Rush Compact Disc-ography: R30: Rush Live In Frankfurt Germany

(Part of the Rush Collector Resources)

© Dave Weller, 2007 - last updated 16^th March

Rumour, myth and legend. The rumour was that a DVD release of the R30 concert from Frankfurt Germany was due November last year, and it would include exclusive ‘from the archives’ bonus footage spanning the band’s 30 year career. The fact was that one of the last shows of the 30^th anniversary tour, at the Festhalle in Frankfurt on 24^th September 2004, was professionally recorded with 14 different cameras using the latest ‘high definition’ technology. At the time this was allegedly just for archive purposes but the success of the “Rush In Rio” DVD, self funded by the band and Anthem Records due to lack of interest from Atlantic, turned the possibility of a second DVD release into reality.

In a recent interview for Billboard magazine, Geddy Lee said “Well, basically nobody was in a big hurry to do another live project, because we've got about 60,000 of them out there. But when we were touring Europe on the last tour, we hadn't been to those countries in 10 years -- some of them 20 years. And there was such an exuberant response from the crowd; it just seemed like a unique opportunity to capture the band in that kind of environment. The venue is very old. We've played there a couple of times. It's always a strange atmosphere for North Americans to come over there and play in one of these buildings that Hitler used to do speeches in and so forth. So it's always got kind of an ominous vibe for us. But the crowd is always great and a lot of fans hadn't seen us in a long time." When asked about the vintage footage Lee said of his brother who works in the film business, "He took it upon himself to get involved in our vault and see what the hell was lying around down there, and he discovered some of these old things that we had forgotten about," Lee said, adding that some of the clips "are kind of painful to watch! Bad hair, bad glasses. You just kind of look in wonderment like, 'Is that really me?' And you really feel how much you've changed since that time."

R30: 30^th Anniversary World Tour - DVD

R30: 30^th Anniversary World Tour

Tracks (Disc 1): R30 Overture (Finding My Way, Bastille Day, Anthem, A Passage To Bangkok, Cygnus X-1, Hemispheres), The Spirit of Radio, Force Ten, Animate, Subdivisions, Earthshine, Red Barchetta, Roll The Bones, The Seeker, Tom Sawyer, Dreamline, Between the Wheels, Mystic Rhythms, Der Trommler (drum solo), Resist, Heart Full of Soul, 2112, Xanadu, Working Man, Summertime Blues, Crossroads, Limelight (Disc 2 Archive Footage): Fly By Night - Church Session Video (1975), Circumstances - Live in Studio (1978), La Villa Strangiato - Live in Studio (1978), Farewell to Kings - Live in Studio (1978), Xanadu - Live in Studio (1978), Soundcheck: Various Songs - Ivor Wynne Stadium (1977), Freewill - Toronto Rocks / Rolling Stones Concert (2003), Closer to the Heart - Canadian Tsunami Disaster Fund charity telethon performance on CBC television (2005) (Disc 2 Interview Footage): Interview at Ivor Wynne Stadium (1977) - A Farewell to Kings Tour, Studio interview at Le Studio, Montreal while recording the album Signals (1981), Artist of the Decade (1980s) featuring all 3 members (1991), Interview for release of the album Vapor Trails (2004), CBC Television: Juno Award news report - RUSH induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1994) 2-DVD, Anthem, 6682520039, November 2005, Canada (Region 1, NTSC) 2-DVD, Rounder Records, DVZOE 1082, November 2005, US (Region 1, NTSC) 2-DVD, Sanctuary, SVEDF0216, November 2005, UK + Europe (Region 0, PAL) Notes: The DVD was released on 22^nd November in Canada and the US, and on 28^th November 2005 in the UK and Europe. The deluxe edition is due for release in Japan on 22^nd February 2006. No release dates have been announced for other regions.

R30: 30^th Anniversary World Tour – Deluxe Edition

Tracks (CD Disc 1): R30 Overture (Finding My Way, Bastille Day, Anthem, A Passage To Bangkok, Cygnus X-1, Hemispheres), The Spirit of Radio, Force Ten, Animate, Subdivisions, Earthshine, Red Barchetta, Roll The Bones, The Seeker, Tom Sawyer, Dreamline Tracks (CD Disc 2): Between the Wheels, Mystic Rhythms, Der Trommler (drum solo), Resist, Heart Full of Soul, 2112, Xanadu, Working Man, Summertime Blues, Crossroads, Limelight 2-DVD + 2CD , Anthem, 668520029, November 2005, Canada (Region 1, NTSC) 2-DVD + 2CD, Rounder Records, DVZOE 1083, November 2005, US (Region 1, NTSC) 2-DVD + 2CD, Sanctuary, SVEDF0217, November 2005, UK + Europe (Region 0, PAL) 2-DVD + 2CD, Victor Entertainment, VIZP 39, February 2006, Japan (Region 2, NTSC) Notes: The deluxe edition includes 2CDs in addition to the 2DVDs, the bonus CDs featuring the concert soundtrack, plus two limited edition guitar picks and a backstage pass. The release dates are the same as the standard edition.

