While part 2 is still open, I thought it would be beneficial to start a new thread that tries to be as comprehensive as possible with all the different versions that exist. Level-shifted variations with no EQ changes will not count as separate masterings. If a release is level-shifted to the point that it results in clipping (ie - 02 Atomic Moving Pictures and Japanese Grace Under Pressure CDs), they will be labeled as sub-versions (1a, 1b, etc.). Versions that use an existing digital transfer that add EQ or compression will count as a different mastering. D>A>D conversions will count as separate masterings. So far, this only applies to the Brazilian versions of Rush and Signals. Note: This post is just general info about the masterings as a whole, serving as a primer before. I go into more detail on each individual album shortly. My apologies if the formating makes some of it difficult to read. Originals (Anthem, Mercury) The initial Rush CD releases (MP, Signals, GUP, and PoW) originated from West Germany. Meanwhile, the rest of the discography was released in Canada, the United States, and Europe in 1987. The 4 albums mentioned above also received reissues. Given that the 1987 CDs’ digital transfers originated from Canada, it’s quite plausible for most of them to have been sourced from the original masters if Anthem had them in their archive. Signals may be an exception here, given how much hiss it has compared to other masterings. It's also likely due to the master tapes lacking the pre-instrumental vocal line on The Weapon, which is why it wasn't on the MFSL. Japanese CDs (Epic, Atlantic) Japan is a bit of an oddity in that the sources generally depended on the album. Some were level-shifts of or even identical to the Anthem and Mercury CDs. Epic Records initially had the rights to the catalog, and they released 2112 through A Show of Hands on CD by 1989. The first 3 albums and All the World's a Stage were not included in this campaign. Once the rights shifted over to Atlantic Records, all of the Mercury era albums (including the aforementioned ones that were neglected by Epic) saw a reissue in 1991. Most of the Atlantic CDs are the same as the Epics, though Moving Pictures and Signals both feature a unique mastering, presumably from a similar, if not identical tape source. Brazilian CDs Pre-1997 Brazilian CDs are assumed (for now) to be D>A>D conversions of the Atomics (see Rush and Signals sections). Moving Pictures has different peaks than other versions, but no comparisons have been done. The rest of the albums up to A Show of Hands still need to be checked as well. The Rush Remasters The Rush Remasters from 1997 and 2004 are generally not well-liked for having compression and EQ choices that many here consider to be thin or bright. Compression on them varies from moderate (Caress of Steel, A Show of Hands) to somewhat heavy-handed (Power Windows, 2112). The remasters of the 3 live albums were not released in Japan. The ‘97 and ‘04 remasters are mostly unique transfers, though some come from previously existing CDs: Hemispheres: Anthem, (no idea why when you consider the albums below) Moving Pictures: VANK-1030 (retail) and US silver-face, (likely because the master tape is digital) Signals: MFSL, (likely because the master tape is digital) Hold Your Fire through Roll the Bones: Originals, (likely because the master tapes are digital) SHM mini-LP CDs The SHM mini-LP reissues recycled the AMCY masterings for every Mercury-era album except for 2112, A Farewell to Kings, and Hemispheres, which use the 1997 remasters instead. However, the AMCY-derived SHMs also have a channel offset issue, where one side is shifted one sample ahead of the other. If you line up the channels correctly, then they will cancel out with the AMCYs. Presto through Test for Echo are the 2004 remasters, while Vapor Trails: Remixed, Feedback, and Snakes & Arrows are the originals. For some reason, the live albums weren’t featured in this reissue campaign. Andy VanDette remasters (Sectors, The Studio Albums: 1989-2007) The Sector and Studio Albums remasters done by Andy VanDette are somewhat less disliked than the ‘97 / ‘04s, but still not well regarded overall. Most of the albums have a warmer tonality (often quite similar to the Sean Magee remasters), but they’re also slightly more compressed than the ‘97s as well. VanDette noted that he was able to find better sources than what was used for the ‘97s in many cases, but for some albums, he had to use 192 kHz digital copies of the masters. We can pinpoint a few of these are going by his comments and my observations which will be posted here shortly: Caress of Steel: See COS section for more details Permanent Waves: More hiss than the MFSL, which did use the master tapes. Moving Pictures: VanDette stated he used the 02 Atomic’s tapes, though he used another set from Iron Mountain to restore the missing drum hit on Tom Sawyer. Signals: The Weapon uses a tape that had the vocal before the instrumental, not the actual master like the MFSL and ‘97 did. It’s possible that the rest of the album did use the master tapes, but ended up being an analog transfer instead of a fully digital one. Grace Under Pressure: The only album where VanDette explicitly confirmed that the original masters were unusable. Hold Your Fire: I’m going to assume this was from a later tape due to the alternate mixes. In an email where I asked VanDette about the Hold Your Fire mixes, he expressed his disappointment at being unable to cut his masterings onto vinyl for the 2015 reissues. That brings us to the next batch of reissues... In 2015, Sean Magee remastered all of the studio albums up to Snakes & Arrows, plus the first 3 live albums. Most of these are exclusive to hi-res and vinyl, but A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves are now available on CD. The 40th AE 2112 seems to come from Magee’s transfer, but is not the same mastering as noted in that album’s section. The Magees are EQ’d similarly to the VanDettes in several cases, but they have no compression whatsoever. These remasters are generally regarded as the best sounding versions of the catalog (especially for the later albums). However, the Mercury-era albums have also garnered some criticism for being watermarked on some sites. Whether or not the artifacts can be heard from the watermarking depends, either because the effects are there and people are legitimately unable to detect them, or due to having a version that’s actually free of watermarks altogether. The 24/192 downloads on 7digital for everything up to and including Moving Pictures apparently do not have watermarking, so it’s best to buy them there. The 24/96 versions from this site (a few of which I’ve heard) are watermarked. I can also confirm that the 24/96 Caress of Steel from HDTracks has watermarking. The 24/48 downloads appear to be watermarked no matter where you buy them from. The Rush cd mastering thread (part 2) Regarding tape sources, Mr. Magee had this to say: "Hi All, I'd like to clear up any confusion of what the sources