["R30," Artist: Rush, Staff grade: B]

Oklahoma Daily has a review of R30 up. They gave it a B. What the hell, here's the whole thing.

There's really only two sides to fall on when it comes to Rush: either you think the Canadian trio is everything great about big rock shows or you think Geddy Lee is the worst vocalist of all time and that the band is therefore unlistenable. There really is no grey area.

It goes without saying then that the band's new 4-disc set falls strictly in the 'fans only' category. There's absolutely no way a casual Rush fan (again, none of whom exist, but let's play along) would be able to get much out of this.

The main feature of the package is a DVD of the band performing live in 2004 on its 30th anniversary tour. The two hour-plus set hits on all areas of the band's career, and features as its high point an extended instrumental jam that showcases the band's strengths (musicianship) and leaves out the lowlights (Lee's shrill voice).

As far as the technical presentation of the concert goes, fans couldn't ask for more - the shots are crisp and clear, there's no annoying back-and-forth between black and white and color shots, as modern concert films are wont to do, and the cuts aren't so fast that it's hard to follow the action. However, it's impossible to not question the necessity of this package - there are few bands that have as much live material in their discography as Rush, with the previous live DVD coming as recently as 2003.

This redundancy makes the strength of the package lie in the second DVD, which features various archival footage of the band from its early days, including numerous miscellaneous live performances and interviews accrued over the years. The quality of the material varies wildly, but for those dedicated enough to even like Rush, there's plenty here to keep them entertained.

The other two discs of the package (available only in the deluxe edition) are comprised of an audio version of the same concert presented on the DVD, which again raises redundancy issues, but that's why it's clearly a separate product that the super die-hards can choose to get.

Here's all you really need to know to decide if this is right for you - the band's live set opens with a bizarre Terry Gilliam-esque animation sequence followed by a simply stupifying scene of Jerry Stiller wearing a Rush shirt and talking about how great the band is. Also, the performance of the hit "Tom Sawyer" is prefaced with a CGI video of a dragon eating popcorn and watching TV. If you're not turned off already, it might be worth a shot. Otherwise, this is strictly for those who have already worn out upwards of three copies of "2112."

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