(Rated this album with 6 out of 10) Reviewed by
MBJ
from Cincinnati, OH
I see that this is being sold as a two CD set now. I bought these two as individual CDs when they first were released. "Real Dead One" has a different cover, a Derrick Riggs "Eddie" as a DJ at 666 Studios or something. Anyway, for years I've always felt that "Dead One" rocks and "Live One" falls flat. "Dead One", despite the title, is much more lively. The band sounds more energized, the song selection is much better, and the production is even (slightly) better. Granted, it's no "Live After Death", but it's a worthy addition to any Maiden fan's collection. "Live One", on the other hand, it downright bad (as in NOT GOOD). The song selection focuses on No Prayer For The Dying ("Tailgunner", "Bring Your Daughter") and Fear of the Dark ("Be Quick", "From Here to Eternity", "Wasting Love", etc.), probably Maiden's two weakest albums. The band sounds very tired on "Live One". The only saving grace of "Live One" is the live version of "Fear of the Dark". Not only is it one of Maiden's best later-day songs, this version actually rivals the studio version. Overall, if you could buy just "Dead One" alone, it wouldn't be a bad deal, but having to buy "Live One" too sinks this package considerably. 3 stars for "Dead One" and the song "Fear of the Dark".
