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New Rush thread
- Thread starter fleabee
- Start date
I haven't purchased a Rush album since Counterparts. I wasn't all that thrilled with it but my respect for the band did not wane in the least.
Having said that, I would be very interested to pick up the new one. I heard the single on their website and liked it. There is a certain obvious maturity to their sound while at the same time displaying a restlessness brought on by age. I would also be interested in checking out Vapor Trails.
Having said that, I would be very interested to pick up the new one. I heard the single on their website and liked it. There is a certain obvious maturity to their sound while at the same time displaying a restlessness brought on by age. I would also be interested in checking out Vapor Trails.
I haven't purchased a Rush album since Counterparts. I wasn't all that thrilled with it but my respect for the band did not wane in the least.
Having said that, I would be very interested to pick up the new one. I heard the single on their website and liked it. There is a certain obvious maturity to their sound while at the same time displaying a restlessness brought on by age. I would also be interested in checking out Vapor Trails.
If you haven''t heard Vapor Trails, get it.
Will do. I heard bits of it on their site when it was released and liked what I heard. For some reason I just never got around to getting the album. I'd love to hear the whole thing. I guess that, as I have gotten older, I'm not in such a rush (no pun intended) to get cd's anymore. But it sounds like Vapor Trails is a pivotal album for the band in terms of how their sound has changed.
Will do. I heard bits of it on their site when it was released and liked what I heard. For some reason I just never got around to getting the album. I'd love to hear the whole thing. I guess that, as I have gotten older, I'm not in such a rush (no pun intended) to get cd's anymore. But it sounds like Vapor Trails is a pivotal album for the band in terms of how their sound has changed.
Yep, they went more...organic...I guess...with their sound and writing, dropped the whole keyboard/computer driven thing. Don't get me wrong, I dig all the albums, but some get in the rotation way before others. It all depends on my mood. You gotta love a band that has had the varience in sound that over the years, still sounds like RUSH.
It's interesting to be able to hear a band evolve in the way that Rush has. They have pioneered, innovated, experimented, and returned. Only to do the whole cycle again. Their staying power is just incredible.
It is almost as if they are persuing the journey of a mythic hero. They are like the Odysseus of bands. It makes me think that there is something to being true to yourself rather than pleasing the industry and marketing execs, etc.
For me, the best album since Moving Pictures. I've said it before, that I wanted to hear an album that tapped my soul like that one did, and (so far) this is it. More for the overall feeling I get from the album than because I'm bassist (but indeed it's for both).
I'll be interested in how I feel about this album after it has some time to settle in my head. But right now I can honestly say it has just got me floored.
Thoughts that span the songs
Love the mix (at least though my ear buds -- we'll see when I get a chance to listen on all the other platforms).
I think their new folks (producer, engineers, etc). were great investments. Good audio quality, captured passionate playing from all the guys, lots of details. Great vox quality.
Nice organic sound. Lots of details and little things that individually are minor but overall add a lot of spice and texture.
Interesting that I've not been focusing on the bass parts. I think they're great and tone is exceptional, but the things impressing me have been the totality of the songs.
Album is meant to be heard in sequence.
May sound goofy, but the songs keep your foot tapping. Enough technical detail to keep us musicians busy, but just plainly a fun to listen to album.
I can see why people mentioned this is "laid back" or whatever because there is a lot of acoustic, but in many parts it rocks your head off -- anything but laid back.
I heard Rush say they wanted to create the perfect album before quitting. Do I now have to fear they'll be quitting?
All the song endings are cool to me (drawn out and textured).
Alex really cuts through, and sounds like he has a million overdubbed parts. Am liking it a lot. Contrast this with his parts on Signals (I know, a million years ago, and indeed one of my favorite albums, but interesting to see how different this is).
Thoughts on the Individual Songs
Far Cry -- It's been out for a while so I don't have as quick recollection of how I felt out about it. I can say still love it now -- Forceful, aggressive, not too technical, a well-balanced song of what I like about Rush.
