Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio

Rating:
Summary: Rio, Welcome To Iron Maiden
Review: January 19, 2001 marked perhaps the highest point in Iron Maiden's career. It was approximately 25 years before this date that Steve Harris, Dave Murray and a plethora of their early members were gigging all around the East End and throughout their hometown with ambitions to be on top of the world. On that day in January, they triumphed over ambition as one of the headliners at the Rock in Rio festival, playing before 250,000 people. This DVD isn't just a live concert; it's a part of Heavy Metal history.

Iron Maiden has always been known for their over-the-top performances and this DVD definitely captures the best of the best. Every member puts everything they have into playing the music. Disc One of the set is the actual live show, edited and mastered by Steve Harris himself. Disc Two is some bonus footage including interviews, a photo gallery, web site links and a portion entitled 'A Day In The Life'. The last of which I believe can also be found on the Rock In Rio double album.

Disc One. The quality is very good. It's clean and crisp. I didn't find any problems with it at all. Obviously, if you've heard the double CD, you'll know what the sound quality is. However, you experience the full effect of the music and the show, you should probably have two speakers on your TV. With just one, some of the sound is lost (in my case, all of Janick's guitar parts aren't heard). I don't know if it's the DVD but do yourself a favor anyway.

The footage itself is amazing, in my opinion. Shot from a series of different cameras, Steve Harris viewed all of it and spliced it all down to create the two hours of footage seen. I think he did a fantastic job covering every aspect of the stage that night while still capturing the essence of the band's live performance (I have read some pretty poor reviews about the editing work, however). Every member is in top form (especially Bruce) as they command the stage, running from place to place, plowing through the classics. The stage set up is great, the lighting is good and the camera work is great. Overall, an awesome and entertaining viewing of the band's stellar live show.

Disc Two. The second disc starts off with the interviews. Each member is interviewed while showing what they do on their time away from touring, writing and recording. It gives a little insight into how heavy metal stars enjoy normal things just like anyone else. While some of it is somewhat comical, the rest of it is pretty informative as to how each member lives, how they got their start in music and a little bit about how they view on the band in the present. The second part is the 'A Day In The Life' portion, which shows the band's day up to and after the Rock In Rio performance. Press conferences, their arrival, preparing for their performance and the parties afterward. Entertaining and comical, at times. Not much else can be said. Third is the Photo Gallery of the band with commentary on each picture by Ross Halfin. Some cool pictures and some good information. The last two items on the disc are the credits and some website links.

January 19, 2001 marked perhaps the highest point in Iron Maiden's career. The essence of their live shows was put into overdrive that night as they performed for their biggest headlining crowd to date. That performance, all the power, energy, anguish, ability and excitement, can be found here on this DVD. I recommend this to any die-hard Maiden fans as well as anyone who has never seen the band perform live before. Anyone who wasn't satisfied with the Rock In Rio CD might be turned off by the music but the performance is sheer excellence. Definitely buy this.

Rating:
Summary: A great performance - a great DVD
Review: This Rock in Rio DVD not only showcases one of the best bands in heavy metal history to stunning effect, but gives clear impressions of the band's connection with their fans, and includes several worthwhile bonus features.

The Rock in Rio concert was recorded January 19th 2001 in front of an audience of more than 250,000 people in Rio De Janeiro. The blistering setlist includes such classics as Hallowed Be Thy Name, Run to the Hills, and Fear of the Dark, along with early Di'Anno material such as Wrathchild and Sanctuary, Blaze Bayley recordings Sign of the Cross and The Clansman, and several songs of the then-brand new album Brave New World.

