The Rush Thread v. Clockwork Angels

[skydivingninja]

A-Clockwork Angels
B-The Anarchist (I think)
C-Headlong Flight
D-The Garden
Side A
Side C
Vinyl 1

[chrisbDTM]

highlights for me:
geddy's bass playing
alex's guitar solos
still love that headlong flight 'stoke the fire' chorus

[Vivace]

Second listen and this album is definitely growing, unfortunately the production on this album is quite bad in my opinion. Neil's drums are so mixed down there are moments where I can barely hear them, and especially after learning that Neil put a lot of work into the drums. That's the biggest disappointment of the whole album which I figured they would have learned after Vapor Trails.

[ytserush]

For those keeping track, here's what I've found out about CA's various releases:
-Classic Rock Presents: Rush, Clockwork Angels Fan Pack (CD in larger-than-average Digi-Book Hardcover Case, comes with Poster and key-chain)
-Standard Retail Release Digi-pak (CD artwork itself is different than Fan Pack)
-Standard Retail Release Digi-pak with misprinted Track-Times on the back (All times read 0:00)
-Standard Retail Release Jewel Case (spotted at Wal*Marts, possibly elsewhere)
-2LP Vinyl Gate-fold Cover
-Audiophile 96kHz/24bit format from HDTracks

-Marc.

I'd like to get may hands on one of those misprinted copies. I'll make it worth your while.

[fadetoblackdude7]

So after hearing the whole album, I still stand by the setlist I created for the CA tour on page 76, with a few changes:

Freewill
Workin' Them Angels
Distant Early Warning
Manhattan Project
Seven Cities Of Gold
Headlong Flight
The Pass
YYZ
Prime Mover
Closer To The Heart
Dreamline

Caravan
BU2B
Clockwork Angels
The Anarchist
Carnies
Subdivisions
Limelight
Middletown Dreams
The Wreckers
Xanadu
Drum Solo
Tom Sawyer
Far Cry
La Villa Strangiato
The Spirit Of Radio

Encore:
2112

Say what you want about the whole 2112 song for the encore, but the way I see it, they've been playing the first 2 parts a whole step down and it seems to be working for them.....and since temples of syrinx is the hardest part to sing, they could do the rest of the song I think.

Looks great, but way too many songs.  With some of the songs on the new album being longer, they could very well go from playing 25-27 songs to 22-23, especially if they play all of 2112 (which takes up 20 minutes).

Ah, this is true!

[WindMaster]

Side A: Clockwork Angels
Side B: The Anarchist, with Halo Effect as a close second.
Side C: ALL OF THEM
Side D: The Garden

[skydivingninja]

I don't get the complaints about the drums.  I think they punch through pretty clearly when it counts.  Halo Effect is the only one I think has a problem...

[King Postwhore]

I don't get the complaints about the drums.  I think they punch through pretty clearly when it counts.  Halo Effect is the only one I think has a problem...

Me too.  I'm so immersed in everything that I don't notice all the things other are nit picking about.

[TL]

Throughout the day, I've found myself humming or whistling parts of songs from CA. Yes, part of this is no doubt because of how many times I've listened to it in a short span of time, but it also just has some really great melodies.

[countoftuscany42]

Does anyone know which version comes on amazon? Want the digi-pak but haven't seen any retailer that specifies the version it carries. Thanks!

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I hope they drop Caravan/BU2B for other songs. they played them the last two legs

[Nick]

I hope they drop Caravan/BU2B for other songs. they played them the last two legs

While I share your hope, I find the possibility to be highly unlikely, and doubly unlikely for Caravan.

[The Letter M]

I hope they drop Caravan/BU2B for other songs. they played them the last two legs

While I share your hope, I find the possibility to be highly unlikely, and doubly unlikely for Caravan.

Perhaps they can open the encore with "Caravan"!!!

(I'm looking at YOU, "Far Cry"...)

-Marc.

