ROCK IN RIO

It was one of the most awaited album for me in 2002. It was because when I had heard Brave New World I couldn`t wait to hear these songs played live. When it happened at last, I wasn`t dissappointed. It just blew my mind. Just when I heard the intro I knew that It would be something great. To my mind, the beginning of the concert is even better then in Live After Death(which I consider the best Maiden Live album), I mean Intro+The Wicker Man. The emotions don`t fall untill 2 Minutes to Midnight. When Janick joined the band this song is played awfully IMO, it is slightly better then in Live in Donnigton but it doesn`t change my mind. If you are dissapointed with this song the next will surely put it into rights. Blood Brothers is definitly better then in the studio. Then... One of the highlights of the album... Sign Of The Cross... Sang by Bruce it is just amazeing. This song is very progressive in comparison to other songs of Iron Maiden. This song would very well suit to A Matter of Live and Death. Forget about the version from The X-Factor. If we are talking about The X-Factor and Virtual XI period I think that Iron Maiden should play more songs from this albums now because there are hidden gems that only Bruce can dig up. Sing of the Cross and The Clansman are the best examples. The other song that makes this album a must have is Fear of the Dark. It`s simply the heaviest and the best version ever.

so... the highlights for me: Intro+The Wicker, Ghost of the Navigator, Blood Brothers, Sign Of The Cross, Dream of Mirrors, Fear of The Dark.

Serious flaws: lack of NOMAD, bad version of 2 Minutes to Midnight, lack songs like Seventh son of a seventh son, The Rime of the Acient Mariner, The Phantom of the Opera... I would also like to hear No Prayer For the Dying live...

Anyway, this live album is a must have for any who likes Iron Maiden.

UP THE IRONS!!!

I purchased this double CD live set long before I got the DVD. It's really an excellent live set in audio format. It's so rocking and so powerful! Rio de Janeiro has always been the best place to rock for most of rock bands. The songs selection is truly great. It starts with new material from the band's "Brave New World" album. The show also included songs from Jurassic period (like Bruce said it before the "Wrathchild") as well as new material. The selection favors not just die hard fans but for those who like to watch rock concert would love this concert as well. The band performance is great in terms musical quality they produce. "The Wicker Man" which also an opener of the album kicks off the show in a very energetic way. All members of the band: three guitarists (Janick Gers, dave Murray, and Adrian Smith), bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain and lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson contributed their parts excellently. The song continues to "Ghost of The Navigator" and "Brave New World" from new material. After they played two classic materials, I could not believe that I could hear the band played "Blood Brothers" (my favorite track) brilliantly!

The audio quality is excellent. The audio quality is very important to enjoy the show in its entirety as the music of Iron Maiden is hard and heavy. I just want to emphasize here that typical Iron Maiden studio album has relatively dry recording quality. But this live CD is having thick bass and excellent treble.

Overall, this is an excellent rock live set that anyone who claims as rocker must OWN this CD. I have literally no complaint at all with thisCD in terms of performance and production. Recommended! Keep on rockin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

It's hard for me to imagine a more energetic, exciting night of Maiden-metal than is displayed throughout this excellent album, or live release in general for that matter.

For fans of the band, it's a must have. The set-list is (with only 1-2 exceptions) outstanding, featuring highlights from Brave New World as well as a few greatest hits from their extensive library. I don't feel that the music itself especially needs to be discussed, since those interested in a live offering are no doubt familiar, but I will say that each of these versions of the band's material are positively ON FIRE. Bruce's vocals retain their dynamic power, and as a show-man he is second to none. He dramatically introduces each song and rallies the energetic Brazilian crowd throughout-- just wait until The Trooper or The Evil That Men Do start up! The axe-men are just as good; I have not heard guitar playing that kinesthetizes body and mind like Murray/Gers/Smith; their shredding and solos positively give off sparks. I like listening to this album when working late-- it's better than stay-alert pills and black coffee combined.

Great stuff; everything a live-album should be!

Setlist 4 Instrumental Performances 4 Stage Energy 5 Live Experience 5

There must be something about Rio............... I would like to go there myself. Maybe even my carcass get's a revival. Just like Iron Maiden did. Or to be more precise, their previous studio album Brave New World heralded the return of Dickinson and Smith. I had already written the band off after some very dubious outputs just before and during the Blaze Bailey era. That's why I totally ignored Brave New World. Big, big mistake ! My interest in Iron Maiden only got rekindled when a work mate lent me this double album. I was not interested, but my curiosity got the better of me. The result ? I was blown of my feet and both Rock In Rio & Brave New World was promptly purchased during the following day's lunch break. The second coming of Iron Maiden in my life was a fact. I do not think I am the only one with that experience because Iron Maiden was very much dead and buried before this live album was released. Then suddenly, they got a new audience and their old fans returned in their millions. I am one of those returnees. There must be something about Rio...........

