Now in their fourth decade as performers, Canadian power rock trio Rush—bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and songwriter/drummer/percussionist Neil Peart—are captured live here in Rotterdam, Holland circa 2007, promoting the band's critically-acclaimed then-current release Snakes & Arrows. Spread over the first two discs, the concert kicks off with a rousing rendition of “Limelight,” followed by 26 more songs that intermix Rush classics, such as “The Spirit of Radio,” “Tom Sawyer,” “Subdivisions,” “Distant Early Warning,” and “Freewill,” with most of the Snakes & Arrows CD, including the standouts “Far Cry,” “Workin' Them Angels,” “The Main Monkey Business,” and “The Way the Wind Blows.” Like Blue Cheer and Grand Funk Railroad, the threesome here deliver a wall of sound, but in Rush's case, the musicians are critically acclaimed as masters of their respective instruments, particularly Peart, whose outstanding percussion work is highlighted here in a jazzy solo piece entitled “De Slagwerker.” Like all contemporary Rush shows (I personally saw this three-hour extravaganza in Seattle along with a very appreciative audience and a very patient wife), the group performs in front of large video walls that occasionally display original animation and live-action sketches created specifically for the tour. As a bonus, a third disc features four songs (including “Red Barchetta” and “The Trees”) from an Atlanta concert, with additional DVD extras including a comic sketch featurette, tour outtakes, two songs shot from alternative angles, “Red Sector A” off the Rush: R30—30th Anniversary World Tour DVD set (VL-1/06), and a 12-page booklet. Although Rush fans are likely to be surprised by the omission of two perennial staples—”Xanadu” and “Closer to the Heart”—this is one of the band's finest outings, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Rush: Snakes & Arrows Live
(2007) 3 discs. 221 min. DVD: $24.98, Blu-ray: $29.98. Zoë Vision (avail. from most distributors). Volume 24, Issue 2
Rush: Snakes & Arrows Live
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