Rating: 
Summary: "Rush in Rio" is good.
Review: I do agree, to some extent with many of the reviews listed here. I wish the sound was a little cleaner. In my opinion, Different Stages was Rush's best live release so far. Keep in mind that this was recorded in huge venues with very excited fans. I'm sure that excitement was shared by the band, as they don't normally play to so many people. I have never heard a truly great sounding show in an arena. Arenas are for sports, not music. I would love to hear Rush in a 3000 seat theater. That would be incredible! There were also equipment problems at these shows due to weather. It surprises me how critical some people are about this release. It's not perfect, but it's much better than most of the crap on the radio these days. Contrary to some of the previous music-phile critiques, I think this is worth owning. It's got a lot of energy and the vast camera angles offer you more (visually) than previous Rush videos. I'm sure someone will buy your used copy through Amazon if you are so appalled by something you think you could have produced better yourselves. By the way, I'm am so tired of people who only talk about Neil and Geddy. A true Rush fan realizes the brilliant musicianship of Alex Lifeson. He is probably the most underrated rock guitarist out there. If you disagree, you must be an air drummer who went to school on a short bus! All hail King Lerxst!
Rating: 
Summary: Roger Rabbit
Review: When the new Who Framed Roger Rabbit DVD came out they offered a discount for anyone that had purchased the first release.
Lets hope they do this for Rush in Rio.The video is great give or take the "effects" but the audio is a very sad state of affairs. Alex and Geddy are one muddy ball of sound, then the low volume Neil is there just to add a little soil to the mix. You have the audience in the rear channels so you get the feeling of being there. I wasn't and I don't need people yelling in my rear speakers while I am trying to watch the show. Kind of wish they cleaned it up with some overdubbing.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been better...but it rocked nevertheless....
Review: Ok. Here it goes...I've anticipating this release since I became a Rush fan after hearing 2112 in the 80's. I own every "official" Rush recording, and the live ones, at least on CD, have never had the sound quality of the studio recordings, but they rocked nevertheless. I had such high expectancies from this release that you have no idea, specially when it was advertized as having DTS sound and being in widescreen anamorphic. I said to myself...this guys did it. I almost camped at the Borders store to be the first to get it. However, when I inserted the DVD on the player I found NO DTS track, and surprisingly, the video was not anamorphic. I had to zoom in the image to fill my widescreen tv, which always degrades the image a bit. Anyway, at least it was widescreen, otherwise it would have been a sacrilege. Ok...besides from that initial disappointment, I have to admit that I got a little emotional when I started SEEING and HEARING them when they started playing Tom Sawyer. Natural Science ? Oh my God. 2112 ? My eyes did not believe what they were witnessing...my wife had to close my mouth a few times. The energy of the audience...I have never seen anything like it. I would have been so scared to miss a note, nevertheless the guys played flawlessly and the power and magic of their performance was enhanced by the whole experience. Ok...back to the quality of the DVD. Besides, not having DTS, which would have been fantastic, and the video not being anamorphic, I don't think its that bad...well it actually is some of the worst I've seen but the performance is so mesmerizing that I don't know what to say. The 5.1 track could have been more clear and defined. On some occasions the screams of the audience are so loud that it gets in the way of the music. But hey, is this not a live performance ? Yes it is...and a dam good one. So in essence I think that the sound is presented in a way that makes you feel like you were really there. It just has an energy that I have not experienced on another live DVD. Could it have sounded more clear and detailed ? Definitely. Would I have preferred it that way ? Most probably. Therefore, would I return this DVD ? No Way. In terms of Image quality, this does not look like a good quality recording. Well if you play it on a small screen, you wont know the difference. But if you have a killer system with a huge image, you are going to be very displeased at first...until you forget about the system and start listening to the music. If you compare this release to other concert DVD's, the video is definitely sub par. At times it looks like home video recording quality. However, after seen the whole thing through, I have to admit that it has such a good bootleg feeling that I just can't help but love it. Would I have wanted it any other way ? Yes. However, even though under the circumstances it appears they did the best they could at the time, they definitely could have done a better job. So...should they have waited and release a better product ? No way on earth...this performance rocked all the way...and I am keeping this one for posterity. Thank you guys. I hope you read this.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Mix but interesting documentary
Review: I must agree with alot of the reviews and say that the sound quality of the concert footage is pretty bad. I have been a huge Rush fan since 1975--the only thing that rivals this would be the poor sound quality of Exit...Stage Left. I think they they need to get a copy of the Led Zeppelin DVD to hear what a good concert mix sounds like!
