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I'm feeling like the reason I'm not seeing any threads for this show is that many of us are on the road taking in these last few shows? I live in between so I'm home tonight, Denver tommorow! I came away from the show last night telling my wife I felt it was the best show I'd seen the band do in the 25 years I've been attending, and I meant it. I'm not sure if its just me, the end of the tour getting to me, my bias or what? It just seemed like everything Rush has to offer was on display at this show. The performance was strong, and yet loose. Neils solo sections were the perfect trip through his entire legacy of licks. Alex was cool and fun, making your ears stand at attention as he can only do. And Ged, the masterfull captain, leading the charge with precision and heart. It wasn't crazy high energy, amazing spurts I've seen so many times, but rather a solid chunk of a live performance for the ages, proving who is truly the heavyweight champion of the galaxy. I was in tears for The Garden, feeling it's modern epic weight. Dreamline was literally out of this world. The bands music speaks so much to the monumental legacy they have left upon the world of music and to us, the fans, most of all. Their musicianship and chemistry clearly leaves just about any other band in the dust. Its very hard to really grasp what these guys are doing considering where they are in their lives. 40 years! My goodness. Bringing me to what is possibly the awnser to my own question. I think we all, us and the band, are going all in knowing full well we are " only immortal, for a limited time" Thank you Rush, thanks for the memories!