used were to cut this project. All the tapes used were 1/4" or 1/2" analogue masters. So I used no digital sources as my start point. The audio may have been digitised at some point in the original mastering or recording, but was laid to tape for cutting the records. I transferred these tapes into my system at 192/24 and all the cuts were done from these 192/24 files. All the eq done was analogue using EMI TG12412 and EMI TG12414 & Prism Maslec MEA-2 Valve compression (light) provided by a Manley variable MU Limiter/Compressor. No delay lines used, just two signals from the DAW to cut, NO up sampling was done for any reason, it's a digital process and I wasn't working with digital sources. The 48/24 files that are available are there because the content on the analogue tapes was digital at some point, probably 44.1. Early days of DAWS, The reason for transferring the tapes was to limit use of them as some are getting on a bit , and to enable me to sort stuff like print through and take out the odd tick (not declicker but with a fine edit). Tapes are all in good shape, some needed baking, so again making a 192 transfer a good option. I hope this makes sense, and I'm very happy that you like them, kindest regards to you all Sean Magee mastering Eng (Abbey Road Studios)"
RUSH Total masterings: 6 1. Anthem / US silver-face (clear-hub, CRC) 2. Atomic / US silver-face (PDO) / AMCY / SHM 3. 1993 Brazil 4. 1997 Remaster 5. 2011 Sector 1 Remaster 6. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Anthem and Atomic / US PDO use the same digital source. Atomic / US PDO has a glitch in What You’re Doing; the first drum hit at 4:10 is slightly cut-off and faded in. Anthem / clear-hub version is correct. Brazilian Mercury is a D>A>D conversion of the Atomic (it has the same fade-in problem on What You’re Doing). Andy VanDette confirmed that the master tapes were used for Sector 1. It is also brighter than previous versions, and VanDette mentioned that the tape still had “lots of top left”. He probably decided to leave the highs as is. The Magee remaster also exists on a promo CD-R Working Man [Vault Edition] contains a different guitar solo from the LP version. A lossless version (16/44.1) is available on 7digital, though I think it has watermarking. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the Anthem / clear-hub US on CD). FLY BY NIGHT Total masterings: 5 1. Anthem / Atomic / US silver-face (PDO, Disctronics) / AMCY / SHM 2. US silver-face (Clear hub, CRC, BMG Direct) 3. 1997 Remaster 4. 2011 Sector 1 Remaster / 2015 Blu-ray 5. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Original CD is commonly regarded as dull-sounding due to not having much high-end. A few prefer the 1997 remaster for that reason. Clear hub / club silver-face uses the same digital transfer as the original, but has slightly less low-bass. 1997 remaster has more hiss in some spots, but it sounds cleaner in the fades than the other CDs. Sector has more hiss during fades than the '97, most likely due to increased upper-mids and treble. All remasters have a few more seconds of chimes at the end of By-Tor than the original. The Magee remaster has about a minute’s worth of chimes before fading out. This was done to replicate the runout groove of the vinyl. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the original on CD). CARESS OF STEEL Total masterings: 5 1. Anthem 2. Mercury (Atomic, US silver-face) / AMCY / SHM 3. 1997 Remaster 4. 2011 Sector 1 Remaster 5. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Anthem and Mercury use the same digital source. The only difference between them is EQ (Mercury is smiley-faced). ANMD-1003 has updated packaging, including a full picture on the back insert as opposed to just the album logo against a black background. Interestingly, the 6 sections of The Fountain of Lamneth are listed as separate tracks, though it is unknown whether or not they’re like this on the disc itself. Original CDs and 1997 remaster likely come from the master tapes. At the end of Bacchus Plateau, the right channel should only have hiss since the band is playing on the left. On the originals and '97, you can only hear quiet hiss on the right side. On the Sector and Magee remaster, the left channel bleeds over into the right in this section. The same is true for the beginning of this part of the song, only the channels are swapped. During the beginning of Return of the Prince on The Necromancer, Sector and Magee also have the left channel bleeding into the right. On the older versions, the right channel only has a faint reverb before the guitar cuts in. These occurrences of channel bleed and the higher amount of hiss on the Magee and Sector make me suspect that they come from a copy tape. The Sector and Magee remasters have a darker tonality (more bass, less treble) than the earlier versions. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the Anthem on CD). 2112 Total masterings: 7 1. Anthem / Epic / AMCY 2. Mercury (Atomic, US silver-face) 3. 1993 MFSL 4. 1997 Remaster / SHM 5. 2011 Sector 1 Remaster / 2012 Deluxe Edition 6. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster 7. 2016 40th Anniversary Edition The 7 sections of the title track are indexed on the Anthem and Mercury CDs. ANMD-1004 has more detailed liner notes than the older releases, with the Starman and computer chip on the back insert, plus lyrics and both sets of band pics. The MFSL has frequently been cited as having very bright and fatiguing EQ. However, the blind listening poll showed that it’s actually the mastering with the least treble! 1997 Remaster is one of the most disliked titles in the entire series, with bright EQ being the most frequently cited criticism. The 2012 Deluxe Edition contains 3 bonus tracks: 2112: Overture [Live at Northlands Coliseum, June 25, 1981] The Temples of Syrinx [Live at Northlands Coliseum, June 25, 1981] A Passage to Bangkok [Live at Manchester Apollo, June 17, 1980]. This same performance would later appear on the 40th Anniversary Edition of Permanent Waves (vinyl and digital download only), albeit mixed by Terry Brown instead of Richard Chycki. The 40th anniversary edition does not carry Sean Magee’s 2015 remaster, but rather, a new one that features peak limiting plus boosted bass and treble. The limiting varies by track: 2112: Very heavy limiting A Passage to Bangkok: Mild limiting The Twilight Zone: Mild limiting Lessons: Heavy limiting Tears: No limiting at all! Something for Nothing: Little to no limiting Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the Anthem / Japan on CD). The Mercury mastering was the favored option in the 2112 blind listening poll. ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Anthem, Atomic, US silver-face, AMCY) 2. 1997 Remaster 3. 2011 Sector 1 Remaster 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Original mastering is missing What You’re Doing. All future editions reinstate it into the tracklisting. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the original + Chronicles for What You’re Doing on CD).