Having said that, the documentary portion of 'Rush in Rio' gives a very interesting inside look into the band and their personalities and makes this DVD almost worth the money.
Rating: 
Summary: Finally Rush get a crowd worthy of their music
Review: You've seen the sedated (not drugged, necessarily) Canadian crowds from GraceUP and ExitSL.. you've witnessed the lame Birmingham crowd from the A Show of Hands vid (worst guitar sound in Rush's history as well, that tour).. People in Rio WANTED to see Rush....LOVED to see Rush... knew every word, every fill, every nuance... Having attended at least 40 Rush shows since 1982... this is the best performance I've ever seen the band give.. and that's saying a lot.. I love the DVD sound mix overall, but concur that Neil's drums sound low, particularly during the solo.. otherwise, the mix is outstanding, perfect. I'd been salivating at the prospect of the documentary and wasn't disappointed. It amazes me Rush have so little video, so little "behind the scenes" stuff on video. I always said it could be tastefully done, once even told Andrew MacNaughton the same thing (he listened ;)).. it could be done tastefully, I said, the fans would buy it, and privacy could be accomodated. The documentary alone is worth buying this DVD release. It is comical that videos that have been circulated for DECADES are thought to be rarities from the "Rush Vault," as the DVD claims. You can skip Anthem, found by thinking of 2112 ;), going in AND out of menus. Again, it's amazing that Rush don't have more video.. you could do a two-hour documentary by interviewing their road crew alone.. with their experience, what they've done for other bands much less Rush, along with their efficiency. So, my review says, "They got the right crowd.. the perfect set list, and captured the best peformance this fan has ever seen them give..." The show has spontaneity, whether because of the fans, the cameras, no soundcheck, or all of these factors. I wish the documentary was longer, and would have shown some States stuff.. but you will never please most Rush fans.. they (we) are too demanding and are starving for what little Rush we can get! The DVD is 5-star-rated for its sheer energy.. the crowd was thoroughly into it, but never get in the way of the songs... the bowing during Freewill, the solo, the chanting, singing.. the band also fed off this that night. Energy is captured, and this energy epitomizes Rush. Also, watching Neil warm up on Disc 2 was priceless!! Why can't Rush release more video?? It's amazing they have neglected this market for so long (Test4Echo was a mishap, we know).. If they play Brazil again, we are going!!
Rating:
Summary: what's not to like here??
Review: i think some people have to clean out their ears.....too much wax?? i have heard alot worse sounding live dvd's in my day. it sounds great on my system!!!! iam just glad to own one of the best tours from the best rock band around. i don't understand why some other people gave this dvd only 2 stars. the band delivers here in a big way, the drum solo alone is worth the price. the song line up is awesome, and they did a excellent job performing such old classics as "2112", by-tor & the snowdog,cygnus x-1,working man,limelight,freewill ect. i was glad to see the crowd being soo into the music, iam soo greatful that rush did this album/tour after what had happened in neil peart's life. bottom line here is: if you are a true rush fan, you will find this dvd very pleasing indeed.......add it to your collection today!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Neil's Drums Sound Is Disappointing!!! Bad Sound Production.
Review: Why do I persist in spending my hard earned money into buying Rush? Simply because I absolutely love the stuff these guys have done over the past 20 years. The thing that really irritates me is the quality of the production. The sound is terribly mixed and Peart's drums have a "distance" to them without being "up front" as they used to be back during their hey-days..ie., Terry Brown era. If you want to listen to great sound production. listen to Steve Vai on the G3 DVD, Toto 25th anniversary Live In Amsterdam, The Eagles Hell Freezes Over DVD or Don Henley's Inside Job DVD. Its a shame that an artist like Peart cannot be captured the way he sounds live and the blame must be put to the engineering and production staff and to the band as a well. After the Vapor Trails disaster, I had expected more since they did sound great at the Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA. Boy!!! Am I disappointed. Listen to it and will not miss the fact that Neil's snare sounds like a toy drum. That is NOT what it is damm well supposed to sound like. What is the problem here?? They did a great job with "Caveman" Shirley and Peter Collins in Counterparts so it is not as if Rush is alien to the concept. Neil is a third of the band and he dosen't sound as if he is. Is it because Rush feels as if the average fan is separate and apart from that audiophile-grade sound? Alex is playing in from of some very expensive "tube" amplifiers during the concert and so he does seem to prefer the obvious superiority of tube versus solid state. I only wish he paid attention to the fact that some of his fans do spend time seeking quality sound production. Heavy bass is not we are after Mr. Lifeson Crispness, clarity, sonic balance etc, etc, are the qualities of a good recording. I suggest hiring persons of the caliber of Mr. Elliot Scheiner. Nice packaging and hats off to the Rio audience...otherwise what a terrible, wasted effort.
