Rush
Album Title: Snakes & Arrows Live DVD
Record Label: Anthem Entertainment
Review by Jeff Muendel
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Rush - Snakes & Arrows Live DVD
Most of this three-disc DVD set was taped during two performances in Holland at the end of 2007. Rush has always been a good band, though they are perhaps a little less energetic on the stage these days than in decades past simply due to age. The DVDs nonetheless finds the legendary group in good musical form, doing a nice mix of classic Rush material along with nine new songs from their Snakes & Arrows CD released the same year.
The first two discs contain the 2007 concert footage. The third disc, entitled “Oh Atlanta! The Authorized Bootlegs,” is a collection of live tracks recorded throughout 2008. While the concert footage is good, these snippets may be better. The classic “2112/The Temples Of Syrinx” is perhaps the best performance the DVD set has to offer. Or, perhaps, it is simply a reflection of how good the material was on the 2112 album, released in 1976. Indeed, it was the seventies that saw Rush release their best work, and it would be nice to see them concentrate more on that era. While they get kudos for continuing to release new material, and it is certainly more fulfilling for them, the new material pales in comparison to their classic period.
If you are Rush fan, then Snakes & Arrows Live will be needed for your collection. If, however, you are a fan of hard rock with only a passing interest in Rush, the emphasis on late-period hits and new material along with the less-than-energetic stage presence may disappoint relative to the price of admission.