Rating: 
Summary: PLEEEEAZE Let's be Honest
Review: First, I too am a huge Rush fan.
Second, I too saw this concert live (Detroit)HOWEVER:
I also own 40+ music concert DVD's. Granted not all of them are "live" concerts...but a good number are. This DVD gets a "2"...and that is generous. Reasons as follows: 1. Not Widescreen. Not DTS. EVERY music DVD produced from this point forward SHOULD BE! PERIOD! Most recent ones are...Eric Clapton's stellar "One More Car, One More Rider" for example...and even The Corrs "Live in London"...but not this "first and only" from Rush???? Boooo, Hisss. 2. The SOUND SUCKS! PERIOD! I have a $7K+ sound system. Not my dream rig, but EVERY OTHER DVD I have listened to sounds infinitely better! It is NOT my system...so don't even suggest that. Again, Eric Clapton's is perfect. U2 "Live in Boston"...from years ago sounds fantastic. I could go on and on and on. Sorry Rush Fans (and Rush) the mix on this DVD is "worst-of-the-worst" class. Harsh and annoying with silly loud guitar relative to all other instruments and vocals (does Alex run sound now?). How about those electronic drum pad sounds?? Awful! Piercing. Out of balance. 3. I love the crowd's energy...but do they have to be in the mix constantly to provide the "like I'm there" feeling. I say NO! The continuous crowd noise is almost as annoying as the mix itself, and I'm sure is part of why it sounds soooo bad. Sorry again for being so brutally honest. Again, I grew up listening to Rush. I too am a musician. I too went to this concert live. The only difference between me and the other reviewers is I'm not blinded and deafened by my loyalty and excitement over finally having their first DVD. I'm sickened by the poor audio (relative to 40+ other such discs) and saddened that one of my fav's of all time brought such an embarrassment to market. PLEASE go back to the drawing board and remix this puppy in a special edition Widescreen/DTS. Oh, before that, watch a few reference quality discs and take copious notes. Sincerely and Honestly,
A sorely disappointed customer AND FAN.
Rating: 
Summary: BUSH MUST BE BURNED BY THE CONCERT DRAGON
Review: The guy from Brazil is right. This show is a great proof that us, the north americans, can do something better than throwing milion dollars bombs over ten bucks slums and kill hundreds of innocent Iraqis.
Kubla Khan decreed the Pleasure Dome - A place that this "bush-world" should be! Rush is a good replacement for Bush in the people's mind!
Rating:
Summary: Rush again shows why they are one of the best.
Review: I just recently got my dvd, and the quality of it was supurb. The music sounds like they are in studio, and the different camera angles in the video turned out excellent. If you enjoy going to a Rush concert then I highly recommend you get this dvd. Also a documentary was included in with this dvd. So considering the elements they fought and getting the stage in place, its amazing at how well this concert was produced. But as always Rush prevails and pulls off another excellent show. But it was good to see a documentarty on Geddy, Alex, and Neil. Makes you see why they are one of the best rock and roll bands, and it allows you to see them as ordinary people like us. Also they really appreciate their fans, and I can hardly wait for them to come out with a new cd. I hope as fans we always appreciate the sacrifices these guys make for us too.
Rating: 
Summary: Riding out of the shockwave on that August day...
Review: Where do I begin?
First off, it was over 60,000, not 40,000 fans.
Secondly, of course it's mostly from Vapor Trails...it was the Vapor Trails tour! This DVD includes a documentary of the guys with interviews and footage of all three. You Rush fans know that usually Neil only allows himself to be caught on film behind his kit, so this is a rare treat indeed.
The set list is remarkable. The music is solid. And the performance is standard Rush; amazing. However, here are my critiques: the sound of the crowd has to be my biggest complaint. I understand this is a live show, but Rush is not the type of band that needs to hide mistakes behind a loud crowd. They're so techinically perfect that they should be showcasing their music and allowing the sound of the crowd to fill in the gaps, not vice versa.
