New Rush Album - update

[Peter Squire]

Haven't seen this posted here yet, so hopefully it will keep us Rush fans informed over the long wait. New album is slated for early 2007 spring release at this stage.

From Power Windows website:

New Rush Album News, Producer/Engineer Found, Spring Album Release: A few days ago rumors began to spread on the internet that producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Stone Sour, Velvet Revolver, etc.) had been hired for the next Rush album, along with engineer Rick Chycki (Rush R30 DVD, "Closer To The Heart" Tsunami benefit, etc.). Power Windows has confirmed off the record that these rumors are true, and that the band hopes to release the new album "hopefully early next spring" (fans can expect an official press release shortly). Ironically, in a June 2006 interview with EQ Magazine, when asked "are there any artists out there that you’d like a shot at producing?", Raskulinecz answered "Rush. That would be my dream album to make. Nobody plays like those guys anymore." - Sep. 1, 2006

Sounds good. I like Nick Raskulinecz' work with the Foos. He should definitely be able to avoid the sonic puddle of Vapour Trails.

And this, from Neil Peart.net:

The actual work has gone pretty well, though not without angst.
There was this one song . . .
As he often does, Geddy had gone through a set of lyrics with some music he and Alex had “jammed out.” Along the way, he picked the lines that “worked,” and left out a bunch of others. Fine enough, of course, and that method often gives the words a new twist, but then it’s up to me to try to reshape the remains so it makes sense.
In this case, the song in question already had a scattered theme, and tenuous “sense,” and as I tried to stitch together the “new version,” I just couldn’t get it to mean anything. Or even to seem to mean anything. A little obscurity is fine, of course, but there has to be some kind of inner logic there for me. Like I said to Lerxst, “Even an abstract painting is supposed to be of something.”
So chipping away at that and getting nowhere was getting me down, and one day I found myself driving into work with a sense of dread, knowing I had to face that knotty mess again. I didn’t remember ever feeling that way about writing before, and all at once I fell into this “all washed up” state of mind, convinced I just couldn’t do it anymore, and I should just give up. (I’m sure you know the feeling — all songwriters do!)
And wouldn’t you know it? That day, I not only fixed up the problems with that song in a few minutes, but also started from scratch on another one that may well be the “masterpiece” of this album.

Keep posting as new info comes up!

[Peter Squire]

Also from Power Windows website, quote to Neil Peart:

"By the end of May, we had eight songs that we all liked, and I had worked out drum parts for six of them...at the end of our month together, I was driving from Toronto to Quebec for a few days’ rest, and I was able to listen to the songs we had been working on in the familiar, pleasurable space of a car cruising down the long, straight highway. The next day I wrote to Alex and Geddy, 'On the drive back yesterday, I did have the opportunity to listen to the new songs with some objectivity, in my favorite listening environment, and I wanted to tell you I think they are great! The freshest stuff we have done since — well, ever! As I intuited when I first heard your song sketches, there is something very different about the character of these songs, and I’m really pleased by that. I mean to say — at our ages!'...

[Kink Rimson]

That's great news.
That's one thing my life needs, and that'a a really great new album from Rush.

[msquared]

Originally Posted by Peter Squire

He should definitely be able to avoid the sonic puddle of Vapour Trails.

Yeah, that would be nice.

I thought that the writing and performances on Vapor Trails were great, but they really REALLY need to remaster it.

[WillPlay4Food]

Originally Posted by msquared

Yeah, that would be nice.

I thought that the writing and performances on Vapor Trails were great, but they really REALLY need to remaster it.

Have to agree with you there. I felt Rush really went roots-style (for lack of a better way to describe it) with Vapor Trails. Very little synth, just straight up rock that can be jammed when played live. There was just way too much compression on the final product IMO.

Can't wait for their new album though. Rush freakin' rocks! Hopefully they'll be on tour next Summer too!

[RAM]

Sonic puddle...that's being kind, if you ask me. I can't even listen to most of it. I appreciate playing chords and having bass fill sonic space, but there was waaaayyyy too much going on down low to make sense of it...maybe that's why only a couple of songs were played on the tour???

[Oysterman]

Originally Posted by Peter Squire

He should definitely be able to avoid the sonic puddle of Vapour Trails.

It was probably not the producer's fault in the Vapour Trails case. It was probably not the mastering engineer's either, when things come around. Recommended reading:

http://www.prorec.com/prorec/article...256C2E005DAF1C

[Baryonyx]

I can't wait for this one. I'll be picking up a copy os soon as it comes out, for sure! I mean, the wait till Oct 24th is killing me! Thats my birthday and when I finally get to watch the Replay dvd!

[msquared]

Originally Posted by Oysterman

It was probably not the producer's fault in the Vapour Trails case. It was probably not the mastering engineer's either, when things come around. Recommended reading:

http://www.prorec.com/prorec/article...256C2E005DAF1C

The decision to do "guillotine normalizing" like that isn't the mastering engineer's fault if the execs pay him to do it, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen in the mastering stage. And it definitely doesn't mean it shouldn't be remastered. It would make all of that lower frequency stuff be more tolerable and less mushy, and for those of us who listen with headphones it would probably be noticably less fatiguing to hear. I would totally pay for Vapor Trails done with Grace Under Pressure style mastering.

