About All The World’s A Stage
All The World’s A Stage, Rush’s first live release, was recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto on June 11-13, 1976 during their 2112 tour (see Geddy talk about attending his first show at Massey Hall and the importance of the venue to the city). The two-record set presented the band’s hour-and-a-half headlining show in its entirety, a show that featured material from its first four Mercury releases: Rush, Fly by Night, Caress of Steel, and 2112 (the performance of “2112” omits the “Discovery” and “Oracle: The Dream” sections of the studio recording.)
During an interview in 1976, Neil said,
“When we play a piece live, we add all our little quirks to it. It grows; our older material shows a remarkable progression. Some of the old songs have developed until they’re superior to the originals. This gives us a chance to bring them up to date. We always felt there was something happening live that didn’t come across on record. Now we have the opportunity to capture that essence of the band.” – Neil Peart, 1976
Credits
Produced by
Rush and Terry Brown
Recording Engineer
Terry Brown
Executive production
Moon Records
Graphics
Hugh Syme
Photography
David Street
Remastered by
Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee
Gateway Mastering Studios
Portland, Maine
Liner Notes
Neil Peart – percussion
Alex Lifeson – guitars
Geddy Lee – bass and vocals
Recorded at Massey Hall
Toronto
June 11, 12, 13, 1976
Recorded by the Fedco Mobile Unit
Mixed at Toronto Sound Studios
Toronto, Canada
Tape operator – Ken Morris
The Show
Roadmaster and stage lighting director: Howard (Herns) Ungerleider
Concert sound engineer and centre stage technician: Major Ian Grandy
Stage right technician – Liam (Leebee) Birt
Stage left technician – Skip (Slider) Gildersleeve
Concert sound: National Sound Inc. – Tom (Joe) Linthicum, Julian (Julio) Wilkes, Jim (Bozo) Swartz, Mike (Lurch) Hirsch
Concert lighting: Atlantis Systems – Tim Pace, Tom (Domenic) D’Ambrosia, Mark (Angelo) Cherry
Concert Presentation: CHUM FM and Martin Onrot
Booking Agencies: ICM (International Creative Management) – Responsible agent – Greg McCutcheon; Canada – Music Shoppe International, Responsible agent – Doug Brown
Personal Management – Ray Danniels and Vic Wilson
A personal thank you to good times on the road, to the cities and people of Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, Cleveland, Detroit, and (of course) Toronto. Also to Larry Bailey, Rick Ringer, Shelley Grafman, Steve Sybesma and Sunshine, Windy City, Joe Anthony, Lou Roney, Mel Sharp, Charlie Applegate, Roger and Ginny Sayles, Jim and Julie Stritmatter, Uncle Cliff Burnstein, Mike Bone, Jim Taylor, Peter Talbot and the Vashon Islanders, Steve Shutt, Rod Serling, Rhonda Ross, The Sunset Marquis, June and Ward Cleaver, The Sleeping Broon, Miss Anne, The Bag, The Lizzies, Chivas Regal, Tennis, Dead Fly Cookies, and Becker’s Chocolate Milk.
Also thanks to Walt Johnston and Gibson Guitars for musical instrument contributions.
This album consists of the show which we brought to you during our North American Tours of 1976. It is an anthology of what we feel to be the high points of our concerts and recordings up to this time. It is not perfect, but it is faithful to us and to you. We have tried to strike a careful balance between perfection and authenticity, and to create a finished work that you may enjoy, and we may be proud of. This album to us, signifies the end of the beginning, a milestone to mark the close of chapter one, in the annals of Rush.
To all our friends everywhere, we we thank you for your friendship and support, and wish you success in all your aspirations.
© 1976 Mercury Records
© 1976 Anthem Entertainment
Awards
Certified Gold by RIAA
November 16, 1977Certified Platinum by RIAA
March 4, 1981Bastille Day
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Lyrics: Neil Peart
There’s no bread let them eat cake
There’s no end to what they’ll take
Flaunt the fruits of noble birth
Wash the salt into the earth
But they’re marching to Bastille Day
La guillotine will claim her bloody prize
Free the dungeons of the innocent
The king will kneel, and let his kingdom rise
Bloodstained velvet, dirty lace
Naked fear on every face
See them bow their heads to die
As we would bow as they rode by
And we’re marching to Bastille Day
La guillotine will claim her bloody prize
Sing, o choirs of cacophony
The king has kneeled, to let his kingdom rise.
Lessons taught, but never learned
All around us anger burns
Guide the future by the past
Long ago the mould was cast
For they marched up to Bastille Day
La guillotine – claimed her bloody prize
Hear the echoes of the centuries
Power isn’t all that money buys