A FAREWELL TO KINGS Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Anthem, Atomic, US silver-face, Epic, AMCY) 2. 1997 Remaster / SHM 3. 2011 Sector 2 Remaster / 2015-Blu-ray 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster / 40th Anniversary Edition All original CDs are the same aside from being level-shifted. Cygnus X-1 has a few clipped peaks on the original CDs. The Anthem is assumed to be the original since the track peaks at 100 on it. Sector has more tape hiss in the fades than the other CDs. Magee remaster has some ambient sounds just before the music starts. According to the liner notes of the 40th Anniversary Edition, it’s supposed to be Alex wandering around outside while the intro was being recorded. Steven Wilson’s 5.1 mix from the 40th anniversary edition is much more faithful to the original compared to Richard Chycki’s mix from Sector 2. Preferred version is the Sean Magee / 40th AE remaster or the original CD. HEMISPHERES Total masterings: 6 1. Anthem / Epic / AMCY 2. Mercury (Atomic, US silver-face) 3. 1997 Remaster / SHM 4. 2011 Sector 2 Remaster 5. 2013 Audio Fidelity Hybrid-SACD 6. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster / 40th Anniversary Edition Anthem, Atomic, and 1997 remaster use the same digital transfer. Anthem and ‘97 have nearly identical EQ, and any differences may be due to compression artifacts. Atomic is smiley-faced, but the treble is boosted far more than the bass. Hi-res on the 40th anniversary blu-ray does not have watermarking. The title track on most digital releases has a 1 or 2 second gap of silence around 4:26 before Apollo starts. On pre-2013 editions, it’s digital silence. The Magee remaster has very quiet tape noise instead. The Audio Fidelity SACD is the only one to not have this pause; the next section begins without a break just like on vinyl releases. The Vault Edition of The Trees is actually just the audio from the music video. The forum’s preference narrowly leans towards the Audio Fidelity SACD, with the Sean Magee / 40th AE remaster and Anthem / Japan following close behind. PERMANENT WAVES Total masterings: 6 1. Anthem / Mercury (Atomic, US silver-face) 2. Epic / AMCY / SHM 3. 1997 Remaster 4. 2007 MFSL 5. 2011 Sector 2 Remaster 6. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster / 40th Anniversary Edition The 1997 remaster removes a clicking sound around 3:50 during The Spirit of Radio. It’s present on all other masterings. If we assume that MoFi used the original tapes for their release, then the click exists on the master and was digitally removed on the ‘97. This album is another case where the '97 remaster hasn't been well-received, particularly for being much brighter than other versions. Unlike their other Rush releases, the MFSL Permanent Waves has peak limiting. The amount is similar to the '97 remaster, though there’s a little more headroom than the latter. Sector and Magee remasters have more hiss than the MFSL, so they could be from the 192 kHz archive copy of the master tape. Preferred version is the Sean Magee / 40th AE remaster or the Anthem / Mercury. The Sector 2 remaster was the favored option in the Permanent Waves blind listening poll, although I didn't include the 40th AE since it wasn't available yet. MOVING PICTURES Total masterings: 10 (or 11) 1. West German Atomic (03+ Matrix) / US Atomic 1a. Green Arrow / West German Atomic (01 and 02 Matrix) 2. Anthem (ANC-1-1030, VANK-1030 BMG Direct, AMND-1030) 3. US silver-face / Anthem (VANK-1030 retail, ANC-11030 CRC) 4. Epic 5. AMCY / SHM 6. 1992 MFSL 7. 1993 Brazil 8. 1997 Remaster 9. 2011 Sector 2 Remaster / 2011 Deluxe Edition 10. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Green Arrow and all Atomics use the same digital source. All of these have the same EQ. The earlier Green Arrow mastering is slightly louder and has minor to moderate clipping depending on the song. Tom Sawyer’s first drum hit is infamously missing on the Green Arrow / 01 and 02 Atomics. Fade-ins for Red Barchetta, The Camera Eye, and Vital Signs start a second or 2 later on the Green Arrow and every Atomic. The only 2 versions with the full fade-in for Red Barchetta are the Epic and AMCY / SHM. I think this was more of a mastering choice rather than the Japanese CDs using a better source. FWIW, the Canadian RL vinyl also has the full fade for this track. Anthem ANC-1-1030, VANK / US silver-face, MFSL, and 1997 remaster all may come from the master tapes. Sync matches on all of these aside from the MFSL, which sounds like a different transfer of the same tape. EQ between the ANC, VANK, and MFSL is close, if not identical. While working on the Sector sets, Andy VanDette was given the same tapes that were used for the 02 Atomic CD since it was missing the first drum hit on Tom Sawyer. He eventually received another tape from Iron Mountain and used that to add the drum hit back in. Going by the way explains this, it sounds like the entire Sector CD was mastered from the 02 tape. The Sector and Atomics each have inverted phase in comparison to the other masterings, supporting this theory. Preferred version is the 03+ / US Atomic by a huge margin. The next most popular choice seems to be the MFSL, and then the AMCY / SHM after that. However, all pre-1997 masterings have their fans. EXIT...STAGE LEFT Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Anthem, Atomic, US silver-face, Epic, AMCY) 2. 1997 Remaster 3. 2011 Sector 2 Remaster 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Original mastering is missing A Passage to Bangkok. All future editions reinstate it into the tracklisting. Peaks for the last 3 tracks differ on the Atomic / Japan vs the Anthem / US silver-face. I don’t believe anyone has checked if they’re unique masterings, but since the rest of the peaks match across these CDs, I’m going to assume they’re just level-shifted. Andy VanDette asserts that the transfer he did for Sector 2 was superior to previous releases. With that said, the Sector CD is significantly more compressed than even the 1997 remaster. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the original + Chronicles for A Passage to Bangkok on CD). EXIT...STAGE LEFT (VHS / LaserDisc / DVD) Total masterings: 2 1. LaserDisc / VHS 2. Replay X3 DVD Red Barchetta is the same performance as the album version. Tom Sawyer and Red Barchetta can be found without commentary on Chronicles: The Video Collection. The latter is available on the DVD reissue as well, though Tom Sawyer was replaced with the studio version’s music video. The commentary-free Tom Sawyer is also present on Through the Camera Eye. There’s a Vault Edition of Freewill available as DLC on Rock Band 4, though it’s actually from the ESL video. The original footage was confirmed to exist as of 2010. @peteham worked on Beyond the Lighted Stage and had requested the producers to open the film canisters. Unfortunately, they refused. Clips from ESL (and the other 80s concerts) in the doc appear to have been taken from Replay X3 instead, looking grainy and macroblocked. Whether or not the footage still exists today or is even usable anymore is currently unknown. Replay X3 version is remixed and massively brickwalled. Geddy’s vocals have autotuning or pitch-correction applied to them on the Replay X3 DVD, though it’s not as immediately apparent as it is on A Show of Hands. Preferred version is the LaserDisc or VHS.
