Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD]
by Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen
![Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD]](/images/Rush-Beyond-the-Lighted-Stage-2-DVD-B003J27WFW-L.jpg)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: RushDirector: Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen
Brand: Alfred Publishing
Cinematographer: Martin Hawkes
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 107 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2010-06-29
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Zoe Records
Product features:
- Personality DVD
- Rush
Movie Reviews of Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD]
Movie Review: A 'boring' history? Hardly!
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, I just want to state for the record that some of my knowledge of certain rare songs and footage is limited because I only watched (and taped) the edited version on VH-1, and only 90-minutes of it, at that.
But I was SO exited by what I did see that I just had to share with you my thoughts on this documentary. I heard that they thought a history of themselves would be boring. First of all, there are NO 'boring' histories in rock and roll--trios that stay together for a long time, like themselves, ZZ Top, and (until recently) Grand Funk Railroad, seem to have this 'inferiority' complex about themselves, like they're only "standing on the shoulders of giants". Well, let me tell you, even if they never even get a "peep" inside the hallowed halls of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, it was the city of Cleveland itself, as you'll find out, who put them on the map, and they are 'giants' in the eyes of many rock fans, and as you'll see on this DVD--many rock musicians themselves.
But my take on their story: I found it particularly interesting the fact that Alex and Geddy were both the sons of European immigrants in Canada. Why their parents decided to settle there instead of the US, where there are more communities of Jews and Slavs like themselves is a mystery to me, but I can only imagine this reference point had a bonding effect between the two of them. It also probably gave them this "us against the world" mentality that would be put to good use in their music later. Geddy's Jewish mother, in particular, reminds me a lot of Gene Simmons' Jewish mother--she has that "Zsa Zsa Gabor"-vibe about her, perhaps that's one way Gene relates well to Geddy.
With drummer John Rutsey on board, the three of them got started, probably aspiring to be like Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but closer to the Blue Cheer/Grand Funk Railroad/James Gang, riff-heavy, boogie-oreiented hard rock mold, at least that's the way a lot of their early songs on this DVD sound like--by the way, I love the sound of just the snipets of those rare early songs, and I would dearly love to know if they would ever be made avaiable anywhere other than this DVD. Like a lot of other North American bands in the early-70s getting started on their way to fame (Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Kansas) they had a hard time finding places to play, not just because they were underage, but also like those other groups, they would only play their own original material and refused to play "top 40". Mostly, they were limited to high school gyms, so you see this funny photo of Rush playing in a gym with big amplifiers, a double drum-kit, and (laugh!) a basketball goal in between them! Heavy rock in a high school looked like it had its difficulties! There were some interesting peculiarites, I suppose, relating to Canadian society here--poor John Rutsey, the drummer, had to "coach" the crowd on how to put their hands together to clap along to the music, and the kids respond in a very robotic way (lends to the stereotype that Canadians have no rhythm!) Speaking of which, I would really love to know where they got the video footage of them playing in a school auditorium in the early days--even more, where they got footage of Alex as a teenager telling his parents that he didn't want to college. It seems really odd (but cool at the same time) that they had this, because it's not a re-creation of what happened, and on the other hand, it can't be from a home movie because it has sound? So how and why was this filmed, I wonder? Obviously, it was before they had a recording contract and got popular?
