Rush R30 Review

I’ve finally had a chance to check out the new R30 DVD’s and I’d say they are definitely a good investment for serious Rush fans. I don’t have the CDs that come with the Deluxe set since I have never cared much for live recordings. I guess I’ve never understood the attraction to live tracks since my ears are a lot happier listening to a nice, clean studio recording.

Despite the suffering my ears endured with the first DVD (yes, I’m kidding), there is some great concert footage on the disk and for a live recording, the sound is actually about as good as one could expect. Remember, this is coming from a confirmed studio recording snob, so that’s quite a compliment.

I really enjoyed watching the footage on the first DVD but I think I enjoyed the interviews and other extras on the second DVD even more. Beyond the great music, another thing that I really admire about these guys is that they aren’t your stereotypical rock stars.

They have always come across to me as very down-to-Earth and very much “regular guys” who have not allowed the fame and fortune to go to their heads. That’s got to be difficult on many levels and a testament to the kind of guys they are.

Who ever heard of a rock band that spends their downtime on tours taking French language lessons and seeking out restaurants that offer good wine selections?

Another thing I enjoyed on the second DVD was the “music video” footage where the performances are more like something you would see on VH1 or MTV and the music is studio quality.

There are some interesting interviews, particularly one with Geddy back around 1979 where he talks about some other artists that he enjoys listening to.

Another interview segment features Neil Peart talking about the mood that led them to write and record 2112. A period when they were feeling rather discouraged and feeling that a lot of people had abandoned them.

There are two “Easter Eggs” I am aware of on the second DVD. One features the fans in St. John’s, Newfoundland that managed to convince Rush to do a show in their town. There is also a tongue-in-cheek interview with Alex Lifeson about his nomination for “Artist of The Decade.”

Between the great concert footage on the first DVD and the interviews and music videos on the second DVD, I’d say this set is very worthy of a little shelf space in any Rush fan’s collection.