Published on Apr 2, 2002
For the longest time, I considered
Live After Death, Iron Maiden’s 1985 concert snapshot, to be
the ultimate live album ever recorded. Even watching the
home video, recorded at the front half of Iron Maiden’s four-night
stint at Long Beach Arena, helped to intensify the performances
that I heard.
It’s now 17 years since this disc was issued (and, thankfully,
re-issued in its unexpurgated form, tacking back on the five tracks
from Hammersmith Odeon), and I still think that this disc captures
Iron Maiden at the top of its game. Is it still the best? I don’t
know if I could still say that, though I’d have a tough time naming
any disc that could claim the throne. Let’s just say that
Live After Death is still one of the best live albums ever
released.
Touring behind
Powerslave, Iron Maiden had everything they could ask for at
the time. They had, for the first time, recorded two albums with
the exact same lineup. They were in top form musically, cranking
out songs that still are considered legendary. Popularity was at or
near its peak, and heavy metal was very much in vogue. What could
possibly go wrong?
The answer: nothing. And for damn good reasons, too. First, Iron
Maiden had been smart to make use of Martin Birch as a producer for
many years – and, having helmed Deep Purple’s
Made In Japan, knew how to capture the live sound of a band
at its prime. (Birch also seemed to know how to bring out the best
in Iron Maiden in the studio.) Second, Dickinson and crew were
showmen as well as musicians; there was something to the
seriousness of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith’s playing that
counter-balanced the more comedic aspects of Dickinson and drummer
Nicko McBrain. (Halt the flame wars; I’m not calling either man a
clown; if you’ve watched the home video, you know how animated
Dickinson is on stage and McBrain’s sense of humor.) Anchoring all
this, with his thundering bass lines and singing along to every
word, is Steve Harris, one of the best bass guitarists in the
business.
The simple fact is this: everything clicked right into place for
Iron Maiden, and
Live After Death is a snapshot of that perfection. Sure,
Dickinson’s voice is showing signs of wear thanks to the non-stop
touring the band was doing at that point, but the sheer energy of
the performances make up for this small flaw. Add into this a
pretty well-balanced set (though only one track from
Killers is featured – and even that didn’t make the cut
until you get to the Hammersmith Odeon tracks), and you have quite
possibly
the Iron Maiden album to own if you can have only one. From
the Winston Churchill soundbite that starts out “Aces High” to the
mini-epics of “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” and “Powerslave,” this
album simply throws all abandon to the wind and fires its guns
constantly. Fortunately, they always hit the target.
It would be incorrect to say that this disc marked the end of
Iron Maiden’s superstardom, since they would still release an album
that I believe has been misunderstood over the years (
Somewhere In Time), and they would still enjoy some level of
success on the singles charts.
Live After Death, though, did serve as a snapshot into a
magical time in Iron Maiden’s career, and still remains one of
their best albums ever.