Test For Echo is a *Super Fun* Album

[Relayer2112]

TFE could be the Rush album that I think has aged the worst for me. I absolutely loved the album when it was first released. Now, the only songs that I think stand up are Driven, Resist and Limbo. If you take out the "Monster Mash" stuff from Limbo, I think it sounds an awful lot like a modern take on the beginning of 2112. Carve Away the Stone isn't a bad song either, but doesn't rank up there with those that I mentioned previously.

[prolix]

I despised T4E but after listening to it more, it has become one of my favorite post-synth albums. I also feel like it's the most mature rush album, if that makes sense.

[vaportrailer]

Funnily enough, I just listened to this yesterday after many years.

Driven and Carve Away the Stone were the only ones that really stood out in a positive way, although Dog Years was at least uptempo.

I found the lyrics to be pretty weak, esp. Totem.

I'll give it a few more spins and perhaps it will grow on me. Seems like a few ideas were recycled to better effect on Vapor Trails.

NP's attempts at laying back on the beat just seem to muddy the musical waters, and it seems that the click track is driving the songs (for the most part) and not the drummer.

[HemiBeers]

It's better than Hold Your Nose and Prestosterone, I'll give it that.

[Lorraine]

I love Test For Echo. It's the best post-Signals album Rush ever did. Edited July 27, 2017 by Lorraine

[Lorraine]

It's better than Hold Your Nose and Prestosterone, I'll give it that.

You sound like Spaghetti Lee.

[Verena]

I loved this album from the very first listen.

 

Although it does contain the worst lyrics in any Rush song out there with "Dog Years".

 

Aside from that, I agree with you about the production.

 

I love Alex's playing on this record.

 

It describes very well some of my thoughts about this album. :cheers:

[JohnnyBlaze]

Their last clean sounding album with good vocals and well written songs (with a few exceptions) that don't sound as pieced together. I've always liked the first half of the album in particular.

 

Easily, Lee's best vocals of the last 20 years IMHO. Although I do like MFH's vocals. But within the context of Rush, definitely TFE vocals over anything after it.

[Verena]

Golly! I have so many memories of that "Test For Echo" Tour. I saw it four times. Remember, and I am a broken record. I didn't even remember that Porsche I was in going 100 miles an hour listening to "Anthem."

 

 

Great! Thanks for sharing a little of your Rush memories. It's cool to read what you say about Rush concerts you went too. :clap:

Edited July 28, 2017 by Verena

[Verena]

I love T4E. It´s quite varied, the production is awesome, and the cover is great. The only down side of it is that there aren´t too many guitar solos, but the ones on totem and Carve Away the Stone are good. And I´ve always waited for them to bring back Limbo in their latest tours, but alas, it wasn´t meant to be...

 

:goodone: :hi:

[ytserush]

I like Test For Echo a lot. Great resonance, great lyrics (mostly) Carve Away The Stone is easily my least favorite on the album but it's OK. Love the return to acoustic guitar too. Kind of a 180 from the bluntness of Counterparts (Not that that was a bad thing.) Loved the tour too. Still can't figure out why Half The World wasn't a massive hit (great video too!)

[Rod in Toronto]

One thing that other posts here addressed is that Neil's drumming has changed on T4E...and to be honest, it's the first album where his drumming wasn't jaw dropping. I learned to appreciate what he did on the album, but that's precisely the time when I stopped thinking he was not of this Earth.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

T4E has no real problems (aside from some shoddy lyrics in places). That's why it's so detested. It's too middling for most to handle.

 

I always liked it better than CP. And yes, The Color Of Right is a GREAT song.

[theredtamasrule]

Neil's drums sound like mud on this album. DW + coated heads = shitty sound just like on VT.

[RUSHHEAD666]

I know I know. I'm just a moron.

 

Earl, you are somethin all right. ;)

 

I'm just "Something For Nothing." ;)

[RUSHHEAD666]

Old school TRFers might remember the covers contest we had on here about a decade ago. I can't even remember the winner but it might've been Geds' (was that his screen name? I've forgotten that too) cover of Driven. He played lead guitar and provided vocals and video'd himself in his home studio. A good cover of a very cool song! My standout song for T4E.

 

As for the other 10 songs, I like 5 while the remaining 5 are either just ok or so so. Blocking the lyrics out of my mind, there's nothing embarrassing on here IMHO...and no I didn't forget Dog Years.

 

Golly! I have so many memories of that "Test For Echo" Tour. I saw it four times. Remember, and I am a broken record. I didn't even remember that Porsche I was in going 100 miles an hour listening to "Anthem."

 

But man Mr. Big opened all four times out here when I saw them. Eric Martin always saying.... "ARE YOU ADDICTED TO RUSH?????" The crowd went apeshit and then the band went into their hit "Addicted To That Rush."

...

Earl, are you really sure that Mr. Big opened on the T4E tour???

