The most memorable part of the show was the fantastic animated intro that brought to life all of the great Rush album cover art, and eventually led into the opening "R30 Overture", which consisted of medley of killer riffs from some of their most endearing 70's songs such as "Bastille Day", "A Passage To Bangkok" and "Hemispheres". Other highlights included a rare performance of the Grace Under Pressure closer "Between the Wheels", and a definitive performance of "Red Barchetta". It's easy to forget about that Moving Pictures classic sometimes since it is sandwiched between, oh,only "Tom Sawyer", "YYZ", and "Limelight". That has my vote for top-five best rock album sides of all time. Although they did dig deep for a couple of these songs, they can afford to dig a little deeper considering the amount of repetition there is on all of their live releases. How about a little "Something For Nothing", "Vital Signs", "Chemistry", or "Cut To The Chase" next time around.

They almost make up for the excluded live performances with a second disk full of Rush rarities, highlighted by some very Spinal Tapish, '70s-era performances of "Fly By Night", "Circumstances," "La Villa Strangiato", "A Farewell To Kings", and "Xanadu" - although most of these are obviously lip-synched performances. Also included are several band interviews, book-ended by a 1979 interview with Geddy Lee, and a Vapor Trails tour interview with Geddy and Alex. The most charming inclusions were a live studio performance of "Closer To The Heart", done for the Canadian Tsunami Disaster Fund charity telethon, and the band's induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. I was alarmed at how much I must like this band, because that segment had me a little bit misty eyed towards the end.

This is a very different video than the Rush In Rio DVD, released only a few years previous. Sometimes I am more in the mood for the gritty, crowd-drenched mix of the Rio show, and other times I prefer the pristine recording quality of this one. Each performance sees the band in a different light and offers the viewer a vastly different experience. I say bring on next years new album, tour, and concert DVD - and hurry it up already!

Set List
R30 Overture (Finding My Way, Bastille Day, Anthem, A Passage To
Bangkok, Cygnus X-1, Hemispheres)
The Spirit Of Radio
Force Ten
Animate
Subdivisions
Earthshine
Red Barchetta
Roll The Bones
The Seeker
Tom Sawyer
Dreamline
Between The Wheels
Mystic Rhythms
Der Trommler
Resist
Heart Full Of Soul
2112
Xanadu
Working Man
Summertime Blues
Crossroads
Limelight

Performance 8/10
Production 9/10

Read all of my DVD concert reviews at Roy's Reviews