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2002's Vapor Trail album and tour were a triumph on several levels for Rush. Not only was it one of their strongest releases in years, the subsequent concerts boasted a revitalized band and one of their finest productions to date. All this occurred in the sad wake of drummer Neal Peart's extreme personal loss of his only child and wife in a 10 month period, after which he'd announced his retirement. Thankfully he returned and found solace in his craft. "One Little Victory" is Rush at their heavy, sharp best, and while the sound on this clip is a bit dodgy it does show off the amazing set and effects from this tour well.
Epic vaguely begins to cover the huge scope of "2112," which is the very definition of "ambitious rock." This vintage performance from 1976 was cool enough to put up with the omnipresent time code, and for those who want the full monty, Part Two can be found here.
While many, many acts that enjoyed massive success in the '80s failed to reproduce anything like it in the '90s, Rush retooled and has remained a stadium filling sure bet ever since. The template for this new sound was laid down by 1991's Roll The Bones.
The slight reggae accents to "Distant Early Warning" combined with the glossy keys and slick movements create one of the band's standout tracks. Nifty live version despite the trio looking like they got mugged by a Miami Vice stylist.
And where else could we end but up the river with "Tom Sawyer"?
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