R30 - 30TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR

'We can go from boom to bust, from dreams to a bowl of dust....'

I forgot about that song ages ago. Now, the boyz resurrected Between the Wheels from 1984. Still, the song is a killer. Guess what, there's more where that comes from.

The purpose of this 30th anniversary bonanza is a tribute to the fans. Finally, we will see Rush at it's best, and I mean BEST. This super-show is probably the best we could expect from 50 year old musicians. And the best part, this is NOT Rush in Rio part 2. I got strucked immediately by the technical approach of muting the crowd. We cannot barely hear the fans reaction, while in Rio the crazyness of the Brazillians people gave the show a tremendous amount of energy. Frankfurt, on the contrary, has this cold feeling compared to Rio. And franklly, it's as good as it gets. This show really takes you somewhere high.

By that I'm stating the fact that we witness a totally different light show. And perhaps this is the key to the whole thing: this is like a trip in outer space. Rush wanted us to travel through the universe with them. At times, the lightning gear sets up like a giant spaceship is floating above the stage, drowning every bit into a steel blue light, giving the feeling of an eventual alien abduction. The lasers are rather shy, the emphasis being more on the atmospheric side. Get also a load of the fantastic jumbotron, taking much more space than ever and providing an hilarious episode of Rush's new show: Darn that Dragon.

While in Rio the sound was heavy as never before, Frankfurt is a charming piece of thoughtful preparation. Everything seems calculated, not a single spot of technical problem in sight. This is a grand ballet of prodigy, from Geddy's voice to Alex's guitar. Talking about Alex, Rio gave him a hard time. Many of his solos we're clumsy, if not out of tune. But this time, get ready because he steals the show by giving a spectacular flawless performance, carrying a good amount of the dvd's success on his shoulders.

Also the second cd is (finally) giving the fan a chance to see Rush in interview, which is a rare opportunity. Most of the stuff is hilarious, as usual Alex is proving us that he's a great entertainer. The easter eggs are nice, but don't give me as much excitement as I thought.

Overall, the show has less pep than Rio, but the sound, the image, the professionalism, media interaction and the feeling of being in intergalactic territory, the chance to hear old classics like Subdivisons, Between the Wheels, Mystic Rythms and Passage to Bangkok plus the chance to hear Mike Myers, Soundgarden and the Tragically Hip talking about their affection for Rush...all this, is simply a blessing.

Get this.

Even more spectacular than Rush in Rio, the 30th Anniversary DVD is a culmination of everything Rush has done in their career. From their simple "Zeppelin" roots to their grungy Vapor Trail of 2002, all past albums except Presto is represented on this live outing. The playing is spectacular and the set is superb. The Jerry Stiller Intro is a joy and the "That Darn Dragon" middle sequence is a comedic masterpiece. The R30 Overture is a magnificent instrumental composed of tracks from the first Rush album all the way to Hemispheres. The sound is a lot more mixed than Rio and the video quality is better. Alex Lifeson is precise and gives a better performance than on Rio, Lee's vocals are better and his bass sound is better than on Rio, and Peart's drumming is spot on and is a lot better than on Rio. In a word, buy this DVD if you want top notch performances. Other tracks worth mentioning are 2112, Xanadu, Red Barchetta and Limelight. All are performed effortlessly and are fan favorites to this day.

The 2nd DVD is a collection of interviews and videos of Rush performing certain songs. The interviews are very interesting and give a little insight into all of Rush's members. The videos are also very cool, with such classics as Xanadu and La Villa Strangiato being represented flawlessly. Also included is video footage of Rush's opening for the Rolling Stones during the Toronto Rocks! festival. The two easter eggs included are rewarding but not as good as you'd imagine. One shows Alex's incredible sense of humor and the other is a video comprising mostly of fan interviews.

Despite the lacking of 8 songs from the R30 set (The Trees, YYZ, One Little Victory, Secret Touch, By-Tor and the Snow Dog, La Villa Strangiato, Red Sector A, and Bravado), this is a phenomenal achievement that no fan of Progressive Rock should go without. I recommend the special edition, which includes a 2 cd set of the 1st DVD concert. 5/5.

