Rush has long been my favorite band, in addition to I receive got to a greater extent than or less owned every iteration of these albums that Rush has released: cassettes, thus vinyl, thus the initial Mercury CD pressings, in addition to the 1997 remasters. But fifty-fifty my "fanboy-ness" knows its limits, thus when these box sets were starting fourth dimension announced, I was a chip sceptical. Was this closed to other desperate Mercury cash-grab, every bit has been alleged on thus many Rush fan sites?
My reservations disappeared every bit before long every bit I held this set. First, the packaging is really nice. Each album is done every bit a replica of the original vinyl release. Having spent hours upon hours inwards high schoolhouse looking at the gatefolds for the vinyl versions, this was similar coming abode to an former friend. H5N1 booklet is also included alongside printed lyrics, rare photos, album credits, etc (apparently merely inwards representative the album replica writing was every bit good small.....)
But I was most pleased alongside the sound. In a side-by-side alongside the '97 releases (which every bit a whole I idea were really good done), these novel remasters practise nowadays a really clear, if subtle improvement. This batch of albums peculiarly receive got ever suffered from murky sound. These remasters FINALLY ready that employment -- it's every bit if a layer of murk has been removed from the sound. The termination is most noticable inwards the crispness of the drums, but in that location are sonic improvements to live noticed across the board. And it's non merely a thing of louder mastering either. In fact, the majority hither is nearly identical to that of the 1997 remasters. These versions actually practise sound better.
Well, non a newbie, really. I ever liked them, I saw them in 1 lawsuit dorsum inwards the 70s, in addition to I had a re-create of 2112, but other than that I'm actually only familiar alongside what's gotten radio airplay. When these box sets came out, it seemed similar it was fourth dimension to grab up. I've been reading that closed to of these discs had problems, thus I figured I'd merely sit down downwardly in addition to play the box to brand certain it's ok, in addition to hear a lot of new-to-me Rush.
Disc 1 - Rush - I intend the final fourth dimension I heard this all the agency through inwards 1 sitting, it was a 8-track... The remaster sounds groovy to my ears. Very clear sound, in addition to really, quite a chip improve music than I idea it would be. Good stuff.
Disc 2/3 - Fly By Night - WOW! The 5.1 channel DVD sound disc is amazing. Channel separation is really good, in addition to Lee's vocals sound merely similar he's inwards the room. "Fly By Night" "In The End" in addition to "Rivendell" peculiarly stand upward out... Still getting used to music mixed inwards 5.1 rather than ii channel stereo. I'm accustomed to crowd dissonance in addition to edifice echo from the nurture channels, if anything. Wickedly cool to hear a guitar come upward vehement out of the dorsum corner of the room. I intend alongside this DVD, the CD won't larn played much :)
Disc 4 - Caress of Steel - "Bastille Day" is a familiar tune, in addition to sounds great, in addition to "The Necromancer" is appropriately spooky. I'm actually impressed alongside the clarity of the sound on this seat thus far, but thus I'm non familiar alongside the previous issues to compare them to...
Disc 5 - 2112 - The 2112 overture makes me smiling every fourth dimension I hear it. This is the starting fourth dimension Rush album I holler upward listening to, in addition to likely even thus my favorite one.
Disc 6 - All The World's a Stage - The alive liberate from 1976. Very proficient performance, alongside alive versions of songs selected from the higher upward releases.
I estimate I got a glitch complimentary copy. I receive got no complaints, in addition to volition definitely live picking upward the other ii "Sector" sets. H5N1 give-and-take almost the packaging. I similar this tendency toward a plastic sleeve inwards an old-school LP type cover. They receive got upward less space, in addition to they won't brand it damaged every bit frequently every bit precious stone cases do. Overall, I don't receive got whatever complaints here. Great!
