Music Banter - View Single Post - If you choose not to read these reviews, you still have made a choice...Rush Reviewed

duga · 03-10-2011, 09:10 PM

Exit...Stage Left (1981)

So I ended up being in a writing mood tonight. I was also in the mood for some Rush. Review time.

Another four albums down, another live album. Not only is “Exit…Stage Left” my favorite live album from the band, it also caps off my favorite era. After this, Rush head straight into the plastic overproduction of the mid 80’s. This gives us one last chance to enjoy those humbuckers and the warmth of acoustic drums (I can handle a lot of what Rush put out in the mid 80’s, but Neil using electric drums is sacrilege).

The great thing about this album is that it’s not just songs from their studio albums slapped together from live shows. There was a lot of thought put into the flow of the whole thing. A couple songs from their first four albums are sprinkled throughout for flavor. “Spirit of Radio” will always be a no contest album opener. If that song is on any album, it’s going to be the first track. If it’s not, someone screwed up. If you’ve listened to their albums, you know the songs that follow are going to be awesome. I’ve always felt Rush had just the right balance of live flare (drum solos, minor screw ups, and a really immediate energy) and studio like precision. It’s also great to hear that they’ve all improved since their last live album (though I’m sure more pricey equipment helps). An excellent “La Villa Strangiato” closes out the album leaving you wanting more. This album is nothing but pure Rush satisfaction. 10/10

I really respect Rush for not looking behind. They have consistently moved forward. There are many bands out there that have tried to change their sound to fit the current trends. Most of them just end up sounding stale and uninspired. Rush has given me the impression that they simply “absorb” those trends and experiment with it in their own right. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. On their next album, “Signals”, they take a real interest in the synthesizer trend. Later in the nineties they get more aggressive (obviously because of grunge). All the while never revisiting things they have already mastered.

“A Passage to Bangkok” just came on. Time to spark up the fragrance of Afghanistan…

03-10-2011, 09:10 PM	#35 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	Exit...Stage Left (1981) So I ended up being in a writing mood tonight. I was also in the mood for some Rush. Review time. Another four albums down, another live album. Not only is “Exit…Stage Left” my favorite live album from the band, it also caps off my favorite era. After this, Rush head straight into the plastic overproduction of the mid 80’s. This gives us one last chance to enjoy those humbuckers and the warmth of acoustic drums (I can handle a lot of what Rush put out in the mid 80’s, but Neil using electric drums is sacrilege). The great thing about this album is that it’s not just songs from their studio albums slapped together from live shows. There was a lot of thought put into the flow of the whole thing. A couple songs from their first four albums are sprinkled throughout for flavor. “Spirit of Radio” will always be a no contest album opener. If that song is on any album, it’s going to be the first track. If it’s not, someone screwed up. If you’ve listened to their albums, you know the songs that follow are going to be awesome. I’ve always felt Rush had just the right balance of live flare (drum solos, minor screw ups, and a really immediate energy) and studio like precision. It’s also great to hear that they’ve all improved since their last live album (though I’m sure more pricey equipment helps). An excellent “La Villa Strangiato” closes out the album leaving you wanting more. This album is nothing but pure Rush satisfaction. 10/10 I really respect Rush for not looking behind. They have consistently moved forward. There are many bands out there that have tried to change their sound to fit the current trends. Most of them just end up sounding stale and uninspired. Rush has given me the impression that they simply “absorb” those trends and experiment with it in their own right. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. On their next album, “Signals”, they take a real interest in the synthesizer trend. Later in the nineties they get more aggressive (obviously because of grunge). All the while never revisiting things they have already mastered. “A Passage to Bangkok” just came on. Time to spark up the fragrance of Afghanistan… __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...