RUSH IN RIO

Great Rock Concert, Crazy Crowd!!!

Have you ever seen or involved in any rock concert where all the crowd sing a long while the lead singer is singing the lyrical part of the song? I bet that most of you have been in that situation. A good example is probably Queen live "Killers" or Iron Maiden "Rock in Rio". Yes, it's probably the case. But, let me honestly ask you : Have you ever seen or involved in a rock concert where all the crowd sing a long while the band plays an instrumental song? It's a tricky question actually : it's similar with the first question but the context is different now, there is no singer singing the melody of the song with lyrical passage. How can you sing while there is no singer required? That's exactly what happens with this live set: all (I repeat all!) crowd were singing the melody of an instrumental song "Yyz" while the band was playing it on stage. What amazes me really that the crowd voice is louder than the band's music!! Well, you must agree with me that Rio crowd is totally crazy ..!!!!!!! That suffices to say that this is definitely a GREAT rock concert of all time. Ghuszzz . I have never seen or listened to any recorded live material with this level of craziness of the people in Brazil. Wonderful man! (I imagine myself if I were in the crowd I would join them and had fun all along the show . Hmmm I envy on all rockers in Brazil man . They are truly rockers!!!)

The Concert - DVD One

I have always considered Rush music in an association with hard rock / heavy metal vein even though their composition has a very intense prog elements. With this kind of music I would have imagined that their music requires high energy to perform live. But these three gentlemen from Canada has amazed me - Yep, I am totally "rolled to the bone"!!) - with powerful performance they demonstrate through this recorded live DVD. From the start of the show with the band's masterpiece "Tom Sawyer" till brain surgery "intermission" and continues again with second part until it ends, they perform their music consistently with flawless delivery. Despite their age, they still rock the world man ..!!! Superb stamina and musicianship!!!

"Tom Sawyer" blasts the show off with a powerful sound combined with loud voice from the crowd. Wow!!! Man .. What a fantastic opening track! The sonic quality of the DVD is really awesome - it's probably due to the DTS technology. I keep the volume at my power amp relatively high to get a closer nuance of a true live show. Oh man . that voice .. yeah . that voice from the crowd is damn noisy but it's very lively - it's like putting me in the middle of the crowd! Music-wise, the band performs with practically no mistake at all - or if there is it's gone unnoticed. When the second track continues with a song from "Grace Under Pressure" album called "Distant Early Warning" - I cannot refrain myself from getting involved the crowd moves. Oh man . what a lively atmosphere!

The musicians perform really well with their jobs on stage. Geddy is the most mobile during the show as he walks back and forth from and to the location of keyboard. Alex stays stable at left side (crowd view) of the stage with his great guitar style. Neil Peart - oh man . he is at his best in this live version! He plays his drum set in a constant and well maintained stamina; fills in the musical gaps with energetic mood. He is still one of the best rock drummers. His drum solo in "O Baterista" is really SUPERB!

One thing that I learn through watching this DVD is the fact that I can appreciate more on tracks that I do not favor much in the "Vapor Trails" album like "Earthsine". I don't know why, I enjoy this live version despite that I do not like the album as a whole. Since I watch this DVD, I can enjoy this track. I also enjoy (very much) "Leave That Thing Alone" that I never liked it before (from the album "Counterparts"). But after I watch this DVD, I really like this energetic instrumental piece!

One of may favorite Rush tracks "Natural Science" is performed excellently. I remember the first time I purchased "Permanent Wave" album in the past and how amazed I was with this song. The cover version under "Working Man - A Tribute to Rush" is also an excellent outfit.

The Documentary and Multiangle - DVD Two

If in DVD One you can enjoy the full concert on stage, the DVD Two contains documentary part: "The Boys in Brazil". This is what I love about this DVD. I enjoy the documentary part as I enjoy the show because in this part I can learn more about the story behind the show without having to obtain a "Backstage Pass". (Well, if I were in Brazil, I would definitely try to get this pass to chat with the musicians).This part is used to build up my comprehensive understanding about Rush (in general) but especially about the show in Brazil.