SIGNALS Total masterings: 10 1. Green Arrow / West German Atomic / US Atomic (PDO, Disctronics) 2. US Atomic (Clear-hub, CRC, BMG Direct) 3. Anthem 4. Epic 5. AMCY / SHM 6. 1993 Brazil 7. 1994 MFSL 8. 1997 Remaster 9. 2011 Sector 3 Remaster / 2015 Blu-ray 10. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Atomic’s fades are shorter, but it doesn’t have a lot of hiss either. 2nd US Atomic uses the same digital transfer as the West German CDs. The only difference between the 2 masterings is that the US has slightly less bass. Brazilian Mercury is a D>A>D conversion of the West German Atomic. No US silver-face editions exist; the Atomic design continued to be used until the release of the 1997 remaster. Anthem has more hiss than all other versions and likely comes from a copy tape. The Weapon is missing the following line on the MFSL just before the instrumental interlude; “and the things that they fear, are a weapon to be held against them”. This is due to the original mixdown tape not including the lyric. MFSL and 1997 remaster both use the mixdown tapes, including The Weapon on the latter. Interestingly, the vocals just before the instrumental section (3:15) on the ‘97 were patched in from a different source as the rest of the song syncs with the MFSL. However, the ‘97 is missing several samples in 2 spots; near 1:24 and 2:50. You have to line up these sections in a wave editor to maintain the sync. MFSL has slightly longer fades on some tracks. On the stereo portion of the blu-ray / Sector 3 DVD, the Weapon is more compressed and has an enormous amount of clipping compared to the CD version. The CD’s DR here is 9, while the BR / DVD is only 7. The rest of the album has the same DR values between both formats. 5.1 mix on the Sector 3 DVD / blu-ray has differences here and there from the original: For the most part, the guitars are brought up higher in the mix at the expense of less prominent keyboards (much less so in several cases). Blame Lerxst for that, I guess. Some songs also have longer fades than the original. Geddy’s vocals are drier and less processed overall. Of all the 5.1 mixes in the band’s catalog, Signals is possibly the most ‘revisionist’ sounding. Subdivisions: Synth at the beginning either has a preset that doesn’t match the original or it’s the same one with less processing. Alternate vocal take - “The timeless old attraction, cruising for the action”. The inflection is different on “the action”. The Analog Kid: Synth during the chorus is mixed very low. Alternate vocal take - “The boy lies in the grass unmoving staring at the sky”. Geddy sings “sky” immediately after “the” on the original, while he pauses for a brief moment before it on the 5.1 mix. Alternate vocal take(?) - “Too many feelings”. I could be wrong about this one, though. Alternate vocal take - Right before the first “when I leave”, you can hear Geddy catching his breath on the 5.1. This isn’t in the original. Chemistry: Synth during the chorus is mixed insanely low (noticing a pattern?). Alternate vocal take(?) - “No flow without the other” (1:58). “Other” sounds slightly different between the two mixes. On the 5.1, you can hear “it” before “seems to me it’s chemistry”. FWIW, the liner notes on all versions of Signals list the lyric without the “it” at the beginning. Other than that, the takes are exactly the same as the original. Digital Man: Maybe it’s just me, but I swear the guitars on the 5.1 sound like they’re ahead of everything else in the mix. The vocals and other instruments seem as if they’re lagging behind a bit. It’s almost like they weren’t synced properly. Again, it could just be me. The Weapon: At 1:20 and 2:48 (before “he’s not afraid of your judgement”), there is an additional bar of music (so 3 bars vs the original’s 2). This results in a slightly longer runtime than the original mix. There’s some alternate instrumentation during the middle part. Also worth noting is that the MFSL’s missing vocal line is present on the 5.1 mix. Losing It: The bell chime at 2:42 is much louder on the 5.1. Countdown: Radio chatter is mixed insanely low. Many fans don’t like this aspect of the song, so I think that’s why the 5.1 mitigated it. Preferences usually lean toward the AMCY / SHM, MFSL, or West German Atomic, with the latter being somewhat less popular than the other 2. The MFSL was the favored option in the Signals blind listening poll, although the thread didn’t have many voters. GRACE UNDER PRESSURE Total masterings: 5 (or 7) 1. Anthem 1a. Epic 1b. AMCY / SHM 2. Mercury 3. 1997 Remaster 4. 2011 Sector 3 Remaster 5. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Anthem, Epic, and AMCY / SHM use the same digital transfer. In fact, they’re all basically identical aside from the Japanese releases being level-shifted (and clipped depending on the CD). The Epic has a lot of clipping on every track, while the AMCY / SHM only has light clipping on 4 tracks. Other than the clipping, all of these CDs will cancel out in a null test. Japanese CDs have quiet hiss in-between tracks, while the Anthem goes into digital silence after the fades. Several users have noted their dislike of the AMCY / SHM mastering, including some who’ve also heard the Anthem. Since there are no EQ changes on the AMCY, it’s possible that the dislike stems from the tracks that contain clipping or possibly even the channel offset problem on the SHM. The Mercury CD has a loud tick on The Enemy Within at 2:24. This isn’t present on the other masterings. No US silver-face editions exist; the Atomic design continued to be used until the release of the 1997 remaster. 1997 remaster has clipping on the first 4 tracks (side 1). Sector 3 remaster was confirmed to use a 192kHz digital backup of the master tape since the original suffered from deterioration. Incidentally, there’s more hiss on it than previous versions. I want to point out that the mention of this 192 kHz backup ended up confusing several people online. Some thought that the Sector CD was mastered from the '97 CD, and one or two even got the impression that the ‘97 and Sector were identical. This is completely false; the Sector and 1997 remasters have nothing whatsoever to do with one another. Both involved entirely different engineers and tapes. