Published on Sep 29, 2004
I’ve always been dazzled with the medium known as music videos.
Some of the most ear-shatteringly bad bands have been able to come
up with some of the most visually astounding works of videos. Other
bands make ones that are abstract and deeply intellectual. Then
there’s Maiden. To me, they are the greatest band in the world. To
me, they are the worst video-making band in the world. It’s funny
how that works out, isn’t it?
This collection of the band’s music videos (ranging from live
songs played during concerts to studio-made ones) encompasses their
entire career, from the Di’Anno era to
Rock In Rio. It’s nice to see that they paid attention to
the careers of both Paul Di’Anno and Blaze Bayley, unlike other
compilations (I’m looking at you, Edward the Great).
Unfortunately, the band kicks off this two-disc DVD set with the
atrocious Skyhooks’ cover “Women in Uniform.” While the video is
funny in its tongue-in-cheekness and unbelievably low budget, the
song itself is a monotonous, redundant, insipid trek that leaves
the listener begging for the end.
Things do get a little better after that, with a live version of
“Wrathchild,” and an interesting version of “Run to the Hills.”
It’s good to see that the band doesn’t take anything very seriously
with “The Number of the Beast” (with men dressed up in red pyjamas
and devil masks, waving around pitch forks) and the hilarious “Holy
Smoke,” but a lot of their other stuff, namely “The Trooper” (with
stock footage from an old movie based on that historic charge) are,
frankly, boring.
I quite enjoy the live tracks, as you get to hear (and see) the
band play some old favourites that haven’t made their way back into
the setlists of today (“Stranger in a Strange Land” is a prime
example).
In the first bit of disc two, the fun starts to wear off. The
videos descend from funny to cheesy, and the sound quality on the
live tracks also degrade (“Hallowed Be Thy Name” sounds pretty
shoddy). However, with Blaze’s songs appearing, it gives the DVD a
breath of fresh air. The biggest jewel of it is a live version of
the Dickinson song “Afraid to Shoot Strangers,” which I personally
think he sings better.
The thing that really saves this collection are the Camp Chaos
videos. Those guys are geniuses. They make some kick-ass cartoons
to go with “The Trooper,” “Aces High,” “Man on the Edge” and
others. The best of which is “The Number of the Beast,” where
preacher-Dickinson does battle with Eddie who is also in the
process of doing battle with our ole friend Satan in hell. It is
truly a great moment.
In all, it’s a good buy. Maybe not completely worth the $30
Canadian I forked over for it, but it’s enjoyable, whether you want
to rock out, or if you just want a laugh. However, if you’re
looking for a genuinely good collection of music videos, I do not
recommend it.