Every single second of the documentary part I really enjoy it. It casts interview with each of the band's members, their rehearsal and practice before the show, their preparation for the Sao Paulo concert before Rio was taken place. The fans enthusiasm about the band members are also nice shot. I even amazed with the cast about a female die hard fan explaining how Rush means a lit for her - with tears on her eyes. Three members of Brazil's metal band SEPULTURA were also there in the show and documented in DVD Two. I wonder where the members of ANGRA when the show was performed?

I also love to know that in fact - as said by Geddy - the band did not have a chance to do the sound check and film check before the show. What it was shot was exactly the first shot the band got it and finally it became this DVD.

In addition to the documentary, there is also part on multiangle view provided (for three songs) so that we can focus to each member of the band during the song is performed.

Overall Recommendation

It's a highly recommended live DVD, rating 5 out of 5 as everything is just perfect rock concert! I purchased only the DVD version as I could not afford to buy the combo package. At the end, I found that it was a wise decision to get the DVD only as my friend told me the CD audio quality is not as excellent as the DVD. I guess it's probably the DTS technology. Keep on progging!

Yours progressively,

GW - Indonesia.

A real keeper.

To say the least, Rush ended victorious of the heavy marathon concerts that was Vapor Trails. The last performance was captured and they gave a fantastic performance. Rush fans really waited a long time to have them on DVD and to finally have REAL FOOTAGE outside the concerts. Oh brother, it was ABOUT CROAKING TIME! Take the time to listen to the rich documentary they've produced. This is a great gift for fans like me. To see them in some more relax time is priceless.

Who knew: they were so big in Brazil? what kind of crap hit on them in the Brazilian tour? that Geddy's hair could get so frizzy? the story behind Neil's tragedy? what's a shrimp cut? what's that soup they're taking about?

Alex Lifeson's laugh out loud humor, Neil's constant reading, Geddy's human approach with the crew, the easter eggs full of surprises, the songs you love played with a heavy approach, Neil's biggest and baddest solo yet, the super lighting show, a crazy crowd, Alex and Charlene in bed sharing fun jokes, a chance to see Geddy's wife, a warming fraternity moment between Alex and Neil, Neil practicing in secret, fans meeting their heroes, members of Sepultura talking about their love for Rush, the most excellent crew fixing the stage, a trip in a van through the streets of Rio, Alex signing autographs for fans, each members saying something nice about each other...

This is a gift from above. So complete it makes you wanna cry.

A very energetic concert but ... I never heard a concert DVD with horrible sound mix and quality ... did they actually forgot to do a soundcheck here? and besides, the crowd drowns the music, which is something I do not like.

The song selection could have been better : too many poppy tunes of the 90s and few long songs like Xanadu.

The good thing of the album is that the musicians (if they can be heard) play at their very best here. Examples being the beautiful yessy guitar solo of Alex in La Villa Strangiato, and the 8 minute long drum solo.

I do not recommend this DVD unless you don't mind having the crowd drowning the band when singing alone, even during an instrumental! (YYZ).

My Grade: C

A great concert, but muddy audio hurts the overall perfect score. Rush's first time in Rio was also a great chance for them to record a live DVD, so they took it upon themselves to record possibly the best concert of the Vapor Trails tour. Beginning energetically with Tom Sawyer and concluding with power on Working Man, a brilliant mix of old and new material is played superbly, although the audio takes a toll with overly powerful snare and bass drum and a very muddy guitar. Lifeson plays brilliantly, but is a bit sloppy on the solos, Lee is spot on, but his bass is too twangy for my taste, and Peart is precise and perfect as always, but has a snare drum sound that is a bit annoying.

Imagine the band playing the songs on the CD version of this concert and you get the picture. Lifeson is as snappy as always on stage and he gets very into the music, Peart looks on pensively and plays the songs effortlessly, and Lee looks on with optimism and makes the mood very welcome. The crowd is excited and even chants along during the instrumentals (that's right, the instrumentals). The second DVD features some nice Multi-Angle shots for YYZ, El Baterista, and La Villa Strangiato and a splendid documentary on the tour for Vapor Trails. There is an easter egg that unlocks some footage of them playing Anthem back in 1975.