1974 [2011] "RUSH"
Tracks Listing
1. Finding My Way (5:05)
2. Need Some Love (2:19)
3. Take H5N1 Friend (4:24)
4. Here Again (7:34)
5. What You're Doing (4:22)
6. In The Mood (3:33)
7. Before And After (5:34)
8. Working Man (7:10)
Total Time: 40:01
Musicians
- Alex Lifeson - Guitar
- Geddy Lee - Bass guitar, vocals
- John Rusty - Drums, percussion
1975 [2011] "Fly By Night"
Prior to 1 of Rush's starting fourth dimension U.S. tours, original drummer John Rutsey split upward from the band, since he wasn't prepared to commit to the band's rigorous touring schedule. And it proved to live a approbation inwards disguise, since his replacement was to larn 1 of the most respected stone drummers of all time, Neil Peart, who would also steer the band towards success alongside to a greater extent than challenging cloth -- starting alongside Fly past times Night. While the championship rails in addition to the album-closing ballad, "In the End," even thus had Zeppelin roots, the album isn't every bit straightforward every bit the debut. Rush's starting fourth dimension bona-fide classic, "Anthem," is included, piece the over eight-minute "By-Tor in addition to the Snow Dog" helped pave the agency for the group's hereafter epics ("2112," "Cygnus X-1," etc.), in addition to introduced the fans to Peart's imaginative lyric writing, frequently tinged alongside science-fiction themes. The reflective in addition to melodic "Making Memories" is an underrated early on composition, piece "Beneath, Between, & Behind" is a furious heavy rocker. Fly past times Night may non live 1 of Rush's finest albums, but it is 1 of their most of import -- it showed that the immature band was leaving their Zep-isms behind inwards favor of a to a greater extent than challenging in addition to original direction.
Tracks Listing
1. Anthem (4:21)
2. Best I Can (3:24)
3. Beneath, Between And Behind (3:00)
4. By-Tor And The Snow Dog (8:57)
I) At The Tobes Of Hades
II) Across The Styx
III) Of The Battle
IV) Epilogue
5. Fly By Night (3:20)
6. Making Memories (2:56)
7. Rivendell (5:00)
8. In The End (6:51)
Total Time: 37:18
Musicians
- Alex Lifeson - Guitar
- Geddy Lee - Bass guitar, vocals
- Neil Peart - Drums, percussion
1975 [2011] "Caress Of Steel"
When Rush finished their tertiary album, Caress of Steel, the trio was assured that they had created their breakthrough masterpiece. But when the album dropped off the charts before long after its release, it proved otherwise. While it was Rush's starting fourth dimension liberate that fully explored their prog stone side, it did non comprise the catchy in addition to to a greater extent than traditional elements of their hereafter pop function -- it's quite frequently every bit good indulgent in addition to pretentious for a mainstream stone audience to latch onto. And piece Rush would eventually excel inwards composing lengthy songs, the album's ii extended tracks -- the 12½-minute "The Necromancer" in addition to the nearly 20-minute "The Fountain of Lamneth" -- demo that the band was even thus far from mastering the format. The starting fourth dimension side contains ii potent in addition to to a greater extent than succinct tracks, the raging opener, "Bastille Day," in addition to the to a greater extent than laid-back "Lakeside Park," both of which would larn standards for their alive demo inwards the '70s. But the ill-advised "I Think I'm Going Bald" (which lyrically deals alongside growing old) borders on the ridiculous, which confirms that Caress of Steel is 1 of Rush's to a greater extent than unfocused albums.
Tracks Listing
1. Bastille Day (4:36)
2. I intend I'm Going Bald (3:35)
3. Lakeside Park (4:07)
4. The Necromancer: 12:30
I) Into The Darkness (4:20)
II) Under The Shadow (4:25)
III) Return Of The Prince (3:51)
5. The Fountain Of Lamneth: 19:50
I) In The Valley (4:17)
II) Didacts And Narpets (1:00)
III) No One At The Bridge (4:15)
IV) Panacea (3:12)
V) Bacchus Plateau (3:12)
VI) The Fountain (3:48)
Total Time: 44:38
Musicians
- Alex Lifeson - Guitar
- Geddy Lee - Bass guitar, vocals
- Neil Peart - Drums, percussion
1976 [2011] "2112"
2112 is 1 of ii Rush albums listed inwards the majority 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (the other beingness Moving Pictures). In 2006, a poll of Planet Rock listeners picked 2112 every bit the definitive Rush album. In 2012, it was ranked 2nd on Rolling Stone's listing of 'Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time', every bit voted for inwards a reader's poll, 1 of 3 Rush albums included (the others beingness Moving Pictures in addition to Hemispheres).
