Iron Maiden – “Maiden England ’88” [DVD Review]

I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Maiden England ’88 for some time now. The concert was previously released in VHS format (and later CD) back in 1989, but never available on DVD until now. While I have heard most of Maiden’s past live albums, Maiden England ’88 has always been spoke of in reverential tones by those who have seen it, so I was curious to see what it was actually like.

First of all, the DVD is an absolute bargain. I paid $22 and was absolutely astounded by all of the content on the 2 disc set. Disc number 1 is 100 minutes and contains a full concert by the band filmed on the 27th and 28th of November in Birmingham. Disc number 2 is an additional 156 minutes and contains “The History of Iron Maiden Part 3”, “12 Wasted Years” (Previously available only on VHS) and 5 promo videos.

The concert itself is absolutely stunning – one and a half hours of Maiden at their peak in 1988 with the full classic line-up. The concert was edited by Steve Harris himself and was intentionally shot as to give a fan’s eye view of the concert. As a result Maiden England ’88 is unique in concert DVDs as it actually feels like you are really at the show, seeing Maiden in all their glory. The song selection is also fantastic with both popular songs like “Running Free”, “The Number of the Beast” and “Run to the Hills” mixed with stand-outs “Moonchild” and “Heaven Can Wait”. The second disc is also great with both documentaries giving fascinating insight into the band. The promo videos added in are also a nice touch too.

Overall I would say that Maiden England ’88 is an essential purchase for any Maiden fan. It’s hard to complain about the band continuously releasing live albums when they are as good as this. Is it as good as their classic Live After Death? While that’s debatable, I would personally answer yes as both the sound quality and overall performance is better in my opinion. Pick up the DVD and see for yourself.

Run Time: 95 minutes
Release Date: March 25, 2013

Check out the song ‘Maiden England ’88’ trailer