Rush

Clockwork Angels Tour (2013)

Disc One
1. Subdivisions
2. The Big Money
3. Force Ten
4. Grand Designs
5. The Body Electric
6. Territories
7. The Analog Kid
8. Bravado
9. Where's My Thing?/There It Is
10.Far Cry

Disc Two
1. Caravan
2. Clockwork Angels
3. The Anarchist
4. Carnies
5. The Wreckers
6. Headlong Flight/Drum Bastica
7. Peke's Repose/Halo Effect
8. Seven Cities of Gold
9. Wish Them Well
10.The Garden

Disc Three
1. Dreamline
2. The Precussor/Binary Love Theme/Steambanger's Ball
3. Red Sector A
4. YYZ
5. The Spirit of Radio
6. Tom Sawyer
7. 2112
8. Limelight (Sound Check)
9. Middletown Dreams
10.The Pass
11.Manhattan Project

By this point in their career, it would have been more surprising if Rush hadn’t released a full-length live album documenting every note of their most recent tour. Clockwork Angels Tour marked the fifth time the band issued a complete live package (including the blue-ray of R30), and by now, the formula was well-worn and well-loved. One can only guess how these things perform commercially—but judging by fan enthusiasm, they remain highly regarded artefacts.

This particular set leaned heavily into the material from Clockwork Angels, which constituted the backbone of the second set. To underscore the significance of the new material, Rush brought along a six-piece string ensemble—an unusual choice for a hard rock power trio, but one that worked remarkably well. Alongside these new offerings were a handful of expected favorites and, crucially, a selection of lesser-played deep cuts that for many long-time fans have transcended “deep” and become the true essentials.

Neil Peart’s legendary solo—which once ran well into the ten-minute range—was here broken into three distinct movements, spaced across the show. The net time remained more or less the same, but the structure offered a welcome variation. And for those who obsess over setlist minutiae, the band thoughtfully included several of the alternate tracks from different nights, tacked on to the end of the main program. The exception was a soundcheck version of Limelight—a strangely compelling inclusion, given that Geddy only half-sings it to an empty arena. But considering the number of times this song has appeared in live format, this skeletal version is oddly refreshing.

So what’s not to like? A few things, actually. Geddy Lee’s vocals, while still game, now show clear signs of strain. In order to reach notes that once came effortlessly, he occasionally resorts to a kind of hybrid yodel/yelp technique—not unpleasant, but certainly noticeable. This isn’t so much a criticism as an observation; age catches up with all of us, even the indestructible.

More puzzling is the audio mix. For reasons unclear, the guitar dominates almost completely, with the bass and drums pushed further back in the soundstage than usual. This imbalance becomes especially apparent when played alongside any of the band’s live albums from the last decade. It’s not a fatal flaw, but it does dull some of the usual sonic finesse fans have come to expect.