Rush: Classic or Dud?

Rush Rock Like No One Ex-Cept May-Be Pla-Ce-Bo Neil Peart, Wow, He's Good.

you and my spacey invade

ers get by on you

"Non. Vous etes Le Chien d'Neige." <------------

"Les pommes frites! Mon dieu!!!"

"Begin the day with a friendly voice/A companion, unobtrusive/ Plays the song that's so elusive/And the magic music makes your morning mood"

Dud for that alone.

x0x0

Are you describing your personal development or that of the band? Because, if anything, the band got less and less showy as the years went on. "Counterparts" (the last one I heard) was even "grunge" influenced, allegedly. Rush was my favorite band all throughout high school.

Guitar mag gruel
Less smart than it wants to be
Pretty harmless now

Hey, gimme a break, I've never written a haiku before.

'Tom Sawyer' plays through art class

Turn that shit off now!

*( I reluctantly but freely admit that both Tom Sawyer and YYZ are both decent songs.)

da BA BA BA BA da-da

BA da BA BA BA...

subdivisions rocks
which counters all that i've been
told about this band

the lyrics are too
obvious but what can you
expect from hosers?

http://www.clevernet.on.ca/pierre_trudeau/images/pic_trudeau_beer.jpg

DUD thereafter

Space-jazz-rock-tronic
If rednecks didn't like them
They'd be Kraftwerk-hip

Geddyvox

Less boy or girl than
Alien; Precise
Enunciation

Great band, I think.

the wisdom in this succinct observation is humid. i loved rush until i discovered indie and punk rock in high school. hearing that particularly melodramatic cut "the trees" (i think that's the title) is still powerfully evocative of my 13-15 years, playing D&D, obsessing about securing issue # 202 of Spiderman, and committing to memory SNL lines. so i'll grant my meaningless benediction upon Rush in the same manner as the astute scott p.

NEER-neer-neener-neener
NEE nee nerr
NEER-neer-neener-neener...

That's my "Tom Sawyer" tribute. They should have collaborated with Gary Numan. Maybe there's still time.

(uh, not that i knew very much about 'em)

I do enjoy them
Since, unlike so much prog-rock
They have some real hooks.

And I don't mean to
Be facetious. That stuff was
Cool to a young me.

oh my fucking god
i mean, oh my fucking god
oh my fucking god

______________________

Look at videos
The Trees to Power Windows
Geddy has nose job

There once was a Canuck named Geddy,
Who sang in voice nasal and heady,
His pretensions grand
plus ideas from Ayn Rand
Cause my gastric juices to eddy.

I did too a lot at the time -- you have inspired me, I am listening to Presto for the first time in who knows how long. (The start to "Show Don't Tell" is a freakin' treble-fest.)

are they from alberta?!?!?!?!?! rush i mean. i don't really know the whole rush mythology.

You'll get a thousand answers. For me, Caress of Steel, Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, A Show of Hands (hey, it was my Rush album - sentimental reasons) and Vapor Trails are the standouts.

I have much enjoyed relistening to Rush tracks earlier this month after having not heard them for at least ten years, despite some shark-jumping around 1991.

When I think about Aerosmith's last 25 years, well, how can I complain about Rush?

hello I am a
woman, and a fan of Rush.
Sorry. Bubble burst.

I haven't heard that
song in years I wonder if
it would still be sad?

(Damn, those are hard! I don't see how Haikunym can do it so consistently, mine are always so stilted. Practice makes perfect, I guess.)

It is very fun
Living vicariously
Through gaggles of geeks

In the backs of cars
Be rockist or be cast out
Dream of ILX

of course, most of their music, esp. everything after Moving Pix sounds absolutely NOTHING like Led Zeppelin at all....

(dudski)

I love first record
I might be the only one
Besides John Rutsey

I survived high school
because of "Subdivisions"
That and Minor Threat

No, dude, I do too
Working Man is a hard-rock
jam for the ages

What song, most of all,
makes you wonder how the fuck
he did what he did?

How about robes?

http://www.designvortex.com/greenman/rush/images/2112group.jpgwidth=539>

http://www.designvortex.com/greenman/rush/images/2112group.jpgwidth=539>

gibsons for alex
yes, it was true, now mostly
he plays Paul Reed Smith

(25 of 'em are mine)

The string of albums starting with Permanent Waves and ending with Power Windows were basically flawless, and there are many great songs throughout their catalog.

Please stop the hate!

Here you go:

Rush in Rio rocks
Brazilians go nuts during
Alex's solos

Oh, but there should be - I can just hear Geddy Lee singing "Al-u-min-i-yum!" Don't know what such a song would be about, but I know it would rock!

Friend's smoke-filled basement
'Anthem' blasts on the hi-fi
Air guitars abound

Moving Pictures and
Counterparts and Grace Under
Pressure are all great!

Permanent Waves and
Signals plus Power Windows
rock and roll my world!

r.i.p. john rutsey.

RIP duder -- never knew that's why he had to leave the band.

on a whim bought tickets for Rush at the Excel Center on Thursday nite!

SOOO OOOO OOEXCITED : ) : ) : ) : )

I think Rush have a bunch of great songs, but I wouldn't call myself a fan: their fans tend to be kinda obsessive. But that's awesome. One of my regrets is that a friend of mine was a huge Rush fan (also Dream Theater and Jethro Tull) when I met him, and I turned him on to alternative rock in the mid 90s and he just gave up on Rush and the others. That's too bad: I found his Rush obsessiveness interesting. So I'm glad that there are still Rush fans out there.

They still bring it live. too bad about Rutsey, the first album was a beast.

Seeing them on Sunday! For the first time ever, I might add.

I'm starting to think their new live album just might be their best to date.

All the World's A Stage is a nearly unbeatable live album. So if you say that, I guess I gotta hear this new one.

so freakin awesome - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mav12Hm8fSs&feature=related

one of my very first concerts (back in the Hemispheres days)...practically wore out my copy of All The World's A Stage before I caught the "back in the dressing room" banter at the end of Side 4...("oh man, what a show!")...sad about Rutsey...I recall rumors about Neil Peart having leukemia...maybe true, maybe fans confusing him with Rutsey...

Granted, my taste in Rush is a bit on the weird side, I tend to prefer their 82-87 output. I guess because those were the years where I first got into the band.

AB-I think your tastes are in line with this thread, nothing weird about that. I'm more of a '70s fan, with 2112 being, in my opinion, their best. But I also love the 80s stuff.

My favorite album is still the first one I got by them -- A Show of Hands, of all things. I think they're a band that you end up loving whatever you get into first.

Thought I'd seen it all
Til I saw that video
Finding My Way smokes

Cool to see Peart on a small kit too.