Is this another end of an era, like they used to do, or is this just a party dvd. The music is as usual perfect. There is one thing I would like to say against it. Why oh why do artists have to speak in the language from the country they are performing? Most people don't understand it, it sounds rather.....well fill it in yourself. The music is as expected, altough they made different choices this time. Some covers, some acoustic, and to my surprise a different drum solo. If you like live performances this is one to have, just ignore the German speeches. If you have Rush In Rio just think again.

What a rush! I just finished watching the DVD and I have no words to describe it... It is way beyond perfection...

The setlist is amazing, and I just couldn't believe to be listening to Between the Wheels, a track that was taken from the Grace Under Pressure vault back in 1984. The last time they played that song was during the Grace Under Pressure Tour.

Their performance is over the top, as always, and you can feel their passion, and huge energy, while playing the songs, from the opening R30 Overture to the closing Limelight.

The only thing I regret is not being able to attend to any of those shows, and hopefuly it will be some other time... But for now, let's celebrate those excellent 30 years!!!

Not without flaws, but a very solid live performance. Comparisons to Rush in Rio are inevitable. R30 doesn't quite have the same raw energy as Rio (due largely to muting the audience and a "b" setlist), but it more than makes up for it with excellent sound and video production, both of which far excel the Rio disc. There may not be 20,000 Brazilians jumping up and down to YYZ on this disc, but Rush does their best to deliver a proper rock show, and Geddy isn't afraid to do a rock star jump or two. Performances are very tight, but not without flaws - "Roll the Bones" has a noticeable glitch that the band plays through, and Animate sees them struggle a little to find the right tempi; but otherwise the songs are tight and rocking. Certains songs really stood out for me - particularly "Subdivisions", which sounds great and is accompanied by a brilliant light/video show, as well as "Red Barchetta" and "Mystic Rhythms" which both sound really crisp. "Between the Wheels", a track for hardcore Rush fans was a nice treat and sounds good (although the arrangement lacks some of the power of the original). The drum solo is, as always, impressive; and is followed by a nice 2-song acoustic set "Resist" & the Yardbird's "Heart Full of Soul" which showcases a softer, more melodic side of the band. "Xanadu" sounds great, as expected, and who knew what was coming when Geddy Lee comes out on stage for "2112" with a fake parrot on his shoulder? The cover tunes from Feedback also sound great - particularly "Summertime Blues" and "Crossroads" which are just Rush having a lot of fun rocking out. The intro video with Jerry Stiller and the "Darn That Dragon" video intro to Tom Sawyer are a lot of fun but so full of inside jokes that they may leave some bewildered. The bonus disc is a fairly random collection of interviews and videos throughout their career that's entertaining for a fan, but by no means necessary. My favorites of the bonus materials are actually 2 low quality mpegs of early Rush performances which show a very earnest and very young Rush rocking out (and a young Alex Lifeson reminiscent (at least to me) of Angus Young). My favorite from the "interview" disc is the Juno Awards induction ceremony where you get to see what a Rush Grammy acceptance speech would look like - very polished yet funny remarks from Neil, a unprepared yet sincere remark from Geddy, and, well - a shopping list from Alex. Overall - great dvd from a fun band. Only complaint: they should have played more songs from Vapor Trails - How It Is, Stars Look Down, Out of the Cradle, Freeze, Nocturne, give us some more!

One word: WOW. This DVD and CD is amazing. The sound quality is supurb, the picture is great, and the performance is impecible. Despite the lacking of eight songs (The Trees, La Villa Strangiato, Bravado, YYZ, One Little Victory, Secret Touch, Red Sector A, and By-Tor and the Snowdog) this is an essential for any Rush fan. My only wish is that with the special edition the eight aformentioned cut songs had been included, but we can't always get what we want. Alex's playing is stupendeous, proving that he is very underrated in the world of guitar playing. Geddy's vocals are more on key than the Rio performance, and his playing is at his best. Neil (my personal hero) is absolutely astounding. He doesn't miss a thing, and his solo, while being basically the same structurally as O Baterista, provides further evidence of his masterful playing. I loved this DVD, and it should not be overlooked, certainly not by Rush fans, but also not by any fan of Progressive music. These guys rock!

This is good dvd, but it could be better. I prefer Rush In Rio. Maybe production of Brazilian concert is lower, but there is more songs, bass guitar have better volume, and the voices of people gives fantastic climat. I dont like strange vocal in some songs in R30. Thats all..