H5N1 deluxe edition was released inwards 2012 every bit both a CD/DVD in addition to a CD/Blu-ray. The CD featured the entire album remastered, every bit good every bit 3 alive bonus tracks from their 1981 concert at Northlands Coliseum. The DVD in addition to Blu-ray included the album inwards 3 dissimilar hard disk drive formats, every bit good every bit on-screen lyrics, liner notes, in addition to a digital comic majority depicting the floor of the championship track
Whereas Rush's starting fourth dimension ii releases, their self-titled debut in addition to Fly past times Night, helped create a buzz amid difficult stone fans worldwide, the to a greater extent than progressive tertiary release, Caress of Steel, confused many of their supporters. Rush knew it was immediately or never alongside their 4th release, in addition to they delivered merely inwards fourth dimension -- 1976's 2112 proved to live their much sought-after commercial breakthrough in addition to remains 1 of their most pop albums. Instead of choosing betwixt prog stone in addition to heavy rock, both styles are merged together to create an interesting in addition to original approach. The entire starting fourth dimension side is comprised of the classic championship track, which paints a chilling moving painting of a hereafter basis where technology scientific discipline is inwards command (Peart's lyrics for the slice beingness influenced past times Ayn Rand). Comprised of 7 "sections," the rails proved that the trio members were fast becoming rock's most accomplished instrumentalists. The 2nd side contains shorter selections, such every bit the Middle Eastern-flavored "A Passage to Bangkok" in addition to the album-closing rocker "Something for Nothing." 2112 is widely considered past times Rush fans every bit their starting fourth dimension truthful "classic" album, the starting fourth dimension inwards a string of similarly high-quality albums.
Tracks Listing
Side 1
1. 2112: 20:34
I) Overture (4:32)
II) The Temples Of Syrinx (2:13)
III) Discovery (3:29)
IV) Presentation (3:42)
V) Oracle:The Dream (2:00)
VI) Soliloquy (2:21)
VII) The Grand Finale (2:14)
2. H5N1 Passage To Bangkok (3:34)
3. The Twilight Zone (3:18)
4. Lessons (3:51)
5. Tears (3:32)
6. Something For Nothing (3:59)
Total Time: 38:48
Musicians
- Alex Lifeson - Guitar
- Geddy Lee - Bass guitar, vocals
- Neil Peart - Drums, percussion
1977 [2011] "All The World's H5N1 Stage"
The '70s may forever live remembered every bit the decade of the "live album," where many stone artists (Kiss, Peter Frampton, Cheap Trick, etc.) used the format for their commercial breakthrough. While Rush's All the World's a Stage is non every bit renowned every bit the aforementioned bands' alive albums, it is even thus 1 of the improve in-concert stone releases of the decade, in addition to helped solidify the trio's stature every bit 1 of rock's fastest rising stars. Eventually, Rush would smoothen their alive sound to sound almost similar a studio record, but inwards the mid-'70s, they were even thus a raw in addition to raging difficult stone band, captured perfectly on All the World's a Stage Comprised almost solely of their heavier material, the album packs quite a punch -- "Bastille Day" in addition to "Anthem" bear witness to live a killer opening combination, piece over-the-top renditions of their extended epics "2112" in addition to "By-Tor & the Snow Dog" bear witness to live standouts. Even their to a greater extent than tranquil studio cloth proves to a greater extent than explosive inwards concert ("Fly past times Night," "Something for Nothing," "Lakeside Park," "In the End"). All the World's a Stage was a plumbing equipment agency of closing the starting fourth dimension chapter of Rush, every bit the liner notes state.
Tracks Listing
1. Bastille Day (4:59)
2. Anthem (4:57)
3. Fly By Night / In The Mood (5:05)
4. Something For Nothing (4:03)
5. Lakeside Park (5:05)
6. 2112: 15:51
I) Overture (4:17)
II) The Temples Of Syrinx (2:13)
III) Presentation (4:29)
IV) Soliloquy (2:25)
V) Grand Finale (2:27)
7. By-Tor And The Snow Dog (12:01)
8. In The End (7:14)
9. Working Man/ Finding My Way (14:20)
10. What You're Doing (5:38)
Total Time: 79:13
Musicians
- Alex Lifeson - Guitar
- Geddy Lee - Bass guitar, vocals
- Neil Peart - Drums, percussion
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