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So...What IS it, about "Rush?"


charlie brown

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Hi All...there are a lot of folks here, and elsewhere that either LOVE "Rush,"

or can't stand them. I'm not in either of those camps, as I think they are

great musicians, all! However, I've never been able to "connect" to their music,

for some odd reason. I appreciate their individual talents, and their musical

abilities, as a band, as well. But, I don't own a single "Rush" album, nor am I

likely to do so, in the future. However, I know there are a lot of people that

absolutely LOVE that band.

 

So...what is it, about "Rush?" (Either way)

 

 

CB

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I had a few of their earlier albums as a teenager, I liked them up until Moving Pictures and then I lost intrest, they got a little strange. They are great musicians, Neil Pert is the best drummer ever imho.

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Very fond memories of a buncha smoked up teens trying to outbad each other singing Floy Boy Noyte. We played it perfectly. Prolly ruined them for me.

 

rct

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Im not a huge fan but I went to see them live with a friend a few years back(probably cos no one else would go :P) and they were really good. Very entertaining and as mentioned they are all great players.. Geddy's voice can be a little grating but I can see the talent so even though its not really something id listen to on a CD or MP3 I respect them all and what they do.

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Progressive Rock is like that, people who love it, really love it and there are folks like me who can't get into it.

 

I have their Greatest Hits and enjoy it.

 

For me as a young teenager Tom Sawyer was so severely overplayed in Mexico that it ruined the band for me, then they broke out the synthesizers...

 

Great band and musicians, I enjoyed their documentary a lot.

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I'm definitely a fan, but pretty much just the early stuff (by "early" I mean Moving Pictures/Exit Stage Left and earlier). In my opinion, it doesn't get any better than the albums up to that point, and they're all special to me. I love the straight-ahead classic 70s vibe of the first album ("In The Mood" could have been a ******* Skynyrd song!), I love the proto-prog metal of Fly By Night, Caress Of Steel, 2112, and All The World's A Stage (which I would consider to be my favourite Rush album), the epicness that is A Farewell To Kings and Hemispheres are addicting, and the more accessible Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures are beyond amazing. And Exit Stage Left contains the best version of "La Villa Strangiato" I've ever heard! Not to mention "YYZ" with what many consider to be the definitive Peart solo.

 

But Signals and after I'm not really into, with the exception of a few songs ("The Analog Kid" being one of them). The heavy synth abuse and overly glossy productions just ruin it for me (kinda the way I feel about Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen).

 

The love comes back on Counterparts. "Stick It Out" is one of my top riffs. Such a sick song. And I love every album they've done since, with the exception of Vapor Trails.

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All the World's a Stage is one of the great live albums of the 70's. I wore out two copies of that sucker.

 

And unlike many other live albums of the day, it is actually live! As much as I love KISS Alive!, Alive II, and Alive III (as well as many others), they're not 100% live (as most know). It's very obvious now with the easy access to bootlegs.

 

I would say All The World's A Stage is my 2nd favourite live album right behind UFO Strangers In The Night.

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Hi All...there are a lot of folks here, and elsewhere that either LOVE "Rush,"

or can't stand them. I'm not in either of those camps, as I think they are

great musicians, all! However, I've never been able to "connect" to their music,

for some odd reason. I appreciate their individual talents, and their musical

abilities, as a band, as well. But, I don't own a single "Rush" album, nor am I

likely to do so, in the future. However, I know there are a lot of people that

absolutely LOVE that band.

 

So...what is it, about "Rush?" (Either way)

 

 

CB

 

The first Rush album was awesome, it was a bluesy type rock which i enjoyed alot. Then, they went progressive and while im sure they have millions of fans, im not one of them, nothing personal just not my cup of tea. Very talented band but i just wished they could have stayed more of a band like the first record. They had the talent to go in either direction so ill give them that.

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Geddy Lee's voice is the big downer for me.

 

Yeah, I remember thinking as a kid, "that lady has a strange voice." The song was about a courtroom or cameras or something was happening...I don't remember well, but I loved the song and then...heard other stuff and hated it.

 

The music is solid, what little I've heard, though.

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My first real rock album was Moving Pictures. My cousin owned a restaurant in Welland, ON. There was a Sam the Record Man next door and the manager was Neil Peart's brother-in-law. He gave my cousin a copy of Moving Pictures, who gave it to my brother and me. At the time I was just getting into guitar. YYZ just blew me away. I wanted to learn everything about that tune. The solo in Limelight is simple but is just great.

 

Then I got 2112 and that I was it. I was hooked for life. Yes they are great musicians, each with natural talent. But the biggest reason I'm a fan is that they always did it their way. They are also really down to Earth. Kim Mitchell has a radio show on a Toronto station, which I can hear where I live. He's toured with them a lot and talks about how humble there are.

 

So for me it's the great musicianship, the great attitude, their humor, Neil's lyrics, the "we're doing it our way no matter what anyone says," and their loyal fan base that will follow them even when they become Rash.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmx5CI9Hxk4

 

After nearly 40 years they are still putting out great tunes too. I love Headlong Flight. I don't know how Neil's arms don't fall off during this tune! Geddy lays down great progressive bass lines and Alex just goes nuts with his guitar solo.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjJeO1h-yjI

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Hey CB,, didn't intentionally steal the title to your thread.. my post just got a little long winded so I started my own rather than highjack yours..lol

hope you don't mind... :)

 

Nope, in fact I just contributed a long winded story, on your post! LOL [biggrin]

(Sorry, [blush] about that!)

