Retrospective III (2008)

Last in the Atlantic Retrospective series begun in 1997, the set represents the band’s work from Presto (1989) through Snakes and Arrows (2007), not including Feedback, the EP of cover tunes. The selection is interesting because all of the pieces are among those that Geddy, Alex, and Neil have called their personal favorites, which suggests they might have had a hand in song selection.–-Rob Freedman, Rush Vault

One Little Victory (Remix)
Dreamline
Workin’ Them Angels
Presto
Bravado
Driven
The Pass
Animate
Roll the Bones
Ghost of a Chance (Live)
Nobody’s Hero
Leave that Thing Alone
Earthshine (Remix)
Far Cry

Review

Remixes Add Interest, If Not Clarity
“Rush are now nearing the end of their fourth decade of releasing music and also at the end of their record deal with Atlantic, so to celebrate/cash in (delete according to your own personal degree of cynicism) we have the third Retrospective of their work, spanning 1989 through 2008. The main interest for many fans will be the remixes done by Richard Chycki for the Vapor Trails tracks “One Little Victory” and “Earthshine.” The mastering/production of Vapor Trails has always been a bone of contention for Rush fans. The album is torturous to listen to, suffering both from digital artifacts and a muddy, over-hot mix. So how do the tracks sound? Well, in this humble reviewer’s opinion, they sound even worse! Initially I was enthusiastic as I could hear bits that were previously hidden, but truth be known, the mix is now even muddier. For example, the bass is more prominent but the vocals are muffled, and some of the guitar tracks can be heard but the drums sound, well, artificial. As for the rest, well, it’s OK, I suppose. A collection of minor hits and fan favorites. If you follow the mantra old Rush = good, new Rush = bad, then this isn’t the collection for you.”—Tony R on Prog Archives (edited)

Too many compilations?