You just can't win with Rush these days! A couple of years ago i rushed out to but Rush in Rio on the strength of a classic Rock magazine review and a listing above Yessongs in theur greatest live albums of all time list. I should have known better as Thin Lizzy Live and dangerous was voted best live album of all time in that survey. Lord Help us! Phil Lynnott later admitted that 30 % of the album was recorded in the studio! But I digress. A few months ago a few eager enthusiastic reviews appeared on this site. Some 5 stars, let me remind you that 5 stars indicates an essential masterpiece of progressive Rock.Yes it does, go and read it. Is R30 a masterpiece? Well thats easily answered with a resounding no.There are far too many weaker tracks on the list and Geddy Lees vocals are way below acceptable.When a singer no longer has the energy to pronounce hard consonants as in dough dimes demand dough ddoughts (dd = th as in them) you have to wonder what is going on. My next critiscism is that apart from 3 or 4 classics like Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta and The Spirid of Radio (more lee trobles) the rest of the classics are consigned to either the r 30 overdure orthe medley at the end which comprises tracks 6, 7, and 8 on disc 2. Songs of the recend joke shop album are very weak. The seeker summerdime blues etc. By the way Summerdime Blues is awful. What on earth is this song doing on here? Have I losd my sense of Humour? I don' know maybe i have. Other weak songs include the dreary Roll the Bones, dreamline, Bedween the wheels, Grossroads, dear oh dear who thought this up!

Ok the good stuff. Both Overdure and Medley are great and show glimpses of what could have been. Other classics as mendioned above , a better sound producshion than Rush in Rio, way bedder in my opinion. Der Trommier is excellent and I loved the addition of Cound Basies one o clock sdomp. ( alrighd the joke is wearing thin, i'll quid here)

This is such a mediocre set that when 2112 kicks in it is like the lights have just come on what a blessed relief.2112 is enormous what a powerful summary here.

This DVD is for Rush junkies as it is too expensive to justify. I bought the DVD and double CD version for 75 aus dollars and to me it is not great value. If money is no object then go for it as there are just enough highlights to sneak through.The sound is way better that the truly awful sound on Rush in Rio.

The benchmark for Live DVD's when it comes to sound is Yessymphonic in my opinion so people might be able to gauge where i am coming from. I still love Rush as they have given me enormous pleasure over the years and hopefully this will be taken as an honest review. 3 stars

1

The thing I like the most from this 2-DVD set is . that you can switch the volume button by yourself, how loud the Rush concert in Rotterdam was! But that was the only negative experience that evening, what a mindblowing and memorable gig, perhaps the best I ever saw and I have seen many times Rush on stage (almost every Rush concert in Holland, from Pinkpop 79 to Hold Your Fire 88)!

DVD1 contains a concert in Germany (Frankfurt) during the R30 tour. The visuals are overwhelming: a wonderful, spaceship-like lightshow (especially the red and green in Red Barchetta and the blue in Between The Wheels), beautiful lasers (Dreamline), alternating screen projections (the band members in action, historical pictures, cartoons) and sophisticated computer-animations like the concert-intro (all covers with a humorous touch), Geddy, Neil and Alex as The Thunderbirds against a dragon (Darn That Dragon) and swinging skelettons in Roll The Bones. The music is also very impressive, what an enthousiastic, energetic and crafted musicians and so professional, GREAT! I was stunned by all members but in my opinion Neil delivers his best performance ever, it seems that he has sublimated his anger about the lost of his wife (cancer) and daughter (traffic accident) into very high standard drumming, so powerful, dynamic and inventive! The interaction between the humorous Alex Lifeson (cascades of splendid soli) and enthousiastic Geddy Lee (imitating Chuck Berry his 'duck-step' during Force Ten) is also worth to watch, they use to give 100 percent to entertain the audience. Rush played for 3 hours during the R30 but unfortunately this is cut to 2 hours and 13 minutes by deleting songs like YYZ, The Trees and La Villa Strangiato. That's a pity but probably due to commercial reasons because otherwise Rush Live In Rio would be superfluous very soon..! I was very impressed by the prog and roll tracks like Red Barchetta, The Spirit Of The Radio and Tom Sawyer and the Feedback EP covers The Seeker (beautiful psychedelic images), Summertime Blues and Crossroads and the outstanding medley 2112/Xanadu/Working Man, this is Rush at their best!

