Ripple Theater - Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch DVD

Ever since people stopped buying rock records in decent quantities, there’s been an increase in quality documentaries on classic artists like The Ramones and Rush as well as rescuing a band like Anvil from obscurity. Given the subject matter, it seemed like Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch would be the ultimate portrait of rocks favorite ugly son but unfortunately this one falls pretty short of expectation. While definitely worth watching, the overwhelming feeling I’m left with is “what happened? How did they not get the job done?”

Granted, I’m a bigger Motorhead fan than most Motorhead fans. Motorhead’s music changed my life the first time I shoplifted Iron Fist from Caldors back in 1982, and when I saw them for the first time in 1983 my ears rang for 8 days afterwards. To this day, all live performances are measured against that high energy volume overkilldose. It’s obvious the filmmakers are fans but not stone deaf forever Motorheadbangers. They have stated many times that the movie is about Lemmy and not a history of Motorhead but we all know that those two things are one and the same.

Some of the better parts of the film are about Lemmy’s days before Motorhead, including a great segment about the Rockin’ Vicars, the band he played guitar for in the mid-1960’s. They managed to track down some of his band mates and even legendary producer Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks) who make it clear that Lemmy was pretty much the same guy back then that he is now. The section on Hawkwind is also good. Lemmy repeats his often told tale of how he got fired from the legendary space rock band, but you also get to hear Dave Brock and Nik Turner’s side of the story, too. Even the Amazonian dancer Stacia gets some screen time. Unfortunately, there isn’t that much discussion of Hawkwind’s groundbreaking music. No one mentions that everyone should own a copy of Space Ritual and there’s no information about the classic albums Lemmy made with them.

The formation of Motorhead takes up about 120 seconds of screen time. Guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke is on and off the screen way too quickly. Philthy Animal Taylor apparently did not want to be interviewed for the movie and he’s barely mentioned. Again, there’s hardly a word on the incredible run of albums that line up made. Wurzel, Pete Gill and Brian Robertson are written out of the script. Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell wind up looking like mere sidemen of a band that they’re equal partners in.

Way too much screen time is spent on pointless interviews with Billy Bob Thorton, Jarvis Cocker and the bass player from New Order. Who fucking cares what these clowns have to say about Lemmy? The usual VH1 talking heads like Scott Ian, Dee Snider, Dave Navarro and Henry Rollins have some good stories and there are interviews with all the members of Metallica except, surprisingly, Lars Ulrich. Dee has one of the funniest lines in the movie where he talks about not having seen Lemmy for a long time and goes backstage and it’s all the same roadies that he knew from ten years before. Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible of The Damned share some great tales from the insanity they participated in with Lemmy in the late 70’s. 

One thing that the filmmakers get right is showing just how dedicated Lemmy is to his music. This is someone that has literally sacrificed everything for rock n roll. He’s had some moderate success but lives in a rent controlled 2 bedroom apartment with his enormous World War II collection when he’s not on tour or at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in LA. He has one son that he has a good relationship with and another one he’s never met. When he’s not playing music, he’s reading or gambling but always drinking.

Luckily the DVD helps correct some of the problems with the feature film. It’s worth picking up just for the full interview with Fast Eddie Clarke. It’s up to him to tell the real story of how the band started and he’s the only one to mention original guitarist Larry Wallis by name. Eddie also gives insight into how Motorhead got their signature sound – speedy music played by guys on speed. He claims that speed is a great drug to take when you’re playing music since you don’t have to leave the stage every 20 minutes to re-up. His story on how they wrote their signature song “Overkill” is hilarious and inspiring.

Other cool extras include extended interviews with Lemmy and individual features on Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee. The movie could have used more of this and less ass kissing testimonials. Any movie about Lemmy is worth watching, and this one definitely is, but it should have been so much better.


--Woody


Buy here DVD: Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch 
Buy here Blu-ray: Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch [Blu-ray] 



 

Ripple Theater - A History Lesson Part 1 – Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984

It raw.  It’s very rough.  The live footage is ragged and that’s about the best compliment you can pay it.   And truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

There just aren’t too many video documents of the underground punk scene in LA in the early ‘80’s, and as such this “history lesson” is nearly indispensable.  With live footage and interviews from members of The Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, The Minutemen, and Twisted Roots, we get a celebratory cross-section of the underground scene in all it’s grimy, gritty, unwashed glory.

