Rush in Rio (2003)

I loved every aspect of this DVD set. Yes, the production was sup-par; but if you read Neil Peart's liner noted you'll see that this was a hurry up project. It was all recorded from the back of a van on a last minute basis under the threat of the sky opening mid show!FABULOUS!!! Rush at their best in years. The music is phenominal, the crowds are more alive than anywhere in the States or Canada, and the guys are ON FIRE! Some old favorites such as "The Pass" are mixed in with the usuals. They even added "Closer to the Heart" back into the playlist specifically for the South American leg after hearing that it was the crowd favorite.All in all, a superb live DVD... And you gotta love the Vapor Trails dragon!

First I have to point out other comments about the editing/MTV quality of this video. Once you see the pains and heartache they went through in order to deliver this video to the general public, you will have a better appreciation of what they've done.Through rain, bad weather, mechanical malfunctions and thousands of screaming fans, Rush was able to record and edit their first concert DVD ever! There's no sense commenting about the quality of the editing once you actually watch the documentary and realize what they were up against in filming this; just sit back and enjoy the show!The show goes on for several hours, spanning just about every album of their 30 year career. There are songs for every type of Rush fan from every generation. They play some old, rarely heard classics (ByTor and the Snowdog) to some of their 80's hits (Tom Sawyer) and songs off their latest release, `Vapor Trails'. There's something for everyone as far as their music goes.The documentary is one of the only video documentaries Rush has ever recorded. You get to see everything and everyone, from Neil warming up, Alex goofing off and Geddy stressing about his hair :) This is one of the only times the `boys' have provided this in-depth look into the band, and is worth the price of the DVD set alone in my opinion.I will admit, the screaming fans get a bit much at times, but hey, when was the last time you've heard of Rush performing to an audience equivalent to the type the Beetles did in the mid 60's? It's truly awe inspiring.

I was really looking forward to enjoy this DVD, but I have to agree with topsail33's comments. The constant change of view is a major pain in the neck. I can't understand why many concert movies are produced like this. In my opinion, this doesn't resemble a concert at all. If this is the director/producers idea of a concert, I suggest he stay off the drugs for a while... or MTV. :-) I've been a Rush fan since the 'dark ages' and I think the band just keeps evolving. Kudos to you guys for beeing SO great!

A long overdue concert release, Rush-in-Rio DVD is both compelling and disappointing. This slick two-disc set shows Rush at their finest. After 30 years of honing their unique sound, it's great to have this record of one of the most talented rock bands ever.The concert features over two dozen songs, a documentary, and three songs that feature multi-angle viewing. Packaged in a bi-fold holder with sleeve and a small insert, it's priced very well for the amount of material it contains.I'm a Rush fan of the late seventies to early eighties period, and this DVD comes through big, with half of the show highlighting songs from that era. I won't list the songs, in case you want to be surprised. If you attended the Vapor Trails tour, then you'll know what they'll be playing.Playing in Rio to their biggest crowd ever, Rush is a huge crowd pleaser here. In fact, that was one of the first things I noticed that was peculiar about this show. Throughout most of this two hour concert, you hear and see the crowd, actively chanting and dancing wildly to the music. At first, it's heartening to see the fans give Rush a well deserved response. But after several songs, I was ready to hear and see more of the band and less of the crowd. This is in no way a slam of the crowd of Rio. More power to them! It's a critique of the final editing of the DVD.Which brings me to my second and main reason "I hate it". The video editing is terrible in my opinion. Save for the multi-angle view bonus cuts, the entire show is a frenzy of visual chaos. It's like the director wanted to see how spastic he could make it. I count changing camera angles, on average, between every one and four seconds, constantly! After about three or four songs, my head and eyes were ready for a break. Which is too bad, because I would have liked to have sat through the whole show, like I was able to at the concert last year. Maybe this fast-cut editing is the latest craze for concert DVD's, but I really think it's an annoyance and detraction from the overall experience. As stated before, I wouldn't mind it for a song or two, but the whole visual aspect of this disc is hurried, or RUSHed. It's really ironic, because all the previous concert clips I've seen of Rush, mainly from Moving Pictures, are strictly straight-filmed, with little switching back and forth. It's almost boring, visually speaking. This DVD has taken it to the other extreme. I know a lot of dyed-in-the-wool Rush fans will vehemently disagree with my statements, but that's just my impression of it.The bottom line: If you're a Rush fan, you'll buy this DVD regardless of my review, or any other. I still would have bought it after I had read my review. Just don't get expect a "normal" concert. Who knows, the things mentioned above might not bother you.