metal, with plenty of running around, jumping, dancing, feeding (and feeding off!) the crowd of 1/4 million crazy Brazilians.

The rest of the band are seen having the time of their lives. Nicko is all smiles behind the drum kit, Steve looks comfortable setting his groove, and the three guitarists gleefully take their turns soloing in the spotlight.

There have been complaints about the sound quality of this DVD, but let's be honest: it's a LIVE recording and it sounds pretty good even if it was touched up here and there. Watching it makes me feel like I am right there huddled alongside my metal brothers, and for that I think it is a complete success. A perfect 10 for all Iron Maiden fans.

In a time of chaos and calamity (check the review date) I wasn't expecting Maiden's debut DVD to be such a bastion of comfort but it really is. I had deeply coveted the lenticular cover'd CD as a Maiden-obsessed teen and when I got it, at last, I played it endlessly. I know every note and second of the bombastic and extensive set - getting it on DVD filled in all the blanks. Of COURSE there's a giant wicker man on stage, that makes sense now. I thought Bruce was just going insane. It's a wonderful show - for some quarter of a million people who are rapt - the energy of it is palpable and it catches the newly reunited Maiden in high spirits. Further to that you get special features of the band fishing, playing football, fencing and golfing because they're basically bunch of old men which is hilariously relaxing. Up the irons, always \m/

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.