The RUSH APPRECIATION Thread! Awesome!

[gvox]

I heartily endorse this thread's resurrection


Sent from my ass crack

 

[phanan]

The Analog Kid

 

[bono_212]

Oh Jesus, Closer to the Heart is on this album. I am so happy right now.

 

[Oregoropa]

My favorite songs. Haven't listened to albums as a whole. Looks like I enjoy the 80s era the most based on my picks

Working Man
A Passage to Bangkok
Subdivisions
Distant Early Warning
Red Sector A
The Big Money
Time Stand Still

If Larry gets Pissy they should make him learn a Rush cover for the tour - I think Distant Early Warning sounds the most compatible with U2

 

[No spoken words]

The Analog Kid

Right?

 

[LemonMelon]

The track listing for Exit...Stage Left is unbelievable. Holy fuck.

 

[bono_212]

Well, I really liked A Farewell to Kings. "Xanadu" is cheesy as fuck, but the music is brilliant. Opener was solid, and "Closer to the Heart" is one of my all-time classic favorites, even though, again, it's cheesy as hell. I enjoyed "Cinderella Man" a lot as well.

Do you think Rush was tipping a hat to season 5 of Breaking Bad by naming a song "Madrigal"? I do. It's pretty obvious.

Closer was fun.

I liked it.

 

[liamcool]

Alright, I decided not to start a new thread, but let's just keep things, you know, civil and shit.

Anyways, I listened to 2112. I told Travis I liked it a lot more than I remembered. That's because I have never heard it. I had heard Moving Pictures.

I, in fact, loved 2112. It was awesome. It was exactly what I like out of Prog, and I do love Geddy's silly voice.

More please.

For most of their career, Rush put out a live album after every four albums, which served as a nice little bookend to each period of the band. So, All The World's A Stage was a good summary of how the band evolved from a bluesy, Zeppelin like rock band to what you hear on 2112, Exit Stage Left showed how they evolved from 2112 to Moving Pictures, integrating synthesisers into their sound, and moving from writing really long proggy songs to somewhat shorter, somewhat more accessible but still quite complex songs. Then A Show Of Hands shows how they evolved from Signals to Hold Your Fire, integrating new wave influences and utilising synthesisers heavily, focusing on unusual guitar chords instead of riffiness and soloing, and utilising electronic drums in lieu of the masses of percussion that used to surround Neil Peart. etc, etc, blah blah blah

I guess my point is, you can view Rush's career as developing steadily across each album, with the more significant developments coming after these live albums. So, if you love 2112, you'll probably get a lot out of A Farewell To Kings through Permanent Waves because those albums are developments on the success of 2112. Knowing your music tastes, I think you'll dig Signals a whole bunch.

I personally can't stand the first album because I don't like Led Zeppelin. I think Fly By Night and Caress of Steel are both good albums, but nothing approaching what came after; they're still working out what works for them. There are some good songs on both of them, but also some horrible horrible missteps.

(I Think I'm Going Bald, for fuck's sakes.)

 

[No spoken words]

For most of their career, Rush put out a live album after every four albums, which served as a nice little bookend to each period of the band. So, All The World's A Stage was a good summary of how the band evolved from a bluesy, Zeppelin like rock band to what you hear on 2112, Exit Stage Left showed how they evolved from 2112 to Moving Pictures, integrating synthesisers into their sound, and moving from writing really long proggy songs to somewhat shorter, somewhat more accessible but still quite complex songs. Then A Show Of Hands shows how they evolved from Signals to Hold Your Fire, integrating new wave influences and utilising synthesisers heavily, focusing on unusual guitar chords instead of riffiness and soloing, and utilising electronic drums in lieu of the masses of percussion that used to surround Neil Peart. etc, etc, blah blah blah

I guess my point is, you can view Rush's career as developing steadily across each album, with the more significant developments coming after these live albums. So, if you love 2112, you'll probably get a lot out of A Farewell To Kings through Permanent Waves because those albums are developments on the success of 2112. Knowing your music tastes, I think you'll dig Signals a whole bunch.

I personally can't stand the first album because I don't like Led Zeppelin. I think Fly By Night and Caress of Steel are both good albums, but nothing approaching what came after; they're still working out what works for them. There are some good songs on both of them, but also some horrible horrible missteps.

(I Think I'm Going Bald, for fuck's sakes.)

I did a little write-up for last night's concert, as asked, it's in RMT.

 

[liamcool]

I did a little write-up for last night's concert, as asked, it's in RMT.

Yeah, I was going to respond there, but maybe best to consolidate here?

Long post coming, spoilered for your avoidance pleasure:

Spoiler

A bit of a preamble:

Been a fan since, what, 1981? When Moving Pictures came out, all the older kids were all over it, and songs like Tom Sawyer were pretty ubiquitous. I was 10 so it's not like I went out and bought all their prior albums then, but, I knew who the band were and remained a fan. I saw them on tour for the first time when they were supporting Hold Your Fire, this was late 1987 I think. Tommy Shaw opened for them. This was the 2nd concert I ever attended.

Since then, I've bought every album and have seen them in concert about 6, maybe 7 times, but I had not seen them 2002, a pretty long gap. Every time I have tried to see them between 2002 and last night, I got sick or had to go out of town on business, etc, events just conspired to keep me from their shows.

I'm not a fan of any one era of theirs, or any one type of sound. I find their early years kind of endearingly goofy, and can take or leave the whole albums but certainly have songs during that period I love. But, I mean, the point is, I'm not all "their keyboard era sucks ass", etc. Hell, I love albums like Roll the Bones (not the title track, which was played last night) and Hold Your Fire. Every time I see the band I wonder how many other people are thinking "Gosh I hope they play High Water".

