Customer Reviews

Rush: A Show of Hands [VHS]

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It's always good to see a live Rush video, but this video's production could have been a lot better. The way it was filmed kind of makes me dizzy at times. It almost looks like it was filmed with hand-held cameras. The video is only 90 minutes, so they left off a lot of songs like Mystic Rhythms, Red Lenses, Subdivisions, and Limelight, which were all performed during that tour. On the other hand, it contains a lot of songs that were left off the cd, like Prime Mover, YYZ, La Villa Strangiato, The Spirit Of Radio, and Tom Sawyer. This video would have been better if it was the entire concert and if they used better cameras, but nontheless, any true Rush fan, like myself, will still appreciate this video. Let's just hope the Different Stages video will look a little better. (if it ever gets released)

There is no band as brilliant as Rush, and no video that displays the complex style of Rush like A Show of Hands. Though they skip many of the great songs from the first 5 or 6 albums, they do play the likes of Tom Sawyer, Spirit of Radio, La Villa Strangiato, 2112, The Big Money, In The Mood, and -- the "Flight of the Bumblebee" of rock song instrumentals -- YYZ. Rush's musical genius is obvious as you watch Geddy play bass and synthasizers at the same time, Alex do it on the guitar and foot organ, and Neil do a drum solo the likes of which haven't been seen since Ginger Baker. This is one concert video no rock fan should miss.

Its an amazing example from the quality of Rush art. If you like progressive rock, you most have this wonderfull Rush expression for the love and commitment for its music

It's hard to state the excellence of this video after reading the reviews. I've owned this video since it's inception and 10 years later it's still my favorite. I wish their video collection was reissued on DVD.

If you couldn't be there, you can at least see them on tape. Being an old veteran of many a Rush tour, this was one of the better ones. This time, the band has integrated their projection screen clips into the concert itself, creating a kind of "half concert, half video" show. It is difficult to believe Geddy's accuracy on the bass until you see it. Geddy, Alex, and Neil are not just musicians, but ARTISTS. Not just talented, but GIFTED. This is a rare chance to see this special band at the summit of their career. I agree with the gentleman below, however, that the Grace Under Pressure video is of slightly better quality. But add this to your collection. You'll find yourself wearing it out. This is the greatest band in music history, playing their guts out in concert, like they always have for their fans.

This video captures the true essence of a 'Rush' performance. I saw the "Hold Your Fire Tour" in Binghamton NY. The emotion and energy is faithfully captured, and you have the best seats in the house. To see them live for one performance is more expensive than this video, that you can perruse at your disgression, till you wear the ferrite off the mylar. As for the Band, I wish I had the words to describe their musicality. If Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart were accidentally brought to the future, and I was the first person he met, I would play this video for him. He would feel right at home because Alex, Geddy and Neil are modern day Baroque musicians. I do not pay such high respect lightly. They can play in any numeric figure, and even stretch measures to suit their purposes. They convey emotions with instrumentation and flair. Wish this was on DVD, it's a definate classic!

It has recently been announced and confirmed by Anthem that this and other Rush videos will be legitimately released on DVD this fall and early next year. They include a concert from the R30 tour filmed in Germany, Exit...Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure, and A Show of Hands. Hold on to your money and stay tuned...

I own this VHS and used to pop it in all the time (until Rush in Rio and R30 came out on DVD, that is). The only thing I didn't like was that it did not include the complete show.

The band was solid that night! The show was fantastic to watch on video and they seemed to have a lot of fun (including Alex stalling at the end of 2112 Overture, causing Geddy to mess up - real funny!!!). Other highlights include a great performance of Territories, a cool album-cover review on backdrop video while speeding down a "tunnel" during the ending of the song Turn the Page, and some goofyness by Alex and Geddy at the end of the encore. Speaking of which, during the encore, at the opening of the song In the Mood, Neil replaces the parts normally played with the cow bells with strong hits on the bass drum, giving the song a FANTASTIC introduction. Really amazing.

Not seeing the track listing here in the VHS info above, I'll go ahead and give it to you:

The Big Money
Marathon
Turn the Page
Prime Mover
Manhattan Project
Closer to the Heart
Red Sector A
Force Ten
Mission
Territories
The Rhythm Method
The Spirit of Radio
Tom Sawyer
2112/La Villa Strangiato/In the Mood

Key songs were missing from this video, including some songs from the tour that made it onto the CD version, like Distant Early Warning and Subdivisions. Also on the video, the drum solo is cut short. I wasn't at the concert but understand the drum solo led into the ending of Red Lenses much like in the previous two tours. I'd have liked to seen that! Witch Hunt and Mystic Rhythms, both on the CD version, were not played during the Hold Your Fire tour so obviously they're not going to be here.

Also missing from both the CD and Video versions was Limelight and Lock and Key (Lock and Key was released on the Laserdisc version of A Show of Hands). I have an audio copy from the Laserdic release of Lock and Key and don't understand why the band didn't include it in the VHS release. It was fantastic! Hopefully it will be re-inserted on the DVD release coming next year. I want to know what the movie is that they are playing in the beginning of the song!!! Concert staples during that era, like Marathon and Force Ten, were really not all that great. This was the first time they had played Force Ten live and it seemed a bit "off" from other live performances of this song. Marathon was just... well, it was Marathon. It didn't have the impact that the other Power Windows songs had, like Territories and The Big Money.

Video quality was great, especially from back then. Some of the "effects" of the show are quite dated but one thing I always loved was the laser-like "ceiling" that comes from behind Neil's drum riser, this time during La Villa. We last saw that effect during the middle of YYZ on the Test For Echo tour.

Sound quality is also great. We get occational extras here and there but nothing real substancial like in later shows with the introductions for songs like Show Don't Tell, Leave That Thing Alone, Test for Echo or One Little Victory. Maybe it's just me but I like that stuff. Also, the "Bang" sound effect during Red Sector A was removed from this tour.

All in all, it's a great time capsule of the Power Windows / Hold Your Fire era of the band, complete with bad haircuts and polyester suits. I admit Hold Your Fire is not my favorate album BUT Rush's showcase of that tour is presented well here. For Rush fans, buying this on DVD when it comes out is a no brainer - most probably have it on VHS already. But I'll most likely get it, especially if Lock and Key is released on the DVD version.

Back when I was a senior in high school (1984-1985), a classmate of mine and I began talking about music. He declared to me that I should listen to Rush, and that if I did I would agree with him that they were the premier rock band around, musically. Well, it wasn't until 1993, about eight years later, that I took his advice. I was driving from Moncton, N.B. Canada, to St. Louis, MO, to start a new job. I picked up Rush's CHRONICLES, on audio cassette, no less, to listen to while I was driving. I almost immediately realized what I had been missing out on for so many years. Over the next couple of years I became almost obsessed with the band, buying all of their studio albums, and the new ones as they came out (Counterparts, Test For Echo, Different Stages, and Vapor Trails.) I finally got to see the boys live, in August of last year, here in St. Louis. What an incredible show they put on! I had to get A Show Of Hands to see what I had missed back in the 1980s. This video is quite well done, considering that it is now about 15 years old. I recommend it to anyone who wants to get a glimpse of Rush back in their prime (although based on the concerts I went to last year, they are still consummate performers). This video is an excellent archive of 1980ish Rush.

This concert filmed on the "Hold Your Fire" tour, is another excellent video of Rush live. Too bad, there is no DVD yet!