Cail's big honking Rush thread

[dlbpharmd]

I'd assume that it's just the DVD performance that they're showing. I'll get the DVD but pass on the big screen just because I saw the tour. Had I not seen the tour, I'd be all over it.

Well, I went last night. I think it was the 2nd half of the blu-ray, because it was mostly CA material. There were about 100 people in the theater, and while I certainly didn't expect a raucous crowd, I was surprised by how subdued everyone was - until after the CA material was over, and songs like "Red Sector A" and "Spirit of Radio" were performed. Then you could see air drumming all over the place!

[Akasri]

The closest place to me that was showing it was over 100 miles - just couldn't make that last night. Got the DVD ordered though

[Zarathustra]

The CA Blu-ray is pretty awesome. I think this is my favorite set list of all the recent concerts. While the video looks amateurish at times, including some cheap cameras and bad lighting, the sound is much better than Time Machine. Geddy's voice is the only real problem. The boys are jamming, and the bass sounds nice. The guitar is louder at times than I'd prefer (as a bass player), but I just turned up my center channel speaker to compensate. Nice surround mix when cranked, though at low volumes the higher frequencies have a distracting delay between front and rear channel, especially the vocals. These are very energetic versions of some classic sleeper-hits, as well as epic versions of CA material. Extras are pretty good, too, including sound check version of Limelight, and every song played on all three versions of the rotating setlist from various nights.

[Cail]

My heart sank when I looked at the setlist and saw "The Body Electric" rather than "Middletown Dreams", then soared when I saw "Middletown Dreams" and "The Pass" included in the bonus material.

Zar, is Gedd's voice better on this than it was on the TM disc? I thought he sounded great at the two shows I saw, but I also thought that for the two TM shows we went to, and the Blu-ray disappointed.

[Zarathustra]

His voice is getting worse every year. I think it's natural to cut him some slack when you're actually there, listening in real time, in an imperfect environment to begin with. But sitting down to a hi-res surround mix where everything else sounds fantastic, his weak vocals really stand out.

There are many songs where he sings just fine, especially the 80s stuff where he doesn't have to strain. And he sings much of the CA stuff fine, since it's material that they wrote with his aging voice in mind. However, I thought he did a better job on Caravan on the TM disc. And when he tries to scream/shout some higher notes, it's cringe-worthy. Even in some of the more mellow stuff, his voice wavers quite a bit.

He's just old, and it sounds like it.

I have no idea how some older singers--like Ann Wilson--still sound like they're 20.

[Cord Hurn]

Rush

A debut album that combines the explosive energy of Black Sabbath with the instrumental dexterity of Led Zeppelin.

Finding My Way - I've always thought this song is perfect as the way Rush introduced itself to the world. It has a fiery introduction by Alex Lifeson, a catchy main melody with interesting bass lines from Geddy Lee and concise snappy drumming by John Rutsey. Really, this is my favorite song on the album, as it's never failed yet to put me in a good mood and has even been known to give me courage. Lee's voice has spirit!

Need Some Love - The song that sounds most obviously crafted to be a radio single, in its brief time and its simple message. Great playing in the solo, sure, and I like the melody, too, but I wouldn't try to impress anybody unfamiliar with Rush by playing this song for them. It just seems too...adolescent...for them. I understand that neither Geddy Lee nor Alex Lifeson cared much for the task of writing lyrics. It might be because of how songs like this turned out.

Take A Friend - Another song with a simple message, but I like the line "let me put it to you nice" as a rhyme with "need some advice". I also like the energetic music that this tune has as both its fade-in and fade-out. It seems to make everything go round in a long circle, an emotional shield and an unbreakable bond in life's adventures. This song's theme may not be the most sophisticated, but it's just profound enough that I can't dispute its point.

Here Again - My least favorite song on the album; it drags and tests my patience listening to it. Geddy expends a lot of emotion in his singing, and I still can't figure out what the message is that he's trying to broadcast. I just don't understand what point this song has, except to convey frustration and depression. (Sometimes that works for me, but not here.) It's true on other songs here I gripe a bit about simple themes, but at least I understood them. the message...really, what the @#+! is this song about? Earlier in this post was written how this album contains explosive energy--well, this song drains some of the energy out.

