Iron Maiden - A Real Dead One (1993/Castle)
Rating - 7.4

This live disc was originally released separately from 'A Real Live One', but the two were later re-released as a two disc set. Both albums were recorded on the 'Fear of the Dark' tour in ’92- ’93, with this one consisting entirely of songs from 'Powerslave' and earlier. The track listing makes this album a tempting buy, but it suffers from some of the same production issues that plagued the companion disc. Steve Harris produced, shooting for a bootleg-like sound, and achieved that goal admirably - to the detriment of the listening experience. That’s not to say there aren’t some highlights: the versions of "Sanctuary" and "Remember Tomorrow" are excellent, and the inclusion of "Where Eagles Dare" is a nice surprise.
However, in a number of spots the mix is a real problem, most notably on "Two Minutes to Midnight", where the guitar intro sounds like it’s being played on a kazoo. Also, the hard-core Maiden fanatic will really miss Adrian Smith -- some of the classics just don’t sound quite right without Adrian’s solos. All in all, this album is recommended mostly for Maiden fans completing a collection: it pales in comparison to 'Live After Death', which contains many of the same songs.

TRACK LIST: The Number of the Beast/The Trooper/Prowler/Transylvania/Remember Tomorrow/Where Eagles Dare/Sanctuary/Running Free/Run To The Hills/2 Minutes to Midnight/Iron Maiden/Hallowed Be Thy Name

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