So my father was diagnosed with stage 4 bladder cancer in early April. He hadn't gone for a pee in 4 days and thought that was very strange. He had no pain, but went to his doctor to see what is happening. Sure enough there was a tumour that they removed and test results came back and it was cancerous. They started radiation therapy and all seemed to be going smooth. I took my mother out for lunch on Mother's day, and she told me that the cancer has spread to his kidneys and a bit to his lungs. That was a few days before he was suppose to start chemo. So they had to postpone that to do radiation on his kidneys and lungs. I was going to my parents at least every 2 weeks and each time, he was smaller and smaller with less energy. His spirits were still good though and was confident he was gonna beat this, despite knowing it was going to be a long haul. So they did radiation and then continued chemo. So in early June....he ended up getting a lump on his chest, right where his heart is. It grew very fast and within 2 weeks was the size of my fist. They had to stop doing chemo and do radiation on that tumour now. When I saw him in mid June, he looked even worse than when I saw him a week and a half prior. He would go from taking a nap in his room for a couple hours, to going to the washroom and to the lazy boy for a nap and then back to his room. Since April, he had a catheter attached to him as well, which was really annoying and difficult for him to deal with. So anyways...fast forward to 2 weeks ago today when my mom sent an email to all my dad's side of the family including me, and it basically said things are not going well and radiation and chemo aren't working and the doctors aren't very optimistic about anything, along with a few other details. On the Tuesday, he started getting a severe pain in his left shoulder, his ankles were swelling and he was having trouble breathing. So my mother rushed him to the hospital. My mother told me as she was backing out of the parking lot that he said..."I think this is the last time I'm going to see the house". He was right. His form of cancer was a rare form of squamous cell. They were going to do a guinea pig test through the government, but he was getting very weak and his face and body were deteriorating at an alarming rate. 2 weeks ago tomorrow, my brother came back home from being in British Columbia for a year and 9 months cuz he knew dad was not well at all. He went and saw him on the Saturday with my mom and completely broke down. Hasn't seen him in that long and then has to see him in that state. I went with my mother on the Sunday and my mother warned me that he looks even worse than last time I saw him. The moment I walked in that hospital room, I knew the end was near. He had 2 litres of water drained from his lungs earlier that day caused by the chest tumour. He was able to eat a bit of ice cream, and talk a bit with a raspy voice. He was on morphine and some other stuff, so he was out of it most of the visit. Little did I know, that would be my last conversation with him where he can actually talk back. When it was time to leave, I hugged him, told him I loved him and he said it back. As I was walking away I looked back once more and he was looking at me with a blank stare. When I got to the elevator, I turned back cuz I had a strong feeling he might die that night. I went over, held his hand, kissed his forehead and told him to stay strong, and I will see you soon, hopefully at home. My mom went and saw him the next day and then ordered the family all to go see him on Tuesday. I finished work and went to the hospital. My sister, brother and mother were already there and my dad was being taken to a private room(really bad sign). So the moment we were allowed to see him, we all just cried and cried. He was hooked up to 5 machines and all he could do was move his eyes and his right arm a bit. It was the saddest most difficult thing I along with my family have ever witnessed. A priest came and we all held hands and did a prayer. We were basically just waiting for him to go anytime now. We had family moments with him in that room and private moments at different time throughout the night and early morning. We had a family room across the hall that was reserved for us. It was the longest night of my life. Nurses kept telling us how much of a gentleman he was that entire week. He never complained about anything they needed to do, even though a lot of those things were uncomfortable, such as being poked and prodded with needles, etc... So here's the powerful moment I had with my father and Rush. During my 4th or 5th private moment with him, at about 3am, still awake and still able to hear me talking(hearing is the last sense to go). I asked him to squeeze my hand, and he squeezed very hard, and he still had the strength, but just couldn't physically move or talk. He would try so hard to say stuff back, but it was impossible to understand. So I told him I'm gonna play a song for him, and he kind of smiled. I wanted to play Bob Seger, but didn't have any on my phone. He always loved Bob Seger and saw him many times in Detroit when my dad lived in Windsor in the late 70's. He knows my favorite band is Rush and my dad always liked them too. For some reason, I wanted it to be a kind of sad sounding song with appropriate lyrics for that sad moment in our lives. So I turned off the light, and had the door open about 6 inches so there was some 'Available Light' coming into the room. So of course I put that song on, and he had a little smile on his face, and I could tell he was enjoying the sounds of music, rather than hearing voices and the sounds of silence for the last few days. I cried and stared out the window during the whole song while holding the phone close to his ear. It was a very sad, but very powerful moment for me(I'm crying as I write this now), and I can't help but feel like every time I hear that song for the rest of my life, I'm going to cry. I also played him 'The Garden' and of course 'Tom Sawyer' which he told me was the band Rush when I asked him who the band was when I first heard it on the radio when I was really young on the way to one of my hockey games. Throughout that long night and morning, I told my father everything I ever had to say to him. It made me feel sad for him to know that his son couldn't understand what he was trying to say to me. There was one thing that he kept trying to say, but it came out as a very soft whisper that I simply couldn't not process, even with my ear right up to his mouth. I felt sooooooo bad. I told him he doesn't need to say anything and that this is his journey. One of the regrets I told him I have is not making him a grandfather, cuz he always wanted to be one. He smiled when I said that and told him I promise I will try to have a son and carry on the family name. He passed away at approximately 7:17am on Wednesday, July 24th with his 2 sons, daughter and wife by his side. That moment when it became official and they pulled the oxygen tubes out of his nose left me gutted and empty inside. I hugged my mother and then looked at my sister and brother and we just couldn't believe this was the day his life came to an end. You can never prepare yourself for the day it actually happens. Having that one final look at his physical body and face was sad. Knowing I will never see him again except in pictures just tore me up inside. He was 56 and a half years old to the day. My dad's father died when he was 28, and my father dies and I'm 28. He was the youngest of 5 children, and he's the first to die. I told my mother I needed alone time at home and needed sleep badly. I had been up since 4am the day before and worked a 10 and a half hour shift and by the time I actually got in my own bed, it had been 32 hours I was awake. I got home and I was alone and I just looked at myself in the mirror and cried. I was in shock that this day had arrived so early in mine and my fathers life. It's been the most difficult and empty feeling week I have ever gone through, but I'm doing quite okay, as is my family. It was just a very unwelcomed and traumatizing turn of events in such a short amount of time that hit my family so hard. I'm not so sad that I no longer have a father as I am sad for him not being able to do everything he enjoys anymore. I'm a man of my own now and don't necessarily need a father figure anymore, as much as I still wish he was here. It's just so hurtful that he doesn't get to do what he enjoys. No more BBQ'ing. Mo more working on his garden. No more whiskey or beer. No more visiting his brothers and having them come visit him. No more going to hockey games or concerts. I went to see Kiss the day after he died, and it was difficult, cuz we were gonna go together, and he had the same passion of going to concerts as I do. The opening band Shinedown did an amazing acoustic version of 'Simple Man' by Lynyrd Skynyrd and of course tears were rolling. He was the man that raised me, and spent endless amounts of money on hockey equipment throughout the years. He taught me how to play sports. He coached me in hockey and baseball for a few years in each sport. He taught me how to fish. He was a mentor, my best friend, and the man who taught me everything I need to know about life and the struggles it can offer. I'm glad I was able to get to know him throughout my teenage years and young adult life, which are the years that you truly get to know your parents. I apologize for writing so much detail and making it so long. He's in a better place now, and no longer has to deal with his ailing body and mind. I will see him on the other side. Thanks for reading and Rush on!! I love you and miss you "Butch"(his nick name) RIP Dad - 1957 - 2013 This is possibly the last photo of just us http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/Gorbz/IMG_5807.jpg?t=1375392316 Father and his children(I'm the one in the blue pj's) http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/Gorbz/IMG_5805.jpg The 2 of us in 1999 when I was only 14 http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/Gorbz/IMG_5806.jpg My mother and father a few years ago http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/Gorbz/IMG_5353.jpg

