Rush v. Dirk, Pratt, & Lerxst

[ytserush]

I don’t consider myself such a fanboy that I can’t see any flaws. I consider Roll the Bones to be pretty bad outside of 3 or 4 stellar cuts.

But ya. The synth era gets way too much hate from the old school crowd. There is some amazing songs in that period. And Power Windows is a masterpiece from start to finish.

And let's keep some perspective:   Rush isn't my favorite band of all time, but they are goddamn close.  I have everything from the first one to the last, and love most of it.  Hemispheres is a top five album of all time for me, and  I sometimes have a hard time picking that over MP and Signals (which I love love love).   This is not a Rush hater here; I just feel that the experiments through the years have all moved the band as much forward as sideways.   For some reason, p/g and Test For Echo have "less forward" in them.   But as much as I bag on it, I firmly believe that there would be no Power Windows if there wasn't a Grace Under Pressure, and I LOVE Power Windows.

I think the sideways/course correcting album was Presto. There was nowhere for the "world's smallest symphony orchestra" to go after that on the road they originally set out on so they had to retrace their steps a bit.

[ytserush]

But I disagreed with him on the basis that the PLAYING is what kept it interesting. I have always been fascinated by music with more intricate rhythms instead of the more simplistic approach. Much of the synth laden music that Rush was influenced by at that time lacked the engaging bass and drum patterns that Rush always put into their music.

I’d argue that, at least in the case of Hold Your Fire, the bass absolutely keeps the album interesting, as I think it is one of Geddy’s finer albums playing wise. The utter lack of guitar on that album compared to the keyboards, however, is what I struggled with initially before finally accepting and enjoying the album for what it is. But the comment about how I would probably hate the album if it was not Rush that made it would likely be quite true.

There's plenty of guitar on Hold Your Fire, it's just not your '70's style guitar slinger kind of guitar and it's a bit further down in the mix.

It's also very emotive, but not in the way some might be thinking.

[ytserush]

And let's keep some perspective:   Rush isn't my favorite band of all time, but they are goddamn close.  I have everything from the first one to the last, and love most of it.  Hemispheres is a top five album of all time for me, and  I sometimes have a hard time picking that over MP and Signals (which I love love love).   This is not a Rush hater here; I just feel that the experiments through the years have all moved the band as much forward as sideways.   For some reason, p/g and Test For Echo have "less forward" in them.   But as much as I bag on it, I firmly believe that there would be no Power Windows if there wasn't a Grace Under Pressure, and I LOVE Power Windows.

Only a Rush fan with no soul doesn't love Power Windows.

See: TAC

Apparently, you guys chased him away. Or he's in Vegas.

[ytserush]

The breakdown portion of Mission is something that I don’t think most synth bands were even capable of .

Most rock bands period......

[ytserush]

Those albums are so good that you're screwing each other up!

As a Rush nerd I can say there is always one song on the synth era on that is a clunker of a song.

Name one?  Roll The Bones is one of the very few multiple clunker albums.

[King Postwhore]

Speed Of Love



BOOM!

[TAC]

And let's keep some perspective:   Rush isn't my favorite band of all time, but they are goddamn close.  I have everything from the first one to the last, and love most of it.  Hemispheres is a top five album of all time for me, and  I sometimes have a hard time picking that over MP and Signals (which I love love love).   This is not a Rush hater here; I just feel that the experiments through the years have all moved the band as much forward as sideways.   For some reason, p/g and Test For Echo have "less forward" in them.   But as much as I bag on it, I firmly believe that there would be no Power Windows if there wasn't a Grace Under Pressure, and I LOVE Power Windows.

Only a Rush fan with no soul doesn't love Power Windows.

See: TAC

[ytserush]

Speed Of Love



BOOM!

Did I misunderstand you? In what world is Counterparts a "synth" album?

[King Postwhore]

Not synth but 80's on.  I'd say from HYF.

[KevShmev]

Clunkers is a bit of an overstatement. 

There are a few average songs from Signals and P/G (Countdown, Chemistry and Red Lenses), but I wouldn't call them clunkers. 

Power Windows is flawless.  Sure, Emotion Detector isn't nearly as good as the other seven songs (all of which range from great to incredible), but it's still a fine song, even if it was knee deep in that 80's sound.

Second Nature and Tai Shan are the obvious two "clunkers" from Hold Your Fire.  I would say those are the two least best songs of the synth era (1982-1987).

[King Postwhore]

I really like Second Nature.   It's Tai Shan that's the clunker.  And yes, Power Windows is perfection.

[Mladen]

Second nature actually used to be my favorite song on Hold your fire but some of the other ones grew on me and took the upper spots, but it is still a fine track.

And to be honest, the last several times I went back to the album, even Tai Shan sounded solid.

[TAC]

Power Windows is flawless. 

