Rush in Rio [Live] [Box set]

Recorded on their "Vapor Trails" tour of 2002, this see's Rush back in the limelight (sic) after their sabatical following drummer/lyricist Neil Peart's personal tragedies of losing his daughter and wife (see "Ghost Rider" in the book reviews).

Some reviewers have mentioned poor sound quality and the crowd noise as being minus points, but they did'nt bother this listener. In fact, the crowd noise adds to atmosphere - these guys are going nuts!

My only gripe is seeing some over-familiar songs again (Closer to the Heart, Spirit of Radio, Freewill etc to name but a few) that have been featured on previous live albums (including the prior "Different Stages"). But this is more than made up for by the new material from "Vapor Trails" - freed from the muddy production/mastering of that studio album, songs like "Earthshine", "Ghost Rider" and "Secret Touch" come alive - shame there's not more of them! The acoustic version of "Resist" is simply gorgeous, a shame Rush don't gear down a little like this in the studio more often.

Guitarist Alex Lifeson's narration in the middle of "La Villa Strangiato" is like some kind of surreal dream and a blast at that. Geddy Lee's bass really punches through on most tracks and his voice sounds great for the most part, if a little thin on the high notes - lower down the warm, rich tones of his singing really shine.

Hell, its Rush - they haven't toured the UK and Europe in over a decade (and they comment as such in the sleeve notes) - so this (and the DVD) are the next best thing.

Rush still remain something of a enigma to Joew Public, but they have endured and have constantly redefined their sound and been innovative - how the critics must hate them for having the nerve to still be here and producing good music.

I doubt "Rush in Rio" will break in any new fans - but for the faithful, this is great stuff.

You can never have too much Rush!

I understand that the recording equipment used was below par, but surely something could have been done at the mixing stage? In any case, if they wanted to release a live album, could they not have used material from other shows on the tour. The two songs on here which were recorded at another show - "Between Sun and Moon" and "Vital Signs" - have superior sound quality.

It's also not one of Rush's best performances. Alex sounds a little tired on a few songs, notably "Earthshine". It's a bit sad, too, that much of the subtle intro to "La Villa Strangiato" has been dropped from its rendition here, with no keyboard part at all.

Despite all this, the CD is still worth buying. Any decent Rush live recording is always worth having. The setlist is good and some of the songs ARE delivered very well. Alex's insane ramblings in "La Villa" are quite amusing, too.

On the downside, yet another live set--no matter how good it is--is no substitute for a new studio album. After the powerhouse return that was Vapor Trails another set of new material is eagerly awaited.

Rush have still got an awful lot of fans all over the world -- here's hoping they tour Europe and the UK soon. Very soon.