DVD2 contains five interesting interviews between 1979 and 2002 and ten songs from the vaults like Xanadu featuring Alex and Geddy on Gibson and Rickenbacker twin-neck guitars (magical!) and A Farewell To Kings with wonderful images from the landscape of Wales and scenes from the three band members with very long hair! DVD2 also contains again two Easter Eggs and a fine booklet with many pictures.

THIS 2-DVD BOX SET HAS ALREADY ENTERED MY DVD TOP 3 OF ALL TIMES, WHAT A BREATHTAKING PROGROCK DOCUMENT FOR ALL SENSES!!

This Dvd is great. First, don't think since you have Rush in Rio you dont need this one. The quality, setlist, and extras are all better. Though there are some songs missing(the 8 or so they didn't put in, plus some other favourites we would've liked to hear) the number of old songs they played totally make up for it. I wanted to see closer to the heart played, but putting the tsunami relief closer to the heart PLAYED WITH BUBBLES totally makes up for it.

I dont know how this is rated lower than RiR, it is much better. It does lack songs like YYZ, closer to the heart, one little victory, secret touch, freewill, new world man, natural science and la villa, but classic songs like Xanadu, the R30 Overture, mystic rhythyms, red barchetta, between the wheels, and subdivisons totally make up for it. Also the older videos on the second disc like la villa, xanadu, fly by night, closer to the heart, and freewill are an excellent addition to an already spectacular dvd.

There was less audience interference in this one, which made a lot of the songs sound better, but made some of them a bit less enthralling. 2112 was an example of this. in R30 its much more precise and whole, but in Rio it was much more powerful with thousand of fans jumping and shouting.

the acoustic addition of heart full of soul went great with resist. i prefer the R30 heart full of soul better than the studio version.

the quality of playing by all 3 members was better than in Rio. some say Geddy cant sing like he used to, but i find his vocals better now. the high pitched wailing was awsome, but didnt suit everyone. his voice is a lot more calm and enjoyable now. Alex and Neil were a bit of in their timing in Rio, but they are both spot on here. Der Trommler is by far better than O Baterista(though many of you prolly wont see any realy difference)

The deluxe edition also comes with the concert on 2 cds, which is great. so you dont have to purchase a whole other album. to listen to it in your stereo.

I find this the closest thing to a perfect rush album you can get, and encourage everyone to purchase it.

well this is an excellent dvd.the half show is the same as rush in rio but the rest of the songs are great live.also the second dvd has lots of rare videos,so i would prefer this one from rush in rio(5 stars also).buy this dvd and you wont lose.5 stars!!!!

Rush R30

I Pre-ordered this Packge(deluxe edition) long before its released... I waited so long! and when its finally arrived i watched it right away and ppl this is one of the best live concert ive ever seen!! all the preformances are awsome the intro is awazing and funny!!

its a must-have for any music fan out there!!!

Wow. I mean... W-O-W wow. They're old (around 50-something), but they still play and perform like they're, actually, 30. Good setlist, and I'm loving the fact that they played "Mystic Rhythms" on this one (I'm a fan of this era). Other great performances include "Xanadu", "Der Trommler" (the drum solo in which my little brother gawks, exposing his crooked teeth). I hope they release an album and tour again soon!

This dvd is good but could've fit in some other songs. It's very good. They obviously still have it. One of the problems is that on a certain song, I can't remember which one, but Alex Lifeson's guitar is on mega overdrive and it sounds terrible. But overall, I'd shell out the 20 bucks

Rush into perfection ...

'R30' is a breathtaking performance. I can't point out one of those three musicians. Neil Peart plays very cool and powerful. Alex Lifeson is on the top this day and Geddy Lee manages vocals, bass and keys with his habitual safeness. I'm not very familiar with the band's live performances and don't know 'Rush in Rio' but I can't imagine they ever could have been better. Nearly everything is perfect. Great performance, very powerful concentrated work - a successful retrospective of the 30 years career of the band.

The Spirit Of The Radio is the first highlight and Red Barchetta - I love this song! The WHO cover The Seeker occures followed by a crazy movie before Tom Sawyer one of my RUSH favourites is performed. And especially here I'm disappointed because they play this song a little bit careless. But Between the wheels and the psychedelic Mystic rhythms are convincing me afterwards. And then Peart has his own nine minutes to show his qualities followed by a short acoustic set and Xanadu is another excellent working RUSH classic.