What You're Doing - Great pumping melody that I like to imagine has all the molecules around the room dancing a bit while I'm playing this. Expertly fluid guitar from Alex on the solo, one of the better solos on the album. John Rutsey's drumming doesn't equal the skills of his successor Neil Peart, but he sure helps make this tune work well enough--some of his choices for where to hit hard give this song more zest. The music sounds about as heavy as anything Sabbath ever produced. Hard-crunchin' guitar and hard-thumpin' bass, anyone?

In The Mood - I always thought this song was kind of goofy, but how often do you hear a band as "reputation-ally" cerebral as Rush doing a song about being horny? This song and "Finding My Way" are the only songs from this debut that I've ever seen Rush play live (as a medley with "Temples Of Syrinx" on their 1984 tour). "I just wanna find out, baby, where'd you learn what you know?"--sounds like a fun quest. Still, the song's rather silly, isn't it? Nevertheless, it's fun to watch the old "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" clips of this song and "Finding My Way" featuring then-new drummer Neil Peart (who replaced ailing diabetic John Rutsey on the skins in time for Rush's first U.S. shows---RIP, John).

Before And After - I enjoy the intro on this song, so different from anything else here. The beauty of the Lee/Lifeson command over emotionally moving tones first developed here, I think, as far as what made it to recording. After the intro, though, it sounds a bit less interesting, less inspiring; too much predictability in the melodic choices. And the lyrics are pretty bland, apparently a restatement of the "Finding My Way" theme to a more pedestrian tune.

Working Man - The guitar roars and the music churns on with a locomotive irresistability. The bass solo always added a little extra tingle down my spine, injecting more spice into this song. The theme for everyday people laboring away, with mainly the "ice cold beer" as the anticipated reward, can certainly be relatable for a lot of folks. The fat bass sound and crispy percussion complement the crackling guitar lines quite well. "It seems to me I can live my life a lot better than I think I am"--who can't empathize with this at one time or another? The best lyrics of the album are here.

Overall, despite my complaints about the lyrics and occasional moments of musical dullness and my dislike of "Here Again", this is a fairly solid & musically self-assured album. It feels more consistent than the two albums that followed it (Fly By Night, Caress Of Steel) despite the arrival of Neil Peart's more sophisticated drumming and lyrics. Perhaps this is because on those albums the band was experimenting with how to combine progressive elements into their sound, were still "finding their way". By comparison with those, this album is more straightforward and hard-hitting.

[Zarathustra]

Awesome! I'm glad someone went back to do this. I've thought about it, but something else always comes up. I'm in the process of putting my entire CD collection on my computer (yes, I still listen to CDs) since I got a new massive hard drive. So I'll enjoy listening to the 1st CD while I consider your points in more detail, and then respond.

[Cord Hurn]

Nothing wrong with still listening to CDs, Zarathustra. I still have hundreds of cassettes that I listen to, and I'm determined to play 'em until they break!





[Typo edit]

[Cord Hurn]

Fly By Night

Or as I like to call it, Neil Peart's debut.

Anthem - Rush at one of their most libertarian/conservative moments in the Ayn Rand mold: "Live ior yourself, there;s no on else more worth living for / Begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more". It may not be my point of view all of the time, or maybe not even most of the time, but it's potently pronounced and fueled by wonderfully energetic musicianship. This song is very gutsy. Great tone to the guitar! I love the melody in the song's bridge. I love the fills Neil Peart does near the song's end. This second lineup gelled quickly, and gelled really well. They're on fire here.

Best I Can - It has a line in it that I like: "You can tell me that I've got no class; look around, you'll see who's laughing last", but it has a main riff that I find boring. The solo is one of Alex's most forgettable. The drumming at the end of the choruses sounds fantastic, though. But I kind of think this song is a dud, a miss, a middle-of the-road mediocrity.

Beneath, Between & Behind - "Oo, ten score years ago, defeat the kingly foe/A wondrous dream came into being/Tame the trackless waste, no virgin land left chaste/All shining eyes, but never seeing"--thus begins Neil Peart,s observations on the eroding of the American dream, written at a time when the U.S. morale was rather low after the Watergate scandal and the loss of the Vietnam War. "The noble bird" is the bald eagle, symbol of the USA, and apparently sitting on some rotten eggs. I believe this song is the first in which Neil Peart completed lyrics after joining Rush. The music is driving and forceful, and one of my favorites to listen to on this album.

