Description

Limited double album in a nice tri-folded digipack cover Living In The Golden Years is recorded at De Montfort Hall in Leicester, UK on the 14th of October 1986 during the bands Somewhere On Tour. The recording used is a superb audience source with virtually no crowd interference and has excellent balance of instruments making it a joy to listen to. The recording starts with the Blade Runner music and the Somewhere In Time intro and the band launch into the title track, the band use of guitar synthesizers is not overdone and gives the bands new tracks a smooth feel. After a rousing 2 minutes the band plays another new track, Sea Of Madness, With its swirling guitar riff it sounds great live and for those who only saw the American tour where the song was not played is a set highlight. Bruce says hello to the crowd and greats Leicester and talks about the bands history of playing the city and introduces a song from four years back, Children Of The Damned. One of the bands slower songs with a heavy chorus the song is well received as is the next two tracks, both singles, from the new record. The first Stranger In The Strange Land has some synth over tones that give it a slick feel, the band actually had Michael Kenney play keyboards live although off stage. Bruce talks about touring and how the song was originally going to be called golden years but they opted for Wasted Years as not to be confused with David Bowie. The Adrian Smith penned track is one of the most commercial songs the band would do and the first single from the record that charted at 18 in the UK. Someone throws a particularly smelly shirt onstage that happens to a very old Led Zeppelin shirt”and Bruce asks the punter if its his mothers and launches the band into the epic of the evening, a letter perfect rendition of Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith perform a duelling solo that is often referred to as Dancing On Glass, that showcases guitar notes over keyboards, very effective. Then comes a fast and heavy Where Eagles Dare, inspired by the film of the same name its soaring vocals and guitars make this an excellent mid set kick in the ass. Heaven Can Wait is clocking in at over 6 minutes the Steve Harris penned track sound excellent live but a little strange as the band was doing the ohh owh ohh owh ohh themselves as opposed to the road crew and lucky audience members as on later tours. The main set is finished with what was know as the trilogy of terror, Phantom Of The Opera, Hallowed Be Thy Name and Iron Maiden. Phantom is played a little slower than on previous tours and grinds the audience to a pulp, Hallowed takes them to the gallows and Iron Maiden provides their bloodied demise. Maiden at its best. The encores are book ended, 2 tracks from the Number Of The Beast record and the first Iron Maiden record. The crowd shout their approval for both the said title track and Run To The Hills, both songs have the crowd pumped up and they wildly cheer. The band takes a quick break and Bruce introduces the band before getting into the hard crunch of Running Free that includes the now standard sing along before the band delivers the final blow with Sanctuary, an excellent night indeed. The recording comes in a beautiful digipack cover adorned with photos relevant from the tour, the fact that we have a complete gig and finally the excellent sound quality makes this release highly recommended. Turn this up LOUD and UP THE IRONS ! Track listing: 1. Intro – Blade Runner Theme 2. Caught Somewhere In Time 3. 2 Minutes To Midnight 4. Sea Of Madness 5. Children Of The Damned 6. Stranger In A Strange Land 7. Wasted Years 8. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner 9. Guitar Solo 10. Where Eagles Dare 11. Heaven Can Wait 12. Phantom Of The Opera 13. Hallowed By Thy Name 14. Iron Maiden 15. The Number Of The Beast 16. Run To The Hills / Band Introduction 17. Running Free 18. Sanctuary