Its literally the first concert official concert DVD release from the Canadian power trio, excluding all the past VHS/Laserdiscs released that have yet to see the light of day on DVD, official release of course. Now first off if you have not read my review of the 3 CD set
go there now.
Now that you know the bands performance prowess, it should not surprise you that the visual documentation of the bands show in Rio is no less than the ear candy. The first disc is just like the CD set, with superb camera work to match the band's performance, along with other visualizations used in their concerts, such as pyrotechnics and moves/images shown on the massive screen behind them, that pretty much speaks for itself, and you bet it does, in fact, the concert was filmed with a shitload cameras/angles.
It's the second disc that really brings some neat stuff to the table, for the first time, a documentary of Rush, directed by Andrew MacNaughtam, that shows them arriving in Brazil, with fans that are going nuts, greeting them at the airport/hotel like they were waiting for NSYNC or something, even Geddy makes the statement that it was almost like they were treated like Justin Timberlake. We see interviews with the band, hardships of the technical problems that the band and the roadies encounter during set up for the show, practice sessions, press conferences, and in depth interviews with the band members, explaining the what they have been through in the past few years with the hardships, and how the tour all came together.
We see how nuts the fans get and we all know how fanatical some people get over Rush, a notable group of fans that is interviewed, is Sepultura, yes they make an appearance on the DVD, but as fans only, sorry, there is no jam session between the two bands, holy shit, that would be something to hear. It brings fans closer to the personalities and the humor of three of rocks most mystical figures that are rarely seen behind the scenes, not to mention that you will defiantly have more respect for roadies after watching this.
Also there is the multi angle feature on three performances, "YYZ," "La Villa Strangiato," and the drum solo, "O Baterista;" I guess we all know what the drummers out there are going to play first. The "Easter Eggs" section of the set are hidden features that you apparently have to find on your own, there are instructions on the DVD, but even I have yet to find them, looks like we are all going to have to work for these performances, or get on Rush newsgroups and find the secrets the easy way.
This makes for one of the best concert DVDs, to make the racks, perfectly complimenting the triple CD set that also hit the racks the same day, makes mandatory eye candy for hardcore and casual fans alike, especially if you have never seen them live before or unfortunately were not able to attend any of the shows on the last tour.
Rating: 9/10Written by
Hashman Monday, November 10, 2003
