Different Stages opinions?

[TheGhostRider]

Different Stages is my favorite live album. But I really enjoy most of the live albums.

[jnoble]

I relistened to disc 3 today for the first time in a long time. As much as I love the seventies era of the band it's really not a great recording mostly because of Geddy's thin nasal sounding squeaky voice since he was sick that night

[Rush Cocky]

I loved it. IMO that and Rio are by far the two best live albums.

 

I actually have it in the car CD player right now.

[Weatherman]

I loved it. IMO that and Rio are by far the two best live albums.

 

I actually have it in the car CD player right now.

R30 really was the best. They were at their absolute peak as a live band. Classic groups often write their best material early on but perform it better when they're older.

[Rush Didact]

The majority of disks one and two are taken from one show - 14th June 1997 Chicago.

 

Personally I am not a big fan of chopping and changing sources to make a complete show so I prefer for the bootleg of this show, O'Chicago.

 

As 90's shows go, it is a good one. A complete version of 2112 which is nice.

 

But if it's an official release you want then Different Stages contains a reasonable representation of 90's live Rush albeit not in a complete single source.

 

Oh! I forgot ... The version of Bravado is from The Spectrum Philadelphia 30th April 1994. The soundboard bootleg from the previous night's show at same venue is fantastic!

 

I've never gotten into boots, though maybe I will someday.

 

Get into them. The best bootlegs sound WAY better than any of the official releases (Different Stages in particular suffers from very aggressive compression used during mixing) and they're complete, unedited shows on top of that. The official releases have nothing on them.

[zepphead]

The majority of disks one and two are taken from one show - 14th June 1997 Chicago.

 

Personally I am not a big fan of chopping and changing sources to make a complete show so I prefer for the bootleg of this show, O'Chicago.

 

As 90's shows go, it is a good one. A complete version of 2112 which is nice.

 

But if it's an official release you want then Different Stages contains a reasonable representation of 90's live Rush albeit not in a complete single source.

 

Oh! I forgot ... The version of Bravado is from The Spectrum Philadelphia 30th April 1994. The soundboard bootleg from the previous night's show at same venue is fantastic!

 

I've never gotten into boots, though maybe I will someday.

 

Get into them. The best bootlegs sound WAY better than any of the official releases (Different Stages in particular suffers from very aggressive compression used during mixing) and they're complete, unedited shows on top of that. The official releases have nothing on them.

I totally agree. Throughout all their tours there are loads of great bootleg shows which show just how great they were live.

I have never been a big fan of the 'synth' years but the live shows from this era are still superb!!

For someone starting out perhaps it is an idea to look for soundboard sources although there are some great audience sources out there if you know what you are looking for.

[Rush Cocky]

I loved it. IMO that and Rio are by far the two best live albums.

 

I actually have it in the car CD player right now.

R30 really was the best. They were at their absolute peak as a live band. Classic groups often write their best material early on but perform it better when they're older.

OK, I'll put R30 in 3rd place then. :D

[Rush Cocky]

I totally agree. Throughout all their tours there are loads of great bootleg shows which show just how great they were live.

I have never been a big fan of the 'synth' years but the live shows from this era are still superb!!

For someone starting out perhaps it is an idea to look for soundboard sources although there are some great audience sources out there if you know what you are looking for.

 

I have a copy of the Toronto show off of T4E Tour. It's very similar to Different Stages, except I get 3 lives songs that Different Stages didn't include for some reason (and that I have never heard live since!)

 

They are Half The World (my fav on T4E), Limbo and Virtuality.

[TheGhostRider]

I totally agree. Throughout all their tours there are loads of great bootleg shows which show just how great they were live.

I have never been a big fan of the 'synth' years but the live shows from this era are still superb!!

For someone starting out perhaps it is an idea to look for soundboard sources although there are some great audience sources out there if you know what you are looking for.

 

I have a copy of the Toronto show off of T4E Tour. It's very similar to Different Stages, except I get 3 lives songs that Different Stages didn't include for some reason (and that I have never heard live since!)

 

They are Half The World (my fav on T4E), Limbo and Virtuality.

 

Virtuality is a damn good song. Half The World and Limbo are awesome also. I never understood why they only released part of the Toronto 97 Show on Video. I have a video bootleg of that show and I'm certain they filmed more footage than what was released.

[zepphead]

I totally agree. Throughout all their tours there are loads of great bootleg shows which show just how great they were live.

I have never been a big fan of the 'synth' years but the live shows from this era are still superb!!

For someone starting out perhaps it is an idea to look for soundboard sources although there are some great audience sources out there if you know what you are looking for.

 

I have a copy of the Toronto show off of T4E Tour. It's very similar to Different Stages, except I get 3 lives songs that Different Stages didn't include for some reason (and that I have never heard live since!)

 

They are Half The World (my fav on T4E), Limbo and Virtuality.

 

Virtuality is a damn good song. Half The World and Limbo are awesome also. I never understood why they only released part of the Toronto 97 Show on Video. I have a video bootleg of that show and I'm certain they filmed more footage than what was released.

