I started getting into Rush in 2008, and they have been one of my favorite musical acts ever since. I missed them on the Time Machine Tour and Clockwork Angels tours. When they announced that the R40 tour would be their last, I knew it was then or never. Thankfully, I made it to one show, and given the circumstances, it was amazing.
Before watching this DVD, some context is needed to really appreciate any performance on this tour. At this point in their careers, Rush was on the brink of retirement. By 2015, Neil's chronic tendonitis made drumming a painful chore and almost prevented this tour from happening. To continue playing guitar, Alex Lifeson needed periodic injections in his hands to keep his arthritis at bay. Geddy's singing voice has been deepening since the early '80s and has gotten to the point where he can't sing any of the old material correctly. He hasn't truly been able to sing in that "classic Rush" style since early '78, and hasn't really been able to sing well at all since the early 90s; after that his voice has been deteriorating with each successive tour. They knew this would be their last major tour, so they decided to go balls to the wall and give it 110% for one last hurah.
One major aspect of this tour that sets it apart from other Rush concerts is the inclusion of material they either don't normally play live or have never played live. I always loved lesser-known songs like "Jacob's Ladder" and "Hemispheres Prelude" so I was ecstatic when I heard they would be playing some of these gems. "Jacob's Ladder" is performed for the first time in 35 years, "Lakeside Park" for the first time in 37 years, "Garden Road" for the first time in 40 years, and "Losing It" was never performed live before this tour. The decision to play all the songs in reverse- chronological order while slowly stripping their gear back to older and simpler stacks was pretty clever as well.
From a technical and critical standpoint, the band can still play. Alex's guitar work is still great. Although he's flawless in this show, he made one noticeable mistake during "Natural Science" at the show I went to (6/25/15). Neil still drums through the pain, and sounds as good as ever. His drum solo isn't as explosive as some others he's done, but its still amazing. Geddy's bass playing as incredible as usual. Although he's been using his black Jazz Bass almost exclusively for 15 years, he uses a different bass on almost every song this time. His voice surprisingly isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I noticed it gets worse as the show goes on. It could be a combination of two things: the first is that the setlist is in reverse- chronological order, and the vocals of the band's newer material (such as on Clockwork Angels) are built around Geddy's deeper voice; The other is that the show is almost three hours and any vocalist would be at least a little tired by the end. Although he can't hit the high notes anymore, I appreciate how he tried to hit one just before the guitar solo in "Anthem".
What really makes the show is the sheer joy these three musicians express on stage. They know this is the end, and they're going to enjoy every minute of it. Despite being in his 60s, Geddy energetically jumps around as if he were in his 20s again. The heavy doublenecks they use on "Xanadu" don't weigh their spirits down one bit. Even Neil, known for his stern, serious drumming face, cracks a few smiles.
Despite their age and declining physical conditions, Geddy, Alex, and Neil put everything they had into this tour and made something special. If you're a massive Rush fan who loves many of their lesser-known songs, you'll definitely appreciate this show. If you aren't very familiar with Rush's discography, I can't say for sure how much you'll like it. All I can say is I saw them on this tour live, and this DVD will at least give you an idea of what it was like to be there.
Before watching this DVD, some context is needed to really appreciate any performance on this tour. At this point in their careers, Rush was on the brink of retirement. By 2015, Neil's chronic tendonitis made drumming a painful chore and almost prevented this tour from happening. To continue playing guitar, Alex Lifeson needed periodic injections in his hands to keep his arthritis at bay. Geddy's singing voice has been deepening since the early '80s and has gotten to the point where he can't sing any of the old material correctly. He hasn't truly been able to sing in that "classic Rush" style since early '78, and hasn't really been able to sing well at all since the early 90s; after that his voice has been deteriorating with each successive tour. They knew this would be their last major tour, so they decided to go balls to the wall and give it 110% for one last hurah.
One major aspect of this tour that sets it apart from other Rush concerts is the inclusion of material they either don't normally play live or have never played live. I always loved lesser-known songs like "Jacob's Ladder" and "Hemispheres Prelude" so I was ecstatic when I heard they would be playing some of these gems. "Jacob's Ladder" is performed for the first time in 35 years, "Lakeside Park" for the first time in 37 years, "Garden Road" for the first time in 40 years, and "Losing It" was never performed live before this tour. The decision to play all the songs in reverse- chronological order while slowly stripping their gear back to older and simpler stacks was pretty clever as well.
From a technical and critical standpoint, the band can still play. Alex's guitar work is still great. Although he's flawless in this show, he made one noticeable mistake during "Natural Science" at the show I went to (6/25/15). Neil still drums through the pain, and sounds as good as ever. His drum solo isn't as explosive as some others he's done, but its still amazing. Geddy's bass playing as incredible as usual. Although he's been using his black Jazz Bass almost exclusively for 15 years, he uses a different bass on almost every song this time. His voice surprisingly isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I noticed it gets worse as the show goes on. It could be a combination of two things: the first is that the setlist is in reverse- chronological order, and the vocals of the band's newer material (such as on Clockwork Angels) are built around Geddy's deeper voice; The other is that the show is almost three hours and any vocalist would be at least a little tired by the end. Although he can't hit the high notes anymore, I appreciate how he tried to hit one just before the guitar solo in "Anthem".
What really makes the show is the sheer joy these three musicians express on stage. They know this is the end, and they're going to enjoy every minute of it. Despite being in his 60s, Geddy energetically jumps around as if he were in his 20s again. The heavy doublenecks they use on "Xanadu" don't weigh their spirits down one bit. Even Neil, known for his stern, serious drumming face, cracks a few smiles.
Despite their age and declining physical conditions, Geddy, Alex, and Neil put everything they had into this tour and made something special. If you're a massive Rush fan who loves many of their lesser-known songs, you'll definitely appreciate this show. If you aren't very familiar with Rush's discography, I can't say for sure how much you'll like it. All I can say is I saw them on this tour live, and this DVD will at least give you an idea of what it was like to be there.
