Kevin's Watch

Rush has reissued Moving Pictures for the 30th anniversay edition. It has been completely remixed (into both 5.1 surround and a new stereo mix) and remastered in lossless high resolution (96K 24-bit). 256 times more resolution than the CD version. This is the best it has ever sounded! Hi-res, surround sound. It's unbelievable. If you're a Rush fan, this is a must-have. The ultimate release of their best selling album.

It's available in two different formats: CD + DVD-A, and CD + Blu-Ray. Most people won't have the capability to play DVD-A. So if you go the CD/Blu-ray route, you have the option of playback in either DTS-HD Master Audio or in PCM 5.1 surround sound. And you don't have to have a surround system to enjoy the high resolution aspect. There is also a hi-rez version of the stereo mix included.

Blockbuster has the exclusive rights to sell it in stores right now, until May 5th.

Maybe I've made myself deaf being a musician, or maybe my stereo isn't quite up to snuff, but I bought the remastered Grace Under Pressure, played it back-to-back with my old cd of it, and could not hear a bit of difference. Of course, Grace isn't nearly the album Moving Pictures is....say, did they do this for Permanent Waves? I'd buy that, even if I can't hear the difference!

The remastered series that was released in the 90s is only subtlely different from the original CDs. Most remasters, in fact, are gimmicks to get people to buy the same album twice. Sometimes they'll tweak the EQ to exaggerate the high end frequencies, so that it will sound "clearer," but not necessarily better. In fact, many audiophiles prefer the original versions.

This is something different. This is the first time any Rush CD has been remastered in high resolution sound. This is as close to the studio master as you can get. Seriously, I'm hearing stuff in this mix that I've never heard before ... like a veil has been lifted off of the CD.

If your hearing is no longer what it used to be, or if your stereo is a low-end system, then you probably won't be able to tell the difference (well, in the stereo mix, that is). That's why I put "audiophile" in the title. However, if you have the capability to play surround sound--you know, for movies--then you most certainly will be able to hear something new, because this CD has never been mixed in surround sound before.

Yea, like Z says, this is a different kind of animal than the re--done grace under pressure...And, in fact I wish they would do this for grace...cuz though I was amazed by the growth/change of the band from previous to moving pictures, I usually think grace is my favorite work.

Some days, though, I'd just love love love if they'd go back into the studio with all they know now and re-make 2112 from scratch...

You thought Grace was their best? Boy, I sure don't. Feedback was worse, I guess, but it's not fair to compare that to any of their original works.

dANdeLION wrote:You thought Grace was their best? Boy, I sure don't. Feedback was worse, I guess, but it's not fair to compare that to any of their original works.

Grace has Red Sector A and Distant Early Warning, but not much else of interest for me. Grace was the album that ended my love affair with the band, and Power Windows cemented that feeling. Other than a few songs here and there, I don't care for anything between Signals and Roll The Bones, which is a really, really fantastic album.

dAN, your description of Moving Pictures a few years ago (something to the effect of, "...a band that's completely in sync and at the top of their game") was spot-on. That said, I still like Permanent Waves better.

Like many, I didn't care for the 80s synth-forward albums (Grace, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire) when they first came out. I was just discovering Rush's older stuff at the time, and thought this crap was pop music sellout. But then the 90s brought back the supposed "return of the power trio," and I realized how great those 80s albums really were. The sterile, watered-down rock of Presto, Roll the Bones, and Test For Echo is some of the worst music Rush ever did, in my opinion. In contrast, the 80s stuff is perhaps their most experimental and courageous music they ever made. They could have coasted on the successful formula laid down by Moving Pictures and continued to sell like crazy. But they were never afraid of completely changing their style, even if it risked alienating their core fan base. By the time they got back around to the "power trio," it seemed more like a surrender to the pressure than yet another ballsy move. Rather than return to their prog-rock roots, they simply made bland rock. I much prefer the creative risks of Power Windows than anything on Roll the Bones or Test for Echo (their two worst, in my opinion). While I like quite a few songs from Presto and Counterparts, it wasn't until Vapor Trails and Snakes and Arrows that I thought Rush was making incredible music again.

Presto had one great song, Show Don't Tell. It made me buy the album and see the concert. Roll The Bones was what got me back into Rush, though. Grace is what made me not want to listen to them any more, in case you're wondering. After Counterparts, I got Power Windows and Hold Your Fire, and I was surprised at how much I liked them.

