The History of Rush v. Discography Thread: Epilogue

[KevShmev]

IIRC, the Power Windows tour was tough on the fellas because it was the first tour where they really went full tilt with the keyboards and having to trigger stuff on stage, and I think it took some time getting comfortable and used to it, which is probably why they supposedly looked more relaxed on the Hold Your Fire tour; by then, they were comfortable with it all and had worked out all the kinks.

[TAC]

Yeah, we were so close to Geddy that you could see his facial expressions clearly, and I remember him being extremely frustrated.

[The Letter M]

As you might be able to tell, I *love* Power Windows. When I first got into Rush, of course, it was the 70's and early 80's stuff I dug, but once I began digesting their "third sector" of albums, of those four, Power Windows was the one that stuck with me. Every song is powerful to me, and they had finally struck a delicate balance between their acoustic and electronic sounds, creating a soundscape that took the best parts of Signals and Grace Under Pressure and melded it all together into eight mini-masterpieces. Of the four synth-era albums, this is the one that hits me most consistently, where I don't feel the need to skip a track (not that I typically skip tracks when listening to Rush anyway).

-Marc.

[Stadler]

Yeah, we were so close to Geddy that you could see his facial expressions clearly, and I remember him being extremely frustrated.

My first tour; I loved that show.  The lasers...

[KevShmev]

Seems like very few bands use lasers anymore.  Even Rush didn't use them much the last few tours, IIRC.  One of the most awesome Rush live moments was always in La Villa Strangiato when the lasers kicked in as the song slowed down and went into A Lerxst in Wonderland.

[jingle.boy]

The lasers with Xanadu when they brought it back in full for the RtB tour... unreal (plus, I was baked beyond belief).  And of course, they were always there for Dreamline - a Top 10 Rush song for me... maybe even Top 5.

[KevShmev]

You're right, they did always use them for Dreamline, and it was played on their 2nd to last tour.  I think Red Sector A always got them as well.

[King Postwhore]

The lasers on Alex's solo on La Villa with the hugs wall of lasers with the smoke was a goosebump moment. Especially with Lifeson's build up on that solo.

[ytserush]

I had to turn down CA today.  It was too muddled playing it loud in my car.

Exactly.  You get ear fatigue if you turn it up and listen to too many songs from it in a row, and as a result I rarely listen to all of it anymore.

You've just described Systematic Chaos.

[ytserush]

I've never seen Game Of Thrones. I don't know any of the cast.

And I thought I was the only one who's never seen it.

[ytserush]

IIRC, the Power Windows tour was tough on the fellas because it was the first tour where they really went full tilt with the keyboards and having to trigger stuff on stage, and I think it took some time getting comfortable and used to it, which is probably why they supposedly looked more relaxed on the Hold Your Fire tour; by then, they were comfortable with it all and had worked out all the kinks.

Hold Your Fire Tour was the worst for that. They didn't start to really have fun until they finished Territories.

[ytserush]

The lasers on Alex's solo on La Villa with the hugs wall of lasers with the smoke was a goosebump moment. Especially with Lifeson's build up on that solo.

That was pretty cool.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

The lasers with Xanadu when they brought it back in full for the RtB tour... unreal (plus, I was baked beyond belief).  And of course, they were always there for Dreamline - a Top 10 Rush song for me... maybe even Top 5.

My first Rush show was on the Roll the Bones tour. My dad took me to see them in Mountain View, CA at the Shoreline Amphitheater, I think. I don't really remember too much of the set list, but I remember thinking the lasers were really cool in Dreamline. I also remember being completely entranced by Ghost of a Chance. Seeing as how I was only 6 at the time, I was not "baked beyond belief."  Then again, I could have been and not known it, considering how many people are typically smoking at Rush shows. And yet again, it was an outdoor venue, so who knows.

[jammindude]

While we're speaking of light shows.   There was an amazing moment on the R40 tour during Jacob's Ladder, and I don't feel like the home video came close to capturing the full effect.

During the "light streams down in bright unbroken beams" part, "sunbeam" style lights came down from the upper right hand part of the stadium and made the floor crowd look like sunbeams were shining down on them.   The only way to see this effect was from the balcony, and I was front row, dead center of the upper level....with my son....at his very first Rush concert.....and my very last.   



......I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying....

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

So like everyone else, I've been running through the full Rush discography (for like the 10,000th time for me) again. I'm on the Test for Echo album right now. Now, over the years I've learned the drum parts for every Rush song up through Counterparts, but never got around to learning everything from Test for Echo through Clockwork Angels. I mean I know the majority of them just from listening to them, but never really sat down at the drumkit to learn them note for note. Anyway, rambling aside, in the song Test for Echo, is Neil playing double bass the first and third time the pre-chorus comes up? This is the first time I'm hearing it like this. Am I just hearing things? Time-stamps would be at 1:35-1:49 and 4:01-4:15.