[Phoenix87x]

I don't get the complaints about the drums.  I think they punch through pretty clearly when it counts.  Halo Effect is the only one I think has a problem...

Me too.  I'm so immersed in everything that I don't notice all the things other are nit picking about.

[Nick]

I don't get the complaints about the drums.  I think they punch through pretty clearly when it counts.  Halo Effect is the only one I think has a problem...

Me too.  I'm so immersed in everything that I don't notice all the things other are nit picking about.

See, I'm the opposite. With most other bands I probably wouldn't be bothered as much by this, but because it's Rush I take notice to all the little things. No matter how much I ended up liking or disliking this album, it was sure to be my most picked apart of the year.

[Vivace]

I don't get the complaints about the drums.  I think they punch through pretty clearly when it counts.  Halo Effect is the only one I think has a problem...

Me too.  I'm so immersed in everything that I don't notice all the things other are nit picking about.

See, I'm the opposite. With most other bands I probably wouldn't be bothered as much by this, but because it's Rush I take notice to all the little things. No matter how much I ended up liking or disliking this album, it was sure to be my most picked apart of the year.

The biggest issue going into this album when it comes to the drums is when you know how the drums are supposed to sound thanks such sonically produced albums like Counterparts, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire, to name a few. Neil's drumming isn't just a background beat as it is for most bands, he is an essential element to every song written and without his distinctive style and drumming, the song itself does end up sounding unfinished or incomplete. When I hear Hold Your Fire or Counterparts, I just can't get enough of Neil's parts on these albums that I tend to forget about the bass and guitar. So when I heard Vapor Trails and just how muddy the drums were, it was a huge disappointment. But with Snakes and Arrows, the drums were clearer, more pronounced. With CA, I'm reminded of Vapor Trails again with the drums getting muddied, especially when I know he's going all out and especially when I know they could have been produced a lot better than they came out. They're not horrible, but they are definitely a step back from Snakes and Arrows in my mind. Sure it's nitpicking a little, but in the case of Rush and the drums, I think this kind of nitpicking should be obvious. 

[King Postwhore]

No, no guys.  I heard it too but it's not as bad as VT and the music in downright engaging so I tend to gloss over the nitpicking I would do.  It's just the modern music world we live in and I thing to be honest, that's how Rush stays relevent.  They stay with the times.

[Nick]

I don't get the complaints about the drums.  I think they punch through pretty clearly when it counts.  Halo Effect is the only one I think has a problem...

Me too.  I'm so immersed in everything that I don't notice all the things other are nit picking about.

See, I'm the opposite. With most other bands I probably wouldn't be bothered as much by this, but because it's Rush I take notice to all the little things. No matter how much I ended up liking or disliking this album, it was sure to be my most picked apart of the year.

The biggest issue going into this album when it comes to the drums is when you know how the drums are supposed to sound thanks such sonically produced albums like Counterparts, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire, to name a few. Neil's drumming isn't just a background beat as it is for most bands, he is an essential element to every song written and without his distinctive style and drumming, the song itself does end up sounding unfinished or incomplete. When I hear Hold Your Fire or Counterparts, I just can't get enough of Neil's parts on these albums that I tend to forget about the bass and guitar. So when I heard Vapor Trails and just how muddy the drums were, it was a huge disappointment. But with Snakes and Arrows, the drums were clearer, more pronounced. With CA, I'm reminded of Vapor Trails again with the drums getting muddied, especially when I know he's going all out and especially when I know they could have been produced a lot better than they came out. They're not horrible, but they are definitely a step back from Snakes and Arrows in my mind. Sure it's nitpicking a little, but in the case of Rush and the drums, I think this kind of nitpicking should be obvious. 

Excellent post, and I completely agree.

No, no guys.  I heard it too but it's not as bad as VT and the music in downright engaging so I tend to gloss over the nitpicking I would do.  It's just the modern music world we live in and I thing to be honest, that's how Rush stays relevent.  They stay with the times.

"Staying with the times" is not an excuse to put out a sonically poor album.