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or Anthem on CD). GRACE UNDER PRESSURE TOUR Total masterings: 2 1. LaserDisc / VHS 2. Replay X3 DVD / CD Original mixes of Distant Early Warning and New World Man can be found on the Prime Mover single. Original mixes of The Enemy Within and Witch Hunt can be found on the European Time Stand Still single. Notably, the original release was co-produced by Terry Brown. This would be his last Rush job until he worked on the Massey Hall outtakes from the 40th anniversary edition of 2112. The VHS and LaserDisc releases contain the full-length Big Money music video. I believe this is the only place you can find it, since Chronicles and the DVD included with some copies of The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 74-87 have an edited version. Replay X3 CD and DVD are remixed and massively brickwalled. Geddy’s vocals have autotuning or pitch-correction applied to them on Replay X3, though it’s not as immediately apparent as it is on A Show of Hands. The Best Buy version of Replay X3 features 4 bonus tracks on the GUP Tour CD: Limelight (ESL), Closer to the Heart (ESL), The Spirit of Radio (ASOH), and Tom Sawyer (ASOH). I remember the Replay X3 version having the occasional alternate vocal take, but I still need to compare it with the VHS to make sure. Preferred version is the LaserDisc or VHS. POWER WINDOWS Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Anthem, Mercury, Epic, AMCY, SHM) 2. 1997 Remaster 3. 2011 Sector 3 Remaster 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Originals are all the same aside from being level-shifted, although Marathon and Mystic Rhythms (after 3:55) on the Atomic are different transfers. They’re presumably from the same tapes since there are no major EQ differences. No US silver-face editions exist; the Atomic design continued to be used until the release of the 1997 remaster. Emotion Detector starts off a bit late on the Anthem since the first note is tacked onto Middletown Dreams. The album appears to have been mixed to analog and digital simultaneously going by the observations below. It also potentially explains why none of the masterings stay in sync with each other. Original CDs and Sean Magee remaster each have a hard cutoff right at 20kHz, though the latter has hiss above that. 1997 remaster has info up to 21kHz or so. Sector 3 seems to have come from a completely analog tape as there’s plenty of musical info above 22kHz on the hi-res version (it’s not just hiss). CD equivalent has info all the way up to 22kHz. In addition, the hi-res has smoother fades than the CD. Using Mystic Rhythms as an example, you can hear the full fade on the hi-res, while on the CD, it’s slightly choppier and stops in the middle of the very last note. On the Sector remaster, Mystic Rhythms has 3 additional keyboard notes at 4:54. There are no mixing alterations; these notes appear to have been seamlessly cut out from the tapes for the regular version of the album. Given that the mix is the same, I’m going to assume that Sector 3 used the master tapes. Mystic Rhythms on the Magee remaster has what may be the easiest to hear instance of watermarking artifacts of all the hi-res versions (drums sound ‘swishy’ during the intro). Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the original on CD). HOLD YOUR FIRE Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Anthem, Atomic, US silver-face, Epic, AMCY, SHM) 2. 1997 Remaster 3. 2011 Sector 3 Remaster 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Original and 1997 remaster come from the same digital source. EQ is nearly identical, though the '97 has peak limiting and a very small bass boost. Sector 3 features mixing differences on the following songs: Force Ten: "Rising falling at force ten…" channels reversed (doesn't pan as wide). Solo guitar channels reversed at 1:57. Time Stand Still: Neil hits 2 Simmons pads at 1:38 instead of the band stopping and starting up again. This is how the song was performed during the Hold Your Fire tour, though it’s played like the original mix on Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland. Second Nature: Swirling keyboards at 0:46 and 2:06 channels reversed. 'Swirly thing' at 3:40 and 4:13 channels reversed. Mission: Strings are present during the second chorus. This could potentially be the otherwise unreleased "Big Monty" version that Geddy mentioned in Contents Under Pressure, or at least related to it. Turn the Page: Vocals pan around the channels during the chorus. Tai Shan: Intro has wind chimes. High Water: ‘Elephant’ guitar sound at 4:37. In an email correspondence with Andy VanDette, he told me that “there really was only one master for each album in existence when I was working on the project”. He was unable to go into further detail beyond that. Unlike Power Windows, the Sector HYF has no info past 20kHz, confirming that it’s a DDD recording. Sean Magee’s remaster reverts back to the original mix. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the original on CD). A SHOW OF HANDS Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Anthem, US silver-face, Red Swirl, Atomic, Epic, AMCY) 2. 1997 Remaster 3. 2011 Sector 3 Remaster 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster Original and 1997 remaster come from the same digital source. EQ is nearly identical, though the '97 has peak limiting and a very small bass boost. Mission starts later than it should on all CDs aside from the original Anthem (Geddy’s intro dialogue is tacked onto the end of Manhattan Project). Atomic versions are extremely rare. There's a standard one with the atom on the hub and another with a clear hub. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster (or the original on CD). A SHOW OF HANDS (VHS / LaserDisc / DVD) Total masterings: 2 1. LaserDisc / VHS 2. Replay X3 DVD Lock and Key is only featured on initial pressings of the LaserDisc version. Later releases don’t include it, nor do the VHS and DVD. It would later show up on the R40 box set, though the film footage before the song starts was removed (copyright concerns?). Also of note is that the audio is the original mix here (albeit very compressed); it appears that it was never remixed for the Replay X3 set. Replay X3 version is remixed and massively brickwalled. There are also many instances where either the keyboards or guitars are lower in the mix than on the original. Alex is reportedly unhappy with his guitar sound from this era, so that could play a part in it. Geddy’s vocals have autotuning or pitch-correction applied to them on the Replay X3 DVD. While this issue is also present on the other concerts in the set, it’s very noticeable on ASOH. There’s an additional ‘yelp’ from Geddy during Red Sector A on the Replay DVD (4:49). This isn’t present on the VHS or LaserDisc. Given that the band recorded 3 consecutive performances at the same venue on this tour, perhaps it was taken from another night? Preferred version is the LaserDisc or VHS.
