IRON MAIDEN (UK) - A Real Live One (LP, EMI, 1993) plus A Real Dead One (LP, EMI, 1993)

RATING: ***

I guess a bit of clarification is needed here. Though the "A Real Live Dead One" have been showcased as one live package since the late 1990's, the fact is that these recordings originally came out as two different sets, "A Real Live One" (released in March 1993) and "A Real Dead One" (October 1993) - and it's actually very relevant to bear them in mind as sepparate entities, as the "Dead" part contain songs from the infamous 1993's 'farewell tour' with Bruce Dickinson, while the "Live" album has only tracks that were recorded during the jaunts to promote "Fear of the Dark". Still (and I know it may sound contradictory), I don't see much of a point on reviewing the two parts sepparately, as they were meant to exist together pretty much from the start, as a two-album set rather than your usual double CD, and it would be hopelessly pedantic to pretend we're back in 1993, when you didn't knew what was coming for you and had to wait seven frickin' months to get the other one. Let's just write a single review for both records, then - if anything, it will allow us to get through this (to be frank) pretty mediocre batch of songs all too sooner, so we can focus our attentions on more pleasant-looking pastures.

Not that the "A Real Live Dead One" is devoid of interesting features, mind you. Historically speaking, it illustrates a very important period of the band: the departure of Bruce Dickinson, made known to the public in the early days of 1993. It was a long time coming in a sense, though the metal community would be taken by surprise nonetheless; in later interviews, Bruce would describe his increasing feeling of alienation and creative disconnection with the whole thing. The split was meant to be peaceful at first, and the fulfillment of some final European dates in the summer of '93 should have had a more light-hearted, good-humored outlook, something like a last hurrah for the much-loved vocalist - but that's not how it turned out to be, as we all know: the whole tour gone south very quickly, with bitter accusations that Bruce was deliberately under-performing at several concerts, saving his best performance for the high-profile dates. Bruce was always adamant that it wasn't the case, his lack of enthusiasm being a reaction to the bad vibes around the tour - but I did hear some bootlegs from the period, and his singing needed some serious improvement in order to reach sub-par status, if you know what I mean. 

None of this truly dreadful performances made its way into this particular package, fortunately, but trained ears can easily detect the dwindling enthusiasm between the grooves - and I don't mean just vocally, you see. It's nice to have the chance to hear live renditions of tracks such as "Prowler", "Remember Tomorrow", "Where Eagles Dare" and "Transylvania" (some nuggets offered by "A Real Dead One" that seldom, if ever, made way into the band repertoires ever since), but none are carried along with any great degree of enthusiasm, unfortunately - something that sure has a lot to do with Bruce Dickinson uninspired singing, but is also noticeable in the surprisingly loose, restrained instrumentation. I suppose it's understandable that a bad atmosphere and a crumbling line-up will result in less-than-memorable performances, but the wisdom of using such recordings for a live release can be seriously called into question. More common inclusions such as "The Number of the Beast" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" have nothing too spectacular going on either (though I actually like this particular rendition of "2 Minutes to Midnight" quite a lot), so I think it's safe to conclude that "A Real Dead One" is one for Maiden fanatics, being of little real benefit for anyone less obsessed about the band. 

Curiously, though comprising only tracks from the 1986-1992 period, "A Real Live One" is actually way more worthy a listen than its rather lackluster (though initially promising) counterpart. There's nothing truly remarkable going on, mind you, but it's interesting to hear tracks such as "Tailgunner", "From Here to Eternity", "Afraid to Shoot Strangers" and "Wasting Love" faring pretty well in the live environment, the entire band seeming a way more interested (and interesting) unit during those tracks (it's no surprise most of these were recorded early in the tour supporting "Fear of the Dark"). There's a sense of coherence and intention around "A Real Live One" that is sorely missing on its "Dead" twin, the former sounding more like an album rather than a haphazard compilation of live recordings. I would surely have enjoyed a few different tracks around here ("Wasted Years" is a glaring absence, and "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter" just drags along without any perceivable merit), but it's all pretty decent overall, and I'm sure most fans will be listening to CD 2 way more often than CD 1 (not that any of it will be spinning on your turntable on a daily basis, but I'm sure you'd catch my drift).

Both "A Real Live One" and "A Real Dead One" sold well enough at the time, and I guess the whole project served its purpose both as a souvenir of the period and a way to keep things going while assessing the difficult task of finding a substitute for Bruce Dickinson. I wouldn't say the discs sound dated nowadays or anything, but it's clear for me that "A Real Live Dead One" is a product of its time, so deeply connected with the events surrounding it that it's almost impossible to remove it from its context while giving it a listen. I don't think you really need it, but it's OK to have it if you have the chance, and you may even enjoy listening to it from time to time. Just don't overestimate it, and you'll be fine. 

Bruce Dickinson (V), Dave Murray (G), Janick Gers (G), Steve Harris (B), Nicko McBrain (D).

A Real Live One (CD 2 of 'A Real Live Dead One')

01. Be Quick Or Be Dead (Dickinson, Gers) 3:15
02. From Here to Eternity (Harris) 4:19
03. Can I Play With Madness (Smith, Dickinson, Harris) 4:42
04. Wasting Love (Dickinson, Gers) 5:47
05. Tailgunner (Harris, Dickinson) 4:09
06. The Evil that Men Do (Smith, Dickinson, Harris) 5:25
07. Afraid to Shoot Strangers (Harris) 6:47
08. Bring Your Daughter... To the Slaughter (Dickinson) 5:17
09. Heaven Can Wait (Harris) 7:28
10. The Clairvoyant (Harris) 4:29
11. Fear of the Dark (Harris) 7:11

A Real Dead One (CD 1 of 'A Real Live Dead One')

01. The Number of the Beast (Harris) 4:54
02. The Trooper (Harris) 3:55
03. Prowler (Harris) 4:15
04. Transylvania (Harris) 4:25
05. Remember Tomorrow (Harris, Di'Anno) 5:52
06. Where Eagles Dare (Harris) 4:49
07. Sanctuary (Harris, Murray, Di'Anno) 4:53
08. Running Free (Harris, Di'Anno) 3:48
09. Run to the Hills (Harris) 3:57
10. 2 Minutes to Midnight (Smith, Dickinson) 5:37
11. Iron Maiden (Harris) 5:24
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Harris) 7:51

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me (drequon@gmail.com) and let me know!