Visions of the Beast

Rating:
Summary: Truly a Visionary Release from Maiden
Review: I waited and waited for this.

It consists of a 2-disc DVD set packed full of videos, extras, and a slick "Eddie" navigation interface.

See the track listing and you'll find that they do a decent job of covering their career by releasing a good mix of songs that the various musicians performed. They have the old stuff up to the new stuff of today.

I was disappointed that there was not more than several live filmed performances however. I bought the set thinking it was all live. Instead it's all music video with several live performances or bits and peices of live performances mixed with studio music video.

All in all I think it's a great release though. The navigation interface, extras, and artwork are worth having alone. All of the notorious Eddie artwork is on the DVD set.

Keep in mind however if you are looking for unadulterated "live" Maiden energy, you should perhaps stick with LIVE AFTER DEATH and/or ROCK IN RIO.

Rating:
Summary: Disc 2 is expendable...unless you're a sucker for agony
Review: If I could've only bought Disc One I would've been happier, but for the price I'll deal with it. Seeing that spasmodic, Blackmore-wannabe Janick Gers butcher Hallowed Be Thy Name with his dancing and guitar wanking almost left me in tears.
This is a very accurate documentation of the band's rise and fall and semi-rise, as the quality of the videos truly reflects the quality of the band's output: the video for "Virus"--clearly the lowest point in the band's career--is the cheapest-looking homemade tripe I've ever seen a major band put their name on. Your little sister could've made a better video than this. Apparently recorded in Steve Harris' closet, each band member lip-synching to the song in some places is just a terrible and pointless idea, although watching Dave Murray lisp through his part was rather funny. And the unpleasant closeup of Gers singing his line reminds us all that his only real purpose in the band is to prove that there is someone uglier that Nicko "Cro-Magnon Brow" McBrain. This video makes "Holy Smoke" look like a Hollywood blockbuster.
Maiden and I had a falling out around 1990, when that epileptic clown Janick took over for Iron Maiden's real hidden talent Adrian Smith. So it's the pre-90 videos I'm focusing on, and loving every vintage metal minute of it!!! This was real music, kiddies, with talent and intensity, yet no dancing or guitar flinging to distract you. However, watching them back to back reveals the weakness of those classics: they are all the same exact video. You could play any of their songs over those videos and not know the difference. Live shots intercut with old film footage, from Run to the Hills to Aces High and Tailgunner--what's the difference? It does get old.
And it was about that time that Steve Harris really developed his ego, as evident in the videos he directs. He obviously chose some camera shots that tended to linger on himself ("Virus", for example, where he "sings" more than the singer!).
I don't understand who or what Camp Chaos is, or why they felt the need to provide really bad animation to some classic videos, when the animation would have been more appreciated in the modern-but-lifeless videos like the aforementioned embarrassment "Virus", "From Here to Eternity", or--ugh!--"Wasting Love".
And what's with the green flying globule in the title animation? Is it Maiden related at all? And Eddie's silver skin...huh?
Ultimately, the best things about this set are the topless women in the pictures on Eddie's wall--those alone raised my rating to 3 stars for the whole package--and all videos prior to "Holy Smoke". I must admit, though, the soccer match played to Futureal was very entertaining, but again Steve's taking all the attention, which is getting more and more tiresome.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Collection Of Maiden's Work. Only For True Fans
Review: If u r a true maiden fan, then this is definatly for u. I got slightly bored at the beggining with the Paul Di'Anno crap that they called music, but when Bruce came on, i was in heaven.
Up until Blaze's annoying, harsh vocals, i was loving every minute of this DVD, but the cheap production of "virus" and the all the lip-syncing mad me want to rip the cd out and wipe my backside with it and mail it personally to Blaze himself. But then Bruce came back with the amazing video for "The Wicker Man" and the ever "full of life" live performance of Brave New World made me smile again.

The Video for Holy Smoke may be some kind of cheap home movie, but it's funny. Watching them mess around in the local countryside makes u want to laugh all throughout the song. I was only very young when i first got into Maiden about 10 years ago and thought that Janick had been there all along and the current line up was the only lineup that there ever was, but when I started to learn more about the band, I realised that it was the stongest and the best lineup that had been apart from one person missing, Adrian. When Blaze joined, I could see that the band was on the way down, but when the current lineup reformed, it was the start of something magical, and that was shown in Brave New World and the energy of the band was shown in Rock In Rio.

