Iron Maiden - A Real Live Dead One (1998)

To coincide with Bruce Dickinson's "last tour" with Iron Maiden in 1993, a pair of live albums were assembled and released a few months apart: A Real Live One and A Real Dead One, both of performances culled from various European concerts on their 1992-1993 world tour. In 1998, when Maiden's albums were reissued on Raw Power, both releases were combined together as a double-disc set, A Real Live Dead One. The first disc is comprised of material spanning 1980-1984 (with many early obscurities thrown in), while the second disc spans 1986-1992. Although the track listing is an interesting one, what prevents A Real Live Dead One from being a worthy successor to 1985's classic live set, Live After Death, are the uninspired, workman-like, slightly ragged performances (Bruce Dickinson in particular sounds bored most of the time). While Maiden fanatics will undoubtedly love hearing live readings of such overlooked classics as "Where Eagles Dare," "Transylvania," "Remember Tomorrow," "Prowler," "Heaven Can Wait," plus the hits "The Trooper," "Be Quick or Be Dead," and "The Evil That Men Do," it's ultimately a disappointment. Unfortunately, A Real Live Dead One completely lacks the energy and electricity of its predecessor. A Real Live Dead One" is a compilation live album by Iron Maiden. In 1998, EMI released the albums preceding *Virtual XI* with a unified design and multimedia enhancements. The two albums, packaged together in a double-disc case, were originally released separately in 1993; the first was recorded at various European stops during the *Fear of the Dark* tour in the spring and summer of 1992, while the second was recorded during the *Real Live* tour in the autumn of 1992. The first album focuses on songs from the band's early years, while the second features tracks from the period spanning *Somewhere in Time* through *Fear of the Dark*.