• Voto:
Sì, e va bene che i Maiden fanno un live album ogni due anni, ma stavolta finalmente c'è qualcosa di diverso. Perché tutti i live dei Maiden bene o male sono uguali (in controtendenza c'era solo il povero Rock In Rio, che aveva una tracklist abbastanza recente), tutte brutte copie del Live After Death. Non avevo comprato il cd, ho direttamente preso il dvd.
Ogni volta che ho in mano una produzione dei Maiden mi sento abbastanza combattuto. Non ho potuto dare più di 3/5 a Brave New World, e a Dance of Death ne darei anche 4 di stima, ma pensandoci con oggettività gli ultimi due lavori del sestetto sono dei taglio/cucito dai loro precedenti dischi, ma anche un po' dalla storia del rock in generale (The Wicker Man, Sign of The Cross...) e io che di roba ne ho ascoltata un po' sono stato lasciato più volte con l'amaro in bocca.
Ok, lasciamo stare la storia, apro il pacchetto e finalmente vedo quello che volevo vedere: dei contenuti speciali decenti. Rock in Rio era anche un po' deficitario a riguardo: quattro paroline, quattro immagini e una decina di minuti di documentario.
Finalmente abbiamo due bei documentari prolissi (anche fin troppo per la verità) sul making of di Dance of Death, sull'organizzazione e il lavoro dietro le quinte ai concerti e addirittura il setup degli strumenti! Un chitarrista come me non può che rimanere contento. Bellissimo il making of, anche se a dir la verità esce off topic per il 50% del tempo che occupa, ma il feticista medio troverà pane per i suoi denti. Note di produzione, vita in studio e roba simile, insomma, non male...
Si arriva però alla parte centrale di tutto il pacchetto: il concerto.
Prestazione impeccabile degli strumentisti, penalizzata però da un Dickinson sottotono, che da buon professionista comunque non fa rimpiangere il Rock in Rio, nonostante la grinta non sia decisamente più quella di una volta. La qualità del suono è buona, anche se il pubblico rimane sempre fuori dall'audio, un po' come succedeva al live precedente (manderò una lettera ai Maiden dove li supplicherò di tenere Steve Harris a minimo dieci metri dalla console di missaggio e dalla produzione), e la qualità del video è un po' troppo da film, storpiando gran parte dello show con epilettici flashbang (non flashback, flashbang) intermittenti in bianco e nero, riprese panoramiche e trovate simili che smorzano l'energia che dovrebbe tenere incollati allo schermo.
In realtà si tratta della classica prestazione da Iron Maiden, con tre chitarre che a livello di potenza sembrano una e mezza, visto il casino che periodicamente Gers, Murray e Smith combinano coi volumi dei loro strumenti, che nelle ritmiche neanche si sentono e il basso che sovrasta tutti che manco fossero i Korn. Niente male nel complesso, solo la produzione distrugge la buona prestazione (come di consueto), togliendone l'impatto e facendola diventare poco più che sufficiente. Una chicca è l'esecuzione acustica di Journeyman, in un arrangiamento diverso da quello dell'album. Molto molto bella, una cosa inedita.
Nel complesso il live è da 2.5/5, ma viene salvato in corner dalla ruspata di contenuti speciali (tra cui anche alcuni spot, delle interviste ai fan, due video e una galleria di foto non male) e riesce a raggiungere la quarta stellina. È un vero peccato.
Attendiamo il prossimo studio album, e consiglio l'acquisto solo ai fan e a quelli che non hanno documentazione video dei maiden (disco imperdibile per questi ultimi).
Per tutti quelli che cercano un buon live album consiglio Live After Death.
Elenco tracce e testi
02 Wrathchild (02:49)
born into a scene
of angriness and greed
of dominance and persecution
My mother was a queen
my dad I've never seen
I was never meant to be.
Now I spend my time
looking all around
For a man that's nowhere
to be found,
Until I find him,
I'm never gonna stop searching
I'm going to find my man
gonna travel round.
so long wrathchild
Yeah I'm a wrathchild,
hello wrathchild
comin' to get you
oooh yeaheyeah
Some say it shouldn't matter
ain't nothing gonna alter
the course of my destination
But I know I've gotta find
some seriaus peace of mind
or I know I'll just go crazy
Now I spend my time
looking all around
For a man that's nowhere
to be found,
Until I find him,
I'm never gonna stop searching
I'm going to find my man
gonna travel round.
so long wrathchild
well I'm a wrathchild
yeah wrathchild
comin' to get you
oooh yeaheyeah
03 Can I Play With Madness (03:30)
Give me the sense to wonder,
to wonder if I'm free.
Give me the sense to wonder,
to know I can be me.
Give me the strength, to hold my head up,
spit back in their face.
Don't need no key, to unlock this door,
gonna break down the walls,
break out of this bad place.
Can I play with Madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball,
Can I play with Madness?
There's no vision there at all.
Can I play with Madness?
The prophet looked and he laughed at me!
Can I play with Madness?
He said you're blind, too blind to see!
I screamed aloud to the old man,
I said don't lie, don't say you don't know!
I say you'll pay for this mischief,
In this world, or the next!
Oh then he fixed me with a freezing glance,
and the hellfires raged in his eyes,
He said do you want to know the truth son?
I'll tell you the truth!
Your souls' gonna burn, in a lake of fire!
Can I play with Madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball,
Can I play with Madness?
There's no vision there at all.
Can I play with Madness?
The prophet looked and he laughed at me!
Can I play with Madness?
He said you're blind, too blind to see!
Can I play with Madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball,
Can I play with Madness?
There's no vision there at all.