That, for me, is the frustrating thing about some official live releases - they are not a full show.

On Different Stages the majority of the tracks are from Tinley Park IL 14th June 1997.

The full set bootleg of this show has Half The World, Limbo and Virtuality as part of the set list.

In fact they were pretty much set standards for the whole T4E tour.

There are some really nice bootleg sets from that tour which are definitely worth checking out.

Edited August 28, 2021 by zepphead

[lerxt1990]

I totally agree. Throughout all their tours there are loads of great bootleg shows which show just how great they were live.

I have never been a big fan of the 'synth' years but the live shows from this era are still superb!!

For someone starting out perhaps it is an idea to look for soundboard sources although there are some great audience sources out there if you know what you are looking for.

 

I have a copy of the Toronto show off of T4E Tour. It's very similar to Different Stages, except I get 3 lives songs that Different Stages didn't include for some reason (and that I have never heard live since!)

 

They are Half The World (my fav on T4E), Limbo and Virtuality.

 

Virtuality is a damn good song. Half The World and Limbo are awesome also. I never understood why they only released part of the Toronto 97 Show on Video. I have a video bootleg of that show and I'm certain they filmed more footage than what was released.

 

Virtuality is completely outdated lyrically and almost seems silly now to me. Which is a shame because it is a rip roaring f-cking piece of music.

[lerxt1990]

"It's OK Alex, shake it off...."

 

The most annoying clip of any Rush album at any time. I didn't need to or want to hear that, Alex didn't need the guidance, the fan was being a total goober, and I wish they mixed that out. Yes, still annoyed all these years later....

[grep]

"It's OK Alex, shake it off...."

 

The most annoying clip of any Rush album at any time. I didn't need to or want to hear that, Alex didn't need the guidance, the fan was being a total goober, and I wish they mixed that out. Yes, still annoyed all these years later....

 

The goofballs probably mixed it in on purpose because they found it funny.

[lerxt1990]

"It's OK Alex, shake it off...."

 

The most annoying clip of any Rush album at any time. I didn't need to or want to hear that, Alex didn't need the guidance, the fan was being a total goober, and I wish they mixed that out. Yes, still annoyed all these years later....

 

The goofballs probably mixed it in on purpose because they found it funny.

 

Well of course they did... But when I heard it in my head whilst listening to the studio version, I would have told our merry band of men to leave it out. Yuck! lol

[Geddyleegenes]

I love Different Stages. I was at that Tinley Park Illinois show (Hello, Chicago!) and I can hear myself cheering and applauding on the discs. (Ha!)

 

Lots of mentions of Bootlegs here. If anyone could suggest exact titles, it would be great. I would love to hear those songs (from any era) that were played live but not included on any of the live albums.

 

And just what is that bizarre sound in the middle of "Cinderella Man"??

Edited September 9, 2021 by Geddyleegenes

[Rush Cocky]

I totally agree. Throughout all their tours there are loads of great bootleg shows which show just how great they were live.

I have never been a big fan of the 'synth' years but the live shows from this era are still superb!!

For someone starting out perhaps it is an idea to look for soundboard sources although there are some great audience sources out there if you know what you are looking for.

 

I have a copy of the Toronto show off of T4E Tour. It's very similar to Different Stages, except I get 3 lives songs that Different Stages didn't include for some reason (and that I have never heard live since!)

 

They are Half The World (my fav on T4E), Limbo and Virtuality.

 

Virtuality is a damn good song. Half The World and Limbo are awesome also. I never understood why they only released part of the Toronto 97 Show on Video. I have a video bootleg of that show and I'm certain they filmed more footage than what was released.

 

Virtuality is completely outdated lyrically and almost seems silly now to me. Which is a shame because it is a rip roaring f-cking piece of music.

 

Music in the Abstract had a version of Virtuality on their website that took out the "net boy, net girl" chorus and it actually made it a much better song IMO.

 

Musically that song is a beast though, you're right.

[lerxt1990]

I totally agree. Throughout all their tours there are loads of great bootleg shows which show just how great they were live.

I have never been a big fan of the 'synth' years but the live shows from this era are still superb!!

For someone starting out perhaps it is an idea to look for soundboard sources although there are some great audience sources out there if you know what you are looking for.

 

I have a copy of the Toronto show off of T4E Tour. It's very similar to Different Stages, except I get 3 lives songs that Different Stages didn't include for some reason (and that I have never heard live since!)

 

They are Half The World (my fav on T4E), Limbo and Virtuality.

 

Virtuality is a damn good song. Half The World and Limbo are awesome also. I never understood why they only released part of the Toronto 97 Show on Video. I have a video bootleg of that show and I'm certain they filmed more footage than what was released.

 

Virtuality is completely outdated lyrically and almost seems silly now to me. Which is a shame because it is a rip roaring f-cking piece of music.

 

Music in the Abstract had a version of Virtuality on their website that took out the "net boy, net girl" chorus and it actually made it a much better song IMO.

 

Musically that song is a beast though, you're right.

 

Right, that f-cking guitar riff through the song could knock a 150 ft. oak tree over form a mile away...