Iron Maiden's original line-up, plus early-nineties addition Janick Gers, came together again in 1999. In my opinion, this combination of bandmembers is the very best. Singer Bruce Dickinson has come to be known as the essential Iron Maiden vocalist, with his three-octave range, phenomenal stage presence, and abilities as a performer, including his accustomed line "Scream for me (Rio, Donington, Los Angeles, etc.)!" Guitarists Adrian Smith, who returned to the fold along with Bruce in 1999, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers give incredible performances full of solos and wild stage moves. Bass player Steve Harris, considered by many the true backbone of the band, gives an energetic performance, screaming the words to the songs as he plays. And drummer Nicko McBrain plays with a Keith Moon-esque craziness, all the time smiling. All in all, it makes for a great show. Good songs, good energy, and excellent performances from the boys in Iron Maiden.

Other reviewers have criticized the editing on the DVD. While it is true that the cuts are rapid at times, I think it does a good job of capturing the energy of the performance. With the band running around all the time anyway, it would be hard to focus on just one of them for very long. Apart from a very dodgy sequenece during Wrathchild, I'd say the editing is fine, a good job by Steve Harris.

The special features on the second disc are also worth a look. Several interviews with the band members individually give a chance for the viewer to hear their opinions on the loyalty of Iron Maiden fans and the enduring success of the band through its many changes. There are also some short segments showing Bruce fencing in Rio and doing a flight simulator, Dave and Nicko golfing, Janick wandering the stalls of a market, Adrian fishing, and Steve Harris playing soccer and attending a local game (of a team for which the mascot is Iron Maiden's own Eddie).
In addition to this is "A Day in the Life," which follows the band on the day of the concert. It includes some funny moments and should give an idea of how nervous the band is before going onstage. Also, there is the tour diary of Ross Halfin, longtime band photographer, which is many still shots of the trip with Ross' audio commentary on each picture.
Also on this disc are some hidden special features which you can learn more about at Maidenfans.com. These are very funny casual clips of the band, short clips of Bruce screwing around with the camera, and an interesting display of shadow puppets.

This DVD is essential for a Maiden fan, and also a great way to get into the band. I very highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: UNFORTUNETLY I CANT GIVE THIS DVD 6 STARS
Review: Ok so the camera angles are fast but this is IRON MAIDEN it creates a quick atmosphere fitted nicely with steve harris bass lines. All i can say is Janick Gers is one of the best rock guitarists still around!! here r some of the gr8 songs on this on this DVd:

THE WICKER MAN: the best intro you will EVER hear, Bruces vocals shine!
GHOST OF THE NAVIGATOR: The best song here
2 MINS TO MIDNIGHT: Gr8 riff from Gers,good crowd participation
THE CLANSMAN: Nice solos from Murray and Gers
EVIL THAT MEN DO: an amazing intro, check out Gers battle with mascot Eddie
HALLOWED BE THY NAME: an all round great participation from the whole band and the crowd of 250 000
NUMBER OF THE BEAST: chuckle as a rather exited brazilian fan runs on stage and taps Harris on the shoulder, only to be quickly removed :)
RUN TO THE HILLS: an obligatory closer to the concert the most well remembered song here.

Well iv never heard a better live album and this shines!! gr8 vocals, gr8 crowd, gr8 band, and EDDIE!! what more could u want???

Rating:
Summary: Maiden in top form!
Review: This is a great DVD and well worth the price. Being a Maiden fan for twenty years and seeing them a couple of times in concert in the mid 1980's, I can say that I have never heard them sound better or have a better stage show! I agree with the reviewers that "Live After Death" should be released on DVD. However, I believe that the band gives a much better performance on this DVD: Bruce's singing is much better than and the band's energy level is much higher - you would think that the "boys" are 20 years younger! Some people mention the editing as a reason for not buying this. I don't see it at all; Steve Harris did a great job in spreading the footage equally between the band members. You can actually see Nicko in this one! This is a definite must for any Iron Maiden or heavy metal fan, buy it!

Rating:
Summary: I AM THE WICKER MAN!!!
Review: This show just goes off!!!!
And opening with "The Wicker Man" rocks!!! Such a good song, my band's learning it now to cover it!!!

