IRON MAIDEN ROCK IN RIO
Columbia - 2002
By Rodrigo Escandon
Prior to the release of this album, Steve Harris posted at the Iron Maiden website a message in response to the accusations that overdubs were being used in this recording. Steve emphatically denied that overdubs were used and in his actual words he says There are NO overdubs on this live album.
So what is an overdub? According to the The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language an overdub is To add (supplementary recorded sound) to a previously taped musical recording especially in order to heighten the total effect. If you follow this definition then one can easily argue that there are in fact overdubs in this album. Where you ask?
Listen to at least the recordings of Brave New World and Fear of the Dark. In the latter, during the chorus Bruce tells the crowd You! to sing the chorus by themselves yet he starts singing along, and in the former Bruce sings the chorus incorrectly. The studio version has A Brave New World, In A Brave New World but this version Bruce sings just A Brave New World. These two examples show how silly Bruce sounds and how sloppy Steves cut and paste was executed.
Now does this make the album bad? Not really but it does dampen the enjoyment of the album for me. Just like the fact that the last five songs on the album (Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast, Hallowed be thy Name, Sanctuary and Run to the Hills) are songs that have been released already plenty of times in other live albums. Would it kill the band to play other songs?
However, there are some positives to talk about. First, the Brazilian crowd screams at the top of their lungs and seriously sound amazing and its now my opinion that every live album should be recorded in that country. Second, this is the best that Bruce has sung in a live album and that includes Live After Death and Scream For Me Brazil and thirdly the band is seriously in great form.
When I first got this album, I played it a lot during the first week but I have rarely played it since. Its not because of the overdubs or because of the selection of the setlist. I just dont listen to it because I prefer to listen to Live After Death if I am going to hear a live Iron Maiden album.
Columbia Records Website
Iron Maiden Official Website
Columbia - 2002
By Rodrigo Escandon
Prior to the release of this album, Steve Harris posted at the Iron Maiden website a message in response to the accusations that overdubs were being used in this recording. Steve emphatically denied that overdubs were used and in his actual words he says There are NO overdubs on this live album.
So what is an overdub? According to the The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language an overdub is To add (supplementary recorded sound) to a previously taped musical recording especially in order to heighten the total effect. If you follow this definition then one can easily argue that there are in fact overdubs in this album. Where you ask?
Listen to at least the recordings of Brave New World and Fear of the Dark. In the latter, during the chorus Bruce tells the crowd You! to sing the chorus by themselves yet he starts singing along, and in the former Bruce sings the chorus incorrectly. The studio version has A Brave New World, In A Brave New World but this version Bruce sings just A Brave New World. These two examples show how silly Bruce sounds and how sloppy Steves cut and paste was executed.
Now does this make the album bad? Not really but it does dampen the enjoyment of the album for me. Just like the fact that the last five songs on the album (Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast, Hallowed be thy Name, Sanctuary and Run to the Hills) are songs that have been released already plenty of times in other live albums. Would it kill the band to play other songs?
However, there are some positives to talk about. First, the Brazilian crowd screams at the top of their lungs and seriously sound amazing and its now my opinion that every live album should be recorded in that country. Second, this is the best that Bruce has sung in a live album and that includes Live After Death and Scream For Me Brazil and thirdly the band is seriously in great form.
When I first got this album, I played it a lot during the first week but I have rarely played it since. Its not because of the overdubs or because of the selection of the setlist. I just dont listen to it because I prefer to listen to Live After Death if I am going to hear a live Iron Maiden album.
Columbia Records Website
Iron Maiden Official Website