saving up for all shows on the tour, and burn my face into their minds > :D they will remember me forever!! :laughing guy: :dweez: Even better! You might wanna print your face on a poster, clue it to a cardboard and wave it at the guys. No way they won't remember you after that

:drool: http://youtu.be/iGBg5rZb58s

Classic Rush stage shenannegans. I was wondering the whole show if there was going to be some sort of celebratory Geddy's birthday wackiness, and then these clowns came on stage. I was crackin' up when they just flopped drunkenly to the floor. Thats awesome that you got a good video of this because its friggin' priceless. Epic show too. Geddy's voice is holding up very well for the end of the second leg of the tour and turning 60.

Thanks to everyone for offering to pm them if I want to talk. My therapy is just talking about it with friends and co workers, and sharing this experience with Rush fans(a special family). I don't mind talking about it. It's not about asking for sympathy or anything, but it feels good to have people know what I and my family went through. Families around the world go through this everyday. I'm not alone in this. I just pray none of you have to see a family member or friend go through what my father went through.

Myself and my buddy both think the Portland show this past Sunday was the best Rush show we'd ever seen. It was his 8th show and my 12th and the only other one that was close was the last show of the 2nd leg of the Time Machine tour at The Gorge July of 2011. What made this most recent one better was Ged's voice. He was better than in '11. Also, Al was really into it too with a lot of flourishes, etc in his solos. My point is that they are really "on" right now it would seem. It could be that they know there's an extended break in front of them or maybe it's the enjoyment of the new material or the strings or ?? I just know they tore it up 5 nights ago and now I'm reading that it was the same in SLC. Good for all of us. As for audiences, I was proud of the Portland/Vancouver (WA, not B.C.) folks at our show. There weren't any obviously "when are we gonna hear the hits?" people that I saw or heard although Nate said one guy next to him was one of those. But overall, I thought the crowd around me was really into the new stuff, e.g. raising their hands "as if to fly" during CA, etc. I know someone at my work who was unhappy with not hearing "hits", but it was his own fault as I warned him that it was going to be new stuff (even made him a copy of CA in hopes that he'd get into it) and deeper cuts. I think the majority of our audience liked it though. One thing I do know, the wait for my next Rush concert is going to be interminable.

Found this on youtube.

I couldn't have said it any better, it was a phenomenal show and I couldn't believe what a bunch of wet blankets were sitting around me. Jeez, it was the Clockwork Angels tour folks. :P Still there were enough of us around there yelling and dancing like nuts. I was struck by the same lyric myself, looking up at the stars and thinking I am so happy I got another show in before it was too late. I truly love this band :clap: :heart: :rush: The meetup before the show was fun, I got meet some great Rush fans and got a cool souvenir from the Portland show. TRF folks are cool p.s. I loved Neil's tribute to the astronaut Neil Armstrong, that one made me look up at the sky again to smile :) Of course TRF folks are cool! Did you honestly expect them to be anything other than the best? ;) No I just was nervous since this was my first meetup and didn't know anyone.

I couldn't have said it any better, it was a phenomenal show and I couldn't believe what a bunch of wet blankets were sitting around me. Jeez, it was the Clockwork Angels tour folks. :P Still there were enough of us around there yelling and dancing like nuts. I was struck by the same lyric myself, looking up at the stars and thinking I am so happy I got another show in before it was too late. I truly love this band :clap: :heart: :rush: The meetup before the show was fun, I got meet to some great Rush fans and got a cool souvenir from the Portland show. TRF folks are cool p.s. I loved Neil's tribute to the astronaut Neil Armstrong, that one made me look up at the sky again to smile :)

Sex and the City was originally Stupid Bloody Sluts!