There's a lot of "Brave New World" tracks on here, and although it's cool when bands play more oldschool stuff, I like these songs! I haven't heard the whole album, just the live ones but it sounds like it must be a good one.

The DTS mix is unreal!! It's so loud and clear, I haven't even tried the Dolby 5.1 mix!! "Sign of the Cross" makes my sub want to explode so that's cool hahaha

Watching Bruce use the stage is really good to see, he's a champ!! I hear he's a little uptight in person but I don't give a damn!!! Nicko's always cool to watch, even though the audiance must have barely seen him behind his huge cage of percussion! It's funny when he starts dancing behind the kit on "The Clansman."

Highlight songs to me are probably: The Wicker Man, The Trooper, Sign of the Cross, Dream of Mirrors, good ol' Hallowed, and I don't know...the rest of the show!

The only thing I didn't like about this DVD was the damn price!! Everywhere I see it it's about $AUS 50 - 60!! Too much man, too much. But damn it those Maiden boys are good!! I wish they'd bring their damn "Dance of Death" tour down under!! When the hell were they last here??? Oh well, I'll just have to keep watching "Rock In Rio" until they do!

Rating:
Summary: Must have for Maiden fans, but....
Review: I fondly recall getting "Live After Death" double-live album back in the 80's and playing the heck out of it, in awe of what that live show must've been like. In much the same way, even if you have the occasional gripe here or there about this DVD, it's the whole experience: they're playing in front of some 250,00 raving lunatic Brazillian fans who sometimes sing it out nearly as loud as Bruce... I mean - egads, you GOTTA have it... I'm surprised it took ME this long to get it.

Now, now... despite being a "must have", it could have been better still... here's how: better editing: for most of the concert you just get a few seconds of this guy, a few seconds of another guy, a few seconds of the next guy after that, etc... really nothing much to it... it would be better to simply stick to what's important... while on guitar solo's, show the guy playing, in some detail... when Bruce is singing, show him... during the good drum crashes, gives us a shot of Nicko, etc... during long chug-chugging breaks, THAT is where you take the time to show the theatrics... and given that Maiden has TONS of chug-chugging intros and outros and bridges and what-not, you still have TONS of room for that stuff... so... this is a rather large gripe. (Aside: note for the most part, they DO adhere to what I suggest... it's just that they DO stray a bit to much... it gets to be a bit more segmented than I'd prefer).

Bonus disc... the personal stuff was... not much more interesting than the comments you can find on ironmaiden.com; don't get me wrong - I view this disc as a "free bonus", so anything goes, right... but still - there could've been at least a little more to it. The section on Bruce was cool... most others were rather dull... I mean, watching Adrian fish isn't that all that thrilling... and watching Steve watch a soccer match was lame... I mean he is THE MAN in Maiden, and we learn next to nothing there.

Don't take the gripes too seriously, though: almost anything can be better in one way or another. If you're a Maiden fan, this is up-close and personal, HUGE concert in front of a HUGE crowd... great songs, great playing... awesome. The only two "must have" live Maiden releases, to me, are the original "Live After Death"... and now this.

Rating:
Summary: I AM THE WICKER MAN!!!
Review: This show just goes off!!!!
And opening with "The Wicker Man" rocks!!! Such a good song, my band's learning it now to cover it!!!

There's a lot of "Brave New World" tracks on here, and although it's cool when bands play more oldschool stuff, I like these songs! I haven't heard the whole album, just the live ones but it sounds like it must be a good one.

The DTS mix is unreal!! It's so loud and clear, I haven't even tried the Dolby 5.1 mix!! "Sign of the Cross" makes my sub want to explode so that's cool hahaha

Watching Bruce use the stage is really good to see, he's a champ!! I hear he's a little uptight in person but I don't give a damn!!! Nicko's always cool to watch, even though the audiance must have barely seen him behind his huge cage of percussion! It's funny when he starts dancing behind the kit on "The Clansman."

