Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

And now for something completely different with Natalie Merchant (and a THUNDERBIRD disguised as a DB). If you don't watch anything else, skip to 18:50 . She turns it into a singalong with the audience, teaching them a traditional hymn no one there besides her and the band had heard of. (I hadn't, either.)



I'm with you, Natalie. I love NPR, too. Including Tiny Desk concerts!

She is the best. Now I’ll come clean. I’m also a huge Aimee Mann fan. You?

 

[MCF]

I tried that route didn't get a response so I figured I'd ask here

Yeah, he’s been AWOL recently. He’ll be back.

 

[MCF]

Hi I'm sorry, they are no longer available.

So, he’s back. Sorry to hear that.

 

[MCF]

he bought that Rick brand new (along with an SVT) when they got signed right before "Fly by Night" and played it stock right up to "Farewell to Kings" when he swapped for the Leo Quan.....smart, Ricks become totally different animals with denser bridges...
from the "All the World's a Stage" tour...
View attachment 3547348

Fly By Night is the only album I really like. Just never been a huge fan.

 

[GonePlaid]

This was caused by a serious disagreement between the pub owners and the Valve Bar people (they run it in the basement). They are planning to reopen when they find a new venue but that could be next year.

I'm hoping it's sooner.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

So Tuesday begins with T, right?
THUNDERBIRD!
View attachment 3547900

indeed it does....

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Fly By Night is the only album I really like. Just never been a huge fan.

hear you....that voice......didn't care for anything after Moving Pictures.....cut my rock bass teeth listening to GL among others..

 

[Miles_ONeal]

That would be worth a ticket to Oz. Especially if there is a flying piano show somewhere close by, but not right there.

I've told y'all about the time I saw a flying piano, right?

 

[JIO]

She is the best. Now I’ll come clean. I’m also a huge Aimee Mann fan. You?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

At WREK we fought the Diode Wars over Christmas break in 1974. Various crew members would hack the station hardware every night. One of the mods was a big red button at the operator's desk with a sign: "DO NOT PRESS". When they did, something random would happen, initially through one of the sets of speakers in the main room- the sound of toilets flushing overhead (we were on the top floor of the EE building), a girl screaming from behind the equipment racks, etc. Other buttons and switches appeared (or if non-essential, were modded) as well. It eventually got more elaborate, until one day a newbie operator pushed the Big Red Button (as he had done every day for a week). IIRC, nothing happened for maybe 30 seconds. Then all heck broke loose. The speakers attached to the receiver quit playing (dead air!!!) Every light or meter on the racks or desk went dark, red, maxed or zeroed, depending on what looked scariest. Scope displays flatlined or went berserk. It was a masterpiece of jury-rigged engineering.
Except for that pesky newbie. The thing that had been pounded the most into his skull by his trainer was the cost of the transmitter output tubes (the antenna tower was atop the EE building). He fumbled with his keys, fought his way into the transmitter room, and killed the power to save the tubes. He then went back to the desk and collapsed, heart racing.
Within a minute or two the Asst GM called demanding to know why the station was off the air. As the operator started to explain, something timed out, and everything went back to normal... except that there was only a faint hiss from the receiver as we were OFF THE AIR. The next day we were all called in. The Asst GM had ripped out all of the special circuitry (there was quite a lot by then), and made it clear that if he found out who had done this, or if anything else was modded without permission from him or the GM (at the moment in the Bahamas or something), someone was in Big Trouble.
I think the operator eventually recovered.
We never found the THUNDERBIRD after that. Probably flew back to NM or something.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

hear you....that voice......didn't care for anything after Moving Pictures.....cut my rock bass teeth listening to GL among others..

I like a number of their songs (The Trees springs to mind), but Fly by Night was my fave.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

She is the best. Now I’ll come clean. I’m also a huge Aimee Mann fan. You?

Don't know her. What would be your fave 2 or 3 songs I should check out?

 

[GBassNorth]

So Tuesday begins with T, right?
THUNDERBIRD!
View attachment 3547900

Love that color!
Congrats on the new bass!

