Iron Maiden-Live after death, 1985

To me this is the live album by which all other live metal albums should be judged. And believe me, it will not be easy to measure up to this big monster of an album either. I remember going to the record store to buy this in late fall of 1985. You wouldn't think a live album by a band who didn't get played on the radio would be a big deal, but Maiden were at their peak here in the states and it was most certainly a huge deal. The record store had a six foot tall Eddie stand-up and posters and flats advertising the album all over the place. I remember that WASP, Dokken and Twisted Sister all released albums around this same time, but Live after death was the one everyone wanted. I got my copy on cassette and stuck into my cheap little boombox when I got home and I was floored. To me it was like the power of Maiden only more so and it was everything I would want from a live show. They had done some tremendous albums at this point in their career, but pulling it off live and making it sound even better at times was huge task. The fourteen minute "Rime of the ancient mariner" is not a song most metal bands would have done in the first and it might be hard to pull of live. Yet on this album, the band not only pulls it off, but the song is perhaps the biggest highlight of the set. Iron Maiden are no stranger to live album as their first live album an ep entitled "Maiden Japan" came out after just their second album. Over the last 15 years it feels like they have done as many live albums as they have studio release. Yet "Live after death" is a great example of what can be done on a live album. They manage to maintain a high energy level throughout the entire album. My only complaint is Bruce Dickinson seems to have some trouble doing two Paul Dianno songs and those are Running Free and Iron Maiden. They are just better with Dianno singing them. My favorite songs are Rime of the ancient mariner, The Number of the beast, Aces high and the Trooper.