~a real live one~

Prektis speaking london time, ingat cerita lama dan prektis typing guna Microsoft words,..sambil tunggu nak handover duty hehe. ( hari minggu kasi chance sikit ler beb ).
( Click all photos to enlarge )

A Real Live One gatefold vinyl & cd, Fear Of The Dark live single, A Real Dead One cd, A Real Live Dead One cds, & the fan magazine from that period.

Recently, I added another long time ago out of print A Real Live One album to my humble collection. This time it’s the LP gatefold vinyl version. I can only afford the Korean pressing as the resale price of the u.k version is just too obscene when it do become available once in a while.

I guess it’s a good time to write a short piece of me reviewing, reflecting and remembering why A Real Live One is special in its own right.
So here it goes, and as I’m typing this from memory and its been a long time since I listened to this album, I hope the details are quite accurate especially the dates and occasions.


See the the bottom right which is the back cover of the original version of the cd release.

A Real Live One is a single disc live album released somewhere about March 1993 which was discontinued in 1998 with the release of the remastered versions of earlier Maiden albums.
It was merged with the follow-up A Real Dead One album ( originally released end of 1993 ) as a double cd set under one title called A Real Live Dead One.
This is the version currently in the shops, with lyrics printed on the booklet where they should have strictly retain the original version of photos only.


This is from Donington 1992. I love the stage design.

A Real Live One features songs from the album Somewhere In Time ( released 1986 ) onwards till then 1992’s Fear Of The Dark.
Steve Harris idea then was to release two separate live albums, one each of pre and post Live After Death ( their previous 1985 live album ) songs.
So fans can choose to purchase either one or both.
Steve decides that as far as possible, each song from these two Real albums will be recorded in different cities and countries so he can choose the best versions of the songs live and also makes more fans have the “I was there” feeling.

After Steve finished A Real Live One and intending to release the album in March 93, Maiden booked themselves another European tour called A Real Live Tour from April 93 onwards to play certain areas left out in 1992 and he intended for Maiden on this tour to play rarer songs from the first few Maiden albums to make A Real Dead One more special for fans who already have Live After Death.
Never did he realized that a minor armageddeon was to happen.


The digipak single below with British tour dates for A Real Live One Tour.

Why is A Real Live One special to me?

1) One of my first direct to cd purchase of a Maiden album and single. From 1993 onwards, I stopped buying Maiden on cassette tapes except for the “live in donington” ( original white cover ) double cassette tape later that year as I just don’t have the money.


How I love that photo of Bruce jumping but I just cant find this photo anywhere else.

Remember, in those days, there are no internet, and being a student then, you basically got to scrimp, save and STARVE to save up pocket money to buy what you like or get busy during the school holidays cleaning air-conditioners at people’s homes for income.

2) I bought the advanced single Fear Of The Dark ( Live ) on the serialized Digipak version at the old DADA Records which was then on the higher floors of Funan Center and I love it so much as it’s rare occasion than for me to get an official live release of a Maiden song live since Live After Death. Prior to that I mostly relied on bootlegs to listen to Maiden which was very hard to get by. With audience recorded bootlegs you often get disappointing results. The original releases were bsides like the part 10 of "not a lot of people know that" first ten years series.



Photos galore on both the lp and cd packaging.

Fear of The Dark live version from this album remains one of the best live version of a song ever found on any of their official releases.
Helsinki Finland will forever be etched in Maiden’s history as the place that sealed Fear Of The Dark as one of their ultimate singalong live songs.

- I remembered reading a Steve Harris interview when he was asked what Maiden song really works well live, and he answered it as this song.

- In an interview with Adrian Smith for the Somewhere Back In Time World Tour, he was also asked the same question, and he too answered Fear Of The Dark.
Remember, Adrian Smith was not around when this song was first recorded in 1992 so it really must mean something.

- During the Early Days Tour around 2005, Maiden played Czech Republic, and my understanding was after the last encore, the whole place was shouting in unison for Fear Of The Dark when they jolly well knew that that song was not on the setlist and is not going to be played for that specific tour.


More photos galore.

- When Maiden includes Fear Of The Dark for the Somewhere Back In Time World Tour, that seems to sum up the fact that its hard to drop this song. I was at the second night of this tour at Perth, and I really have no idea whats the setlist, and I was dumbstruck for a few seconds when the intro of Fear Of The Dark was played as I just could not figure a song from 1980 to 1988 with that intro until I realised it.

- On leaving Burswood Dome, one of the first things my wife commented about the show was about this song, so yes, its really a special song after all.


tour dates of the Fear Of The Dark World Tour, equiptments used by Maiden members and Steve's notes.

Song by song reflection..

