R40 Live is the last live audio album release and the last live video release of Canadian prog-rock band Rush, recorded on their high-grossing R40 Live Tour. Both formats were released November 20, 2015. The performances were filmed on June 17 and 19, 2015, at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada.
The audio CD album consists of three discs. Disc 1 contains the entire first set, disc 2 contains the second set, and disc 3 contains the encore and seven bonus tracks.
R40 Live is noted for containing the only live performances of "Losing It", from the band's 1982 album Signals. During set 1 of all disc formats, Benjamin Mink, who had played electric violin on the original studio recording, is featured as a guest performer. The album's common description, written by Philip Wilding, states: "The version [of Losing It] on the Signals album was raised ever higher by Ben Mink’s...wonderfully affecting violin part, the recreation of which had always put the song beyond the band’s live set."[2] Among the bonus tracks on the third disc of the CD release is a second performance of the song featuring violinist Jonathan Dinklage, a member of the string ensemble that had backed Rush during their Clockwork Angels Tour.
Best Buy sold two deluxe edition box sets of R40 Live: CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray. Both of these included an exclusive and limited-edition Starman projector flashlight, that projected a white Starman logo when the button was held. The metal flashlight is black with a gray label that reads "RUSH R40", and features a keychain on the end. These box sets were the only way to get the concert video and CD soundtrack together in a box set. Best Buy also made a promotional video for these deluxe box sets.
Jonathan Dinklage played the violin part for track 7, "Losing It", which was recorded in Los Angeles on August 1. He performed with the band during their earlier Clockwork Angels Tour, as part of the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble.
Personnel
Geddy Lee – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, rhythm guitar
