Mastering the art of a good live album is tricky business. And yet, somewhere out there, there are great live albums. And by the laws of logic, one of them has to be the single greatest live album of all time. Is Rush's Exit... Stage Left this very album? Well, there has to be one.
For many music fans, Rush's biggest claim to fame is gaining spots on hard rock compilations such as 18 Headbangers from the 80's with the radio-friendly hit, "Tom Sawyer." Singer/bassist Geddy Lee's trademark high-pitched vocals only add to this image and often are too much for a listener to handle.
Though today the group might constantly find itself sandwiched between heavy metal heroes such as Whitesnake and Winger, Rush has never really been a slave to big hair and scary-looking guitars. The members of Rush are rock stars, yes, but above all they are extremely underrated musicians and Exit... Stage Left is the group's most underrated achievement.
Released at the height of the band's popularity in 1981, Exit... Stage Left almost feels as if Rush really picked the single best moments of several tours and put them together, not to create the illusion of a perfect show but rather to showcase some of the group's most successful highlights.
The result is one of the few live albums on which every minute is full of intensity and interesting sounds that the listener never gets sick of. This is the kind of record that presents something new with every listen, no matter how frequent.
The disc kicks off with the energized guitar opening to "The Spirit of Radio," a rocking celebratory anthem that far exceeds the studio version with its solidity and ability to stimulate the audience. The elaborate instrumental "YYZ" features an additional five-minute solo from drummer Neil Peart that blows away the mindless pounding of any other rock percussionist with its stunning complexity.
The band's very intricate live sound is what makes this album. Lee's growling bass mixes with Peart's precise and mind-boggling drumming to create one of the most solid rhythm sections in power trio history, while guitarist Alex Lifeson's smoothly distorted picking sails over top. And these songs are not just idiotic "headbangers" -- frequent key changes, tempo shifting and difficult instrumentation occur in just about every song.
But Exit has its shining simple moments as well. "Broon's Bane," a beautiful solo piece played on an acoustic classical guitar, demonstrates Lifeson's virtuosity and ability to chill out when the time is right. The fan favorite, "Closer to the Heart," is presented here with the vocals of a passionate audience singing along, giving the song a nice touch that accents its "happy society" message far more than the somewhat limited studio version.
The best moments are epic live versions of some of the group's lengthy pieces. Complicated songs like the poignant "Jacob's Ladder," the 11-minute prog-rock opus, "Xanadu," and the group's talent-showcasing closer, "La Villa Strangiato," come off without flaw. Even the FM hits, such as "Tom Sawyer," have a uniqueness to them that makes the listener wonder how these songs were ever considered "radio-friendly" in the first place.
Rush may not be the best band of all time. They may have long, rock star haircuts and goofy double bass drums that shimmer with the band's awesome logo. But Exit ... Stage Left should not be thrown away into the same bin as that Arena Rock, Volume 3 CD (that, to its credit, does feature "Tom Sawyer"). It is a classic masterpiece that demonstrates Rush at the peak of its songwriting and sonic evolution.