PRESTO Total masterings: 5 (or 6) 1. Original (Anthem, Atlantic) 2. 2004 Remaster / SHM 3. 2013 Audio Fidelity Hybrid-SACD 4. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster (Hi-res) 4a. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster (CD) 5. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster (only included with the vinyl reissue) Original, 2004, and Studio Albums remaster use the same digital transfer. Unlike most of the 1997 / 2004 remasters, this one has extremely minor compression. The CD version of the Studio Albums remaster is more compressed than the hi-res equivalent, likely in an attempt to make the album sound ‘heavier’. Preferred version is the Audio Fidelity SACD or the Sean Magee remaster. ROLL THE BONES Total masterings: 5 (or 6) 1. Original (Anthem, Atlantic) 2. 2004 Remaster / SHM 3. 2011 Audio Fidelity HDCD 4. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster (Hi-res) 4a. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster (CD) 5. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster (only included with the vinyl reissue) On the music video for the title track, there’s a synth sound that’s played at the very beginning. It’s the same one that’s used when the band starts the song during live performances. Original, 2004, and Studio Albums remaster, use the same digital transfer. The CD version of the Studio Albums remaster is more compressed than the hi-res equivalent, likely in an attempt to make the album sound ‘heavier’. Preferred version is the Audio Fidelity HDCD or the Sean Magee remaster. COUNTERPARTS Total masterings: 5 1. Original (Anthem, Atlantic) 2. 2004 Remaster / SHM 3. 2013 Audio Fidelity Hybrid-SACD 4. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster 5. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster (only included with the vinyl reissue) Nobody’s Hero and Stick It Out have an extra refrain on the Audio Fidelity SACD, resulting in longer runtimes. This is the only place to find these versions. Magee remaster does not include the count at the beginning of Animate, despite it being present on all other releases. Preferred version is the Audio Fidelity SACD or the Sean Magee remaster. TEST FOR ECHO Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Anthem, Atlantic) 2. 2004 Remaster / SHM 3. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster (only included with the vinyl reissue) Carve Away the Stone has a "sysyphus" vocal that’s faintly audible during the chorus on the original CD. It’s absent from every version released afterwards. Dog Years is longer on the Magee remaster (5:28 vs 4:55). Specifically, there are extra refrains of the chorus from 4:20 to 4:53. Resist is also extended on the Magee remaster (4:36 vs 4:23). Geddy’s vocal melody goes on a bit longer from 1:47 to 1:59. Limbo is missing the Monster Mash samples on the Magee remaster. It’s been speculated that they were removed due to a copyright issue, but I don’t think so. The actual mix is identical aside from the missing effects, so they were probably added in later, ala the vocal line from The Weapon. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster, most certainly due to being more dynamic than the CD releases. DIFFERENT STAGES · LIVE Force Ten is a bonus track on the Japanese release, placed between Natural Science and The Spirit of Radio. This is a rare instance in the band’s catalog where a particular edition features at least one extra song that’s not present on the standard release. I understand that including extra material is very common with Japanese CDs, but why it was done here is a complete mystery. The Hammersmith show is shortened and features a different mix than the version that would later turn up on the 40th Anniversary Edition of A Farewell to Kings. Lakeside Park, Closer to the Heart, 2112, and most of the drum solo were removed so the concert could fit on one CD and to avoid repeating material from the other discs. All releases are the same (aside from Force Ten being missing outside of Japan).
