Rush's Time Machine Blu-Ray is out....

Post by **Zarathustra** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 2:46 pm

The song is really growing on me. I find it stuck in my head a lot, especially the melodic part about "stoking the fires on the steel wheels." At first I thought it sounded disjointed and random, different parts just crammed together with a words forced into a vocal melody that didn't really fit. But that's just the verse. The chorus (or whatever that melodic part is) brings all the disjointedness and chaos together into something special.

It's still a bit too long and repetitive for my tastes, but not bad!

Post by **Zarathustra** » Tue May 15, 2012 4:59 pm

Track-by-track review of Clockwork Angels. I'm officially excited now.

And another.

Post by **Zarathustra** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:42 pm

For those of you who don't know, tomorrow is the big day for Rush's new release, Clockwork Angels. It will be their first CD release in five years, since 2007's Snakes and Arrows.

I've heard a few songs on Youtube, before they were yanked. It's different. I'm not sure yet how I feel about the new tunes, but people are raving about them over at Counterparts (a Rush board where I sometimes participate).

Post by **Zarathustra** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:49 pm

Just curious ... did any Rush fans pick up the new CD? If so, what are your opinions of it?

I think it's one of the strongest, musically, in years if not decades. It's an extremely well-rounded song list, with very few clunkers. And while I like the idea of the concept album, I have my issues with the story of Clockwork Angels. But we can talk about that after some of you get the CD.

Post by **Mortice Root** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:38 pm

I did. I was holding off on commenting on it for a while to really let it sink in.

Overall, I really like it. I will admit to not thinking too highly of BU2B when it first came out a couple of years back (though I always liked Caravan). Largely this was becuase of the lyrics - the music was always great. This was because it seemed to be (without, admittedly, much effort in deciphering the lyrics on my part) to be an attack on what, for me, is a strawman version of Christianity. The idea of God having planned every aspect of everyone's lives, such that there is no freewill. Obviously Rush has touched on this before, and more effectively in the past.

I had no idea that CA was a concept album, though. And this is largely due to my own self-imposed ignorance prior to the album release. In the context of the story, BU2B is no longer about Christianity, or any other religion specifically (though it could still be interperted that way), and functions well in the plot of the record. That extra level was ambiguity was important, and I now really like the song. Not sure if that entirely makes sense, but hey...

I love the music on the record. I think it's very strong throughout. Even some of the songs that I thought were kind of boring on the first times through (Wreckers for example) have really grown on me.

The story seems a little hard to follow in spots, though I do think the inclusion of the extra paragraph or to prior to each song in the insert helps out with this. I really like the way the story takes themes that Rush has touched on before and weaves them into a new story. (And of course, I don't have the lyric book in front of me, so forgot most of the examples of this - outside of BU2B and Freewill . Sorry

) I also think the story functions well on a few different levels - I can tell my 7 year old son that it's an adventure story about a young man exploring his world, and can tell my brother it's a story about maintining optimism in the face of disillusionment and both are accurate represntations.

I'm not quite sure I understand, plotwise, the inclusion of BU2B2. Coming right after one of the strongest "affirmation" songs - Headlong flight, with it's refrain of wanting to live life all again - it seems out of place.

All in all though, I like this cd a lot. And I'm very impressed that they did an entire narrative record at this point in their carreer. I love the fact that they're constantly pushing, musically.

Post by **Mortice Root** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:15 pm

Oh, and Alex's guitar lead on "The Garden" is simply one of the most beautiful things I've heard from him, ever!

Post by **Zarathustra** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:06 pm

Excellent points, MR! No kidding, your opinions are extremely insightful, and anticipate exactly what I wanted to discuss. I participate on a Rush message board (Counterparts) where some of these issues are just now starting to come to light, though they bugged me from the very beginning. (Do you participate there, btw?)

You're absolutely right about BU2B2, how it seems to be the low point, the crisis point, right after a high point (Headlong Flight). In fact, I think that HF would work better as the last song, since it's about nostalgia for the past and a "recap" of his adventures and life-lessons.

But that's not the only problem. BU2B seems to be in the wrong place, too. It's a song about disillusionment with order/control, but it appears very early in the story when the main character should still be optimistic and naive. In fact, the very next song (CA) seems to express his optimism for the Watchmaker's paradise in the city where the Angels are on display.

And then there's a problem with the song Carnies, because at the end of that one there's a cliff hanger involving the bomb (clockwork detonator) being tossed to the protagonist from the Anarchist, and the crowd advancing with "deadly intent," but there's no follow-up to this cliffhanger. The next song is Halo Effect, which seems to be the source of his disillusionment (which would therefore work better if it was before BU2B).