[KevShmev]

CA could have sounded better, but it's nothing like Vapor Trails; it sounds significantly better.

[King Postwhore]

Nick, young modern producer's style.  It's the mordern sound to push the levels.  At least the is for the most part, separation in the instruments.  That's because of less overdubbing by Alex.

[Nick]

CA could have sounded better, but it's nothing like Vapor Trails; it sounds significantly better.

It does sound a good bit better, but not as good as it should.

Nick, young modern producer's style.  It's the mordern sound to push the levels.  At least the is for the most part, separation in the instruments.  That's because of less overdubbing by Alex.

Once again, while I understand that it's the "style" right now, it's not an excuse for poor sound.

[Nick]

TERRIBLE ANALOGY OF THE DAY!

That's right, it's time for everyone's favorite daily segment!

Let's say we're talking about hiking. The new style that all the big hiking gear producers are pushing is short shorts and a tank top with no bug spray or sun protection. A young hiker might stay with the times and pull off that look brilliantly, but at the end of the day he's going to have poison right up to his junk, sunburn on his back, and bug bites everywhere.

What I'm saying is, take 2 seconds to think for yourself and don't try to pull off a style that blows. One of the amazing things about Rush, through all their changes, is they took the best of what an era had to offer and put it into their sound while still sounding like Rush, and at the end of the day they always had great sounding records, until Vapor Trails, when they let the industry control them instead of them controlling the industry.

[King Postwhore]

Nick, did you ever think they want this sound?  Hey I'm with you on the loudness war but they still might like it.

[Nick]

Nick, did you ever think they want this sound?  Hey I'm with you on the loudness war but they still might like it.

I suppose that's a possibility, though they've now spoken their regrets about Vapor Trails, so hopefully not. Whether oversight or intentional, in the end it's a strike against the album and Rush. Not that it's terrible, after all there are so few faults I have to spend time discussing the ones I can find at length.

[King Postwhore]

Oh yeah. I know their regret over VT but this isn't as close as VT.  That's for sure.  I think all that layering with guitars and vocals muddled it even worse on VT.  But hey!  I'm enjoying the hell out of this CD.  And at least no matter how bad it sounds they still put their craft into every song.  not many bands with their longevity do that at all.

[Nekov]

Well, CA is growing better. Still not what I was expecting but I'm learning to appreciate it more. 

[chrisbDTM]

there's still many songs that are very boring to me, and alex usually comes in to the rescue with a solo, then it goes back to boring. wish them well is definitely my least favorite. not digging it

[Zydar]

The guitar at 0:16 in The Wreckers reminds me a lot of the intro to Pinball Wizard (The Who). It just struck me.
 
Edit: Wrong song by The Who. I meant Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere.

[crazyaga]

i listened to some rush today for the first time.
they are pretty good

[Nekov]

they are pretty good

Understatement of the year

[crazyaga]

i heard only moving pictures and the first 2 songs of their newest albums....
from what i heard meanwhile, they deserve only pretty good

[TL]

No, no guys.  I heard it too but it's not as bad as VT and the music in downright engaging so I tend to gloss over the nitpicking I would do.  It's just the modern music world we live in and I thing to be honest, that's how Rush stays relevent.  They stay with the times.

For the past 5-6 years though, aside from pop, the trend has been going the other way, with many bands putting out records with good range and separation. Many have learned from the early 2000s and have stopped doing it. Overcompressing an album isn't 'with the times' at this point. Heck, the trend was already reversing around the time Snakes and Arrows came out.

[King Postwhore]

We are talking rock music in general so from most of what I've heard in the past 5 years that statement is not true.  I hope your right but for the most part, it isn't.  But in general, I don't let is spoil my listening pleasure.

[Vivace]

Maybe my headphones are crap. Who knows. I mean if the vast majority are not as disappointed in the production then it's definitely possible I just have junk headphones. 

[Nick]

I assure you, there are problems with the production, at least 4 different people in this thread have pointed to nearly identical issues.