Brian O

Rush - Chronicles Video Collection DVD???

I need reviews of this DVD.
Thank you

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Paul.S

Brian:

As is typical of the DVD Websites I read everyday (the Bits and the 'File), they are woefully remiss in their coverage of DVD music titles. (I think Bill at the former site should change his tagline from "We Know DVD" to "We Know Movie DVD-Video.") Absent online or print reviews (I have found none), I'll offer some comments of my own:

I have some minor navigational/authoring and mastering problems with the disc (the menu design is rudimentary; the audio upcuts at the beginning and chops off the tail end of a few songs).

The audio is serviceable to good. I don't know why the Dolby Digital 2.0 track was included. There is a PCM track.

The video looks exactly like what it is: approximately 15 + year-old stuff, shot 1.33:1. Dodgy stuff if you've gotten used to looking at Gladiator.

If you're a Rush fan with a DVD player, of course you're going to want to have this, but I continue to eagerly await newer releases of newer material. (For instance, a video compilation that includes all of the vids the band has shot since Presto).

Also, although billed as "previously unreleased" (on this title at least), the "Afterimage" and "The Enemy Within" vids included herein were of course on the Through the Camera Eye release back in 1984.

Finally, I had difficulty getting a copy of this disc through my usual DVD/CD e-tailers (800.com and TowerRecords.com, respectively). Indeed, this September 25 release is still out of stock at the former site. I ended up (eek!) walking into a Wherehouse here in West L.A. to buy this title.

Cheers,
Paul

Mike Broadman

As a die-hard Rush fan, I almost bought this one. But I had seen the videos before. I generally dislike videos (music is to be heard, not seen), and Rush's are particularly awful, especially the 80s stuff. It's good for a laugh if you love giggling at the horrid early 80s editing and cheasy video effects of the late 70s. The video for Hold Your Fire is the most amusing, featuring the band and the chick who sings the refrain looking like paper cut-outs flying around the screen for some reason.

I knew that I would only watch it once, then leave it on the shelf to collect dust forever, so I left it in the store.

Paul.S

Mike:

Although I largely agree with you about the '80s cheese' of some of Rush's videos, I think it is important to look at those videos within the context of the times in which they were shot.

Personally, I find that there is still some enjoyable stuff here. The "Distant Early Warning" vid, which I have always liked, has chilling, added impact post-September 11.

The "Afterimage" video is still an emotional accompaniment to an already emotionally intense song (which, again, I find has increased poignancy post-September 11). I dig the look of the band circa this time: Ged with the Steinberger; a boyish-looking Alex workin' that whammy bar on his black Fender Strat; and Neil, knocking the hell outta his old, red Tama kit--using matched grip, thank you very much--whilst his tail flies.

"Time Stand Still" (not "Hold Your Fire") is playful and kinda fun. I'm glad Aimee Mann was available/wanted to be in the vid. IMO, this vid actually represents progress of sorts for the band: it has a lighter tone that I think is readily apparent when you view the vids on this disc in order.

Which brings me back to my desire to see all the vids they have shot since then on DVD . . .

Cheers,
Paul

Brian Perry

I think the older stuff is the best. Too bad they didn't video all of the recording of Moving Pictures.

One quirk I noticed is that for the hidden "bonus" videos, the audio defaults to PCM. (It's no big deal.)

As others mentioned, Rush fans will probably want this despite the shortcomings.

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Home Theater Pictures

Rob Gillespie

I think Mike is referring to Time Stand Still, during which you see someone decided to get overly friendly with a Quantel Paintbox The female singer is Aimee Mann, who did the songs for PT Anderson's Magnolia.

Paul.S

Rob et al.:



LOL. Yeah, I mentioned this and one other point of correction/clarification in one of my earlier posts in this thread.

Cheers,
Paul

Sergio Martorelli

Just bought it. EXTREMELY disappointing, I must say.

The Who: 30 Years of Maximum R&B Live is over 2 1/2 hours long, has VERY old clips, and the image/sound quality is as close to pristine as they could get. Even the U-Matic/Quadriplex video stuff is presentable.

Rush: Chronicles is just a little over one hour long, video and sound quality is just a tad above VHS, and there are LOTS of essential clips missing (Xanadu, Spirits of the Radio, The Body Electric, Roll the Bones, Countdown, Vital Signs and a couple of others).

(And the more disappointing thing is that the Afterimage clip (the song that started all the rumours about Neil Peart´s "death", BTW) DOES have images from The Body Electric...)

What kept Mercury from cramming ALL Rush promo videos in one single DVD (there aren´t THAT many, to begin with!), cleaning up the image and boosting up the sound? Yeah, the PCM track is finer than the Dolby 2.0, but some of the songs really could have a 5.1 re-mix.

I know that Rush fans were eager for ANYTHING by Rush since DVD was invented by Graham Bell in 1875, but this DVD can be easily called a scam. No extras, poor image quality, poor sound. We surely deserved better.

Paul.S

Sergio:

Several comments regarding your post. Although I have issues with this disc--not unlike my comment regarding the vids themselves to Mike Broadman in my post #4 above--I think its important to look at this disc in the broader context. I think calling this DVD a "scam" is a harsh overstatement.

Rush's last Mercury Records release was in 1989 (Mercury, via its former parent PolyGram's acquisition by Universal, is now part of Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam Music Group). "The Rush Remasters" aside, as evinced in comments Ged has made in interviews, Mercury has unfortunately shown very little interest in releasing catalog or new titles created from older material for the band. The Chronicles DVD is essentially a direct port of the content that was on the LD and VHS (with the addition of the "previously unreleased" "The Enemy Within" and "Afterimage" vids). Although it would be nice, record companies don't always take the opportunity of a catalog title re-release on a new format to remaster the title for improved image and/or sound quality. FAR be it from me to sound like an apologist for what Mercury has done here--but I AM happy that the disc was at least released at all. I still wish they would simply at least do the same thing for Rush's four other concert films and video compilations.


Was there even a video proper for "The Spirit Of Radio"? I don't think so. Of course it appears as a live performance on both GUP and ASoH, but I don't think there ever was a conceptual music video shot for this song.

Ditto for "Xanadu," which there is a live performance of on ESL.

"The Body Electric," "Countdown" and "Vital Signs" all appear on Through the Camera Eye.

"Roll the Bones" is of course the title track from their 1991 album that is on Atlantic. Mercury doesn't own the rights to it so the vid for it is not going to appear on a Mercury release.

Sorry Sergio, but this is simply not true. I just went back and watched the still-powerful "Afterimage" vid and, although I can't cue up the "The Body Electric" vid to compare ['cuz there's no freakin' TtCE DVD!], I remember that vid well and there's no common footage between the two. "Afterimage" was directed by Tim Pope. Perhaps you are confusing the "The Body Electric" and the "The Enemy Within" vids? Those two vids have similar styles and are both directed by Annabel Jenkel and Rocky Morton.


It's a good question but, again, the will does not appear to be there on the label's part. Absent doing a new compilation, my desire is just to see direct ports of TtCE, ESL, GUP and ASoH to DVD. Also, bear in mind that Atlantic owns the rights to all vids from 1989 on. These are the vids that have NEVER been released at all on home video--no VHS, no LD, no nuttin'!


Indeed.

Repeatedly delayed, Rush In Rio is now skedded for release this fall. Ironically enough, it was shot in your hometown!

Cheers,
Paul

Mark Klaus

Paul,

Do you have any further info on this release? I checked the official Rush site and didn't find anything. I saw Rush at DTE in Detroit during this tour