Rush in 5.1 surround

I have not been impressed by Rush recording quality since Moving Pictures. They seem to be mastered with eye to the target market of FM rock stations (a tad over-compressed). Great band though with great music.

C of S was still part of the transition to a true RUSH sound, IMHO. A journey they started and completed with the polished and complex arrangements in Xanadu using synthesizers ....the final RUSH sound of their OWN had arrived on Farewell to Kings (rather than the too obvious heavy influences of Led Zeppelin on their earlier stuff.)

Xanadu is amazing stuff for a three piece band...the live version of Xanadu on Exit Stage Left is perhaps the most impressive variety of sound from a three piece band that I have ever heard.

Does anyone have the DVD of Exit Stage Left, is it any good sound wise? - I am thinking of getting this? (Rush in its absolute prime)

Currently, I am watching Razorlight right now and looking out for their next album (if the band can stop fighting on stage and stay together!) So far, they do not have a sound of their own but like Rush they show remarkable promise on their first two albums...

Can anyone comment on Exit Stage Left 5.1 DVD that was issued this year?

Well I got both Show of Hands and Exit Stage Left DVD's and gave them a spin yesterday.

Verdict =>Show of Hands is much better sound and better video. Xanadu in Exit Stage Left is worth it just for this one track.

Conclusion => mixed bag really. The guitars and vocals are well recorded but that is easy to do. The recording of the drum set is atrocious. No dynamics at all. You can even hear the change in sound level on the Toms as Neil moves across his set. Clearly they lacked the number of microphones (or channels) needed to properly record such a large drum set. At the end of the day two thirds (Alex and Geddy) of what you hear is good and one third (Neil) sounds muted like it was played from inside a trash can.

A pity but then again Rush never produces good recordings. I suspect Lifeson had something to do with the mix/master of the sound, as the guitars are very good.....Neil got the short end of the drum stick it seems!!!!

If you like watching amazing guitar work it is still a pleasure to own this DVD.

No I did't get the R30 box set. I thought about it though as it was a pretty good deal - if you wanted all three concerts. (The separate 2007 DVD's are the same though - so I was told at HMV)

Well I got the R30 set and listened last night - I guess I was curious to see if it was better.

It was and it wasn't.

The venue acoustics were terrible...and the guitars and vocals were rather muffled and often distorted....it seemed to suffer what vinyl fans would call digititus or compression distortion.

The drums were indeed much better recorded on R30 than Exit Stage Left and Show of Hands. The video is tremendous quality on R30. So this is big plus for those who concentrate on video!! However, the band is not tight! Serious timing errors occurring on a regular basis and Geddy's voice ain't what it used to be. Still amazing for a bunch of aging rockers - few bands could pull of such an amazing performance but it is only a pale shade of what Rush could pull off in their early years.

Overall verdict, after reviewing extensively all three ( Exit Stage Left, Show of Hands and R30), I prefer Exit Stage Left for the sound and musicianship ( nice analog sound and great venue acoustics ). Exit Stage Left is an awesome concert and the musicianship is first rate - they are at their peak and you can hear it - you just can't see that much as video is crap - although seeing Neil play such an assortment of percussion is impressive. R30 is frankly kind of ho-hum musically - the timing is more often off than on. Show of Hands is also very good and better sound than Exit stage Left....but Exit Stage Left is the one to get...it is a classic. This is the only one I will replay.

I find the R30 to be the best the band has put out both audio and video...

I may have been too harsh. The video is indeed exceptional. The digital sound is impressive as it shows up some warts. Perhaps I am focussing too much on those minor warts...digital can do that...too much detail for its own good. I must affirm that the drums are much better recorded on R30 than both the others I mentioned.

Perhaps it is nostalgia...but Exit Stage Left was most enjoyable to me...they are just so tight musically on this DVD...even if you can't see a whole lot. Like Queen Live at Wembly...there must have been something in the air that night... ;-)

Mrmitch,

What is your favorite sound quality Peter Gabriel DVD?

Have you tried Black Eyed Peas Sydney to Vegas...rather different genre I know but believe me Tal Herzberg did an amazing job on the recording (it really really sounds live like you are there!) and if you like groovy drumming then Keith Harris is a new young drummer on the rise, IMHO.