I haven't listened to their recent stuff much, but they were truly awesome in the '70s. Agreed that All the Worlds... is incredible, one of the most underrated live albums by any band in any genre. Also, I agree with Ned's second sentence -- I think they're a band that you end up loving whatever you get into first -- with one caveat: provided you can like or grow to like Geddy's voice, especially on the earlier stuff when it was higher.

I tell you, I'd freak if they ever pulled out stuff like "Red Sector A" and "The Enemy Within". They are doing "Between the Wheels" and "Digital Man", which is cool.

And yeah, Ned's comment is dead on...Grace Under Pressure is the album I'm most fond of precisely because it was my first. Even though "Red Lenses" kind of blows.

One thing I always liked about 80s Rush is that Lifeson actually takes great advantage of that super chorus/compressed post-Andy Summers sound that every guitarist was flocking to then.

First Rush album I ever heard was Exit... Stage Left. Signals was the first one I ever bought (and am fond of the most)

One thing I always liked about 80s Rush is that Lifeson actually takes great advantage of that super chorus/compressed post-Andy Summers sound that every guitarist was flocking to then.

That's for sure. There's this effortless transition from one style of Big Epic Music to another that lesser souls failed at constantly.

That was weird watching them be so Zeppelin-ish in that You Tube clip.

it's weird how so many of the dino-chops-rockers of the 70s made a transition into quasi-new wave moves but still maintaining their own sort of spin on it -- rush, dudes from asia, yes, king crimson, etc

Yeah, I think Lifeson was the best at that early-80s new wave guitar style. On Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, he really nailed that tone.

That's what I found so exciting about the last album, you had subtle glimpses of that very sound, like on "Armor and Sword".

Yeah, I think Lifeson was the best at that early-80s new wave guitar style. On Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, he really nailed that tone.

Aye. "The Manhattan Project" always sounded like a McGeoch-era Siouxsie song to me - especially with that string break in the middle.

OK, I'm going to have to fish out my Rush albums tonight.

My favorite may actually be A Show of Hands... talk about an all killer, no filler set list. I love their 70s stuff, but a lot of the live albums from then had spotty material. Hands really encapsulated the very best songs from that era of the band.

i got into these guys thru my classic rock lovin' older sisters back around the time of Farewell To kings & hemispheres. these guys were HUGE in my jr high/high school years in my blue collar/lower middle class environment. i would rate permanent waves & signals as things i would still like to listen to, tho i don't own anything by them anymore. i saw them at the Meadowlands back on the signals tour (i think). anything post-signals sounded like shit to me but i know that's when a lot of you younger guys got into them.
Take off,to the great white north.

love this guy who plays acoustic rush riffs in his suburban kitchen.

presumably while the kids are at soccer.

Aye. "The Manhattan Project" always sounded like a McGeoch-era Siouxsie song to me - especially with that string break in the middle.

You have made my day, mister. I wish you understood just how much shit I was given for listening to Power Windows in 9th grade.

growing up in a small town, rush was almost served as a kind of "alternative" rock for us before nirvana and all them...we never heard about any cool new wave or punk stuff...so rush was metal enough to get a pass but there was something different about it obviously.

anyway i'm pretty excited about tonight...

If they were playing here in town, I'd go but I really don't wanna drive for hours to the middle of nowhere etc...

i can't wait for those opening notes of spirt of radio!!!!!!!!!!!

"Subdivisions" is going to be the one that gets me the most, I know it.

ANY EsCAPE MIGHT HELP TO SOOTH THE UNATTRACTIVE TRUTH!!!!

Yeah, "Subdivisions" is probably my ultimate favorite as well in the end. Though it was kinda funny I first heard one of the best encapsulations of bored/frustrated suburban life crossed with random dreams of something else after I'd already left high school!

I think the perfect midpoint between the '70s prog stuff and the '80s new wave stuff has to be Moving Pictures, and I nominate that album as Rush's platonic ideal. It has a little bit of both realms, and knocks both out of the park

A Farewell To Kings
Hemispheres is also great
2112 rules

i will (sort of) defend hold your fire as being good too

2112 is so fucking awesome. From that point up to Signals is my Rush era.

2112 is the one pre-1980 Rush album I prefer the most. I'd mention A Farewell to Kings, but I'm sick to death of "Closer to the Heart". It'd be cool to see Rush perform the title track live, though. Killer tune, that one.

Yeah, "Subdivisions" is probably my ultimate favorite as well in the end. Though it was kinda funny I first heard one of the best encapsulations of bored/frustrated suburban life crossed with random dreams of something else after I'd already left high school!

Yeah, that song had a pretty big impact on any kid who was into Rush in junior high/highschool, including me. It's funny, so many people criticize Peart for coming off as so rigid in his lyric writing, especially post-Permanent Waves, but to this day I find his work incredibly eloquent.

I want to make a case for "Time Stand Still," a mostly unsentimental and accurate depiction of nostalgia that's perfect for missing a high school you never loved; it's their "Solsbury Hill."

^^^word up! love that song! aimee mann on the hook

"Time Stand Still" is incredible. I had no idea that was Aimee Mann!

She was in the video, which was a cool touch. Definitely Rush's best pop moment since "Limelight". I want to go watch the Show of Hands DVD now.

from the onion AV club, interview w/aimee mann:

O: Speaking of popping up in weird places, what are you doing on that Rush album? [Mann sings on "Time Stand Still" from Hold Your Fire. —ed.]

AM: They called me up and asked me if I would sing. And I thought, Rush? That's not my kind of thing. So I listened to the song, and the part was this little falsetto thing. It was cute.

O: It's a fine enough song.

AM: Yeah. I don't mind the song.

O: Do you still get royalty checks from that?

AM: Oh, I don't think so. I doubt it. They gave me $2,000. That's a lot of dough.

O: Canadian or American?

AM: [Laughs.] That's the question! I think American. They flew me up to Toronto, and they were really funny. Well, except for Neil Peart. He wasn't very funny.

]She was in the video, which was a cool touch. Definitely Rush's best pop moment since "Limelight".

LURVE the synth line over the chorus.

I love Rush as a pop band, which is why I won't say that I'm a Rush fan, having dealt for years with Rush fans who claimed to hate pop.

One of my first alb reviews in high school was Rush's Presto. Still love "The Pass."

oh man just watched the video for time stands still...i forgot how sweet and melancholy that song is.

SO many guitar riffs on "Time Stands Still." Lifeson tries something different all over the verses.

"The Pass", there's an underrated track. Gorgeous song.

AM: [Laughs.] That's the question! I think American. They flew me up to Toronto, and they were really funny. Well, except for Neil Peart. He wasn't very funny.

http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/video_player.html?neilpeart

Adding 'yes' to all the "Time Stands Still" love. Another example of capturing a mindset in song to a T (and lord knows I'm feeling that more with the years).

"The Pass", there's an underrated track. Gorgeous song.