The only songs I liked straight out on Power Windows were Territories and Manhattan Project. I learned to really like Marathon, but only after seeing it live. Those are the only 3 PW tracks on my 80's Rush Compilation CD.

On a good day, I can get through Mystic Rhythms, but it's the A Show Of Hands version that I like.


I have no use for anything else on it.

[KevShmev]

Only a Rush fan with no soul doesn't love Power Windows.

See: TAC

[TAC]

Yay, quoting ourselves. My turn!

I have no use for anything else on it.

 

[jingle.boy]

So entertaining to see people having a conversation with themselves.

[King Postwhore]

And seeing Archie Bunker, um, I mean Tim so obstinate.

[TAC]

What's obstinate?

[King Postwhore]

If you were a fan of 80's Rush, you'd know the definition.   

[TAC]

And seeing Archie Bunker, um, I mean Tim so obstinate.

[King Postwhore]

 


What's a meme?

[TAC]

A great man once pondered that very question.

[King Postwhore]

 

I'm driving to Rye, N.H. for seafood with the old man today. I think I'll put on Power Windows on in your honor.

[TAC]

When taking your father out for lunch, I must say that any music will be appropriate. Yes..even Power Windows.. 

[King Postwhore]

No way.  Sirius 50's station is his jam. 

[TAC]

What's Sirius?

[King Postwhore]

Satellite radio

[Architeuthis]

Wow, this discussion got too Sirius!   Lighten up people... 

[King Postwhore]

Not serious.  Some fun banter on TAC's behalf.




And my enjoyment. 

[Architeuthis]

Not serious.  Some fun banter on TAC's behalf.




And my enjoyment. 

Look how I spelled Sirius, lol, based on the posts above..  ;

[pg1067]

Those albums are so good that you're screwing each other up!

As a Rush nerd I can say there is always one song on the synth era on that is a clunker of a song.

Name one?  Roll The Bones is one of the very few multiple clunker albums.

Clunkers
GUP:  The Body Electric and Red Lenses (The Enemy Within, Kid Gloves and Between the Wheels are the only songs I'll go out of my way to listen to)
PoW:  The entirety of side 2 (Marathon is very good and Manhattan project is good)
HYF:  Tai Shan and High Water (Mission is the only song I'll go out of my way to listen to)
Presto:  Scars, Superconductor and Hand over Fist (multiple very good songs, including The Pass, Presto, Red Tide and Available Light)
RtB:  Pretty much the whole thing outside of Dreamline, Bravado, Where's My Thing? and Ghost of a Chance (I go out of my way to listen to nothing from this album)

[Stadler]

I'm a huge fan of Presto.  One of my favorite Rush albums.    I also don't get the hate for Tai Shan.  It sucks, no doubt, but not any worse than Kid Gloves or Red Lenses.   

[pg1067]

I'm a huge fan of Presto.  One of my favorite Rush albums.    I also don't get the hate for Tai Shan.  It sucks, no doubt, but not any worse than Kid Gloves or Red Lenses.   

Presto is at least a top three post-Signals album and maybe #1.  I agree that Tai Shan and Red Lenses are about equally as bad.  Kid Gloves is the third best song on GUP, which isn't saying much, but I don't mind it.  Worst part is that part in the guitar solo when Alex hits some harmonics and then goes heavy on the whammy bar (something he did with unfortunate frequency on the "synth era" albums).

[The Letter M]

Clunkers
GUP:  The Body Electric and Red Lenses (The Enemy Within, Kid Gloves and Between the Wheels are the only songs I'll go out of my way to listen to)

Those are two pretty ok-to-good songs. GUP has grown on me over the years, so it isn't as bad as I used to think it was.

PoW:  The entirety of side 2 (Marathon is very good and Manhattan project is good)

I'm sure my feelings about POW have been made clear - it's a fairly flawless album to me, and I like both sides as much as the other.

HYF:  Tai Shan and High Water (Mission is the only song I'll go out of my way to listen to)

I agree with those two - the ending of the album was always a downer for me, but the rest of the 8 songs are pretty good-to-great.

Presto:  Scars, Superconductor and Hand over Fist (multiple very good songs, including The Pass, Presto, Red Tide and Available Light)

As a drummer, I like "Scars" and Neil's hypnotic drumming (which would come back later in his drum solos). "Superconductor" has grown on me over the year, but I'll agree that HOF isn't that amazing.

RtB:  Pretty much the whole thing outside of Dreamline, Bravado, Where's My Thing? and Ghost of a Chance (I go out of my way to listen to nothing from this album)

So, by "pretty much the whole thing" you mean only 60%? Like, that's just over half of the album...

-Marc.

[pg1067]

RtB:  Pretty much the whole thing outside of Dreamline, Bravado, Where's My Thing? and Ghost of a Chance (I go out of my way to listen to nothing from this album)

So, by "pretty much the whole thing" you mean only 60%? Like, that's just over half of the album...

Sure...60% clunker and 40% mediocre.  That about sums it up.