Unpopular Opinion: The 80s songs sounded best live in the 80s.

[treeduck]

IMO the peak of live 80's Rush was A Show of Hands.

It still sounds (and looks) bloody amazing. I'll take ASOH live on VHS over Clockwork Angels DVD every time.

 

Quite possibly the worst live CD ever released. Like a scrotum with no balls and twice as ugly.

There's an old man in the thread!

[Tony R]

IMO the peak of live 80's Rush was A Show of Hands.

It still sounds (and looks) bloody amazing. I'll take ASOH live on VHS over Clockwork Angels DVD every time.

 

Quite possibly the worst live CD ever released. Like a scrotum with no balls and twice as ugly.

There's an old man in the thread!

 

That album is old man free.

 

[lerxt1990]

The 80s albums were best in the 80s because, IMO, Geddy's voice matched the record and he had a great vocal tone then. :)

[jnoble]

La Villa is probably the only Rush 70s song that sounded much better with their live 80s sound aka ASOH and Presto tour renditions. I also liked how they shortened it up to just hit all the best parts minus the long build up or repetition

[fraroc]

La Villa is probably the only Rush 70s song that sounded much better with their live 80s sound aka ASOH and Presto tour renditions. I also liked how they shortened it up to just hit all the best parts minus the long build up or repetition

 

Unlike most Rush fans, I actually loved the ethereal chorus effects that Alex used in the Lerxst In Wonderland part during the Hold Your Fire tour. I think it worked a little better for the 80s sounds than the normal volume swells.

[jnoble]

Yes! This guy gets it. Also that distinctive Wal tone made the bass parts stand out more especially the solo in the middle of the song

[fraroc]

Yes! This guy gets it. Also that distinctive Wal tone made the bass parts stand out more especially the solo in the middle of the song

 

I don't share a lot of the same opinions of most most Rush fans.

 

Its not about being a contrarian, it's about just being honest with myself and what I like.

[grasbo]

When PoW came out i wondered how the hell were they going to reproduce this live but technology was moving and things could be triggered etc.A Show of Hands was a great album and it still felt like three guys in a power trio.The sound was bright and shiny.Then Counterparts returned to a somewhat grungy sound thanks to Alex rediscovering Gibsons and Marshalls and ultimately H&K amps and Ged misplaced his Wal and Stienberger basses.I love the synth erea but i feel that these songs are bludgeoned a bit on later live albums.I used to like the format of at the end of a four album cycle they would feature mostly from the those latest four lps for the live album.

[thizzellewashington]

I've been watching a ton of Rush live videos from all different eras lately for a project I'm working on, and in the past I've always gravitated towards more recent versions of the '80s songs but revisiting them, I think I agree with the OP that for the most part, they sounded better in the '80s. "Subdivisions," "Force Ten" and "Distant Early Warning" sound better on recent tours but most of the other stuff I like better on mid-80s recordings. In particular, I hate the electronic hi-hats Neil started using on "Red Sector A" in the 2000s. They kill any subtlety compared to the '80s versions.

 

Now, the '90s stuff on the other hand definitely sounds better live in the 00s than it did on the 90s tours.

[goose]

When PoW came out i wondered how the hell were they going to reproduce this live but technology was moving and things could be triggered etc.A Show of Hands was a great album and it still felt like three guys in a power trio.The sound was bright and shiny.Then Counterparts returned to a somewhat grungy sound thanks to Alex rediscovering Gibsons and Marshalls and ultimately H&K amps and Ged misplaced his Wal and Stienberger basses.I love the synth erea but i feel that these songs are bludgeoned a bit on later live albums.I used to like the format of at the end of a four album cycle they would feature mostly from the those latest four lps for the live album.

I thought that A Show of Hands under-represented GUP and Signals.

[Rick N. Backer]

When PoW came out i wondered how the hell were they going to reproduce this live but technology was moving and things could be triggered etc.A Show of Hands was a great album and it still felt like three guys in a power trio.The sound was bright and shiny.Then Counterparts returned to a somewhat grungy sound thanks to Alex rediscovering Gibsons and Marshalls and ultimately H&K amps and Ged misplaced his Wal and Stienberger basses.I love the synth erea but i feel that these songs are bludgeoned a bit on later live albums.I used to like the format of at the end of a four album cycle they would feature mostly from the those latest four lps for the live album.

I thought that A Show of Hands under-represented GUP and Signals.

 

Especially Signals.

[goose]

When PoW came out i wondered how the hell were they going to reproduce this live but technology was moving and things could be triggered etc.A Show of Hands was a great album and it still felt like three guys in a power trio.The sound was bright and shiny.Then Counterparts returned to a somewhat grungy sound thanks to Alex rediscovering Gibsons and Marshalls and ultimately H&K amps and Ged misplaced his Wal and Stienberger basses.I love the synth erea but i feel that these songs are bludgeoned a bit on later live albums.I used to like the format of at the end of a four album cycle they would feature mostly from the those latest four lps for the live album.

I thought that A Show of Hands under-represented GUP and Signals.

 

Especially Signals.

Just one track, no?