The second DVD is somewhat going into nostalgia. Ten movies were offered with differing sound quality. Very interesting to compare. As for a summary this production is highly recommended.

i think there is enough said about that show, that dvd, the band rush in general, the listed songs, the missing songs, the sound, the picture, geddyalexneil and so on and so on....

I am from germany and i am realy sad and very unhappy that i missed ALL german shows in 2004, because i got to know rush in 2005 :-(

so it is a real pleasure for me watching rush in frankfurth with geddys anouncemts in german and the crowd having a great time and showing it's appreciation ... so i think it is just fine that geddy has learnd some german words.

so if there is anyone out there, not knowing what geddy says in his german anouncements:

danke/dankeschön/ dankesehr = thank you (very much etc.) bevore earthshine: herzlich willkommen zu unserer jubiläumsshow = welcome to our aniversaryshow gute nacht = good night (belive it or not :D )

thats all i think.... ;)

by the way: i love this concert! 12 rush-less years and then a live DVD from frankfurth! thats grand!

a must have!

Being the Rush n00b I am, I gave this five stars before it even came out. That's because Rush pretty much has the reputation of taking things above and beyond. Yay. Anyway, (as usual) the performance is amazing. The sound is much better than Rush In Rio (but that was due to extenuating circumstances) and those ADD cameras from Rio have thankfully slowed down. There have been many complaints regarding eight of the songs being cut from the performance. I actually think that was a good idea. I mean, "Tom Sawyer," "YYZ" and the bunch are great songs, but repetition becomes an issue and I think the band wanted to avoid overkill. Besides, we get gems such as "Between The Wheels," "Mystic Rhythms" and "Xanadu" instead. With the Rush In Rio DVD, your song collection will be complete, naysayers. Lots of old interviews (from 1979-2002) and video performances (from 1975-2005) make Disc 2 the really fun one. I mean, what more could you ask for? Finally, the packaging is superb too. It's high-quality stuff and just well put together- not just one disc slapped in an empty DVD case (like most other music DVDs are that I've seen). So overall, the R30 DVD just can't not please you in anyway. R30 is a fitting tribute to the band and to the fans that have stuck with them since the beginning.

This DVD is absolutely amazing. 30 years of rocking and they are still at it strong. All the versions of the songs I've heard before are spot on, with enough variation to make it interesting to hear them again, and the songs that I've never even heard before are played with such skill and joy that they all sound great. So many new songs that weren't hits or recieved radio play after the album would have come out are show cased, and I've discovered that I like many of them, including Animate, Earthshine and Mystic Rhythms, which are all absolutely spectacular.

The guys play great and they seem to still really enjoy it. Alex Lifeson is killer on his little solos. Der Trommler was an interesting 9 minute drum solo by Neil. The crowd definitely enjoyed the show, I know I would have.

Excellent concert, I recommend it to any and every Rush fan, young and old.

No comment on the extra features or interviews, as I've only watched the concert.

This is a great DVD. One of the best I've seen. The songs are all amazingly played, and the extras are very entertaining! The only flaws that get me are that the sound is often very messy. For example, on 2112 the signature guitar riffs are hard to make out, on Der Trommler the bass drum is overpowering, etc. Also, the majority of the songs are from the 80s era, which isn't bad, but it would have been nice to have a balance of both eras. Overall a fantastic show. If my standards for Rush were not so high this would be a 5 star DVD.

Almost everything that I see on this DVD I watch and I think: "man, that sure was better on Rush in Rio" With the crowd from Rio gone, the energy is also not quite there as it was in Rio. The only plus is the addition of Xanadu to the set list, even if it is only part of the song. I would suggest Rush in Rio, but this DVD is fine too.

It's a long Muslim Holiday (after fasting month) right here in my country - so I can keep up with many DVD collections that I have purchased couple of months ago. I did not have a chance to enjoy each of them. Hmmm .. at least there are now still another 12 prog DVDs I need to enjoy until next week. Dunno whether I have time or not. Let's see ..

And now another DVD of Rush? Oh no . The band has bombarded with many live video concerts recently and it's probably running a race with Dream Theater? It's probably. Let's just enjoy the DVD. R30 commemorates the band's commitment in rock music and delivers their repertoires live in tour. This film was taken from their concert in Frankfurt. As far as design, I really enjoy the animation that represents an evolution of the band's cover in the early days until recently. I especially like the one with Dalmatian who does something on hydrant. It's really funny. All of the animations give great opening to the concert. The show starts with an overture comprising medley of the band's previous works in instrumental style. One thing to notice here is that the instrumental has nothing on melody (which on studio version was performed through vocal) - so it's just the riffs and rhythm section. However, people would easily know what songs the band are playing because they are obvious representing the songs being featured.