Overall, this is a great DVD. The set is superb and they are performed very well. But now that R30 is out, you might want to check that out first. Although there are 8 songs missing that are all featured on this DVD, I would still recommend that over this. It is a lot more balanced and has better sound and features. This is a great DVD in its own right, and you should check this out as soon as you can. 4/5.

This is a very good DVD concert, with Rush playing with energy some of their best songs from their discography. But I agree that the sound is not very good. The mixing has several problems:Geddy Lee`s voice is not very clear in the mix, the same happens with some parts of the keyboards. I think that this is a very often problem with concerts being filmed and recorded in open air stadiums, because the acoustics of the place are not as good as in other venues. But the band sounds very good despite the fact that they were out of action for 5 or 6 years due to personal problems of drummer Neil Peart. The keyboard sounds also changed due to the use of the new technology since the eighties. This is very clear mainly in the song called "Distant Early Warning".

The setlist is very varied with a good balance of "new" and "old" songs. The inclusion of "Natural Science" is a very good choice. The audience`s response to their playing is great, with the audience singing the lyrics of the songs with the band. The band looks surprised in some parts to this response.

In conclusion, this is a good DVD with shows the band in very good shape.

The R-30 show will always hold a place in my heart as it was the first Rush item I ever owned. However, I feel that RUSH IN RIO has a better setlist. The inclusion of several instrumentals like ''YYZ'', ''La Villa Strangiato'' and ''Leave That Thing Alone'' made the difference for me. We also get the full instrumental beginning of ''Cygnus X-1'', ''By-Tor and the Snow Dog'' and ''The Trees'' for the Rush fan from the prog era. However, some of the better 80's and 90's tunes are here as well such as ''The Big Money'', ''Driven'' and ''New World Man'', and some of the VAPOR TRAILS stuff like ''One Little Victory'' and ''Earthshine'' is worth listening to. And you can't go wrong in my book if ''Natural Science'' is included.

The crowd may get in the way of someone's enjoyment of the show, but not mine. The Rio crowd really gives life to the concert, especially when they start singing to the instrumental ''YYZ''. I believe that this will be an all-time classic DVD sometime in the distant future and is worth watching to see Rush still have a ton of energy even after nearly 30 years of existence.

The spirit of Rush captured live before an enthusiastic crowd

"Rush In Rio" is undoubtedly one of the best live records in the extensive Rush catalogue. Unlike some of the other live DVD concerts, this one features a lively crowd that insist on singing every line of every song and their enthusiasm is infectious. It always brings a warm feeling to hear them singing all the notes, even in the instrumentals. This is definitely one of the best DVDs of the power trio along with "Snakes and Arrows Live".

There are some brilliant moments to savour as a visual and oral experience. Lee, Lifeson and Peart are at their best, Lee is especially terrific on vocals, when his voice was powerful and dynamic. There are about 160 minutes of quintessential Rush favourites. Highlights abound such as Tom Sawyer, YYZ, where the crowd holler out every note and bounce like a football crowd, The Pass, Freewill, Closer to the Heart and a wonderful version of Natural Science, a track that drew me to the "Permanent Waves" album. There are incredible performances of One Little Victory, Leave That Thing Alone, Resist, and a 7 minute edited version of 2112. At least it is here but I rather the version on "All The World's A Stage"/

The last part of the concert is my favourite as it features indispensable classics such as Limelight, La Villa Strangiato, The Spirit of Radio, By-Tor and the Snow Dog, and a tacked on tiny version of Cygnus X-1. My favourite is Working Man, and it is given a wonderful treatment in Rio.

There are some unusual additions on DVD 2 with the most compelling documentary I have seen in years. The fly on the wall treatment of seeing what goes on behind the scenes is fascinating and worth the price of admission alone.

This concert is a lengthy but triumphant Rush paradise. The performances are faultless and it is full of energy and power from start to finish. Pick up this masterful DVD at all costs!