Retrospective 3

Retrospective 3 is a compilation album released on March 3, 2009. The album is essentially a collection of songs from the third and fourth decades of the band (1989-2008), which they spent signed to Atlantic Records. The album is available in two versions. The 2-disc version includes a DVD of music and live videos.

Album artwork

Retrospective 3 displays the covers of six albums - Vapor Trails, Test For Echo, Counterparts, Roll The Bones, Presto, and alternate artwork for Snakes & Arrows - on the wall, while that of the Feedback EP rests on the floor. The Snakes & Arrows art, designed by Hugh Syme, was originally used on that album's insert and later appeared on the cover of the Snakes & Arrows Live album; the portion featuring the battered road sign was used for the DVD version. The dog from the cover of Signals sits looking up at the covers, and the pushbroom used by the janitor on the cover of the Gold compilation rests against the wall near him. (The dog appears on the Gold cover as well.)

Content

This is the only Retrospective collection to feature live material, in the form of the song "Ghost Of A Chance (Live)". This version is notable for not being previously available on any other Rush release. It also feature remixes of the two tracks from Vapor Trails, done to correct mastering problems associated with the album.

Track listing

Disc 1 (CD)

1. "One Little Victory (remix)" - 5:11
2. "Dreamline" - 4:39
3. "Workin' Them Angels" - 4:48
4. "Presto" - 5:48
5. "Bravado" - 4:38
6. "Driven" - 4:29
7. "The Pass" - 4:53
8. "Animate" - 6:05
9. "Roll the Bones" - 5:32
10. "Ghost of a Chance (live)" - 5:51
11. "Nobody's Hero" - 4:56
12. "Leave That Thing Alone" - 4:08
13. "Earthshine (remix)" - 5:38
14. "Far Cry" - 5:18

Song origins

• Tracks 4 and 7 from Presto (1989).
• Tracks 2, 5, and 9 from Roll the Bones (1991).
• Track 10 previously unreleased, originally from Roll the Bones (1991). Recorded Live on the Snakes & Arrows 2008 Tour.
• Tracks 8, 11, and 12 from Counterparts (1993).
• Track 6 from Test for Echo (1996).
• Tracks 1 and 13 originally from Vapor Trails (2002).
• Tracks 3 and 14 from Snakes & Arrows (2007).

Disc 2 (DVD)

(directors in parentheses)

1. "Stick It Out" (Samuel Bayer)
2. "Nobody's Hero" (Dale Heslip)
3. "Half the World" (Dale Heslip)
4. "Driven" (Dale Heslip)
5. "Roll the Bones" (Chris Painter)
6. "Show Don't Tell" (Doug Freel)
7. "The Pass" (Matt Mahurin)
8. "Superconductor" (Gerald Casale)
9. "Far Cry" (Christopher Mills)
10. "Malignant Narcissism" (Bobby Standridge)
11. "The Seeker" (live) (Pierre Lamoureux)
12. "Secret Touch" (live) (Pierre Lamoureux)
13. "Resist" (live) (Pierre Lamoureux)

Bonus material: interview and "Tom Sawyer" (live) (Jim Hoskinson)

Song origins

• Tracks 6, 7, and 8 from Presto (1989).
• Track 5 from Roll the Bones (1991).
• Tracks 1 and 2 from Counterparts (1993).
• Tracks 3 and 4 from Test for Echo (1996).
• Tracks 11 and 13 originally from R30 (2005).
• Track 12 previously unreleased, originally from Vapor Trails (2002). Recorded on the R30 tour at the Festhalle Frankfurt (24 September 2004).
• Tracks 9 and 10 from Snakes & Arrows (2007).
• Bonus track from The Colbert Report (episode dated 16 July 2008).

Personnel

• Geddy Lee - bass guitars, synthesizers, vocals
• Alex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitars, synthesizers
• Neil Peart - drums, percussion, electronic percussion