By-Tor & The Snow Dog - The opening and closing verses have me humming, the guitar solo sounds like Alex is having a great time, and I really like the drumming in the "battle finale" part of this number. But the "By-Tor" sounds grate on my nerves, and the "Hymn Of Triumph" part goes on too long and kills the momentum. However, I love the comically overjoyed delivery of "Snow Dog! Is victorious! The land of Overworld is saved again! IS SAVED AGAIN!"

Fly By Night - A familiar friend, this song is, enough to make me buy the album for its presence alone. I got to know all the other songs later. On this fresh re-listen, here are some of the thoughts that came out. I've always thought the words "it's time I was king now, not just one more pawn" and "my ship isn't comin', and I just can't pretend" togther effectively explain the theme. The reasons, along with "the change of the season" are well-deliniated. You can understand why the narrator is taking this big risk, why it has to be done before seeing the big dreams die out. I don't feel this song has a particularly inspiring solo from AL; it's one of his dullest. I can see why the band got tired of playing this one live a long time ago. Like I said, it's a familiar friend, yet I don't visit with it often.

Making Memories - They know there's a price to pay for being on a tight touring schedule, with all the things they'll miss. But they know it's worth it for all the great experiences connecting with people that they will have. "Well, from sea to shining sea, and a hundred points between, still we go on digging every show." The music seems like nothing at all special, considering it's coming from these three. Nothing about it realy moves me in any kind of emotional way. It's one of thoses tunes where I can think"That's sort of nice and sounds together", and then get easily distracted from the song, never get enthralled by it at any time. The song's lyrics show a healthy attitude about their situation, and Rush is one of the most stable bands out there, so it's worked for them.

Rivendell - The song touches upon my love of Tolkein's works, and another plus is the words successfully evoking a peaceful, protected, warm feeling from visiting fabled Rivendell. "Yet you know I've had the feeling, standing with my senses reeling, this the place to grow old, 'til I reach my final day". Sometimes I enjoy listening to this song when I really want to relax and feel the "peace of mind and sanctuary by Louwater's flow"/ A lot of times, like on this listen, I prefer peaceful as a prelude to something loud, and get tired of extended tranquility. This is the one song on the album I'm most likely to skip over.

In The End - I absolutely love the softly played beginning and ending of this song. It's enough to make this my favorite song on the album, based on Alex Lifeson's acoustic melody staying in my head longer than any other part of this album. And I really like it staying there, for it cheers me up somehow. Not the most sophisticated lyrics from Geddy Lee, but in this case they really don't need to be. I say that because it's a heartfelt communication with a very Significant Other who's expected to be there through the long haul of life. So the song carries more emotional weight from that scenario. I love the contrasting second guitar melody introduced at four minutes into the song. I'm very sentimental about this song on this listen, and I've always thought it was rather beautiful

So, because I'm not comfortable with the uneven feel of this record, I listen to the debut more than I do this album. Still, I'll listen to this more than, say, Caress Of Steel or Power Windows.

My thanks to Cail for starting this thread and to everyone who's posted.

[dlbpharmd]

Thanks for keeping going by reviewing the early albums!

[Cail]

Wow, thank you for wading into this.

I agree that the debut album holds up better than the next two, even though it's markedly different.

I will say that "B,B&B" is one of my favorite earlier Rush songs.....It's got such a fantastic groove. I find many of the other songs, "In the End" being a perfect example, wear on me. I've just lost the flavor for the early '70s.......I don't even know what to call it.....lyrical and musical flavor. And the fantasy/mystical/Tolkein stuff just makes me laugh anymore. Even a straight-ahead rocker like "Working Man" has become tiresome (I really wish they'd stop closing their shows with it).

I can appreciate the early stuff, but I think I've grown out of it.

[Cord Hurn]

Feedback

Or as I like to call it, the covers album.

Summertime Blues - This sounds rather like a combination of the Who and Blue Cheer covers of Eddie Cochran's classic, although Neil Peart states in the liner notes that his early band played just the Blue Cheer version. The beginning and end sound more like the Blue Cheer rendition, and the verses and choruses sound more like the Who's rendition (except for omitting the last line of each verse and replacing that last line with feedback-laden playing--that's Blue Cheer's style of noise, though I grant you the Who had their share of distorting moments). A cheerful (pardon the pun, please) version of the song, with pretty good bass to keep it hopping along. I still miss the line, "I'd like to help you son, but you're too young to vote".

