benpoole.com

What a Rush

Rock and roll! Hee hee. Well, I finally bought my first Rush album today, Rush In Rio. And it is a corker: three CDs (31 tracks) of live music from their Vapor Trails tour, recorded in Brasil. I’ve only ever had their music on the odd mix cassette here and there before, so it’s great to have a CD full of them.

Their music doesn’t seem to be as big in the UK as elsewhere, but I can certainly testify as to how good they are live: I really got into their stuff by attending a Rush gig (with Primus in support no less!) back in 1993 in Indianapolis. Great band, awesome musicians. And if I can put my geeky bass player hat on for a second, Geddy Lee gets a great sound out of his plank.

Posted at 16:18 on 11 Mar 2004  |  Categories:   |   (11 comments)

Comments

1. Being a Canadian, I am very proud of Rush. I've been listening to what they do since Moving Pictures. Seen them lots of times live and it's always a pleasure. Being a musician, I appreciate the guys' musical talents (all the guys, not just Neil!).
   
   They had rough times (specialy Neil), but they're always back. This year's the 30th anniversery tour, so I won't miss that.
   
   I saw a special preview of the Rush in Rio DVD in an Imax theater and it was awesome. Although sound is some what "unequal", this is a must have for all Rush fans.
   
   Glad to see they are know in the UK. Any chance you know Loverboy as well? :)
   on 11 Mar 2004 by Ben Dubuc (#)
2. Loverboy? The name rings a bell. Dreadful 80s band weren’t they?
   
   Re the 30th anniversary tour, I found out today they’re playing here too, which is cool. Tickets seem to have all gone already.
   on 11 Mar 2004 by Ben Poole (#)
3. You know, I bought that album a few months ago (I'm a bass player from way back myself) and was very disappointed in the quality. I thought the mixing was awful. Way too much crowd noise.
   
   Doesn't keep me from listening to it (or at least parts of it) all the time, but I really wish the sound was better. "Show of Hands" was a much better live mix (although not nearly as many tunes as the 3-CD beast that "Rush in Rio" is).
   
   - Julian
   
   on 11 Mar 2004 by Julian Robichaux (#)
4. The sound quality is indeed iffy in places... reviews mentioning that are what kept me away for a while. But I’m glad I got the album all the same. To be fair, the liner notes are pretty up-front about why the sound is how it is (recorded on rather low-grade equipment which caused much teeth-gritting at the time), and the band chose to reflect this in the price: for example, my copy was £13, which for a triple album in the UK is excellent.
   
   Personally I quite like the “grittiness” evident in the recording... it comes across as a truly live album, rather than being overly doctored in a studio after the event (like some others), but of course YMMV.
   on 11 Mar 2004 by Ben Poole (#)
5. ok, so i have to admit that my best friend and i (when i was ~ 13/14 ish) used to jump around in the living room with brooms in our hands pretending we were lifeson / lee. for hours at a time. i think 2112 was probably the one we listened to the most.
   
   rush was by far my fave band for a long time. there was also a lot of air drumming. in fact i had a gigantic poster of rush on my wall for several years.
   
   i dont' know why but i can hardly stand to listen to music i grew up with. i'm always after something else, something new, or something belonging to a few different genres i discovered later on. so i don't listen to rush at all anymore. they don't seem to make the 70's / 80's rotation that gets played in the early mornings at the gym when all the "old folks" are there. (in the afternoons when the "young people" are finally able to climb out of bed, its nothing but techno.)
   
   i would love to see them though. i'll have to see if they are coming to town... who knows, maybe i can get away for a night??
   on 12 Mar 2004 by jonvon (#)
6. Ha ha, I can just imagine that... I don’t listen to much stuff from my childhood either... but Rush is a recent exception (I can say childhood - I saw them when I was 21 and that was ten years ago... Ooof)
   on 12 Mar 2004 by Ben Poole (#)
7. Always been a fan. Still reckon Permanent Waves is one of the best things they've done...and can I admit I still like 2112? :o)
   on 13 Mar 2004 by Tony C (#)
8. I suggest you purchase "Different Stages" ; 3 cds containing 3 concerts from the 70s, 80s and 90s. i'm from the uk and it's a shame rush sometimes skip there on tour. i've managed to see them twice though. i remember geddy lee singing the line "that's entertainment" as two giant inflatable rabbits came out of top hats beside the stage. how right he was.
   on 15 Mar 2004 by Paul R (#)
9. Ha! Paul, I loved the Presto tour as well. I've seen them at least once, usually twice for each tour since Hold Your Fire. I'm always awed by Neil's ability, love the spinning drum set! And no one rocks like Geddy and Alex! In fact, Alex tried to throw me his pick at one show. Silly man, he didn't know I couldn't catch!!! :(
   on 15 Mar 2004 by Debbie Byrd (#)
10. Yay! More Rush fans. I didn't know I liked Rush until a guy took me to the Presto concert during college. Now it's one of the few bands I actually work hard at seeing live.
    
    Brian took me fairly recently in SD, but now that I know there's another tour out there, I'm on the hunt for tickets!
    
    on 16 Mar 2004 by Libby (#)
11. i managed to get "rush in rio" last night. i am not disappointed. should have had marathon on it though. further to my delight rush are playing ahoy in rotterdam on 1st october.
    
    
    on 16 Mar 2004 by Paul R (#)