Iron Maiden - Rock In Rio

Year of Release: 2002
Label: EMI
Catalog Number: 538643-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 116:02:00

Rock In Rio was recorded and released to showcase the latest Iron Maiden material from their Brave New World album. Brave New World was released to the world in May of 2000 whilst this live album, recorded in Rio, Brazil on January 19th, 2001, has only just seen the light of day in April 2002. So it's been a few years in the making. Or a few years of promoting the hell out of the band and the album. Take your pick. :-)

6 of the 19 audio songs on Rock In Rio are Brave New World tracks and they include, uncreatively, the first 6 tracks [off BNW] - "The Wicker Man," "Ghost Of The Navigator," "Brave New World," "Blood Brothers," "The Mercenary," and "Dream Of Mirrors". If I was being picky, I'd ask where the hell was "Out Of The Silent Planet" or "The Nomad"? The featured songs are good, but to pick those first 6 is a bit weak. It is also great to hear the Blaze Bayley-era Iron Maiden tracks of "Sign Of The Cross" (from The X Factor) and "The Clansman" (from Virtual XI). Bruce Dickinson's vocals fit the songs perfectly and the crowd really get into it, too. The second disc features mainly classic material that you would, at some stage, have already heard live from "Run To The Hills," "Hallowed Be Thy Name," and "Fear Of The Dark". Bruce Dickinson's track banter is also wonderful - he's a talker and a bullshit artist and he holds the crowd in his hands. And they lap up every moment. As will you, as you listen to the latest addition from this classic heavy metal band. Bruce's voice is also outstanding and the timeless songs are still timeless.

What really brings these songs alive is the ecstatic crowd - rumoured to be around the 250,000 mark. They are so into the songs that the crowd involvement brings a great album even greater. Just thinking of that many people at one concert and listening to their reactions brought a smile to my face. The BNW songs also sound more alive than what they did on the studio album for those that felt the studio album lacked some.

Rock In Rio is a terrific album that will entertain the new and older generation of Iron Maiden fans. Yes, it's part money-making exercise, but when Bruce ventured back into IM you knew that was coming. And a double DVD will soon make their way onto your screens [see review -PW ed.] two "tracks" featured here include "Brave New World" and "A Day In The Life," the latter which shows the lead-up and conclusion to this particular Iron Maiden gig). A total success.

In US, released on the Columbia imprint (86000); reissued in Japan in 2007 by Toshiba EMI (53776/7)

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]

Tracklisting:
Disc One: Intro (1:55) / The Wicker Man (4:41) / Ghost Of The Navigator (6:48) / Brave New World (6:06) / Wrathchild (3:05) / 2 Minutes To Midnight (6:26) / Blood Brothers (7:15) / Sign Of The Cross (10:49) / The Mercenary (4:42) / The Trooper (7:05) / Brave New World (Enhanced Video) (4:35)

Disc Two: Dream Of Mirrors (9:38) / The Clansman (9:19) / The Evil That Men Do (4:40) / Fear Of The Dark (7:40) / Iron Maiden (5:51) / The Number Of The Beast (5:00) / Hallowed By Thy Name (7:23) / Sanctuary (5:17) / Run To The Hills (7:24) / A Day In The Life (Enhanced Video) (4:54)

Musicians:
Bruce Dickinson - vocals
Nicko McBrain - drums
Janick Gers - guitars
Steve Harris - bass
Dave Murray - guitars
Adrian Smith - guitars
Mike Kenney - keyboards

Discography:
Soundhouse Tapes (1979)
Iron Maiden (1980)
Killers (1981)
Number Of The Beast (1982)
Brain Damage Tour Of Europe (1983)
Piece Of Mind (1983)
Powerslave (1984/2002)
Live After Death (The World Slavery Tour) (1985/2002)
Somewhere In Time (1986/2002)
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988/2002)
No Prayer For The Dying (1990/2002)
Wasted Years...Stranger In A Strange Land (1990)
Fear Of The Dark (1992/2002)
10 CD Box set (1992)
A Real Live One (1993/2002)
A Real Dead One (1993/2002)
Live At Donnington '92 (1994)
The First Ten Years (box set) (1994)
The X Factor (1995/2002)
The Best Of The Beast (1996)
The Best Of Iron Maiden (1996)
In Profile (1998)
A Real Live Dead One (1998)
Virtual XI (1998/2002)
Eddie's Head (1998)
Ed Hunter (1999)
Brave New World (2000)
Rock In Rio (2002)
Eddie's Archive (2002)
Edward The Great: Greatest Hits (2002)
Dance Of Death (2003)
No More Lies (ep) 2004)
Death On The Road (2005)
The Essential Iron Maiden (2005)
A Matter Of Life And Death (2006)
Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of 1980-1989 (2008)
Flight 666 (2009)
The Final Frontier (2010)
En Vivo (2012)
The Book Of Souls (2015)
The Book Of Souls - Live Chapter (2017)

Behind The Iron Curtain (VID/DVD) (1985)
Maiden England (VID/DVD) (1988)
Video Pieces (VHS) (1991)
Live After Death (1991/2008)
From There To Eternity (DVD) (1993)
Raising Hell (DVD) (1993)
Metal Hammer (DVD) (2000)
Number Of The Beast (VHS/DVD) (2001)
Rock In Rio (VHS/DVD) (2002)
Visions Of The Beast (DVD) (2003/2004)
Legacy Of The Beast (DVD) (2004)
The History Of Iron Maiden, Pt. 1: The Early Days (DVD) (2004)
Death On The Road (DVD) (2005/2006)
Different World (DVD) (2006)
The History Of Fear (DVD) (2007)
Rock Case Studies (DVD) (2007)
Critical Review: Iron Maiden Album (DVD) (2007)
World's Greatest Albums (DVD) (2007)
...And The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (DVD) (2008)
Castle Donington, England (DVD) (2008)
In Italy (DVD) (2008)
Live After Death (DVD) (2008)
Flight 666 (DVD/BR) (2009)
Dawn Of The Damned (DVD) (2009)
En Vivo! - Live At Estadio Nacional, Santiago (2012)
Maiden England '88 (2013)

Genre: Traditional Metal

Origin UK

Added: December 19th 2004
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.ironmaiden.com
Hits: 3179
Language: english