Rush - Grace Under Pressure 1984 Tour

Place: Madison Square Garden.  Date: September 17, 1984. I will always remember because this was the first the RUSH concert that I ever saw.  Oddly enough it was easier for a 15 year old kid to get to MSG than Brendan Byrne Arena, so I did not see RUSH a second time twelve days later.  I know that this blog is design to bring the ignored and underappreciated music to the forefront but I would be remiss if I did not review this CD.  The concert was originally released only on VHS and Laserdisc (remember these?) over Christmas 1984.  I was unaware of the release until I saw the video played on Mtv (again back when they played music instead of idiot shows like "Jersey Shore") and purchased it immediately.  From the VHS, I recorded the audio onto a "high density" metallic tape that at time gave the "clearest" recordings available but it still sounded like crap.  When Mercury Records began its "Chronicles" brand in the '90's this concert was mentioned to be one of the first to be released but unfortunately the CD version would not see the light of day until 2006 as part of the RUSH X-3 DVD package which re-released and remastered the three '80's/'90's concert videos; Exit...Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure and A Show of Hands.  If you purchased the set from Best Buy, there were four previously unreleased tracks included.  Two of which were the Exit...Stage Left tour and two from the Hold Your Fire tour.

So, there I was sitting in Section 124 Row 5 Seat 6 with heightened anticipation and going through the motions of listening to the opening act (Fastway) which they thankfully dropped for the Test for Echo tour.  Finally, the lights dropped and the Three Stooges Introduction began and they immediately launch into "The Spirit of Radio" and after that it was all a blur.  I do remember seeing Geddy Lee play his Steinberger bass and synthesizer simultaneously while singing, Alex playing and jumping around like a lunatic, staring in sheer amazement at the Professor on his Candy Apple Red Tama set (still my favorite drum kit) and watching it rotate for "Witch Hunt". This CD does bring back alot of memories.  My only gripe with this release is that it is a straight soundtrack of the DVD and not a complete concert.  Everything I have read is that RUSH has kept a substantial collection of their concert performances and I am sure that they have a complete recording of the shows that they played at Maple Leaf Gardens.  One can only hope that when RUSH eventually retires, they will release a career retrospective of live performances that have not  been previously available.  The entire set is listed below with the songs that appear on the CD in italics. 

Madison Square Garden Set List

1. Three Stooges Introduction
2. The Spirit of Radio
3. Subdivisons
4. The Body Electric
5. The Enemy Within (Part 1 of the Fear Trilogy)
6. The Weapon (Part 2 of the Fear Trilogy)
7. Witch Hunt (Part 3 of the Fear Trilogy)
8. New World Man
9. Between The Wheels
10. Red Barchetta
11. Distant Early Warning
12. Red Sector A
13. Closer to the Heart
14. Kid Gloves
15. YYZ/Temples of Syrinx/Tom Sawyer
16. Red Lenses/Drum Solo/Red Lenses
17. Vital Signs
18. Finding My Way
19. In the Mood

While there has been a large quantity and quality of live RUSH material released inthe past five years, this CD does serve an excellent time capsule for wher the band was in1984, their musicianship and the sonic sound that they employed at that time.  It is a good listen but would probably only interest the tried and true RUSH fan RUSH - Grace Under Pressure: 1984 Tour