 

[RedVee]

I had at least one of their LP's - still love that sound! Since then I've become a big Ethiopiques (golden years of Ethiopian music 1969-1974) fan - the bass-lines are super-cool, a whole different take on "the 1".

I found them quite mesmerising. I would love - one day - to spend some time learning about African music, including Sega (& Seggae) from Mauritius.

 

[RedVee]

Yep, when I hear the name (or the music of) Osibisa - the winged elephant art comes to mind.

I love the Yes style logo as well.

 

[Kriegs]

Don't know her. What would be your fave 2 or 3 songs I should check out?

You know her... just not as a solo artist

 

[JJR58]

You know her... just not as a solo artist

Love this song.

 

[Gaolee]

At WREK we fought the Diode Wars over Christmas break in 1974. Various crew members would hack the station hardware every night. One of the mods was a big red button at the operator's desk with a sign: "DO NOT PRESS". When they did, something random would happen, initially through one of the sets of speakers in the main room- the sound of toilets flushing overhead (we were on the top floor of the EE building), a girl screaming from behind the equipment racks, etc. Other buttons and switches appeared (or if non-essential, were modded) as well. It eventually got more elaborate, until one day a newbie operator pushed the Big Red Button (as he had done every day for a week). IIRC, nothing happened for maybe 30 seconds. Then all heck broke loose. The speakers attached to the receiver quit playing (dead air!!!) Every light or meter on the racks or desk went dark, red, maxed or zeroed, depending on what looked scariest. Scope displays flatlined or went berserk. It was a masterpiece of jury-rigged engineering.
Except for that pesky newbie. The thing that had been pounded the most into his skull by his trainer was the cost of the transmitter output tubes (the antenna tower was atop the EE building). He fumbled with his keys, fought his way into the transmitter room, and killed the power to save the tubes. He then went back to the desk and collapsed, heart racing.
Within a minute or two the Asst GM called demanding to know why the station was off the air. As the operator started to explain, something timed out, and everything went back to normal... except that there was only a faint hiss from the receiver as we were OFF THE AIR. The next day we were all called in. The Asst GM had ripped out all of the special circuitry (there was quite a lot by then), and made it clear that if he found out who had done this, or if anything else was modded without permission from him or the GM (at the moment in the Bahamas or something), someone was in Big Trouble.
I think the operator eventually recovered.
We never found the THUNDERBIRD after that. Probably flew back to NM or something.

That is a fantastic story! I have bee smiling like a lunatic for hours.

 

[JJR58]

These last 2 pages have some very interesting posts.
All i can say is you all are so on it.

 

[PillO]

hear you....that voice......didn't care for anything after Moving Pictures.....cut my rock bass teeth listening to GL among others..

Fly By Night is the only album I really like. Just never been a huge fan.

​

I like a number of their songs (The Trees springs to mind), but Fly by Night was my fave.

So, I am a huge Rush fan. But the catalogue is so big, it isn't possible to pick and choose bits and pieces to point at as specific best or worst. Perhaps the only way to do that is to separate by era. But because the band evolved over time it can be controversial to draw those lines. About the closest you get is the live albums, but that was disrupted as later on they developed a routine of studio album, tour, live album of the tour, tour, repeat. And that was driven by demand to hear live that big catalogue.

I understand that there are people that don't like Geddy's singing. I understand that there are people that don't like how complicated the songs are. I understand that there are people that don't like some of the difficult emotional material of the songs.

But even if you don't like the music for any reason, there is much to redeem Rush. They are genuinely nice people with a real sense of humour (especially about themselves). They might be famous, but certainly don't act it. They are extraordinarily charitable. And Geddy was (eventually) chosen by Thunderbirds.

Having said all that, 2112 and Clockwork Angels are two outstanding albums. Caress of Steel is a rarely discussed album, perhaps in part because (even Rush say so) it is rather pretentious, but it has some real gems on it (I Think I'm Going Bald is a great song about Alex's fear of losing his hair - there is that sense of humour). The radio friendly era that started around Farewell to Kings and Moving Pictures has many stand outs as well. That era produced the Fear Trilogy (that ended up being 4 songs) a concept spread across albums. But not everything can be great; Tai Shan ('nuff said).

All things considered, who wouldn't want to just hang out with these guys.