Geddy Lee, as usual, takes the lead as the band's communicator and entertainer. Sometimes he moves in closer distant with Alex Lifeson. Neil Peart has no smile at all and he is playing too seriously - no single strike has missed, I think! The overture then ends up with the intro of "Spirit of Radio" which has been famous to rockers all over the world. I sing along with the band when my favorite track from "Counterpart" album is played excellently: "Animate". It's then continued with "Subdivisions" - another great track from "Signals".

As far as band performance I don't think there is any single person who complains lack of virtuosities of the band members. Geddy Lee is not just an excellent bass player but also sings all lyrical verses with practically no backing vocals at all. He moves back on forth on stage, dynamically. Alex Lifeson guitar work and stage act are good viewing as well. Drum connects everything that bass and guitar have played altogether and of course . providing beats for the music. If you want to find some improvisations from the original studio version, you must be dreaming, my friends. Rush is the type of band that plays straightforward music as you have heard on record - except those being played medley.

Just before "Tom Sawyer" is played, there is relatively long animation presented in a funny way which helps relaxing the minds of the listeners before pondering into the heartbreaking track. Even though this track has been played in nearly every single concert of Rush, I still find it very uplifting to enjoy this track while nodding your head or head banging.

From Disc Two you can find interviews with the band since 1979 (with Geddy Lee) until 2002 Vapor Trail Tour (Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) albums. There are important shots especially for Rush fans. I'm quite impressed that during the band's five years career they had performed 200 concerts with some of them were attended by 10,000 people. Such an enormous number for prog band. In addition to interviews with band members from Rush, Disc Two also gives "The Anthem Vault". My best favorite part of this vault is the band's live performance of "La Villa Strangiato". It's so perfect and it's so dynamic which makes pleasant viewing and full enjoyment.

Overall, this is an excellent live concert documentation which any Rush fan would be very pleased enjoying it. Do you want to rock? Get this DVD! Yeaaaahhh . keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

While "R30" lacks the gigantic sound of "Rush in Rio", it is as a whole a much more complete and professional live album. Showcasing songs from across the group's entire career and epic catalogue, it is perfect as a new fan's first live purchase, but dedicated fans may find the energy lacking what we've heard on other releases; however, the inclusion of many terrific documentaries more than makes up for that minor quibble. Plus, you get to see the hilarious intermission short "Darn that Dragon", which is loaded with fun Rush puns and references.

A solid live purchase from a great live band.

Setlist 4 Instrumental Performances 4 Stage Energy 3 Live Experience 3

R30 is yet another addition to Rush's live catalog, but I assure it's well worth the investment. Recorded in Frankfurt on the 30th Anniversary Tour, it shows that Rush can still rock with the best of them. The set opens with an instrumental medley that consists of one song from each Rush album from the debut through Hemispheres. Every member shows off his prodigious skill as they chug along merrily.

The rest of the concert is equally terrific. Here you'll find definitive versions of "Spirit of Radio," "Subdivisons," and "Earthshine." Happily, the band also brings back "Force Ten" and "Between the Wheels." Peart's drum solo, now titled "Der Trommler," is masterful like his solos always are. "Xanadu" and the first two movements of "2112" sound great, as does the acoustic version of "resist." The only fly in the ointment is that the band plays way too many covers from the Feedback EP. Only "Summertime Blues" sounds good here, but the rest should have been left off.

In the end, R30 is a wonderful DVD, but it fails to capture the energy of the magnificent Rush in Rio. To be fair, nothing can capture the energy displayed on Rush in Rio, but the overabundance of covers detracts from the otherwise stunning set.

Grade: B+

This DVD is definitely worth it for any fan of progressive metal due to the historical fact that this band practically invented the genre. Compared to bands like Dream Theater and Fates Warning, RUSH still has more charisma and are still going strong some 30 + years. Maybe the concept of a power trio does have lasting value. Most bands break up due to infighting. It's refreshing to see a band continue and prosper. The sound quality is superior to RIR and the fans are muted. However, if you want to see a great band play a retrospective from an extensive catalog of mind blowing Rock, get this DVD.

