What is Rush's best live album?

[LedRush]

This is an extremely difficult question for me. How to you value the fifferent aspects of the performance? If you want a great setlist, Time Machine and ESL are amazing, but the former has Geddy on an off-night and the latter sounds like a studio release? Do you love live energy? Rush in Rio is great, but you can't clearly hear the songs? R30 may have the best sound and production, but it also has weak VT and FB songs on it.

 

I get a different answer for what I want at the time, but there is still one I find the best.

[cameraman2014]

Time Machine takes #1 for me.

 

The setlist is superb and the boys' playing is incredibly captured. I was at this show in Cleveland too! Fantastic show! Sure Geddy's vocals aren't as excellent as other live albums, but overall, Time Machine takes the gold

 

P.S

 

Snakes is runner up IMO

[drbirdsong]

The early ones are just so hard to decide between. The best DVD is R30 for me because it is was filmed and recorded so well to be the answer for fan complaints about Rush In Rio. Not that I dislike RIR, I love that one too. It is just too hard to decide. Let's listen to all of them.

[Union 5-3992]

QUOTE (cameraman2014 @ Aug 6 2012, 11:46 AM)

Time Machine takes #1 for me. The setlist is superb and the boys' playing is incredibly captured. I was at this show in Cleveland too! Fantastic show! Sure Geddy's vocals aren't as excellent as other live albums, but overall, Time Machine takes the gold P.S Snakes is runner up IMO

I rank Time Machine and Exit.... equally. But the setlist gives Time Machine the extra bump

[OGr8imL84AD8inF8sBlackSedan]

Exit...My fave album.

[WCFIELDS]

ATWAS.

[tangy]

ATWAS is IMO easily their best live disc.

 

ESL is their most important live disc though. Important in the sense that it exposed them to many new fans.

 

 

 

 

[metaldad]

Exit..by a hair . The songs on it give it the edge for me . I think the first 2 live albums are all you really need

[bluefox4000]

Exit is first.....followed by Time Machine. Exit has Ged in prime voice and the boys are firing on all Cylinders. Time machine has a better setlist....but, sorry, some of the vocals are Painful. Still enjoy it though. but it'll always be Exit for me

 

Mick

[LedRush]

I went with ATWAS. It has this raw energy, imrprovised sections, a great setlist and good sound quality. Exit is indded a very important album, introducing many to Rush's back catalog after MP, but it is far too sterile for me. It sounds almost like a mix tape. I like a live performance to sound live and energized, something lacking on Exit more than any other release.

 

Different Stages would probably be my second favorite: it has a great late 70s show that is amazing, plus great performances of the whole catalog of music through the 90s. Plus, a full rendition of 2112!

[Rushman14]

ATWAS by far.

[Cygnus 2112]

My vote goes to Different Stages. It has so many awesome songs.

[rugen]

exit stage left, because i was there and that they were at their peak. It's only too short...

[GeminiRising79]

ATWAS.. head and shoulders among the rest. As perfect as a live album gets.

[CygnusGal]

ATWAS. I think it is one of the greatest live albums ever recorded by *any* band.

 

[New World Kid]

Rush in Rio.

 

The other albums are excellent, but Rush in Rio is so unique for so many reasons.

 

With RiR, one of the things bumping it up is the crowd. That crowd, as loud and excited as they were, only happened once in the history of Rush.

 

ATWAS is rough imo. Not as polished as the performances that would come.

 

The editing on ESL practically makes it a studio album with cheering before and after the songs.

 

ASoH the DVD is excellent, but the audio album is missing so much of the best of that tour.

 

DS is fantastic, but 2112 seems slightly strained on Geds end. A few other renditions of songs seem off in some way to me.

 

R30 is missing much of the show, and the setlist just isn't as kicking as RiR.

 

Snakes and Arrows Live and Time Machine 2011 both have some awful Ged sining moments. They're unlistenable to me because the singing is so bad. Which is understandable at Rush's age, I know, but it's still hard for me to enjoy.

 

RiR wins for me.

[The Cat 3]

"Rush in Rio" is the best one in my opinion.

 

However, "All the World's a Stage" is my sentimental favourite.

[Animate]

In the end it has to be ATWAS.

 

Where does ABC1974 fit into this? It can be bought on Amazon, but it is not for sale on the Rush official web site and it is not an official release?

 

Does that mean the band does not get any royalties from it and did not sanction it?

 

Asking because I got it recently and am seriously digging it- especially "Bad Boy" wow!!!!!

[ReRushed]

All the World's a Stage, to my ears, is the only live Rush album that mostly improves on the studio originals. It's the least "antiseptic" of Rush's live albums.

[Bastille Dave]

QUOTE (metaldad @ Aug 6 2012, 11:31 AM)

Exit..by a hair . The songs on it give it the edge for me . I think the first 2 live albums are all you really need

Once again, the DAD speaks the truth.

 

I love disc 3 of Different Stages as well, the Hammersmith '78 show.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Bastille Dave

[LedRush]

QUOTE (Animate @ Aug 6 2012, 05:52 PM)

In the end it has to be ATWAS. Where does ABC1974 fit into this? It can be bought on Amazon, but it is not for sale on the Rush official web site and it is not an official release? Does that mean the band does not get any royalties from it and did not sanction it? Asking because I got it recently and am seriously digging it- especially "Bad Boy" wow!!!!!

I wondered the same thing. I also got it on Amazon and loved it, but because it's not listed as official anywhere, I didn't include it here.

[The Cat 3]

QUOTE (Bastille Dave @ Aug 6 2012, 06:05 PM)

QUOTE (metaldad @ Aug 6 2012, 11:31 AM) Exit..by a hair . The songs on it give it the edge for me . I think the first 2 live albums are all you really need Once again, the DAD speaks the truth.   I love disc 3 of Different Stages as well, the Hammersmith '78 show. I have to give this the sentimental nod as well.   I was a senior in high school when this was released and a ravenous Rush fan.   It was truly a magical time.   However, I would love a cleaned up / better sounding and complete version of this one.

[The Cat 3]

QUOTE (LedRush @ Aug 6 2012, 06:06 PM)

QUOTE (Animate @ Aug 6 2012, 05:52 PM)     In the end it has to be ATWAS.  Where does ABC1974 fit into this?  It can be bought on Amazon, but it is not for sale on the Rush official web site and it is not an official release?  Does that mean the band does not get any royalties from it and did not sanction it?  Asking because I got it recently and am seriously digging it- especially "Bad Boy"  wow!!!!! I wondered the same thing. I also got it on Amazon and loved it, but because it's not listed as official anywhere, I didn't include it here. "ABC1974" is another version of the, very good, bootleg titled, "The Fifth Order of Angels" recorded for radio braodcast on 26 August 1974.   It is quite good, but it is not an official release.

[Cyclonus X-1]

GUP Tour, for sure. Geddy's voice and all the instruments sound great. The setlist is fantastic and features some atypical stuff (Fear trilogy, cool YYZ-Temples-TS medley). A number of tracks beat out their respective studio versions (especially Vital Signs, The Weapon, and The Spirit of Radio).

 

ATWAS comes in second, followed by R30 and ESL.

[tas7]

I have asked this question for years, is there any extra footage from the early live concerts?Now that we're into DVD and Blu Ray surely there must be extra footage from the ESL, Grace Under Pressure and ASOH that could be added a la How the West was Won by Led Zeppelin.