Heart Full Of Soul - It seems a good move on their part to leave out all the background vocal parts of "whoa-oh-WHOA-OH" from their cover of this song, for that was always the annoying thing about the Yardbirds doing this song. The mystical-Eastern flavored guitar sound suits Alex Lifeson okay, though not as much fun to listen to as his riffs for "A Passage To Bangkok" from 2112. Sharp and expertly executed, as could be expected from anything Rush turns its attention towards, but I was never really a big fan of this song. I like that the bass is boosted up a bit in the mix as compared with the original.

For What It's Worth - A fairly faithful cover version of the famous Buffalo Springfield song by Stephen Stills. I enjoy Alex's embellishments of Neil Young's electric guitar lines -- I think Lifeson is hands-down the better player. Neil Peart's accentuation of the words "stop...hey...what's that sound" by his hitting of the bell part of the ping ride cymbal add a bit more drama to the pause commanded by those particular lyrics...nice. Geddy Lee's vocal rendition is adequate for this song, though it makes me miss the deeper more resonant voice of Stills (I'll give Lee this: his slightly quavering voice does work for lines like "it starts when you're always afraid").

The Seeker - First thing I wish to note about this one is what a fine job Geddy does on the high not on (appropriately enough) the word "high", despite his againg voice. I enjoyed this vocal rendition as much as Roger Daltrey;s roaring-like-a-bull version, almost, and don't doubt that this is a better vocal performance than what Daltrey himself could manage these days. This is the tune Rush chose to play in their 30th anniversary live shows that followed this album's release, and from video that I've seen they do alright with it.

Mr. Soul - This is the song I think they covered most effectively! Rush's beautiful command of moving tones seems most evident to me right here, out of all the tracks in this collection. Neil Young's lyrics are interesting in their own mysterious way, and I'd rather hear Geddy's buzzing voice sing them over Young's whiny voice just about any day (to try to be fair, I don't think Geddy Lee could improve on singing a song like "Southern Man", where Young's whining voice better suits the persecution portrayed in the lyrics). Especially enjoyable for me is the range of electric tones Alex Lifeson employs; one might be able to tell from that he's had a history of jamming to this tune that goes way back.

Seven And Seven Is - You know, the main riff of this Arthur Lee and Love song reminds me a lot of the "Overture" from 2112, in terms of feel rather than use of particular notes. Must be the similarity in the drumming, which is forceful and terrific, and my favorite thing about this recording. I enjoy the mandola playing in here, as well. The mix annoys me, though, with the music being loud enough that I can't hear the lyrics very well. The only Rush recording I know of where the "Lee" in the writing credits doesn't refer to Geddy. I enjoyed the feedback at the end.

Shapes Of Things - Neil Peart's solid slamming punctuates this track, which I consider to be the better of the two Yardbirds tunes they selected for this album. i consider it better in cover treatment, and I also like the melody of this song better than that of "Heart Full Of Soul". My guess about this song's meaning is that it's about foreboding of an impending nuclear holocaust or some other massive environmental degradation. This is another place on the album where Lee's quavering voice suits the trepidation in the lyrics. Lifeson milks his part in the outro for all it's worth, with lots of sizzling sound.

Crossroads - Like "Summertime Blues", this recording is a cover of a cover, though it certainly doesn't stray as far from Cream's rendition as Cream did from Robert Johnson's original. This is the one track on the album that all three of them originally played in their formative years as musicians. Yet this is the cover I like least on this album, despite the fiery work Rush does on the bridge section. It's hard for me to explain why I don't like it as much as the other tracks, except maybe that I'm pretty much a Roberrt Johnson purist, and didn't care a lot for Cream's take on this song. I conced that Alex plays a blistering solo here.

So, I don't know if this album was a really great idea, but after years of Rush releasing albums without one single cover, unlike so many other bands, releasing this sort of restored a bit of balance, I guess. Anyway, I'm glad they had fun with it.

[Cail]

Feedback was a bad idea, period.

That said, I do terribly enjoy a few songs on it. Given their proclivity to The Yardbirds, I would have loved to heard their take of "Over, Under, Sideways, Down", but that's probably just me.

No band in the history of Rock has ever pulled off a successful covers album, and I'm not sure why Rush tried.

