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The Rush Pendulum Has Swung Too Far

#61
Wow, CA not getting too much love around here...I love it. I do agree that they could use more space and less overdubbing.

About Geddy's voice: I think it's fine for the stuff they write now, and having seen them twic on the last tour, I noticed that if you catch them early in the tour he sounds a lot better. The CA show I saw in Philly was like the 2nd date of the tour, and it was the best I've ever heard the band since I first saw them in 84. Absolutely fantasitc sound, and Geddy's singing was awesome. I saw them again a few months later and it wasn't as good, partly the fault of the lousy venue, but Geddy's voice was hurting, too.
 
#62
I stopped listening to any new Rush after Signals. I still dig most of the albums before that one, though.

I always thought they would be better as an instrumental band or if they got a different singer. Geddy's voice is a deal breaker on so many levels for so many people.
 
#63
mellowinman said:
For me, Geddy got bland as a vocalist when he stopped screaming his head off.

I thought Screaming Geddy was the most unique and interesting vocalist in the history of rock.
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I thought the same thing, but that's not a sentiment a lot of people agree with. The first Rush album I listened to was "All The Worlds a Stage". Screaming Geddy gave that album a angry raw intensity for a live album that really grabbed my attention. However, many people who don't like Rush cite Geddy's voice as the reason. It's definitely an acquired taste.
 
#64
Don't like this thread much, actually not at all. :eyebrow:

Rush is to me the embodiment of class, humility,humour and musical prowess. Sure they are so much older and, naturally, certain components of musical execution have evidently been impacted BUT.. At least they are not not Paul and Gene for God's sake. ;)

Long live the boys from Toronto, Canada!!

Marc
 
#65
R Baer said:
Just because the computer gives you the ability to lay down endless tracks, that doesn't mean that you actually have to use them. I miss albums like Farewell to Kings where there were just a few guitar tracks, maybe a couple bass tracks, some keys and drums and that was it. Listen to how well you can hear every detail of their playing on that album, because they KEPT IT SIMPLE! The sound of Clockwork Angels is just a mess, if you ask me.
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I agree and I'm glad to hear so many people in this thread feel the same way as I do. I think Clockwork Angels is an excellent album and songs like Headlong Flight and The Anarchist are some of the best songs they have done in a long time. But the entire mix is too "thick" if that makes sense. The album sounds overly produced, too many layers, too much compression, etc. I loved the older and more simple recordings where there was more definition to the individual instruments and more space in the mix.
 
#67
As far as synth goes, Rush was using synth in 2112. The way they used synths in the 70s was cool for heavy rock in my opinion.

People refer to the 80s as Rush's "synth era", but really it's when Rush got caught up in the New Wave craze and the awesome 70s analog synth got pushed aside for that 80s Yamaha DX7-ish sound.

I love Signals and P/G, but after that it was a bit much. Power Windows I still liked, Hold Your Fire made me take a break from Rush for a little while. Enter the 90s, and things got better AFAIC.

I'd like to see them bring back a little synth, as long as it's that 70s analog synth mixed with heavy rock.
 
#69
The only synth filled song I like is Subdivisions, because of its creativity musically and the lyrics actually mean so much to me.

I like Clockwork Angels...yeah they've gone away from their olden days, but there's no way Geddy can ever recover that peak vocally.

MY favourite overall has to be a tie between Moving Pictures and Power Windows.

Well, no matter how high your voice sounds, if you tour and sing every other night for a year, your voice will get worse around the half-way mark...don't blame him man: he's only 60!

I liked the 2010 version of Caravan though because of the heavy overdriven bass. GOOOODDDDDDDD THE MAGIC
 
#70
KeddyLee said:
Passing it to your kids is awesome. I have a 5 year old who asked to hear Vital Signs and Xanadu. My heart soars like a hawk!

I also agree that what made Rush great was constantly chasing and not sticking with what was working. If they did they would have stayed a Zeppelin-ish band like on Rush/Rush. If they weren't constantly chasing and changing we would never have gotten 2112 or Hemispheres or Moving Pictures.
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Too bad when I have kids, they'll probably be way too old to perform live or....dead (heaven forbid!).