This DVD is only for a true Maiden fans who can put up with a few bad apples in a huge fruit bowl. Even though u have to put up with Di'Anno and Blayley, this is still a amazing collection of everything that has made Maiden what it is today.

Rating:
Summary: The Beat has Eyes...
Review: If you are a fan of Iron Maiden, then this is a MUST HAVE for your collection.

I have been a fan since the beginning, always keeping up to speed on what Maiden is doing in the world of hard rock/heavy metal.

The most frustrating thing I continually experience as a Maiden fan is the lack of air play this band gets. Give Maiden credit, they never sold out and never been about main-stream. They make straight forward music that appeals to their fans. You would think that MTV and VH-1 would realize just how many of us there are and occasionally play their videos.

Never fear (of the dark, ha ha ha)...

I had a chance to preview "Visions of the Beast". It is THEE collection of Maiden music videos. As I stated earlier, it's a must have. Going way back to "Women in Uniform" all the way to the new Camp Chaos versions of some of our favorite tracks, it is the video time line of the best metal band ever.

I have already back-ordered mine. Do yourself a favor and do the same!

UP THE IRONS!

Rating:
Summary: Good if you like Maiden AND music videos
Review: Iron Maiden, until just recently, had only released three DVDs (Two live ones and one studio album with bonus footage.) When did the band plan on releasing its music videos on DVD?

That time is now.

Visions gives us every one of the band's music videos, beginning in 1980. All three lead vocalists to appear on recordings can be heard on this DVD. In addition, there are some alternative versions to the old videos. Below, I've listed the videos that stand out above the rest.

Women In Uniform - Kind of a stale video, but since this song has never been officially released on CD in America, this is a good incentive for buying this set. The scene where Eddie emerges from the bed is priceless.

Run To The Hills (Camp Chaos Version) - The band took one of their great songs, and along with some pretty sweet animation, improves it! The story told by the animation is pretty cool.

Aces High (Camp Chaos Version) - Probably my favorite video on here. This is one of the band's best songs, by far. In the animation, several German planes are attacking Egyptian pyramids, but Maiden comes to the rescue in a Lancaster bomber. Just when it looks like the last plane is going to shoot them down, Eddie emerges from the band's bomber and dives onto the plane, tearing it apart! The very end of this video is by far the best part, and I'm not spoiling it.

Wasted Years - This one's pretty cool because it contains various clips from most of the band's videos up to that point.

Can I Play With Madness - Iron Maiden's most overrated song has a pretty sweet video. Some college students are in ruins, drawing the architecture, but all one of them can think about is Maiden. When the professor takes his magazine and Eddie picture, he falls into a pit! Who could ask for anything more?

Afraid To Shoot Strangers (Live) - Blaze does the vocals on a Bruce song and fares surprisingly well! The Gulf War footage improves the "anti-war" message.

Futureal (Football) - A cool song, one of the band's best. Plus, this video features them playing soccer! Pretty sweet.

The Angel And The Gambler - Thought this song was weird? You ain't seen nothing until you see the video.

The Wicker Man - The band's best song since the turn of the millennium. This is kind of a stale video, but you get to see Bruce playing with a huge white balloon!

This is a good collection overall. The menus are a bit strange at first, but the computer animation between the selections and the footage is just too cool (Eddie just looks awesome in three dimensions!) However, you may want to think twice before you buy it. Only buy this collection if you're an Iron Maiden completist, who wants all of their merchandise, or if you're a Maiden fan who likes music videos. Though some of these videos are pretty cool, if you're like me and you like the band but don't like music videos in general, this WILL NOT change your mind. Also, it's pretty obvious this is a ploy for the record company to rake in cash. Keep that in mind if you plan on buying. Only you and you alone can decide if this collection is right for you.