[Zarathustra]

I keep intending to do a song-by-song analysis, but my weekends are usually pretty full with smoking meat, brewing beer, making sushi ... projects that take me hours.

I'll just say that I love Feedback. It always reminds me of summer, cranking that CD on the way to the pool. I still play it every other month or so.

Rush was a real surprise, discovering it after I'd jumped on the Rush bandwagon around 1989. Working my way backwards through their discs, this one was the biggest shock. So different, raw, brash, and yet it still had the kernal of later things to come (mainly in Working Man). I enjoy it about as much as Feedback, and think of it as in the same category: "simple, rocking Rush."

Fly By Night has a few great songs on it, but I've never liked Rivendel or In the End. So with me, it's not a case of out growing it, I just never thought they were that good. However, By-Tor, BBB, and Anthem are classics.

[Orlion]

No band in the history of Rock has ever pulled off a successful covers album, and I'm not sure why Rush tried.

Yep, I was complaining about this in the David Bowie thread.

Covers may get you noticed, like Nirvana's "Man Who Sold the World" or Barenaked Ladies doing "Lovers in a Dangerous Time". Both got recognition because of these covers (though the later is atrocious) but a band stands on its own work.

[Akasri]

I kind of understand the reason for doing the covers album. They were doing tours back-to-back and had no time to get into the studio and write an album, but they wanted to do something for their 30th anniversary. I'm not a big fan of cover albums in general, but there were about 4 songs on this one that I love (Seeker, Mr. Soul, Crossroads and Seven and Seven)

Kind of cool that Geddy got to sing Crossroads in the closing jam of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show.

[Cord Hurn]

Given their proclivity to The Yardbirds, I would have loved to heard their take of "Over, Under, Sideways, Down", but that's probably just me.

I think I would enjoy Rush covering that, as well. I'm sure they'd do a really good job on it!

Rush was a real surprise, discovering it after I'd jumped on the Rush bandwagon around 1989. Working my way backwards through their discs, this one was the biggest shock. So different, raw, brash, and yet it still had the kernal of later things to come (mainly in Working Man). I enjoy it about as much as Feedback, and think of it as in the same category: "simple, rocking Rush."

Yeah, that's probably why both discs remain among my favorites to listen to, for they're straight-ahead and unpretentious.

Fly By Night has a few great songs on it, but I've never liked Rivendel or In the End. So with me, it's not a case of out growing it, I just never thought they were that good. However, By-Tor, BBB, and Anthem are classics.

Glad you can enjoy "By-Tor", though it's never done much for me. I agree that B,B & B is great; it's my second-favorite track on the album. As far as "In The End" goes, I'm going to stubbornly insist on my love for it; it's the song I look forward to listening to the most, and I'm sentimental about it, particularly the acoustic parts.
Whether we agree on what songs are worthy or not, it's all good because we're all Rush fans, arguably the most fiercely loyal music fans on the planet. I sincerely appreciate the "feedback" from you and others.

I kind of understand the reason for doing the covers album. They were doing tours back-to-back and had no time to get into the studio and write an album, but they wanted to do something for their 30th anniversary.

That was my understanding for why they did that album, as well. It was fine with me, and I don't begrudge them their enjoyment of doing it.

...a band stands on its own work.

Absolutely.


[Edited for typos.]

[Cord Hurn]

Caress Of Steel

Or as I like to call it, the (nearly) career-sinking album. (Their ship wasn't floatin', and I just can't pretend.)

This album was originally greeted with mass disinterest when it was released in 1975, and this band soon found itself playing the dive bars. Though Rush was naturally frustrated and angered by this turn of events, they decided to humorously call this the "Down The Tubes" tour. They constructively channeled their anger into 2112, which struck a chord with people and got them calls to open for others to bigger audiences.

Bastille Day - This song is the liberal counterpart to the conservative "Anthem". The lyrics briefly get gruesome, which may well have turned listeners off. ("La guillotine would claim her bloody prize" is such a blunt way to describe the action of such a sharp object, after all.) Neil Peart seems a bit too gleeful in his writing of "see them bow their heads to die, as we would bow when they rode by", for while I most pity the starving French peasants, I also have some pity for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who seemed clueless rather than evil (I see Louis XIV to be the real villain, and he wasn't around to reap the whirlwind). "Guide the future by the past, long ago the mold was cast" presumes the poor will be able to rise up against the affluent, but the uber-wealthy are beyond the reach of the malnourished third world, and the poor of the more developed countries have a lot of tech toys to distract them these days, so that's likely an empty threat. I sympathize with the song's concern about unequal distribution of wealth, all the same. Concerning the music, I like the verse riffs, with Alex revving the engine at the beginning, Geddy winding it further with a pair of quadruples, and Neil throwing in the spark that makes the band take off on this one. The bridge and solo parts are okay. However, I find the music for the choruses and the outro to be boring.

