Review: Rush, Different Stages (Live)- 1998

RMR · 10-23-2011, 08:07 AM

Rush Different Stages-1998 (Live)
RMR Album Rating- 9

“Different Stages” is kind of a lost treasure chest collection of live songs; therefore, it is an absolutely must own live album for Rush fans.

In addition to the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s song staples that appear on the live releases before and after “Different Stages,” we also get a ton of rarities that don’t appear on any other live Rush album such as “Cinderella man,” “Cygnus X-1 (in its entirety),” “A Farewell to Kings,” and most notably, “2112” (in its entirety). Now, Rush has played the “Overture” and “Temples of Syrinx” sections of “2112” many times live, and there is a 15-minute version on “All the World’s a Stage that was recorded during the “2112” tour, but they strangely omit the “Discovery” and the “Oracle: The Dream” sections from that version. On this version, however, we get the whole 7-part/ 22-minute song in all its glory, and it is without question the seminal version of the song, trumping even the original studio version, which is amazing considering they recorded the original studio version 24 years before the release of this album.

There are certain elements that make this version of “2112” the seminal version of the song. First, the “Overture” and the “Temples” sections are played at a furious pace with intense energy, as they normally are, but they are even more intense on this version. The crowd is also very into it, and you can just feel their excitement as they shout along to the “Overture” section. Plus, we get the “Discovery” section of the song for the first time on a live album. This section of the song on the original studio version has always sounded a little bit trite to me: the waterfall sound effects were too high in the mix, Alex’s guitar sequence as part of the story always sounded a little forced, and Geddy’s opening lyrics of “what can this strange device be?” always sounded a little off on the studio version, but on this live version, they are all perfect: The waterfall sounds are much more subdued, Alex’s guitar part is completely different and much more fitting here, and Geddy sounds much smoother with all his vocals and lyrics. Next, and most importantly, they include the “Oracle: The Dream” on this version, which is my favorite section of the song, and I never understood why it was omitted before. This particular part of the song has great significance for me as well because it is really what got me hooked on Rush in the first place. I remember listening to the studio version of “2112” as a teenager and just being blown away by how Rush built up this section of the song in crescendo before it exploded with Geddy shrieking… “I stand atop a spiral stair/ An Oracle confronts me there/ He leads me on, light years away/ Through astral nights, galactic days…” I probably saw four shows from the "Test for Echo" tour, and hearing that section performed live (24-years after the original studio release) was just amazing. Plus, “The Grand Finale” section (which closes the song) is extremely powerful as well, complete with a blistering guitar solo, and the haunting final verse of the song, which simply repeats the lyrics of “we have assumed control.” All in all, this version of “2112” is reason enough to own “Different Stages.”

Alright, now that “2112″ is covered, back to the album itself…

“Different Stages” as a complete package is laid out over three albums. The first two albums consist of songs from the “Counterparts” and “Test For Echo” tours, and the third (bonus) album is taken from a performance that Rush played in London in 1978 on the “A Farewell to Kings” tour.

The first two Discs provide a great offering of what you would expect from their 80’s catalog (“Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” “The Spirit of the Radio,” “Freewill,” and “YYZ), but they also throw in a couple of rarities with the “Analog Kid,” and “Natural Science,” which had never showed up on any previous official Rush live albums. So, the 80’s material is a complete slam dunk. As for the 90’s material, the highlights are “Bravado,” and “Driven.” The former is even more emotionally moving than the original, and it is extended in length by over two minutes with a very progressive jam that starts mid-way through the song. “Driven” trumps its original as well, with a more aggressive guitar tone and an extended bass solo.

Aside from “Bravado” and “Driven,” “Stick It Out” and “Show Don’t Tell” also outshine their studio versions, so the 90’s picks are great too.

