Rush: Classic or Dud?

Hmm, if this weren't Geddy it really could be lots of people, but this is still pretty cool. Are they three for three for the new stuff released thus far?

Geddy's vocals are definitely my favorite part of this new one

That opening reminds me of Hawkwind. Excited for this and however ridiculous it all ends up being.

This and the new Van Halen album are like bat signals for the return of suburban trash boredom. We're all going to smoke out at the In And Out Burger on Foothill Blvd. Pick up some Strohs if you don't mind. Oh yeah, check out my sweet wheels:

http://pics.hoobly.com/thumbs/12TJSNDJYRKR9WKU3O.jpg

Great song if you ask me!

Going to check all this out later!

North American tour dates just announced. They'll be in town a few days after my 40th birthday. I know what I'm asking for!

Whiskey?

yes. And tickets.

Rush has started a pattern on their last couple tours where they play San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, and then several months later do a follow-up tour where they play Austin. I don't understand why they can't just hit Austin as part of the main tour. I'd really appreciate it if they did so I don't have to drag my ass down to San Antonio.

Drag your ass up to Dallas and celebrate with me!

let me rephrase that: You could drag your ass up to Dallas and celebrate with me if you wanted.

Full tour dates, plus a lyric video for the long version of the single. I'll be at the Newark show.

Saskatoon for the first time since the Permanent Waves tour. I'll be there!

Unfortunately I can't go to Dallas in the middle of the week because of work.

Saskatoon for the first time since the Permanent Waves tour.

ridiculous

Fair enough Moodles. Maybe another time.

Heard the new album this morning, all 66 minutes of it. It's really good. There are keyboards on a few songs, but they're never the dominant carriers of the melody - this is a return to late '70s heavy guitar Rush. I don't know what the general opinion of Snakes & Arrows is in this thread, but I found it very boring. This album is not boring. There aren't that many super-amped songs; "Headlong Flight" is definitely the fastest thing on it, but there are some seriously soaring melodies and I can already kinda predict which songs will be in the live set (aside from "Headlong Flight" and the two they've been playing for a while now).

Snakes & Arrows didn't really click for me beyond a couple tracks. Vapor Trails, otoh, I think is way underrated.

Headlong Flight is now up on Spotify. Definitely some echoes back to Fly By Night and Carress of Steel days.

Awesome. Like I said above, Rush is one of the few bands that rarely ignores the new stuff, and the same goes for Rush fans. (Other observation: one of the few bands that draws people back from the beer line for the drum solo!)

Haven't they been in "return to heavy" mode since Counterparts?

Pretty much yeah.

It seems like the critical response on each album since Counterparts has been "a return to form" or "back to basics".

I don't really get this.

Especially since the "Counterparts" era was the closest I've ever come to losing interest.

Roll The bones was a low point for me, Counterparts brought me back.

Sweet, they're playing Verizon Wireless in Atlanta (actually northern suburbs), which is like two miles from my house

I'm gonna see them in Newark October 2. I like that arena a lot - saw Metallica there a couple of years ago.

I'm glad Geddy hasn't completely abandoned the keyboards.

Roll The bones was a low point for me, Counterparts brought me back.

Eh, I like synth Rush, and that was sort of the last blast of that. I suppose "Vapor Trails" took me back. Still haven't heard "Test for Echo."

I love synth Rush, the only thing that bothers me about those records is that tinny super-digital guitar sound Lifeson was favoring for a while.

I don't mind the synths, but for me Roll The Bones just sounded way too thin overall and had too many weak song. Also was my least favorite for Alex Lifeson guitars. Basically what Jon Lewis just said.

Test For Echo has some good songs and some corny ones.

For me, their output from the 90s onward pans out like this:
Counterparts > Vapor Trails > Snakes & Arrows > Test For Echo > Roll The Bones

What WAS he putting on that thing? Chorus plus some kind of digital stereo delay thing plus...? He should have just replicated Andy Summers' rack top to bottom.

Perhaps more importantly, Lifeson also switched from Gibsons to some kind of PRS or something around that time as well.

Xpost

Probably everything and the kitchen sink. I think he still uses tons of efx, but has also learned the value of running it all through a battery of big ass tube stacks.

PRS! Never a good sign.

Sting iirc

He still uses PRS a lot.

Never listened to the '90s albums; pulled up Counterparts on Spotify now. Liking it.

Counterparts is kind of their take on Pearl Jam style grunge, but much more enjoyable. Lots of really ballsy stripped down drum grooves.

I love Lifeson's playing on "Power Windows" and "Hold Your Fire!" He's playing the hell all over those things, making the most of that thin (but not really) sound.

I love his playing on Hold Your Fire too! Just think the timbre could be better. A remaster could do the job, actually...

I'm really only complaining about him on Roll The Bones, I love those others too.

They did remaster them, though. Mostly beefed up the drums. His guitar sound is really sort of like Andy Summers if Summers were allowed a whole bunch of shit-hot soloing. I guess this era of the band had a lot of the synth parts so worked out that Lifeson sort of came in at the end to find spaces for his solos. But frankly I find his soling really awesome in the late '80s. I mean, "Turn the Page" and "Mission" have some incredible guitar parts. They're part shading, part flash.

I don't think I have the remasters of any of those. Will check em out.

"Ghost of a Chance" is my favorite Rush song directed at a woman.

also: the keyboards (Prophets?) and Aimee Mann's vocal on "Time Stands Still" quite consciously evokes mid eighties Kate Bush imo.

well, one thing is for sure... there new single sucks.

new single is great! You're crazy.

Snakes & Arr

ows is one of my absolute favorite Rush albums.

Ps - fuck you iPhone.

Snakes & Arr was the pirated version that appeared on the net.

I love R

ush