At least I'll have over 20 albums to drown them in! If my son or daughter likes any other stupid pop punk band, then I will not be a happy father and will do everything in my power to get them away from that junk.
 
#71
As a long time Rush fan, I do not like Clockwork Angels either. I really tried too. The songs frankly are a lot of rehash in my opinion, and not good rehashing at that.

The songs seem really uninspired. I think the production at best is mediocre, and at worst kind of sucks.

Geddy's voice is pretty much toast.

It pains me to say this, as they can still really play. I think Geddy's voice is far enough gone that they should stop touring. Perhaps they could do a one off show occasionally via a pay per view format like some sporting event. Then, being that the rigors of touring would not be in play perhaps he could sing a show and not sound bad.

It also pains me a bit to admit that perhaps the time has come for Canada's greatest export to hang it up. They have had an incredible career, but if Clockwork Angels is indicative of what is left in the tank I think it is time to hang it up.
 
#74
Spectrum said:
I'd like to see them bring back a little synth, as long as it's that 70s analog synth mixed with heavy rock.
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Much as I like the classic 70s albums the analog synth is a bit on the twee side at times to my ears, and I would love to remix those albums with a different synth sound standing in for that! I think Rush was brave to try to blend synth and heavy rock in the way that they did, but I think the choice of sounds hasn't always stood the test of times. Although my Zoom B9 can do some similar sounds with footpedals, which is why it seemed like a useful purchase when they went very cheap, just in case I ever needed to replicate that! In the same time period I feel that Genesis was blending synth and other keyboards with rock more successfully with better sonic choices, though.
 
#76
WJGreer said:
I'm 42 now. I got into Rush right about P/G, and have loved them since.

Like most of us, I was happy when Presto came out. I thought the edgier sound was awesome.

I don't like Clockwork Angels, though. I've tried. Every so often I put it back in the player, just in case there was something else on my mind the last time I listened.

I don't like it. In my opinion, they have again moved too far away from their own DNA. The songs on that album and the production approach in particular is too sludgy.

In a certain way, it's like Hold Your Fire, but at the other side of the pendulum swing. Both are still Rush, but each has too much of a certain ingredient at the expense of other ingredients that make up the total Rush sound. To my ears.

I was OK with Snakes & Arrows, and now that I've heard the remixed Vapor Trails I think it's one of the better Rush albums overall. So I'm generally OK with the current musical direction but I think Clockwork took it a step too far.

I miss a little synthesizer in my Rush, and I'd like to hear a little more space in the music than what they are doing now.

Is that wrong?
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I haven't read if this was mentioned but Vapor Trails is a special era for them--coming back from hiatus & reunion w a pissed off / hardened Neil who suffered two huge personal losses. I love the energy he brought to that album. He poured himself out on that one.
I think Angels wouldve been awesome-r if let's say Butch Vig did with it what he did with Foos album Wasting LIght, that is, record in a basement using tape & analog gear, & force Rush to play more or less live.
 
#78
markkoelsch said:
As a long time Rush fan, I do not like Clockwork Angels either. I really tried too. The songs frankly are a lot of rehash in my opinion, and not good rehashing at that.

The songs seem really uninspired. I think the production at best is mediocre, and at worst kind of sucks.

Geddy's voice is pretty much toast.

It pains me to say this, as they can still really play. I think Geddy's voice is far enough gone that they should stop touring. Perhaps they could do a one off show occasionally via a pay per view format like some sporting event. Then, being that the rigors of touring would not be in play perhaps he could sing a show and not sound bad.

It also pains me a bit to admit that perhaps the time has come for Canada's greatest export to hang it up. They have had an incredible career, but if Clockwork Angels is indicative of what is left in the tank I think it is time to hang it up.
Click to expand...

Well they almost quit in the 90's. Aren't we glad they didn't--they gave us Vapor Trails & Snakes & Arrows. Little Victory, Peaceable Kingdom alone are worth it come on now. Right? Right. Listen to Kingdom
 

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