Rush: Classic or Dud?

"by present-day US standards"

(Still, I would never describe our system of government as liberal libertarianism [or "left-wing libertarianism", which is the term Wikipedia attributes to Peart]!)

Well, it is liberal when you consider all the things people take for granted, from education to civil liberties (short freedom of speech, the one front where the US rules) to health care, high taxes, drug laws, etc. (Relatively speaking, by US standards). There are liberals and conservatives, and right wingers and left wingers, but the above is sort of the system within which people operate. Right?

Rand is a huge political boogeywoman in 2012, but back in 1974 I'd wager she was nearly as widely read but hardly as affiliated with the right-wing. And perhaps taken more seriously, too.

Well yeah, it's the "libertarianism" part of it that threw me.

Well, I think that's why he appends the "left-wing" part to it. To differentiate it from the strident, tea party sort of asshole libertarianism.

OK, right. I guess "left-wing libertarianism" always makes me think of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Socialism . What you said probably makes more sense as far as Peart's views are concerned.

Great review that only further whets my anticipation Adrien!

But psst--it's Kevin J Anderson, not Robert ;)

I know. Rush nerd alert!

Ps - to Rand haters--I sincerely hope you don't listen to U2 as they reference the bible or Nick Cave when he sings about Milton. Let's keep literature & philosophy out of rock! Sheesh.

i remember sometime in the early 80s before going into a rush concert at msg and there were some rand devotees (don't really remember the specific group) handing out leaflets on the street hoping to recruit some new members.

Goddamned parking lot Ayn Rand bootleggers!

Thanks Nate! Fix made.

Bought the new album this evening.

I'm surprised at how different the album versions of Caravan and BU2B are from the single. I didn't realize these would be completely re-recorded.

"The band has recorded at least one environmentalist song that I can think of"

The Trees? that always struck me as an anti-union or anti-communism song.

anyway I still like rush, although I always like sissy 80's rush more than anything else. pictures through hold your fire, and particularly Grace and Power Windows. I'm excited about the new record though.

The Trees is about Quebecois separatists, dude. I like the Pictures (well, Waves) through Hold Your Fire span best, too.

I think Red Tide might be an environmentalist song

Red Tide totally is. I'm sure the band has at least one or two others, too.

Huh, wtf?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EUmbOogyg4

I was thinking of "Natural Science", definitely not "The Trees". Is there any quote to suggest that "The Trees" is about Quebec separatism? Because I don't get that from the lyrics at all otherwise. Anti-communist/collectivist sounds nearer the mark to me.

Dunno. Seem to recall coming across that at some point years ago. Meanwhile, in Rolling Stone:

This is somewhat random, but you were interested in the writings of Ayn Rand decades ago. Do her words still speak to you?

Oh, no. That was 40 years ago. But it was important to me at the time in a transition of finding myself and having faith that what I believed was worthwhile. I had come up with that moral attitude about music, and then in my late teens I moved to England to seek fame and fortune and all that, and I was kind of stunned by the cynicism and the factory-like atmosphere of the music world over there, and it shook me. I'm thinking, "Am I wrong? Am I stupid and naïve? This is the way that everybody does everything and, had I better get with the program?"

For me, it was an affirmation that it's all right to totally believe in something and live for it and not compromise. It was a simple as that. On that 2112 album, again, I was in my early twenties. I was a kid. Now I call myself a bleeding heart libertarian. Because I do believe in the principles of Libertarianism as an ideal – because I'm an idealist. Paul Theroux's definition of a cynic is a disappointed idealist. So as you go through past your twenties, your idealism is going to be disappointed many many times. And so, I've brought my view and also – I've just realized this – Libertarianism as I understood it was very good and pure and we're all going to be successful and generous to the less fortunate and it was, to me, not dark or cynical. But then I soon saw, of course, the way that it gets twisted by the flaws of humanity. And that's when I evolve now into . . . a bleeding heart Libertarian. That'll do.

Cool thanks for posting that

Another nice bit:

I feel like Rush has gotten more attention in the past few years than any time I can remember. How do you feel about that? Does it feel like vindication? Do you care at all?
It is a vindication. I'm ambivalent, personally. Too much attention and hoopla doesn't agree with my temperament. I'm more introverted and I like to be an observer, so I'm ambivalent about that part, but it is a great vindication . . . and for our fans. Because as much as we're been vilified over the years, they were, too. It was always like, "Oh, what do you know? You're a Rush fan." You could definitely hear that in the schoolyard.