Rating:
Summary: A little bit of everything...
Review: It's unfortunate I didn't discover Maiden in my earlier years. But since I *did* discover them, all I want is more. One can listen over and over to each song and wonder, how the *!@#$ can somebody play an instrument like that - and fit everything together cohesively. Well that's Maiden.

The problem is that they have been making music for so long, and with different musicians that they simply can't give you everything on a single media disc. What this DVD set represents are bits and peices of Maiden through their entire career. With that you must expect to have the good and the bad, according to your own opinion of which musicians you favored the most.

I bought the set thinking it was a compilation of live performances. It is not. It has several, but nearly all "videos" on this set are production music videos. While they are interesting, they just don't do much in comparison to the live recordings.

I do like the sound quality on this set - the music video sound is very, very good - crisp and clear. The "Brave New World" live recording (Rock in Rio) is muddy. How many guitar players can a band have at once? It gets impossible to mix 3 lead guitarists. Hey, anyone who's ever been in a band knows that everyone wants to be the loudest....

The navigation scheme is elaborate but slow and a bit choppy. It is very interesting though, very creative.

I think overall the set represents a great blend of decades of work by the band. If you like certain band members, go get another tape or DVD. If you want a little of everything, this is for you.

Personally, I like their live performances and will probably give Rock in Rio a chance. I already have Live After Death and that is my favorite.

And in reference to another previous reviewer, who is most correct: Nobody touches Bruce's vocals period. "Little Danzig" tried hard and has a solid metal voice for linear vocal notes in a mid to low range, but everyone knows who's vocals belong with the guitars, and those would be the vocals of "The British Air Raid Siren." I don't care who the band tries to replace Bruce with, it will always sound caffeine free to me.

If you are a hard-core Maiden collector, you must have this just for all of the Eddie navigation. And yet, for just average fans, I think you'll be happy with the set, too.

Rating:
Summary: Half-vision of the Beast
Review: Let me tell you that I had a lot of fun with this video collection. Especially since most of them are concert footage. The sound has been well treated for this DVD version, and the image is what you expect from 80's videos.

In disc one is where the good stuff really is, or the good years. Women in Uniform is their first video, that strangeously was never included in an album. We can appreciate the original lineup, including original guitarist Dennis Stratton and dynamic drummer Clive 'Burr. Then we have Wrathchild from Live at the Rainbow, right after Adrian Smith joined the band. Unfortunately, no more videos with Paul Di'Anno. They should have included more tracks from Live at the Rainbow, since it is in Betamax version only. I'm sure it is great document of the early years.

Then we have the promotional videos from the Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, and Powerslave, which received good MTV exposure. Although these videos were not that good, it is the music where the meat really is, and looking at the performers is really enjoyable, especially the guitar interplays between Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, the twin guitars, and, of course Steve Harris masterful bass playing. Nicko McBrain drumming was quite elaborated, just look at The Trooper, and Flight of Icarus. And you all know how great is Dickinson as a singer/frontman.

Sadly, they did not include anything from Live After Death, their most successful live album and tour, with the band at its musical peak. I hope this means that a DVD version of that is coming.

Then we have Wasted Years, which is my favorite video, from Somewhere in Time, where you can appreciate all Eddie's covers up to that date (1986), changing with every note of Adrian Smith's dazzling solo. In Stranger in a Stranger Land, you can have a slight idea of what that tour was, when the band mastered their sound and show after the Powerslave tour. Can I play with Madness is actually a bad video, sort of Two Minutes Two Midnight, which I dislike as well. But as album and performance, things got better with Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, just look at The Evil That Men Do, The Clairvoyant, and Infinite Dreams. The latter is a real live video, taken from Maiden England, just great.

In these two last albums they started using guitar synthesizers, which I don't think is a bad thing. The new sound was really enhancing the power of the songs. What I don't understand is why they did not play guitar synths live. This made the unnecessary addition of a sixth hidden member, Michael Kenney, for the live keyboards.