Again, from a musical standpoint, don’t go expecting surround 5.1 dolby here.  The footage is ample and exciting, but it’s rough.  Shot on low-budget gear with a no-budget production, expect feedback, distortion, fuzz, and all around noise.  Now, none of that is to say that its not what the bands actually sounded like at the time.  But on your DVD player and killer surround, just be prepared.

Still,  the live footage is exciting and captures the energy of the bands, the passion they brought to their music, the pure punk spirit.  A special nod has to go to the live footage of the Minutemen and the much-missed D Boon, standing larger than life as he presides over his chaotic guitar parts and sputtered vocals.  This footage alone makes the set priceless.

With the sound quality being so rough, the real gems here are the interviews, learning how D Boon would randomly place scattered lyrical notes around the apartment for his bandmates to find and turn into songs, learning how the bands interacted, loved each other or hated each other, banded to be a part of the SST scene or shunned it.    Anyone who was a part of the scene, or remembers it, or is just curious will learn lots here. 


I was lucky enough to be a radio DJ in Los Angeles back in the day and remember this stuff coming into the station straight off the street.  There was a palpable buzz when ever the new Minutemen record came in.  I dug on Redd Kross and the rest of the Enigma stuff.  The Meat Puppets blew minds.   Bands like that just didn't come around everyday.

No matter how you look at it, it was a vibrant and exciting scene that gave rise to some majorly revered legends who’ve contined to inspire bands today. 

--Racer

buy here: History Lesson Part 1: Punk Rock In Los Angeles In 1984

Ripple Theater - UFO/MSG Rockpalast DVD's

Are you ready to rock? Hot n ready? Armed and ready? Then you are ready to for these two new kick ass DVD’s to rock your television into the ground. Rockpalast (Rock Palace) is a German music TV show that’s been around since 1974 and they’re starting to release some of their historic concerts. Yours truly has already drooled all over the ZZ Top and Thin Lizzy releases here on Ripple but this double dose of primo heavy rock is a major cause for celebration.

First up is UFO live, loud, proud and drunk in Dortmund, Germany from November 1980. True, that means no Michael Schenker or Paul Raymond but the excellent Paul Chapman is on lead guitar and this is the tour supporting the solid No Place To Run album. Starting off with the high energy “Lettin’ Go” UFO comes out blazing. Chapman doesn’t have the charisma of Michael Schenker but his fiery playing is terrific and it gives Pete Way an excuse to jump around even more than usual. Watching vintage Pete Way in action, it’s obvious what a big influence he was on Steve Harris and Nikki Sixx, not only in his playing but for his awesome stripey jumpsuits. Andy Parker is one of the most underrated drummers in rock. He’s hard hitter with a huge sound and never overplays. Neil Carter does a fine job on rhythm guitar and keyboards and mainly stays out of the way. Phil Mogg is in excellent voice and his tipsy in between song banter is always entertaining. There are some great shots of the crowd. Some 13 year old little shit loves flipping the bird to the camera every time it gets near him. Classic.

The entire UFO concert is great but does drag a bit in the middle with a few too many slower songs like “No Place To Run,” “Making Moves,” and “Love To Love” all in a row. Luckily they wake everyone up with their blistering cover of “Mystery Train,” one of the highlights from the No Place To Run album. Old favorites like “Only You Can Rock Me,” “Lights Out,” “Doctor Doctor,” and of course “Rock Bottom” kick major ass. Chapman really scorches on “Rock Bottom” and proves he was probably the only guy who could replace Schenker in this classic band. (Lots of people forget that he actually played side by side with him in the short lived twin axe attack UFO line up of 1974).

Watching UFO in 1980 is the perfect warm up for the Michael Schenker Group 1981 live show. What a band! You get Paul Raymond on guitar & keyboards, Chris Glen from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band on bass and Cozy Powell on powerhouse drums. The only weak link, unfortunately, is vocalist Gary Barden. He sounds good on the opening number “Armed & Ready” but not long after that it’s obvious his voice is pretty shot. He’s not really a great frontman, either. Despite a lot of cracked notes, Schenker rescues the concert with superb playing. On a good night there are few guitarists that can come close to his tough yet melodic playing. It’s incredible what that guy can do with just a Gibson Flying V, a wah-wah pedal and FOUR STACKS of 50 watt Marshall amps.

