Rush v. Dirk, Pratt, & Lerxst

[Stadler]

I gave all of my cassettes away about a dozen years ago. I still have my vinyl in my attic. I've a good mind to simply give it away too. Honestly, it's useless to me. Every now and then when I have to go up there, I'll pause and look through a few albums and basically reminisce.

That's me; I kept about 30 or 40 that mean something to me; be it a cover, a memory, or a rare piece of music.   Honestly, I can't imagine ever listening to it again, and for most of the records I did get rid of, I got like $0.25 or $0.50 a piece back in the mid-2000's, and that was only because I took it in store credit (I was in North Carolina at the time).   

I did get a three-digit offer for the complete set of original Kiss solo albums, and turned it down.  Kind of regertful on that point, but it is what it is. 

I was actually thinking about that last night while driving (and listening to Toys In The Attic).  While I had a couple of important pieces (Deep Purple imports, 12" maxi-singles) most of my vinyl were the cheap reissues; you know what I mean: the CBS reissue with the thick cardboard sleeve and no inner liner notes, just a white paper sleeve. 

Honestly, no judgment of anyone else, but other than the artwork itself (I have a bunch of albums on my wall) I do not miss vinyl even a little bit. 

[TAC]

I miss the smell of a new album. Seriously.


And it's not so much of missing opening a sprawling vinyl gatefold as a wide eyed kid. I simply miss being a wide eyed kid.

[Stadler]

[Samsara]

I simply miss being a wide eyed kid.

If I knew then, what I know now, I would have appreciated it just a bit more. Repeated by almost every adult. I hear ya, Tim.

p.s. not ashamed to say that "The Garden" brought a tear to my eye this morning. RIP Neil.

[Stadler]

I miss the smell of a new album. Seriously.


And it's not so much of missing opening a sprawling vinyl gatefold as a wide eyed kid. I simply miss being a wide eyed kid.

It's funny; the top two in my pictures were collected in 1983 (before the Kiss show in New Haven on the Lick It Up tour, the first time I saw the band live0.    The bottom three have been collected in the past year or so, and I when I stood in front of Gary Barden to get a signature, it was a really cool feeling. I felt 16 again for a moment.  Honestly, I could care less about the signature itself (no offense, but the Barden autograph isn't exactly going to put my kid through college) but that feeling of innocence and freedom. 

[The Walrus]

I don't know about the smell of a new vinyl, but for me, it's the smell of a new CD booklet.

[gazinwales]

I don't know about the smell of a new vinyl, but for me, it's the smell of a new CD booklet.

Yes same for me, the CD booklet, but specifically Japanese CD booklet's seem to smell the best to my nose 

[Architeuthis]

Which post 2000 live dvd/blu-ray do guys think has Geddy's best vocal performance?

[Polarbear]

Which post 2000 live dvd/blu-ray do guys think has Geddy's best vocal performance?

R30 or Snakes and Arrows Live Imo.

[KevShmev]

Which post 2000 live dvd/blu-ray do guys think has Geddy's best vocal performance?

I'd have to re-watch them all again, but it seemed like S&A Live was the last one where he sounded good for the majority of it, so it has to be one of the first three. 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Which post 2000 live dvd/blu-ray do guys think has Geddy's best vocal performance?

Rush In Rio

[Architeuthis]

Which post 2000 live dvd/blu-ray do guys think has Geddy's best vocal performance?

Rush In Rio

You might have a point.  I never thought about that since the mix is so weird on that release. The vocals are kind of buried but still listenable. I also hate it when vocals are too high in a mix. I think R30 is the best sounding live dvd release. The mix is very well balanced with the vocals just right,  plus Geddy knocked it out of the park on his part.

[jingle.boy]

Which post 2000 live dvd/blu-ray do guys think has Geddy's best vocal performance?

R30 or Snakes and Arrows Live Imo.