 

CB

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Not that much into prog rock, but do like some of their stuff, bought the documentry and Time dvds. Enjoy them both, but do skip some songs on the Time dvd. They've been doing it for over 40yrs and it's starting to show some. Glad they finally got into the HOF. Have some other opinions, but will keep them to myself lest I get flamed to ashes [flapper]

TC

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Not that much into prog rock, but do like some of their stuff, bought the documentry and Time dvds. Enjoy them both, but do skip some songs on the Time dvd. They've been doing it for over 40yrs and it's starting to show some. Glad they finally got into the HOF. Have some other opinions, but will keep them to myself lest I get flamed to ashes TC

 

Please feel free to speak your mind. If anyone flames you about it then they are immature. I love Rush but I can understand why people don't like them.

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I love Rush but I can understand why people don't like them.

 

Perhaps an over-generalization, but there seem to be three types of reactions to Rush's catalog:

 

Type #1 loves Rush and everything they've done

Type #2 loves earlier Rush but dropped them after the keyboards came in

Type #3 hates all Rush (usually because of Geddy Lee's voice)

 

I confess to being Type #2

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I, personally, don't really care for Geddy's singing voice, and never have.

But, I think he's an excellent musician, overall...as are they all. So,

I respect what they've done, and their abilities/musicianship. Just have

never really gotten into, their music. Maybe I just never "got it," or

it's to (seemingly) esoteric, in feeling, for me? Who knows?! [tongue]

 

CB

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Perhaps an over-generalization, but there seem to be three types of reactions to Rush's catalog:

 

Type #1 loves Rush and everything they've done

Type #2 loves earlier Rush but dropped them after the keyboards came in

Type #3 hates all Rush (usually because of Geddy Lee's voice)

 

I confess to being Type #2

 

I think you hit it right on. I'm type #1. I think that Alex did some great guitar work during those "keyboard" days too. I love the solo on this tune. Also, the lick at 4:27 is out of this world.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLTFbtOfmxk

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... Alex did some great guitar work during those "keyboard" days too. I love the solo on this tune. Also, the lick at 4:27 is out of this world.

 

There are some tasty licks in there, I agree, and I'm certainly am not saying their musicianship has declined. I would imagine, rather, that it has improved. I just can't get past the slickness of it. I appreciate that they've grown, and I don't expect a band to make 30 albums that sound alike. I just don't feel this like I did the first four or five albums. Maybe they need to hire producer Terry Brown back? [flapper]

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There are some tasty licks in there, I agree, and I'm certainly am not saying their musicianship has declined. I would imagine, rather, that it has improved. I just can't get past the slickness of it. I appreciate that they've grown, and I don't expect a band to make 30 albums that sound alike. I just don't feel this like I did the first four or five albums. Maybe they need to hire producer Terry Brown back? [flapper]

 

I feel that Terry was an important aspect to the band, just like Ted Templeman with Van Halen, Eddie Kramer with Hendrix and Ace Frehley, Bob Ezrin with Alice Cooper, Michael Wagner with Skid Row, etc. Explains why I'm not really into Rush after Moving Pictures/Exit Stage Left (although Terry did produce Signals) and not into Van Halen after 1984 (I think VH III is a good album, just different, and A Different Kind Of Truth needed Ted IMHO).....

 

The thing is, I like a lot of 1982-1991 era Rush songs, but the way they were done (the slick production, the heavy synth usage, Alex creating textures rather than ripping solos, et all) prevents me from loving that era of the band like I love the earlier stuff. Whenever I hear songs like "Beneath, Between, Behind", "The Necromancer", "Farewell To Kings", etc, I still get blown away. I can't say that about "Marathon" or "Time Stand Still".

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Please feel free to speak your mind. If anyone flames you about it then they are immature. I love Rush but I can understand why people don't like them.

Ok, here goes. All my opinion. In the early years Geddy's voice did not agree with me. It wasn't until Tom Sawyer & Working Man that I could listen to him in comfort.

IMHO Neil is a good drummer, not the greatest. It seems to me that in every song there is a part that he has to play as fast as he can, just to show that he can. It is at times hard for me to follow. I do appreciate the skill, but in the docu. there is a part about him studying with a drum guru that teaches him to hold the sticks differently, change the flow, his timing, etc. Then on the Time dvd, he seems to be playing the same old way. Did it not work out or does he like the old way?

As I said they've been going at it for 40 some yrs. And being 60 myself, I know my playing has changed alot over the yrs. And I'm sure their's has too, but like the Stones and all of us, we are getting older and can't do what we used to.

Geddy's voice on the Time dvd seems to be pushed pretty hard to come close to the notes. Alex has some great chops, but also a pedalboard the size of a door, loops, fxs, buttons for dry amp, wet amp, etc. You would need to be a Rocketman to figure it all out.

I know it sounds like I'm slamming them, but I'm not. I like a lot of their songs and the musicianship is fantastic. I do watch the Time dvd a lot and enjoy it, hell of a live show, and I do have a lot of their songs on my I-Pod, but am not a rabid fan. Bought the Clockwork Angels cd, was disappointed. I think, for me, it is like this with any other group or singer. There is a time in our lives when they touch a part of us that is growing or evolving and it works, but as we grow and mature things change and we go in different directions. Hope I didn't offend anyone, just my thinking.

TC

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