Product Description

The R30 Deluxe Edition 2 DVD & 2 CD set features Rush's Frankfurt, Germany concert in September 2004 near the close of their 30th Anniversary World Tour.

The performance was captured with 14 cameras in high definition and is presented in 16:9 widescreen format. Audio options include Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound or PCM Stereo. Songs include the exclusive "R30 Overture" (an instrumental medley of "Finding My Way," "Anthem," "Bastille Day," "A Passage To Bangkok," "Cygnus X-1," and "Hemispheres), "Xanadu," "Subdivisions," "Red Barchetta," "Summertime Blues" (from last year's covers EP Feedback), and the "vault" track "Between The Wheels" which hasn't been performed live in 20 years.The 2 CD soundtrack is not available separately.

Bonus features include rare and classic performance footage from the late '70s to the Canadian Tsunami Relief Benefit earlier this year along with interviews from throughout the band's career.

Also contains two limited edition Rush guitar picks and souvenir backstage pass.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31685 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-11-28
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 120 minutes

Customer Reviews

none better
This lavish commemorative release reeks of luxury all the way from the extravagant packaging all the way down to the exclusive guitar picks and backstage pass sticker that are found inside. Comprising footage of the Frankfurt leg of Rush's 30th Anniversary World Tour on one disc and other rare and classic archived performances from the late 1970s to the Tsunami benefit shows earlier this year on the other as well as a double cd soundtrack, there is much to take in here.

Recorded in September 2004, toward the end of their world tour, the sold out Frankfurt show features the regular features like full Dolby surround, good camera angles and fantastic sound quality, with the crowd noises much quieter than their Rush In Rio DVD. While some songs have been omitted in order to fit the show onto one disc, cool editing has allowed such classic hits as ‘A Passage To Bangkok’, ‘Cygnus X-1’ and, of course, ‘Hemispheres’ to be included in a wondrous opening medley. Both the introduction film of Jerry Stiller dreaming about Rush (don’t we all) and the intermission cartoon of ‘Darn That Dragon’ – starring Dirk, Lurxst and Pratt – are happily featured, adding to the already breathtaking stage show.

Most of the videos of songs not featured on the DVD are found as extras and with lost band interviews and new information galore from the past thirty years, this box set is an essential addition to the collection for any serious Rush fan.

Making Memories!
As I watched this dvd last night I was carried back to those memorable UK dates on the R30 tour last year. The second night at Wembley was “officially” the best concert I have ever been to, almost like witnessing a musical history of my life, certainly the last 25 years since I first heard The Spirit of Radio and became a fan. I was hoping and praying that the band would release a dvd or a cd of some date, any date, on that tour, despite the fact that they had only recently given us the Rio dvd.

They seem to have been praised and lambasted in equal measure over that previous release. I just know that the same is going to happen here, mainly because of the songs that have been omitted. I guess they can’t please everyone. The second set certainly misses the presence of La Villa Strangiato and By-Tor in that blistering finale, but I’m not going to add to the criticism – this is the best concert dvd I have ever seen, and a brilliant overall package to boot. I would imagine that the band are very happy with this release, and with good reason.

From a visual standpoint this dvd is simply stunning, crisp, clear, colourful and with a level of detail that is almost overwhelming. The direction is excellent, with a good balance between long shots and close-ups, focussing on each individual at completely the right moments, whether it be on Alex pulling faces as he hits the emotive high of the solo in Xanadu, or Geddy improvising around the bass line at the close of Red Barchetta, or Neil from overhead as he plays a particularly complex fill in Subdivisions.

I have only listened to the Dolby Digital soundtrack so far, and it’s awesome. I doubt that my neighbours appreciated it, though. Each instrument is clear and precise and Geddy’s voice sounds the best I’ve heard it on a live release. I’ve read comments that the crowd reaction is too low in the mix, and this could be a direct result of the criticism of the Rio sound, but for me it was just right, allowing the music to take centre stage but suitably raucous at the end of each song. I think they got it spot on and the double cd that comes with this dvd set is proof. The R30 Overture nailed me to the wall as Alex played the opening bars of Finding My Way. Maybe I was playing it too loud. Hell, that’s the only way to play it.

Oh, there is a criticism (shock, horror). The layer change, slap bang in the middle of Alex's solo during Dreamline, could have been placed better.

The second disc is great fun. I hadn’t seen most of the interviews before and really enjoyed them. The Juno Awards footage is very funny, particularly Alex’s acceptance speech, not to mention his claim that he does everything in the band and he only lets the others take credit because he feels sorry for them. Again, I’ve read criticism of the extras but for me they are a terrific celebration of the band’s career.

The menu layout on both discs is very nicely done in what is a very slick package from start to finish. Even the intro and outro movies are all present and correct, and Jerry Stiller rocking to Bangkok still cracks me up. After all they never play Bangkok…

I couldn’t be happier with this set. It is a near perfect reminder of a marvellous show. Thanks guys!

Flawless
Was very sceptical when I heard this was being released back in November - another live Rush thing?!! It seems the last 3 or 4 discs they released had been live, and not vintage Rush either, fairly recent live stuff (hands up DIFFERENT STAGES, RUSH IN RIO CD/DVD and but then noticed what was on offer - not the same old stuff! (personally, I'm fed up of seeing Rush play their 1990's catalogue of songs).

Joy = the tracklisting on Disc 1: MYSTIC RHYTHMS, BETWEEN THE WHEELS and XANADU (all dropped from most live sets in the eighties).

The performances are quite brilliant and entertaining from the off (the R30 OVERTURE kicks things off very nicely, thanks to a medley that includes motifs from classics like CYGNUS X-1, A PASSAGE TO BANGKOK and HEMISPHERES... heaven! I like to think of this as Rush as they should be seen (and heard). This stuff stands head and shoulders above RUSH IN RIO which as far as I remember was 50% crowd shots - I want to see the band, not several thousand sweaty Brazillians, ta (plus the production didn't seem to sit right, even if they did play BY-TOR).
All of these issues seem to have been dealt with and decent editing ensures we get to see a good deal of the goofing about that Alex and Geddy get up to (Pirates Of Syrinx???). Neil's drum solo (DER TROMMELER) is as always - particuarly brilliant

If the concert wasn't enough the bonus stuff on the Deluxe Edition adds more value for money, in particular the vintage performances and interviews are great to finally see in their entirety, and the two live cds that encompass the dvd's performance are a really neat thing to have too; it saves Rush having to release it seperately!