EXIT... STAGE LEFT

My biggest grief with this live album is its muddy overall sound; Alex Lifeson simply uses too much flange and chorus effect for my taste, particularly on "The Trees." Other than that, there's little to complain about; one gets to hear songs generally not performed live anymore. Hearing "Red Barchetta" is a treat. "YYZ" sounds a bit too slow for me, but is a solid performance even if the instruments don't sound well-blended. I'd also say that the version of "Tom Sawyer" is the sloppiest version I've ever heard. "Xanadu" is exquisitely performed though, and is always a welcome aspect of this live album; in fact it was the live version here that got me into the song in the first place. All that said, I believe this is largely Neil Peart's show, even though Geddy Lee gets to show off his fairly new keyboards. Overall, the show is great, the crowd is riveted, and the set list isn't bad, but what's here is nowhere near the caliber Rush would achieve in future shows, both in terms of sound quality and performance. Still, for the Rush fan, this is a live album that does not deserve to be missed, and I'm glad it is in my collection.