HTF Rush fans: Seeking info. on Japanese EXIT . . . STAGE LEFT and CHRONICLES DVDs (1 Viewer)

[Paul.S]

Howdy guys:
I recently came across a couple of eBay auctions for what are seemingly Japanese DVD releases of two of Rush's video titles: the 1981 concert film Exit . . . Stage Left and the 1990 video compilation Chronicles. The discs are also available through an e-tailer called CD Japan that I just learned of recently: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/search.html?type=NC&word=rush&restrict=DVD

I'm wondering if these are legitimate releases or pirated/bootleg copies, perhaps mastered from the laserdiscs of these titles. Although I can not confirm this by looking at the covers above, one auction Item Description stated that these are PolyGram Video releases. That's curious to me because Universal Music Group bought PolyGram over two years ago.
Perhaps it is my inexperience with Japanese software product, but it's also a little curious to me that the discs are not available through mainstream, Region 2 e-tailers like www.Amazon.co.uk or Blackstar. Although the U.K. is of course PAL, we in the U.S. share the NTSC standard with Japan.
Can anyone who has purchased these discs vouch for their legitimacy? Also, what is the audio/video quality like?
Cheers,
Paul

 

[Jeff_A]

I own (and enjoy) my share of RUSH, but I have never been fanatical. That looks fantastic though! Is this for real?
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The Dark Tower

[Edited last by Jeff Amaris on August 05, 2001 at 05:39 PM]

 

[Paul.S]

Jeff:

That looks fantastic though! Is this for real?

If by "for real" you mean 'do these discs exist and are they for sale in Japan and online?,' then the answer is "yes."
My questions concern whether or not these titles are authorized, legitimate releases or not and, if so, what their aud/vid quality is like.
Cheers,
Paul

 

[TheLongshot]

My questions concern whether or not these titles are authorized, legitimate releases or not and, if so, what their aud/vid quality is like.

Well, if it is being sold at CD Japan, it is probably legit. They are probably the biggest exporter in Japan.
Now how good these are are a good question. The only way to find out is to get them. $32 bucks each isn't bad for these. Course, shipping will be a ton.
Jason
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My DVD Collection

 

[Roger Mathus]

The referenced RUSH titles appear to be on the Columbia label which is legit but my experience is that titles on that label are bare bones and not of the highest picture quality.

 

[Paul.S]

Jason and Roger:

The referenced RUSH titles appear to be on the Columbia label which is legit but my experience is that titles on that label are bare bones and not of the highest picture quality.

Thank you both for your input and comments.
Roger: is (Nippon) Columbia a Sony company? Any insight on why rights-holder UMG would sublicense distribution of these titles to Columbia even though I would make the educated guess that Universal's own distribution arm (UMVD - Universal Music & Video Distribution) distributes (other) titles in Japan?
Paul

 

[Michael Bermudez]

I have read on one of the Rush lists(from which seems like a fairly reliable source) that the Exit...Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure, Chronicles, and A Show of Hands videos are being prepared for DVD release by the end of the year.
Reference to the info: http://www.worldwidewebtour.com/cgi-...c&f=2&t=000628

 

[Roger Mathus]

Paul, to my knowledge Nippon Columbia is not affiliated with Sony. In Japan, distribution rights are not always the same as in the U.S. due to distribution rights deals that seem to date back a long time. Universal/Dreamworks DVDs are distributed by Sony.

 

[Paul.S]

Michael and Roger:
Thank you both very much for the replies.

Quote:

Roger - Very interesting. Perhaps I placed too much stock in both the formerly CBS-owned Columbia Records label (Loverboy, anyone?) and the formerly Coca Cola-owned Columbia Pictures both now being owned by Sony. I surmised that this Japanese distribution company (Nippon) Columbia would be owned by Sony Corporation as well.
I have very recently received .jpg scans of the actual Exit . . . Stage Left disc, the back cover of the jewel box, the spine sleeve and each page of the liner notes from a gentleman who purchased the DVD while traveling in Japan. If anyone would like them, please post/e-mail me and I can forward them to you.
Not unlike your experience with other Nippon Columbia titles Roger, this individual said that the video and audio quality (despite it being labeled 16-bit/48k PCM, which would technically be an improvement over the LD) is very poor. Caveat emptor.
Cheers,
Paul

 

[John Becker]

I have both of these. I bought them from Laser Exchange, http://www.laserexchange.com/ . I just searched that site and they still list both of them, although only one is presently in stock.
They were more expensive there than ordering direct from the Japanese dealer, but shipping was less.
Both are coded for region 2 only, so you will need an all region player to view them.
The quality of both is definitely not up to what DVD is capable of.
I also have Exit Stage Left on LD, both the US and Japanese versions. I thought the Japanese LD was also inferior in quality to the US LD.
It appears to me that the US market for music videos is not very strong. The number of older titles previously available on tape or LD which have been released so far on DVD is disappointing.
I bought these thinking they may be available only for a limited time and there is no certainty they will ever be released in the US. I don't regret having bought them, but I had hoped the quality would be better.
John

 

[Paul.S]

John:
Thanks for your post . . . and welcome to HTF. I'm flattered that apparently mine was the first thread you posted to.

