Clockwork Angels Tour [3CD]

You don't get to be known as the biggest cult band in the world without giving your fans what they want, a philosophy that Rush takes to heart on its live albums. On Clockwork Angels Tour, the legendary Canadian band doesn't just give fans a live version of its latest album, but a full-featured live experience. Over the course of the three-disc set, fans are given the royal treatment, with an album packed with new songs performed with a string ensemble, classics like "Subdivisions," "YYZ," and "Spirit of Radio," an encore featuring "Tom Sawyer" and "2112," three drum solos, and a soundcheck recording of "Limelight." With a few flubbed notes and vocal missteps sprinkled throughout the set, it's clear that the band's age is starting to show a little. Despite that, however, Rush seems like a band determined not to waste anyone's time, presenting a big enough live spectacle that the little things are pretty easy to forgive. More interesting is how Clockwork Angels Tour serves as a document of a specific time and place in Rush's career. While many bands have live albums, few have such an extensive catalog that it's possible to see their evolution as both a studio entity and live performer; this feels like a fitting entry into the living document that is Rush's storied career. ~ Gregory Heaney