R30 – UK Promo DVD

Tracks: same as regular DVD 2DVD, Sanctuary, SVEDF0216, October 2005, UK Notes: These are labelled as ‘check discs’, and were distributed as promotional copies. Pictures and details courtesy of Jim Wright.

R30 – UK Concert Excerpts DVD-R

Tracks: R30 Overture, The Spirit Of Radio, Xanadu DVD-R, Noble PR/Sanctuary, October 2005, UK Notes: The disc is labelled as a ‘screening copy’, and was distributed in very limited numbers. Pictures and details courtesy of Jim Wright.

R30 Sampler – US Promo CD

Tracks: Tom Sawyer, R30 Overture, Working Man CD, Zoe Records, 011431082-9 PSI-01, November 2005, US Notes:

R30 Sampler – UK Promo CD

Tracks: R30 Overture (Finding My Way, Bastille Day, Anthem, A Passage To Bangkok, Cygnus X-1, Hemispheres), The Spirit of Radio, Force Ten, Animate, Subdivisions, Earthshine, Red Barchetta, Roll The Bones, The Seeker, Tom Sawyer, Dreamline CD, Sanctuary, SVEPRO217, November 2005, UK Notes: This is the first audio disc from the deluxe DVD package, in a jewel case, with picture front and back inserts.

R30 CD Sampler – UK Promo CD-R

Tracks: Tom Sawyer, R30 Overture (Finding My Way, Bastille Day, Anthem, A Passage To Bangkok, Cygnus X-1, Hemispheres), Working Man CD-R, Sanctuary, SVEPRO217, November 2005, UK Notes: This sampler comes in similar packaging to the ‘R30 sampler’, with a front and back insert. It also shares the same catalogue number, but only features three tracks and is a CDR, with details and song titles printed in black ink. (Pictures and details courtesy of Andre Westendorp).

R30 CD Sampler – UK Promo CD-R

Tracks: Tom Sawyer, R30 Overture (Finding My Way, Bastille Day, Anthem, A Passage To Bangkok, Cygnus X-1, Hemispheres), Working Man

CD-R, Sanctuary, SVEPRO217, November 2005, UK

Notes: This sampler comes in a plastic sleeve with wraparound insert, It shares the same catalogue number as the ‘R30 Sampler’ and was manufactured in the UK for use in Europe. It features three tracks and is a CDR, with a printed adhesive label.

R30 – Japanese Promo DVD

Tracks: same as regular DVD 2DVD, Victor, VIZP 39, ?, Japan Notes:

Links and Further Information:

The latest official news is available at Rush.com

The background to the filming is included in an article at Front Of House Online, ‘Rushing Into Something New’ by Dan Daley

The first Press Release from Noble PR

Exclusive interview with Neil Peart at Noble PR

DVD Times review

Popmatters review

Article in Billboard, 13^th October, including interview with Geddy Lee

Article in Billboard, 16^th December, including interview with Alex Lifeson

Podcasts of an interview with Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee for New York’s Q104.3 radio station are available via iTunes or their web site.

A Podcast of an interview with Alex Lifeson for Detroit’s WRIF radio station is available via iTunes

An interview with Alex Lifeson for Chicago’s The Loop radio station is available at their web site

Interview with Geddy Lee at Fender.com

Video interview with Geddy Lee at Ultimateguitar.com

Interview with Geddy Lee at MTV.com

Interview with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, by Eddie Trunk (different from VH1’s Behind the Music)

Interview with Alex Lifeson in Sound & Vision magazine, February 2006, available at their web site

Numerous video clips from the DVD are available:

1. Xanadu at Rush.com

2. Tom Sawyer at Zoe Records

3. R30 Overture at Rush.com, and Yahoo! Music

4. Closer To The Heart at Sanctuary Music

5. Limelight at Sanctuary Music

6. The Spirit Of Radio at Rush,com, and Trailer Player

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