(Rated this album with 8 out of 10) Reviewed by
An Amazon.com Customer
Yes, it's missing Wasted Years, but let's try to look at the good points. The pre-1985 material is mostly superb, but I feel that this version of "The Trooper" lets it down (compare it to the excellent version on Live After Death). Despite that hiccup, there are a couple of outstanding tracks such as Hallowed Be Thy Name and The Number Of The Beast in particular, where Janick Gers has really managed to get his teeth into the older material. For those who doubt Maiden's songwriting ability after Adrian's departure, A Real Live One should extinguish such doubts. After a blistering opening with Be Quick Or Be Dead, Dave Murray launches into a brilliant solo in From Here To Eternity, and Janick replies in Tailgunner, with equal speed. Just listen to the Wasting Love solo alone by Janick, and you realise that this album is definitely worth buying. Although it has its weaker moments, like the slightly limp Can I Play With Madness and Heaven Can Wait, the moody Afraid To Shoot Strangers is awesome, especially when the crowd joins in, and the mighty Fear Of The Dark rounds it off perfectly. So although some fans might feel that some songs are "missing", this is nevertheless a worthwhile purchase for any dedicated Maiden fan, despite in my view being inferior to Live After Death in terms of guitar harmony and a few low points