^^^^OTM^^^^OTM^^^^OTM^^^^

t-shirts I saw at the Rush concert last night:

Savatage
Boards of Canada
System of a Down
New York Dolls
Santana
Dead Kennedys

Think of another band where you'd see all those in the crowd??

Rush has fans from all over the spectrum. Yes is another one like that, where you see headbangers and Jackson Browne fans at the same concert.

I caught them at Irvine Meadows about two weeks ago. It was my 3rd Rush show.

These guys are just fucking fantastic.

Though they played some really exciting tracks like "Overture/Temple of the Syrinx" and "Passage to Bangkok", I have to say the highest energy moment of night was the mid-set "Spirit of Radio". I had it stuck in my head for days and days.

Might have to go see them again in Portland soon... which is silly since it's the same set list. But goddamn it--it's RUSH!

The show tonight was simply one of the best concerts I have ever seen. I was fifth row on the floor, dead center, and it was perfect. They were perfect. Lifeson is such a ham. Personal faves were the 80s fare, no surprise..."Subdivisions", "Between the Wheels", "Mission", etc. But the classics slayed, too. "2112 Overture/Syrinx" especially. And the new stuff fit extremely well with the oldies.

And yeah, such a huge variety of people. Great seeing so many kids, either curious teens or little kids taken by their dads.

Wow, I just want you guys to know I have experienced the first album this weekend at long last and had a great fucking time with it. I find if I just relax and accept that it is just a Led Zeppelin knockoff, then I can really enjoy it. I've always ignored their early stuff, which I probably said before on this thread. I only started caring about Rush for a few select tracks on the Permanent Waves album up through Hold Your Fire, then I lost interest. So this is just fantastic fun, this first album of theirs. Thanks ILM!

i recall reading an interview of u2 where they were talking about their zooropa tour or something, one of their biggest tours on the back of a huge bestselling album anyway... and they were all hyped cause they sold out some arena in michigan or somewhere - until they they realized rush had sold out the venue across town, on the same night as their concert, with rush's venue holding like 3 times as many people as u2's stadium, for that night *and the next*, and rush hadn't even dented the top 40 in like 10 years at that point....

so, are they pretty good live then? i honestly never understood their appeal myself.

I see something like a hundred shows a year and anytime I see Rush is a major event. They are that good live.

What was that thread about the drummer?

Finding My Way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mav12Hm8fSs

fuck you guys, I'll take my '80s U2 over Rush any day

oh man -- had Eno produced Power Windows-era Rush...

...then Coldplay would never have existed. (Or not.)

I played Power Windows at the gym this week. Do I get a cookie?

yes!

Saw them in Austin several weeks ago and it was absolutely mind-blowing.

I've seen them many times before, but this was in a much smaller venue than usual and the sound was insanely loud yet crystal clear.

Between The Wheels from Grace Under Pressure was one of many highlights. I still can't believe that they were that good.

"Between the Wheels" sounded so good live, that I wish they'd played more from that album!

A childhood friend introduced me to Rush when Permanent Waves came out. I forgot about 'em until I heard Moving Pictures on headphones and was blown away. I was a fan through Power Windows which at first seemed perfect, but later felt a bit sterile. I sold all their records before college, but I couldn't stay away, and gradually got most of the 2003 reissues. In hindsight, Signals has the most consistent songwriting. Grace Under Pressure is a bit of a dense mess, but was I the only one to think of it when I first heard OK Computer?

I guess the reissues were 1997.

Next door in college,
a kid from Billerica
REALLY LIKED Counterparts

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:7_CEJ6TAwY8PmM:http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/images/Rush-Rush.jpg

Take yourself a friend

the words of the prophets were written on the studio wall

concert hall

Time Stands Still.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e10z-E56PVI

Okay, but srsly, Time Stands Still rules. Amirite?

I spun Passage to Bangkok at my Dj gig tonight.

I've had "Signals" on in the car the last few days, "Countdown" is so good, like Rush doing Gary Numan. Best album they ever did, I think, the only track I don't like is the "Walking on the Moon" knockoff.

Fucking Signals. THAT IS THE SHIT.

Stephen Colbert, Rolling Stone... I want my old uncool unsexy Rush back!

I've been going through a huge Rush phase the last two weeks, mostly spent diving into all the 80s albums I'd ignored before. Signals is most definitely my favorite, but I'm surprised at how much I'm actually enjoying the others I'd never previously even wanted to hear (Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure).

Fly by Night! 2112! Hemispheres!

I took my family to EPCOT recently and got a swell t-shirt that says "The 21st Century started in October, 1982" (when EPCOT opened). Signals is totally a trip back to that time and that future-centric state of mind.

As we entered the park, we were greeted by the music of the Beach Boys playing over the PA. Not bad, but "Countdown" would have been far more appropriate, especially since it was released right around the time of EPCOT's opening and describes events that Rush witnessed right down the road from the Disney parks. Hell, I'll even bet Rush went to EPCOT after seeing the Space Shuttle launch!

i think that series of albums from the 80's (signals through power windows, I guess add moving pictures in there too) is their best era. really much after that I can't stand anything they did; and the earlier stuff gets overly histrionic vocally though I think most of it is good.

Yeah, I totally see Rush as Epcot music. You can almost hear The Nightfly's "I.G.Y." playing too.

"i think that series of albums from the 80's (signals through power windows, I guess add moving pictures in there too) is their best era."

This seems to be the majority opinion on ILM, though I'll never be able to understand it.

Hell, I'll even bet Rush went to EPCOT after seeing the Space Shuttle launch!

Quoting from the Signals tour book

VIII COUNTDOWN
Cape Kennedy, Florida, April,1982

We were there! It wasn't easy, but we made it! We had a long-standing invitation to the first launch, and always swore that we would be there no matter what. Little did we know!

On April 9th we flew into Orlando on a day off, checked into a hotel, and slept until about four A.M., when we had to leave for our rendezvous at the Air Force Base near the Cape. There we met our liaison man, who conducted us safely into the "V.I.P." zone (Red Sector A) in the pre-dawn hours. We stood around, listening to the announcements, as the sun rose higher and hotter in the sky. We were due to play that night in Dallas, so we couldn't wait much longer. Finally they announced that the launch would be scrubbed for that day. The computers weren't speaking!

Well, we ran for the car, and our daring driver sped off, around the traffic jams, down the median of the highway, and got us to the airport barely in time.

The next night we had a show in San Antonio, after which we drove off immediately, clambered into a hired jet, and flew straight back to Florida. This time the launch took place on schedule, and it was SOMETHING!! (More about that in the song.) Again we raced backed to the plane, and flew off once more, back to Fort Worth where we had a show that night. Fortunately the day after that was a day off, so we had a chance to catch up on all that sleep!

I remember thinking to myself as we flew back to Fort Worth after a couple days without sleep: "We've got to write a song about this!" It was an incredible thing to witness, truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can only hope that the song comes even close to capturing the excitement and awe that we felt that morning.

