Timbale

I think Floyd used a proprietary mullet removal AI on that to greatly lessen the visual impact of Scott Page...

This talk about new mixes on all these 40+ year old videos makes me think of this bit from Chris Fleming...

I have always had this silly idea in my head of doing a parody/homage to the ESL footage for something...and I would have the bassist adjusting his bass knobs every 5 seconds, and the drummer's 12" tom bouncing so hard on the bass drum that he can't actually hit it. 😃

Yeah, you see him do it 5 times in Limelight alone -- and given that the camera is not on him and/or his hands the whole time, it could be many more.

Watching some clips from Exit Stage Left the other day made me think of something I've never seen anyone mention -- doesn't it seem like Geddy adjusts his volume A LOT while he's playing? Like, more than I think I've ever seen someone do. Anyone else notice this? Any ideas about it? Perfectionism, or nervous tick? ;)

This was my thought, too (I didn't bother to check if there is a definitive answer as to what is said at the top of the song, either)...but it does sound remarkably like Geddy doing a voice to me.

The band members do not seem to be particularly interested archivists, so I think the answer is "no"...but I alway wonder about the rear projection clips that they used over the years. I was a bit surprised on the R40 tour that they didn't use some vintage back-projection stuff -- it seems like it would have fit in so well with the tour concept. Like, I don't remember if they played Red Barchetta on the final tour, but if they did, using that video-game-level animation seen on the ESL video would have been funny and awesome. Every now and then a live picture emerges that I've never seen before, and there's some projection behind them that I don't recognize and can't place what song it would be. Do you think they literally just chucked that stuff into the garbage because it was "dated"? I would take a DVD of that stuff in the next box set over most of the gack they throw in those...

Very jealous you saw Elliott Smith. Wow.

Van Halen were great players and created their own little corner of the hard rock world...but the songwriting is just no contest for me. The Who all the way.

Is Zak Starkey getting back behind the kit for it?

1. First Concert? Technically, Harry Chapin with my family. The first rock concert I went to without parents was Rush, Maple Leaf Gardens, Sept '84. 2. Last Concert? I've been out of the concert loop for a while - go to see many friends' bands play locally, but I think my last show was Jon Batiste about 3 years ago. 3. Worst Concert? Sandra Bernhard, some time in the 90s. Thought it would be a comedy show, but she had a band and played AWFUL covers of Stones and other classic rock songs. It was unbearable. 4. Loudest Concert? I can't remember the band, but it was at the Ottawa Blues Festival -- the drummer's snare was like an icepick in my ear for every 2 and 4. 5. Best Concert? Hard call, but probably Tom Waits in 1999. 6. Seen the Most? Rush - I think 12 times. 7. Most Surprising? Jon Batiste - a close call to the crown of best concert. He was astonishing -- like Prince, James Brown and McCoy Tyner all wrapped up into one. 8. Happy I got to see? Leonard Cohen. I saw him twice before he passed. I am grateful that he went back to touring in his later years. It was a semi-religious experience both times. 9. Wish I could have seen? Genesis. Of course I would have LOVED to have seen them with Gabriel, but even seeing the Phil-led band in its heyday would have been great. I considered this most recent (final) tour, but I just didn't think the magic would be there...and the Chester/Phil double drum thing was such a big part of what made their post - Gabriel shows great. 10. Next Concert? At this point, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in March of next year. He's quickly become an all time fave -- great songwriter and a hell of a guitarist to boot.

Glad to see you back, Chem!

This record is killing me.