In 1981, only the first MSG album was out so the best songs from that like “Cry For the Nations,” “Victim of Illusions” and “Into The Arena” get played alongside UFO standards “Natural Thing,” “Doctor Doctor” and “Lights Out.” It’s a lot of fun to compare these versions with the ones on the UFO DVD. Schenker and Phil Mogg never got along too well but they did make a great team. As much as I love Andy Parker, it’s too bad they never built a super UFO with Mogg, Schenker, Chapman, Cozy, Paul Raymond and Pete Way. These 2 DVD’s is the closest we’ll ever get. Get a 15 pack of Strohs and tell the old lady to hit the road when you bring these home. Tell me your ready to ROCK!!

 --Woody

Buy here:  UFO - Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 1
buy here CD: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends 1
buy here mp3: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 1

Buy here: Michael Schenker Group - Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 2
Buy here CD: Rockpalast: Hard Rock Legends Vol. 2
Buy here mp3: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 2

Ripple Theater – The Rolling Stones – Ladies and Gentlemen The Rolling Stones

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Opeth - In Live Concert at The Royal Albert Hall

No matter how hard I try, how many fancy words I string together, to try and describe Opeth’s In Live Concert at The Royal Albert Hall, I fear I simply won’t do this package it’s due justice. To aptly describe this majestic release, I would have to channel the essence of James Michener, who’s thousand page epics have a tendency to sprawl across hundreds, nay . . . thousands of years of a subjects existence, depicting the great land movements, the tectonic shifts and violent volcanic episodes that formed the environment that the subject may call home. I would then have to detail out every last bit of emotion and nuance from the main character(s), so rich in detail that you would feel that you’ve just spent the last century walking in their shoes. Then, I’d weave such an intricate tapestry of words that you would swear that you could taste the dust of a country road on your tongue, feel the bitter cold of a Chesapeake winter, or smell the floral scents of perfume on a maidens breast . . . or, in the case of Opeth, the stinging taste of battery acid on your tongue, the sweltering heat of an enclosed venue, or the ripening smell of the bodies struggling within said venue.

I can use all of those nifty adjectives that we writers like to use so much. Awesome. Amazing. Fantastic. Astonishing. Yeah, they all work because they do express some amount of excitement about that which they are describing. But in the case of In Live Concert at The Royal Albert Hall, they’re simply not adequate enough descriptors. A four disc vinyl set with two DVD’s will never adequately be described by one word, especially a set as painstakingly detailed as this particular issue. This set deserves . . . no, requires a tome of words to form a shadow of what is actually going on. The set will require another volume to add color.

For Opeth’s twentieth anniversary, Mikael Akerfeldt and company decided to do a short tour, hitting a few venues that harbor an image of class and respect, and then release the subsequent recordings in a package that would be represent the band and cater to the record collecting masses (of those of us who are still out here.) The two album set is all recorded live and spans the full career of Opeth, paying homage to many of the members of the band who have since moved on, and spotlighting with special attention their breakout album, Blackwater Park, by performing it in its entirety. The packaging on this set draws me back to those glorious days of the 1970’s, an era when rock n’ roll, progressive music, whatever, paid close attention to the visual marketing of the album art, the imagery, the overall sensation of buying a record and vegging for hours with the music as the soundtrack to the visual stimuli that the artist had created . . . a phenomenon that was inhibited by the CD revolution and completely lost in the digital age. This particular box set includes a concert poster and a twenty page book with “Awesome. Amazing. Fantastic. Astonishing” photos from the concert at The Royal Albert Hall . . . all serious eye candy to lose oneself while the vinyl does its glorious dance on the turntable.

However, the imagery really means nothing if the musical quality isn’t there. Let’s face it. We all have those great pieces of vinyl where the album art is infinitely superior than the musical quality . . . Meatloaf, I’m looking at you. In the case of In Live Concert at The Royal Albert Hall, the musical quality is sharp, loud, and clearer than just about any live recording I’ve heard, and the performances are a testament to the physical and mental abilities of these five musicians. I’ve said it before, with the advent of Pro Tools and all of the various technical studio tricks, recording ten minute epics that shift moods, musical styles, tempos, and time signatures is cool, but it’s almost too easy. Maybe I’ve become jaded. But to pull off that feat live, without a net, as they say . . . that, my friends, is what being a musician is all about! To put this latest live adventure into perspective, imagine that Opeth is playing all of Blackwater Park, which they do, without fucking up the parts and transitions (coz’ you should know that there are plenty of those lying around) and then follow it up with an additional eight songs that touch on every variation of the bands creativity, every stylistic change, every musical nuance from the last twenty years. Breath taking.

