EXIT... STAGE LEFT

Rush were at a high point following the release of their latest album Moving Pictures. Of all the Rush live albums, I think that this one offers a glimpse into the band at the top of their game. And while I prefer the sound of All the World's A Stage, for me it is too early in the bands career to consider it their best.

The problem that many people have is that the performances of the songs sound too much like their studio counterparts, with very little variation. I'm afraid that I have to agree on this point, if this wasn't the case then I'd award it with five stars. However it is also a testament to the genius of Rush's musicians that they were able to replicate these songs so well on the stage.

A great example of this is the epic "Xanadu". This would probably have been a complex enough song for a three-piece band to perform in the studio, let alone live! However it sounds superb, and always makes me imagine Lee and Lifeson with their double-neck guitars up on stage. Peart really shines on "YYZ" where he performs a great extended solo in the middle of the song.

Each song is performed brilliantly. The band plays through their most famous hits like "The Spirit of Radio", "Free Will", "Red Barchetta" and "Tom Sawyer" from the two most recent albums. There are also a few songs from older albums scattered about, such as "The Trees" and "Closer to the Heart". It would have been great if they'd included "Limelight" on the album though, as apparently it was recorded but not included in the end.

A solid four stars, all Rush fans should own this one.

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