I suspect that we're dealing with a non-linear story, especially since the overall theme is Time, and the main character's attempts to thwart the controlling, deterministic aspects of Time. We get this theme repeated all throughout the story. Caravan mentions, "A chance to break from the past." Headlong Flight mentions, "I wish I could live it all again." Seven Cities of Gold starts with, "A man can lose his past, in a country like this." Over and over, we're given a protagonist who wants to break free of the constraints of time, only to be forced into acknowledging by the end that time and temporal order is inescapable, as stated in the Garden's, "Time is still the infinite jest/The arrow [of time] flies when you dream, the hours tick away--the cells tick away."

My theory is that the Anarchist, with his "clockwork detonator," disrupted the temporal flow of this story. Why did the Anarchist throw this at the Protagonist, who catches it? No explanation. Actually, I think the Anarchist is the protagonist, as the little throwing/catching identity confusion seems to imply.

We've got a story about a guy who longs for the beauty and order of the Clockwork Angels, and his own personal "angel" (his girlfriend in the city), but then becomes disillusioned with order and determinism, and flees into a quest for chaos. But then he comes to realize that this Wrecks his life, and that it was inauthentic. So he comes back full circle to the realization that the linear temporality of life can't be escaped--the last Watchmaker's last laugh, the infinite jest of time. Time's Arrow (entropy) can't be escaped. Everything is running down, dying. The "Arrow of Time that that flies even when you dream." You can't escape it in illusions of perfection. But that doesn't mean you have to add to the destruction by being a Wrecker or Anarchist. You can grow a Garden, cultivating local increases in order. A localized pocket of "wild" order, in contrast to the Clockwork purity of artificial perfection.

If this isn't a non-linear story, then it's a very bad story, with a horrible narrative flow.

I can't wait for the book to come out and see which is correct.

Post by **Mortice Root** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:56 pm

Ok, so now that I got home and pulled out my lyric sheet, I remembered some of the other comparisons to past themes I wanted to bring up. Not only does BU2B thematically recall Freewill, but in my mind, Halo Effect recalls Presto ("what a fool I was for you") and Carnies recalls The Big Wheel (well, and just about everything else on RTB

).

To your other points.... Now insights like this are the reason I lurk around on this board! (And no, I'm only on this board, albeit extremely rarely

). A non-linear narrative, caused by the anarchists' (who may or may not be the protagonist) time bomb..... I never would have come up with that on my own, but it makes perfect sense! I had noticed the shifting perspective between the anarchist and the protagonist, but had assumed it was just shifting characters (a la the priests and the protagonist in 2112) but couldn't find a solution to the time-bomb. I just assumed it "went off" off stage, causing our main character to flee the city. But if the disjointed narrative is the effect...... Perfect!

I do feel as though Wish Them Well and The Garden are at the correct spot on the record though, both narratively, and thematically. They seem to represent a combination of resignation at the things that have been lost, and a set of advice for how to live - essentially controlling the things you can control, and knowing when to let go of things that you can't. "A Measure of a life is a measure of love and respect" seem like words to (strive) to live by, and are fitting album closers.

Oh, before I get too involved in the plot, the only song that I felt was kind of a "clunker" was Seven Cities of Gold. That one just doesn't connect for me.... Everything else though stands well on it's own.

Interesting to see you bring up the book. I'm fairly uneasy about this. I don't know if you've read any Kevin J Anderson before, but I've been fairly underwhelmed. I know that he and Neil are friends, and he tends to write sci-fi, so I totally understand the choice, but..... I've read probably 10 KJA books, both things he co-wrote (the Dune Expansion novels) and things he wrote on his own (The Saga of The Seven Suns). I only got through maybe three of the Seven Suns books, and maybe seven of the Dune expansion novels. At their best, his books, IMO are the equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie - exciting, page turning, lots of fun, with not a whole hell of a lot of depth. At their worst they are repetitive, with unbelievable, wooden characters, who seem incredibly dumb, despite the narrator telling us how intelligent they are, large plot holes, and sometimes a complete disregard of the rules of the universe he's working in, even if it 's one of his own creating. All that said, I'm highly intrigued by the idea of a novelization of a Rush album, so I'll probably pick it up. But I'm apprehensive.

