R30 - 30TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR

The thing I like the most from this 2-DVD set is . that you can switch the volume button by yourself, how loud the Rush concert in Rotterdam was! But that was the only negative experience that evening, what a mindblowing and memorable gig, perhaps the best I ever saw and I have seen many times Rush on stage (almost every Rush concert in Holland, from Pinkpop 79 to Hold Your Fire 88)!

DVD1 contains a concert in Germany (Frankfurt) during the R30 tour. The visuals are overwhelming: a wonderful, spaceship-like lightshow (especially the red and green in Red Barchetta and the blue in Between The Wheels), beautiful lasers (Dreamline), alternating screen projections (the band members in action, historical pictures, cartoons) and sophisticated computer-animations like the concert-intro (all covers with a humorous touch), Geddy, Neil and Alex as The Thunderbirds against a dragon (Darn That Dragon) and swinging skelettons in Roll The Bones. The music is also very impressive, what an enthousiastic, energetic and crafted musicians and so professional, GREAT! I was stunned by all members but in my opinion Neil delivers his best performance ever, it seems that he has sublimated his anger about the lost of his wife (cancer) and daughter (traffic accident) into very high standard drumming, so powerful, dynamic and inventive! The interaction between the humorous Alex Lifeson (cascades of splendid soli) and enthousiastic Geddy Lee (imitating Chuck Berry his 'duck-step' during Force Ten) is also worth to watch, they use to give 100 percent to entertain the audience. Rush played for 3 hours during the R30 but unfortunately this is cut to 2 hours and 13 minutes by deleting songs like YYZ, The Trees and La Villa Strangiato. That's a pity but probably due to commercial reasons because otherwise Rush Live In Rio would be superfluous very soon..! I was very impressed by the prog and roll tracks like Red Barchetta, The Spirit Of The Radio and Tom Sawyer and the Feedback EP covers The Seeker (beautiful psychedelic images), Summertime Blues and Crossroads and the outstanding medley 2112/Xanadu/Working Man, this is Rush at their best!

DVD2 contains five interesting interviews between 1979 and 2002 and ten songs from the vaults like Xanadu featuring Alex and Geddy on Gibson and Rickenbacker twin-neck guitars (magical!) and A Farewell To Kings with wonderful images from the landscape of Wales and scenes from the three band members with very long hair! DVD2 also contains again two Easter Eggs and a fine booklet with many pictures.

THIS 2-DVD BOX SET HAS ALREADY ENTERED MY DVD TOP 3 OF ALL TIMES, WHAT A BREATHTAKING PROGROCK DOCUMENT FOR ALL SENSES!!