ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE

Live records are notoriously difficult to get right. The band has sound issues to worry about above all...is the mix right? Can the band and audience hear everything clearly? Or is just a mush of sound? These are all things that bands MUST take into consideration when making a live disc.

That doesn't seem to be a problem here, for, even at this early time in their career, Rush seemed like consummate pros. Excitable pros, yes, but still consummate pros. Geddy's voice and bass are nuts as always (often using his bass as a rhythm guitar), and Alex's (the unsung hero, IMHO) guitars are always front and center. Neil is his usual crazy self, as always (listen to the middle of "Working Man/Finding My Way" for proof). It seems that in this setting, the songs themselves take on new meanings, so the title track from "Fly By Night" seems more, shall we say, wistful, and "In The Mood" seems far more raucous, than on their regular disc counterparts.

So, all in all, an excellent start to Rush's live career. "Exit...Stage Left" has a better track listing, yes, but for sheer, unpolished, RAW enthusiasm, you really can't go wrong with this one.