Richie Sambora - Stranger in this Town

I am going out on a ledge and admit that I am a Bon Jovi fan.  Being from New Jersey, it is a prerequisite that you either like Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi or both.  I first saw Bon Jovi open for Ratt at the Hemisfair (1983) in San Antonio and have been a fan every since.  In 1990, after seven years of recording and touring non-stop the band went on hiatus and most believed premanently.  While Jon Bon Jovi ventured into acting and recording the soundtrack to "Young Guns II" with a lot of fanfare and the distinctive Bon Jovi sound (complete with Sambora like backing vocal), Richie Sambora quitely released "Stranger In This Town" in 1991.  From opening track "Rest in Peace", you quickly realize that this is not a Bon Jovi record and in fact is a whole lot more.   The combination of keyboards and guitar emit mood that sets the pace for the entire record.  The other thing that immediately strikes you is that Richie can sing and sings better than his lead bandmate.  On "Church of Desire", the bass line kicks right and plows right into a straight forward rocker that highlights Richie's superior guitar playing.  Upon reading the liner notes, the primary musicians that recorded this album were follow Bon Jovi alumni David Bryan (keyboards) and Tico Torres (drums) but the difference is the bass player (Tony Levin).  Tony is a legend the music community and is known for his work with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson but has a porfolio of work that is nearly endless Tony Levin's Website.  As a bass and a Chapman stick player, he tightens up this band and proves that Tico Torres can play more than 4/4 "bang/pop" on the drums.  On "Stranger in this Town", the song is a quiet ballad that is accented by David Bryan's keyboards and synthesizer orchestrations.  While the lyrics are about someone who is down of their proverbial luck, if you read into the lyrics it can interpreted as Richie's unease with the mass popularity that he had experienced over the preceding six years.  On "Ballad of Youth", you get another straight forward rocker that has no hint of being a Bon Jovi song.  The song is tight and richly textured and avoids the trappings that define a Bon Jovi album.  On the front cover of the CD booklet, Richie writes the recommended listening instructions for this album "Turn Down the Lights, Light a Candle...Welcome..." which I would suggest for "One Light Burning".  "One Light Burning" is my favorite song on the album and offers a introspective side of Richie that had not been represented before and is, in my opinion, a love song to his then-wife Heather Locklear who was his "One Light Burning" throughout the darkness of constant recording and touring.  "Mr. Bluesman" is an ode to the traveling blues players and the song his highlighted by the guitar playing of Eric Clapton.  Eric Clapton provides the guitar solo and guitar accents throughout the song and clearly shows why he is among the Top 5 greatest guitar players of all time.  The 7th track "Rosie" is the only disappointing track on the CD because it songs like a Bon Jovi song which is no surprise because it is co-written with Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child and Diane Warren.  While "Rosie" is a competent song, it is clearly not in step with the other songs and mood of the CD.  Diane Warren should be banned from the music business for introducing and popularizing the rock ballad (see Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing") and inundating listeners with sugar coated/sappy crap.  "River of Love" get things back on track with the rest of the album and is again highlighted by Tony Levin's stick playing which is emphasized throughout the track especially during the musical interlude/guitar solo portion of the song.  "Father Time" is another ballad that puts David Bryan's keyboard playing up in front.  The song is a lament on apparently how quickly Richie's life seems to be passing him by and the relationships that he has either missed or neglected.  It is interesting that 18 years after this song is written the different perspective that his career has.  Currently, Bon Jovi records and releases an album every 2-3 years and does a tour (not a 2 year marathon) but they do it because they want it and not because they have to.  It seems that Richie has taken control of his "Father Time".  The last song "The Answer" is an acoustic ballad that could easily be mistaken for a lullaby that is sung to a child.  David Bryan's synthesized effects give off an ethereal mood.  The lyric of "Come Along With Me/Come Along With Me/Seek The Truth/and You Will Find Another Life" seemingly accentuate the inviting feeling that this whole album has presented.  Solo albums are usually interpreted a couple of ways; the "I am sick of my band,so I will make a solo record as a statement (David Lee Roth)", "there is nothing else going on, so I will make a solo record (Joe Perry)" or "I want to make a solo record that showcases my talents and offers a different and more rounded perspective of my musicianship".  Stranger in this Town falls into the third category and is one of those albums that you buy because you recognize the name but are not sure what to expect.  It is the lack of expectations that allows you to listen with an open mind and truly be blown away by its quality and his performance.  This CD will be an excellent addition to any collection, large or small.  You will not be disappointed Richie Sambora - Stranger in this Town