So no trip to EPCOT, huh, bummer...

does ANYONE not like 'tom sawyer'?? i mean ANYONE.

no? i thought so.

I used to hate Tom Sawyer. Doesn't bother me now, though.

I'm often mystified by certain arguments against Rush:

A lot of people go for the Geddy Lee screeches too much argument, which is odd since he started singing in a fairly normal tone of voice somewhere back in the late 70s.

The other is the idea that they are too show-offy and technical. Again, a weird argument since their music is far less busy than much of prog-rock. There's lots of intense musicianship, but they never loose track of the actual song.

I also get irritated by the folks that say that Rush is Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, and some guy that no one cares about or has heard of. Alex Lifeson easily holds his own in Rush, and for me often outshines the other two.

Thoughts? Do these arguments hold any merit? Do arguments like these come from a place of deep insecurity? Or should I just ignore the haters?

From first to last...the peak is never past...

Rush was, is and e'er shall be..... godlike.

No TV for years
Guest spot on Colbert Report
Throw to ad mid-song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swk_XqBPs2Y

(BTW, Rush was def. on VH1 Classic in the past few years. Did they just mean "network TV" or something? But then, why would Comedy Central count?)

i think that series of albums from the 80's (signals through power windows, I guess add moving pictures in there too) is their best era.

i'd start and end two albums earlier, hemispheres to signals. any peak era that doesn't include permanent waves is not a peak era.

or, in haiku...

the best rush era,
for me, starts with hemispheres
and ends with signals

For me it's 2112 through Moving Pictures

the first LP through Permanent Waves...

heh, I never knew that "Geddy" was not his real name, but rather his grandmother's pronunciation of his given name (Gary)...thanks, Wiki!

Rush plays the Rock Band version of "Tom Sawyer" backstage at Colbert
http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/cc_insider/2008/07/rush-plays-rock.html

There's a really good feature on Rush in the Rolling Stone issue with the giant Obama head on the cover.

The hell?

http://members.cox.net/antipop42/yyz_bigband.mp3

(I suppose this was inevitable)

Thanks Chris. Now I feel dirty.

Is that really the first time someone's done that with "YYZ"? I think there's a thread somewhere where I mentioned to Bryan how I thought the guitar solo would work on a clarinet.

I would like to know what Rush would have sounded like if they'd tried to do disco.

that's fucking awesome

Rush actually uses that Southpark skit as part of their stage show. Last couple times I saw them anyway. It's cute.

Anyone got late era Rush LPs (Presto and beyond) they want to sell me? I have vinyl of every one through Hold Your Fire...

The last "new" Rush album I bought was probably Grace Under Pressure.

I'm way into Snakes & Arrows. Otherwise, Counterparts is the latest I've even heard (aside from live tracks).

I heard that album
With the internet-themed song
Pretty cringeworthy

Rush covers EP
is a difficult listen
due to compression

Cute haiku.

On a happier note, I just won 18 Rush cassettes on ebay for $21. I'll be driving with the windows rolled down this summer!

I'm so appalled how awesome 'Digital Man' is. But I'm not able to write a haiku about it. sorry

Rush is like the Blood
Brothers: both singers' vocals
scare away poseurs

except, unlike the
blood brothers rush can write a
good tune and has jams

hey now, the jaguar love album last year was pretty good, you have to give them that

I have heard this "Rush"
like Christmas, with power chords
to my ears it was

That was quite nice.

Ah man now I feel bad for making a snarky comment in the MJvsNC thread.

Well, you'll get yours.

i think you'd have to pay a lot of money for some of those post-presto albums on vinyl (and in fact, I think some of them were never released on vinyl). most of them sound varying degrees of awful anyway though (vapor trails being the absolute worst of them all).

rush must be enjoying their new profile, they were referenced in both Adventureland and I Love you Man (obviously more than referenced in the latter).

...and appeared on "The Colbert Report"

i've definitely seen snakes & arrows on vinyl

The Colbert Report appearance was kind of awkward... Colbert jumped in front of them and they had to cut short Tom Sawyer because of time or some shit like that

"I have heard this "Rush"
like Christmas, with power chords
to my ears it was"

Fantastic. And extra points for doing it like Yoda.

Tonight at my weekly Dj gig in Portland, my co-host DJ BRKFST SNDWCH and I are going to have a Rush-off battle--2 hours of Rush songs back and forth. It's going to be ridiculous, and will definitely bum out more than a few patrons and staffers.

Okay at the bar today I heard "Closer To The Heart". My musical encyclopediac mind capitulated. What fucking album was that on??? I asked two bartenders and one guy at the bar and they didn't know jack shit. It drove me nuts!! Rush's "Closer To The Heart". What fucking album was that on? Not Moving Pictures, but it didn't seem like it was that one that had Spirit Of Radio on it either. Damn, dudes. I missed that fucking song in my Rush trips, even though I heard it before. Yowza. Grabbing it on iTunes, it says it was on Farewell To Kings? What in the living fuck? I never even had that album! I plead innocence!

Also every bar really needs to have someone with a musical encyclopedia knowledge so that I don't have to go through that again.

I haven't listened to Rush in years and years, but was a big fan at one time (high school) and seem to recall A Farewell to Kings being one of the better '70s Rush albums. The first really "Rush-y" Rush album.

Rush doc nabs Tribeca audience prize

The documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, about Canada's iconic rockers, has captured the audience award at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

The feature — which was one of two films that opened Toronto's Hot Docs International Documentary Festival on April 29 — captured the prize at a wrap party on Saturday night.

Directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn also got $25,000 US. All the other festival awards were handed out on Thursday.

The film chronicles the band's 42-year history, profiling bandmates Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart.

"It was great to see Rush fans and non-fans enjoy the movie together," said the directors in a statement released Saturday night.

Festival executive director Nancy Schafer called the film "an intimate but energetic portrayal of one of the most prolific rock bands."

McFadyen and Dunn are old hands in the genre of music documentary. Their previous credits include Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, Global Metal and last year's Juno-winning Iron Maiden: Flight 666.

http://www.youtube.com/user/RareRushReview#p/a/u/0/sk8hbSxY0sE

I've heard that this movie is fantastic.

Whoah super psyched for this! Hopefully it will get a normal engagement in nyc as I wasn't really paying attention to Tribeca...

I'm pumped for this as well

yay!

Wow, I can't wait!

In the meantime, new haiku:

'Limelight' is so great!
Perfection held in a song.
Sublime. Joy. And bliss.

couple of my friends got tix to see Rush this summer playing Time Machine in its entirety. Should I have bought tickets, too!? Shit sold out in like 10 minutes. Not my fave Rush album tho.

pre-sale for San Antonio starts tomorrow morning, I'm all over this.

