This performance was recorded around the time of his studio album Cold Day in Hell, which was released sometime in 1976, presumably after this January show. Rush, Levis, Stroger, and Green had either just finished cutting the album or would soon head into the studio. Five of the 12 tracks from Cold Day were performed for Wise Fools, including a re-recording of his classic "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)." Missing from the set is "I Can't Quit You Baby," a Willie Dixon-penned song he made a hit well before Led Zeppelin, but there are many Rush live albums that do include it. It is not terribly missed here, even though it is a great song that he performs well.
It is tough to choose highlights when there are no low spots, but I have some favorite moments. His cover of B.B. King's "You're Breaking My Heart" is fabulous. The version from Cold Day in Hell is good, but there's a little more fire in this live version. "Mean Old World," another song from Cold Day, features the signature stop/start riff he used countless times on various songs. Rush rarely toured with a piano player, likely due to the expense of another mouth to feed and the added equipment, but this show was recorded at home in Chicago. As such, Gianquinto's electric piano helps this stand apart from other Rush live sets and is particularly effective on "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)." For pure guitar power, the fiery solo on "It Takes Time" and "Motoring Along," the instrumental closing track both stand out. Overall, this and So Many Roads: Live in Concert are the definitive live albums in Rush's catalog. No blues fan should be without either.
I went into my exploration of the blues a virtual blank slate. I knew a few names, I knew a few songs from having heard them covered by rock artists inspired by the originals. Beyond that, I knew nothing. I heard Rush's version "So Many Roads, So Many Trains" from the Chess Box Set, and that song alone made enough of an impression I went looking for more. I still can't explain the power of the hold his music has on me, but I had a dream about him a few years ago. Some music is banal enough to induce sleep. Rush's music is powerful enough to stir me from sleep.
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