I always thought R30 he was pretty bad.  I'll have to go have a re-watch/listen.  I think we can all agree that Time Machine was his worst (being sick and all).  I only started CA Tour and just got thru Subdivisions, but he sounded goo there (mind you, I still had the auditory stench of Time Machine in my ears  ).

[Stadler]

I'm woefully under informed about the live Rush post, say, Different Stages.  I watched R30 once and really liked it.  I don't believe I have ever seen any of the Rush In Rio footage (I do have the live CD), Time Machine, or R40.  I have both Snakes And Arrows Live and Clockwork Angels Live on CD. 

[SoundscapeMN]

Anyone know if Neil or any of the Rush guys ever commented on the fact the name of the ship in THE EXPANSE is "The Rocinante"?

[Stadler]

Is that a Rush reference or a Don Quixote reference?  I don't watch the show, but this seems to indicate the Quixote reference is more apt (i.e. "former work horse").   

Now, if you want to look for salutes, I would imagine that Archer is going to have a boatload of hidden Rush/Neil references.  After all, Dr. Kreiger has a drum set in his apartment in an (as yet failing) attempt to master "why why zed", and had had at least five different vans (or at least the same van with five different paint jobs) with schemes (and names) based on Rush albums. 

[Ben_Jamin]

I always forget that Alex Lifeson does the solo in Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree.  His tone blends in nicely that you can't really tell.

[pg1067]

Anyone know if Neil or any of the Rush guys ever commented on the fact the name of the ship in THE EXPANSE is "The Rocinante"?

I don't know what "THE EXPANSE" is, but "Rocinante" was the name of Don Quixote's horse from the 17th Century Cervantes novel (the Spanish word rocin literally means "work horse" or "nag") and was also the name of John Steinbeck's camper referenced in his novel Travels with Charley.  I seem to recall Neil acknowledging this in a Q&A he did in one of the Rush Backstage Club newsletters 30-some years ago.

That being the case, what would Neil have said:  "hey, someone else used the same 400 year old source material that I did!"?

[jammindude]

I had never heard of it outside of Rush...but the wife and I just started watching The Expanse (very multi-layered sci-fi show on Amazon Prime) and when the renamed their ship The Rocinante, I thought it was a Rush reference. I had to pause the show and uncontrollably ugly cry for about 2-3 minutes before I could even explain to my wife what had just happened.

[TAC]

I had never heard of it outside of Rush...but the wife and I just started watching The Expanse (very multi-layered sci-fi show on Amazon Prime) and when the renamed their ship The Rocinante, I thought it was a Rush reference. I had to pause the show and uncontrollably ugly cry for about 2-3 minutes before I could even explain to my wife what had just happened.

Now you'll have to explain what didn't just happen.

[ytserush]

What makes Alex's solos great is that they are emotive.  They tell you a story inside of the song's story.

As good as an explanation as any.

[ytserush]

A lot of people rag on Virtuality, but it’s usually because the lyrics seem really dated (which I can overlook to an extent) but I happen to think the main riff for that song is one of the coolest and heaviest ones they ever wrote. I freakin LOVE that song.

The language may be dated, but the sentiment  is relevant even today.

[ytserush]

most may recall the clip with Alex's parents used in Beyond the Lighted Stage, but I had never seen the rest of this film/documentary "Come On Children" from 1973, until yesterday.

Alex would have been 19 or 20 when it was made. The others in the film seem like kids who just want to get high. Even the girl whose pregnant is smoking, which I suppose back in '73 maybe that was not stressed about the health risks.

I do sort of wonder what ended up happening to those kids some 46-47 years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8HBEZ5bFEM

This has nothing to do with Rush and you may already be aware of this but there was a documentary that began in 1964 called Seven Up that is the beginning of a series that follows a group kids from age 7 all the way up to the present day.  Very unique.

Here's info on the first installment. The most recent one (which I have not seen yet) was released last year.)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058578/

[ytserush]

I bought every Rush album up through Roll the Bones on cassette tape. I know how that is.