I thought it a little odd that Rush would release a second live concert DVD so shortly after Rush in Rio. Upon viewing, however, I understand the decision. In essence they have capture two concerts from complete different end of the spectrum.

Where Rush in Rio was all emotion and sweat (outdoors, poor sound, crazily enthusiastic crowd) R30 was clinical, controlled and polished. Also, the setlists are substantially different, so it's not a case of pundering the same material. R30 is designed to take viewers through the entire Rush history and it does just that. My favorite song is the opening medley, combining instrumental bits from each of the band's first 6 albums (although it is a little depressing that this period of the band's history is captured in less than 8 minutes). The band is spot-on throughout the show, with Lifeson improving dramatically on his sub-par Rush in Rio performance. The visuals are simply jaw-dropping, capturing the spectacular stage-show and giving everything a larger-than-life feel to the show. An outstanding set-list is marred only by the energy-zapping series of covers (I would simply prefer to hear Rush play Rush songs as opposed to someone else's songs).

The second disc is also entertaining. The best moments are early mpegs of Finding My Way and In the Mood. In both cases the band is playing on a tiny studio stage and doing their best to make themselves look like ROCK STARS. Geddy, in particular, acts much differently than in later years, trying hard to be a frontman. Interviews and late-70's live on stage clips round out a complete package that any Rush fan will revel in.

My one wish would be slightly more energized crowd. The Germans act is if their at church, rarely making noise and basically invisible throughout. If we could somehow capture the R30 performance and combine it with the Rush in Rio audience we'd have the best concert DVD ever.

Still....5 stars...one of the best concert DVDs available.

This DVD is more special to me than most other DVD's because it was the first Rush item I ever owned. The R30 setlist is one of the most diverse of Rush's history because the band is celebrating their 30th anniversay as a recording act, and they wanted to cover as many albums as possible, including their most recent covers EP, FEEDBACK. There's really no denying that Rush is one of the greatest live rock acts, and the R30 DVD is proof that they still have plenty left in the tank 30 years after their first album. They really make some of their later stuff like ''Force Ten'' and ''Earthshine'' shine and some of the bonus material is what more progsters will go over (performances of songs like ''A Farewell to Kings'' and ''La Villa Strangiato'').

'R30' - Rush (9/10)

There is a wealth of material to be found in this package. As a proud owner of most of Rush's material, I can safely say that as far as audio-visual product is concerned, this is the best Rush concert experience you are going to get, without actually being at a Rush concert itself (which in itself is a magnificent experience.)

'R30' shows the band in a wide variety of facets, ranging from some of their most intense material, then exhibiting the polar opposite in none other than a beautiful acoustic section of the performance ('Resist.')

The sound and visuals are calibrated perfectly for a home theater experience, and there are some decent special features to gander over as well, including old footage of the band, and interviews.

Overall, a very good concert release, and the quintessential Rush DVD!

This is the definitive Rush Live DVD concert. The only thing better would be if they had filmed the “All the World’s a Stage” album.

Of course Rush in Rio is great, but as people have already written here, the production and the set list weren't the best. I am not a big fan of the 80s Rush, with rare exceptions, and the fact that this concert features some of the few songs from that era that I like was a real treat for me.

The crowd is a standard European one, silent and contemplative. The sound mixing is amazing and the filming is great, without those fast camera exchanges.

And apart from the great concert the 2nd disc is the best collection of videos and interviews by the band ever put on a single volume.

Overall a must have for any Rush fan, and THE DVD to get if you want to start a journey through the history of this classic band!

Rush R30 documents the 30th anniversary tour that I was so foolish not to attend back in 2004. Luckily, this DVD is a marvellous product. It has the best sound of any recent Rush live release and the visuals are great to look at. It goes without saying that the live performance is excellent again. These guys never miss a beat in concert.

This live release is the first one since Show of Hands (and the only one to this date) that has such a well-balanced sound. Every instrument is clearly audible, the drums are tight and prominent, the bass can be followed through all its jaunts and the guitars are thick when needed and subtle where required. Alex's solos are stellar and Geddy Lee's vocals are in better shape then ever before. He doesn't even falter on the demanding 2112.

