As far as the 40th anniversary for MP, the last I heard was that the person who worked at Anthem Records, who was in charge of doing those other anniversary editions, doesn’t work there now. So…that doesn’t bode well for that, and one for ESL is highly unlikely.
I've heard that too, but I've also heard this:
Don't remember what interview, but I could swear I read something on rushisaband.com that mentioned in an interview with Hugh Syme, he confirmed that he was working on a deluxe package for the 40th anniversary of MP, but that it would be released later in the year.
So...I guess we'll know when we know...or after a year or so has passed and we get nothing.
The video footage issue. More than likely, they probably only recorded key songs, or if there were others, it was scrapped years ago. People weren’t thinking about the type of archival stuff like that back then. It’s a similar issue with Van Halen’s infamous Oakland 1981 show. There were three songs that had amazing videos shot. People have been wanting to know if the rest of the show was filmed. I heard Michael Anthony asked about it and he said that he only remembered them shooting three songs because it was about promotion for the singles. I think Wolfgang Van Halen even said that he asked his dad once, he he told him that there wasn’t anything else.
This just doesn't make sense to me. I don't know anything about the Van Halen situation, but Rush didn't just record a few "key songs." Comparing the set list from the 3/27/81 show to what's on the ESL video (red are songs not featured, and blue are songs that are featured):
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2112: Overture & Temples-
Freewill-
Limelight-
Cygnus Book II, Prelude-
Beneath, Between & Behind-
The Camera Eye (audio from TCE is used in the intro segment, but I believe it's the studio version)
-
YYZ (with drum solo) (live audio from YYZ and Neil's solo is used in the background under some voice overs by the band members)
-
Broon's Bane-
The Trees-
Xanadu-
The Spirit of Radio-
Red Barchetta-
Closer to the Heart-
Tom Sawyer-
Vital Signs-
Natural Science-
Working Man-
Cygnus Book II, Armageddon-
By-Tor/In the End/In the Mood/Grand Finale (medley)-
La Villa Strangiato (encore)The notion that they'd be in position but not turn the cameras on for the opener and then turn them on for a few songs, off for a few, then on, then off, then on, then off... just strikes me as absurd. It's certainly possible that, after they edited it and made the ESL video, the original stuff was lost or destroyed, and that would be terribly sad, but I can't believe the stuff on the video is the only stuff that was ever filmed.
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