 

Signed

 

Vishnu and Gaia - Aztec and Maya

 

"An Evening with Rush"

 

...aka "no opening acts"

 

Whoops! Sorry gang!!! I had a senior moment last night. A Mr. Big Brain Fart! Mr. Big opened for RUSH on the "Presto" Tour. My bad.

Edited July 28, 2017 by RUSHHEAD666

[JohnnyBlaze]

Old school TRFers might remember the covers contest we had on here about a decade ago. I can't even remember the winner but it might've been Geds' (was that his screen name? I've forgotten that too) cover of Driven. He played lead guitar and provided vocals and video'd himself in his home studio. A good cover of a very cool song! My standout song for T4E.

 

As for the other 10 songs, I like 5 while the remaining 5 are either just ok or so so. Blocking the lyrics out of my mind, there's nothing embarrassing on here IMHO...and no I didn't forget Dog Years.

 

Golly! I have so many memories of that "Test For Echo" Tour. I saw it four times. Remember, and I am a broken record. I didn't even remember that Porsche I was in going 100 miles an hour listening to "Anthem."

 

But man Mr. Big opened all four times out here when I saw them. Eric Martin always saying.... "ARE YOU ADDICTED TO RUSH?????" The crowd went apeshit and then the band went into their hit "Addicted To That Rush."

...

Earl, are you really sure that Mr. Big opened on the T4E tour???

 

Signed

 

Vishnu and Gaia - Aztec and Maya

 

"An Evening with Rush"

 

...aka "no opening acts"

 

Whoops! Sorry gang!!! I had a senior moment last night. A Mr. Big Brain Fart! Mr. Big opened for RUSH on the "Presto" Tour. My bad.

 

No prob. Only 3 tours and 7 years off gramps! :poke:

[RUSHHEAD666]

Old school TRFers might remember the covers contest we had on here about a decade ago. I can't even remember the winner but it might've been Geds' (was that his screen name? I've forgotten that too) cover of Driven. He played lead guitar and provided vocals and video'd himself in his home studio. A good cover of a very cool song! My standout song for T4E.

 

As for the other 10 songs, I like 5 while the remaining 5 are either just ok or so so. Blocking the lyrics out of my mind, there's nothing embarrassing on here IMHO...and no I didn't forget Dog Years.

 

Golly! I have so many memories of that "Test For Echo" Tour. I saw it four times. Remember, and I am a broken record. I didn't even remember that Porsche I was in going 100 miles an hour listening to "Anthem."

 

But man Mr. Big opened all four times out here when I saw them. Eric Martin always saying.... "ARE YOU ADDICTED TO RUSH?????" The crowd went apeshit and then the band went into their hit "Addicted To That Rush."

...

Earl, are you really sure that Mr. Big opened on the T4E tour???

 

Signed

 

Vishnu and Gaia - Aztec and Maya

 

"An Evening with Rush"

 

...aka "no opening acts"

 

Whoops! Sorry gang!!! I had a senior moment last night. A Mr. Big Brain Fart! Mr. Big opened for RUSH on the "Presto" Tour. My bad.

 

No prob. Only 3 tours and 7 years off gramps! :poke:

 

Ouch! Jesus! Don't call me gramps yet! Zoe is only 20!!

[JohnnyBlaze]

Old school TRFers might remember the covers contest we had on here about a decade ago. I can't even remember the winner but it might've been Geds' (was that his screen name? I've forgotten that too) cover of Driven. He played lead guitar and provided vocals and video'd himself in his home studio. A good cover of a very cool song! My standout song for T4E.

 

As for the other 10 songs, I like 5 while the remaining 5 are either just ok or so so. Blocking the lyrics out of my mind, there's nothing embarrassing on here IMHO...and no I didn't forget Dog Years.

 

Golly! I have so many memories of that "Test For Echo" Tour. I saw it four times. Remember, and I am a broken record. I didn't even remember that Porsche I was in going 100 miles an hour listening to "Anthem."

 

But man Mr. Big opened all four times out here when I saw them. Eric Martin always saying.... "ARE YOU ADDICTED TO RUSH?????" The crowd went apeshit and then the band went into their hit "Addicted To That Rush."

...

Earl, are you really sure that Mr. Big opened on the T4E tour???

 

Signed

 

Vishnu and Gaia - Aztec and Maya

 

"An Evening with Rush"

 

...aka "no opening acts"

 

Whoops! Sorry gang!!! I had a senior moment last night. A Mr. Big Brain Fart! Mr. Big opened for RUSH on the "Presto" Tour. My bad.

 

No prob. Only 3 tours and 7 years off gramps! :poke:

 

Ouch! Jesus! Don't call me gramps yet! Zoe is only 20!!

 

My memory of what happened to you (the speeding incident) is better than your own memory of the incident!

