BTW, though I have a wide range of musical interests, pgaulke60 managed to put together a list of music that, for the most part, makes me gag. Yuck!
If there is a more mindnumbingly boring music than early Springsteen, I can't think of it. Santana - most overrated "guitar God" of all time. Rolling Stones? Wake me when they're done. My idea of hell, though, would be the music of Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy piped in all day long. I'd be begging for the flames instead.
But, hey...that's the subjectivity of musical taste for ya....:)
Bitten by the bug in 1989, a 30-year Rush fan here (which is young compared to many) and my biggest regret about them is that I’ll never get a chance to take my young sons to see the live. I remember on my first date with the woman who became my wife I discovered she was a Rush fan as well - and that pretty much sealed the deal.
Anyway, my album tastes are somewhat unconventional: 1. Signals - spoke to my adolescence, my love of literary structure (I love how the album alternates themes of constraint and release), so many others. Plus, learning several years ago that Neil structured his drum parts in "Subdivisions" to reflect the dichotomy of marching in step with the crowd AND trying to be different blew my mind even more.
2. Presto - simply beautiful, if poorly produced. But melody-wise this album soars.
3. Clockwork Angels - more beautiful melodies, even if the storyline is a bit hackneyed. This album really made me appreciate Geddy’s songwriting talents more than I had before.
4. Hemispheres - got an original German pressing of this a few months ago and boy, does it sing on the system!
Also, why feel the need to say how much the dislike the band? Please read the threat title again. Seriously, @pgauke, stay in your lane.
My father-in-law listens strictly to classical music. To his ears, pretty much all other music, especially any popular modern music, is only fit to be played by "cavemen dancing around a fire." (His words).
I won’t be turning him on to EDM any time soon. But that’s ok, I don’t need his permission to like it, or Rush....
Everything I wrote was, of course, purely a reflection of my subjective opinion.
The guaranteed way to look like a fool is to go beyond one’s own opinion to make objective claims in pronouncing some music "good" or "bad."
Virtually every classic piece of music, or any musical style, had someone somewhere declaring it to be of no worth and "will not last."
1. Moving Picture (best album ever created) The diversity of styles from this album is amazing. Love everything about the album from beginning to end. 2. Permanent Waves 3. Signals
Saw them on the Signal Tour back in High School. I had 2nd row the first night and 5 row right of center second night. That was the best concert PERIOD! Seeing them in Florida made Countdown extra special live.
Fun Fact about the two night show in Florida I saw. Rush was suppose to perform 1 show, but because of the situation explained below, they added an additional night for Florida fans.
On November 28, 1981, fans waiting to attend a Rush concert began throwing rocks and bottles at Pembroke Pines police officers and Sportatorium guards when the gates did not open on time due to the late arrival of Rush’s drummer, Neil Peart. Neil had been sailing on his sailboat in the British Virgin Islands during a 10-day break and missed his original flight in due to weather and other unforeseen issues. Having to take a later flight that would’ve got him there in time, he sent a telegram to the venue explaining this. However, the telegram never made it, and workers for the band couldn’t verify that he was on the plane (or as Neil put it in his book, Roadshow: Landscape with Drums, "In those pre-Homeland Security days, the airline I was flying on wouldn’t release its passenger manifest."). When the doors were finally opened, gate crashers scaled the 11-foot (3.4 m) wall surrounding the facility and started running toward the gates. Police sprayed tear gas on the intruders, resulting in additional rock throwing and fighting. Twenty-two people including 11 police officers were injured and two fans were arrested.] As a result of this incident, a Sportatorium task force was created to handle the rowdyism and related problems.
That’s an interesting post about the November,1981 Florida concert. I don’t think it matters whether it’s Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney or Neil Peart. If you are putting on a concert (and getting paid), you need to be there. Late is bad, not showing up is unforgivable. No one could take his place. How many people were looking forward to the concert for weeks? Seems pretty arrogant to me. You can read about the chaos that resulted. I still like Rush, but Yikes!
Did you not read the circumstances causing Peart to be late? Weather problems and unforseen issues that you aren't aware of, and the problem with the telegram. That isn't 'arrogant," that's someone missing a show he wanted to play!
Rush is known for their dedication to fans - one of the hardest working bands of all time and that was an anomaly amongst a record showing great professionalism and dedication.
Given this context it's silly to declare the situation was due to "arrogance."
