The Rush Thread v. Clockwork Angels

[Nick]

I am talking about the energy of the band; their performances.  Little things like the flow and sound quality (which are more important on studio albums) cannot eliminate how much energy that live record has.  I mean, are we gonna knock Rush in Rio because Geddy's vocals are barely audible on the first few songs?  Of course not. 

To me there is very little energy from the band/performance due to the stale sound.

[Orbert]

Different Stages loses points from me because of the lower-key shortened version of "2112".  I've never liked the shortened version, and lowering it a key robs it of some of its energy.  I know that not everyone can hear the difference, and many don't care, but I can and I do and it bugs me.  It just sounds wrong to me.

[The Letter M]

Different Stages loses points from me because of the lower-key shortened version of "2112".  I've never liked the shortened version, and lowering it a key robs it of some of its energy.  I know that not everyone can hear the difference, and many don't care, but I can and I do and it bugs me.  It just sounds wrong to me.

How exactly is "2112" shortened on Different Stages? I was pretty sure they touted that tour as having the first-ever complete performance of "2112"?

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

I think they had to lower the key to enable Geddy to sing it.  I don't think his voice would hold up and/or sound good when singing it in its original key.  This ain't 1976 anymore.

[The Letter M]

I think they had to lower the key to enable Geddy to sing it.  I don't think his voice would hold up and/or sound good when singing it in its original key.  This ain't 1976 anymore.

I've known that, wasn't it something like 3 half-steps down from the original key?

I just didn't understand what Orbert meant by "shortened", when pretty much every prior performance of "2112" had a section or two missing from the suite, that is, until the TFE Tour.

-Marc.

[Orbert]

You're both right, and I wasn't remembering it properly.  I do remember being disappointed by the key being lowered, and for that reason, I don't even listen to it.  I thought it was the shortened version.  Maybe my disappointment was more that it was finally the original version but in the wrong key, thus we never did get a definitive live recording.

I know Geddy can't sing like that anymore, but curse my pitch sensitivity; I can hear the difference and it just sounds wrong.  It's as noticeable and annoying as playing it on instruments that haven't been tuned.

[The Letter M]

You're both right, and I wasn't remembering it properly.  I do remember being disappointed by the key being lowered, and for that reason, I don't even listen to it.  I thought it was the shortened version.  Maybe my disappointment was more that it was finally the original version but in the wrong key, thus we never did get a definitive live recording.

I know Geddy can't sing like that anymore, but curse my pitch sensitivity; I can hear the difference and it just sounds wrong.  It's as noticeable and annoying as playing it on instruments that haven't been tuned.

Do you listen to Transatlantic? And if so, did hearing "The Whirlwind" a whole-step lower affect you when hearing it on the Whirld Tour live album? I know Neal Morse has done a LOT of stuff in a lower key lately (just listen to his SB songs on the live album So Many Roads, then compare them to the same songs played by SBv2 on their Spock's Beard Live album, where they take it UP a key or two!).

It's a shame so many vocalists cannot reach their range they had in the past, or in the studio, that they have to down-tune these days, but if it means having those songs performed live, then by all means do it! I could care less, and it shows a lot of extra effort on the part of the musicians, to have to basically re-learn a song just so they can play it live. They could just play songs that their vocalist is only comfortable with singing on stage, and we'd get some limited or only-all-recent material shows.

So, in this instance, I say  to any band/performer who chooses to play a song in a lower key just so they can play that song! For if that didn't happen, Rush may not have played "2112" live in it's entirety back on the TFE tour, and we'd have been stuck with "Dog Years" and "Virtuality" on Different Stages!

-Marc.

[Phoenix87x]

While on the subject of live albums, I just want to say that I Love A show of Hands, and it single highhandedly made me love the 80's era.

[Orbert]

I have all the Transatlantic studio releases, but none of the live ones, so I can't comment on that.  I suspect that it wouldn't bother me quite so much, as I'm not as intimately familiar with Transatlantic as I am with Rush.  Sure, I've listened to them, a lot actually, but they're not ingrained in my brain the way Rush, especially "2112" is.  I once sat in on "2112" when the bass player had to leave and the girls wanted to hear "2112", so I played the bass part on keyboards.  I'd never played it before, but I could play it anyway because I've heard it literally hundreds of times.  When it's that ingrained, it just sounds wrong in another key.

[KevShmev]

Ya know, now that I think about it, that might be the main reason why I can count on one hand the number of times I have listened to the Different Stages live version of 2112.  The fact that it just sounds a bit different and just not quite as awesome as the original.

[Mladen]

I enjoy the short down-tuned version of 2112 on Rush in Rio. 

[Scrub206]

has anyone heard anything about preordering yet?

[ytserush]

I'm pretty sure you can pre-order this already if you want.

I'm waiting so I can get it early myself.