I could go through every song and wax poetic about their deeper meaning to my every heartbeat, but that got old the second I thought about it. Instead, you really need to listen for yourselves. In particular, “Bleak,” “Blackwater Park,” “Advent,” “The Moor,” “Harlequin Forest,” and set closer “The Lotus Eater” jump to mind as the moments that I felt the greatest shiver of someone walking on my grave, of staring into the mesmerizing gaze of a thousand succubi, or breathing in the noxious and intoxicating fumes of Hades. I can’t help but marvel at the performances of these musicians, the rich textures that they apply with their respective instruments, and the overall exhilarating physical sensation that I get when I hear the sounds and tones spew from my speakers and bathe me in their brilliance.

After basking in the sonic splendor of the aforementioned four discs, I made my way to the Ripple Theater and dropped in the DVD’s. “Awesome. Amazing. Fantastic. Astonishing.” I honestly don’t think I breathed for something like four hours. Mouth agape, I stared . . . completely transfixed on the visual performance of this concert. The band must have used something like 3,000 cameras (a slight exaggeration) for this production. We had the standard center stage angle, left stage angle, right stage angle . . . got a little creative with the behind the band, over-the-shoulder angle, some nice crowd angles and then a few nice shots of the drummers foot (always a fan of the drummers foot work) . . . and then there were the camera angles where I swear I could count the musicians’ nose hair. The visuals were cool, nothing interstellar like a band mascot running out on stage and catching fire (as cool as that always is), just clean and concise images that help separate Opeth from any other band on the face of the planet. I found the stage presence of the various band members intriguing. Martin Mendez with his hair whipping from side to side, Fredrik Akesson dropping into the classic metal headbanging pose, the relaxed, almost bored look of drummer Martin Axenrot, and maniacal glare and eccentric demeanor of keyboardist Per Wiberg . . . and, of course, the stalwart center figure of Mikael Akerfeldt . . . they all just had that look!  

When watching this, note the guitar issues that the band has during particular songs. With a simple wave of his hand, Mikael Akerfeldt signaled to his guitar tech, and without panic, without stepping away from the mic, continues belting out his trademark death growl with the same sincerity as we’ve grown to become accustomed . . . guitar tech switches out guitars in mid vocal line and BAM! He disappears and the show goes on. I give a nod of respect to the professionalism that Akerfeldt shows here because I’ve seen the opposite from bands in the past, people become flustered, they freeze or start throwing tantrums, ultimately making the show suffer. Not here, not with Opeth. The best part though is in the second set closer, “The Lotus Eater,” as guitarist Fredrik Akesson has his own set of technical issues with his gear. In listening to the LP version, it simply sounds like the band has an extended quiet passage going on in the song, kind of like they’re playing with the crowd a bit . . . as if this was a planned break. Seeing what actually happened fills in the gaps from the pure audio portion, but I think it’s interesting how the mind goes places based on the information it’s given.

Yeah, I spent more money than I could really afford on this production, but food is overrated anyway. Hey! It’s not like anyone’s ever really starved to death, right? In truth, based on how much I want to listen to this album, and spend four-plus hours glued to my television watching this performance, how excited I get when I start talking about this album to people, how many words I just wrote as tribute on this release, hell . . . I’d spend the money all over again. If you’re an Opeth fan and you’re on the fence about this album for any reason, then I would hope that these words have acted a gentle nudge to knock you off the fence. If you’re new to Opeth and are looking for a jumping off point to get into this band, this is the place to do it. You get Blackwater Park in its entirety and select choices from every album before and since, with performances that capture the band at the height of its creative brilliance. If you don’t like Opeth and have no interest in the band whatsoever, I thank you for reading this far though I’m confused why you would have spent your time doing so.  -  Pope    

FYI – this release does come in numerous formats, so don’t feel that because I wrote about the vinyl edition that you have no other choices. Rock on! 

