Rush
Exit... Stage Left

Rush - Exit… Stage Left (1981)

With “Exit… Stage Left”, the three Canadian geniuses known as Rush produce what I consider their most fascinating live album. The tracklist is quite comprehensive, including works from “Fly By Night” (1975), “2112” (1976), “A Farewell To Kings” (1977), “Hemispheres” (1978), “Permanent Waves” (1980), and “Moving Pictures” (1981), in my opinion, their best albums. It kicks off strongly with the hit “The Spirit Of Radio”. Here, the blend of blues, catchy choruses, and the mastery of musical techniques we've come to expect from the masters give life to truly engaging atmospheres, even more so than those created in the studio recordings.
After the stunning “Red Barchetta”, the third song is the legendary “YYZ”, an instrumental that has become a must for the trio. The intro of bells starts from nowhere and the crowd cheers: then it's a continuous back and forth that ends up falling into the void… but then enters His Majesty Neil Peart with one of his phenomenal solos: jaw-dropping.
As if nothing happened, they immediately pick up the song again, and once more the crowd bursts. In this performance of “YYZ”, lies all the greatness of Rush: the ability to engage the audience by perfectly blending different styles. And the listening certainly says much more than any words.

After “A Passage To Bangkok”, “Closer To The Heart”, and the brief “Beneath, Between & Behind” (all masterly rearranged), a bit of smoothness! This is the lovely intro of “Jacob’s Ladder”: but Lee's sharp notes immediately awaken from the temporary "soft" interlude and the apotheosis of compound time begins: not a moment of respite, every measure is a jolt; where you think there's a strong beat, there isn't: 5/4 and 6/4 reign! Not to mention the central instrumental part, where Peart performs actual acrobatics, between bass drum and snare, in 7/8. "Unsustainable" and magnificent.
After another five grandiose songs, “Broon’s Bane”, “The Trees”, “Xanadu”, “Freewill”, and “Tom Sawyer”, the finale is what everyone wanted: “La Villa Strangiato”, impeccably performed and, indeed, even better than the studio version. Lifeson's initial intro is longer and more powerful and his solo halfway through the song is indescribable in words: an incredibly emotional crescendo, to be listened to with closed eyes, freeing the mind, allowing oneself to be flooded by the pure ecstasy it provides. And then the masterfully interpreted jazz-bluesy part, the syncopated breaks, and the abrupt ending, leaving the listener stunned, but truly satisfied.

In short, a truly complete, entertaining, engaging, and well-played live album, with all volumes in place: a great performance by a group that will never cease to amaze us in terms of technique, innovation, and originality. I get chills every time I listen to it. This is what progressive should provide, in my opinion: true chills down the spine.