[RUSHHEAD666]

Old school TRFers might remember the covers contest we had on here about a decade ago. I can't even remember the winner but it might've been Geds' (was that his screen name? I've forgotten that too) cover of Driven. He played lead guitar and provided vocals and video'd himself in his home studio. A good cover of a very cool song! My standout song for T4E.

 

As for the other 10 songs, I like 5 while the remaining 5 are either just ok or so so. Blocking the lyrics out of my mind, there's nothing embarrassing on here IMHO...and no I didn't forget Dog Years.

 

Golly! I have so many memories of that "Test For Echo" Tour. I saw it four times. Remember, and I am a broken record. I didn't even remember that Porsche I was in going 100 miles an hour listening to "Anthem."

 

But man Mr. Big opened all four times out here when I saw them. Eric Martin always saying.... "ARE YOU ADDICTED TO RUSH?????" The crowd went apeshit and then the band went into their hit "Addicted To That Rush."

...

Earl, are you really sure that Mr. Big opened on the T4E tour???

 

Signed

 

Vishnu and Gaia - Aztec and Maya

 

"An Evening with Rush"

 

...aka "no opening acts"

 

Whoops! Sorry gang!!! I had a senior moment last night. A Mr. Big Brain Fart! Mr. Big opened for RUSH on the "Presto" Tour. My bad.

 

No prob. Only 3 tours and 7 years off gramps! :poke:

 

Ouch! Jesus! Don't call me gramps yet! Zoe is only 20!!

 

My memory of what happened to you (the speeding incident) is better than your own memory of the incident!

 

Hahahaha!! Yes! You are an awesome friend! Lucas too! Thanks for sharing and caring!

 

"The Incident"

 

Love,

 

Porcupine Tree

[Wayne]

Anybody with 4 hours to spare one evening, Neil's 'A Work In Progress' is an excellent companion to the album.

 

A blow by blow detail of the recording of each individual TFE drum track. Some more talk and analysis, a live in-the-studio performance... followed by more talk.

 

[Fridge]

T4E was the album that gave me a little hope after the dire slump of the previous three albums...

 

Don't get me wrong, it's not a great or even a very good album, but it does have a clutch of very fine songs indeed.

 

Some of the lyrics are pretty horrible (eg Virtuality) but equally some are very good (eg T4E)

 

Unfortunately though, this brief renaissance was not to last, but that's a story for another day.

[edhunter]

Anybody with 4 hours to spare one evening, Neil's 'A Work In Progress' is an excellent companion to the album.

 

A blow by blow detail of the recording of each individual TFE drum track. Some more talk and analysis, a live in-the-studio performance... followed by more talk.

 

 

This video is why executions were allowed to continue in states that had a moratorium on capital punishment. It's more reliable than midazolam.

[RUSHHEAD666]

Anybody with 4 hours to spare one evening, Neil's 'A Work In Progress' is an excellent companion to the album.

 

A blow by blow detail of the recording of each individual TFE drum track. Some more talk and analysis, a live in-the-studio performance... followed by more talk.

 

 

This video is why executions were allowed to continue in states that had a moratorium on capital punishment. It's more reliable than midazolam.

Anybody with 4 hours to spare one evening, Neil's 'A Work In Progress' is an excellent companion to the album.

 

A blow by blow detail of the recording of each individual TFE drum track. Some more talk and analysis, a live in-the-studio performance... followed by more talk.

 

 

This video is why executions were allowed to continue in states that had a moratorium on capital punishment. It's more reliable than midazolam.

 

I've sat through it. I just get pissed off because I wish Neil did this with a RUSH album when he had a double bass and his matchstick grip! UGH!

 

I mean I would shit out 2112 red white and blue Twinkies out of my butt to watch him do "Grace Under Pressure" in the studio! God I love that candy apple red Tama kit. Makes me wanna......

[goose]

Old school TRFers might remember the covers contest we had on here about a decade ago. I can't even remember the winner but it might've been Geds' (was that his screen name? I've forgotten that too) cover of Driven. He played lead guitar and provided vocals and video'd himself in his home studio. A good cover of a very cool song! My standout song for T4E.

 

As for the other 10 songs, I like 5 while the remaining 5 are either just ok or so so. Blocking the lyrics out of my mind, there's nothing embarrassing on here IMHO...and no I didn't forget Dog Years.

 

Golly! I have so many memories of that "Test For Echo" Tour. I saw it four times. Remember, and I am a broken record. I didn't even remember that Porsche I was in going 100 miles an hour listening to "Anthem."

 

But man Mr. Big opened all four times out here when I saw them. Eric Martin always saying.... "ARE YOU ADDICTED TO RUSH?????" The crowd went apeshit and then the band went into their hit "Addicted To That Rush."

...

Earl, are you really sure that Mr. Big opened on the T4E tour???

 

Signed

 

Vishnu and Gaia - Aztec and Maya

 

"An Evening with Rush"

 

...aka "no opening acts"

Yep. The tour that started that approach. And it was an amazing tour.