I believe this was done purposely for two reasons: Rush wants their American fans to see how an audience is supposed to behave for them, and secondly, Geddy's son, Allan, did a lot of post-production work on this project. It was his first time helping Dad out, and maybe he's just getting his feet wet and Dad is letting him feel his way regardless of how it turns out. Allan, I hope you're paying attention here because Dad didn't have the heart to tell you this.
If you have seen a lot of Rush concerts, you also remember how much fun the little movies and videos are that play behind Neil on stage. The DVD hardly showcases that part of the concert at all, concentrating almost entirely on the guys...which isn't necessarily bad, it's just noticeable.
Disc 2 has three tracks from the concert that you can view from 4 different camera angles, one on each member and then a stage view. That's pretty cool if you're a musician (as most Rush fans are) because you can really see your favorite member play the whole song.
Overall, it's a great performance. It's not as good as being there at the show of course, but whether you're a huge fan or not, you won't regret buying the DVD, especially if you don't mind the crowd as much as I do.
Rating:
Summary: You are there...finally!
Review: Some people complain about the sound. I agree it is not the most perfect sample in the whole wide world, and certainly far from what Rush had accustomed us in their previous live video releases. But for once I really feel I am there, not in my living room, but jumping with the crowd and enjoying every second of it. Yes these guys are approaching 50, but really you can't tell by listening and watching them play (unlike a certain Mick and Keith duo...). These guys are top notch, wonderful musicians, and they seem to enjoy themselves even more today than they did in their heydays (which I position as somewhere in the mid-80s). So Neal is a bit serious behind his drum army. Well considering what he's been through, you wouldn't even be there. Remember what Alex and Geddy said about him not appearing before the press? The man is still suffering people, but his drum playing sure isn't. Long live Rush. I worship you guys! From a fan since Permanent Waves.
Rating:
Summary: I love Rush but....
Review: The audio mix on this DVD stinks! And I don't even have a fancy 5.1 system. I'm just playing through my stereo system. There are a few bands that I would NEVER expect to have less than perfect sound quality on ANY release, and Rush is one of them. Well, I have been let down immensely by these new release. I can only hope that A Show Of Hands and Exit Stage Left will be re-released soon so that I can sell this DVD on ebay. Back to the mixing board, guys. :(
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for the performance - in spite of so-so mix
Review: Good:
The performance is absolutely, totally top notch. They've never sounded better. The crowd is totally into it. Bad:
The mix is a bit questionable. I listen to it through a 2 channel amp with headphones, so I think a lot of the boominess and 5.1 mix issues don't apply to me. But I did run it once through my home theatre setup and my sub just about blew up... too much bass, the vocals were lost in the mix, etc etc. I can't believe the low quality of this mix in 2003. It's like technology is marching backwards. But this performance is so good, it rises above the technical limitations. Buy it anyway! I would have paid ten times the price for this.
Rating:
Summary: To The Guy From Brazil
Review: What the hell does George Bush have to do with a Rush concert? Last time I checked he was not the president of Brazil nor a member of Rush. Keep the politics out of the reviews please. You had to go and ruin a great review with your distorted political slander that had nothing to do with that night in Rio.
Rating:
Summary: What a live recording/DVD should be
Review: I understand some people have a problem with the mix (especially the crowd noise) and if I had been at the controls I might have traded more vocals for a little less drums. However, this is a pretty good representation of the sound at a Rush concert (I've been to several) and unlike some more antiseptic live recordings (including some by this band) it really captures the feel of a live performance. If you want less crowd noise, then buy the studio recordings. In this DVD you feel like you are there in Rio. The individual performances are top-notch and the song selection is great. If you want to see an amazing performance by some of the most skilled rock musicians in a live concert environment, buy this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Very Happy with this dvd
Review: Maybe it's Because my 5.1 system is worth only 500.00 instead of 10,000 dollars , but it sounds fine to me. In fact it sounds like how Rush sounds in concert. But you guys with your 10,000 dollar system wouldn't know that because you never see live bands. God fordid you have to get off your butts and maker any adjustments let alone get out of the house and see the band live.
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