Audience 9.0 - A strong recording from what sounds like the center row, maybe halfway back but not as diffuse as you might think for being in that spot. Yes, maybe the guitar and bass aren’t separated the way you would prefer, but this was the sound of Rush in 2015, and on this show it is Geddy’s vocals that receive the most prominence. Overall it’s a very good recording with atmosphere and power.

Rush Air Canada Centre Toronto, On. Canada 2015-06-17 Disc 1 101 - Intro 102 - The Anarchist 103 - Clockwork Angels 104 - Headlong Flight 105 - Far Cry 106 - The Main Monkey Business 107 - One Little Victory 108 - Animate 109 - Roll the Bones Disc 2 110 - Distant Early Warning 111 - Subdivisions 201 - Intro 202 - Tom Sawyer 203 - Red Barchetta 204 - The Spirit of Radio 205 - Jacob's Ladder 206 - Cygnus X-1 Book II - Hemispheres Part I - Prelude 207 - Cygnus X-1 208 - Closer to the Heart Disc 3 209 - Xanadu 210 - 2112 211 - Encore - Mel's Rock Pile starring Eugene Levy 212 - Lakeside Park 213 - Anthem 214 - What You're Doing 215 - Working Man

Soundboard 9.1 - All of this material is soundboard but keep in mind these 60's Zappa boards all have a somewhat "dated" sound quality which is not a bad thing because it creates a sonic time capsule that allows you to feel the vibe of the times. I think some of his audience might have been a little bewildered by what they were seeing and hearing because the reactions are sometimes very telling.

Audience 8.5 - -This is a somewhat distant recording, my guess is from somewhere in the middle of the venue. It lacks punch in the middle, definition, and volume in general. In my estimation this one won't get much play except by someone who is not getting enough 1996 tour ROIO's in the o'l collection. Pass if you are a casual fan, collector's who need more 1996 (of which, strangely enough, there's not a preponderence of), you can get this to round out the collection.

Audience 8.8 - It's kind of a good thing that this concert is performed acoustically because the way this taper captured it I can't imagine an electric guitar, bass, and drums with the massive volume it would have been. That is because this sounds like taper was very close, and the hall acoustics are very "live", so, in essence because it is acoustic it isn't a loud, distorted mess...but could easily have been if this was any louder or closer to the stage. It's just at the breaking point volume wise, and there's the slightest touch of distortion affecting one frequency somewhere in the upper mid-range, this came close to being a problem but is thankfully kept at bay and never rose above the level of "minor annoyance" so all-in-all this becomes quite a keepsake memory for fans as it is a highly unusual type of gig.

Audience 9.3 - A really great and totally immersive kind of recording. This one pulls you into the atmosphere of the club, and places you in a great spot so strap yourself in!

Audience 9.9 - Stunning! Clarity, dynamics, balance, presence, and atmosphere. Absolutely a MUST have for any music lover not just Gilmour/Floyd fans. Beautiful from start to finish.

Hoffman Estates - Audience 8.7 - Residing mainly in the mid and upper mid range this recording does not showcase any real definition in the highs, and the metal loudness defined as a solid guitar/bass attack for the low end. What you end up with here with these two recordings is something of historical value but nothing you would use to impress your buddies with. Are they essential for the collection? Yes, both of these shows are very significant in value and because they are not horrible recordings I can recommend them.

Chicago - Audience 8.8 - This recording has a softer mid-range making it a little more comfortable, but still does not have a clarity and distinction to it, but it is also not muddy, it's just a capture that was made with equipment that had only the capability to document a live event, it wasn't made to do a professional live recording so keep that in mind - pretty decent but not great. I will say this, and I sincerely believe this - I think this recording is exactly what your ears would have been hearing at this show. That is why I think these recordings are important, even if they lack soundboard clarity and are not A+ audience tapes. There's plenty to enjoy here with both of these shows.

All Soundboard 9.2 to 9.6 - This is a great collection for the Santana enthusiast, but also for the casual fan. The sound is consistently great across all discs, with only minor tonality differences (such as a slightly brighter tone on the New Orleans portion of disc 2). There is a enough track difference to keep things from being overly repetitious.