"Time Machine"?

lol oops it's Moving Pictures they're playing -- the tour is called Time Machine ...

they almost always have played 90% of that record anyway so it's kind of funny that by adding one song they now get to ride the 'classic albums played live' wave.

It is a little silly, although I'm psyched to hear The Camera Eye as it is one of my favorite Rush tracks and one I've been hoping to hear live for a long time.

Also, they'll be premiering unreleased tracks from their forthcoming album plus they'll be playing some more obscure oldies. I'm pretty sure Jacob's Ladder will be one, not sure of any others though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLKUlNfNuk
part 1 of the Rush episode with Alex Lifeson (it just came on Direct TV last week)

Ricky: "they got these lyrics aboot how trees are talking together, how different sides of your brain works or outer space bullshit"

So psyched for the film, the tour, and the next album!

Got my tickets for the San Antonio concert this morning. Woot!

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/ID=1445449710

Interview with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on five Rush songs that are being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame. Long as hell but fairly in-depth re the songwriting process for a TV interview with a rock band. It's interesting to hear people remember how they first composed a hugely successful song before I was born, how they reacted to an anti-radio critique becoming a radio hit, etc.

Just watched a screener DVD of the new Sam Dunn documentary on Rush. If this film doesn't make you love Rush, it will make you WANT to love Rush.

In select theaters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk8hbSxY0sE

I haven't LOVED Rush since I was about 18, but I'm definitely up for watching this.

This is playing in theatres here in Canada in a couple weeks. I'll be there.

I heard Eddie Trunk rave about this thing the other day, he says its one of the best docs hes seen. My life will suck until I see this movie, cant wait.

Just bought my ticket for the screening in Rotterdam. So glad I'm able to go after all, I was supposed to go see Mastodon (who cancelled) that very evening. Can't wait, it will be drumming-in-the-dark awesome!

Looks like the doc will be playing in Austin in a couple weeks, gotta get me some tickets!

new album, clockwork angels, out next year; new single, "caravan," out next week
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Rush-Unveils-New-Music-Legendary-Rock-Band-Return-With-New-Single-Caravan-Plus-Additional-1266086.htm

I borrowed a friend's copy of Power Windows a few weeks ago – what a shame these kinds of synths aren't used much anymore.

The synths on M83's Dead Cities album remind me a lot of Grace Under Pressure.

"Power Windows" and "Grace Under Pressure" are my faves. Loved the addition of "Between the Wheels" to the last couple of tours.

I think it's too bad the band is doing the "play the whole album thing" with re: "Moving Pictures." In the Rush catalog, its place in the canon is vastly overestimated. It's not like it's their "Back in Black" or something, and it's def. no better than "Permanent Waves" or "Signals." Bigger "hit," I guess, but they play that one all the time, anyway. Kind of curious what they dust off to fill the rest of the set.

Well, it actually is their biggest hit.

yeah i was PUMPED when they did between the wheels

yeah i'd rather see a lot of albums in their entirety rather than moving pix

hell i'd be pysched for like farewell to kings or something

Or even Presto.

I'm excited to hear all of Moving Pictures just because I've been wanting to see them play The Camera Eye for a long time. Otherwise I could take it or leave it. The played 5 out of 7 tracks off Moving Pictures on their last tour, so they were practically doing the whole album already.

I'm hoping that they will pull out some other obscurities on this tour. That seems to be the direction they've been headed recently. I read one rumor that they'll be playing Jacob's Ladder, which should be pretty cool.

Between The Wheels was definitely a highlight of their last tour. They did a bunch of other really great tracks pulled from the vault as well including Digital Man, Entre Nous, Mission, Circumstances, Ghost of a Chance, Witch Hunt, and Passage To Bangkok. I hope this trend continues with Time Machine.

Yeah, I mean, how many Rush fans only own that one album? How many people in the world only own one Rush album, for that matter? They're sort of an all-in kind of band. It's not like they wouldn't have sold out their tour if they were doing "Presto" or whatever. Like it was said above, it's spending too much time on an album that gets pretty well represented every show, anyway, and this from a band that no longer has opening acts to make room for more songs people want to hear. And having seen Mr. Big open for the group on the "Presto" tour, I'm doubly glad it's been "A Night with Rush"-mode from there on out.

"Ghost of a Chance" very underrated. "Presto" and "Roll the Bones" really marked the band's transition into secular humanist territory, no doubt enhanced by Peart's personal double whammy.

and it's def. no better than "Permanent Waves" or "Signals."

^ you're crazy. Moving Pictures blows both of those out of the water.

I love "Ghost of a Chance"; the change from piledriving verses to mellow, weary chorus (buttressed by remnants of eighties echo) is beautifully executed. Nice piano part too.

Moving Pictures blows both of those out of the water.

I can imagine preferring it, but blowing them out of the water? Nah.

Shit, man your right. I thought I read "Grace under Pressure", not Permanent Waves. I rescind on that one, Waves rules. My bad.

I guess I look at it like this: Rush are pretty much never going to play a show that does not include Tom Sawyer, Limelight, and YYZ. Most tours they also play Red Barchetta. That right there is half of Moving Pictures. Witch Hunt was a highlight of their last tour and I'd love to see them play it again. That leaves The Camera Eye and Vital Signs, both amazing songs that I've always wanted to see live.

That adds up to about 40 minutes worth of music, they'll probably perform for upwards of 3 hours, so there's lots of room for other great stuff.

And having seen Mr. Big open for the group on the "Presto" tour, I'm doubly glad it's been "A Night with Rush"-mode from there on out.

The two times I've seen them (1992 & 1994), the openers were Primus and Candlebox respectively. Now, in 1992, seeing Primus and Rush on the same bill blew my 18 year old brains right out the back of my head. 20 year old me was well aware that Candlebox sucked pretty hard.

Ditching the opening bands was probably one of the smartest things they ever did. Their tours got way better once they did that.

I love Presto and Roll The Bones and Hold Yr Fire with a passion that is inscrutable to me. I think of it as their Police-ish atmospherock period and I am a sucker for the (even more) earnest turn the lyrics take during those. Signals and Grace Under Pressure def fall into a different 80s Rush basket, more of a heavy new wave power synth kind of thing. I need to go to this tour man, I wonder if the NY/NJ dates are already sold out...

geddy makes me squirm
busy pretentious songcraft
but tom sawyer's good

Pretty sure "Tom Sawyer" was the first Rush song I ever heard, but the first Rush tape I ever bought was Hold Your Fire. "Time Stand Still" is an impressively structured pop song (complete with Aimee Mann's contributions). But it was Presto that really cemented me as a raging fan (at least for a brief moment in time). I bought all the albums and listened to them constantly. By the time of Counterparts, I was kind of over it all. Test For Echo is the last one I bought, and I can't even remember a thing about it, except there was a song on there that mentioned "email."