Can I play with Madness?
The prophet looked and he laughed at me!
Can I play with Madness?
He said you're blind, too blind to see!
04 The Trooper (04:12)
You'll take my life but I'll take yours too
You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.
The bugle sounds and the charge begins
But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.
The horse he sweats with fear we break to run
The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall
We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground
And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We were meant to fight another day.
We get so close near enough to fight
When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.
And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan
05 Dance of Death (09:23)
Let me tell you a story to chill the bones
About a thing that I saw
One night wandering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more
I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight
Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move
Feeling scared and I fell to my knees
As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace
Then they summoned me over to join in with them
To the dance of the dead
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led
As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear
But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals
And I felt I was in a trance
And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me
And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them
All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell
As I danced with the dead
My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead
Until the time came to reunite us both
My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me
By luck then a skirmish started
And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled
I ran like hell faster than the wind
But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead
When you know that your time has come around
You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
To this day I guess I'll never know
Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Til I dance with the dead
06 Rainmaker (04:01)
When I was wandering in the desert,
And was searching for the truth
I heard a choir of angels calling out my name,
I had the feeling that my life would never be the same again
I turn my face towards the barren sun
And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me,
And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in our lives like the cracks upon the ground,
They are sealed and are now washed away
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears away,
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears...
And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me,
And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in the ground like the cracks are in our lives,
They are sealed and now far away
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears away,
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears...
And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me,
And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in the ground like the cracks are in our lives,
They are sealed and now far away
08 Paschendale (10:17)
In a foreign field he lay, lonely soldier unknown grave
On his dying words he prays, tell the world of Paschendale
Relive all that he's been through, last communion of his soul
Rust your bullets with his tears. Let me tell you 'bout his years
Laying low in a blood filled trench, killing time 'til my very own death
On my face I can feel the falling rain, never see my friends again
In the smoke in the mud and lead, smell the fear and the feeling of dread
Soon be time to go over the wall, rapid fire and the end of us all
Whistles, shouts and more gun fire, lifeless bodies hang on barbed wire
Battlefield nothing but a bloody tomb, be reunited with my dead friends soon
Many soldiers eighteen years, drown in mud no more tears
Surely a war no-one can win, killing time about to begin
Home, far away, from the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away, but the war, no chance to live again
The bodies of ours and our foes, the sea of death it overflows
In no man's land god only knows, into jaws of death we go
Crucified as if on a cross, allied troops they mourn their loss
German war propaganda machine, such before has never been seen
Swear I heard the angels cry, pray to god no more will die
So that people know the truth, tell the tale of Paschendale
Cruelty has a human heart, everyman does play his part
Terror of the men we kill, the human heart is hungry still
I stand my ground for the very last time, gun is ready as I stand in line
Nervous wait for the whistle to blow, rush of blood and over we go
Blood is falling like the rain, its crimson cloak unveils again
The sound of guns can't hide their shame, and so we die on Paschendale
Dodging shrapnel and barbed wire, running straight at cannon fire
Running blind as I hold my breath, say a prayer symphony of death
As we charge the enemy lines, a burst of fire and we go down
I choke a cry but no-one hears, feel the blood go down my throat
Home, far away, from the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away, but the war, no chance to live again
See my spirit on the wind, across the lines beyond the hill
Friend and foe will meet again, those who died at Paschendale
09 Lord of the Flies (05:06)
Lord Of The Flies (Harris, Gers) (Commentary)
I don't care for this world anymore, I just want to live my own fantasy
Fate has brought us to these shores, what was meant to be is now happening
I've found that I like this living in danger
Living on the edge it feels, it makes feel as one
Who cares now what's right or wrong, it's reality
Killing so we survive wherever we may roam
Wherever we may hide, we've got to get away
I don't want existence to end, we must prepare ourselves for the elements
I just want to feel like we're strong, we don't need a code of morality
I like all the mixed emotion and anger
It brings out the animal, the power you can feel
And feeling so high with this much adrenaline
Excited but scary to believe what we've become
Saints and sinners, something within us
We are lord of the flies
Saints and sinners, something willing us
To be lord of the flies
(3:17-Solo: Janick Gers)
Saints and sinners, something within us
We are lord of the flies
Saints and sinners, something willing us
To be lord of the flies
Saints and sinners, something within us
We are lord of the flies
Saints and sinners, something willing us
To be lord of the flies
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di AR (Anonima Recensori)
Questo concerto registrato a Dortmund durante il Dance Of Death World Tour 2003 è stupendo.
Bellissimo concerto e bellissimo disco Live se non fosse per i pezzi del nuovo album, però... sono sempre i Maiden e i concerti sono sempre i momenti migliori.
Di Ragnaròk
Parlo degli attuali 6 componenti degli Iron Maiden, veri mostri sacri del metal.
L’album è quindi stracolmo di capolavori da ogni album e di ogni tempo.
Di thetrooper
"non DEVO e non POSSO lamentarmi perché è alla pari (o forse superiore) di 'Rock In Rio'"
"Stiamo parlando di una garanzia in terra, ovvero degli Iron Maiden, che ancora una volta ci convincono della loro esperienza in sede live e la loro supremazia in campo di heavy metal"
Di metalselo
Un concerto degli Iron è infatti qualcosa di pazzesco, scenografie hollywoodiane mastodontiche, grandi effetti causati dalle luci, e soprattutto la componente principale: GRANDE MUSICA.
Dickinson, che ultraquarantenne continua a sfoderare prestazioni degne di applausi: tecnicamente, assieme ad altri pochi cantanti come quello dei Dream Theater, è forse il più dotato nel genere Heavy Metal.