Huh...interesting different takes. I only hated power windows, presto, and almost roll...but a couple bass/drum grooves saved it.
Thought 2112, Grace, Vapor, peaks of phases that pleased me as whole units, but also loved the breaking points between...though they always seemed to fall short as units.
Signals is anomalous...love 1/2, bored by 1/2 [except the tour...spec-damn-tacular].

I absolutely love Signals. One of their best. A worthy follow-up to Moving Pictures. The entire album is great.

Grace has got some really good music, too, an interesting transition between Signals and Power Windows. You can definitely tell they are heading in a new direction by that point, but they still have enough of their "Rush sound" that it's not too drastic.

I like Power Windows better than Hold Your Fire (two albums that I usually think of as a pair). They both have too much keyboard--especially HYF--but PW is ballsier and slightly heavier. The guitar solo to Marathon is just amazing.

I thought Presto had several good songs: Show Don't Tell, Chain Lightning, Presto, The Pass. I even like one weird song on that, Hand Over Fist. The verse is goofy, but Geddy's singing on the chorus [edit: or the bridge?] gives me chills. Some of his most emotional singing.

However, Roll The Bones had very little to redeem it. Dreamline is okay. I loathe the title song (which, for some bizarre reason, the band played tour after tour like it was the modern day Closer to the Heart). The rest are just forgettable.

Counterparts was the best 90s album, with a heavier tone and great tunes.

I hate Test For Echo so much, it's the only Rush CD I ever sold after listening to it. I can't even name any songs on that one. At this point, I thought Rush was pretty much done with new music, and I had settled myself to accepting them as a nostalgic touring act.

But then Neil's wife and daughter died, and the band took 5 years off. When they came back, it was like they were reborn. Seriously, they are better now than they have been in 20 years. Their lives shows are better than any tour they did in the 90s. If fact, I just saw them in Louisville last week. They played to a jam-packed arena that was going nuts the entire show. They rocked the fuck out that place! Their playing and Ged's singing has never sounded better. Geddy is able to hit notes now that he hasn't been able to hit for 2 decades. They really are at the top of their game. If you can catch this tour, don't let it pass you by. They're still touring America at the moment, but they're heading to Europe soon.

I saw them in September at an outdoor venue, going to see them again next Friday indoors in Baltimore. I agree, they're as good now as they've ever been. BU2B is a great song, Caravan is growing on me.

Zarathustra wrote:I absolutely love Signals. One of their best. A worthy follow-up to Moving Pictures. The entire album is great.

I like it too.

Zarathustra wrote:Grace has got some really good music, too, an interesting transition between Signals and Power Windows. You can definitely tell they are heading in a new direction by that point, but they still have enough of their "Rush sound" that it's not too drastic.

I've tried for decades to take that view of it, but then I listen to it again and am reminded of my initial disappointment. Face it, it's a far cry from Signals.

Zarathustra wrote:I like Power Windows better than Hold Your Fire (two albums that I usually think of as a pair). They both have too much keyboard--especially HYF--but PW is ballsier and slightly heavier. The guitar solo to Marathon is just amazing.

Yeah, all of Alex's solos are great. It's really a shame when I think that guitar solos that could have been taken instead of keyboard solos.....

Zarathustra wrote:I thought Presto had several good songs: Show Don't Tell, Chain Lightning, Presto, The Pass. I even like one weird song on that, Hand Over Fist. The verse is goofy, but Geddy's singing on the chorus [edit: or the bridge?] gives me chills. Some of his most emotional singing.

Eh, it was okay. I like the songs you like, but Superconductor just annoys me. I don't think I'm too fond of War Paint, either.

Zarathustra wrote:However, Roll The Bones had very little to redeem it. Dreamline is okay. I loathe the title song (which, for some bizarre reason, the band played tour after tour like it was the modern day Closer to the Heart). The rest are just forgettable.

They play Roll The Bones on every tour because it's a great song off one of their better albums. I really like the theme of RtB. I love the lyrics, too. Not that they're ever bad, but that album resonated with me a little better.

Zarathustra wrote:Their playing and Ged's singing has never sounded better. Geddy is able to hit notes now that he hasn't been able to hit for 2 decades.

I think they might be changing keys on some songs. I know that when they did the Moving Pictures album last October here in Tampa, at the end of Camera Eye, Geddy couldn't hit the notes when he sang "Alive In The Streets Of The City". It was kind of sad, really; I guess none of us can stay young forever.

Saw them again last night. Geddy sounded amazing, including the end of Camera Eye.

dANdeLION wrote:

Zarathustra wrote:Their playing and Ged's singing has never sounded better. Geddy is able to hit notes now that he hasn't been able to hit for 2 decades.