You're entitled to your opinion. You should probably ask the opinion of the fans who were waiting for the show. I don't think it matters whether Peart was on his sailboat or riding his motorcycle, he should be there for the soundcheck and everything after. It isn't silly to expect that, and loyal Rush fans deserve it.
I said you are entitled to your opinion, now you know mine.
You may as well have written "it doesn’t matter where Peart was, he should have been in control of the weather so he could arrive on the scheduled time."
Everyone "should be" at work on time all things being equal.
But not all things are equal.
You do understand that we live in a world where not everything is under our control, right?
Every airplane, boat, or even rocket launch "should" happen or arrive on time. But there’s this little thing called "The Weather" - among many other possible influences, that can make achieving good intentions impossible.
If you have somehow managed to predict every possible weather condition, and every other chain of causation such that you’ve never been delayed by anything in your life, time to write a book about it and become a millionaire. Until then, your critique of the Neil Peart situation seems rather petty.
You’ve also ignored that Peart managed to actually get another flight which would get him there on time, but since his telegram didn’t make it to the organizers they couldn’t know he’d be there on time, so they cancelled the show.
Upon encountering difficulties Peart DID everything he could to get to the show on time, but of course he was not in control of the weather, or of telegrams getting lost.
You may have the opinion that the show was cancelled due to Peart’s "arrogance" and indifference to the fans, but given the evidence of Rush’s track record as dedicated pros, and the details given of what happened, well, some opinions are sillier than others. :)
My brother-in-law was a roadie for Rush a few times. He also thought Peart was arrogant. Having seen a number of good interviews and documentaries on Rush I would say he is a little arrogant, but no more than anyone else and it is apparent that the perceived arrogance by outsiders is a misconception. The truth of the matter is that he is intensely private and very uncomfortable with fans. I don't see that as a personality flaw and probably reflects a healthy response to stardom. Fortunately for the fans, Geddy and Alex seem to be _very_ at ease with fans.
@tonykay : I doubt seriously that Peart missing a concert had _anything_ to do with arrogance or disregard for the audience and persisting in that belief is more of a problem with the believer than with Peart. We all like to have a scapegoat to be mad at.
@simao : Finding a woman who likes Rush is a rare find. Good thing you held onto her. My wife doesn't get Rush any more than she gets the Three Stooges. Both character flaws I have been willing to overlook these 31 years.
@prof : "To his ears, pretty much all other music, especially any popular modern music, is only fit to be played by "cavemen dancing around a fire." "
He is 100% correct. But man it is fun to be a caveman sometimes!
Peart does have a reputation of being stand-offish. But he, and people close to him, insist this is as you say, a misconception about why this is so.
But there's a big difference between being a privacy-loving person who isn't comfortable jawing with fans, and not being a pro when it comes to actually performing for the fans. Peart is clearly a pro.
@n80 Much appreciated. Totally agree. Some bands are great on records and not live, and vice versa. Some bands are never really captured well on recordings and must be heard live. Except these days with nugs.net and other band releases we get a pretty good sense of what they are live - without our ears being blown out.
Agree with several of you. I got off topic, focusing on live shows, and not the original post. Sorry, got carried away - but I had fun.
For Rush fans, and those who have a surround system, 2112 blu ray audio Hi-Res is a great disc. Additional animation plays along with the songs and sound quality is great. Fun listen in 5.1 or greater
Great topic, I’m a big fan up until moving pictures. I have tried very hard to like their newer stuff and didn’t know why I could not accept it. The balance is different Then I realized as I was listening recently. Geddi’s voice changed, he started to sing in a lower octave. This changed the sound of the band that I new and what impacted me when I was 14 and first heard Caress of Steel. You need that upper octave in the sound triangle, otherwise everything is low. Having said that, my most played Rush albums are :
2112 Hemiapheres Caress of steel Moving pictures Exit stage left
But I own all their documentaries on video and their concert in Rio, I’m just stuck in the original Rush sound. I feel the same way about pink Floyd, Toto and journey.
This is the perfect storm album. As in they had perfected all aspects of their craft, including managing how they produced LP's. It's also the album I have listened to most, and as one fellow posted, it's a great demo LP for your system. In my mind, you could dial your system (gear choice) specifically to this album. You don't have the right system until this album sounds glorious. But I listen to classic rock mostly, so I'm a little biased.
