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| Rush - Rush In Rio |
 Released: 2003 Label: Rounder/Zoe-Anthem (DVD) Cat. No.: 011-431-040-9 (DVD) Total Time: 171:00 / 70:00+ | |
Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, November 2003 In 30 years, Rush have only played in Brazil once - the three shows last November (Rio on 11/23 being the final show) -- and this DVD documents that performance. Disc One is the concert, Rush playing most of their hits or beloved tracks including "Working Man" from their very first album, the not-heard-live since 1978 (according to Lifeson) "By-Tor And The Snowdog," and a handful of tracks from their most recent release, Vapor Trails. It is a fantastic live set with very few quibbles. The DVD medium makes the picture so clear, it seems immediate. Not so much that you are there - the quick cuts and crowd shots won't give you that feeling -- but that what you are watching is happening live, right before your eyes. The trio of Geddy Lee on vocals, bass, and keyboards; Alex Lifeson on guitar; and Neil Peart on drums are as tight as they ever where, marching through more than 2 hours of music both with the vigor of men half their age and like men who doing exactly what they loved to do. You could almost see it in Lee eyes as he's singing "Limelight"... Sure, they'd played to large stadium-sized crowds before, but it seemed that they realized it was extra special because here were so many fans that had waited so long to see them live, and that magic that is rock n' roll (whether that rock is prog or not) still can thrill even the most seasoned performer. Even Peart, who is probably the most intense and focused drummer I've seen, seemed to enjoy himself. And Lifeson certainly was if the bit of humour during an extended version of "La Villa Strangiato" is anything to go by. The shots of the audience from the stage and above just shows you how packed that venue was - and not just men, mind you, as there were ladies in the crowd, too, singing along. Actually, it looked like a very young audience, mainly in the their early to mid-20s -- which is good to see (the documentary on disc two shows that there are fans of all ages in attendance). What happens on the screen behind the band is as much a part of the show as is the visual asides between Lee and Lifeson -- and never more so then the bit of computer animation that leads from the intermission to a fiery "One Little Victory." One other unique touch for the Rush tour was an acoustic version of "Resist" (from Test For Echo) - something the band were unsure would work when prepping for the tour; it does. This being a 2-DVD set, the second disc features a documentary of the band's time in Brazil, taking you from show to show, interspersed with interview footage from each of the members plus members of the road crew, managers, and the fans. These only reinforce what you see on the first disc, and put into words. Not only how much Rush is surprised by the level of appreciation in Brazil, but how much they enjoy playing for the fans, and how much the fans appreciate the band. One female fan is in tears (or nearly so), so moved is she to finally see and meet Rush. I can undertand this one level myself, as there are various songs in the Rush songbook that I have a personal connection to. There is humour and drama in the documentary, which makes for entertaining viewing. You do feel you come to know the band a bit better, understand something new about them and why they do what they do ... and why the outpouring of affection from Brazilian fans touches them. While usually easter eggs are things one finds by happy accident, the two easter eggs here are revealed right on the sleeve - a "By-Tor" movie and the band performing Anthem in 1975. The rest of the package is also worth a mention - full color box houses the full color case. A booklet includes liner notes from Neil Peart, and pics. Other extras include being able to view "Yyz," "O Baterista" and "La Villa Stragiato" in multiple angles, but what it really means, is that you follow the movements of each of the trio, depending on which "camera" you choose - that is, view one will only display the camera shots of Alex Lifeson taken from various points of view... Well, you'll see what I mean when you view it for yourself. My quibbles? Well, though this is a live release, Lee's vocals aren't always complete audiable, yet, except for the new songs, you know what he's singing. For most of the first half of the video, the camera cuts from member to member and from angle to angle rather quickly, sometimes all to abruptly. Lifeson sings back up on several tracks, but he doesn't appear to be actually in the mix. Minor quibbles to be sure, and maybe I'm just being too nitpicky. It is otherwise a terrific package that every Rush fan will want to, will feel compelled to, own. Of course, many of you probably already have, lining up on October 21 (the North American release date). Rating: 5/5 [See also Bobo's review of the CD, Dave's review of the CD and DVD, and Keith's review of the DVD -ed.] More about Rush In Rio: Track Listing: Tom Sawyer / Distant Early Warning / New World Man / Roll The Bones / Earthshine / YYZ / The Pass / Bravado / The Big Money / The Trees / Freewill / Closer To The Heart / Natural Science / One Little Victory / Driven / Ghost Rider / Secret Touch / Dreamline / Red Sector A / Leave That Thing Alone / O Baterista / Resist / 2112 / Limelight / La Villa Strangiato / The Spirit Of Radio / By-Tor & The Snow Dog – Cygnus X-1 - Working Man Musicians: Contact: Website: www.rush.com Discography
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