Fun Rush fact: "Test for Echoes" is the only Rush album I've never owned or even heard once. Wikipedia should be updated ASAP to reflect that.

Josh you going to either of the Notherly Island shows? i'm going on the 5th

Hold Your Fire, Presto, and Roll The Bones are kind of a low point for me. Hold Your Fire and Presto both have a bunch of good tunes, and Roll The Bones a few, but the overall sound and production values are just terrible. So jangly and trebly, with like zero low-end or guitar crunch. I much prefer their "return to rock" albums that they've put out since then.

well i think the rap on the song "roll the bones" is THE low point

but i like hold your fire quite a bit actually...time stand still is great...i like new wave 80s/synchronicity-jocking rush

If you're behind, Snakes and Arrows is their best album since Counterparts. To my ears, it's their best album since Signals, but most would not agree because they either have a nostalgic fondness for late 80s Rush, or they won't be able to appreciate Rush produced in a modern way. I think it sounds great, though all those new songs are even better live.

It's been a treat liking that record because obviously they play a lot of it in concert. So when a badass new track like Spindrift starts, and 1500 dudes start heading to the concessions stand to buy another $14 beer, I'm just rocking out and smiling.

i did enjoy the songs off S&A live when i saw them a couple years ago...

the recording from what i heard was too modern metal sounding i thought, but i guess that's rush, they usually try to keep up w/the times

I actually think Snakes and Arrows is their best since Presto. As big a fan as I am, they'd sounded creatively stagnant on record for the longest time, so that album really blindsided me. It still holds up well today.

the song title "workin' them angels" drives me UP A WALL for some reason

Tour dates are here: http://www.rush.com/

Those bastards play every other day. Must be nice :)

they've earned it!

did you read that "roadshow" book where peart did a tour by motorcycle (he would follow the tour vans and make his own route)....i thought it was pretty entertaining.

It's on the back of my toilet right now.

^^^yet another perfect ILM board description

Rob, I'll prolly go to one of them, if I can get in for free, especially now that U2 has been scuttled til '11.

Charter One Pavilion will be a great place to see Rush. I saw Dio with Heaven & Hell last year -- it was small enough that none of the seats were bad. There were fold-out metal chairs and hs-style bleachers, the stage facing the lake. There had just been a storm with 90+mph gusts of wind earlier, and the sky was still swirling with quick moving clouds, and Dio's hair blew dramatically like an 80s video.

I hope they do it like The Cult's Love tour -- after they played the complete album, they did "hits" from Electric and later. With Rush the question is do they stick to one era (Permanent Waves to Power Windows would seem cohesive to me) or not.

Well, considering the album runs less than an hour and a typical Rush set closer to three (including intermission), I hope they just pack the rest with goodness. I mean, Rush has a lot more to draw from than the Cult. I love "Love" but hated that show.

I don't think I can handle 3 hours! I thought the Cult show was great up through Electric. I left not long after they got into their sucky albums.

"did you read that "roadshow" book where peart did a tour by motorcycle (he would follow the tour vans and make his own route)....i thought it was pretty entertaining."

That's a great book. His other ones are pretty good too.

True story:

Daniel Richler's parked
Illegally at Shopper's
Then Geddy Lee hops in!

Whoops, drop the "Lee" from that last line to make it fit haiku form.

New Rush single is out today - Caravan b/w BU2B - and it rocks!

Some crazy instrumentals going on in Caravan, and BU2B is super heavy.

hmmm not really feeling this....

it's like they are just jamming random riffs together, no memorable melodies or songwriting...

these songs remind me of what ppl often say about rush like they are some kinda math rock band, when in reality they always used to write really great songs, great hooks...

why are they trying to be so "heavy", this is arguable "heavier" than they ever were, at the expense of the stuff i actually loved about rush.

Yeah, not feeling the new one. Reminds me a bit of the "Counterparts" comeback, when the band was all, hey, we can be heavy, too! But this seems almost Primus at times in its herky-jerkiness.

Yeah, the vocal melodies seem a bit generic TBH (although maybe not that much worse than many other hard rock/metal bands) but I think the music, especially on "Caravan", is very good. Surprisingly metal for them. Have they been listening to Mastodon or something?

xpost

I did think of Primus too, actually, but not in a bad way.

The new songs are pretty good if you ask me. Very heavy at times, but still willing to toss in some synths every now and then. I think it's very similar to what they did on S&A.

You guys are scaring me shitless with the Primus comparos.

doesn't sound like primus to me. no rubbery bass riffery at least. something else that might be worrisome though is what BU2B might have to do with bono

There's no Primus going on. Nice psych groove on "Caravan", though. Not unlike the new Cathedral.

Ha NOW you're talkin'!

Off to download now. This is my first official purchase of music from ITunes, lol!

I suppose I've always liked this neither fish nor fowl quality of the band. Is it metal? Well, no. Prog? Not really. Hard rock? In the most generic sense, yes, but ...

I just became a Yes convert, and I can feel Rush on the horizon..what is happening to me??!!

Cathedral is probably a better comparison, actually.

Can't stress enough how much a new Rush fan will get out of Sam Dunn's new documentary. Watch it asap Iago G :)

I want to watch it BADLY but it's not in wide release yet is it???

Will do, Nate--maybe it's on Netflix I'll check--thks for the tip

It's in theaters now. On DVD in a month or so.

As for the new single - LOVE IT. I'm a big Snakes & Arrows guy, and this follows it in the best way (heavy rock, creative songwriting), and leaves out the filler (acoustic instruments, blues jams).

More stoked than ever for Clockwork Angels LP + Time Machine tour.

wow Rush excitement! Really want to see the doc, as I was a major Rush head for a while in HS and early college. Liked what I heard of the new single too

I'll be seeing the doc at the Alamo Drafthouse in 1 1/2 weeks. Pretty much the ideal setting for a Rush doc, if you ask me.

A friend went to the Charter One Pavilion box office (only open on show nights) and got us tix for 7/7 show for $49.50, NO SERVICE FEES! I didn't think that was even possible for shows in that venue! Now I can spend what I saved on one 32 ounce can of Bud Light Ultra 64 Lite...

Correction, he got these through the LiveNation website, which is having a special on no service fees for certain concerts.

Those are lawn seats, right?

I hate to even post what I spent on 2 tickets for the San Antonio concert, it is a truly shocking amount. I love Rush and want an opportunity to go see them and have pretty good seats, but prices are getting way out of control.

I mean we are talking about $50 dollar tickets as if that is cheap. That's double what tickets cost about 15 years ago, and that represents the absolute least you can spend now, so really ticket prices have tripled or quadrupled in a fairly short amount of time.

Trying to get press passes. If that fails, I'm looking at $200 seats...

Not even playing in New England. C'mon guys, we're practically Canada up here!

Unforgettable 2002 São Paulo concert (maybe better than 'Rush in Rio'). Hope they come to Brazil this time.