[TAC]

in the song Test for Echo, is Neil playing double bass the first and third time the pre-chorus comes up? This is the first time I'm hearing it like this. Am I just hearing things? Time-stamps would be at 1:35-1:49 and 4:01-4:15.

Yes he is

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

in the song Test for Echo, is Neil playing double bass the first and third time the pre-chorus comes up? This is the first time I'm hearing it like this. Am I just hearing things? Time-stamps would be at 1:35-1:49 and 4:01-4:15.

Yes he is

Ah, thanks. I keep meaning to watch that A Work in Progress DVD, I think that's going to be my weekend project, along with learning the song from Test for Echo on drums.

[TAC]

In my discog run through, I couldn't help but be amazed at the drumming in Limbo.

[romdrums]

in the song Test for Echo, is Neil playing double bass the first and third time the pre-chorus comes up? This is the first time I'm hearing it like this. Am I just hearing things? Time-stamps would be at 1:35-1:49 and 4:01-4:15.

Yes he is

Ah, thanks. I keep meaning to watch that A Work in Progress DVD, I think that's going to be my weekend project, along with learning the song from Test for Echo on drums.

It’s cool to watch him laying into the backbeat with traditional grip.  It’s also really cool to see him using coated heads on his toms.  T4E may have been the only album where he did that.  His drumming on that record is some of his best work.

[TAC]

I haven't followed Rush as an adult nearly as close as a lot of you. I have a question.



Did they approach Clockwork Angels as if they knew it would likely be their last? How did the writing or sessions in general compare to previous?

[romdrums]

I don’t think it was anything intentional on their part.   Neil may have hinted at it while he was putting the lyrics together, but based on interviews I read they were feeling really inspired and wanted to make a kick ass record.

[TAC]

I know the mob likes to gam up Power Windows as the shit, but IMO, Clockwork Angels is easily the most interesting album the band did since Moving Pictures. It has the core and soul of Rush in it.

[Cool Chris]

I am not well-versed in Rush's catalog after Moving Pictures, but I definitely like CA more than anything since MP. To release an album that awesome as your 19th, 38 years after your first, is ridiculous.

[Lethean]

Power Windows is awesome.  Clockwork Angels is awesome too.  I'm glad we have both, and everything in between (and everything that came before) to listen to.

I think romdrums is right about the approach to the Clockwork Angels.  Although I guess you never know for sure.  If Geddy and Alex were getting the sense from Neil that he wanted to retire soon, it might have affected them.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

in the song Test for Echo, is Neil playing double bass the first and third time the pre-chorus comes up? This is the first time I'm hearing it like this. Am I just hearing things? Time-stamps would be at 1:35-1:49 and 4:01-4:15.

Yes he is

Ah, thanks. I keep meaning to watch that A Work in Progress DVD, I think that's going to be my weekend project, along with learning the song from Test for Echo on drums.

It’s cool to watch him laying into the backbeat with traditional grip.  It’s also really cool to see him using coated heads on his toms.  T4E may have been the only album where he did that.  His drumming on that record is some of his best work.

I'm going to go in to learning the drums for this album without using traditional grip. I never did learn traditional grip and don't really feel like trying it. We will see how hard it is to replicate this stuff using matched grip (I tend to use a mix of French grip and German grip depending on what I'm doing).


I don't know, maybe I'll learn traditional grip at some point. I'm always up for learning new things on drums.

[The Letter M]

In my discog run through, I couldn't help but be amazed at the drumming in Limbo.

Limbo is a great song, and a fun instrumental to play. I actually wrote the tabs for Neil's part for that song on the RTP (Rush Tablature Project), using a combination of the (not quite accurate) sheet music included with A Work In Progress, and the actual studio album version of the song. Definitely one of the more complex and fun instrumentals to learn on drums!

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

I was mostly fine with the Test for Echo album being ignored by the band on the last four tours, but Limbo is one song I would have been fine with hearing again. 

Along those lines, even though I know we have done this before, pick five songs you wish the band would have played in the 21st century that they didn't. 

I am going with realistic choices, meaning songs that had a shot which means I am not picking The Necromancer or The Fountain of Lamneth.

Turn the Page (always wanted to see this one live)
Double Agent (bums me out a little that this song was "one tour and done")
The Enemy Within (even if they weren't gonna play the entire Fear series, I wish this would have made a comeback)
The Weapon (ditto the above)
Available Light (it would have to have been on the VT or R30 tours when Geddy could still belt it out, but I so wish this would have gotten played at some point)

[Lethean]

Yes yes yes to The Enemy Within and Available Light.

I'd probably have to think about the rest and then agonize over it, but those two would have been awesome.

[romdrums]

I was mostly fine with the Test for Echo album being ignored by the band on the last four tours, but Limbo is one song I would have been fine with hearing again. 

Along those lines, even though I know we have done this before, pick five songs you wish the band would have played in the 21st century that they didn't. 