Yeah GR is a great song. To think it almost didn't make it on VT because they were having trouble with it. I forget who encouraged them to keep working at it, but they did and thankfully so. Yes, thank whoever encouraged them to continue working on it. Paul Northfield! From the VT tour book: Paul's influence was strong through this phase, for he could help us judge the performances as "finished" or "not yet," and he saw possibilities that sometimes escaped us (urging "Ghost Rider" from the verge of abandonment to its glorious realization, for example).

Look at those faces in the audiences - a sea of people. Has anyone here ever wondered what that must be like for the boys? Am I the only one who would give almost anything just to experience it at least once? Sometimes I think I wish I could ask one of them if I could just stand a bit off stage when everyone is clapping and cheering wildly for them so I could get an idea of what it is like. The charge one gets from the energy of the people must be phenomenal.

Yeah. Someone made a post about this yesterday. But I'm super excited! It's a very emotional, heavy, and underrated album that deserves this. This may not be their best, but its one of their top 10. Just the heaviness and toll the lyrics have and the way they make you think about life. Makes you think about all Neil has lost. Ghost rider is especially one of myfavorites on the album.

Everything :rush: sounds better live IMO :)

I have the Vapor Trails remaster from HD Tracks. I personally thought that fixed most of the problems with the original. Separation of instruments instead of mud fest, pops and clicks gone, and it is not tiring to listen to from start to finish. If I had known this full remix was coming I probably would have waited before purchasing the HD Tracks....

Um, no. "High Water" is a carefully and creatively constructed piece. Percussively, tensionally, and thematically, it's one of the more powerful songs on the album. Yeah, I wouldn't hack it off either.And as I said earlier, I wouldn't hack off ANY song, even the ones I dislike

I agree totally dude...many people slam VT because of sound but Presto IMO is the biggest terd fest And yet it has at least 6 memorable tracks on it! Show Don't Tell, Chain Lightning, Presto, The Pass, Superconductor and Available Light! :rush: :haz: :rush: Sub out Superconductor and put in Scars or Red Tide or even War Paint and I agree with you. Superconductor is decent....but one of the weakest tracks along with a true turd in Anagram (For Mongo) As far as the remix of VT......Finally. I can't wait to hear Nocturne and Freeze remixed. Also Ceiling Unlimited. A lot of really good songs on VT Vaportrail (one of my all time favorite Rush songs) Ghost Rider Earthshine Ceiling Unlimited Freeze Secret Touch Nocturne Sweet Miracle One Little Victory Stars Look Down All those for me are really great Rush songs.

Sorry for your loss. I lost my mom couple of years ago and it was the hardest thing I've had to go through. My thoughts and prayers are with you and if it's any consolation, the pain does get better.

Man, I about busted out crying reading that. My mother is going through chemo, right now, and this is the third time she has had cancer. I don't know if the chemo will ever end. Cancer is such a horrible disease. I remember when my mother's sister and her sister's husband got cancer and how it reduced them to nothing. My mom has lasted 100x longer than they did. It sounds like you had some great times with your dad. That's cool. Those memories will help you along, hopefully. I hope your dad rests in peace, and sorry for your loss, man. That is the most awful way to go.

Blood of the Zodiac, my heart goes out to you. It was very kind of you to share this with us. You are fortunate to have been able to tell your father many things before he died that others never get the chance to do. Prayers for you and your family. By the way, you look just like your mother! A beautiful family. Thanks for posting the pictures too.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. It was very touching to read, having lost my own father to cancer last year. I can relate so much to what you've been through and the hard times that lies ahead. If I in anyway can help, feel free to reach out and pm me. Next time I listen to The Garden and Available Light I will think of you and your dad. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

This was from last night's pre-show meet at the world famous Copper Creek Pub.http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb50/workingcinderellaman/Web%20postings/2013-07-31181024_zps413bdbde.jpg Me, Gangsterfurious, her husband and Apollo. It was fun to meet them all.

The article says remixing: "The band had recently been overseeing a remixed version of our Vapor Trails album, from 2002, as we had never been happy with how it turned out. I found that trying to listen to those songs again was too upsetting, taking me back to a mindset and emotional state that hadn’t been good to live through then, or to relive now. I had to “recuse” myself from those judgments, and the Guys at Work understood, of course." They might just be at the Mastering portion of the project. Agreed. It looks as if they were remixing the album, not just remastering it. I'm not excited about that at all. In my opinion, the Retro 3 remixes SUCK! The feel, the punch, the emotive power, and the raw edginess was totally changed on both OLV and ES. I dread imagining what that same treatment would do to the remaining songs on the album. The original mix of the album kicks ass, and should not be touched. I've said this many times before around these parts that it has already been proven a remastering of the original mix can be done successfully. A remastering was done in someone's basement years ago, and the songs sounded so much better without having to touch the mix. I would like to think a professional engineer with all the latest professional equipment at their fingertips would be able to remaster VT brilliantly. This entire remix idea will never make sense to me if the entire album will be like the Retro 3 failures. Though, one cool thing about all this, I find, is it proves that SOMEONE (either Rush themselves, or someone part of their team) does keep an ear open to the fan base.