The album documents the entire career, starting with a medley of riffs from the 70's leading up to 1980's Spirit Of Radio, a song that they continue to perform with an unrelenting passion. It's one of the things I adore about this band. Their love and dedication for what they do is simply contagious. Life isn't perfect though. Tom Sawyer drags a bit due to the slowed-down pace, Der Trommler is too lengthy, Xanadu is too short, and I'm missing a highlight like Natural Science or Jacob's Ladder to complete the set. Admitted, both of those would feature on any live Rush show if I had any say in it!

Great DVD and the best live Rush document in existence together with Replay x3.

I'm listening right now to a wonderful bootleg from this tour entitled Project R30 from 26-05-2004 that has the whole show and that's the only fault of this wodwerful dvd: it did not have the full concert. the songs that are not on the dvd set list are: Bravado, YYZ & The Trees (between RTB and The Seeker) and the great One little victory (after The Seeker) from their wonderfull comeback album Vapor Trails. The second set (corresponding to DVD 2) starts with the funny Darn that Dragon intro and the DVD omissions are Secret Touch (another gfreat track from VT, played after Dreamline), Red Sector A (just before the dum solo) and, after the acoustic set, La Villa Strangiatto & By-Tor and the Snow Dog. I believe that all Rush fans and rock fans in general would agree that these omissions in a celebratory DVD are a misstep, almost unforgettable. I hope that a new edition correct this fault.

Beside this sin (the only thing that robs a 5-star review from me) the show is wonderful played. Very different from Rio as the crowd are less noisy than we south americans are (what is good from a bootlegger point of view but reveals why rock groups like our audiences and our passion). The set list isn't that far from Rio's and only the addition of the lackluster covers from Feedback (where the songs were treated with too much respect and didn't receive a full Rush arrangement) and the eventual change of one song from another (Subdivisions is any day better than the rest of the 80's pieces from Rio's) makes some difference. On the other hand, the atmosphere is very different, with the band closer to the audience. And of course we have the wonderful intro with the oldies we all love but they don't play anymore (Geddy's voice is too tired for Bastille Day or Finding my way).

The extras are the real jewell from this set. "Clips" from the seventies (basically the band mimicking their then new songs - with special attention to the pair AFTK-Hemispheres). The Fly by Night video is from the same session of the Anthem in Rio's. And the interviews are great, really informative and funny.

This is a must-have for all Rush fans and a great introduction for newbies. As I said above the omission of the full concert prevents me of a 5-star rating but this reveals more my frustration than the less-than-perfect quality of this product. Buy it without thinking, even my two years-old boy love it (he asks all the time for Disney's Fantasia and the "Washing machine" show).

What follows is another review of the 2009 Eagle Rock DVD of this concert, which features (in addition to the tunes listed above) 'Bravado', 'YYZ', 'The Trees' and 'One Little Victory' (in the first half) plus 'Secret Touch' and a medley consisting of '2112', 'La Villa Strangiato', 'By-Tor and the Snow Dog', 'Xanadu' and 'Working Man' (in the second half).

There are a lot of Rush live DVDs about - probably too many - but this is by far the best. As other reviewers have indicated, the playing is fresh, the sound recording is excellent and the editing gives you the feeling you were there. All three players seem to be enjoying themselves. There's none of the gurning that would spoil some of Alex Lifeson's performances on later live tours, and Geddy Lee never seems to be going through the motions - quite the contrary.

In addition, the set list is about as perfect as one could wish. To my regret, 'Free Will' and 'Analog Kid' are missing (two songs that were included in DIFFERENT STAGES LIVE, Rush's most comprehensive live album) but the presence of 'Force Ten', 'YYZ' and 'La Villa Strangiato' makes up for that. 'Xanadu' (probably Rush's greatest composition) appears in truncated form; strangely enough it would eventually receive a more majestic performance on the R40 Live DVD / Blu-ray, which (on the whole) is far less convincing than this one. I must also admit that there are some weak moments. 'One Little Victory' is tuneless and worth skipping, and Neil Peart's long drum solo fails to hold my attention. But almost everything else is sheer joy.

The bonus material consists of a number of live performances which will mainly draw your attention to the band's peculiar wardrobe during the 1970s and the 1980s. It also contains five extensive and quite serious interviews with all three members of the band. These are an illuminating addition to the documentary BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE. The main advantage here is that you can actually hear how your heroes used to speak at a time when they were recording some of their best albums.