Believe it or not, I never bought a single studio commercial Rush album on cassette.

All I have is a handful of cassette singles (remember them) and some bootlegs and interviews. 

[ytserush]

I remember sitting in my kitchen waiting for a local radio station to play the new Rush song so I could record it. (Remember those days?!)

Guilty as charged from Power Windows to Roll The Bones. Discovered Promo CDs after that.

[ytserush]

But I remember, for whatever reason, the first song I heard from Counterparts (which was on the radio) was The Speed of Love. I don't know why they played that song because I know Stick It Out was the first single - just strikes me as such an odd choice to play on the radio. Anyone else have a similar experience?

That IS odd as that was never a promotional single (Can't remember at the moment if The Speed Of Love was a part of the Counterparts World Premiere.)

First song I heard from Roll The Bones on the radio was Where's My Thing?  Atlantic must have pulled out all of the stops in promoting it (I think it's still the biggest selling Atlantic album) There is actually a promotional single for that one. I thought that was awesome.

At the time, my friend also heard the new single and when we shared opinions about it we soon discovered that we weren't hearing the same song. He had heard Dreamline (also a promo single.) Usually the there is only one lead single but not in this case. It was really confusing and as I only heard it once or twice on WDHA when I wasn't near a tape recorder, Never got it on tape. Dreamline seemed to replace it as the lead single after that.

[ytserush]

I bought every Rush album up through Roll the Bones on cassette tape. I know how that is.

I bought every Rush album up through Hold Your Fire on vinyl.



Sorry, I just had to brag.  Fewer albums, but vinyl > cassette.

That's me too (pretty sure Presto was the first album I bought new on CD).  I never got the appeal of cassettes over vinyl.  Smaller lyrics sheets/liner notes (and sometimes none at all) and no ability to proceed immediately to Song X.  Portability was the only advantage for cassettes, but I could easily copy my vinyl onto a cassette.

Was never a prerecorded cassette guy either. I recorded Vinyl/CD to blank cassette for the Walkman.

[ytserush]

I can’t compete with most of you when it comes to collecting all the Rush albums on vinyl or seeing every tour or whatever. What I do have is a Power Windows tour t-shirt that was previously owned by Pete Trewavas.

I think I remember hearing about that. Want to say it's the East Coast leg, but it could have been the Canadian leg.

[ytserush]

That's me; I kept about 30 or 40 that mean something to me; be it a cover, a memory, or a rare piece of music.   Honestly, I can't imagine ever listening to it again, and for most of the records I did get rid of, I got like $0.25 or $0.50 a piece back in the mid-2000's, and that was only because I took it in store credit (I was in North Carolina at the time).   

I did get a three-digit offer for the complete set of original Kiss solo albums, and turned it down.  Kind of regertful on that point, but it is what it is. 

I was actually thinking about that last night while driving (and listening to Toys In The Attic).  While I had a couple of important pieces (Deep Purple imports, 12" maxi-singles) most of my vinyl were the cheap reissues; you know what I mean: the CBS reissue with the thick cardboard sleeve and no inner liner notes, just a white paper sleeve. 

Honestly, no judgment of anyone else, but other than the artwork itself (I have a bunch of albums on my wall) I do not miss vinyl even a little bit.

Aside from Rush and Dream Theater interviews and bootlegs. I just have the Majesty cassette and and Advance of When Dream and Day Unite. I also have some Rush and Dream Theater cassette singles between 1989 and 1993.

[ytserush]

I always forget that Alex Lifeson does the solo in Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree.  His tone blends in nicely that you can't really tell.

For his guest work, he always makes it a point to record stuff that is unexpected.

He's a very underappreciated, versatile guitar player.

[Orbert]

Anyone know if Neil or any of the Rush guys ever commented on the fact the name of the ship in THE EXPANSE is "The Rocinante"?