I am going with realistic choices, meaning songs that had a shot which means I am not picking The Necromancer or The Fountain of Lamneth.

Turn the Page (always wanted to see this one live)
Double Agent (bums me out a little that this song was "one tour and done")
The Enemy Within (even if they weren't gonna play the entire Fear series, I wish this would have made a comeback)
The Weapon (ditto the above)
Available Light (it would have to have been on the VT or R30 tours when Geddy could still belt it out, but I so wish this would have gotten played at some point)

That’s a solid group right there.  Turn the Page and Available Light would have been especially special!

I would add these five to the mix:
Everyday Glory
Cut to the Chase
Lock and Key
Freeze
Nocturne

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I was mostly fine with the Test for Echo album being ignored by the band on the last four tours, but Limbo is one song I would have been fine with hearing again. 

Along those lines, even though I know we have done this before, pick five songs you wish the band would have played in the 21st century that they didn't. 

I am going with realistic choices, meaning songs that had a shot which means I am not picking The Necromancer or The Fountain of Lamneth.

Turn the Page (always wanted to see this one live)
Double Agent (bums me out a little that this song was "one tour and done")
The Enemy Within (even if they weren't gonna play the entire Fear series, I wish this would have made a comeback)
The Weapon (ditto the above)
Available Light (it would have to have been on the VT or R30 tours when Geddy could still belt it out, but I so wish this would have gotten played at some point)

I will second Available Light. That song is amazing, but you are correct it would have to have been on the VT or R30 tour. R30 was the last time Geddy still sounded great.
I always wanted them to rework all parts of the Fear series in to 1 song live somehow, but that's just more me dreaming.
Other songs I would have loved to have heard in the 21st century live would be, Lock and Key, Kid Gloves, Hemispheres (although I don't think Geddy has been able to sing this since shortly after it was released), and maybe Everyday Glory.

[The Letter M]

I was mostly fine with the Test for Echo album being ignored by the band on the last four tours, but Limbo is one song I would have been fine with hearing again. 

Along those lines, even though I know we have done this before, pick five songs you wish the band would have played in the 21st century that they didn't. 

I am going with realistic choices, meaning songs that had a shot which means I am not picking The Necromancer or The Fountain of Lamneth.

Turn the Page (always wanted to see this one live)
Double Agent (bums me out a little that this song was "one tour and done")
The Enemy Within (even if they weren't gonna play the entire Fear series, I wish this would have made a comeback)
The Weapon (ditto the above)
Available Light (it would have to have been on the VT or R30 tours when Geddy could still belt it out, but I so wish this would have gotten played at some point)

If I can picked five songs they hadn't played at all, I would certainly pick at least three from Vapor Trails. Had the VT Tour not been more-or-less a "comeback tour", I'm sure they would've played more. Would've loved to have seen them play "Vapor Trail", "Freeze", and probably "Sweet Miracle" or "Peaceable Kingdom".

I'd also second "Available Light", and also throw in "Cut To The Chase".

There were plenty of one-and-done songs from the post-Signals album tours that were a crime to never revive, though I am happy they brought out many of the POW songs throughout their tours in the 21st century. Would have been neat to see them bring out "Lock And Key" and "Turn The Page" again, too.

-Marc.

[Lethean]

I love the idea of more Vapor Trails - I would have been happy with them eventually playing the whole album - adding a couple new tracks each tour.

[New World Rushman]

I haven't followed Rush as an adult nearly as close as a lot of you. I have a question.



Did they approach Clockwork Angels as if they knew it would likely be their last? How did the writing or sessions in general compare to previous?

I don't think so. The seeds for CA were planted almost 6 years before the final show. They met up to make plans (I believe that was the "Dinner with Rush" documented on Beyond the Lighted Stage), they had two songs complete and released as singles in early 2010 (BU2B and Caravan) which they played on the Time Machine tour, then completed the album, toured CA in 2012-2013, took some time off, and then came the R40 tour in 2015.
I'm just saying so much happened, including three full tours, that I doubt they were thinking about that being the last album, back at the beginning. Seems like it was the CA tour that did Neil in; he agreed to R40 quite begrudgingly.

[KevShmev]

I would like to have seen more songs from Vapor Trails as well, especially the title track without the 's' and Freeze, but there were 5 others I would have rather seen which is why I listed nada from VT.  It still strikes me as odd that How It Is was the never-played-before song from it that they decided to rotate on the R40 tour.

[TAC]

So I'm pretty sure we all did a Discog run this past week. We all have our favorites and duds. But what I wanted to say was that for the albums that I'm not wicked fond of, instead of thinking this album sucks or this album blows, I pretty much listed to them with a sense of appreciation. Albums near the bottom of my rankings, I was able to simply enjoy for what they are.

It has allowed me a greater appreciation for albums like S&A, TFE, and others.

And while I've never been a huge fan of it, although I love the Presto album, I very much enjoyed my listen to The Pass.