And the reason that only a couple songs were played on the tour is that Rush has a lot of ground they have to cover when they do shows. They probably haven't played a show with more than 20% of the songs off of their last CD in 15 years. It was the same way with Feedback and Counterparts. It has nothing to do with the songs being "sonic soup" in the low end.

[Oysterman]

Originally Posted by msquared

... that doesn't mean it didn't happen in the mastering stage. And it definitely doesn't mean it shouldn't be remastered.

Oh, it's obvious it happened in the mastering stage. And remastering is in the pipe, isn't it? At least it's a rumour I heard. Maybe then it'd be listenable - I honestly couldn't stand how the original release sounded, so I've about two minutes worth from it.

[BassGod]

When the new Chilis album was approaching release, everyone wanted a return to BSSM. With the new Metallica album coming up, everyone will want a return to Puppets.

I think it's cool that people just want Rush to keep being Rush. They never really alienated anyone, but they always sound different with each album. I can't wait to hear this.

Graeme

[Papersen]

Great news !!!
I didn`t have any info about the new album so this makes my day. Keep it coming

[RAM]

Originally Posted by msquared

And the reason that only a couple songs were played on the tour is that Rush has a lot of ground they have to cover when they do shows. They probably haven't played a show with more than 20% of the songs off of their last CD in 15 years. It was the same way with Feedback and Counterparts. It has nothing to do with the songs being "sonic soup" in the low end.

Yeah, they do have a lot of ground to cover. But, that doesn't mean that's the reason Vapor Trails wasn't as well represented on their promotional tour as previous releases...it's also got to do with the fact that no matter how good he is, even Geddy can't play 3 basslines at the same time in a live situation. There were so many bass overdubs on Vapor Trails I get completely lost when trying to follow the lines.

According to this website…http://deadbeast.net/rsp/

On the Counterparts tour, they played 5 of 11 songs…
Animate
Stick it Out
Nobody’s Hero
Double Agent
Leave that thing Alone

On the Test for Echo tour, they played 7 of 11 songs…of course, they played two sets on this tour…
Test for Echo
Driven
Virtuality
Limbo
Half the World
Resist
Time and Motion

On the Vapor Trails tour, they played 4 of 13…based on the Rush in Rio CD and DVD…
One Little Victory
Earthshine
Ghost Rider
Secret Touch

[fleabee]

I can't wait for the frign album{showing my age by calling it an album}

[pdusen]

Originally Posted by RAM

On the Vapor Trails tour, they played 4 of 13…based on the Rush in Rio CD and DVD…
One Little Victory
Earthshine
Ghost Rider
Secret Touch

They also played Nocturne and Cieling Unlimited on that tour for a while. I saw them play them and I have a bootleg of Cieling Unlimited (It's a trip!) But they switched them out by the time they got to Rio.

[WillPlay4Food]

Originally Posted by pdusen

They also played Nocturne and Cieling Unlimited on that tour for a while. I saw them play them and I have a bootleg of Cieling Unlimited (It's a trip!) But they switched them out by the time they got to Rio.

I saw them on the first show of the Vapor Trails tour (they dedicated Between Sun & Moon to Entwhistle as he had died just a few days before) and they played Ceiling Unlimited. Saw them at SPAC no more then a week later and Ceiling Unlimited had been replaced with Secret Touch.

[Baryonyx]

I'd love to see them play Ceiling Unlimited live, it's such an uplifting song! That and "how it is" are just so good, certainly my favourites from Vapr Trails. Despite the fact it was a bit of mess sonically, I felt it was overall much stronger than TFE and Counterparts.

Rush-I'm mad for it!

[Peter Squire]

Agreed. The writing and arrangement on Vapor Trails was really good, but the sound let it down IMHO.

I will keep posting to this thread as new info comes up.
I can't fing wait!

[msquared]

Originally Posted by Chris2112

Despite the fact it was a bit of mess sonically, I felt it was overall much stronger than TFE and Counterparts.

I agree, and Counterparts was one of my favorite albums for a long time after it came out. It's still one of my top ten favorites but Vapor Trails easily beat it, to my surprise.

I've got to say that I dug the double-stop-heavy sonic soup. Geddy playing the bass like a rhythm guitar is something that is somewhat atypical to the usual rock listener but they ended up pulling it off really well. Alex definitely brings the 240 dollars worth of puddin' to the mix but for me the end effect is similar to the Phil Spector wall of sound concept.

One thing Rush has always done well is to take contemporary trends in music and advance them in a weird direction which dovetails nicely with the prog rock genre while still writing good songs. Vapor Trails is no different. It struck me as their answer to all of the overly heavy seven string guitar/five string bass sludge rock that is out there right now.

[keb]

Originally Posted by msquared

Alex definitely brings the 240 dollars worth of puddin' to the mix

Awwwwww yeaaaahhhh...