Rush: R30—30th Anniversary World Tour

Canadian power rock trio Rush—bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and songwriter/drummer/percussionist Neil Peart—celebrate 30 years in this double-disc DVD led by a two-hour 2004 concert filmed in Frankfurt, Germany. Following an opening instrumental medley, the band kicks in to a 21-song set featuring longtime staples such as “The Spirit of Radio,” “Red Barchetta,” “Tom Sawyer,” “Xanadu,” “Between the Wheels,” “Limelight,” and “Working Man,” as well as a handful of more recent tunes such as “Earthshine” (off their 2002 release Vapor Trails), and a quartet of excellent covers (The Who's “The Seeker,” The Yardbirds' “Heart Full of Soul,” Blue Cheer's “Summertime Blues,” and Cream's “Crossroads”). Like their predecessors Blue Cheer and Grand Funk Railroad, the trio put out a phenomenal wall of sound, but Rush has the added distinction of being comprised of musicians regularly ranked at the top of the heap for their respective instruments, particularly Peart, whose outstanding percussion work is highlighted here in a solo piece entitled “Der Trommler.” All of the bonus features are on the second disc: four interviews and a profile for the band's induction into the Juno Hall of Fame for Canadian musicians, as well as nine music videos/concert performances—including a stirring rendition of “Closer to the Heart.” A “deluxe edition” is also available, priced at $39.98, which adds the entire concert on two CDs, a replica of a backstage pass, and a pair of signed guitar picks by Lee and Lifeson. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)