The Rush Thread v. Clockwork Angels

[King Postwhore]

I never said that.  All I said was:

Even better news.  The full song will be released as a digital single.  Woot!!!


https://www.rushisaband.com/blog/2012/04/15/3064/Headlong-Flight-single-cover-art-revealed-full-version-available-for-download-April-24th

So people can pay for a song that they will pay for again when the whole album comes out?

I don't think spending an extra $1.29 on Rush will break me.

We Kev reading that made me think that you were against buying it twice but I'M DOING IT TOO!!

[Nick]

Had a bit of a surreal experience today.

My gf had shown interest in Rush and possibly going with to see a show when they toured. Well, I planned the Manchester trip and she wasn't able to do that. Long story short she is basically forcing me to go to the Philly show as well so she can see a show.

There are worse fates in this world then having to say OK, I'll find a way to do a second show.

[King Postwhore]

If anybody wants the presale # for Rush tickets in Manchester.  I have it.  I just got my tickets in Section 108.

Passcode for the Citi presale is #414729

You do not need to use a Citi Visa card.  You can use any.


Edit: Oh and WOOOOOOOT!!!  Show # 29 for me!!

[glaurung]

Will that work for any city or only Manchester?

[Scrub206]

Had a bit of a surreal experience today.

My gf had shown interest in Rush and possibly going with to see a show when they toured. Well, I planned the Manchester trip and she wasn't able to do that. Long story short she is basically forcing me to go to the Philly show as well so she can see a show.

There are worse fates in this world then having to say OK, I'll find a way to do a second show.

dude leah wants to get a rush sweatshirt and she can even name all 3 members from rush... my mind is blown +____+

[WindMaster]

NO WAI!!

[King Postwhore]

Will that work for any city or only Manchester?

Just Manchester.

[wolfking]

After my first listen, I didn't really dig the new tune at all.  Will have to listen more.

[TempusVox]

Last part of the last tour, I didn't get much chance to catch many shows. On first glance...I'll be able to hit about seven shows this fall. Of course I'll be at Dwór Lee in about two weeks anyway... 

[ytserush]

After about four hours of trying I got 17th row Alex's side at The Rock on Monday. Seemed like about the last 5 rows in about 6 sections in the lower bowl and a few rows on the floor were only available.

The Music Today sofware is A LOT more user friendly than Ticketbastard's.

I tried the Citibank sale today just to see what was there for about 45 minutes and couldn't get anything I was substantially happier with so these will do.


Still a chance I might hit Philly, but it will have to be alone. I guess it depends on the set. I could use this as a test case to get a great seat at showtime.

Tempus Vox:
People often forget that a recorded song that moves them is a permanent record of that artists piece, and people think every subsequent record should sound like the one they have been familiar with for 30 years or longer. Life doesnt work that way. People and their interests change. NP isn't the same musician, let alone the same man he was 30 years ago. But he is always looking to evolve or try something different. Hell...the entire band has always done this too. As for writing ability, if every song sounded the same, then no one would buy records, and artists would get bored and give up.

And this is a MAJOR reason why I love this band.  We're in 2012 now, not 1981.

[countoftuscany42]

does anyone know the presale codes for the philly show? I saw theres a livenation presale and a venue presale..
Ill be living in philly at the time, but since i currently live in california i dont have access to presale codes for venues other than CA venues..
If anyone can help itd be much appreciated!

[KevShmev]

Tempus Vox:
People often forget that a recorded song that moves them is a permanent record of that artists piece, and people think every subsequent record should sound like the one they have been familiar with for 30 years or longer. Life doesnt work that way. People and their interests change. NP isn't the same musician, let alone the same man he was 30 years ago. But he is always looking to evolve or try something different. Hell...the entire band has always done this too. As for writing ability, if every song sounded the same, then no one would buy records, and artists would get bored and give up.

And this is a MAJOR reason why I love this band.  We're in 2012 now, not 1981.

Agreed. 

[dbrooks22]

Tempus Vox:
People often forget that a recorded song that moves them is a permanent record of that artists piece, and people think every subsequent record should sound like the one they have been familiar with for 30 years or longer. Life doesnt work that way. People and their interests change. NP isn't the same musician, let alone the same man he was 30 years ago. But he is always looking to evolve or try something different. Hell...the entire band has always done this too. As for writing ability, if every song sounded the same, then no one would buy records, and artists would get bored and give up.

And this is a MAJOR reason why I love this band.  We're in 2012 now, not 1981.

And, to me, this is a MAJOR reason why i am disappointed by Headlong Flight.  To me it sounds like devolution, rather than moving forward. 

What makes Rush so profound is that they were always trying new things and evolving.  That evolution, to this pair of ears, seems to have ground to a tortoise-pace in the mid-90's. 


