Rush in Rio (2002)
Disc One
1.Tom Sawyer
2.Distant Early Warning
3.New World Man
4.Roll the Bones
5.Earthsine
6.YYZ
7.The Pass
8.Bravado
9.The Big Money
10.The Trees
11.Free Will
12.Closer To The Heart
13.Natural Science
Disc Two
1.One Little Victory
2.Driven
3.Ghost Rider
4.Secret Touch
5.Dreamline
6.Red Sector A
7.Leave That Thing Alone
8.O Baterista
9.Resist
10.2112
Disc Three
1.Limelight
2.La Villa Strangiato
3.The Spirit Of Radio
4.By-Tor And The Snow Dog
5.Cygnus X-1
6.Working Man
7.Between Sun And Moon
8.Vital Signs
With this release, Rush finally broke their long-established pattern of issuing a live album after every four studio records. This time, it had been just one. Why the departure? Unknown. Perhaps even irrelevant. When it comes to live Rush, such formalities become secondary. The result, however, is a live document worthy of the break in tradition.
What makes this particular performance noteworthy is not so much the setlist or the musicianship—both of which remain top-tier—but the context in which it occurred. At this stage in their career, no one, not even the band themselves, were certain whether Rush would ever perform again. Following a period of personal devastation that saw Neil Peart lose both his daughter and his wife in the span of a year, the band's future was a question mark. Peart’s subsequent retreat from public life was understandable. That the band returned at all was, in itself, an achievement.
Adding further uniqueness to this recording was the location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While Rush had always been a regular touring act in North America, the rest of the world was, understandably, more sporadically visited. Brazil, evidently, had waited long enough. The reception they received was nothing short of Beatlemania. One is reminded of the Shea Stadium frenzy of 1964—only this time, it was Rush who were welcomed as returning heroes.
The concert in question was the final night of the tour, and for the first time ever, the entire setlist is captured in full. Musically, the band is in excellent form, but it's the audience who are the real stars of the show. A reported 40,000 strong, they become an essential part of the performance. Indeed, listeners averse to audience noise may find this a challenging listen, as the crowd’s presence is not simply felt—it dominates. At times, it overwhelms.
Take, for example, the instrumental YYZ. A piece with no vocals whatsoever, and yet the crowd sings along, matching the intricate rhythm and melody with startling precision. It's an astonishing moment. During more familiar tracks such as Free Will and Closer to the Heart, the crowd chorus is so loud that Geddy Lee himself is nearly drowned out. Whether that’s an enhancement or a detraction depends on one's expectations for a live record.
There are other small deviations as well. For the Brazilian audience, the band adjusted the set slightly—adding Free Will and Closer to the Heart in place of some of the deeper cuts played elsewhere on the tour. These omitted numbers are wisely included at the end of disc three (yes, a full third disc), preserving the complete experience for the more dedicated aficionado.
In summary, this live release does not merely document a performance—it captures an event. A celebratory, cathartic, and occasionally chaotic gathering of a band and its faithful, brought together after a long absence, in a country that had waited far too long. It may not be the most pristine live record in their catalogue, but it may well be the most human.
in the set list for the Brazilian audience (they added Free Will and Closer to the Heart instead of some of the deeper cuts that were featured everywhere else), the subtracted songs are added to the end of disc 3 (yes, that's "disc 3") as an added bonus.
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