Post by **Zarathustra** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:07 am

I forgot to add this, the order I'd put the songs:

1) Caravan: optimism combined with the desire to escape the past.
2) Clockwork Angels: confrontation with the Watchmaker's version of "paradise," first inkling that things are not what they seem, not as good as they seem, due to the contradictory/impossible desire of the protagonist to view escaping past as optimistic
3) Halo Effect: finding "love" in his own personal version of the Angels, his own "angel."
4) BU2B: disillusionment with control/perfection/order.
5) Anarchist: the desire for vengeance after his lost love and disillusionment. Desire to escape time/control/order is no longer optimistic
6) Carnies: detonation of the clockwork detonator, beginning of his flight from Crown City
7) Seven Cities of Gold: pursuit of a different kind of "city," aimless wandering through an endless, trackless country where he can lose his past, lose himself in chaos. He thinks he'll find what he needs in chaos rather than order.
8 ) Wreckers: his realization that he is the Wrecker, the Anarchist. "I was the only survior" echoes "I was always alone" from The Anarchist. His inauthentic pursuit of chaos is what Wrecks.
9) BU2B2: total disillusionment from both chaos and order. Realizing that the problem might be himself.
10) Wish Them Well: instead of blaming everyone else, holding grudges, etc., he decides to forgive and wish well.
11) The Garden: Applying the lessons learned.
12) Headlong Flight: now it is time for remembering and nostalgia. A recap, a looking back, but actually moving on by giving up regret. Acceptance of both the good and the bad.

So if it's really a non-linear story, the order is roughly correct, not a complete rearrangement. Wish Them Well and The Garden are roughly in the right spot (near the end), for instance.

As for the music, Wreckers, Wish Them Well, and Garden are my least favorite. The rest of them I really love, even 7 Cities. I love that verse, and Geddy's singing. His bass tone is just smokin' on this CD. Headlong Flight gives me chills every time I get to the end. It's got one of the strongest choruses I've heard in a Rush song in a long time. Epic. Those bass pedals give it an extra low-end depth. The middle jam section is like Working Man, and of course there are the Anthem nods. Halo Effect is just beautiful, haunting. Clockwork Angels is unlike anything I've ever heard from Rush ... except perhaps the nod to the finale of 2112 in the verses.

I forgot to mention the other insight of yours that I appreciated, and that's the meaning of BU2B. I think you're right, this isn't about God. If it were about Christianity, it would indeed be a strawman. I think this is more about a Newtonian, mechanistic, deterministic universe. That kind of worldview would fit the period for a steampunk story (i.e. pre-Einstein and pre-quantum mechanics, Enlightenment era). The Watchmaker is a Regulator, not a Creator.

Post by **Mortice Root** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:41 pm

I totally agree with your placement of BU2B after CA, and with Headlong Flight at the end, and BU2B2 after Wrekcers. The only one that I'm not sold on is Halo Effect. The girl in question that he projects his illusions on to is refered to as one of the performers. I took that to mean that she was one of the Carnies. Also the response to disappointment in Halo Effect feels more mature (less angry) than the response to disappointment in BU2B and Anarchist. But I suppose that's pretty subjective.

BTW, I think Halo Effect is an outstanding song. It can completely divorced from the overall concept and function well as a stand alone, as well as part of the whole. And the music is just beautiful.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea the the protaganist is the anarchist. And I love the lines in anarchist "The lenses inside of me that paint the world black" - it's an internal problem, not an external one - brilliant writing! I was going to disagree about the protagnist being a "wrecker" though. It initally sounded as though the message here essentially was "most of the bad stuff that happens is just chance, but be careful, because sometimes people actually are after you." Then I listened to the last line again.

"All I know is that memory can be to much to carry, striking down like a bolt from the blue."

So he (or rather) his memories are (or can be) The Wrecker. Things seems to be going well, then all of a sudden, memories come rushing in utterly changing your perspective on a situation - despoiling "a miracle that seemed to good to be true". Again brilliant writing from Neil - one level it's an adventure with people luring ships to destruction, the other, it's an examination of the psyche.

The other thing I wanted to mention was the Pedlar segments. I like the idea of this recurring roving character. The "what do you lack" call seems to be representative of advertising in general - by calling attention to what we don't have, we are made to feel inadequate, unhappy when we otherwise might have been satisfied. I feel this could have been executed better on the record though. It's obviously important - the two pedlar pieces have subtitles on the song list. But it's so quiet in the mix. I can hardly hear it at the start of The Anarchist ( I only caught it becasue I was reading along), and even with reading along, I can't hear it at the start of BU2B2. These segments should have been mixed a bit louder.

Post by **Cail** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:29 pm

I finally picked this up, and in the short drive back to the office only heard the first two songs, which, of course, I've already heard.

Caravan really has grown on me, and I still like it.

BU2B is phenomenal, and arguably one of the 5 best Rush songs. Seriously, if I was introducing someone to Rush, I'd play Xanadu, Subdivisions, Natural Science, The Pass, and BU2B. But I don't like this version nearly as much as the single. The mix is claustrophobic, with Geddy's bass in the forefront and all the airiness gone from Alex's guitars.