It's about time. I think this is a very underrate album. A very emotional one.

From interviews I've read he is very controlling about what live or studio material is released. He does not approve of bootlegs. i feel him because i'm a bit of a control freak myself, but there is no way he can control what bootlegs get out there. He has kept soundboard recordings from getting out there lately, but at some point he should go the way of Robert Fripp and grab all the boots he can get along with the bands own archives and set up some king of website distribution. it would make us happy and the band a bit of scratch. In The End (see what I did there?) we are all happy.

Anyone who thinks CA sounds like VT is smoking stuff that I don't want to smoke.

Just saw this on their Facebook feed: http://www.rush.com/...trails-remixed/

Um, no. "High Water" is a carefully and creatively constructed piece. Percussively, tensionally, and thematically, it's one of the more powerful songs on the album.

Exactly! Why would I bother? Exactly! And then they announce it 2 full months before it comes out. We could be looking forward to a new Rush album, but no... a rehash of what was by far their worst one. And then a box set that celebrates their weakest period. At least it's got the excellent Counterparts and the great S&A, as well as Feedback, which was pretty good, although let's be honest, who's listened to Feedback more than 5 times - raise of hands? Didn't think so. Say, do you think while they re-did VT that they removed the Geddy choirs and added in some guitar solos, or maybe made the lyrics a little less of a bummer? ;) :hi: The new album cover is pretty badass though.

I agree, some later albums are far too long. Obviously some of the songs others have recommended cutting others cant possibly fathom cutting (for me, we hold on and good news first are great) The one consensus seems to be that just about everyone would be okay hacking off Tai Shan and High water from HYF.

I think they need to put out an album with one long song for the entire thing. Never happen, but wouldn't that be awesome? :D

Glad you got a chance to say goodbye

I'm sorry for your loss. Your story brought back memories of when I lost my beloved Dad. As you said, some day when we go to the other side, we'll see our fathers again.

Has that version of Vital Signs ever been released on CD? It might be worth it just for that, but that is a bit of scratch for one song. I've had the remastered boot forever and this is probably the same thing like the one called ABC that came out not long ago, an unofficial boot with professional packaging. I hate that cover, it looks like a college student that just learned how to open Photoshop made it. Rush would never release something like that. As I said in another thread, Rush should get ahead of this stuff and start gathering the best bootlegs, giving them a real mix and releasing them themselves. We would be happy, they would be happy, we all would be happy.

You're a divorce attorney?

I have this as the St. Louis '80 Remaster, but there is a discrepancy in the track order and times of the songs.

The article says remixing: "The band had recently been overseeing a remixed version of our Vapor Trails album, from 2002, as we had never been happy with how it turned out. I found that trying to listen to those songs again was too upsetting, taking me back to a mindset and emotional state that hadn’t been good to live through then, or to relive now. I had to “recuse” myself from those judgments, and the Guys at Work understood, of course." They might just be at the Mastering portion of the project. Agreed. It looks as if they were remixing the album, not just remastering it. I'm not excited about that at all. In my opinion, the Retro 3 remixes SUCK! The feel, the punch, the emotive power, and the raw edginess was totally changed on both OLV and ES. I dread imagining what that same treatment would do to the remaining songs on the album. The original mix of the album kicks ass, and should not be touched. I've said this many times before around these parts that it has already been proven a remastering of the original mix can be done successfully. A remastering was done in someone's basement years ago, and the songs sounded so much better without having to touch the mix. I would like to think a professional engineer with all the latest professional equipment at their fingertips would be able to remaster VT brilliantly. This entire remix idea will never make sense to me if the entire album will be like the Retro 3 failures. Well, in that case, there's always the new iTunes remaster, which I think sounds amazing. So now we'll have the original remastered properly, PLUS an entire new remix. Pick the one you like best!