But the most interesting story for me is what happened to their original drummer John Rutsey. I always wondered why he only lasted that first album. Well, in the first of many pararlells, like Bob Burns from Lynyrd Skynyrd, he was only in the band from the get-go for convenience--he was a neighbour who happened to have a drum kit! Like Burns, he was out of the band when they got serious and he couldn't handle the fame. However, unlike Burns from Skynyrd, just from the footage shown here, he seemed to be actively involved in Rush--even the band's spokesperson on occasion! And just like Lynyrd Skynyrd--almost at the very same time in their history (late-74/early-75), who found a more serious professional drummer in Artimus Pyle, Rush found theirs' at the same time in Neal Peart. Funny thing is, they went from having John Rutsey, who actually 'looked' more like a rock star, to the "nerdy" Neal Peart, who at the time looked to be sporting a bad "David Bowie mullet". But apparantely, all was forgiven once they heard him drum! Ironically enough, it was a nerdy looking female DJ at WMMS in Cleveland who they owe all their American success to, playing their record and bringing them to the attention of Mercury records in Chicago, who quickly signed them, probably adding to their "nerd-lore". They are forever in her debt, I'm sure! So the first album is released, followed up quickly by "Fly By Night" in 1975, and then just like all record companies in the 70s, when it comes around to the third album and their have been no hit singles--they start to get restless! Enter yet another pararllel, that of Kansas, who at the very same time had come out with their debut, and then "Song For America" in 1975, when their label, CBS, came calling for hits. Defiantly, Kansas put out an even-less commercial record in late-'75 called "Masque", and at the very same time in late-'75, Rush came out with their less-commerical record in "Caress of Steel". Seems late-'75 was a time for progressive bands to say to their record companies "Up yours, we'll do what we want, or die trying!" The difference here was that the very next year, Kansas came out with "Leftoverture" and finally had their hit ("Carry on Wayward Son", which was purely by accident, of course. The record was already finished when they decided to have an "end-of-record jam. Then they made the last minute decision to put it on, and the rest is history) and Rush still had to wait a few years.
Interestingly enough, "the Rush story" could have ended there. In 1976, "2112" was the album that was to be their "swan song"--a masterpiece it was, but the starving artists and "martyrs to the cause" they were, they were actually willing to go back to the farm or other low-paying jobs if this didn't work out and Mercury decided to drop them! Think of all that wasted talent they put forth on this album, arguably their best record acording to many fans,and they would actually be willing to demote themselves and give up music altogether if they were let go by their label. If indeed the Rush story ended there, only five years and three albums after they got started, we probably wouldn't be talking about this DVD--at best, they would have ended up in a "where are they now?" segment. Fortunately for Rush, they found another road to fame--album sales, and "2112" became their first gold record, influencing a whole new generation of rock fans and musicians, many of whom came out of the woodwork to sing its' praises on this DVD. Hard to believe, the record that they were going to put out and go back to the farm on, was the one that became their most influential! But it was through "album sales", and not having to have "hit singles", that kept them going. They kept their contract with Mercury and the fans response to "2112" kept them wanting to put more elaborate progressive rock for years to come!
But it was those early years in particular that interested me the most. The rise to stardom is always a "heart warming story". One particular minor detail that struck me most about the band's early sound, at least up until the 80s, was Alex Lifeson's guitar of choice being one of those old-style Gibson hollow-body guitars, which footage shows him playing on many of their most famous early songs. Not the most likely guitar you find a rock guitarist in the 70s playing, but it seems he could get a REALLY good sound out of it! No footage, however, of "Working Man", but if that's the same guitar he played on that tune, that's the guitar I want to buy!
The nicest thing about this video biography is the surprising (or not so surprising!) number, and variety, of musicians talking glowingly of Rush, everyone from "Death Cab for Cutie" to "Metallica", giving legitmacy to their body of work, as all great tributes should be. Again, this is a band who owes everything to a Cleveland radio station willing to take a chance on their first album, even if a certain museum in Cleveland never takes a chance on inducting them!
Summary of Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD]
2011 GRAMMY NOMINEE: BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEORush is one of rock's most influential bands. Ranked third in consecutive gold or platinum albums after The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, the band enjoys a devoted following by legions around the world and is revered by generations of musicians. Yet, their incredible success story has, up to this point, remained largely untold. Now comes the new documentary Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage, the first comprehensive exploration of the extraordinary power trio. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with notables such as Jack Black, Billy Corgan, Trent Reznor, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Kirk Hammett (Metallica) and Gene Simmons, this film explores the forty-year career and phenomenon behind what could be the world's biggest cult band. This 2-disc DVD in deluxe packaging features over 3 hours of video, including a 1.5 hour bonus disc of never-before-seen live performances, special features, and deleted scenes from the film. A 12 page color booklet of rare and unreleased photos is also included.
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