Clockwork Angels Tour

I attended the Boston show of the Clockwork Angels tour, and it was a great concert event. I was very glad to see the guys again after many years of missing concerts. I have, however, kept up by watching their many concert DVDs, so I have a good amount of background regarding the filming and sound quality of their live shows on DVD. So I was surprised to read many negative reviews of the editing style and sound mix. I got the DVD anyhow, and have watched it twice now, and can say unequivocally that I think the sound mix is very good to excellent and the editing gives the performance a great span and "live" feel. The mix is heavy, but clear. That is, the bass elements are slightly enhanced as they were in the concert itself. Geddy's bass lines rip, and Neil's heavy foot pounds. But these take nothing away from Alex's soaring solos or rhythm stings, or from the lovely pulses of strings coming during the main section with the ensemble. Vocals are clear, keyboards are clear, and the whole thing sounds great, I think. I have a 5.1 system, and it sounds great at all volume settings I've tried (quiet and really loud). The filming is impressive, as it uses standard techniques (guys with shoulder cams and a few set cameras) along with a camera on a wire, cameras wandering the floor, cameras in the stands, and GoPros mounted on various stage equipment. This gives some surprisingly good shots of the players, the crowd, the staging, and the event overall. The montage during the light splashes of "YYZ" epitomize the approach -- you see them from the floor, the nose-bleeds, the left, the right, the stage, and above, all in a quick series of cuts that use filming to full effect. That is, the reason to have a lot of cameras is to convey more and different views to capture an event more completely than any single spectator could. The images are clear, the cuts are appropriate, and the overall concert footage is exciting and spot-on. So, in my books, this is better than some Rush DVDs, definitely up there for excitement with "Rush in Rio," and the footage of the songs from "Clockwork Angels" is spectacular. The title song is beautifully captured, and "Headlong Flight" and "The Anarchist" will leave you begging for more. Get it. It's awesome!

LOVE the Video but hate the Audio. It seems as if the wrong mix (rear tracks instead of front left / right) was used on the pressing of the Blu-ray. Audio is loud but everything seems to be lumped into one wall of sound. I could not hear any separation between vocals and drums (something is really wrong if you try to listen to the first drum solo and can not hear individual drums). I think this blu-ray should be evaluated & recalled and a proper audio mix offered. Time Machine & Snakes + Arrows DO NOT sound like this blu-ray release. Otherwise the video presentation is beautiful. I only watched the first set and turned off the disc before the 2nd set was performed. I listened to this on a 5.1 surround system. I immediately put in my brand new George Thorogood blu-ray and was blown away how crystal clear the audio separation and balance was presented on that disc. Edit: Just revisited this Blu-Ray tonight. I just switched/changed some of my receiver settings, mainly I had something called Cinema EQ turned on and decided to turn it off and... WOW!!! I can now hear everything crystal clear and separated. For some reason (I assume) this setting must be cancelling this particular audio mix out or possibly compressing it to the point where everything had this muffled sound to it. It might explain some of the other conflicting reviewers issues with bad audio as opposed to the exact opposite Rave reviews regarding the Audio Mix. I also switched out my optical cable for a coaxial type which (i doubt since it is digital anyway) maybe helped my particular situation. Try tweaking any EQ settings that may needlessly be activated and see if it helps any.

Well, this has been well worth the wait..! Displaying an obvious dedication to their (growing) fan base, Rush get slicker and more impressive in (re)presenting their music with each subsequent tour. This 'Clockwork Angels Tour' live release may be the ultimate showcase of the co-ordination, technology and musical chops that Rush has displayed in a career of many highlights. As a special record of a great tour, this is the best Rush blu-ray/DVD/CD live performance to date. The standouts of this concert are the picture quality and the individual band member performances. First, picture quality - it looks like it was mastered at a higher frame rate of 48-60fps or even in ultra high definition 4K or higher; with impressive definition at times and great black levels in the shadows throughout. As a fan, it's not unusual to be witness to many a great performance from this band, but some represented here are well, just jaw-dropping...It is a delight for example, to see guitarist Alex Lifeson not only nail his solo on 'The Analog Kid' (to great applause), but also improvising and stretching out some others, as in 'Force Ten'. Bassist Geddy Lee as usual is astounding on bass while singing, playing keyboards and/or triggering an array of foot pedals with flawless timing. Thankfully, his vocals here are mostly spot-on, with an acceptable amount of 'vocal artifacts' in evidence. Lee's singing has always been an acquired taste for many (as indeed is the case for much of this band's music), but for some fans to trash his current 'belting out' vocal approach (putting more passion into his singing) is like making it to the top of the mountain and then complaining about the last few feet..! Geddy Lee's vocals are distinctive and are a signature part of Rush's sound. Here, as always, it is amazing that he remembers most of Peart's volume of lyrics (helped by a monitor screen), play as well as he does and sing in a complex syncopation... Then of course, in a clear standout - I must single out for particular praise drummer extraordinaire' Neil Peart. He not only is impressive throughout but his solo on 'Where's My Thing?' finally scales the heights of that in'YYZ' (Exit Stage Left -live 1981) and 'The Rhythm Method' (Different Stages -live 1998) as one of the best rock drum solos ever recorded. It's amazing that Neil Peart's drumming stands up to close scrutiny after 39 years now, while other great rock virtuoso drummers out there (in Porcupine Tree, Dave Mathews Band, Styx for example) are initially very impressive but with an overfamiliarity over time they become less impressive. Some fans have already posted disappointment with the sound quality, and sure the first song 'Subdivisions' sounds initially a little veiled in the midrange and muted in the highs (needs 2-3db lift in level, subjectively) but so did the original studio version...The sound quality does improve further into the concert - but it is in keeping with the current sound aesthetic of sounding like 'Moving Pictures' with extra compression and sub-bass extension. However, after a couple of viewings/hearings, the sound quality is perfectly fine, both in 2-channel and 5.1. It definitely does not warrant the out of hand dismissal by some reviews already posted. The sound may not be overtly 'hi-fi'ish or 'studio-like' as their other 5-star live release 'Snakes And Arrows Live'(2008), but you can hear all the drum/bass/guitar parts in clear evidence as performed. It's all there, from the lowest low to the highest high. The CDs sound very good in my car system as well, with great clarity and bass extension to work those subwoofers overtime... Again, and concluding, this live performance release is truly representative of Rush's greatness as a live act, and those who are fans of this type of music or are somewhat sympathetic to or intrigued by Rush would do well to purchase this - from first to last this is the pinnacle recording of Rush live.

Un buen producto

素晴らしい映像と演奏でした。 ただ、知らない曲が多かったので、次回はベスト選曲的なものを買いたいと思いました。

Cómo ya es costumbre, un gran concierto de Rush, uno más para la colección. El ensamble de cuerdas le dió un gran plus a la segunda parte.

Ici le trio de RUSH s'est associé 6 autres musiciens, dans le but de créer de nouveaux arrangements sur certaines oeuvres. Principalement des instruments à cordes, à savoir 2 violoncelles et 4 violons. Le résultat est grandiose ! Le Show est comme à son habitude exceptionnel. Geedy Lee malgré son âge, nous délivre un chant toujours à la hauteur de nos espérance, même si on sent quelque peu que sa voix n'est pas au mieux de sa forme (peut-être était-il souffrant?) Je ne comprends toujours pas pourquoi une formation tel que Rush, ne fait pas de prestation chez nous, les français ?! Trop grand ou grandiose pour nous ?

Excelente