I think they might be changing keys on some songs. I know that when they did the Moving Pictures album last October here in Tampa, at the end of Camera Eye, Geddy couldn't hit the notes when he sang "Alive In The Streets Of The City". It was kind of sad, really; I guess none of us can stay young forever.

They do drop the key a step or two for 2112, Circumstances (last tour), and maybe one or two others. Whenever Ged pulls out his red bass (already pre-tuned down), they're usually playing it lower. But that's not often.

Two decades ago put them in the 80s/90s. Believe me, he's singing better than he did then. Sure, it's not as high as the notes he could reach in the 70s, but it's better than I've heard him for pretty much the entire time I've been seeing Rush live. I think a lot of his problems live come more from his attention being spread so thin. Playing bass, foot pedals, keyboards and then trying to sing puts a strain on his attention, so that he'll miss notes or mumble words that normally are no problem. It happens, but I don't think it's necessarily because he's older.

Cail wrote:Saw them again last night. Geddy sounded amazing, including the end of Camera Eye.

Good to hear. They filmed the Cleveland show, I believe. I can't wait for the Blu-ray!

I've told everyone who will listen, Rush sounds better on this tour than they ever have.

Zarathustra wrote:Two decades ago put them in the 80s/90s. Believe me, he's singing better than he did then. S

Seeing as I've seen most of their tours over the last three decades, I don't have to take your word for it. I'm sure Geddy's voice gets worn down over the length of the tour, and I'm pretty sure last Oct. 1st was pretty late in the tour (I just checked; it was the 2nd to last date). I look forward to the dvd. Also, if anyone was wondering about the closing video, go and rent "I love You Man" for the rest of the story.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound patronizing. Just a figure of speech. Obviously, you've seen enough shows to make up your own mind. I don't usually see more than one show per tour. Maybe I've just been lucky enough to see good ones in the last few tours. Come to think of it, most of the shows I've seen for the past 3 or 4 tours have been early in the tour, including opening night for R30. So maybe your explanation is spot on. I just remember being disappointed by their sound in the 90s, and then being blown away by their sound from Vapor Trails and beyond. During the first leg of the S&A tour (2007) was the first time I've ever heard Geddy nail the high part of Freewill, after the solo. It was so unexpected, it just sent chills down my spine. I thought I'd never hear that live. And now he's been doing it on every tour since.

Zarathustra wrote:I don't usually see more than one show per tour.

Neither do I, though I was hoping Rush would swing by somewhere in Florida this year so I could see Moving Pictures live again. Looking back, it seems I've always went to see Rush with other musicians. We've tended to listen for flaws in the performance. I don't think we truly ever expect to hear one, and other than the one I've mentioned, I don't think we have. A few have whined about song selection, esp. during the R30 tour (I didn't mind too much, but I definitely didn't want to hear four cover tunes, I think two would have been plenty). I still don't know why my neurotic bassist friend didn't want to hear The Pass, or why the drummer guy (my brother's friend) was so pissed when they didn't play Subdivisions on the Vapor Trails tour.

dANdeLION wrote:

Zarathustra wrote:I don't usually see more than one show per tour.

Neither do I, though I was hoping Rush would swing by somewhere in Florida this year so I could see Moving Pictures live again. Looking back, it seems I've always went to see Rush with other musicians. We've tended to listen for flaws in the performance. I don't think we truly ever expect to hear one, and other than the one I've mentioned, I don't think we have. A few have whined about song selection, esp. during the R30 tour (I didn't mind too much, but I definitely didn't want to hear four cover tunes, I think two would have been plenty). I still don't know why my neurotic bassist friend didn't want to hear The Pass, or why the drummer guy (my brother's friend) was so pissed when they didn't play Subdivisions on the Vapor Trails tour.

Muscians. Bhah! Pretentious asses. (Oh wait a minute ... I used to play bass and keyboard in my own band ... )

Who you go with certainly makes a big difference. I'm probably way too forgiving when I'm at a concert--certainly not as critical as listening at home--because I'm A) pleasantly buzzed on a few beers, B) dancing my ass off and singing every line myself (maybe I'm the one who sounds so good ) and C) I'm with my wife and kid, who are dancing and singing right along with me (but no beer, obviously; sober driver + 10-yr-old).

The Pass is great song, even better live. Very powerful and emotional. Subdivisions is good, but I've heard it a million times.

Just for shits and giggles, I put in "Marathon" from Show of Hands to compare it to what I saw on this tour. The version from 1990 when SoH came out sounds awful compared to what I saw last week.