Rock In Rio

With the reunion studio disc Brave New World failing to recapture the imagination and intensity of Iron Maiden in America and even in many places in the band's European homeland, going to Brazil seemed like a smart move. It was one of the few places that a quarter of a million people would turn up to see the act in 2001, and judging from the audience response, the band's set list didn't bother them much, either. At times, you had to be wondering what they were listening to. The band's energy is in abundance here (it's hard to mail in a performance in front of so many people who seem to scream at every single move the band makes). Includes some of Dickinson's CMC solo stuff and six tracks off the aforementioned Brave New World. The majesty of the classic material saves the day, and even though they had a sympathetic foreign crowd by the short and curlies, the band was smart enough to close the set with the classic material. Simply put, you can't go wrong with a closing volley of three tracks from Number of the Beast and a couple more from the band's eponymous debut. The likes of "The Trooper" and "Wrathchild" sound even better next to anything the band recorded after Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. ~ Brian O'Neill