I Think I'm Going Bald - Rush attempts humor with the balding guy surrounded by people "tressed with flowing hair". Seems a little cruel, but this was the Seventies when baldness was something to be insecure about, and guys wore toupees to hide it (well okay, some people thought it embarrassing, and some guys wore the rugs). I enjoy the line, "but even when I am grey, I'll still be grey my way...yeah!" The music I find uninspring, however. Another miss.

Lakeside Park - Great sentimental lyrics describing childlhood experiences that almost everyone could relate to about a time when everything seemed more magical, more full of wonder. Best lyrics of the album, in my opinion. The bouncing melody is nice. As I'm listening to this, it's the 24th of May--what a coincidence. But it will probably be another week before I type and post this review, alas. While I think "The Necromancer" has the most sophisticated music and "Bacchus Plateau" has the most pleasing guitar tones, this tune gets my pick as the best track of the album. Nice ending notes.

The Necromancer - Here, the band mixes their By-Tor legend and some Tolkein-esque elements, with By-Tor switching roles from villain to hero. The "By-Tor" sounds aren't as prominent here as on "By-Tor & The Snow Dog", so don't annoy me as much. I think that's Alex Lifeson doing the spoken parts, for it sounds a good deal like his spoken word "Subdivisions" line, but maybe it's co-producer Terry Brown. The music really starts rocking after the second spoken-word part, and continues a rip-roaring good time in the "battle scene" section following the "By-Tor" noise. I find the closing "victory" music after the final spoken-word bit to be worth savoring, as well. Really, this would easily be my favorite cut on the album if it weren't for the nutty lyrics. Once, when I donated to a public radio station, this tune was played for me over the airwaves in the spirit of thanks. Bit of a treat, that was.

In The Valley - This "Fountain Of Lamneth" multi-song story represents Rush's first adventure into creating half-album epics. Apparently, it's about taking a journey up a mountain to visit a fountain in order to "find oneself". Well, while I love hiking, and work half the year in a mountain environment, I don't find this concept inspiring, not like the fanciful morality tale of "Xanadu" or the individual-against-the-system theme of "2112". But hey, the band was learning new tricks. No real radio-friendly track here, except maybe "Bacchus Plateau", which didn't catch on, either. No doubt this epic left many listeners scratching their heads in confusion, contributing to COS's initial failure. However, I like the faster-moving parts of this; they had my foot tapping along.

Didacts And Narpets - Can't tell what Geddy is saying, for the most part. The ending with Alex's low voice and Geddy's screeching voice simultaneously yelling "LISTEN!!!" is weird. Love the drumming from Neil, though.

No One At The Bridge - The guitar lines and singing style are probably meant to inspire tension, but in me they only inspire boredom. It's apparently a moment of soul-searching indecision that this song is supposed to represent, a frantic moment of looking for clarity. But I don't find it profound. The "scream out DESPERATION" vocal delivery is the most exciting thing about this song. And that's not saying much. What's with the sound of seagulls at the ending? You don't find seagulls on mountains. This guy must have really gotten turned around.

Panacea - Like "Rivendell", this is a slower-moving track that suits me for when I'm wanting something to help me relax. In that sense, in those times, this song fits its title. But most times, I find this song too dull.

Bacchus Plateau - A drinking song by Rush! How rare is that?!? Exuberant guitar tones have me smiling on the first notes of this charming little ditty, I like the chorus, and I can relate to the enjoyment of drinking wine, to boot. The downside: it's rather simplistic for a band like this, isn't it?

The Fountain - Musically, this is the mirror-reverse of "In The Valley". Again, I like the faster-moving musical parts, thinking it's a cranking groove for a few moments, there. Then there's the slower ending to bookend the beginning of "In The Valley". I guess that ending is meant to be inspiring, but I find it strangely depressing.