--Pope

buy here: Opeth - In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall (2DVD/3CD)
buy here: DVD Opeth - In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall (2DVD)
buy here: mp3: In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall

www.opeth.com

Ripple Theater - Johnny Winter - Live Through The '80s DVD

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a DVD titled Johnny Winter Live Through The ‘80s wouldn’t be all that great, but you’re wrong. Johnny Winter went through a bit of a rebirth in the 1980’s thanks to the popularity of Stevie Ray Vaughan and a new contract with Chicago blues label Alligator Records. Both of these helped introduce Johnny to a new audience and got some youngsters showing up at his concerts. I should know, since I was one of them. Even during the peak of my snotty thrash metal high school powers, I still loved blues and classic rock. A friend and I went to see Johnny at the Beacon Theater in NYC, early 1985 and were blown away by the frail, shirtless Texan’s incredible energy and fiery playing. (His brother Edgar opened the show and did a great set that included a truly bizarre hip hop version of “Frankenstein.”)

This DVD really brought me back to that great night at the Beacon 25 years ago. Starting off in Toronto, 1983 there’s a kick ass version of “Unseen Eye” and 3 other smokers. Johnny’s leading a powerful trio with John Paris on bass & harmonica and drummer Bobby Torello. In 1984, Tom Compton takes over on drums and there’s footage from 3 different concerts – 1 from Europe and 1 in the US. The playing is tight but loose and production is primo. The band really rips it up on songs like “Mad Dog” and his frenzied take on Dylan’s “Highway 61.” After a semi-embarrassing music video for the song “Don’t Take Advantage Of Me” (it was the 80’s, all videos sucked) there’s an electronic press kit Alligator Records put together with a cool interview with Johnny. After that, it’s right back to the boogie with more footage from Europe in 1987 and 88.

Back in the 80’s Johnny stopped using his gorgeous Gibson Firebird guitars in exchange for butt-ugly Steinberger guitars. Despite their cosmetic unfortunateness, Johnny still makes them sound great. Proof that good guitar tone is all in the hands and not in the gear. If you’re a blues-rock lover you’ll definitely want to pick this up and give your TV speakers a work out.

--Woody

Buy here: Winter, Johnny - Live Through The 80's

and go back and explore more: Live Through the 70's

Ripple Theater - Cactus - Live, Loud & Proud DVD

You can’t kill the boogie. Boogie will never die! Cactus broke up in 1972 but in 2006 original members Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert and Jim McCarty recruited powerhouse vocalist Jimmy Kunes and harmonica player Randy Pratt to resurrect the band and bring the power of the boogie pack to the people.

Captured live n nasty on their 2006-07 tour, this disc finds Cactus to still be a potent force to be reckoned with. Carmine proves once again that he’s the best rock drummer around and Tim’s bass playing is equally powerful. Guitarist Jim McCarty simply blazes. It’s such a shame more people don’t know how great he is. These three muthers can really burn! Add Jimmy’s raspy, soulful vocals and Randy’s honking harmonica and you’ve got a blues party that you can put to use.

Old classics like “Let Me Swim” and “One Way Or Another” sit nicely alongside songs from their reunion album Cactus V like “Muscle and Soul” and their personal anthem “Cactus Music.” Everyone gets a chance to shine but a real highlight is when Jim and Carmine play a killer duet before setting up Carmine’s epic drum solo in their radical reworking of Howlin Wolf’s “Evil.” Tim shows all the bass players how it should be done on “Oleo.” The climax of the show is an ultra-speedy “Parchman Farm” that slays.

Bonus materials include a cool jam session with Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa and Pat Travers with Jim and Pat playing really nicely together. There are also some interesting interviews with the band where they talk about how they really were intent on blowing everyone away. Their version of “Parchman Farm” was in direct response to the type of thing Ten Years After was doing with “I’m Going Home” but Cactus wanted to make it even more extreme. Everyone needs more Cactus in their life so check out this DVD and make sure to turn it up.  -- Woody

Buy here: Cactus - Live, Loud & Proud

Ripple Theater – Rush – Beyond The Lighted Stage

“The band you know. The story you don’t”

Well, that’s not totally true. I guess that statement depends on just how big a Rush fan one is. Take me, for instance. I own darn near every album, seen the band live around four times since the late 80’s, watched the live DVD’s through all of the various bonus features, and have read at least two books on the history of the band and three of the four Neil Peart travelogue’s . . . (deep inhale) so the informative content of Beyond the Lighted Stage wasn’t all that knew for me. However, spending three hours or so watching one of the bands that has been a constant musical companion through life is always time well spent. Watching the trio in various situations was like hanging out with old friends, a group of people who I know on an intimate level though have never personally met. It was almost like I was catching up with my college chums over a nice meal and a few glasses of wine.

