« Back to Top Level | Rush

Rush - Blackforest (Frankfurt May 28, 1979) (1979)

Track listing:
  1. Anthem 4:17
  2. A Passage To Bangkok 3:57
  3. By-Tor And The Snow Dog 5:18
  4. Xanadu 12:08
  5. Something For Nothing 4:31
  6. The Trees 4:58
  7. Cygnus X-1 9:28
  8. Hemispheres 19:50
  9. Closer To The Heart 3:21
  10. A Farewell To Kings 5:40
  11. La Villa Strangiato 10:35
  12. 2112 19:00
  13. Working Man 3:37
  14. Bastille Day 1:38
  15. In The Mood 2:43
  16. Drum Solo 5:10

Notes

May 28, 1979
Stadhalle
Offenbach, Germany

Comments: An excellent soundboard recording. For fans of the epic song era of Rush this is the Holy Grail. The sound is great with every little nuance coming through clear. You can even hear Geddy whisper 'schoop' into a mic during Xanadu to make sure it is turned on before he starts to sing. The band puts on a terrific performance and are in top notch form. Some highlights are an amazing performance of 2112, the cool little ditty before Working Man, and of course a complete performance of both Cygnus X-I and Hemispheres. The audience noise is very low, almost inaudible. One weird note is that during the beginning of Cygnus X-1 you can clearly hear someone say 'Alex is God'. This brings us to the controversy of this recording. Evidentially the shows in Germany during the tour had to be cut down in length so Something For Nothing and Cygnus X-1 were dropped for many shows. When this recording first surfaced it had splices between these songs leading many to feel that they were added from another source. An absolute answer will probably never be known. There is a version of the show being traded that omits these two tracks but I have chosen to trade the version that includes them. It is very difficult to distinguish and sound difference so I enjoy the 'full' setlist even if it is from two sources. If those two tracks are in fact from another source, then there is another pristine Hemispheres soundboard waiting to be discovered. Overall, a must have for any Rush collector.