Rush: R30

Whether you are looking to add to your collection or just want to see just who are this band that has eluded you for the past 30 years then this is a great place to start.

Filmed in Frankfurt, Germany towards the end of their European Tour (after the Sold-Out UK tour) this DVD works well in addition to the Rush in Rio DVD as the German filming company had the newest of audio and vision equipment, coupled with an indoor venue (as opposed to Rio where it was filmed in a football stadium), allowing them to produce sound of the highest quality and to output the show in High Definition.

As Alex Lifeson said on the Rio box-set, the equipment the Brazillians had was a little dated, however the Rio DVD has something that no other Rush recorded concert has and, in my experience, only one other live show DVD has, which itself was filmed in Rio (this is Iron Maiden: Rock in Rio) and that is energy from the crowd. I do not believe that any other crowd can be any more entertaining to watch in a recorded concert, I most certainly would love to have the chance to join them one day! For this reason people reading reviews on the Rio DVD should ignore comments about the crowd being in the recording too much, there isn't an easy way of dampening the cheers of almost 60,000 excited people!

My only disappointment with the DVD is the lack of the full concert, I attended the Birmingham show and one of the reasons I bought this DVD was that they cram so many songs into the 3 hours they're live you cannot remember what was played altogether so anyone purchasing this will need to get their hands on Rio too for the awesome opening of Nebbit and to hear Ghost Rider.

This DVD is great. First, don't think since you have Rush in Rio you don't need this one. The quality, set list, and extras are all better. Though there are some songs missing(the 8 or so they didn't put in, plus some other favourites we would've liked to hear) the number of old songs they played totally make up for it. I wanted to see closer to the heart played, but putting the tsunami relief closer to the heart PLAYED WITH BUBBLES totally makes up for it. I don't know how some people rate this lower than Rush in Rio, it is much better. It does lack songs like YYZ, closer to the heart, one little victory, secret touch, freewill, new world man, natural science and la villa, but classic songs like Xanadu, the R30 Overture, mystic rhythms, red barchetta, between the wheels, and subdivisions totally make up for it. Also the older videos on the second disc like la villa, Xanadu, fly by night, closer to the heart, and freewill are an excellent addition to an already spectacular DVD.

There was less audience interference in this one, which made a lot of the songs sound better, but made some of them a bit less enthralling. 2112 was an example of this. in R30 its much more precise and whole, but in Rio it was much more powerful with thousand of fans jumping and shouting.

The acoustic addition of heart full of soul went great with resist. I prefer the R30 heart full of soul better than the studio version.

The quality of playing by all 3 members was better than in Rio. Some say Geddy cant sing like he used to, but i find his vocals better now. The high pitched wailing was awesome, but didn't suit everyone. His voice is a lot more calm and enjoyable now. Alex and Neil were a bit off in their timing in Rio, but they are both spot on here. Der Trommler is by far better than O Baterista(though many of you probably wont see any real difference)

The deluxe edition also comes with the concert on 2 Cd's, which is great, so you don't have to purchase a whole other album to listen to it in your stereo.

I find this the closest thing to a perfect rush album you can get, and encourage everyone to purchase it.

These guys are excellent and anything they put out to the public is first class. The musicianship of this band is amazing and we should all be very thankful we live in a world where Rush exists. Future generations will never be able to see such mastery live and in person. Get this DVD and you will enjoy it throughly!! I was recently able to see these incredible musicians play in Houston, TX and was blown away. I have not missed a show since power windows and I have to say that they are better than ever. Everyone should embrace these guys and teach others what real musicianship is! There will never be such a tight and well put together trio again in our lifetime. Lets just hope and pray that they do not retire anytime soon!

I am a huge fan of rush and this DVD certainly shows anyone who is or is not a fan, why! From the start of the show to the finish, the band performs their magic as only they know how. Even the introduction which shows all of their albums from start to finish with a nice little introduction by Jerry Stiller which really goes to show how creative they can be. They keep the show at a really nice pace and even give the fans a real treat by bringing back a nice song from Grace Under Pressure called "between the wheels" which surprised and thrilled the fans who had not heard it in years. One of the nicest parts is during the son "by tor and the snow dog", their is a really cute cartoon that show up that really shows the band in a funny and creative light. This DVD even comes with a cd soundtrack for those who want to simply listen to the magic. This is definitely one for anyone who has been a fan for a long time or someone who has just been introduced. It is definitely one for the collection because they made it for the fans!

I never thought much about Rush before seeing the R30 Concert, except for the fact that Neil Peart was a god. However, after watching this blistering performance, which hooks you in like nothing else with its 13 some-odd minute musical jam session which starts it all, I understand why these guys are cultural icons. My only complaint is the unnecessary use of Jerry Stiller (Frank Costanza) at the beginning and end of the performance on the wide screen. I'm sure the Germans were rather indifferent to it, as would anyone would be. But holy crepes, this band is tight as hell. Geddy Lee is flawless in voice and kick-butt bass playing. Alex Lifeson still rocks with sonic ingenuity. And Neil Peart - I can watch just him for the entire show without anything else as he is simply perfect and the best drummer in rock history. Highly recommended to Rush lovers and naysayers alike.