Live After Death - 40 Years Old, and Still Yet to be Matched

jaybroderick
2 days ago
3 min read

By: Mike Grieve - “….And the moral of this story is this is what not to do if a bird shits on you”. The infamous words stated on an album released 40 years ago. An album that has stood the test of time, celebrates Iron Maiden’s beast of a spirit and is considered to be one of THE BEST live metal albums of all time!

Released on October 14th, 1985, most of Live After Death was recorded live in March 1985 at Long Beach Arena in California during Iron Maiden’s World Slavery Tour. From the album’s opening speech of leadership and inspiration by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War 2, followed by the Fighter Pilots' “Aces High” engagement, the album is a relentless immersion and highly intensive stage presence for Maiden, set with Steve Harris’ bomb dropping baselines, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray’s dual guitar assaults, Nicko McBrain’s unleashed power and disciplined ferocity on the drums, and lead by the air raid siren singer Bruce Dickinson.

Highlights include:

"Aces High" - The song that introduced me to Iron Maiden. It was actually the video that got my irons up for the first time after I watched it on the local tv show Toronto Rocks during the Mid Week Metal Mania Show. Soon after I received the Powerslave album for my 12th birthday and have been a fan ever since.

"The Trooper" - The energetic fighting anthem, fast guitars, drum licks mimicking charging horses and patriotic attitude that always gets a crowd pumped up.

"Revelations" - A true masterpiece showcasing the harmonic guitar sound of Maiden at their finest, complete with the outcry of “Mutha Fucker” from the crowd towards the end of the song (hey when you're 13 years old, that was pretty cool to hear).

"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - One of my favourite Maiden songs and longest on the album. A song which tells the tale of a mariner’s misfortunes at sea. It's a song whose lyrics are taken from a 1978 Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem of the same name. A song that I still listen to after 40 years, which still provokes similar thoughts and response as the first time hearing it. The performance

by the band, and in particular Bruce Dickinson on this version, is like the song itself, where the tale will go on and on and on.

"Hallowed Be Thy Name" - Bruce Dickinson has stated it’s one of the band's favourite songs to perform, which is evident as it has remained in the band’s set list ever since recording it on the Number Of The Beast album. The live performance on this record creates a movie like execution narrative. Mark my words, believe me this song lives on.

"Running Free" - The audience back and forth with Bruce is classic, culminating with the famous “Scream for me Long beach” line.

"Die With your Boots On" - A classic that came back to me a few years ago on a road trip through British Columbia. My son Andrew was 12 and I introduced him to this song. It was played in heavy rotation in the car, complete with my son changing the lyrics to “die with your pants on!” Every time the song plays now, I reminisce about this trip and have to sing about a soldiers pants…

"Phantom of the Opera" - The penultimate track on the album is the perfect ending. It features early sounds of prog metal, intricate musical layers, complex arrangements and that distinguishable Iron Maiden bass tone, dual guitar, complex and compositional sound. Perfect to close the setlist!

Apart from the music, the album cover itself is impressive. Artist Derek Riggs created another masterpiece, depicting Eddie rising from the grave and being struck by lightning. The album's vibrant colours and many “easter eggs” makes it a long time fan favourite.

Four decades later, Live After Death remains more than just an epic live concert recording. It is a celebration of early Maiden and it can still be used as a gateway for new Troopers to join the Iron Maiden Army.

If you haven’t listened to it in a while, go ahead, put it on!

Up the Irons!

Iron Maiden Online