Rush v. Dirk, Pratt, & Lerxst

[ytserush]

I think you gave it backwards Nick.

That is pure genius!

 Nick, you have the backwards Best Buy Starman flashlight?

[ytserush]

Well.. the plan was to start on new material after the first of the year. He and Alex are anxious to start writing new stuff then. They are not averse to recording without touring if that lets them stay creating.  If NP decides no way, then my guess is they don't move ahead without him, but Ged is ready to create after the holidays, whatever that looks like. But they want to make music together.

And they will. The band just won't be called Rush. 

So how close from not happening was the last tour? I gotta figure it was less than a thread.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I'm still kind of in celebratory mode. It's the end of live Rush (as I long suspected) but the beginning of a new thing...whatever it might be.

Forty years of music (live and otherwise) is really hard to top. It's the gift that keeps on giving. 

[RoeDent]

Sorry to be a party pooper in this whole thing, but I really don't dig Vapor Trails at all. The songs just don't grab me. They don't have much variation in the music. They seem to start in one key and just stay there. And somehow I doubt the remixed version will make me like the songs any better. Oh well. Try again with another album then.

[Mladen]

The Garden would be an amazing swan song to their career as a band. I have no qualms about them calling it quits at this point.

Great point.

He's earned it.

Definitely.

I Don't See Alex and Geddy playing together without Neil.  They may guest on each other's music but not form a band.  Imo.

Another good point. Alex might end up playing some stuff on Geddy's next solo album, which I'm sure will come out at some point. That's certainly a thing to look forward to.

[snowdog]

On the one hand I'm sad if this is the end of Rush.  But on the other this was a great way to go out.  Clockwork Angels is easily my favorite album since PoW.  The last two tours were excellent and I would say R40 was my favorite tour ever seeing them (even topping having a 2nd row seat on the TFE tour).

Today I was contemplating why I was feeling sad about this and I never felt that way about Genesis, who I would still say is my favorite band of all time (slightly above Rush).  And I think the reason is that I got into Genesis so late in their career and that their musical output and focus was not on their glory days.  I have only seen them 1 time and that was on their tour in 2007.  Comparing that to Rush who ever since I got into them (Presto) I've had the privilege of seeing them on almost every tour and even going to multiple shows on a tour.  And even when I didn't enjoy every song on whatever their most recent album was, the live shows were always great to see. So I think it boils down to a lot of great memories over the last 25 years and now knowing that I'll not have another one to add to the list is sad.  But I'm sure in a couple of days this sadness will pass and I'll be able to focus on the awesome memories.

And who knows, maybe Geddy and Alex would do something going forward.  I'm interested to hear what they'd come up with, either individually or together.

[TempusVox]

Well.. the plan was to start on new material after the first of the year. He and Alex are anxious to start writing new stuff then. They are not averse to recording without touring if that lets them stay creating.  If NP decides no way, then my guess is they don't move ahead without him, but Ged is ready to create after the holidays, whatever that looks like. But they want to make music together.

Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee. Mike Portnoy.

That's not gonna happen. If NP is done completely, then Rush is done completely. They won't move on without him. It's a bit odd though that he would not have officially told the guys before announcing it through the media. Maybe it was taken out of context, maybe not. Ged says the plan was to decide one way or other, but that he and Al we're gonna write after the first of the year. I haven't been in contact with him since Saturday. Maybe they've spoken since then. Dunno. I know things have been "tense" deciding what to do, but aren't they like that occasionally in all families?

[SystematicThought]

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/rushs-geddy-lee-says-neil-peart-hasnt-retired/

It's Blabbermouth, so take from it what you will

[jingle.boy]

Based on the quotes from the Peart interview, I thought that it was extremely premature to draw the conclusion he was 100% retired/retiring.

As was mentioned in this Blabbermouth article ...  Asked whether he feels Peart's quote was taken out of context, Lee said: "I think that's absolutely right. That's their job. Talking about something when there's nothing to talk about."

[theanalogkid7]

And a non-Blabbermouth source: https://www.teamrock.com/news/2015-12-08/geddy-lee-clarifies-neil-peart-retirement-rumours

[KevShmev]

Sounds like Geddy's in denial.

Besides, it is very possible to retire and then unretire, and I am sure at this point Neil does consider himself retired.

I would say it would be cool to see Geddy do another solo album and tour while playing songs from his first solo album, too, but knowing a lot of Rush fans, they'd go expecting all Rush songs and then piss and moan when Geddy plays a lot of solo material.

[TempusVox]

Ged is not in denial. NP not wanting to tour any longer and essentially retiring from touring is nothing new. As I've said since before the last tour ended, the plan is to begin writing after the first of the year. Neil is open to continuing to record and produce new music. But no more big tours. That also leaves open the possibility of a reduced live show in some capacity. Ged told me during the summer that Neils feeling is he would make new records forever if that meant no more touring. But he knows that's not really fair to Ged and Al. However, I'm not sure they are really averse to that either. What they have discussed is something sort of new. Make new records, do a limited arena engagement...3 or 4 dates in one spot, tape the live show, make it available to everyone. That had some general consensus as they got close to wrapping up the tour.

[TAC]

That's good to hear, Temp.

[KevShmev]

I meant Geddy is in denial, in a nice way, of course. 

Call me a sucker for great endings, but I think ending with this year's tour and with Clockwork Angels being their last album, is the perfect ending to a 40-year plus career.  I mean, The Garden as the last song on their last album?  What could get better than that? 