2112 is creatively my favorite album. I think part of the reason for this, with me, is similar to your first kiss. I had their early albums, but this album was when my mind exploded and I thought these guys were one of the top bands in the world. Plus, the album creates a soundscape that is unique and timeless. All these years later, I can listen to this and the thought of how many decades have passed eludes me.
Still and always will be: Moving Pictures2112Fly by NightHemispheresExit Stage LeftPermanent Waves Amazing lyrics/stories sometimesand absolutely wonderful music !!!
"something for nothing" is probably my favorite song and I use it often to test equipment or just when I’m driving and the road opens up (I don’t think barchetta is a good driving song in spite of how they promote it). It’s also my ten year old daughter’s favorite Rush song.
To those who are sensitive and put off by the technical issues in the drum solo of "all the world’s a stage" album (tape head misalignment or defective tape?), I just got the recent special edition box set of "hemispheres" and it includes bonus tracks. Within these, there are selected tracks from another live concert in which Peart plays basically the same solo and it sounds very good and clear.
Anyone have the 40th anniversary vinyl of "A Farewell to Kings" or "Hemispheres"? How is it? Do you have an OP to compare? Just curious. If the 40th versions are superior, I would invest the money. But they are pricey and I don't want to throw away money if they are not better sonically.
@reubent From what I hear, the 40th ann. pressings of "Hemispheres" is inferior to the original. I got the original a few months ago and it sounds simply fantastic.
I can’t take Geddy’s singing from the last...what is it...10, 15 years?...where he’d lost his old vocal dexterity and no longer does the high notes. Even within his lowered vocal range I found his voice to be a hard-to-listen-to strained gargle. Especially the later live performances. Egad! A real bummer and pretty much rules out Rush music of that era for me.
@simao - Thanks. I have an OP of Hemispheres that I'm perfectly happy with. Just trying to decide if I want to invest in the 40th Anniversary edition. Probably not......
"Grace Under Pressure - not everyone’s choice" Well, it is mine, and an easy one to make ~ they hit their stride here, then fell off the wall...they gradually morphed into something you didn’t see coming, listening to this album ~ and ALL the musicians I knew when I was playing back in the 80s talked about this album, and pretty much it only ~ reverentially.
Moving pictures, Hemispheres, Signals. I love most rush but my least favorite is snakes and arrows. Need to give that some more listens though bc it sounds like most people like that one. I think production wise rush really took a step back after Broon. And the last one clockwork angels I’m not sure what they did but it sounds terrible to me which is unfortunate bc I like most of the songs. As I side note the guy saying rush lacks musicianship and in the next post claims Santana is a great guitarist is a bit curious. Lifeson can play circles around Santana. Check out Santana playing the star spangled banner on YouTube it’s cringe worthy.
P/G is such a sonically gorgeous album, especially on vinyl. The songwriting is dead-on, as are Peart's lyrics, which balance the line between self-conscious and detached.
I remember tearing up slightly at my last Rush show during the R40 tour when they ended the first set with "DEW"/"Subdivisions", knowing I'd never hear them live again.
When I was in high school RUSH filmed the video for Subdivisions in my school. I used to be an uber geek who would point out my school locker in the video. I don't think the girls were impressed by that. Remember videos.
(1) Moving Pictures - More than 20 or so years ago, I attended Cornell as an undergraduate in English and Physics. Around my junior year, I started grabbing lunch at one of the graduate student dining halls. The dining hall was a beautiful room - hardwood floors, solid oak tables, vaulted ceilings, and cathedral windows with a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside. They also had a jukebox, with a relatively nice sound system for the space. However, it only had about five albums, but one of those albums was Moving Pictures. The first day I was there, after sitting down to eat, I heard "Tom Sawyer" blaring out of the jukebox, which I had never heard before. It was a "Holy Cow" moment. I had always been a fan of classic rock -Zeppelin, Who, Doors, Cream, Stones, etc - but this was something new. I asked my friends about the song, but none of them recognized it. To date myself, I then ran a search on something called "Gopher," and learned about Rush and this album - which is solid from beginning to end. I have been a fan ever since.
(2) Self Titled (1974) - Before they eventually degenerated into self indulgent, prog rog pablum, there was the first album - hard core, blues inspired rock. This was Rush at its minimalist best, with a shoestring budget. Full of energy and intensity. "Working Man" is still a go-to song of mine to this day.
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