SNAKES & ARROWS LIVE

First, the overall quality of it. Musically, visually, tecnically fabulous. Really impossible to ignore how perfeccionist Rush and their crew are, and how successful they are in achieving their pretensions of perfection. Pure enjoyment. The set is dynamic if you put apart some low points, which I will mention later, and musicians appear as accurate and synchronized as always.

But the problems appear in the repertoire. In my opinion Snakes & Arrows (the studio album) is not their best (and probably their worst) effort to date. And the weak points of it are traduced into some features on the live set. The noisy and extremely heavy sound of the album is put on every song of the concert, so some melodies and arrangements of old pieces are guessed more than actually heard. Alex changes his guitars but it seems it´s pointless, sound doesn´t change at all. Add to this some poor songs of the last album, and the fact that Geddy Lee´s voice can no longer face some challenges of their highlights (though, I admit, he puts all of his in Freewill and Natural Science, both the highest points of the shows). Finally, I see a general feeling of raw that doesn´t suit with what I expect from a Rush performance.

Extras on disc 1 do nothing more than a loose sensation, and the impression of a band still enjoying their life on the road. And Atlanta bootlegs could be on the main set to add some points to the performance. Last item: Red Sector A from R 30 tour confirms what Geddy once said about the dificulties of playing live some 80´s stuff like this.

An excellent addition, but not the most important on Rush´s videography. Obligation for fans, very recommended and enjoyable for those who already know them. But a distorting view for beginners, or for those who are curious about what Rush mean as a rock milestone.

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