And Caravan is awesome.

A band like Rush would normally play a much larger outdoor stadium where the tickets would be more like $70 to $100 with fees. I've vowed never to go to those shows again, as they're not very fun, and lousy value. However Charter One Pavilion is smaller. It's all metal fold-out chairs and high school-style bleachers, and it seemed like all seats had a good view of the stage and weren't too far away. I saw Dio w/ Heaven & Hell there last year, and it sounded great.

Yeah, I've seen Tom Petty there, Destiny's Child, Wu-Tang, Stevie Nicks and a couple of other things there, and it's a great place to see a show.

My (modest) feature review of the documentary:

http://wweek.com/editorial/3631/14141/

Nice work Nate!

Even if Geddy Lee’s banshee wail drives you up the wall, one viewing can’t help but bring him a little closer to your heart.
excellent sentence :)

the Doc is playing in Chicago (one night only!) at the new Icon theater on Roosevelt at Clark...

only problem is that I have an old high school friend in town that I need to hang out with and I'm pretty sure she isn't a huge Rush fan, and even if she was, there is the free Otis Taylor / Hubert Sumlin thing over at Millennium Park, and I love both those dudes to death. Man there is SO much competing shit in Chicago this weekend it is nuts. the aforementioned conflict on Thursday, then Blues Fest all weekend, Lit Fest all weekend, Cubs/Sox series, Hawks parade on Friday, Dave Holland is in residence at the Jazz Showcase now thru Sunday, and somehow I gotta fit in the USA/England match on Saturday... egads

have to say that I'm going back and listening to some of the 80s Rush I never gave a chance to back when I was a fan, and these are *huge* productions. Grace Under Pressure is killing my poor laptop speakers, sound is everywhere.

grace under pressure is kinda of a masterpiece IMO

Love that record. Always makes me wonder how the fates would have treated the band had the booked producer, one Steve Lillywhite, not backed out at the last minute.

i'm going to see the doc tonight in chicago -- seems like it would be more fun to see it in a theater full of people vs dvd
it's reserved seating!

I'm missing the theatrical release to be in Hollywood w/Yob. Can't complain.

i missed the first ten minutes of the movie, but what a joy it was! i especially loved the lady from WMMS when she talked about how they broke "working man" -- that's one of the stations i grew up listening to and it was fun to hear the discussion of midwestern rock fans. it's SO true.

This movie is such a blast, I had a big, stupid grin on my face during the whole thing, as did everyone else in the jam-packed theatre tonight.

I'm really glad the doc was so thorough, I was worried they'd gloss over the 82-87 era, which I'm fondest of.

Caught the docu on Thursday night, and it was brilliant. Can't stop listening to all Rush, now. Sheesh.

Rush is so genuinely inspirational. Irony free, but totally with a sense of humor. Utmost respect.

" I was worried they'd gloss over the 82-87 era, which I'm fondest of."

That's probably my least favorite Rush era. And they are by far one of my favorite bands.

I've been in northeast Ohio visiting family and I've heard "Tom Sawyer" 2x and "Working Man" once on the radio. <3

Must be listening to WNCX 98.5!

I'm seeing the film tonight!!!

That's the station!!

The Rush doc is on VH1 Classic at 9 tonight (EST), kids!

oh man subdivisions

If I only had cable...

Oh sweet! Half an hour away!

It's also showing on plain ol' VH1, FYI. Watching now.

The Rush doc is excellent, except my god were they weird, even weirder than I though

t

OK, wow, Neal Peart is freaking me out...I am going to have to read this thread carefully after this things ends.

lol @ teenage Alex being a little shit at his parents' dinner table.

After that, it got really really good. And I'd forgotten what a demanding listen Hemispheres is. I'm going to have to dig it out asap.

lol @ teenage Alex being a little shit at his parents' dinner table.

What killed me was, who thought, "Hey man, Alex is telling his parents he's quitting school; we gotta get this on film!" ?

Also got a laugh at the RATM dude being escorted out of the backstage room Neil Peart was in at Neil's request. I can understand shying away from throngs of yelling, grabby fans because it makes you anxious, but what the hell was RATM guy doing that warranted a forceful ejection? Inquiring minds...

I'm so pissed I missed it. Again. No listings for it to show again.

I enjoyed it overall (it definitely made me want to listen to a lot more of their music); I just wish it had more hardcore musical discussion. Oh, well.

but what the hell was RATM guy doing that warranted a forceful ejection?

"I heard you like that Ayn Rand shit."

"SECURITY!"

I think being in RATM is reason enough.

I got a lot of enjoyment out of this film, but I am definitely the target audience.

My biggest complaint is that they could have spent more time on the post-Moving Pictures albums. It felt like the 80s to present day piece went by too quickly compared to the 70s portion.

I loved all the celebrity interviews though, especially Billy Corgan, Trent Reznor, Jack Black, and Gene Simmons. It's just great to hear these guys geek out about Rush in the same way that I would. You don't necessarily expect to hear Trent Reznor waxing nostalgic about the synths on Power Windows, but why wouldn't he? I know I do.

Also, the clips of Rush playing high school dances and discussion of kimonos was A+.

The part about about them playing Caress of Steel for Paul Stanley in the back of the tour van and him not getting it was completely lolz for me, because I can just imagine the dumbfounded look on his face upon hearing something like "The Necromancer."

"I'm not quite sure where I'll stop, but it'll probably be somewhere around Presto."

Personally Phil, I'm not so keen on Presto and Roll the Bones as I am on their "return to rock" album Counterparts. I think you'd find some songs you like on that one.

As for wanting more discussion of the music, buy the Popoff book!

You have a lot to look forward to. I recently played 2112 for my brother and his reaction was "wow, this sound like Iron Maiden, only it's from 1976."

I really like Presto. It was a little more back-to-basics without completely shedding the synthy stuff from the 80s. Counterparts/Test For Echo/Vapour Trails really did nothing for me, but Snakes & Arrows was a huge return to form.

i don't think they really captured what a cultural landmark album 'moving pictures' was. everyone in my junior high school had that record, not just the rush geeks, everyone. maybe it was a michigan thing, the same as the tragically hip selling out arenas once upon a time. but yeah they are some weird dudes, neil peart most especially, watching him made me feel really uneasy except for maybe during the mullet and handlebar moustache phase.

I finally saw it on the big screen tonight. It's gotten a second run at another cool indie theater in Portland.

Still the most profound part of the film for me is when they describe how 2112 set them free for the rest of their career.

Will be loading the first 12 albums (debut through Hold Your Fire, no live albums) into my iPod today. The Project Begins!

"My biggest complaint is that they could have spent more time on the post-Moving Pictures albums"

That's because if you watch the movie, most of the interviewees, especially Alex Lifeson, describe those albums as completely sucking, which, for the most part, they do. I'm glad after watching this movie that opinion has been vindicated, none of this "Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows are the two greatest albums ever made" challopsy bullshit.