All the songs are so much superior live then on the studio version. Some more then the rest.
1) Be Quick Or Be Dead - A song about the evil of corruption, and I really like that " I'll Bet You Wont Fall On Your Face, Your Belly Will Hold You In Place " line. - Feeding oneself and love ones with money from corruption? Its up to each of us isnt it? This has always been one of Maiden speedy songs and I really like this version.

2) From Here To Eternity - "START YOUR ENGINE, DAVEY". A happy relaxing song, and Steve killing the character of Charlotte The Harlot and her long running tales on Maiden songs. Maybe she did survived after the motorcycle accident at the Devil's Bend? I hope so.

3) Can I Play With Madness - So thats Steve Harris with the backing vocals on this song. One of my favourite pretty pop songs by Maiden, but live its a bit more rock. The keyboards are loud.

4) Wasting Love - Recorded in Paris. Bruce Dickinson by himself can make a mockery of idiots who think Iron Maiden and their fans are devil worshippers and society's trouble makers. He has so many talent and he can even speak French to the audience.
I learnt a bit from his speech - "Nouveu Album."
I dont like this slow song that much but as the pace speeds up for the solos, I enjoy it much more.


Steve's Notes enlarged. He didn't knew it then did he.
He would not have let Maiden proceed with the Real Live One Tour if he had known Bruce was leaving but they had signed the deal and the tickets were already on sale.
Maiden got to release on dvd that Italian tv broadcast of one of Maiden's shows in Italy during that tour to see the problems on stage. Bruce was left alone by himself while the rest of the band was trying their hardest to show that life goes on. Its one of the saddest moments for me as a Maiden fan. I think I still got that concert video bootleg somewhere.




5) Tailgunner - This used to be the worst first song from any Maiden album for me until Wildest Dreams pops up for Dance Of Death.
Live, it becomes so much noiser and more dramatic.
I spent some free time, surfing the internet for the crazy bombings of Germany cities by US and British Air Force during 1944 and 1945 and I dont have the words to describe it. The way the survivors describe the firestorms was just cruel.
This song was recorded in Switzerland.
I wonder how the German fans react to this song with all the descriptions.

6) The Evil That Men Do - Fast and furious is the only way to describe this version.
I always think this song is one of Maiden's best romantic songs for the ages.

7) Afraid To Shoot Strangers - Iraq War, the first one in the early 90s. Politicians start wars but its the man on the street who have to suffer. One of Maiden's more touching songs. " A song about an ordinary person, that doesnt want to kill anybody ". Live, this song reminds me of Queen's Radio Ga Ga at Wembley stadium with the whole place clapping in time.


I dont understand this article in Korean but...I do know..
When The Sun Goes Up In Korea, The Sun Goes Down in America, When The Sun Goes Up In Korea, Love Last Forever hehe.
Wait a minute, I cant resist the Malay language version
" Sinar Mentari Di Korea, Ku Mencari(??) Mimpi Mimpi, Sinar Mentari Di Korea, Cinta Bersemi- Raja Ema hehehe.

8) Bring Your Daughter..To The Slaughter - Maiden at their most comical. Their only number one British Pop Charts position. History will remember that single as the first number one British Pop song for the 1990s decade.
Live..this song really transform to something else with the crowd participation. But I rather they play something else.

9) Heaven Can Wait - I still remember searching for an internet access to find out if we won Heaven Can Wait drawing of lots before the Perth gig. Tough luck. To those who win it every time its held - You guys are the luckiest to be up there.
" Camaraderie ". I learnt this word from Bruce's description in this song from another live recording I believe. I just cant recall.


The designs of the vinyl and the various cds


10) The Clairvoyant - One of my lesser favourite songs from The Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son album, but again live the song is transformed to a huge frigtening monster.
Also the song for the walk-on-Eddie to make an appearance at Perth.

11) Fear Of The Dark- The only glitch for me is the intro by Bruce is tagged to the previous song's ending. Other than that, this is one of Maiden's greatest songs ever just because of its crowd participation and excitement. I dont think Steve realised how awesome the this song will be live when he wrote it.





Anyway, this is portion of the fan magazine of that time, when everything is rosy before Bruce drop the bomb that he's leaving the band around that time.
News about Dave's injury on stage, Japan's sound measurement and some nice photos of Australia.
It was 1992 then, and if anyone tell me that 16 years later, I will set foot in Perth, and to see Maiden there, I would never believe it, but we did.



Take a look at this...
Just want to share with you my favourite photo from that period... Dave Murray



Lastly, Derek Riggs make a return for this album cover, besides doing 'Eddie's Steve pose' cover for the single.
I think this is one of his last Maiden artworks traditionally drawn.


I think its one of the cutest Eddie ever especially because of the bright colours and I really like Eddie's saliva drooling.


The End of my ultimate review of A Real Live One.