Artist: Rush
Release: Clockwork Angels Tour (Live Album)
Release Date: Out now!
2013 has been a great year for one of the greatest rock bands in the world. Not only were they inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Rush also celebrated their 45th anniversary in the summer. In celebration of the insane milestone, the group did what they do best – play shows. Even better, they had some of these shows recorded and released for us unlucky souls who’ve yet to make it to the real deal.
Opening with synth-driven ‘Subdivisions’, it sounds like the band hasn’t aged a day since the track’s release in 1982. Technically perfect, the band spans the width and breadth of their career in the show, never setting a musical foot wrong. Peppered with instrumental solos, this – much like every show the band’s played and every album they’ve recorded – is where Neil Peart yet again proves why he’s often noted as one of the greatest drummers of all time. His decades of practice are still being put to good use as he drives the show and keeps the energy high.
The introduction of the ‘Clockwork Angels String Ensemble’ provides an excellent garnish to already fantastic songs. Adding another dimension of drama, tracks like ‘Clockwork Angels’ and ‘Dreamline’ benefit especially – the latter of which is certainly a standout of the album for us. Frontman Geddy Lee’s vocals remain strong and clear throughout the three hour release, in which they burn their way through their 2012 album ‘Clockwork Angels’.
While it lacks the rigorous energy we’d expect from such an epic show, we can’t say we’re surprised or let down. First of all, it’s extremely difficult to capture the magic of a concert on a recording – a peeve we’ve always had with live albums. Secondly, Rush have been doing this for 45 years, and over the decades they’ve certainly perfected the art of putting on a show. This is evident even through this nature of recording; much like it has been on the group’s eight previous live albums.
So if for some bizarre reason you were doubting why Rush are one of the best bands to come out of Canada, their encore of the iconic ‘2112’ alone will soon have that rectified. Although an absolutely brilliant release, ‘Clockwork Angels Tour’ still doesn’t fully demonstrate everything the band is capable of.
8/10
Reviewer: Freya Cochrane