I guess I missed the part where Alex Lifeson said "All the albums we've recorded for the last 30 years completely suck."

Not sure where anyone is saying that Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows are two of the greatest albums ever made, but they are both really good. So are Signals, Counterparts, Vapor Trails, and Snakes and Arrows. All the rest have their fair share of great tunes as well.

I don't think that Rush is trying to disown any of these albums. Their live show tends to have quite a lot of songs from the post-Moving Pictures era. It would have been nice to take a little more time with these past 30 years in the film, but it probably would have been a much longer film.

this reminds me to mention the major larfs in the restaurant when the waitress only recognized geddy lee
i liked that facet of the movie, the "look how NICE these guys are" -- i realize that doesn't have anything to do with the music, like at ALL, but i will listen to rush if i want to think about the music. i really liked the personal aspect of the movie.

i wanted to hug these guys at the end of the movie, i just LOVED them. i never knew much about them beyond their music, so it was all pretty new to me. i knew they were smart, Canadian, and pretty clean cut comparatively, but nothing more than that.

I guess I missed the part where Alex Lifeson said "All the albums we've recorded for the last 30 years completely suck."

^ You must have seen an edited version of the movie.

It would have been nice to take a little more time with these past 30 years in the film

^ no, it would have been better to have said what they did, that they made some serious mistakes in the '80s, and then beefed it up with more '70s stuff. If you dont think they were trying to back away from some of their '80s stuff, especially Lifeson, then please send me some of what you were smoking while you were watching it.

The part in the diner with Lee, Lifeson and the waitress was total gold.

i will stump for "hold your fire" too...i love 80s rush a lot. signals rules...tons of that stuff rules...i actually prefer their in thrall to the police/synth era stuff....(peart loved ultravox lol, that makes SO MUCH sense in retrospect)

but yeah i watched about half of this last night before i had to go to bed.

was sort of great too see all the different musicians that they touched....i suddenly felt a weird kinship to like, sebastian bach and vinnie paul, like i can relate to what they were saying about it....

rush is really the first band of nerds, like true nerds.

thought the early days stuff with rutsey was great, and i'm glad they didn't ignore rutsey, he gets kind of written out of their history sometimes.

really charming, can't wait to finish it.

also was happy to see a dude from death cab for cutie on there...because their song for the twilight soudntrack sounds SOOOO 80s rush, esp. the beginning. glad i'm not crazy for hearing that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DxUWGSiyt4

something about the vocal line at the beginning of the song...where he goes "when the sun in perched at its highest peak in the MID-dle of the day"

^^there is something distinctly Rush about how he emphasizes the first syllable of middle and takes it like a note higher than you'd expect, plus the guitar arpeggios under it are SOOO rush....but it's mostly in the intro not the whole song

Bill Magill will now be sad and cry about vampires ruining his rock experience.

Bill Magill will now be sad and cry about vampires life ruining his rock experience.

also,

i was first suprised to see trent reznor in it, but at the same time it made total sense, i think someone else upthread had the same experience

also, sebastian bach was SOOOOO cuet, he went out and bought the fountainhead when he was 12 awwwwww

Bach looked awful.

Bill Magill will now be sad and cry about vampires life ruining his rock experience.

― Filmmaker, Author, Radio Host Stephen Baldwin (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, June 28, 2010 11:20 AM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I dont even know what this means. If you dont like 80s Rush, you dont like life? Guilty as charged, I guess.

bill don't hardman my naive love of canadian rock!!!!!!!!!!! okay???? not today man, i'm feeling all warm and fuzz abt rush!!!!!

Man, I love Rush, and I loved the movie. you guys have my take, no need for me to beat it into the ground.

I guess I'm just trying to point out that there is a difference between you not liking anything they've done since Moving Pictures and Rush not liking anything they've done since then.

What I got from the movie was that Alex Lifeson was unhappy with how much the synths were taking over their records around Power Windows and that he wanted the records to become more guitar focused, which is exactly what happened. I did not get the impression that he was saying all these albums he created suck and should be erased from everyone's memories.

He did not like those records. That's my interpretation of what he said. I didnt like them either. If you like them, that's cool.

Well, the band likes the period enough to still perform quite a few songs.

yeah they did between the wheels off grace under pressure last i saw them and the crowd was loving it

and that's like a weird album cut too, not like some huge single or something that people would expect or that the band would somehow feel obligated to play

Alex was just as guilty of diluting his guitar potency with fx pedals as Geddy was with introducing keyboards into the band, so for him to complain around the time of Power Windows is kind of like pot meet kettle. Anyway, it seems like around the time of Hold Your Fire they brought the guitar back to the forefront (though to say that they'd done away with synths at that point is kind of ridiculous). That whole part of the doc was kind of muddy with its intent, but I can put the pieces together of how things went down just by listening to the records.

see, i sorta love that era of alex's playing...very weird and fractured type stuff...one of the only OG classic rock dudes that seemed to take anything valuable from new wave/post punk....

they were using synths well before the that era anyway, this idea that using synths or efx is "diluting" Rush seems very odd to me, as if ppl think of Rush as some primal rock dudes like Motorhead or AC/DC or something

Oh no, you misread me (probably because I didn't elaborate). I love fx-heavy guitar, always have. I appreciate that he was all about textures for the Signals/Grace/Windows era. I just meant "diluted" in the traditional rock sense.

oh okay yeah cuz i have friends that play kinda weird rock now that cite the lifeson of that era as being sorta influential, because we all grew up in nowheresville midwest and that was as close to like "arty" guitar playing as we had heard in comparison to all the metal and classic rock dudes we knew growing up

textural is the perfect word for it

lots of his playing in that era reminds me of the comsat angels

This guitars vs synths polarity is weird. After borrowing a copy of Power Windows last month from a friend, I heard just as much RAWK moments on stuff like "Emotion Detector" and "Manhattan Project" as I would have pre-Moving Pictures. The songs are shorter, though, but denser, more muscular; lots of stuff going on in them.

listening to "Distant Early Warning" right now! this song rules...

Definitely Power Windows has lots of amazing high energy moments form all three of them, including some of Alex's greatest guitar work. I do think though that the synths on that record get a bit too busy and gitzy sounding at times to the point where they draw attention away from the guitar parts, so I can see why it would be a point of contention.

yeah "mystic rhythms" is a little overboard on the 80s production

I've seen this film 3 times now since I had a screener copy for reviews, and finally saw it in a theater last night and I have to sincerely agree with Moodles' take on this Bill.

Alex does make it clear that he was unhappy with the synths backing the guitars into the corner throughout the 80s. And he does imply that Hold Your Fire was the straw the broke the camel's back. Otherwise, I wouldn't say he really disowned anything and the do represent all of their albums live.

they not the.