Snakes & Arrows Live

Triumphant touring of Rush along the world arenas

Rockers Rush released almost as many live records during their glorious history, as they made in the studio. It is difficult to estimate, which of their discs were of greater value for the fans, as each show by Rush, speaking without any exaggeration, is the masterpiece of live music. Canadian musicians amuse the listeners with the well-cooperated work during the concerts and brilliant performance for almost forty years. Each of the Rush’s members is known and appreciated in the rock circles for the unique play. In 2007, the artists entertained the public with their Snakes & Arrows disc after five years of silence. Considering the other band’s come back, the audience could be rather reluctant about the thing, but not in case with Rush! Although the peak of their fame was in 80s, rockers are still loved and remembered. The entirely sold out world tour in the support of the disc is one more prove of this fact. During the first part of this tour, they recorded Snakes & Arrows Live that was released a year later. This double album is a fresh interpretation of the songs from their last full-length, which is surely supreme in the context of the last ten years of Rush’s activity.

Snakes & Arrows Live: new incarnation of favorite songs

It is no secret that the style of Rush changed during the whole their career. Musicians tried progressive rock, new wave and hard rock as the prior streams. It all resulted in their own, unique fusion, combining all the tried styles. Snakes & Arrows Live mirrored the last sound experiments by Rush - the preference of acoustic guitar instead of the electric one, composing approach to the song-writing and re-establishment of the good old times of studio jams during the record of entirely instrumental tracks. The song Armor And Sword is wonderful not only because of the cymbal solo in the beginning - it features virtuoso guitar play by Lifeson and massive bass sounds. The elaborated instrumental thing The Main Monkey Business with the philosophic text is also worth appreciation. Workin' Them Angels demonstrates the high-level craft of Geddy Lee as the vocalist, while the one hundred per cent hit Far Cry in the triumph of Peart’s songwriting. It should be stated that the album features not only the Snakes & Arrows tracks, but also adored by fans Rush’s long-time hits. Thus, such well-known songs as Tom Sawyer, The Spirit Of Radio and Distant Early Warning got a new life on this album. Snakes & Arrows: Live is closed by three encore tracks by Rush, performed specially for the roaring crowd - highly poetical One Little Victory, historical Passage To Bangkok and hit of 1981 titled YYZ.

Perfection, mastered with years

This wonderful and extremely strong live album was recorded during two October nights in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on the stage of indoor Ahoy Arena. Perfect acoustics of the building stressed the masterful play of all three musicians - or, as they are often jokingly called, “the sacred trinity”. Geddy Lee’s singing and playing the bass overdid all the expectations - his vocals became more mature and low, while his bass riffs gone more sophisticated and precise. The acoustic guitar play of Alex Lifeson was really polished and expressive. But drummer and author of the majority of the bands lyrics, Neil Peart, manage to stay the most striking member of Rush. In 90s, the artist suffered two private tragedies that took the lives of his wife and daughter - the musician left Rush after this shock, but came back in a year and started writing the most gorgeous texts for the whole history of this progressive rock command. The Snakes & Arrows Live is not merely the moment of fame for Peart - it is also the demonstration of his mastership in the quality of percussionist. Peart played as a maniac on the concert at his extended drum set, featuring a variety of exotic drum instruments and a synthesizer with samples - and it can be well heard on the record. Snakes & Arrows: Live was done with so mush of skill and energy that it is sure to leave no one indifferent to the creativity by Rush.