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
At this point, it would have been a huge surprise had Rush not released a live album covering every song they played during their last tour. This was the fifth time Rush released a complete package of every track performed on the supporting tour (including a DVD). I have no idea how well these things actually sell, but the fans sure do love them.
For the Clockwork Angels tour, the band played almost the entire album, which was the highlight of the second half of the set – complete with a six piece string section. They also played a handful of favorites plus a handful of deep cuts (which, to some, are more of a "favorite" than the actual favorites). Instead of a mammoth ten minute-plus minute drum solo, Neil Peart does three smaller solos scattered throughout the show. Time wise it comes out about even. They altered the show a bit on successive nights, so they also include the "alternate" songs at the end of the set so everyone could be happy. The one exception is a sound check version of Limelight. This is actually a pretty cool addition since Geddy only sings about half the lyrics to an empty arena. Had this been a rarity, one could complain, but we already have umpteen versions of this song in a live setting, so it's kind of neat the way it is here.
What was not to like? Well, a couple of things. First, sadly, Geddy Lee's singing just doesn't sound as good as it used to. For whatever reason, he's almost yodeling or yelping his way through the songs just to be able to hit most of the notes. You can't really blame anyone for this. Such things happen when you get older. What does seem a little odd about this record is the audio mixing. It's very heavy on the guitar, and the drums and bass tend to get drowned out a bit. This is really apparent when listened to directly alongside any other live album from the last decade.
Dallas, Texas is the featured venue for this one – with Phoenix serving as the setting for the "alternate" songs. It would probably sound just the same regardless.
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