VAPOR TRAILS Total masterings: 3 (2 for the original mix) 1. Original 2. 2013 Andy VanDette Remaster 3. Vapor Trails: Remixed The original CD is one of the most infamous victims of the Loudness War, featuring an enormous amount of compression, clipping and distortion. While some of this distortion is baked into the mix, the vinyl, cassette, and 2013 hi-res remaster all show that much of the damage on the CD was actually caused during mastering. Richard Chycki remixed One Little Victory and Earthshine for Retrospective 3, though any benefits these versions may have are mitigated by excessive compression (thus defeating the whole purpose to begin with). Vapor Trails: Remixed attempts to fix the problems of the original, though it still suffers from heavy compression. The CD and hi-res download both have the same DR. Ceiling Unlimited features a guitar solo on VT: Remixed. Preferred version is either Andy VanDette’s hi-res remaster or VT: Remixed depending on what mix you like better. RUSH IN RIO CD and vinyl (including the hi-res download that comes with it) have 2 tracks not present on the DVD or blu-ray; Between Sun & Moon and Vital Signs. These are soundboard recordings and weren’t performed at the Rio de Janeiro concert, explaining why the video releases don’t include them. The Boys in Brazil features instrumental mixes of several Atlantic-era tracks, including Driven, Scars and Heresy. All versions regardless of format seemingly use the same mastering. FEEDBACK Total masterings: 3 1. Original (Mini LP, Jewel case, SHM) 2. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster 3. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster (only included with the vinyl reissue) Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster, most certainly due to being more dynamic than the CD releases. The Studio Albums remaster is a hair more dynamic than the original, which is more or less mastered similarly to Vapor Trails. R30: 30TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR Total masterings: 2 1. DVD / CD (only included with the deluxe edition) 2. Blu-ray The DVD release (including the one in the R40 box set) removes the following songs to avoid repetition of material from Rush in Rio: Bravado: Later released on Beyond the Lighted Stage. YYZ: Later released on Beyond the Lighted Stage. The Trees: Exclusive to the blu-ray. One Little Victory: Later released on all versions of Working Men. Secret Touch: Later released on the CD / DVD version of Retrospective 3. Red Sector A: Later released on the DVD / blu-ray version of Snakes & Arrows Live. La Villa Strangiato: Exclusive to the blu-ray. By-Tor and the Snow Dog: Exclusive to the blu-ray. The deluxe edition includes CDs that have the same tracklisting as the DVD, though some of the video intros have been removed to make the concert fit on 2 discs. The CDs have never been issued separately, though a lossless download is available on 7digital and Qobuz. While the blu-ray reinstates the missing songs, the bonus features were left off. Most of these are available on the R40 Completist DVD, though due to its rarity, it’s much easier to buy the R30 DVD to have them all. The blu-ray has more dynamic range than the DVD. Andy VanDette wanted to make it less compressed since the DVD’s mastering had “distorted the balances in the mix, pushing the guitars way forward.” Preferred version is the blu-ray. SNAKES & ARROWS Total masterings: 4 1. Original (Digipak, Jewel case, SHM) 2. MVI / CD + DVD 3. 2013 Studio Albums Remaster 4. 2015 Sean Magee Remaster (only included with the vinyl reissue) We Hold On has a glitch at 1:20 on the original CD. Several samples are missing (sloppy edit?) right before the next verse begins, causing the beat to be thrown off. Supposedly, this is present on the 2007 vinyl as well. The MVI, Studio Albums box set, and Sean Magee remaster all correct this. Hi-res stereo on the MVI is more compressed than the CDs. Faithless has a phase problem on the Magee hi-res download, resulting in a hollow sound that almost resembles mono. Preferred version is the Sean Magee remaster, most certainly due to being more dynamic than the CD releases. SNAKES & ARROWS LIVE Total masterings: 2 1. CD 2. DVD / Blu-ray The DVD and blu-ray contain 4 bonus tracks; Ghost of a Chance, Red Barchetta, The Trees, and 2112. These were recorded in Atlanta in 2008 and had replaced some songs from the 2007 setlist. Only Ghost in the Chance was eventually released on CD, appearing on Retrospective 3. For the CD release, several video intros were removed so the setlist could fit onto 2 discs. Stereo mix on the DVD and blu-ray is the same. It’s slightly more dynamic than the CD release, but still very compressed nonetheless. TIME MACHINE 2011: LIVE IN CLEVELAND Total masterings: 3 1. CD 2. DVD / Blu-ray 3. 2019 Remaster (only included with the vinyl reissue) The hi-res download included with the vinyl reissue is much more dynamic than the CD and DVD / blu-ray versions. According to the DR database, the latter is the most compressed release. Preferred version is the hi-res download included with the 2019 vinyl reissue.
CLOCKWORK ANGELS The single versions of Caravan and BU2B are different mixes than the ones from the full album. It’s generally regarded that the vinyl is better than the digital releases, but not by much. CLOCKWORK ANGELS TOUR All versions have a similar, if not identical mastering. Every one of them is heavily compressed. The original blu-ray release featured a more dynamic mastering for Manhattan Project, which was eventually ‘corrected’ (ie - compressed) on the version included in the R40 box set. R40 LIVE All versions have a similar, if not identical mastering. Every one of them is heavily compressed. Disc 3 of the CD version contains 4 additional tracks that aren’t present on the blu-ray or DVD; Clockwork Angels, The Wreckers, The Camera Eye, and Losing It (with Jonathan Dinklage). Both the 2019 and 2021 editions of Cinema Strangiato are truncated versions of R40 Live that were shown in theaters. The setlist is slightly different between them, with the 2021 version containing more songs: Countdown, (Intro, 2019 only) Jacob's Ladder (Soundcheck Recording) The Anarchist Headlong Flight One Little Victory, (2021 only) Animate, (2021 only) Roll the Bones Distant Early Warning, (2019 only) Between the Wheels, (2021 only) Losing It (with Jonathan Dinklage) Subdivisions Tom Sawyer YYZ, (2019 only) Red Barchetta, (2021 only) The Spirit of Radio Hemispheres: Prelude Cygnus X-1 / The Story So Far, (2021 only) Closer to the Heart Xanadu 2112 Lakeside Park / Anthem What You're Doing / Working Man Time Stand Still, (Credits) Far Cry, The Main Monkey Business, How It Is, and Losing It (with Ben Mink) are missing from both editions.
