Was latter day RUSH better than the 1970s?

[Jester]

After kind of ignoring Rush through the 80's, I went to see the HYF tour with a buddy.

The thing that has kept me from being a true Rush fan is and probably always will be Geddy's voice.  And funny you mention HYF, because Aimee Mann's guest vocal part is probably one of my favorite moments of Rush.  It drove home that Geddy's voice was the problem (for me).

[Architeuthis]

Hold Your Fire is their weakest synth-era album. The songs are okay, but the overall album's got no balls.

They went in a different direction on that album. There are some gems on there, Time Stand Still is one of my fav Rush songs of all time. Mission and Lock and Key are right up there too. Second Nature and Turn the Page deserve a good mention..

[Architeuthis]

After kind of ignoring Rush through the 80's, I went to see the HYF tour with a buddy.

The thing that has kept me from being a true Rush fan is and probably always will be Geddy's voice.  And funny you mention HYF, because Aimee Mann's guest vocal part is probably one of my favorite moments of Rush.  It drove home that Geddy's voice was the problem (for me).

That's common, I've found that people either love his voice or can't stand it. I personally think Geds voice is perfect for Rush music and very unique. 

[nicmos]

Hold Your Fire is their weakest synth-era album. The songs are okay, but the overall album's got no balls.

I don't know about that.  Tai Shan took huge balls to put on that record.    (for the record, I like that song when I'm in the mood.)

[red barchetta]

Hold Your Fire is their weakest synth-era album. The songs are okay, but the overall album's got no balls.

I don't know about that.  Tai Shan took huge balls to put on that record.    (for the record, I like that song when I'm in the mood.)

 

[Architeuthis]

Hold Your Fire is their weakest synth-era album. The songs are okay, but the overall album's got no balls.

I don't know about that.  Tai Shan took huge balls to put on that record.    (for the record, I like that song when I'm in the mood.)

 

Probably around a quarter to eight?  .   When China sang to me...

[Polarbear]

Didn't Geddy say in some interview, that Tai Shan is the one song that they regret putting on a record?

Apart from Tai Shan, HYF is a great album imo.

[Zydar]

Didn't Geddy say in some interview, that Tai Shan is the one song that they regret putting on a record?

Apart from Tai Shan, HYF is a great album imo.

Don't know if Geddy has said it too, but Alex has.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/alex_lifeson_the_worst_songs_rush_ever_released_i_dont_know_what_we_were_thinking.html

[LudwigVan]

I played Tai Shan for my wife, who's from China.  She just gave me a blank stare 

It's corny in the same way that Iron Maiden singing about Alexander the Great is corny.

[Lowdz]

I really like that song. So much better than anything on TFE, VT and S&A.

[ytserush]

No no no, you misunderstand. I think CA is excellent. I'm just saying that it shows that after decades went by, they still had the ability to make a great album. My question is...why didn't they? Why did it take so long to create something so excellent?

Who throws a perfect game every time they go out to the mound?  I know we disagree on that point so I'm not going down that road.



As I've always said, I'd put up Vapor Trails. Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any three albums they've ever done.


And yes,  I'm spoiled in that I enjoy every record they've ever released including Feedback (Which I just listened to in the car today actually.)

[ytserush]

Yes Signals was the last album that Terry Brown produced for the band.

Many fans bailed when he left.

[ytserush]

As a kind of a reference to TAC's earlier point about how Rush would be nothing if there last 25 years was the only point of their career, while the classic era has the vast majority of their best stuff, if that was their only stuff, I doubt they'd be my favorite band.  More specifically, while 1974-1981 was awesome for them, I can safely say that had they called it quits after Moving Pictures, while they'd still one of my favorite bands, they wouldn't be my number 1 favorite.

I don't think you can make that statement without context.

For one thing, the music industry was different in 1974 than in 1991 and even now. 

Rush doesn't happen now.  They were a fluke even back then but their vision pulled them through.  That doesn't happen today. I think they've even admitted that.

[Anguyen92]

^^ Given the fact that it took them four albums before getting a "breakthrough" album speaks volumes how much the industry has changed.  For labels today, if a new band is not getting the sales the label are looking for, for the amount of time and money invested in promoting the band, that band would most likely get cut from the label and/or disbanded.  There would be no more chances if any band put out a Caress of Steel.

[ytserush]

^^ Given the fact that it took them four albums before getting a "breakthrough" album speaks volumes how much the industry has changed.  For labels today, if a new band is not getting the sales the label are looking for, for the amount of time and money invested in promoting the band, that band would most likely get cut from the label and/or disbanded.  There would be no more chances if any band put out a Caress of Steel.

Rush and Fly By Night did relatively well at the time (Though I'd imagine they'd be failures today.) It's just that Caress of Steel was a total commercial left turn that any momentum and goodwill they built after those two albums completely vaporized.

Strangely 2112 was more of the same, but more focused and angry and that directness seemed to appeal to people. The industry saw the numbers and left them alone at that point.

If the band released Moving Pictures today, I doubt it would have done anything which I guess says more about the musical climate than it does the band.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Rush for me ceased to be relevant after Grace under Pressure.

[Anguyen92]

^^ Too bad, there are still a lot of good cuts from that period onward.  The albums may not be "great," but there were still a fair amount of enjoyable songs that I'm glad they created.

[red barchetta]

^^ Too bad, there are still a lot of good cuts from that period onward.  The albums may not be "great," but there were still a fair amount of enjoyable songs that I'm glad they created.

You're so right.  For me, the last great album is Moving Pictures.  But they kept making a lot of very good songs and always taking new ideas for songs like Time stand still, The pass, The garden.  Songs that are not necessarily the Rush type I would expect.