What blew me off my feet ? The strength of the material and the energy of the band. The whole band is working the scene like their life depends on it.......... which it more or less did during the reconstruction of the damaged goods called Iron Maiden. Their new material is really, really good. Even a Blaze Bailey era song (The Clansman) gets a new life on this live album. Their old classics gets a new lease of life here too. That include one of the best versions of Hallowed Be Thy Name they have ever done. I do not understand why they need three guitars in Iron Maiden, but it does not seems to harm them. I even starts to tolerate the presence of Janick Gers now. Nurse, bring me the syringe and a towel ! I am becoming a danger to the general public !

The result is one of the best Iron Maiden live albums ever. It is only bettered by Live After Death. In it's own right; Rock In Rio is an awesome live album. Nuff said.

4 stars !

Rekindling their classic juju, IRON MAIDEN deliveries an impressive comeback with their album "Brave New World" and the tour of the same name which produced this excellent live album ROCK IN RIO which finds the band in a sea of 250,000 head banging Brazilians who just can't get enough of the huge sampling of this classic British band's entire discography. Surprisingly there is at least one track from each album with only "Somewhere In Time" and "No Prayer For The Dying" being shunned. This is shocking since there is one track from both Bailey albums here as well. I always thought "Virtual XI" and "The X-Factor" could have been great albums if only Bruce Dickinson was on singing duties and in a way this tour is a celebration of his comeback along with Adrian Smith back on guitars reuniting the classic MAIDEN lineup and to show how nice these guys are they didn't even kick Janick Gers out but found a way to include him in the mix.

This is a wonderful live double album. Although it's not as perfect as "Live After Death" which found IRON MAIDEN at the absolute pinnacle of their game, this is my pick for best live album after that one. While Bruce's vocal abilities are clearly in tact, there are times when it is a bit obvious that he is not totally what he once was such as on "The Number Of The Beast." The energy of this performance is outstanding with the Brazilians becoming one with the band as heard on the audience participation. The production is stunningly beautifully perfected and the band sounds like they never parted ways after "Seventh Son?" Although i find live albums more of miss thing than a hit i am happy to report that this one is very satisfying. I didn't exactly rush to track this down since i was hugely disappointed in the double fiascos of "A Real Live / Dead Ones" but i find ROCK IN RIO to be the perfect comeback live album to complement their rekindled career. This wonderful performance is available on both audio CD as well as DVD.

Since Iron Maiden first stepped on Brazilian soil for the memorable first Rock in Rio Festival in January 1985 (Queen, Scorpions, AC/DC, among other bands in a long list), which attracted more than 1.4 million spectators in its ten days, the devotion of the Carioca public was unconditional to the band led by Steve Harris, forging an affectionate relationship that has remained unchanged for decades.

And an unbeatable way to pay tribute to such a huge fan base was the release of the double album "Rock in Rio" (2002) of the English band's participation in their second visit to the festival in January 2001, where more than 250,000 people merged with the band in great shape to accompany them with their emotional clapping and chorus, clearly audible by a great production work that far exceeded the challenge, given the elephantine proportions of the event, to reliably capture every detail.

The setlist, as expected being part of a promotional tour, included six songs from the album "Brave New World" released a few months earlier, which although not yet had the resonance of the most notable hits of the band, were welcomed by the audience (especially the spectral "The Ghost of Navigator", the eponymous "Brave New World" and the emotional "Blood Brothers"), to which was added the unexpected and epic "The Clansman", taken from the discreet period of Blaze Bayley in Iron Maiden and that acquires a unique vitality from the hand of Bruce Dickinson and ends up being one of the most emotional and vibrant points of the concert, in addition to a tour of emblematic songs such as the energetic and galloping "The Trooper", "Iron Maiden" and "The Number of the Beast", the somber "Fear of the Dark" (also very chanted by the audience), the sentencing "Hallowed Be Thy Name", to finish with the overflowing energy of 'Run to the Hills'.

Although I personally would have replaced a couple of the new tracks from "Brave New World" with some of the more recognized ones like "Powerslave", "Revelations" or "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "Rock in Rio" is after the legendary "Live Atfer Death" from 1985, Iron Maiden's best live album.

Very good.

4 stars