Beyond the Lighted Stage is brought to us by the wonderful production team of the Banger Brothers, the same group that brought us last year’s fantastic Iron Maiden documentary, Flight 666. If you’re one of the folks who’s spent the time immersing themselves in that epic piece of film, then you should have an idea of the production quality of this one. The team of Scott McFadyen and Sam Dunn takes us through the rich history of Rush, starting with the childhood of both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, the musical development of both kids and their eventual meeting with original Rush drummer, John Rutsey, and eventually the addition of “the new guy,” Neil Peart. Broken up into numerous chapters, the early portion of the documentary introduces us to the parents of the members of the band, which I feel helps give the band that extra human element. Due to this bands god-like reverence from its fans, it’s easy to forget that these guys are flesh and blood, emotional animals like the rest of us, and the inclusion of the family members is a nice, heart-warming touch that acts a subtle reminder that Rush is made up of real life people.

The rest of the documentary runs through the band's meandering and weaving rise to fame. They didn’t do it the easy way, never achieved the chart success of their peers, or had the super-nova explosion of fame. Rush started by playing music that they loved listening to and created their own success without sacrificing their integrity or ideals. I can’t think of any other band, especially coming up in the 70’s that the same thing can be said about. As Gene Simmons says in one of his many interview snippets about the band, “They’re fearless.” The band never shied away from something that they were told couldn’t be done. They never took the easy path in creating their art when the more difficult path was available . . . and more interesting. They never conformed to the ever changing world in which we live in, and based on the band’s continued success, especially in the way of touring, Rush can kinda’ sit back and nod the heads in approval as to how everything turned out.

Beyond the Lighted Stage is filled with great commentary from a number of artists who hold the band in reverence like so many fans around the world. As already mentioned, Gene Simmons adds his two cents, Sebastian Bach, Kirk Hammett (Metallica,) Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails,) Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters,) and Vinnie Paul (Pantera) are but a few who have been touched by Rush in one way or another, and though we may not hear the direct influence in each of these bands’ sounds, the indirect influence is just as important in creating the music of tomorrow. The Jack Black segments are pretty damn funny, especially when he starts singing . . . good comedy. Oh . . . and speaking of comedy, make sure you throw in disc 2 and watch the segment of the lads eating dinner. Damn! I knew these guys had a sense of humor, but after a few consumed bottles of wine, Lifeson’s banter had me damn near in tears. Watching this portion of the film is the highest highlight for me because it’s the moment where the members of Rush are suddenly vulnerable human beings, enjoying some time that only a life-long friendship can create.

One other must see moment on this disc, specifically disc 2, is the performance of "Cygnus X-1." I’ve said it for the past twenty-five years, Alex Lifeson is the most underrated rock guitarist out there, and this performance is one of those moments that has me shaking my head and wondering why he isn’t mentioned in the same breath as his peers. His emotional attack and dynamic approach on this song is otherworldly . . . the volume swells, the bizarre chord changes, the lightening fast scale runs, the palm muted riffing . . . seriously, breath taking!

Beyond the Lighted Stage is an excellent documentary on a band that has been doing what they’ve been doing for almost forty years. The video has humor, it’s informative, highly entertaining . . . it’s everything one could ask for in a documentary. With that being said, there’s no way that three hours of edited video footage is going to give you the most comprehensive information on Rush. For the casual fan or those who want to learn a little more about Rush, the documentary is perfect. For the Rush fans who wake up with "YYZ" rattling in their heads coz’ that’s just how brilliant the song is, then Beyond the Lighted Stage is simply a must have to complete the collection. My advice for those who want to know more about the band is this: Purchase and watch said documentary, then run out and purchase and read Contents Under Pressure written by Martin Popoff and Rush: Chemistry by Jon Collins. Both books go into an insane amount of detail about the history of the band, the recording of each album, the trials and tribulations of the subsequent tours, and the philosophical and personal conflicts within in the band. And, of course, you can’t really know the band unless you listen to the music, so . . . go out and buy all of the albums and spin ‘em ‘til your head explodes.  -  Pope

Buy here:  Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD]
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage [Blu-ray]

www.rushbeyondthelightedstage.com

www.rush.com