I don't know what "THE EXPANSE" is, but "Rocinante" was the name of Don Quixote's horse from the 17th Century Cervantes novel (the Spanish word rocin literally means "work horse" or "nag") and was also the name of John Steinbeck's camper referenced in his novel Travels with Charley.  I seem to recall Neil acknowledging this in a Q&A he did in one of the Rush Backstage Club newsletters 30-some years ago.

That being the case, what would Neil have said:  "hey, someone else used the same 400 year old source material that I did!"?

My high school English teacher was pretty awesome.  We were allowed to analyze rock lyrics, which he considered appropriate because they fell more-or-less in the "poetry" category.  I wrote a paper on "Hemispheres", and mentioned The Rocinante, which was the RV (basically a pickup with custom camper top) from "Travels with Charley" by John Steinbeck.  I figured I'd score some points for recognizing the Steinbeck reference.  He was amused, but I'd totally missed the Don Quixote reference.

[pg1067]

Anyone know if Neil or any of the Rush guys ever commented on the fact the name of the ship in THE EXPANSE is "The Rocinante"?

I don't know what "THE EXPANSE" is, but "Rocinante" was the name of Don Quixote's horse from the 17th Century Cervantes novel (the Spanish word rocin literally means "work horse" or "nag") and was also the name of John Steinbeck's camper referenced in his novel Travels with Charley.  I seem to recall Neil acknowledging this in a Q&A he did in one of the Rush Backstage Club newsletters 30-some years ago.

That being the case, what would Neil have said:  "hey, someone else used the same 400 year old source material that I did!"?

My high school English teacher was pretty awesome.  We were allowed to analyze rock lyrics, which he considered appropriate because they fell more-or-less in the "poetry" category.  I wrote a paper on "Hemispheres", and mentioned The Rocinante, which was the RV (basically a pickup with custom camper top) from "Travels with Charley" by John Steinbeck.  I figured I'd score some points for recognizing the Steinbeck reference.  He was amused, but I'd totally missed the Don Quixote reference.

I'll have to see if I can dig up the Backstage Club newsletter.  I'm pretty sure I still have the small handful that got mailed to me.  That's literally WHY I know the source of "Rocinante" (I've never read the Cervantes or Steinbeck novels).

The most memorable of his Q&A responses was when get got pissy about someone asking whether the "correct" lyrics for Freewill were those printed on the album sleeve or those that Geddy sang.  He obviously wasn't aware that the sleeve said, "If you choose not to decide, you cannot have made a choice" (and, apparently, that misprint was limited to the U.S. or something like that), and the person who asked the question wasn't completely clear.  Neil interpreted the question as quibbling about a "the" or something of that sort and wrote a very snarky response.  I believe sometime in the post-internet days, someone again raised the issue with Neil, and Neil basically said "oops" and explained why he had reacted that way.

EDIT:  Found it (not surprisingly at 2112.net)!  http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19851200backstageclub.htm

"Q. In 'Free Will' which lyrics are correct (the ones on the album sleeve or the ones Geddy sings)?

NP:   That's a funny question. I've had a few lately from people who are so sure that what they hear is correct, that they disbelieve what I've put in the lyric sheets!  Imagine!  People have quoted me whole verses of what they hear, as opposed to what's printed, sure that they are right and the cover (me) is wrong.  Scary stuff, these egocentric individuals.  I assure you, other than perhaps dropping an "and" or a "but", we take greet care to make the lyric sheets accurate."

I also like the Q&A about how one plays plywood and Geddy working with Chaka Khan.  Unfortunately, there is no Rocinante question, so I hope I'm not imagining it.

[ytserush]

Anyone know if Neil or any of the Rush guys ever commented on the fact the name of the ship in THE EXPANSE is "The Rocinante"?

I don't know what "THE EXPANSE" is, but "Rocinante" was the name of Don Quixote's horse from the 17th Century Cervantes novel (the Spanish word rocin literally means "work horse" or "nag") and was also the name of John Steinbeck's camper referenced in his novel Travels with Charley.  I seem to recall Neil acknowledging this in a Q&A he did in one of the Rush Backstage Club newsletters 30-some years ago.