I love every live album for a different reason. That's what so great about them. From the rawness  energy of All The World's A Stage to the mature insanity of Time Machine.


As far as the new album is concerned, I'm letting you guys get excited for me until I've got a copy in my hands.

[The Letter M]

As far as pre-orders go, anyone else think Roadrunner might do some sort of super-duper-deluxe-mega-ultra-special-limited-edition box-set-package with (any and/or all of the following) - double LP (possibly gate-fold), bonus Making-Of DVD (or Blu-Ray), 5.1 Mix on DVD or Blu-Ray, Poster or Lithograph, some replica piece of Rush tour paraphernalia, and possibly a Clockwork Angels Tour Ticket.

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

A few more people  talking about the new single but the full version of it from Rushisaband.com


    In studio right now w Mark from Roadrunner listening to new tune from @RushIsABand called "Headlong Flight." It's awesome. #ByTorIsASnowDog
    Lou Brutus - Sirius XM

    Just heard new Rush song "Headlong Flight" ..... Holy Fucking Shit!!!!! 7 and a half minutes of pure genius!!!!!! @rushisaband

    I haven't had goosebumps like this in years. This is Rush at their finest. Seriously. Fuck this is amazing. @rushisaband

    New Rush song sounds like updated "By-Tor." Epic, cool guitar break downs. "I stoke the fires of the big steel wheels...
    Dominic Nardella - Sirius XM

    Just listened to the new Rush song "Headlong Flight". My pants are tight!..and moist from losing control of my bladder during the massive Alex Lifeson solo. @rushtheband
    Mike Hsu - WAAF in Boston

    @rushtheband New RUSH single from upcoming CD called "Headlong Flight"...Old school RUSH fans rejoice! It ROCKS 74-77 era! Just awesome!!
    Grover Collins - WUBE/WYGY in Cincinnati

[The Letter M]

A few more people  talking about the new single but the full version of it from Rushisaband.com


    In studio right now w Mark from Roadrunner listening to new tune from @RushIsABand called "Headlong Flight." It's awesome. #ByTorIsASnowDog
    Lou Brutus - Sirius XM

    Just heard new Rush song "Headlong Flight" ..... Holy Fucking Shit!!!!! 7 and a half minutes of pure genius!!!!!! @rushisaband

    I haven't had goosebumps like this in years. This is Rush at their finest. Seriously. Fuck this is amazing. @rushisaband

    New Rush song sounds like updated "By-Tor." Epic, cool guitar break downs. "I stoke the fires of the big steel wheels...
    Dominic Nardella - Sirius XM

    Just listened to the new Rush song "Headlong Flight". My pants are tight!..and moist from losing control of my bladder during the massive Alex Lifeson solo. @rushtheband
    Mike Hsu - WAAF in Boston

    @rushtheband New RUSH single from upcoming CD called "Headlong Flight"...Old school RUSH fans rejoice! It ROCKS 74-77 era! Just awesome!!
    Grover Collins - WUBE/WYGY in Cincinnati

So it seems "Headlong Flight" channels early Rush while the album, as a whole, is more along the 80-91 era. Interesting. I guess Booujze is doing a good job!

Also, as far as we've heard, the title track "Clockwork Angels" is a "multi-parted piece" that is epic. So it seems we may have more than one track longer than the 6-7 mark!

Even if we don't get track times and titles, I'd like to know how long the whole album is and how many songs are on it. If we get a 70 minute album with 8-11 tracks, I'll go nuts! That'd be perfect, and I think just about right for this album.

-Marc.

[ReaperKK]

Damn I can't wait to hear this album.

[jjrock88]

I have a good feeling about this album

[Gadough]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet.

ANTHRAX Recording Cover Of RUSH's 'Anthem' For Tribute Album (Video) - Mar. 31, 2012

https://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=172058

[ytserush]

I guess this is one good place for this....


I guess you'd could consider this something of a Moving Pictures Immersion Set (and I'm selling/trading):

Rush --  Moving Pictures Deluxe Editon CD with 5.1 and videos for Tom Sawyer, Limelight, and Vital Signs in 5.1

Rush -- Moving Pictures US vinyl

Rush -- Moving Pictures program

Rush -- Tom Sawyer/Witch Hunt  US 45

Rush -- Limelight/YYZ  US 45


Free Bonuses:

Free- Moving Pictures Tour Full Concert

Free- Moving Pictures Retrospective Interview

Free ?

$65 for everything

[Nick]

Very interesting...

https://www.rushisaband.com/blog/2012/04/03/3049/Possible-cover-artwork-for-Rushs-Clockwork-Angels-album-tourbook-revealed

[KevShmev]

Playing all of Signals would surprise me, since half of the songs are ones the casual fan might go, "What song is this?"  Plus, it would force Neil to play the dreaded Countdown, which he dislikes a lot.  But time will tell. I think all of 2112 the song or all of Permanent Waves are much more likely choices.  2112 would make sense to play all of in 2012.