So, anyway, there's the long preamble, sorry. Just wanted to establish that I'm a long time fan, they're a top 10 favorite band for me, I know damn well that they are the object of much ridicule for a very long time now and I'm not sure if that ever bothered me, but if it did, it sure hasn't for a long time now. We like what we like.

Last night. Highlights:

I'm a gigantic fan of Xanadu so hearing that again was really awesome for me and the only time that I kind of felt some measure of nostalgia as opposed to just being in the moment. That's not a bad thing, it brought back some pretty strong memories and associated feelings.

Hearing Parts 1, 2, 4 and 7 of 2112 right after Xanadu didn't suck.

Jacob's Ladder, as discussed was pretty great. A big surprise and the crowd seemed pretty rapt. When the song was over the camera zoomed in on Geddy and he had this great look on his face, it looked like 1/4 part relieved but 3/4 like he just blew his own mind.

Closing with two songs from their first album was fun. I'm not a gigantic fan of either tune but they sounded good and you know it means something to the band to be up there playing these songs that are 40 years old. I wonder how Peart feels about playing these songs. He must not mind, I guess.

As far as the simple pleasure of "rocking out" goes, coming back from an intermission and playing Tom Sawyer then Red Barchetta then The Spirit of Radio is a pretty good way to get a bunch of middle aged cats playing air drums and/or guitar. I was probably a little Tom Sawyer'd out by the last time I saw the band but it was welcome last night. Red Barchetta is my favorite of that trio, though. I was into it, let's just say.

Losing It was a nice treat. It was sandwiched between Distant Early Warning and Subdivisions so it slowed down what could have been pretty good momentum into the intermission but it was pretty. I looked at some recent set lists this morning and it looks like Analog Kid is normally in that slot, which, fuck, I really love that song but whatever. Subdivisions is my favorite Rush song, so, that's probably the overall highlight.

The only real lowlight for me was Roll the Bones. I genuinely dislike that song, but, it was at least mitigated by some amusing lip synching on the video screen by Paul Rudd, Jason Segal, Peter Dinklage, etc.

The last thing I'll say is that one of the best things about Rush shows is the crowd. Everyone there is into it. I mean, of course, there are always gonna be a few that got dragged there or were curious or whatever, but for the most part if 17k people are there, 16.5k are big fans. So, there are no dead moments, no songs where there's a mass exodus to the bathroom. It's a fun shared experience, every time. I used to wonder how a band that makes a song like The Spirit of Radio doesn't achieve wider popularity, but, well, selling out arenas for decades seems like a decent amount of popularity….and, it has kept their crowds the way I like it, adoring and passionate. It blows my mind that two of the bands I latched onto earlier in life, U2 and Rush, are still around, still have the same line up (sorry John Rutsey) and still put on great shows.

I was watching the video screen on and off during the show and when they'd zoom in on any of the trio playing their instruments, I thought to myself that I hope to be 1/10th as good at anything in life as they are at playing music when I reach their age.

Yeah, I've only been into them for ten years or so, but I've noticed that even over that period there's been a shift from people being embarrassed or ashamed of liking Rush, to owning the fact that they like this weird nerdy music.

But this is a band of three guys, who've stuck together since 1975, who make weird, varied and complex music, who've developed a massive following as a result, and who are self aware enough about their failings as a band and use that to benefit them, through humour. They've never had to compromise or do anything they didn't want to do, and now they're getting recognition for that. Which is great.

It's like, with music that's even slightly inaccessible, either you get it or you don't. In Rush's case, the people who get it are a large group of people, but they're also along for the ride, they won't bail on the band if they don't like an album. I think that's possibly the best scenario a band can ask for.

 

[phanan]

Well, I really liked A Farewell to Kings. "Xanadu" is cheesy as fuck, but the music is brilliant.

I had Xanadu on a DI list a couple of years ago. Great song.

 

[LemonMelon]

Rush did a really good job of implementing synths and sequencers into their sound on Signals. The production is ice cold but everything feels considered and organic. Yes, this is indeed a good album.

Lifeson's solo on Analog Kid is blistering.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

U2 U2 U2!

Sorry, just wanted to know what that felt like.

 

[liamcool]

Rush did a really good job of implementing synths and sequencers into their sound on Signals. The production is ice cold but everything feels considered and organic. Yes, this is indeed a good album.

Lifeson's solo on Analog Kid is blistering.

It's telling that Lifeson is Rush's secret weapon.

 

[nbelcik]

Has anyone seen them on the R40 tour? I saw the show two days ago in Seattle and am currently at the show in Portland (they're in intermission). They're fucking amazing this tour and they're playing a lot of their 70s proggy material which is great.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[U2DMfan]

Signals...a good candidate for one of the most underrated albums in rock history. I fucking LOVE that electric violin on Losing It. I know it's not one of the three guys but...just so beautifully bad ass I thought I'd mention it.

Hard to top that 4 album run of Hemispheres-Permanent Waves-Moving Pictures-Signals as far as I'm concerned. And all of that was done in about 4 years...unreal. I mean, placing The Beatles prolific output aside, that was as good a 4 year run as anyone has had in the history of rock.

I've always told my friends (those who'd listen) great Rush begins with Hemispheres. I'm not even much into 2112 or certainly the stuff before it. Some of it is good but I think they mastered that proggy shit on Hemispheres and then swiftly changed gears into right in the thick of their creative zenith.

Also love some of the later 80's stuff too. Mostly songs, not so much albums.