That being the case, what would Neil have said:  "hey, someone else used the same 400 year old source material that I did!"?

My high school English teacher was pretty awesome.  We were allowed to analyze rock lyrics, which he considered appropriate because they fell more-or-less in the "poetry" category.  I wrote a paper on "Hemispheres", and mentioned The Rocinante, which was the RV (basically a pickup with custom camper top) from "Travels with Charley" by John Steinbeck.  I figured I'd score some points for recognizing the Steinbeck reference.  He was amused, but I'd totally missed the Don Quixote reference.

I'll have to see if I can dig up the Backstage Club newsletter.  I'm pretty sure I still have the small handful that got mailed to me.  That's literally WHY I know the source of "Rocinante" (I've never read the Cervantes or Steinbeck novels).

The most memorable of his Q&A responses was when get got pissy about someone asking whether the "correct" lyrics for Freewill were those printed on the album sleeve or those that Geddy sang.  He obviously wasn't aware that the sleeve said, "If you choose not to decide, you cannot have made a choice" (and, apparently, that misprint was limited to the U.S. or something like that), and the person who asked the question wasn't completely clear.  Neil interpreted the question as quibbling about a "the" or something of that sort and wrote a very snarky response.  I believe sometime in the post-internet days, someone again raised the issue with Neil, and Neil basically said "oops" and explained why he had reacted that way.

EDIT:  Found it (not surprisingly at 2112.net)!  http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19851200backstageclub.htm

"Q. In 'Free Will' which lyrics are correct (the ones on the album sleeve or the ones Geddy sings)?

NP:   That's a funny question. I've had a few lately from people who are so sure that what they hear is correct, that they disbelieve what I've put in the lyric sheets!  Imagine!  People have quoted me whole verses of what they hear, as opposed to what's printed, sure that they are right and the cover (me) is wrong.  Scary stuff, these egocentric individuals.  I assure you, other than perhaps dropping an "and" or a "but", we take greet care to make the lyric sheets accurate."
.

Neil didn't quite have his facts straight on that one. Maybe he proofed the Canadian version, but it was the US version that had that mistake.

I was never aware of his "oops" response. Any idea where that can be found? I'd enjoy reading it. I had gone all of these years thinking he still stood by his initial response not realized that there really was a screw up somewhere along the line.

[pg1067]

Neil didn't quite have his facts straight on that one. Maybe he proofed the Canadian version, but it was the US version that had that mistake.

I was never aware of his "oops" response. Any idea where that can be found? I'd enjoy reading it. I had gone all of these years thinking he still stood by his initial response not realized that there really was a screw up somewhere along the line.

This is one of those "I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere" things, but I'm not sure where.  I want to say maybe, in a subsequent edition of the Backstage Club newsletter, someone pressed him about the issue and was more specific (given that the question in the above quote was very vague).  Or it might have been in the Bill Banasiewicz biography (or another of the biographies from the 1990s since I don't think I've bought any of the more recent books).  I'll see if I can dig it up.

[ytserush]

Neil didn't quite have his facts straight on that one. Maybe he proofed the Canadian version, but it was the US version that had that mistake.

I was never aware of his "oops" response. Any idea where that can be found? I'd enjoy reading it. I had gone all of these years thinking he still stood by his initial response not realized that there really was a screw up somewhere along the line.

This is one of those "I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere" things, but I'm not sure where.  I want to say maybe, in a subsequent edition of the Backstage Club newsletter, someone pressed him about the issue and was more specific (given that the question in the above quote was very vague).  Or it might have been in the Bill Banasiewicz biography (or another of the biographies from the 1990s since I don't think I've bought any of the more recent books).  I'll see if I can dig it up.

Thanks. My guess is that it would have to be within the last 25 years.  I'm not positive, but I think those newsletters stopped in the early to mid '90s.