Armor and Sword -- Unbelievable beginning, esp. the drums. Good ending, too. Love the dynamics of the tune, plus I feel they did a great job of keeping them meshed together well; I feel in some previous Rush albums song parts didn't always mesh well together. Love Neil's double bass
Workin' them Angels -- Didn't expect that beginning, and therefore I like it. Cool lyrics. Maybe a few too many guitar overdubs for my tastes? Again, I like how these very different song parts are meshing together. Again, I like the varied dynamics (here, meaning more than just volume). Mandolin seems to fit better on this tune than it has on the past (or is that some other instrument I hear). Listen to Alex's guitar on the fade -out.
The Larger Bowl -- Nice segue way from the next tune. Like the tune, but am bracing for a message that is (to me) important but delivered in an awkward and overbearing way. The recording quality of Geddy's vox seem to be better quality -- during the quieter parts you can hear a lot of detail in his vocalizations (noises -- a good thing, IMO). In terms of plain old song writing, I like it a lot -- the vocal melody works well with the music. In conclusion, indeed, my least favorite song so far, but nice.
Spindrift -- Wow -- awesome segue way from the previous. Cool intro!!! Someone posted about getting chills. It just happened to me, too. The soulfulness in Ged's voice is great. And he's nailing all the notes and inflections. Impressive. Again, the quality of his vox recording is great. Music behind the guitar solo part (and the outro) seemed minimalized -- good in that it fit well, but in comparison to the rest of the tune it didn't have all of the same tension. OK, now the end of the song blasts me out of my chair. Listen to the bass!!! Will be interesting in concert (which I'll miss)!!
The Main Monkey Business -- Nice groove, and very different sound, yet cool familiar Rush. Again, a million guitar parts (it seems). Synths are doing a wonderful job adding layers and accenting the tune. No incredibly technical playing for an instrumental, but the tune is just fun to listen to. Cool alternative takes to the "standard" backing of the guitar solo. Actually, the guitar solo is shining quite nicely now. More dynamics fun! Would like to hear an extended (i.e., 3 second) bass riff or solo. He has nothing to prove, but I'd like to hear it anyway!
The Way the Wind Blows -- Love the blues-oriented guitar, and the main riff. The more quiet parts aren't my favorite, but love the way the vox sound on top of them. Again, I feel the very different parts are meshing well. Love the blues 3/4 parts. They mesh well with the others, including a bit that sounds Phrygian to me at this moment (interesting, given the lyrics).
Hope -- I'm so happy Alex has, at extremely long last, recorded an extended acoustic solo. All the intros and bits over the years have been great, but I wanted a Broon's Bane for the here and now. It's great. Reminiscent of Jimmy Page.
Faithless -- Like the tool -- Don't like the repeating "and the temple and marketplace" vocal melody. So far my least favorite song on the album. Reminds me of some of the supporting Presto tunes (fine, but not stand out for me). Interesting lyrics, and I like 'em.
Bravest Face -- Cool down tuning in intro. You can hear the Feedback influence on this one, and it's good. It meshes incredibly well with the more "modern" parts. Cool lyrics. More blues, even sounds a bit like BB in a couple of spots, believe it or not!!.
Good News First -- Another cool intro -- Remind you of Hemispheres anyone (i.e. the flanger effect or whatever it is)? The recording of the vox is again, great. Cool, soulful lines from Ged. Sounds like an Auto-Tune doubling of the lyrics beneath the main lyrics (i.e., as an effect, cool). Probably my third least favorite, but that's just relative. I'm liking all these tunes.
Malignant Narcissism -- Echo what's been said before -- Hard to tell Geddy's on a fretless. Awesome drums. Someone's going to have to figure out what those sampled voice overs say. Fun instrumental. Not going to be one that has tons of notes or solos (but mini ones for Geddy and Neil).
We Hold On -- I like the guitar tone. Again, the vox recording quality is the best I've heard in a while for Rush. Good "presence". Another tune with cool parts that are very different that mesh well. Vocal melody is probably the best (for me) of any on this album). Very listenable.
