BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE

Rush

Heavy Prog

4.68 | 301 ratings

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nahnite

"Behind The Camera Eye..."

Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of band DVD's. They typically consist of the same old thing: a concert or two, backstage tomfoolery and some tired-ass extras.

But this is RUSH we're talking about, so you know it's not gonna be anything standard. The film offers a rather intrguing glimpse into the lives of the performers; stuff you don't see every day, including school photos, early performances (whoever had the camera at that first gig was watching history in the making), and even some clips with Rutsey. In fact, the stuff you see here with him is NOT anything you can easily find on YouTube. So this simply lends credence to my idea this was and is a carefully thought-out package.

The movie as a whole is beautifully shot, and even the ancient, grainy footage of them still rings true with a powerful clarity. Dirk and Lerxst knew damn well what they were doing even back then, and as it stands, they still do.

The main DVD takes the viewer on a journey from pre-Mercury signings up to the "Snakes..." era. That's sweet in itself, but what is truly wonderful about the movie is that it gives you an in-depth look at Peart's mental machinery, which is something not often talked about. He's a brilliant lyricist and drummer, but until this came out, I don't think anyone really got the gist of just HOW smart he is.

What's even cooler about it is the discussion of the period of time between "Test" and "Vapor Trails". "VT" is considered by many I know(myself included) to be Rush's heaviest, rawest and angriest record (and most controversial). In fact, I would put it at number 1 on my list, right above "Moving Pictures". But that's a story for another time.

Regarding that era, the interviewer manages to coax out the band's emotions and thoughts following the deaths of Jackie and Selena. For a band as generally closed-off as they are, I can only say that this must not have been a terribly easy task. Neal seems to be in a sort of comfort zone, if you will, but even then, one can see the emotions and old pain that still courses across his face.

The only things I didn't really like about the movie are: Well, Jack Black for one. I think he's a douche, no matter how talented he might be. Instead of sticking to why he thinks Rush are so popular, he goes on an improptu (and inappropriate) rant about "rocket sauce". WTF is that? Then again, he seems to have the IQ of a bottle of mustard, so whatever... The other thing I didn't like about it was that, for me, it was simply too damn short. This could have been twice or three times the length, and I still would not have gotten enough. Then again, I am a total Rush-ophile.

So, there you have it. A wonderfully cohesive DVD trip brought to you, the unassuming fan, by one of the GREATEST bands ever.

nahnite | 4/5 | 2010-8-3

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