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The Top Rated Live Album on Prog Archives is … DIFFERENT STAGES!


Red Dwarf
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Earlier on i was looking thru the Prog Archives website and was surprised to find that the top rated live Rush album was Different Stages!

The list in full:

Different Stages/4.37

R30-30th Anniversary Tour/4.16

Clockwork Angels Tour/4.15

Exit…Stage Left/4.03

All the World's A Stage/3.85

Rush in Rio/3.78

Snakes and Arrows Live/3.57

ABC 1974/3.56

A Show of Hands/3.47

Time Machine-Live in Cleveland/3.31

I find these ratings surprising,and just wonder what everyone else thinks.D.S is a superb album,but is it the top rated album for you? Song selection,sound quality,and performance.Do they add up to make D.S the ultimate live experience on disc?

 

 

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Soundwise it can't be beat. Specifically the sound of Neil's snare drum.

Can't stand All the worlds a stage, the mix is horrible on that, definitely not a drummers live album, that's for sure. Ditto for Time Machine, Clockwork Angels, or RIR.

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There are individual moments and even whole sections of several of the live albums that I love- and the fact that the later live albums are obviously broader in scope, and more inclusive of their whole catalog...and I definitely think they all three became better musicians later on. But I still have to say the first was the best, for the rough and raw energy and power. Edited by Blue J
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For me the #1 live album is Rush in Rio. The wide variety of songs plus the energy from the crazy setting = one heck of an album. Behind it would be Different Stages and ATWAS. Very different albums but both are wonderful. One has an experienced band with a huge catalog of awesome songs that were recorded over a number of shows and tours (not a plus - I prefer one live show - not a best of for my live albums). That being said, the best of is very darn good. The other is a young group playing (basically) one show with massive youthful energy but a more limited catalog of songs.

 

Although I prefer RIR I have no problem at all with the #1 ranking of Different Stages. It is a great live album.

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I like all the live albums. No real preference as long as ATWAS is kindly put aside.

 

:rage:

 

I don't think you'll find many people kindly putting your remark aside.

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I don't Like ATWAS either. and i don't care about the backlash, lol. My fav Live Album/DVD is Snakes. I just loved the set for that tour. Except for the shitty Bangkok......Thanks Neil, lol

 

Mick

Edited by bluefox4000
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I like all the live albums. No real preference as long as ATWAS is kindly put aside.

 

:rage:

 

I don't think you'll find many people kindly putting your remark aside.

I don't hate ATWAS or anything, it's just my least favorite. I just don't enjoy it quite as much as the others. :huh:

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Prog Archives members are craving for old stuff like the special AFTK live release on the set.

Quite. I guess out of all the live albums DS is certainly the proggiest just ahead of ESL and Progarchives reviewers will necessarily rate the albums with the thought in mind that PA is a Prog Rock site.

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I love Different Stages, especially the first two discs. Best commercially-released live versions of Natural Science, 2112, and Analog Kid. Awesome examples of Dreamline, Limelight, Driven, Test for Echo, Resist, TSoR, and even Tom Sawyer. The sound is really clear, Geddy sounds great, and you can hear the instruments separately.
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Soundwise it can't be beat. Specifically the sound of Neil's snare drum.

Can't stand All the worlds a stage, the mix is horrible on that, definitely not a drummers live album, that's for sure. Ditto for Time Machine, Clockwork Angels, or RIR.

 

I agree about the drum sound on DS's. It sounds great. Great album all around.

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1. Different Stages - The very best sonically speaking

 

2. Exit Stage Left - My favorite performance wise. Studio touch ups be damned as they were minor..very minor in nature. This has some of the greatest live performances ever for the band that were on an official release. This is the band at their absolute prime live. I love the sound of every instrument, clear separation, incredible playing. It really is amazing. Crowd quiet? Yes. But that was a production choice. The playing is flat out sizzling.

 

3. Snakes & Arrows Live - I love the first set. Really a strong set and Neil's cymbals sound like Satan (listen to his ride on Mission so freaking crisp). Overall a great show if you really like S&A as an album (which I obviously do).

 

4. A Show Of Hands - I love it. It perfectly captures what the band was doing at that point in time. If you attended this tour you can remember the mountains of key's Geddy was trapped behind on this tour and how busy his fingers and feet were. This was Geddy's tour to show how incredible of a musician he was (at the time in the height of the "synth" era).

 

5. R30 - Tremendous set list, great performance. It is brick walled as is everything they have done live post D.S on record is, but it still has a great performance overall.

 

6. All The Worlds A Stage - Pure, raw, powerful. By Tor & The Snow Dog.....nuff said.

 

7. Clockwork Angels Live - Incredible set list. A wonderful show, tour, and hearing the strings prominent role in the second set really gives you more appreciation for the album as a whole. Hearing the title track live is one of the greatest live moments captured on record IMO.

 

8. Rush In Rio - I consider this and TM the worst sounding live CD's they have ever put out. But the energy and moment on this one is why it is ahead. And the set-list was awesome.

 

9. Time Machine Live - I can't listen to this. Geddy's vocals are at a low here. They just are. I will pop it on to listen to Moving Pictures live all the way through. That is the only reason I ever listen to it. The rest is not up to the live standards of the band and that is mainly due to the mix and Geddy's voice really having an off couple of nights.

Edited by Todem
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2112, Natural Science, Cygnus-X1, no fruity jamacian working man? I think that's a big reason its number one.

 

Also on digital Dreamdoor, its ranked as the greatest live prog album: http://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_albumsprog-live.html

 

In my opinion I think its the best. Love all the songs except for 'test for echo'

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^^^

Clear separation on ESL? You can barely here the guitar on The Spirit of Radio!

 

I love his sound on that album.

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