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.)
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Saturday, 16 June 2012 02:49 (eleven years ago) link
OK, the Soundscan chart is for the week ending on the 13th. The album was only released on the 12th.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Saturday, 16 June 2012 02:50 (eleven years ago) link
It's a solid album. Not sure if it's great yet, but a few listens in it's good to very good.
― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 16 June 2012 02:51 (eleven years ago) link
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.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 15:33 (eleven years ago) link
P impressive to sell the same first week numbers as 2002
― wack nerd zinging in the dead of night (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 15:53 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, in this day and age that's a pretty big achievement.
― A. Begrand, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 15:57 (eleven years ago) link
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.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
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 )
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
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.
― akm, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 16:41 (eleven years ago) link
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.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 17:12 (eleven years ago) link
Sounds like they are taking a string section with them on tour for a bunch of songs both old and new
― Moodles, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 17:22 (eleven years ago) link
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.
― Jeff W, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 17:28 (eleven years ago) link
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!
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 20:45 (eleven years ago) link
Wow, how did I not know there were strings all over this?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 21 June 2012 22:33 (eleven years ago) link
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
― Jeff W, Friday, 22 June 2012 17:21 (eleven years ago) link
enjoying this!
― ciderpress, Sunday, 24 June 2012 03:34 (eleven years ago) link
I'm really digging Clockwork Angels, makes me happy to be this genuinely enthusiastic about a new Rush album.
― Elrond Hubbard (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 16:36 (eleven years ago) link
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
― Elrond Hubbard (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 16:37 (eleven years ago) link
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.
― Nate Carson, Wednesday, 8 August 2012 16:39 (eleven years ago) link
Wish Them Well kind of reminds me of Sugar.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 8 August 2012 17:44 (eleven years ago) link
haha yeah kinda! never would have thought sugar wrt to rush but i see it.
― Elrond Hubbard (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 17:45 (eleven years ago) link
Also, it's one of my favorite tracks on the album. Very catchy!
― Moodles, Wednesday, 8 August 2012 17:48 (eleven years ago) link
I love Geddy's wailing vocals on Seven Cities of Gold
― Moodles, Wednesday, 8 August 2012 17:52 (eleven years ago) link
"The Garden" is a pretty serious epic. And for strange references, parts of that one remind me of NYC prog-poppers Extra Life.
― Nate Carson, Wednesday, 8 August 2012 20:30 (eleven years ago) link
I've had a lot of trouble getting into this one, for some reason.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 8 August 2012 20:43 (eleven years ago) link
Maybe you need to read the novel first.
― Nate Carson, Thursday, 9 August 2012 20:19 (eleven years ago) link
Is the book out yet?
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 9 August 2012 20:27 (eleven years ago) link
Next month, I think.
― 誤訳侮辱, Thursday, 9 August 2012 20:50 (eleven years ago) link
thanks!
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 9 August 2012 22:34 (eleven years ago) link
Interviewed the author of the novelization, Kevin J. Anderson, today. It was a really interesting conversation - I asked him about the book and co-writing with Neil Peart, obviously, but I also asked a bunch of questions about his personal working methods, writing books in series owned by other creators (he's written a shit-ton of Star Wars novels and co-written a bunch of Dune sequels and stuff like that), etc., etc. It'll be on Roadrunner's website in a couple of weeks.
― 誤訳侮辱, Thursday, 16 August 2012 01:09 (eleven years ago) link
Cool post a link when it runs
― Jandek at the Disco (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 16 August 2012 14:04 (eleven years ago) link
Set list for the current tour (which kicked off last night):
Set One
01. Subdivisions 02. The Big Money 03. Force Ten 04. Grand Designs 05. The Body Electric 06. Territories 07. The Analog Kid 08. Bravado 09. Where's My Thing? 10. Far Cry
Set Two (with string section)
11. Caravan 12. Clockwork Angels 13. The Anarchist 14. Carnies 15. The Wreckers 16. Headlong Flight 17. Halo Effect18. Wish Them Well19. The Garden 20. Manhattan Project 21. Red Sector A 22. YYZ 23. Working Man
Encore:
24. Tom Sawyer 25. The Spirit of Radio
Eight songs from the new album. And a main set jammed with mid- to late '80s stuff. I am seriously excited.
― 誤訳侮辱, Saturday, 8 September 2012 15:11 (eleven years ago) link
Wow, I'm psyched to hear Grand Designs and Body Electric.
― Moodles, Saturday, 8 September 2012 15:50 (eleven years ago) link
Man, what a bummer I was roped into a lame camping trip instead of catching this tour. I hope they come back to Chicago, which they often seem to do.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
Love "Grand Designs" ...
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:39 (eleven years ago) link
sounds like they're giving the mid eighties a serious look!
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
About time.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
Eh. they've been peppering their sets with '80s stuff since, well, the '80s. If anything I've noticed they'd phased out much of the '70s stuff.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
Is this the first time Rush has ever featured any musicians onstage aside from the core trio?
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
I imagine so?Hey Bill, guess lifeson must be seething with rage playing all these songs he hates....but I mean, the public would riot if they didn't do the hits like body electric & grand designs
― Jandek at the Disco (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:58 (eleven years ago) link
playing all these songs he hates
maybe they can cover Sonic Youth's "Youth Against Fascism."
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 8 September 2012 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
I think so... Closest that I'm aware of previously was the film of Aimee Mann singing the b-vox on "Time Stand Still"
set-list looks killer.
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 8 September 2012 19:00 (eleven years ago) link
Oh wait when I saw then Mr.Big came out for the encore & the played ”Wipeout” and pretended to surf and stuff
― Jandek at the Disco (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 8 September 2012 19:24 (eleven years ago) link
This setlist feels like it was created just for me. It's a "Time Stand Still" or "The Pass" away from being perfect. "Red Sector A" and "The Body Electric"...wow! And I've always loved "Bravado".
― A. Begrand, Saturday, 8 September 2012 19:38 (eleven years ago) link
super-glad I realized that the thread-revive was a setlist before my eyes processed any of what was written there. I can't understand why anyone attending one of the shows would want to know that beforehand.
I do realize I need to start cramming the new album before next Saturday..
― Stormy Davis, Saturday, 8 September 2012 21:50 (eleven years ago) link
I happily read it but still think that a spoiler alert is in order
― Moodles, Saturday, 8 September 2012 21:56 (eleven years ago) link
I do appreciate the fact that a Rush setlist is literally a set list. No messing around with these guys. I saw Springsteen Friday and Saturday night, and the second show featured 15 songs not played the first. But Rush? They're all about a snapshot of a particular time on a particular tour, which I think is kind of cool.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 9 September 2012 13:40 (eleven years ago) link
I like the 80s stuff more than Bill does but, wow, is ILM this typical of the Rush fanbase? Are that many people really going to Rush shows to see mid- to late-80s album tracks? One song from Moving Pictures, one from Permanent Waves, one song from the SIX previous albums put together!
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Sunday, 9 September 2012 16:05 (eleven years ago) link
Especially surprising since the new album seems to harken back to their 70s material more than anything they've done in ages.
I guess they recently toured Moving Pictures in its entirety? Maybe that's what this is about?
Oh, with the encore, I guess that's two from MP.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Sunday, 9 September 2012 16:09 (eleven years ago) link