RUSH - IN RIO

The biggest disappointment in this concert is 2112; it's played in a much lower key than the studio version and the live version on All The World's A Stage. It's quite a shock to the system for ardent Rush heads. You get all excited when you hear the synth sound effects indicating the song's about to start and you can hear - and feel - the audience's excitement at being treated to an all-time Rush classic. Then Lifeson's power chord kicks in like the growl of a dying dinosaur and your reaction is "What is...THIS??" It's obviously to accommodate Geddy's aged, lower register; but the song just doesn't work for me in this very low key. Overall a near flawless performance but the huge, incredibly hyped-up audience does tend to spoil the quality a bit for me. A good live record but not the best. I would recommend buying the DVD instead of the CD, as this is probably best appreciated visually.