COMPILATIONS CHRONICLES Contains the songs that were missing from the original masterings of All the World’s a Stage (What You’re Doing) and Exit...Stage Left (A Passage to Bangkok). What You're Doing is missing Geddy's dialog and the door closing at the end, which means the track fades out early. The remasters of All the World's a Stage are the only way to get the complete track. Nothing was removed from Bangkok. Not counting the 2 tracks above, everything was digitally sourced from the original Anthem or Mercury CDs: Different EQ: Rush tracks, A Farewell to Kings tracks, Hemispheres tracks, The Spirit of Radio, The Big Money, Force Ten. All of these aside from the debut’s material have more bass and less upper-mids. Identical to Anthem: Caress of Steel tracks, 2112, Moving Pictures tracks (VANK-1030 / US silverface) Identical to Mercury: Signals tracks and Grace Under Pressure tracks Identical to all originals: Fly by Night tracks, Freewill (starts syncing at 0:39 until fade), Manhattan Project, Time Stand Still, Mystic Rhythms, Show Don’t Tell RETROSPECTIVE I AND II Identical to the 1997 remasters. THE SPIRIT OF RADIO: GREATEST HITS 1974-1987 Syncs with the 1997 remasters, though TSOR has additional EQ and compression. GOLD This release combines the first 2 Retrospectives. Tracklisting is the same aside from Gold replacing Something for Nothing with Working Man. Syncs with the 1997 remasters. However, just as with TSOR above, Gold adds more compression and EQ (mostly bass). RETROSPECTIVE 3: 1989-2008 Contains remixes of One Little Victory and Earthshine which are unique to this release. In an attempt to keep them at a similar volume to the material from Counterparts onwards, songs from Presto and Roll the Bones have a significant amount of compression and EQ added. This ends up making them sound noticeably distorted. There’s another edition featuring a DVD with the Atlantic-era music videos and the band’s Colbert Report appearance. Unsurprisingly, the audio on the videos is brickwalled. ICON 1 AND 2 Identical to the 1997 remasters. Icon 2 has a second disc that serves as a live compilation. This also uses the 1997 remasters, though the Grace Under Pressure Tour songs come from the remixed CD included in Replay X3. TIME STAND STILL: THE COLLECTION Despite being a relatively modern release, the majority of the material seems to have been sourced from Chronicles! Sync matches between the 2 comps, and the EQ is really close. However, TSS has clipped peaks on all of those tracks (just how much varies depending on the song). There are 4 songs that use te 1997 remasters instead of Chronicles: By-Tor and the Snow Dog, (not on Chronicles) A Passage to Bangkok, (studio version is not on Chronicles) Closer to the Heart The Trees The tracks mentioned above were lowered by roughly 1 dB, likely to match the volume of the stuff taken from Chronicles.
I must also give a huge thanks to @Robinator for making the wonderful Rush EAC peak page. It's been very helpful!
Dear Mr @Diablo Griffin , Thanks for sharing all that work! Everything is so clearly stated and easy to follow, thanks! I'm going to bookmark this page because it's going to be very helpful and valuable information to keep handy. You rock! Sincerely, A.
I might pick this up for those missing tracks, all my 70/80’s Rush CDs are the WG Atomics. Thank you so much for that list Diablo Griffin!
Today for GUP I compared the Anthem, Mercury and the Magee masterings and ended up preferring the Mercury CD. I found the Anthem had a grainy treble, which is too forward, too little bass extension and had what seemed to me like analog compression added. The Magee has a wonderful analog laid back tonality, with impactful bass, but it sounds slightly veiled. Without the additional compression it has also good separation of the instruments. The Mercury has the advantages of the Magee but is clearer, and frankly, sounds less processed. It is a bit less precise but I attribute that to the older, standard def digital transfer. I think the Magee might come from the same tape as the Mercury. I was quite surprised that the much revered Anthem CD failed to convince me and ended up my least preferred mastering of the three. So I guess what I'm saying is maybe give the Mercury CD a chance, if like me, you love this album.
I need to revisit this one soon. My current favorite is (begrudgingly) the Sector 3 CD, despite the compression. I just like the tonality of it. This one also has a hard 20kHz cutoff, while the '97 has some info above that. Maybe the tape VanDette used was that same one? I think the Magee Power Windows might've come from the tape used for the original CDs as well, but the EQ is similar to the Sector. It's weird that the Sector remaster seems to imply that the album really was mixed to analog. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it.
I was curious about the Sector PW so I tried to listen to it but ended up disliking it because of the compression... On the other hand it has much better separation and sounds more precise than the Magee... It wouldn't surprise me that the album mix was printed to both digital and analog, as were several other albums in the early eighties (XTC's English Settlement, Peter Gabriel 4...). Magee could have presumably used that same analog tape to possibly better results than what he had access to.
A Farewell to Kings Hemispheres Permanent Waves The 4oth Anniversary 2112 is more compressed and trebly than the hi-res Magee, so I wouldn't recommend it. The EQ is almost the same as the original Mercury CD, though the latter retains all of the dynamics. I'm sure Magee's Moving Pictures remaster will be used once the 40th (likely 41st at this point) Anniversary Edition gets released.
Great, thanks a lot. Do you think I should buy Magee remaster of Permanent waves, if I already have MFSL?
I think they're both good. The Magee is a little warmer which I like, while the MFSL has better clarity and detail (along with some compression). However, the Magee CD isn't really necessary if you already have the MFSL unless you want the live disc. New copies are cheap though!
Thanks for all of the info! After going down the rabbit hole of best masterings I sort of have settled on Magee for everything save for Moving Pictures which I picked the MFSL I already had, and Counterparts of which I thought sounded great from Audio Fidelity
I found this quote from Peter Collins while reading Limelight: Rush in the 80s: "On 'Time Stand Still', we had virtually finished mixing it, and I had an idea to just create a one-beat pause in the song, and it meant remixing it and going to a lot of trouble to do it, but we did it and it worked very well." At least for Time Stand Still, I think this would imply that the alternate mixes on Sector 3 were actually done before the ones featured on the original releases. However, it would be weird if the remixes for the other songs involved removing stuff instead of adding it.
Thanks to @Diablo Griffin for yet another incredibly valuable resource (fun to read and super useful). Forgive me if you've already shared this, Diablo, but what's your preferred version of Signals? I saw in another of your threads that you think a few are better than the Magee for this one — can I ask which you personally recommend?
Either the MFSL (best transfer and clarity) or the AMCY / SHM (better EQ). The West German Atomic is probably the best 'cheap' version, though the bass can sometimes be overpowering IMO.
If anyone else wants to check it out, I'm running a blind listening test for Grace Under Pressure right now: Rush - Grace Under Pressure on CD / Digital: Blind Listening Test
