Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Tom Sawyer
2. Distant Early Warning
3. New World Man
4. Roll the Bones
5. Earthshine
6. YYZ
7. The Pass
8. Bravado
9. The Big Money
10. Trees
11. Freewill
12. Closer to the Heart
13. Natural Science

Disc 2:

1. One Little Victory
2. Driven
3. Ghost Rider
4. Secret Touch
5. Dreamline
6. Red Sector 'A'
7. Leave That Thing Alone
8. O Baterista
9. Resist
10. 2112

Disc 3:

1. Limelight
2. La Villa Strangiato
3. The Spirit of Radio
4. By-Tor & The Snow Dog/Cygnus X-1
5. Working Man
6. Between Sun & Moon
7. Vital Signs

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19011 in Music
• Brand: RUSH
• Published on: 2003
• Released on: 2003-10-21
• Number of discs: 3
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Album Description
Japanese edition of 2003 release includes an exclusive leaflet, a reprint of 'Weiber Trails Tour I'. Features 31 tracks including 2 Board Bootlegs, 'Between Sun & Moon' & 'Vital Signs'. Includes 32-page booklet loaded with b&w and full color photos, packaged in double gatefold miniature LP sleeve. Warner.

Customer Reviews

Finally a Live CD that sounds LIVE
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.

Good setlist, HORRIBLE sound
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.

Sample online, and decide for yourself
A lot of people have complained about the mixing of this CD, and since Rush has always had high quality control standards, I can offer only this thought.

I've never - never - heard a crowd this energized for anyone. I'm not sure they made this much noise for the Beatles at Shea in 1965. Listening to this is almost like looking down on the band from the lawn seats, in terms of what I hear, and the crowd noise excites me as much as anything the band does here. Maybe that influenced the band's decision not to emphasize their parts unnaturally in the mix, and anyway, I have had no problem making out the instrumentalists or what they're doing - particularly Lee, who gets the most clarity and warmth he's ever had on a live album without the benefit of a soundcheck. Sometimes Geddy's voice and the crowd's tie for volume, but he's effortless and in pitch throughout.

Download Real if you don't have it, and listen to the samples here for a good idea of whether or not their mixing will bother you. To me, several songs are given what sound like definitive renditions ["Big Money," "Dreamline," "Red Sector A"...and even if it's not the clearest recording ever, it's fun to hear Rio drown out Geddy on "Tom Sawyer"] and it would be a mistake to ignore the obvious exchange of energy and emotion between the band and the audience just because the audience hasn't been muted through the song and jacked artificially for the segues. Casual fans of Rush might do without, but anyone who enjoys hearing Rush live will love this.