The real jewel of the album though (second only to the aforementioned full version of “2112”) is the third bonus disc from 1978. The song-list is just relentless and it just flies by. Check out the song line-up, it’s fantastic: “Bastille Day> By-Tor> Xanadu> A Farewell to Kings> Something for Nothing> Cygnus X-1> Anthem> Working Man> Fly By Night> In the Mood> Cinderella Man,” and remember this was recorded at the height of Rush’s progressive powers, so it makes for one healthy dose of pure Rush power prog.

My only complaint is that they removed “Closer to the Heart” from this ’78 recording, and they include a version of the song on the first disc that was recorded during the “Test For Echo Tour.” This makes no sense to me at all, unless they bombed it that night in ‘78, but even if that was the case, I would still prefer to have a recording from ’78, than from ’96, because we have plenty of current versions of “Closer to the Heart,” but none from the time of its release.

In closing, this album was released in 1998, which is the same year that Neil Peart’s daughter and wife died just 10-months apart. As a result of that travesty, Geddy and Alex were unsure that Rush would ever record any new music again, so there was a tremendous amount of effort put into this album to make it a true retrospective look at Rush’s body of work, and they absolutely succeed.

Post Script: I would have loved to hear some 90’s rarities live as well. My top picks would have been “Presto,” “Red Tide,” “The Pass,” “Face Up,” “The Big Wheel,” “Time and Motion” and “Totem,” but looking back at the set lists for those tours, they never played any of those songs live with the exception of “The Pass” and “Time and Motion,” so for the most part, it would not have been possible to include them on this release anyways… just wishful thinking on my part.

Mrd00d · 10-23-2011, 08:21 AM

I'm inspired to check it out. I don't really stray from their studio work, besides having a fantastic time seeing them live... but I'll add this live album as the exception in my Rush catalog... Thanks for the review!

Necromancer · 10-23-2011, 09:23 AM

That's good info RMR. I like the part concerning the original '78 recording of "Closer To The Heart".