My view is that Rush is too musically talented a band to make an album that flat-out stinks, and there are some good moments, here. But this is certainly one of their lesser efforts. After the success of subsequent albums (particularly that of Moving Pictures), the ever-increasing army of Rush fans searched their back catalog for more stuff to buy, with the result that even Caress Of Steel had sales increases to the point of Gold certification. In the music biz, that's the arbitrary line between success and failure. Not a spectacular comeback, like if it went multi-platinum, but a happy ending for this album, kind-of-sort-of.

[Cord Hurn]

A Farewell To Kings

Or as I like to call it, their first keyboard album.

A Farewell To Kings - Song begins quietly enough with Alex's acoustic. Then the realization that Rush has expanded their repertoire of sounds occurs, as Geddy adds synthesizer and neil contributes xylophone tones. But they follow this up with a rather pedestrian main theme of "DAH, dah-DAH, dah-DAH, dum-dum, dum-dum-dum" that drags the song down a tad for me. Thankfully, this doesn't last too long as the band kicks into a more sophisticated groove for the verse melody. And I really do like the creative change of pace that occurs after the words, "can't we learn to feel what's right, and what's wrong", for it's the best musical moment of the song. I don't get much from the lyrics, except it means "down with rulers".

Xanadu - If the introduction of new tones seemed only a brief flirtation on the title track (it's a standard early Rush track otherwise), then "Xanadu" leaves no doubt this is a band aggressively pursuing a new musical direction. It starts out even more soothingly than the previous song, with keyboard notes played over the clicking of wood blocks and the chirping of birds. Then the guitar invokes a spiraling odyssey, followed by a central opening theme powered by the blazing fury of Peart pummeling the hi-hat and skins (and MAN, is that part hard to play on drums!) with all he's got. Then things slow down a bit for the words, a Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem adapted into a morality tale about being careful what you wish for (or maybe it's, "Be careful what you obsess over"). The chiming bells doubling the keyboard melody after the spoken "Xanadu" add to the idea of enchantment in the song's setting. The ending is beautiful and mighty, making feel like you've just finished something epic--and you HAVE! My favorite track of the album, hands down.

Closer To The Heart - The one most obviously crafted to be a radio single. I love the early shift to the sound of ringing bells, as if proclaiming the dawn of a new enlightened consciousness. It's all a bright ray of optimism, about the attainment of an artistic Utopia being within sight, "you can be the captain, and I will draw the chart". Its statements and accompanying music don't inspire me in any practical or cerebral way, granted. It's no plan of action for improving the world, only a call to action; just good, giddy fun, seen through rose-colored glasses and all. But lots of times, that's all you need from a song.

Cinderella Man - Geddy Lee wrote the words to this one, and as with "Working Man" I don't have any criticism about his efforts. He actually manages to tell a bit of a story in this one, rather than just expressing his emotions. (Neil's way of writing must have been rubbing off.) "Cinderalla Man" is an odd pairing of words somehow, but I guess it means the guy has a rags-to-riches story resulting from marrying money. I got this feeling the song is about an actual person, but I have no idea who it is. The outro is my favorite part of this song, with the frolicking bass being especially fun to hear.

Madrigal - According to Merriam-Webster, one meaning of the word madrigal is "a medieval short lyrical poem in a strict poetic form". Other meanings refer to vocals without instrumental accompaniment, which is unthinkable for a band as musically adept as this one. "When the dragons grow too mighty to slay with pen or sword, I grow weary of the the battle and the storm I walk toward", a mood is set of yearning toward solace that has me empathisizing right away. It's somewhat a re-stating of the feeling of Caress Of Steel's "Panacea", but with I find to be a more interesting and seductive melody. Like whistling to invoke courage in anticipation of taking a soul-enhancing detour from the rough road of life. Mind you, I'm not blown away with awe for this one, but I rather like it as a change in mood for the album. Just a ditty, yes, but a likeable ditty.

Cygnus X-1 - Rush decies to end this album with a cliffhanger: a guy is determined to sail his spaceship into a black hole, and it's tumbling out of control toward ruin as the tune finishes. Gosh, what's gonna happen next?!? Guess you just have to rush (ahem, pardon the pun) to buy the next album to find out. There are some things here I like, such as the lines "invisible to telescopic eye/ infinity, the star that would not die"--seems a nicely balanced sentence, somehow. Neil uses his new collection of bells to invoke a feeling of suspenseful danger, and Alex's guitar achieves this same effect at the beginning of part 3, and this all certainly has the feel of "science fiction soundtrack" about it. It's weird, but with some good moments ( I like part 2, with its hummable melody).

