Iron Maiden – Maiden Japan

excellent performances of great songs, but the overall mix is really hollow with very little punch or power. the songs on side one are mixed with the bass guitar overwhelming everything else. i prefer the mastering of these same songs on the Greek pressing of "Live + 1". they're the same mix, but the mastering on that specific LP has much more midrange presence and gives them a much more powerful sound than on this specific release.

This is an '81 Harvest pressing of this EP. It's my original childhood copy from about that year. I always loved how heavy this record sounds versus the studio versions of the same songs.

Listening with older ears, the band is 100% on point, executing perfectly. Murray and Smith are working their asses off with technical and tight harmony lines. 'Arry's basslines are clean and prominent. Di'anno sounds rough, voice sometimes weak, not projecting.

Unfortunately the recording is just not good. It's a live set, and just very rumbly, lacking treble frequencies and without definition.

If you're a die hard fan, of course you want this record, just don't expect it to compare to "Live After Death".

Highlights here are "Killers" and "Innocent Exile".

Compare this to Judas Priest "Unleashed in the East", which is an amazing performance and recording from around the same time.

Pressing is good. 3 stars.

If you are a fan of the first two records this is a must have. If not then its something you can pass up. It is a good performance by IM at the time with the original signer. If it had more songs I would put this higher on the must have list.