Highlight songs to me are probably: The Wicker Man, The Trooper, Sign of the Cross, Dream of Mirrors, good ol' Hallowed, and I don't know...the rest of the show!

The only thing I didn't like about this DVD was the damn price!! Everywhere I see it it's about $AUS 50 - 60!! Too much man, too much. But damn it those Maiden boys are good!! I wish they'd bring their damn "Dance of Death" tour down under!! When the hell were they last here??? Oh well, I'll just have to keep watching "Rock In Rio" until they do!

Rating:
Summary: Best video concert I have ever seeeen!
Review: I didn't buy this dvd right away. I don't know why. But I did buy it two days ago. I waited till 2 miniutes to midnight to watch it. Fiting, don't you think? Anyway, this concert was so massive, so crazy and so so so many crazy madien fans! I was just in awe of it. I loved hearing the massive roar from the crowd when madien took the stage. They way the sang along and jumped with the songs. They even moshed. I saw it. Even thought it was in the back. But, they caught it on film. I couldn't even imagine playing infront of that many people. I don't know how they did it. But they did and they did it the only way madien could do it. It was sick, sick, sick. I thought the sound and the camera work was outstanding. There was alot going on, but they captured it. This dvd deserves stars from here all the way to there! My only regret is I have yet to see them live in person. But, I will not give up!

Rating:
Summary: This is what metal is all about
Review: Excellent DVD from the legendary band !!! This is what Metal is all about, guitars,long hair, attitude, and fun !! . Lots of energy and you can tell they are having fun!!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Maiden Concert Gets Poor DVD Treatment
Review: Before I say anything about the live DVD version of Iron Maiden's ROCK IN RIO, I must say this: "Steve Harris, you're a unique bass player, good songwriter, and metal legend - please stay out of the editing room, thank you!!" More on that later. After being blown away by the double-CD version of ROCK IN RIO, I was really expecting a lot out of the filmed concert. The band's performance is tight and singer Bruce Dickinson has never sounded better than he does here. So how come all that energy comes through in the CD but not on the DVD? Simple: there's too much going on and there's so little time to show it all.

For one thing, the sound is absolutely atrocious compared to the CD version. On the CD, the production was raw but very listenable and every vocal and instrument could be heard well, including the crowd. On the DVD, the sound is cranked up way past 11 and becomes hugely unlistenable. I couldn't really tell what was going on; it was just one big sonic whirlwind of noise and nothing else. As I mentioned in the intro, bass player and band leader Steve Harris did the editing, and you can clearly tell this guy didn't go to film school. The editing is very fast, very choppy, very flawed, and extremely headache-inducing. I swear, I thought I was gonna have a seizure midway through the concert! And whenever someone solos, whether it be Adrian, Janick, or Dave, the editing doesn't pause long enough to see either them work their magic on the fretboards. Very disappointing. Not since the movie ARMAGEDDON have I seen so many annoying 2-second cuts.

The DVD isn't entirely all bad. Some of the more intimate songs like "Blood Brothers" and "Fear of the Dark" really showcase Maiden's love for the crowd and their love back, with brief slowed down edits (finally!). And watching Bruce Dickinson hop over the speakers, climb to the top of the stage set, and sing his heart out into every song is truly something to behold, proving he's one of rock's greatest and unsung frontmen. The special features are pretty cool as they show the Maiden members doing un-rock & roll things, like fencing, playing golf, or going to a soccer game. Nicko has his own spot, and appears in Dave Murray's bit, which is pretty funny.

But all that cannot save the fact that the awesome Rock in Rio performance has been ruined in the hands of Harris. God, Steve what were you thinking? Overall, if you had to choose between the double CD or the double DVD, stick with the CD. It sounds a lot better and your mind won't turn to mush by watching Harris' hyperactive editing. Maiden are still a great live band, but the ROCK IN RIO DVD does not do them justice.