So, I find parts of the title track too bland and parts of "Cygnus X-1" too strange. Nevertheless, this is one of the Rush offerings that I play most frequently, right up there with Permanent Waves for me, in that I really don't get tired of it.

[Cord Hurn]

Hemispheres

Or as I like to call it, sky-high aims with middling results.

I. Prelude - This half-album concept of "Cygnus X-1, Book Two: Hemispheres" bogs the album down for me, with its pretentious idea of the gods Dionysus and Apollo representing the right and left sides of the human brain (an attempt to make a big statement that comes off as corny). However, I consider this prelude to be musically the best part of the piece, and that may be because themusic is for the most part not being made to conform to words. What I find particularly appealing is when there's a brief moment of silence which suddenly gets filled by a single note from the splash cymbal. Love the guitar tones, too.

II. Apollo Bringer of Wisdom - The music here doesn't move me, despite the occasional fury of the drums and the warm timbre of the guitar. But again, I don't like the concept. The band bottled lightning when they combined Ayn Rand, rock rebellion, and frustated fury in the "2112" story, but I feel they stumbled on this whole story concept. And the music suffers by being made to fit the lyrics, instead of the lyrics being made to fit the music.

III. Dionysus Bringer of Love - Same reaction as for the "Apollo" section. Critics have often mocked early Rush as being "cosmic fluff", a tag I haven't considered to be altogether fair. But it certainly applies to all this "gods-equal-brain-hemispheres" story, which indicates that Neil Peart was taking his lyrical abilities way too seriously.

IV. Armageddon The Battle of Heart and Mind - So now the character from "Cygnus X-1" arrives through the black hole to float through Olympus as a palpable energy force that attracts everybody's attention as he screams. Like the previous two sections, this has the feel of "filler". Which means it's not a "fulfiller".

V. Cygnus Bringer of Balance - It's dull to me until the words "then all at once" arrive, with a spark of life being added to the melody. Then it's boring again.

VI. The Sphere A Kind of Dream - So we all get to be complete little spheres, now. It's too bad I can't roll with this. All I can do is roll my eyes.

Circumstances - The album definitely improves for me after the "Hemispheres" story is over. The music commands my admiring attention from the first notes, because there's a hearty crunch that feels wholesome to experience. Hey, it's musical granola! The sudden softness of the bridge may not quite fit the theme of frustration, but maybe it's meant to symbolize acceptance of the things we cannot alter. Anyhow, it's another example of how Rush keeps their music interesting by welding together melodies that one wouldn't think had compatibility--and yet they seem to fit. I like the quick, unexpected introduction of French into the lyrics, with a handy English translation thrown in right after for quick service. This song and the two tracks that follow are much better than slogging through that whole swamp of "Hemispheres".

The Trees - A clever little parable that warns us too much emphasis on equality can result in no one getting to live up to individual potential. Here it's all about getting light instead of money. As with some songs on A Farewell To Kings, keyboards are used as sprinkles on the icing instead of a main cake ingredient (as would become the case for some of their 1980s albums--sorry, I'm getting hungry while writing this). I consider this beautiful music that never seems to lose momentum, not even in the quieter bridge section (it somehow seems fitting that the sound of wood blocks are applied to a song about trees).

La Villa Strangiato - A Latin-flavored guitar opens this piece, the first Rush instrumental to be released. Then there's a nice build-up to the main theme hammered out by these three in forceful unison. Alex puts forth some if his most nimble-fingered playing for the album in the "A Lerxt in Wonderland" part, and Neil adds more complexity to his drumming for "Monsters" and "The Ghost of the Aragon". Geddy gets a nice snappy bass bit around this time, as well. The "Danforth and Pape" part has occasionally had words added to it in live performances, changing the classification of this track to "almost an instrumental". "The Waltz of the Shreves" is a bold strut, "Never turn your back on a Monster" has a fun bounce, the reprises are a good way to tie all this together, and then it ends with a decisive THUMP. My favorite track on Hemispheres.

To sum it up: For the last half of the album I'm having lots of fun, for the first half of the album I'm mostly having none.