[theseoafs]

Yeah, Signals seems to me to be an unlikely choice for a 2012 gimmick; Permanent Waves would appease far more casual fans. All of 2112 seems even less likely to me, however, as they already exploited the full playthrough of the song for the Test for Echo Tour.

[Nick]

Not to mention the song got a huge popularity bump thanks to guitar hero. But I disagree about Countdown since the entire band kinda disliked playing The Camera Eye, but found a way to make that work. Honestly, if the album does have a story and it's even close to as good as the first two tracks would indicate then I just hope they play the new album front to back.

[theseoafs]

I think we can effectively rule out the album's having a story. Caravan and BU2B are the first two parts in a multi-part suite, but I think it's been confirmed that the Clockwork Angels story does not take up the entire album.

[KevShmev]

I am just hoping to see the return of Lerxst the awesome soloist for a whole album again.  For most of Rush's career, every album was loaded with great guitar solo after solo, but not on the last two albums (VT hardly had any solos, and most of S&A's solos are nice, but nothing that is totally awesome), so I am hoping, with them appearing to stretch out a little bit again, he is afforded the time and the space to rip off a bunch of great solos again.  The solos in Caravan and PT's Anesthetize showed that he can still come up with great solos, so it is not like he forgot how.

[Nick]

I think we can effectively rule out the album's having a story. Caravan and BU2B are the first two parts in a multi-part suite, but I think it's been confirmed that the Clockwork Angels story does not take up the entire album.

What? I'm pretty sure they've all but said it's a concept album which happens to contain a multi-part song or whatever.

[KevShmev]

I don't think they've ever said it will be a concept album.  My guess is it might be a thematic album (like Roll the Bones, Power Windows, etc.), but not a full-blown concept album.

[theseoafs]

rushisaband isn't loading for me, so I can't check the article I'm thinking of to find if my understanding was correct. I'll check later, but I don't think it's ever been said that the entire album had a singular narrative.

[King Postwhore]

I think we can effectively rule out the album's having a story. Caravan and BU2B are the first two parts in a multi-part suite, but I think it's been confirmed that the Clockwork Angels story does not take up the entire album.

What? I'm pretty sure they've all but said it's a concept album which happens to contain a multi-part song or whatever.

Nick, it is a 5 song suite like 2112.  I'll link it from rushisaband.com when I get home.

[theseoafs]

Found it (it's the same link you threw at me 6 or 7 pages ago, your highness). https://www.rushisaband.com/blog/2011/12/13/2937/Alex-Lifeson-talks-Clockwork-Angels-in-new-Guitar-World-interview

"... Alex Lifeson stops short of calling Rush's upcoming Clockwork Angels a concept record, but he does admit that a theme runs through most the songs. "We have Caravan and BU2B; both of which we released already and played on the Time Machine tour," he says, referring to the group's extensive 2010-2011 outing. "Those two, along with three other songs, form a suite. The story of Clockwork Angels is in those five tracks.""

[ZBomber]

Different Stages loses points from me because of the lower-key shortened version of "2112".  I've never liked the shortened version, and lowering it a key robs it of some of its energy.  I know that not everyone can hear the difference, and many don't care, but I can and I do and it bugs me.  It just sounds wrong to me.

I'm with you on that Orbert. I have a hard time listening to recent live releases from the band because of the lowered keys and the slowed down tempos. It makes some of the songs move like turtles, and doesn't make them feel "heavier" to me, which is what the band claims they were aiming for. However I don't have a problem with it at concerts as much, I notice it but I'm more wrapped up in the energy and stage presence of the band. But I just can't do the live albums now.

[Nick]

Found it (it's the same link you threw at me 6 or 7 pages ago, your highness). https://www.rushisaband.com/blog/2011/12/13/2937/Alex-Lifeson-talks-Clockwork-Angels-in-new-Guitar-World-interview

"... Alex Lifeson stops short of calling Rush's upcoming Clockwork Angels a concept record, but he does admit that a theme runs through most the songs. "We have Caravan and BU2B; both of which we released already and played on the Time Machine tour," he says, referring to the group's extensive 2010-2011 outing. "Those two, along with three other songs, form a suite. The story of Clockwork Angels is in those five tracks.""

Damn, I must have missed that, kinda sucks. With the book being written you'd have thought the whole thing would have been a story.

It also means, all said and done, that Rush is going to be the lone classic prog band to have never explored a full concept album. (Assuming they don't do it in the future)

[Orbert]

I don't know if it's really that important that they do a full concept album, but it is disappointing because we kinda thought it would be, but we now know that it won't.

[Nick]

I know it's not uber important, but if they never do one it will just leave a lot of fans wondering what if...