Upon Bin laden's arrival in heaven, God says to him: "Here's your 72 virgins asshole."

http://24.media.tumblr.com/d1ca7ae243974a7ccc0483d9364da353/tumblr_mpmy9u69gF1r41unfo1_500.gif

Just what he needed, an invitation to shit in this thread. Thanks L2K. :eyeroll: Don't you have a setlist to make, or make your sig riverboat picture bigger so it can take up an entire page of a thread? Oh like that wasn't going to happen anyway! :eyeroll: Don't you have a setlist to make, or make your sig riverboat picture bigger so it can take up an entire page of a thread?

Honestly, if I trimmed RTB (their worst album imho) there'd probably be only 3 tracks and 2 bonus tracks because those 2 are tolerable though nothing special. But if I did that I'd simply have a good EP with no theme of chance/randomness tying it all together which was RTB's intent. THIS is my main problem with trimming these albums. Accept (or not) the albums as they are

This is a pet peeve of mine with almost every new album. There's nothing wrong with a 40-minute album, most of my all time favorite albums are around that mark. Because a CD CAN hold 80 minutes doesn't mean you HAVE to fill it up. As a few people mentioned, the tracks we'd like to ditch will vary greatly from person to person, but in general I'd like to see all new releases form every band I like being put out with a single-vinyl-album running time mentality. I'm digging the Winery Dogs album and the last Deep Purple greatly, but in each case trimmming 2-3 songs would elevate my overall opinion of the album.

here's the problem, this is YOUR list of songs.. everyone would have a different list.. I can't imagine S&A without 'We Hold on'.. there's other songs on your list I couldn't live without either including 'let's all jump on the bandwagon' er I mean 'Dog Years'.. hell RUSH themselves don't even know which songs their fans will like before an album comes out, how could they anyway when every Rush fan likes something different! The funny thing is... I just put on Hemispheres, started listening and then really wondered why posts like this with songs like these are argued about. I mean, every song listed above (including a couple that I like ok) are SO far out of the league of something like Hemispheres or really almost anything they put out from 1976-1984 that I don't know why we even bother piddling around discussing it. I mean, argue all you want for your Red Tide or Virtuality or We Hold On or whatever... but it's obvious to most of us that those songs are a very far distance from the best Rush. Just sayin'. Sigh. How true. How could the last 29 years even hold a candle to the bonfire of the 8 years you mentioned? I mean, why did Rush even bother? Note sarcasm. Why did they Bother? At least six good songs per album that why? Remember, the Epics era albums only had between 4 and 8 songs per album. They focused and the developed those songs much more as well. That's my point entirely. If they had paid the same attention to the latter albums, (Post Hold Your Fire) they would have achieved or come close to that goal too. There weakest albums Presto, Roll the Bones, Test For Echo. and Vapor Trails each had at least 6 good songs on them. This would not seem as week if the album only had 6 songs or 8 songs total like PeW or MP. They would also have focused and developed the remaining two songs much more as well instead of just creating whole new songs for their ideas. Its no surprised that once they returned to a shorter format (Clockwork Angels) that they hit it out of the park again. :codger: Well....1) coventry was being sarcastic. 2) MP's 7 songs destroy the best 7 songs off any album from Presto-CA. Same thing goes for Hemspheres or PeW vs. any of the albums from the last 25 years 3) I don' t even agree that there are at least 6 good songs on some of those albums 4) I don't agree that they focused more and developed those epic era songs. They had less time so they tinkered with things LESS. They tinkered on things MUCH more later in their careers. Snakes and Arrows, imho, sounds like they had TOO MUCH time to mess with songs (not including Hope and Malnar)

Hooray! This makes me very pleased, I love the album but found it painful to listen to. I can't wait to hear it!

Excellent! I can't wait to get my hands on it! Does anyone know if the box set is completely remastered? It would be nice to hear Presto and Roll the Bones with some hair on those B@lls! :spitwater:

Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!

I just love it when some pontificating blowhard appoints himself the arbiter of what "We Rush fans" should or should not like. Wow, dude...take it easy! I for one could live without those songs, and am pretty sure a lot of "us Rush fans" could as well. I respect the fact that you disagree with me, but calling me a "pontificating blowhard" when we´ve never even discussed any other topics here is a bit much. Yeah, I'm FAR more of a pontificating blowhard than Rodrigo could ever be! :P And I could easily live without all those songs, except I like Speed of Love.

I think it was close. For me, Natural Science and all of 2112 on the TfE tour were the most surprising, exciting moments for me.