Quote:



I have both of these. I bought them from Laser Exchange, http://www.laserexchange.com/ "
I disagree with your comment that "the US market for music videos is not very strong." I would argue that the market is being is being underserved by publishers/"content providers"/record labels who have indeed--with the exception in my opinion of Sony/Columbia Music Video--released a very disappointing number of music titles. I think one need not look farther than Hell Freezes Over for evidence of the notion that, "If they build it, we will come." That title has been released in five different iterations on disc (2-channel CD and LD, DTS CD and LD and, finally, DVD) and has sold very well for Image. If I were (UMG President) Doug Morris, I'd be embarrassed that my company is the global music market share leader but has a paltry share of the music DVD market compared to Image Entertainment.
Rush's current label Atlantic has released music titles for label mates Brandy and Hootie & the Blowfish, so my formerly held theory that management turmoil in the wake of the Vivendi merger was precluding much attention from being focused on music DVD releases doesn't really hold water.
I'm hoping that UMG will release (some if not all of) the bands five catalog titles in conjunction with their expected new studio album next spring. But I have little faith that UMG is paying any attention to the expected release timeframe of one of their former artists now recording for a different company.
Thanks again for your input!
Cheers,
Paul

 

[Timothy H]

I purchased "Exit Stage Left" from CD Japan - It is legit. They do have pretty fast shipping, but high s&h costs. This DVD is bare bones. No menus or anything - put the DVD in and it starts to play the program. I still enjoy it, for it is the only way to purchase this title at the present time. Still waiting for the rumoured "Test for Echo" tour to be released on DVD.

 

[Michael Bermudez]

Timothy,
I do not think the Test for Echo tour will ever be released on DVD. Supposedly when they recorded the shows in Toronto the audio and video were out of sync. To fix the synchronization problems, they would need to correct the recording frame by frame and that would be an exorbitant cost to them.

 

[Paul.S]

Timothy:
Thanks for your post . . . and welcome to HTF. It would appear that my thread is bringing out some HTF "newbies"/"lurkers" who are Rush fans: you're the second guy in this rather short thread so far who has joined the Forum and then made my thread the first to which he posted that same day of joining.

I think that what was being prepared was actually a Different Stages video release in conjunction with the CD. Ged has stated in interviews that a lot of the Counterparts and Test For Echo tour dates were recorded in anticipation of such a release. But, at this point, I wouldn't hold your breath. I've read from less reliable sources a lot of unsubstantiated talk of a technical problem that purportedly scuttled this project. See both the Rush Interactive Network thread which Michael (Bermudez) links to in his post above and the following two different threads for more

on this subject (chatter to which I've contributed my 2.5 cents as "PW Paul"):
http://www.worldwidewebtour.com/cgi-...c&f=1&t=002863
http://www.worldwidewebtour.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=003251#0000 11
Even if the alleged technical problem is resolved, Geddy has intimated that Atlantic Records is less-than-interested in releasing the project. Ged has encouraged fans to contact the label encouraging the release of previously-unreleased material, including in this interview, apparently conducted at about the time of the release of My Favorite Headache:
http://www.r-u-s-h.com/barnesandnoble/
Cheers,
Paul

 

[Paul.S]

After posing a lot of questions to Mr. Gilray (whom I mention above and who still communicates with SRO, Rush's management company), it has recently come to my attention that the two DVDs which are the subject of this thread may be replaced by domestic, um, counterparts.
I am relating this information here because, as of this writing, Amazon.com has listed a domestic, Region 1 release of Chronicles for September 25th.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...906477-7927742
The information that has been brought to my attention via Mr. Gilray (whose source is SRO) confirms this, but states a street date of September 18.
I continue to ask lots of questions of "my" source about UMG's timetable for releasing (other) Rush catalog video titles and I am keeping my eyes "peeled" for a press release from UMG.
If anyone sees it before I post it (or a link thereto) here, I'd appreciate your doing so. Although I'm at DVDFile and The Bits daily, I've rarely seen press releases at the latter and the former's press release focus is primarily on feature film DVD releases.
Cheers,
Paul
[Edited last by PaulSuarez on August 21, 2001 at 10:25 PM]

 

[Rob Gillespie]

No menus or anything - put the DVD in and it starts to play the program

I like the sound of that