Articles
Published Date
Just in time for the holidays, on November 21, Universal Music will release three separate six-disc box sets by Rush. Collecting the entire Rush output between 1974 and 1989, including both live and studio albums, the Rush Sector box sets span the entire historic Mercury Records tenure of Geddy Lee (bass, keyboard, vocals), Alex Lifeson (guitar) and Neil Peart (drummer). (John Rutsey drummed on Rush’s debut.) Each ‘Sector’ contains five of their 15 Mercury albums in chronological order on compact disc. Every album has been freshly remastered, but the real attraction for many audiophiles will undoubtedly be the inclusion in each box set of one title remixed into 5.1 surround and presented in true high resolution 96 kHz/24-bit, 5.1 surround sound and stereo, compatible with both DVD-Audio players and DVD-Video players. Each individual album is packaged in a replica vinyl mini-jacket, with all three box sets forming a Rush CD road case.
The albums selected for the 5.1 treatment are Fly By Night (1975), A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Signals (1982). We anticipate from the fine job of engineer Richard Chycki on the Moving Pictures surround mix, listeners equipped for 5.1 should be in for a treat.
Sector 1 features the band in early flight, including Rush (1974), Fly By Night and Caress of Steel (both 1975), 2112 and All The World’s a Stage (both 1976). Sector 2 takes Rush through its biggest commercial and critical breakthroughs with Permanent Waves (1980) and Moving Pictures (1981) joined by A Farewell to Kings (1977), Hemispheres (1978) and Exit Stage Left (1981). Finally, Sector 3 brings together the final Mercury albums: Signals (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Power Windows (1985), Hold Your Fire (1987) and A Show of Hands (1989). While this is not their entire repetour, the three Sectors box sets cover much of the ground for Rush fans. Yet, we can't help but wonder why all 15 albums weren't given the 5.1 surround treatment, which both Genesis has done, and King Crimson is in the process of completing.
Sector 1 - Available at Amazon
Sector 2 - Available at Amazon
Sector 3 - Available at Amazon