[TAC]

Call me a sucker for great endings, but I think ending with this year's tour and with Clockwork Angels being their last album, is the perfect ending to a 40-year plus career.  I mean, The Garden as the last song on their last album?  What could get better than that?

Nope.

[jjrock88]

The Garden is a great ending without question.

[King Postwhore]

Well, even being an Uber Rush nut there is one better last song. 

Queen, "The Show Must Go On".  That is the ultimate,  last song.

[KevShmev]

But even that wasn't really their last song, since they released Made in Heaven.  Granted, that was filled with songs previously recorded and unfinished prior to Freddie's death, but it still goes down as their final album.

Similarly, while I enjoy The Endless River a lot, I still wish High Hopes would have remained as the last song on the last Pink Floyd album.

[TempusVox]

I agree 100% Kev. I've told Geddy that more than once. But creatively, they all feel this is their greatest time. I mentioned before that they had so much material it couldn't all make it on the last record. They could easily go out on top, but honestly Geddy and Al don't think they're at the top of what they want to do yet. Ged feels like they're in the zone at this point in their careers. But he knows time is the enemy and there are limitations. He told me last summer, "I feel like a baseball player on the greatest baseball team of all-time, and we've finally built a team dynasty, just to realize that the window now is closing fast."

[King Postwhore]

But even that wasn't really their last song, since they released Made in Heaven.  Granted, that was filled with songs previously recorded and unfinished prior to Freddie's death, but it still goes down as their final album.

Similarly, while I enjoy The Endless River a lot, I still wish High Hopes would have remained as the last song on the last Pink Floyd album.

Wasn't truly finished by the full band. I always look at Innuendo as their swan song album.

[McNugg]

The way I see it with Peart is that retired professional golfers still play golf every once in a while, retired footballers still go for a kickabout every once in a while.  He was comparing himself to an athlete afterall so I don't see why it would be any different.  Drumming may not be his 'job' anymore but it surely must still be his passion.

[Orbert]

Exactly.  There's a difference between retiring from a profession and "never going to do that ever again".

[Anguyen92]

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

Hmmm, I know Kirk Hammett gave huge praises for Rush in Beyond the Lighted Stage, and Metallica did thank them in the linear notes of Master Of Puppets, so this could have been interesting to see if it happened.

[wolfking]

Does anyone have any clue why on earth this new DVD isn't getting a release in Australia?  Every other Rush product has, seems weird.

[jjrock88]

Does anyone have any clue why on earth this new DVD isn't getting a release in Australia?  Every other Rush product has, seems weird.

Is the CD being released there, or is it just the DVD?

[theseoafs]

See, here's something interesting: I wonder what kind of music Rush can put together when there's no real concern about being able to perform it live.

[KevShmev]

See, here's something interesting: I wonder what kind of music Rush can put together when there's no real concern about being able to perform it live.

Different Strings
Witch Hunt
Losing It

All were written and recorded at the time with the thought being that they would never perform them live (although Witch Hunt was once advances in MIDI came about in the mid 80s, and we all know about Losing It finally being played this year).

[The Curious Orange]

Similarly, while I enjoy The Endless River a lot, I still wish High Hopes would have remained as the last song on the last Pink Floyd album.

I wish "Two Suns In The Sunset" had remained the last song on the last Floyd album, but there ya go.

[Zydar]

https://themusicexpress.ca/pearts-rush-future-unclear/

"...the band is committed to at least one more studio project."

[Mladen]

I wish "Two Suns In The Sunset" had remained the last song on the last Floyd album, but there ya go.

That would have been fantastic. Their overall discography would have been so much stronger in my opinion.

Another Rush album would be great, of course, especially considering how incredible Clockwork angels was. If The Garden turns out not to be the final band song, oh well. I used to think Judas Priest would officially retire after Nostradamus, that would have made the brilliant song called Future of mankind their very last. But then they released another album and The Beginning of the end might turn out to be the final song, and that's not that bad either. Maybe Rush would put out a closer similar to quality of The Garden...

[Stadler]

See, here's something interesting: I wonder what kind of music Rush can put together when there's no real concern about being able to perform it live.

Different Strings
Witch Hunt
Losing It

All were written and recorded at the time with the thought being that they would never perform them live (although Witch Hunt was once advances in MIDI came about in the mid 80s, and we all know about Losing It finally being played this year).

Geddy has said on many occasions that since at least Permanent Waves, there has always been one song on each record that was "a studio creation", meaning it was never intended to be recreated live.   I guess we all get to guess which ones are which, but there you go...

[theseoafs]

Hmm, I never knew the band was so deliberate about including those kinds of songs already. From interviews I always remember Geddy emphasizing how important being able to perform the music with 3 people was to them.

Well, anyway: more generally, what I mean is that it would be interesting to have a whole side of an album or something be written without the live performance of it being a concern.

[King Postwhore]

That was the truth until Counterparts.   Then, Rush went back to a strip down sound again and yes, they talked  about it back then. A good example is Avaliable Light.

[KevShmev]

I'm sure Tai Shan and Emotion Detector were also "studio only" tunes as well.  They usually put them as the 2nd to last tunes, even as far back as Rivendell on Fly by Night.  But yeah, from Counterparts on, there isn't anything I can think of that fits that bill.

[RoeDent]

Happy 21/12, guys! 

[jjrock88]

Happy 21/12, guys! 

That album is coming out today!!