Rush: Classic or Dud?

prog is not a four letter word

(I'm a huge prog fan btw.)

Well "Xanadu" has that long free-form instrumental introduction, same deal w/"Cygnus". But I see that "Cygnus" has been retroactively broken down into "Prologue" and parts 1-3. And retroactively retitled "Book One: The Voyage", like it was "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" or something.

there was the whole "Fear" trilogy too

been listening to 80's Rush again a lot this week and it's still by far my favorite period of the band. Signals and Grace Under Pressure in particular. Signals is a great sounding album; everything is so balanced mix-wise, nothing is overpowering anything else. Probably my favorite one by far.

Re: Raymond Scott/"Powerhouse"/"La Villa Strangiato":

The segments titled "Monsters!" and "Monsters! (Reprise)" are an adaptation of Raymond Scott's popular composition "Powerhouse".[2] Though Scott's publishers did not attempt to take legal action until the statute of limitations had run out, Rush's management, feeling it was the right thing to do, gave some monetary compensation to Mr. and Mrs. Scott.[3]

Nicest band ever.

some?

http://gs1.wac.edgecastcdn.net/8019B6/data.tumblr.com/e486b96a11230aab31af69fb75e242be/tumblr_mtq8ag5l2h1qzex9io1_500.jpg

Remixed _Vapor Trails_
In "Ceiling Unlimited"
new guitar solo

More haikus! Yay!

Live album coming
Rush with a string section, dude
November 19

Can't feel the pyro
On a live Rush recording
But you can hear it

No need to line up
When Peart takes his sweet solo
With cold beer on hand.

Nothing but the hits?
Every Rush song is a hit
When you are a fan.

Every song a hit?
Yes, "I Think I'm Going Bald"
Is, to me, a hit

Hits are not songs sung
Hits are what Neil's drum kit takes
His sticks take the breaks

I don't understand
Rush being trendy right now
But it's cool with me

Rush was always cool
It's better cool than cast out
The world admits

Huh:

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19961200request.htm

"There are elites that form on both sides. There is the elite of the guy who can play all these notes and scales, and then there's the elite of, 'Fuck off, he's a wanker. Why can't you have both [the Sex Pistols'] 'God Save the Queen' and [Rush's] 'Tom Sawyer'? Both songs changed my life."

What's weird about that is that by the time "Tom Sawyer" came out, Reid was already a pretty hardcore jazzbo. I mean, he put out that album with Bill Frisell not long after, I think. Of course, Frisell is another guy whose tastes run the gamut, but I find it hard to believe - though I guess not that hard - that Reid's mind was blown by 'Tom Sawyer" while he was out shredding harmolodically with Ronald Shannon Jackson or whomever. But maybe! It's cool, anyway, that he would say it.

I always heard that Reid lifted a note for note bit of Lifeson for his "Time's Up" solo...

reid always seems pretty cool even if i don't always dig his music

his sister was doing census work when i was living in crown heights, his home neighborhood. i don't remember how living colour came up while she was interviewing me; once i found out who her brother was, though, i remember nearly falling off my stoop

So I wrote a Rush thing for Stereogum. A 16,000 word Rush thing.

http://www.stereogum.com/1685666/rush-albums-from-worst-to-best/list/

:D cannot wait

awesome list! i rate 'presto' higher but really nice to see 'hemispheres' get some love

Looking forward to this, have to wait until I'm home from work to read it

Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland (2011)

I read this article-while at work. Even if i disagree with some of the rankings, this is one of the best pieces of rock journalism ive read in a long time.Nice job, A. !!

Thanks , Bill!

Glad to see Hold Your Fire get some love, unfairly maligned era imo

Great write up, still working through the whole thing.

Albums I'd bump up higher in my own personal list: Test For Echo (I still prefer it over Caress and Roll The Bones), Vapor Trails, Counterparts, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure

Albums I'd bump down: Roll The Bones, Hold Your Fire, Snakes & Arrows, A Farewell To Kings, 2112

I agree that the Time Machine tour album is pretty bad, Geddy's vocals sound terrible. It's a shame because it was an excellent tour. Weirdly, I find the DVD much more palatable.

I'd rank Different Stages much higher, it's my favorite of their live albums. The version of 2112 is absolutely brutal, improving on the original studio recording, and the bonus 70s concert is a lot of fun.

Good choices.

Was Roll The Bones "monstrously" successful though? Yeah, it went platinum and debuted in the top five, but in the end still sold less than the much more successful early eighties albums that also produced charting Hot 100 singles.

The album's chart success was astonishing. Dreamline was a massive single, I don't think anyone saw that coming. Maybe not quite the right word there, but that initial reaction to the album and single was a big surprise.

A massive single on the AOR chart though, not on pop radio.

What a band. I fucking love this band.

"Dreamline" was everywhere I went in 1991. But then again I lived in AOR country.

didn't have a clear perspective on it at the time because everything Rush did seemed huge to me. Roll The Bones was the first time I saw them live and also the only tour my wife saw until hooking up with me.

The only time I've seen 'em was the RTB tour.

Rush has had a long history of ignoring Western Canada. I finally got to see them in person in 2008 and 2012.

Was Roll The Bones "monstrously" successful though?

"Roll the Bones" was a big deal in the circle of Rush fans/theater tech dorks/computer nerds I knew, it was a crucial car stereo jam I was oft subjected to as I didn't have a ride of my own.

I have mostly erased the rap section of the title track from my memory thanks to many yrs of intensive psychotherapy

Al, have you watched any of their recent tour DVDs?

One thing I love about Rush's brand of prog rock, is that at its best, it actually does rock. Unlike, say, a band like Genesis, who (mostly) rock about as hard as a granny in front of a TV set.

love the quotes you dug up from christgau and his ilk. it's almost endearing how aggressive they are about not getting rush

Rush is a permanent blind spot for many "music lovers"

Those old Rolling Stone reviews are fascinating. Fricke's always been a vocal supporter of the band, I'll give him that.

One thing I love about Rush's brand of prog rock, is that at its best, it actually does rock. Unlike, say, a band like Genesis, who (mostly) rock about as hard as a granny in front of a TV set.

― Toni Braxton-Hicks (Turrican), Wednesday, June 11, 2014 11:48 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

love the quotes you dug up from christgau and his ilk. it's almost endearing how aggressive they are about not getting rush

― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, June 11, 2014 1:02 PM (36 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Both posts totally OTM. THe writeup about how much 2112 rocks in this article, while still being prog, is fantastic. 2112 is my #1 by the way.

just listened to permanent waves for the first time in forever

holds up great