That's it!
I'll be interested in how I feel about this album after it has some time to settle in my head. But right now I can honestly say it has just got me floored.
Thoughts that span the songs
Love the mix (at least though my ear buds -- we'll see when I get a chance to listen on all the other platforms).
I think their new folks (producer, engineers, etc). were great investments. Good audio quality, captured passionate playing from all the guys, lots of details. Great vox quality.
Nice organic sound. Lots of details and little things that individually are minor but overall add a lot of spice and texture.
Interesting that I've not been focusing on the bass parts. I think they're great and tone is exceptional, but the things impressing me have been the totality of the songs.
Album is meant to be heard in sequence.
May sound goofy, but the songs keep your foot tapping. Enough technical detail to keep us musicians busy, but just plainly a fun to listen to album.
I can see why people mentioned this is "laid back" or whatever because there is a lot of acoustic, but in many parts it rocks your head off -- anything but laid back.
I heard Rush say they wanted to create the perfect album before quitting. Do I now have to fear they'll be quitting?
All the song endings are cool to me (drawn out and textured).
Alex really cuts through, and sounds like he has a million overdubbed parts. Am liking it a lot. Contrast this with his parts on Signals (I know, a million years ago, and indeed one of my favorite albums, but interesting to see how different this is).
Thoughts on the Individual Songs
Far Cry -- It's been out for a while so I don't have as quick recollection of how I felt out about it. I can say still love it now -- Forceful, aggressive, not too technical, a well-balanced song of what I like about Rush.
Armor and Sword -- Unbelievable beginning, esp. the drums. Good ending, too. Love the dynamics of the tune, plus I feel they did a great job of keeping them meshed together well; I feel in some previous Rush albums song parts didn't always mesh well together. Love Neil's double bass
Workin' them Angels -- Didn't expect that beginning, and therefore I like it. Cool lyrics. Maybe a few too many guitar overdubs for my tastes? Again, I like how these very different song parts are meshing together. Again, I like the varied dynamics (here, meaning more than just volume). Mandolin seems to fit better on this tune than it has on the past (or is that some other instrument I hear). Listen to Alex's guitar on the fade -out.
The Larger Bowl -- Nice segue way from the next tune. Like the tune, but am bracing for a message that is (to me) important but delivered in an awkward and overbearing way. The recording quality of Geddy's vox seem to be better quality -- during the quieter parts you can hear a lot of detail in his vocalizations (noises -- a good thing, IMO). In terms of plain old song writing, I like it a lot -- the vocal melody works well with the music. In conclusion, indeed, my least favorite song so far, but nice.
Spindrift -- Wow -- awesome segue way from the previous. Cool intro!!! Someone posted about getting chills. It just happened to me, too. The soulfulness in Ged's voice is great. And he's nailing all the notes and inflections. Impressive. Again, the quality of his vox recording is great. Music behind the guitar solo part (and the outro) seemed minimalized -- good in that it fit well, but in comparison to the rest of the tune it didn't have all of the same tension. OK, now the end of the song blasts me out of my chair. Listen to the bass!!! Will be interesting in concert (which I'll miss)!!
The Main Monkey Business -- Nice groove, and very different sound, yet cool familiar Rush. Again, a million guitar parts (it seems). Synths are doing a wonderful job adding layers and accenting the tune. No incredibly technical playing for an instrumental, but the tune is just fun to listen to. Cool alternative takes to the "standard" backing of the guitar solo. Actually, the guitar solo is shining quite nicely now. More dynamics fun! Would like to hear an extended (i.e., 3 second) bass riff or solo. He has nothing to prove, but I'd like to hear it anyway!
The Way the Wind Blows -- Love the blues-oriented guitar, and the main riff. The more quiet parts aren't my favorite, but love the way the vox sound on top of them. Again, I feel the very different parts are meshing well. Love the blues 3/4 parts. They mesh well with the others, including a bit that sounds Phrygian to me at this moment (interesting, given the lyrics).
