Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally a Live CD that sounds LIVE, December 26, 2003
Most live CD's are so polished that they sound like studio albums with crowd noise piped in between tracks. The only reason to buy them is to see how the guitarist voices the songs with one guitar instead of studio overdubs (and many live albums have overdubs that ruin even that); however, 'Rush in Rio' captures a true live sound like no live CD (or album) I have ever heard since Kiss Alive. To get a live recording through the mixing board the band can jam with or without a crowd, and apart from possibly a bit more energy in the performances, what is the point. The liner notes claim a primitive Brazilian mobile recording truck captured the performance, but it also captured the ambiance of the massive soccer stadium full of 40,000 fans, the energy and excitement of a live show. I have been to over 100 live concerts (6 of them Rush) and if you close your eyes listening to this CD your ears hear what a live show delivers. Better yet, buy the Rush in Rio DVD and keep your eyes open!
I did read one review below that complained of the sound quality. If you want a great sound quality recording, but the studio CD's. This CD gives live sound that was never meant to be clear as a bell. One very interest note is that at every concert I have ever been to, the mix is always a bit off on the first two or three songs as the sound people adjust for the arena and the given night. True to that, the first few tracks of this are the worst of the mixes, but again that is all part of the live experience. Rush rocks, makes us think, and amazes us that three men deliver such rich and dynamic sounds. My favorite band is great again. Thank you Geddy, Alex and Neal.
PS If you read 'Ghost Rider' by Neal Peart you will have a much greater appreciation of his performance and presence on this tour.
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177 of 218 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good setlist, HORRIBLE sound, November 2, 2003
Let me state first and foremost that I rarely, if ever, complain about the overall sound quality of an album. Usually a little tinkering of the EQ fixes whatever perceived deficencies exist in the album, or it sounds better through a different pair of speakers. Let me also state that I was very much looking forward to the release of this album. I thought Rush sounded as good as they ever did on the VT tour, and the setlist included some songs I never thought I'd get to hear live.However, I cannot state how disappointing the sound quality is on this disc. Simply put, it is terrible...possibly the worst-sounding live disc I have ever heard (officially released, that is). And contrary to what you may read on others opinions here, this complaint ISN'T exaggerated and it CAN'T be overlooked. The poor audio EQing and the atrocious mixing ruin what could have been a fantastic live album. Musically, tunes such as YYZ, Secret Touch, Between Sun and Moon, Limelight, etc. sound fantastic and full of life...and let's not forget Neil's revamped drum solo, which is equally jaw-dropping on disc as it was live. Unfortunately, all of that is wasted on a disc that has too much crowd, not enough vocals, drums that sound like tin cans, and a jumbled mix of instruments that sound, oftentimes, like one great big mess. This is especially hard to take from a band like Rush, who pride themselves on their perfection in the studio and in the live setting. I don't care of this *was* viewed by the band as an afterthought official bootleg. It wasn't priced like an afterthought, and surely it wouldn't have hurt to spend a few extra days at the mixing desk tweaking things. This is a hack job, pure and simple. So, take this as a warning--those of you looking for Different Stages 2 will be sorely disappointed. I didn't buy into the other reviews here who said the same things, and now I am planning on selling the album back to a used CD store. Throw me some 'not helpful' votes if you wish, but those will by no means negate the fact that Rush in Rio is a disappointing, frustrating affair.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Letdown for Rush fans, November 26, 2003
So, I have been a Rush fan for over 15 years now and endured all the hazing and crap from my friends for listening to "Geekbanger music" because I was just so blown away by their talent, style, intelligence and completely unique sound. I own all their albums and of course rushed (no pun intended) out to get this one the day it was released.I am so disappointed in my boys. I think I know why they wanted to release this album, and that is, they wanted to relay some of the incredible energy that they encountered in Brazil playing before their biggest crowd ever. We are talking about a frenzied stadium-full mob of people just screaming and having the time of their life. That energy is very palpable, and it is abundantly clear that it helped the boys really throw out their best to the crowd. The little booklet that comes with the discs has Neal Peart writing about the whole experience that just blew them away in the sense they had never encountered such energy before, and we're talking about guys who've been doing this for quite a while now. For God's sake, the crowd sings along with YYZ, and that's an instrumental number! OK, that's what gets them the two stars...unfortunately, the sound really is as bad as many people here state it is. I am no audiophile but I have a decent system and I have to admit - it sucks! The quality is comparable to a mildly enhanced digital mini-disc recording. In the liner notes, Peart states that the recording was made by some local mobile van crew and that despite heavy remixing and re-working by Alex Lifeson and them, that there are "limitations." I would have hated to hear what it sounded like before they tried to do something with it. The reason for the poor recording is simply this - they never intended to release this as an album, so they didn't have a full set-up to do the recording. Most bands have some sort of recording of their bigger concerts, but not for general release. The truth is that "Different Stages" has virtually all of these songs - also live, and infinitely better recorded - although, granted, they are not from a single venue but rather from several tour stops in time. The songs are pretty much identical except for a few minor changes here and there...and even the drum solo that everyone raves about, is exactly the same solo performed by Peart in "Stages" except there it is called "The Rhythm Method" and is far crisper, sharper and more discernable than this version in Rio. And one of the greatest things about Rush, Geddy's shrill vocals, are drowned out, almost completely at times. If you are a die-hard fan that has to buy all of the albums for posterity's sake (sort of like mylame ass) then buy it, but otherwise, skip it, buy "Stages" instead, far better sound, mixing and overall production. Sorry guys, I really tried to like it...
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