RUSH - IN RIO

Superb live outing from the Canadian trio. Their first tour of Brazil, and their last dates of the Vapor Trails tour, Rush played to over 100,000 eager fans during their shows in Brazil. 60,000 showed up to Sao Paulo, and 40,000 turned up to this event. You can hear the enthusiasm of the crowd even during the instrumentals (regards to the chant in the middle of YYZ). From the opening Tom Sawyer to the final chords of Working Man, Rush's whole catalogue is tastefully displayed, with only two albums being left out (Caress of Steel and Presto), and it is all played incredibly accurately and with skill. Lee's commanding bass swirls with the precision of Peart's drums and the textured guitar riffs of Lifeson to create every sound their career has produced. The set list is incredible, featuring favorites such as Natural Science, 2112, and Cygnus X- 1. Lee's bass solo in the middle of Driven is a show highlight, as well as Peart's devastating O Baterista Drum Solo (which was nominated for a Grammy, but unfortunately lost to Brian Wilson). Another new addition was the acoustic version of Resist, which could quite possibly be the most emotional song Rush has ever created. The Vapor Trails selections are played well and are dispersed around the show between the classic tracks. Overall, a great live collection. However, the live Rush album to go for is Different Stages. This one is good, but not up to that quality and selection of tracks. 4/5.