Honestly, it wouldn't make our day any sweeter or not, but for the whole spirit of Rush – for our fans and everything – you chose the right word. It's a vindication. We've been doing what we think is right this whole time . . . and that's part of it too. There's a bit of personal pride there, too. It's self-evident that we're hardly calculating and commercial with our music, but we've really tried to do everything the right way, or what I perceive to be the right way. It's kind of a vindication of that principle too. People can look at us and see that you can do things your way and still succeed.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-neil-peart-on-rushs-new-lp-and-being-a-bleeding-heart-libertarian-20120612

pretty good album, certainly the first rush album since Counterparts that I've listened to a lot.

so is PolioPolice still butthurt that his villains aren't reading Alan Greenspan tweets

Wow:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/music/clockwork-angels-by-rush-tops-hmv-canada-cd-sales-chart-159082445.html

Not surprised they topped the Canadian charts. If they top the US charts I'll be surprised.

Yeah, and it's just one chain (they don't seem to turn up on this Soundscan chart: http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/ALBUMS.html), but still, it's Rush in 2012!

(Listening on Youtube. It's sounding pretty good. The title track is a standout so far imo. Someone pointed out that the clock on the cover is set to 21:12.)

OK, the Soundscan chart is for the week ending on the 13th. The album was only released on the 12th.

It's a solid album. Not sure if it's great yet, but a few listens in it's good to very good.

At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, rock band Rush clocks its best sales week in 10 years as "Clockwork Angels" debuts with 103,000. The group last sold more when 2002's "Vapor Trails" bowed at No. 6 with 110,000. "Clockwork Angels" is Rush's second album to hit No. 2 following 1993's "Counterparts." A No. 1 album continues to elude the act.

P impressive to sell the same first week numbers as 2002

Yeah, in this day and age that's a pretty big achievement.

I find that I get bored about halfway through this album and then go to check out the house/techno bobbins thread or something. The first three songs are classic though.

That's #2 on Billboard's general albums chart, not a hard rock chart or something, right? That's pretty amazing then. (And apparently, they did top the Canadian charts this week: http://www.bravewords.com/news/185652 )

the songs after the first three are good too. but the album is a bit much to take in all at once which I think is a side effect of the mixing choices; basically the songs are just packed with sounds and it gets kind of tiring. i miss the more stripped down sounds of Signals, certainly.

That might be it.

I feel like there's something odd about Geddy's pronunciation on this album. He has been doing this warbly, melismatic thing all decade. (I compared it to Tori Amos around the time of Vapour Trails.) But at times it actually sounds like he's singing with some bizarre accent I can't place on this, e.g. the way he sings "angels" or "carry". One thing I like about his vocals on the classic material is the preciseness of the enunciation.

Sounds like they are taking a string section with them on tour for a bunch of songs both old and new

xpost

He has to sing differently now to be able to still reach the higher notes. You could hear clearly on last year's live album how that meant compromising a bit on the enunciation. (In a way, that made me appreciate all the more what a good singer he was in his youth.)

I've only heard Clockwork Angels once so far and that was on headphones during a train journey. So I'll comment later when I've had a chance to listen to properly.

I bought the new one, but on first background listen I miss the hooks of "Snakes & Arrows." It does sound a bit more consciously ... proggy than I am used to from Rush. Still, I'm looking forward to spending some time with it!

Wow, how did I not know there were strings all over this?

Still haven't gotten back to the CD yet but am enjoying the 1-2-1 interviews in the Classic Rock Mag fan pack edition.

Here's the link to the online bonus content (about 6 minutes of video: Geddy speaks and a bit of him and Neil laying down stuff in the studio).

watchmaker.classicrockmagazine.com

enjoying this!

I'm really digging Clockwork Angels, makes me happy to be this genuinely enthusiastic about a new Rush album.

the "Thank your stars you're not that way/turn you back and walk away" part of Wishing Them Well is a nice little throwback to 80s Rush, melodically

I love it too, though I'm still waiting for it to exceed Snakes and Arrows in my esteem. It could happen over time...

Overall, heavy, conceptual, and the least filler of any Rush album.

Wish Them Well kind of reminds me of Sugar.

haha yeah kinda! never would have thought sugar wrt to rush but i see it.

Also, it's one of my favorite tracks on the album. Very catchy!

I love Geddy's wailing vocals on Seven Cities of Gold

"The Garden" is a pretty serious epic. And for strange references, parts of that one remind me of NYC prog-poppers Extra Life.