More as I get through the rest.

Edited to add:

OK, through the rest. Just like with Iron Maiden and Van Halen, I'm shocked that a bunch of geezers put out such a powerful record. At this stage, all of them could be shitting out phoned-in garbage. Instead, they're making great, challenging music.

The Halo Effect is fantastic.

The Wreckers reminds me of something from Roll The Bones, which is a good thing.

The Garden could easily be on Pink Floyd's The Division Bell.

There isn't a clunker here (which shocks me given Rush's post-Moving Pictures output), but these ones stand out. It's going to take more listens, but this is as good of a record as they've released since Moving Pictures.

Post by **Zarathustra** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:34 pm

Cail, nice to hear your input. I never downloaded the original BU2B, so I only have the live version to compare. I thought this one was awesome, and the new intro is like the ride up the hill of a roller coaster before it drops ... I love the slow anticipation.

The title track is epic. Weird, but accessible. It has shiny, slick verses (or "pre-verses?"), and then crunching, grinding verses that sound like the finale of 2112. And the eerie, melodic chorus. And then that odd echoey-blues section. Weird.

I love Anarchist. It took a few listens to grow on me, but the verses are just killer. And then that Eastern sounding solo. Whew! Gorgeous.

Carnies gets me with that, "How I prayed just to get away ..." part.

And you are absolutely right about Halo Effect. A fucking gorgeous song. My wife had to leave the house and go out into the yard when I was playing it last week--it made her cry. I had no idea what was going on until she came back in and asked, "What is that song about? What does it mean?" Her question struck me like some Linden dialog (in a good way).

Seven Cities is great. I can't get enough of that verse that splits between melodic and frenetic.

But after 7 Cities, I skip the rest except for Headlong Flight. The Garden is pretty, but not as pretty as Halo Effect, imo.

Your choices for the best Rush songs are interesting, especially The Pass. I've always loved it, but wouldn't necessarily put it in the top 5. The live version from 2002 (Vapor Trails tour) was a nice treat.

I would definitely put Xanadu and Natural Science on that list. Tom Sawyer has to go on there merely because it's the best "popular" tune ever released by any band period. I can't believe such a weird little ditty ever became mainstream. I'd probably put either La Villa or YYZ on the list, too. After that it gets difficult. Can I cheat and say Side 1 of Hemispheres?

Post by **Cail** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:27 am

I hadn't heard The Pass until around 5 years ago, having abandoned Rush after Grace Under Pressure. I'm glad, 'cause I think I would have been obsessive over that song when I was 20.

I have a personal connection to Subdivisions which is hard to explain; suffice it to say that it just cut right through me when it came out. It was one of those songs (the first, actually) that I immediately identified with. That part of Beyond the Lighted Stage when Billy Corrigan talks about playing Rush for his parents and saying, "this is me"? I did that in 1982 with Subdivisions. Aside from that, it's a great song showcasing three amazing musicians.

And only 5 songs is tough, 'cause YYZ belongs there too, as does Camera Eye and some other stuff I'll remember after I have some coffee.

Post by **Cail** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:58 pm

Wow, OK got a few listens in now to CA, and this is a fantastic album, easily outshining everything since MP.

Zar, I agree with your track listing changes, I think that'd make the record a little more coherent.

I'm shocked at the negative reviews on Amazon I've read (I always read the 1 & 2 star reviews first).

Post by **Sorus** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 1:24 am

Cail wrote:Wow, OK got a few listens in now to CA, and this is a fantastic album, easily outshining everything since MP.

It's definitely one of their best.

Post by **Akasri** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 1:29 am

I agree, this is a great album. Tour upcoming... unfortunately they aren't coming anywhere near me this time

Post by **dANdeLION** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 1:35 am

Heh, I don't know how you guys can come to such quick opinions. I got the cd the week it came out, and I still don't know how I'd rate it against their other cd's. I do know Hold Your Fire, Roll The Bones & Vapor Trails are too good to just dismiss after a measly half-dozen listens to CA.........Hell, I'm still digesting Snakes & Arrows!

Post by **Sorus** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 1:53 am

I'm not dismissing anything, just giving credit where it's due. It's a stunning album. No filler. Some of the songs took a few listens to grow on me, but at least one (The Anarchist) grabbed me on the first play.

I'm not sure I'd rate it their best ever or my all-time favorite, but wow, they've still got it.

Post by **Cail** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:36 am

Everyone listens (and hears) differently. I like RtB quite a bit; I think CA is a far better album.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:36 pm

For me so far, the title track stands out the most.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Rush's Time Machine Blu-Ray is out....