As for NP, his drumming evolution seems to have done the same.  Roll the Bones, in my opinion, is the greatest drum recorded performance of the modern era.  In terms of skill, finesse, composition, feel, serving-the-song, virtuosity, maturity and breadth, it stands above the rest.  (RTB arguably also has the best lyrics that NP has ever written.  Yes, too bad the thin production cloaks much of the mastery).

I don't see this at odds with what i said previously: 

  At the same time, he can do things now that he couldn't do 10yrs, 20yrs ago.  He's rounded out his skill set quite a bit as he continues to learn and grow.  A master musician never stops learning.

 
I think a musician (or any artist) can peak, but still continue to learn and grow.  Almost no artist peaks the day before they die. 

Anyway, that's how i feel about it.

[dbrooks22]

And, to me, this is a MAJOR reason why i am so disappointed by Headlong Flight.  To me it sounds like devolution, rather than moving forward. 

One thing about this - it may very well be that my brain is just too small to hear the evolution.  I exchanged some emails with someone over at RIAB a few days ago.  What he had to say was very interesting:


"What I was referring to is Rush's use of the tritone (an augmented fourth interval) in these songs.  In modern music, this interval is thought to have been first popularized by Wagner in the famous Tristan and Isolde chord.  You can hear this in the recent movie "Meloncholia," which often repeats the section from "Tristan" that uses this chord.  In the Middle Ages, the augmented fourth was thought to be a particularly discordant interval, inasmuch as it did not sound consonant with the usual diatonic scale.  If you are not familiar with this interval, you can hear it in West Side Story: the augmented fourth is sung in "Mari-ia", between the a- and the -ri."  The augmented fourth is thought to be the gateway to a 12-tone scale, wherein a song might use not only the notes in a major or minor scale, but all 12 notes in an octave (between a C and a C an octave higher on a piano keyboard).

What I was saying about Good News First, and part of the chorus of Headlong Flight, is that Rush is playing off this augmented fourth.  I was playing around with the idea that they, like Bach and Mozart, could be leaning toward the use of a 12 tone scale in rock music, which would be really exciting.  It was just a thought, and I threw it out there to see if anyone else might agree or disprove my conjecture.  I hope that this makes sense, and that you are enjoying the new Rush music!"

[Nick]

God damn, had forgotten that Wells Fargo Center (which does its own ticketing) is just as bad if not worse than Ticketmaster.

$86 for two tickets, and $37 in charges.

[Phoenix87x]

God damn, had forgotten that Wells Fargo Center (which does its own ticketing) is just as bad if not worse than Ticketmaster.

$86 for two tickets, and $37 in charges.

  Where are your seats at Nick?

[Nick]

Section 210 row 2

Funny thing is, I had initially planned to just check every once in awhile and eventually get tickets I liked. Decided to log on this morning and check a half hour after tickets went on sale, checked the $63 seats first and was given 7th row, decided to check what was available for $43 and got 2nd row.

I had originally planned to try and get a section closer to the stage on the side, but for the cheapest price and 2nd row I said fuck it and took it.

[KevShmev]

[King Postwhore]

Love the Alex as Snookie.

[Mladen]

I don't get these pictures. 

[Phoenix87x]

Where did those pictures come from,   are they official?

   cause they are funny as hell.

[King Postwhore]

I don't get these pictures. 

It's from the last tourbook folks.

[Phoenix87x]

I don't get these pictures. 

It's from the last tourbook folks.

   Looks like I'm buying tourbooks from now on.

[showdonttell]

And, to me, this is a MAJOR reason why i am so disappointed by Headlong Flight.  To me it sounds like devolution, rather than moving forward. 

One thing about this - it may very well be that my brain is just too small to hear the evolution.  I exchanged some emails with someone over at RIAB a few days ago.  What he had to say was very interesting:


"What I was referring to is Rush's use of the tritone (an augmented fourth interval) in these songs.  In modern music, this interval is thought to have been first popularized by Wagner in the famous Tristan and Isolde chord.  You can hear this in the recent movie "Meloncholia," which often repeats the section from "Tristan" that uses this chord.  In the Middle Ages, the augmented fourth was thought to be a particularly discordant interval, inasmuch as it did not sound consonant with the usual diatonic scale.  If you are not familiar with this interval, you can hear it in West Side Story: the augmented fourth is sung in "Mari-ia", between the a- and the -ri."  The augmented fourth is thought to be the gateway to a 12-tone scale, wherein a song might use not only the notes in a major or minor scale, but all 12 notes in an octave (between a C and a C an octave higher on a piano keyboard).