Hope -- I'm so happy Alex has, at extremely long last, recorded an extended acoustic solo. All the intros and bits over the years have been great, but I wanted a Broon's Bane for the here and now. It's great. Reminiscent of Jimmy Page.
Faithless -- Like the tool -- Don't like the repeating "and the temple and marketplace" vocal melody. So far my least favorite song on the album. Reminds me of some of the supporting Presto tunes (fine, but not stand out for me). Interesting lyrics, and I like 'em.
Bravest Face -- Cool down tuning in intro. You can hear the Feedback influence on this one, and it's good. It meshes incredibly well with the more "modern" parts. Cool lyrics. More blues, even sounds a bit like BB in a couple of spots, believe it or not!!.
Good News First -- Another cool intro -- Remind you of Hemispheres anyone (i.e. the flanger effect or whatever it is)? The recording of the vox is again, great. Cool, soulful lines from Ged. Sounds like an Auto-Tune doubling of the lyrics beneath the main lyrics (i.e., as an effect, cool). Probably my third least favorite, but that's just relative. I'm liking all these tunes.
Malignant Narcissism -- Echo what's been said before -- Hard to tell Geddy's on a fretless. Awesome drums. Someone's going to have to figure out what those sampled voice overs say. Fun instrumental. Not going to be one that has tons of notes or solos (but mini ones for Geddy and Neil).
We Hold On -- I like the guitar tone. Again, the vox recording quality is the best I've heard in a while for Rush. Good "presence". Another tune with cool parts that are very different that mesh well. Vocal melody is probably the best (for me) of any on this album). Very listenable.
That's it!
Great review...im too damn lazy to type that much
Has anyone seen anything written about any changes in Geddy's gear aside from the fretless?
Has anyone seen anything written about any changes in Geddy's gear aside from the fretless?
Alright, alright, already...I suppose this will be the first Rush album I buy since Counterparts. I'll get Vapor Trails after this.
Alright, alright, already...I suppose this will be the first Rush album I buy since Counterparts. I'll get Vapor Trails after this.
I highly recommend it. It *isn't* Moving Pictures, and depending on your tastes you might like it more or less than I do. But it definitely taps my spine the same way that (for me) momentous album did!
IMO, it's far better than Vapor Trails, and I'm always impressed at how many people like Vapor Trails so much -- It just didn't strike me that way.
HooBass
I like Moving Pictures as much as the next guy. But one of my faves is Hold Your Fire. My point being that I am open to whatever they produce.
I'm a Power Windows/Signals guy...I like the synth era and just literally the technology changes with the albums
I think it's cool that so many folks have different favorite albums and eras. It often gets me to go try out that album or era again for myself, and I usually find something I had forgotten or underappreciated.
Through it all, MP has stood like a rock as my favorite. And even if I hear Rush puts out a polka album I'll want to try it out (I feel I need to apologize for that joke since I've used it so much, but it's just true).
HooBass
Through it all, MP has stood like a rock as my favorite. And even if I hear Rush puts out a polka album I'll want to try it out (I feel I need to apologize for that joke since I've used it so much, but it's just true).
HooBass
Just ran out now to buy the album, and I've just started listening to it. I've already heard the first 2 tracks and some bits of the others, so I guess I know what I'm in for. It sucks that the store ran out of Rush t-shirts they were selling with Snakes and Arrows as a promotion, but they had Fear of a Black Planet by Porcupine Tree, so I guess it evened out.
+1 to that! Worth the price of it just for "How it Is", definately one of Rush's best!
As for Snakes and Arrows, it's not going to topple Hold Your Fire from my favourite album spot, but it is incredible. Rush are such a gifted band, the melodies and brilliance never fails to appear when they need it! Once again I'm knocked for six by Rush, it seems that everything they touch turns to gold. I wasn't sure how the "Modern Day" Rush would equal VT, but they have. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
I can't wait to see them live. Best band ever.