Rating:
Summary: HORRIBLE SOUND MIX AT THE THEATER PREMIERE
Review: I have been a Rush fan since 1983, I have played in Rush tributes and have seen them live about 20 times, needless to say I am a huge fan. I am also a Recording Engineer and I can tell you that the sound at the theater premiere tonight was the worst thing I have heard in a long, long time. My 4 friends and I all walked OUT!! After we had driven 2 hours to get there!! Absolutely hideous. I really was hoping that the theater was the only culprit for such atrocity but after reading a bunch of reviews here stating pretty much the same thing from people who have watched the DVD at home in good systems and who seem to know what they are talking about...I am really disappointed. I honestly don't know if I will buy the DVD anymore. I have bought every Rush CD without previewing it since the mid 80's so, believe me, it was bad. Not the performance, which was great. In fact, the Staples Center show that I saw in September 2002 (2 months before Rio) is the best Rush concert of any that I'd ever seen. That's what makes this sound engineering catastrophe even more tragic. The band is tighter and has more energy than they've had in over 20 years. Geddy's singing is the best it has been since about "Signals". How ironic that it's Geddy's singing which suffers the most from bad mixing in this DVD. I honestly think that they should seriously consider re-mixing it. Not re-mastering it. RE-MIXING IT! Give it to a well-known Rock mixing engineer because otherwise there's going to be a lot of pissed off Rush fans. In closing, I'd like to comment on someone's review who said that we should be pleased because it was recorded under precarious conditions, therefore they did the best they could. That is unacceptable. Trust me, you can find state of the art mobile recording equipment in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The concert was not in the middle of the jungle. Have you ever heard of, or seen "Rock In Rio"? Many great live albums have been recorded there. One of the best sounding live DVD's I have EVER heard is Gilberto Gil's 2003 "Kayangandaya" (a tribute to Bob Marley). Quite a different style of music of course, but my point is that the equipment exists in Brazil especially in Rio, believe me. This isn't some island in the middle of nowhere. I read that Neil Peart said they had a "primitive truck" and all I have to say to that is: THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO. If that's the case, then Rush is partly responsible for this fiasco, maybe their management, I don't know, but someone should have made sure that they had the right equipment for such an important occasion. Then you take it to a state-of-the-art mixing and mastering facility and...voilá! You have a professional sounding CD/DVD. Not a bootleg, which is what this sounds like. Once again, I have only seen the theater premiere (just half actually) and this DVD might not sound as horrible at home but the sad truth is that it was so far below an acceptable standard that, I am not very optimistic. I encourage everyone that attended these movie premieres and/or bought the DVD, and is as disappointed as we all were, to SPEAK UP!! I am still curious to watch the behind the scenes footage and all the other extras but I refuse to buy the DVD just for that.
Rating:
Summary: Rush in Rio DVD
Review: Just purchased the Rush in Rio dvd today. Like other reviewers said, the AUDIO most definately needs to be revised. The bass is much too heavy and the mid's and highs are lacking. Believe me, it's not my system.. Rush doe's seem to have a problem with some of their newer recordings and sounding clear in a live setting. I have every one of their cd's. I hate to say this but my VHS tape of A Show of Hands sounds better overall than the new Rio DVD. Time for a NEW SOUND ENGINEER...
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: I didnt have any problems either... the video was great and the audio sounds great to me. However, I went to a theatre presentation tonight, and the audio was horrible. At home, it sounds great. Keep in mind, they only had access to "antiquated" recording harware to record the show. We should be VERY happy with what we got. To the band and crew.... thank you for another incredible accomplishment. Your legacy continues! Don't you go and retire on us!!
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