What I was saying about Good News First, and part of the chorus of Headlong Flight, is that Rush is playing off this augmented fourth.  I was playing around with the idea that they, like Bach and Mozart, could be leaning toward the use of a 12 tone scale in rock music, which would be really exciting.  It was just a thought, and I threw it out there to see if anyone else might agree or disprove my conjecture.  I hope that this makes sense, and that you are enjoying the new Rush music!"

Interesting. Though Rush has used the tritone before (like in "Chain Lightning").

To me, it's hard to tell if they have really changed their sound on this record, judging from one song (three, if you count "Caravan" and "BU2B"). It seems that, from these ears, they did make a step from Snakes & Arrows. It is different. We have to remember, though, that the sound that they have is probably an attempt to reference their past records and past styles, with Clockwork Angels' main theme being time. "Headlong Flight" has an almost direct reference to "Bastille Day" in it. Just a thought.

[dbrooks22]

I'm sure that many Rushies already know about the following, but i am posting it for those who don't:

https://www.rushradio.org/content.php?pagename=Listen

Rush Radio - streaming online since 1998.  It's great - i listen all the time.  Great contrast between old and new.  Just heard Bastille Day followed by Emotion Detector.   Earlier it was Alien Shore followed by Hemispheres. 

Really great resource for Rushies.

[SystematicThought]

I just put Caress of Steel on the turntable and I just gotta say: Lakeside Park is one of my favorite Rush tunes. I love the tone and lyrics of song and the way it plays. Excellent song and I feel like I may be in the minority here

[Phoenix87x]

^^ InB4 Necromancer is the greatest song ever.

oh btw, Necromancer is the greatest song ever.

[contest_sanity]

"The Necromancer" is definitely a top 10, if not a top 5, Rush song for me.  And it's like the birthplace of progressive metal.

[theseoafs]

^^ InB4 Necromancer is the greatest song ever.

oh btw, Necromancer is the greatest song ever.

Actually, you weren't inb4 "necromancer is the greatest song ever".

[ytserush]

I'm sure that many Rushies already know about the following, but i am posting it for those who don't:

https://www.rushradio.org/content.php?pagename=Listen

Rush Radio - streaming online since 1998.  It's great - i listen all the time.  Great contrast between old and new.  Just heard Bastille Day followed by Emotion Detector.   Earlier it was Alien Shore followed by Hemispheres. 

Really great resource for Rushies.

I listen to this a few times a month for the randomness of it jus to mix things up. (I always play albums all of the way through.)

They also swap a few popular bootlegs in and out at random too to keep things a little fresher. I wish they'd add random period interview clips in there too, but I guess you can't have everything. (Where would you put it?)


Been on a Vapor Trails kick lately. Ten years on and still kicking my ass. It's lost none of the immediacy from when I first heard it and it's as raw as ever.

[cyberdrummer]

Track-by-track review: https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/rush-clockwork-angels-full-album-reviewed-track-by-track-542931

[Nekov]

I read the review for 4 tracks and I had to stop. I want to listen to this album so bad right now.

[Phoenix87x]

Preconceived notions always cause trouble for me, so I'm just gonna hold off on reading that review.

   I did look at Caravan and BU2B for the hell of it and by the way they described it, I pictured completely different songs. 


and on a side note, I wouldn't mind if they did some snippets.

[KevShmev]

I skimmed some of those songs reviews, but don't want too much spoiled, so I stopped.

On to the tour, if we can assume about 25 songs again, I think the following is a pretty good guess:

7-8 songs from the new album
5-7 "must play" classics - Tom Sawyer, 2112, The Spirit of Radio, Limelight, YYZ and maybe both Closer to the Heart and Freewill stay around as well
2-3 surprises that are hard to predict
maybe 2-3 from Signals since it is its 30th anniversary - Subdivision, The Analog Kid and maybe New World Man
2 songs from S&A - Far Cry and maybe MalNar comes back
I think they'll bring back one of the first three songs from Roll the Bones
Xanadu comes back
1-2 songs from P/G, PoW and HYF - maybe The Big Money or Force Ten returns, or maybe one of the 2-3 surprises from above is something rare or obscure like Open Secrets, Middletown Dreams or The Enemy Within
Maybe something from Presto or Counterparts - I could see The Pass or Animate coming back for a tour

And I'd love to see them play 2112 and a 2012 medley back to back, the medley being similar to the R30 Overture where they play a bunch of instrumental bits from really old songs that they don't play anymore cause they are too hard for Geddy to sing.  Bust out a 10-minute medley of bits from Bastille Day, A Farewell to Kings, What You're Doing, and maybe even a tease of The Necromancer, and the old time fans would go bonkers.

[Nick]

The Pass NEEDS to come back.