metalheadmike · 12-26-2011, 10:32 PM

I got this when it came out. Really enjoy these live recordings

10-23-2011, 08:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
RMR Front to Back Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 360	Review: Rush, Different Stages (Live)- 1998 Rush Different Stages-1998 (Live) RMR Album Rating- 9 “Different Stages” is kind of a lost treasure chest collection of live songs; therefore, it is an absolutely must own live album for Rush fans. In addition to the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s song staples that appear on the live releases before and after “Different Stages,” we also get a ton of rarities that don’t appear on any other live Rush album such as “Cinderella man,” “Cygnus X-1 (in its entirety),” “A Farewell to Kings,” and most notably, “2112” (in its entirety). Now, Rush has played the “Overture” and “Temples of Syrinx” sections of “2112” many times live, and there is a 15-minute version on “All the World’s a Stage that was recorded during the “2112” tour, but they strangely omit the “Discovery” and the “Oracle: The Dream” sections from that version. On this version, however, we get the whole 7-part/ 22-minute song in all its glory, and it is without question the seminal version of the song, trumping even the original studio version, which is amazing considering they recorded the original studio version 24 years before the release of this album. There are certain elements that make this version of “2112” the seminal version of the song. First, the “Overture” and the “Temples” sections are played at a furious pace with intense energy, as they normally are, but they are even more intense on this version. The crowd is also very into it, and you can just feel their excitement as they shout along to the “Overture” section. Plus, we get the “Discovery” section of the song for the first time on a live album. This section of the song on the original studio version has always sounded a little bit trite to me: the waterfall sound effects were too high in the mix, Alex’s guitar sequence as part of the story always sounded a little forced, and Geddy’s opening lyrics of “what can this strange device be?” always sounded a little off on the studio version, but on this live version, they are all perfect: The waterfall sounds are much more subdued, Alex’s guitar part is completely different and much more fitting here, and Geddy sounds much smoother with all his vocals and lyrics. Next, and most importantly, they include the “Oracle: The Dream” on this version, which is my favorite section of the song, and I never understood why it was omitted before. This particular part of the song has great significance for me as well because it is really what got me hooked on Rush in the first place. I remember listening to the studio version of “2112” as a teenager and just being blown away by how Rush built up this section of the song in crescendo before it exploded with Geddy shrieking… “I stand atop a spiral stair/ An Oracle confronts me there/ He leads me on, light years away/ Through astral nights, galactic days…” I probably saw four shows from the "Test for Echo" tour, and hearing that section performed live (24-years after the original studio release) was just amazing. Plus, “The Grand Finale” section (which closes the song) is extremely powerful as well, complete with a blistering guitar solo, and the haunting final verse of the song, which simply repeats the lyrics of “we have assumed control.” All in all, this version of “2112” is reason enough to own “Different Stages.” Alright, now that “2112″ is covered, back to the album itself… “Different Stages” as a complete package is laid out over three albums. The first two albums consist of songs from the “Counterparts” and “Test For Echo” tours, and the third (bonus) album is taken from a performance that Rush played in London in 1978 on the “A Farewell to Kings” tour. The first two Discs provide a great offering of what you would expect from their 80’s catalog (“Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” “The Spirit of the Radio,” “Freewill,” and “YYZ), but they also throw in a couple of rarities with the “Analog Kid,” and “Natural Science,” which had never showed up on any previous official Rush live albums. So, the 80’s material is a complete slam dunk. As for the 90’s material, the highlights are “Bravado,” and “Driven.” The former is even more emotionally moving than the original, and it is extended in length by over two minutes with a very progressive jam that starts mid-way through the song. “Driven” trumps its original as well, with a more aggressive guitar tone and an extended bass solo. Aside from “Bravado” and “Driven,” “Stick It Out” and “Show Don’t Tell” also outshine their studio versions, so the 90’s picks are great too. The real jewel of the album though (second only to the aforementioned full version of “2112”) is the third bonus disc from 1978. The song-list is just relentless and it just flies by. Check out the song line-up, it’s fantastic: “Bastille Day> By-Tor> Xanadu> A Farewell to Kings> Something for Nothing> Cygnus X-1> Anthem> Working Man> Fly By Night> In the Mood> Cinderella Man,” and remember this was recorded at the height of Rush’s progressive powers, so it makes for one healthy dose of pure Rush power prog. My only complaint is that they removed “Closer to the Heart” from this ’78 recording, and they include a version of the song on the first disc that was recorded during the “Test For Echo Tour.” This makes no sense to me at all, unless they bombed it that night in ‘78, but even if that was the case, I would still prefer to have a recording from ’78, than from ’96, because we have plenty of current versions of “Closer to the Heart,” but none from the time of its release. In closing, this album was released in 1998, which is the same year that Neil Peart’s daughter and wife died just 10-months apart. As a result of that travesty, Geddy and Alex were unsure that Rush would ever record any new music again, so there was a tremendous amount of effort put into this album to make it a true retrospective look at Rush’s body of work, and they absolutely succeed. Post Script: I would have loved to hear some 90’s rarities live as well. My top picks would have been “Presto,” “Red Tide,” “The Pass,” “Face Up,” “The Big Wheel,” “Time and Motion” and “Totem,” but looking back at the set lists for those tours, they never played any of those songs live with the exception of “The Pass” and “Time and Motion,” so for the most part, it would not have been possible to include them on this release anyways… just wishful thinking on my part. __________________ RMR My music reivew site: RMR Music Reviews Last edited by RMR; 10-24-2011 at 11:59 PM.

10-23-2011, 08:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
Mrd00d Stoned and Jammin' Out Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Northern California; Eugene, OR; mobile Posts: 1,602	I'm inspired to check it out. I don't really stray from their studio work, besides having a fantastic time seeing them live... but I'll add this live album as the exception in my Rush catalog... Thanks for the review! __________________ Mrd00d's Last.fm

10-23-2011, 09:23 AM	#3 (permalink)
Necromancer Divination Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,655	That's good info RMR. I like the part concerning the original '78 recording of "Closer To The Heart".

12-26-2011, 10:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
metalheadmike Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 127	I got this when it came out. Really enjoy these live recordings