Up to this point the band was on the top of their career, showing a constant evolution from album to album, in performance, songwriting, production, and the show itself. Then Adrian Smith left the band for a solo project. Bruce Dickinson went to a solo career as well, but still being in the band. His guitarist, Janick Gers joined the band, and things changed for Iron Maiden. It seems they wanted to go for a rawer sound, sort of revival of their early albums, but not quite. This "new" sound was really bad, just look at Holy Smoke. Tailgunner, although not that bad, doesn't show much of that outstanding guitar interplay of the twin guitars. Certainly, Janick Gers' playing doesn't come close to Adrian Smith's. Janick Gers' contribution to the band has been more as a showman than a guitarist. Musically, Janick Gers provided more distortion than actual playing, sort of Eddie Van Halen's style, but without talent. Check Tailgunner, Bring Your Daughter, and Hallowed by Thy Name. The latter, filmed at Donnington, shows the guitar solo completely ruined by Janick Gers. Of course, he was too busy shaking his head and jumping all around the stage instead of playing good notes! Any other live version of this song (without Janick), especially from Live After Death would have been better.

In the disc two, the videos were more developed, but the music quality declined. Things got worse after Bruce Dickinson left. I don't understand why Blaze Bayley was chosen, he can't sing! Nevertheless, Blaze era is rewarded with six videos. The Angel and the Gambler is a neat video with so-so music.

Fortunately, Bruce Dickinson returned to Maiden, so did Adrian Smith. But they kept Janick Gers, Why? It did not make sense having three guitar players. You can see in the last three videos, that the guitar rhythms are really redundant, as well as the solos. Twin guitars are two, not three!! This louder guitar sound made Steve Harris' incredible bassplaying unlistenable. This becomes more obvious in the two Rock in Rio cuts. With three guitar and a keyboardist, the band became with seven members (!?). Now it should be named Steve Harris' Big Band.

This would have been the perfect combo: all the videos from Women in Uniform to Infinite Dreams, the videos from Brave New World and Rock in Rio, and the addition of some videos from Live at the Rainbow and Live After Death. Ok, if you want (if there is enough memory in the CD), The Angel and the Gambler as a hidden track. All these probably fit in one disc. Wouldn't that have been great?

If you're a fan, just buy it and don't complain (like me).

Rating:
Summary: Superb Piece
Review: Maybe in some respects this DVD compilation is for fans, but the collection is quite good, and very representative of the MAIDENs over the years.
The Animated intro is great Eddie material, and if the band can edit the audio, and process the video ( clean it up somewhat) then that will make it way better.
Still, as it is, this is one fun piece of work. If you play it back on any decent 5.1, you should have an option to play back in a kind of pseudo 5.1 surround sound. And videos are excellent collections, and I suspect that with the DVD releases planned we will be getting some great material reworked.
It looks like Steve Harris is maybe discovering some new audio and video toys, so if he can follow Brian May and Roger Taylor's lead, then the old material can be re-edited and cleaned up.
Whatever they do, if you like MAIDEN, then this is an absolute must for your collection.


Rating:
Summary: must have for iron maiden`s fan - video collectins 1980-2001
Review: must have for iron maidens fan - 5 stars for them.
the sound is dolby digital 2.0 ( only brave new world and fear of the dark videos from " rock in rio" both feature 5.1 dolby digital) video collections from 1980-2001 all original sound.
many of the songs filmed on tour or during tour , for of them are real live. hallwed be thy name filmed at donington august 1992 is great track. the other tracks filmed at studios. 35 tracks included the hidden tracks . enjoy the video history of iron maidens clips and the pictures between the tracks.
i find it only 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: The Beast Is Back
Review: OK, I must admit, this is not an unbiased review. I am a HUGE Maiden fan. But regardless if YOU are or not, this is an awesome DVD. Over three hours of Iron Maiden on two DVD's. This is a collection of all their videos from all their albums, from their self-titled debut, all the way up to 2000's Brave New World. While they are not always the most original videos, come on. IT'S IRON MAIDEN! OK, ok. back off, fanboy. Now, in addition to the real vidoes, their is also the six animated videos from the website campchaos.com. Now, this DVD also promises "Tons of hidden extras!" but, I am too lazy to find them. But, I believe them. Again, IT'S IRON MAIDEN!
All in all, this is a good DVD. Buy it. BUY IT, OR EDDIE WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND BEAT YOU!!!! Ok, ok, back off fanboy.