Why was not the RUSH album ever remixed with Neil on the drums?

[jc4gd]

He played many of the songs in concerts. Just wish they had studio remixed or re-recorded it with him playing. I think it would have been that much better.

 

Many bands re-record albums just because they can. What about the only Rush album without Neil on it? Has this been discussed here before and is there info somewhere?

 

1. Did Neil ever lay tracks, but the project got derailed/shelved?. Might they have such recording somewhere? or

 

2. They were just to busy making new music and touring to ever add Neil's tracks or just never bothered or cared to. or

 

3. ….

[J2112YYZ]

Rush always looked forward and probably never thought about doing it. The band was always about the current album and tour. There really wasn't much of a point to remix it honestly. The first album was fine for what it was but I don't think re-recording it with Neil would have changed the overall quality too much. I also wonder if Geddy and Alex wanted to make sure that Rutsey was taken care of in some way financially too. If they release the album with Neil on it then John gets nothing from that.

[jc4gd]

Rush always looked forward and probably never thought about doing it. The band was always about the current album and tour. There really wasn't much of a point to remix it honestly. The first album was fine for what it was but I don't think re-recording it with Neil would have changed the overall quality too much. I also wonder if Geddy and Alex wanted to make sure that Rutsey was taken care of in some way financially too. If they release the album with Neil on it then John gets nothing from that.

 

I agree, but think Rutsey was properly taken care of, and would have been even if they added a different version with Neil's drums. Again I bet you those tracks were recorded and are kept somewhere.

[blueschica]

Rush always looked forward and probably never thought about doing it. The band was always about the current album and tour. There really wasn't much of a point to remix it honestly. The first album was fine for what it was but I don't think re-recording it with Neil would have changed the overall quality too much. I also wonder if Geddy and Alex wanted to make sure that Rutsey was taken care of in some way financially too. If they release the album with Neil on it then John gets nothing from that.

I agree. Also, where would they have found the time and money to pay for it? Neil has talked in interviews about how Fly By Night was literally written in hotel rooms because they were touring all the time. Mercury was unhappy with Caress of Steel and it was all Ray D. could do to talk Mercury into studio time for 2112. Mercury wouldn't have paid for the debut to be prerecorded and the guys themselves didn't have a lot of money at the time.

Edited February 11, 2020 by blueschica

[jc4gd]

Rush always looked forward and probably never thought about doing it. The band was always about the current album and tour. There really wasn't much of a point to remix it honestly. The first album was fine for what it was but I don't think re-recording it with Neil would have changed the overall quality too much. I also wonder if Geddy and Alex wanted to make sure that Rutsey was taken care of in some way financially too. If they release the album with Neil on it then John gets nothing from that.

I agree. Also, where would they have found the time and money to pay for it? Neil has talked in interviews about how Fly By Night was literally written in hotel rooms because they were touring all the time. Mercury was unhappy with Caress of Steel and it was all Ray D. could do to talk Mercury into studio time for 2112. Mercury wouldn't have paid for the debut to be prerecorded and the guys themselves didn't have a lot of money at the time.

 

True, but to add Neil's drum track to Alex and Geddy's original tracks could have been done in more recent years. No offense to Rutsey and his fans, (I liked him too) and it never ever bothered me before Neil passed but now when I listened to the RUSH album it did bother me that Neil's not on it.

[JohnRogers]

I had no idea Rutsey lived into 2008. I thought he died in the ‘70s.

[thizzellewashington]

I'm fine with the first album existing as it was, as a snapshot of what Rush was in its early days. Although I wish "The Loser" had ever been recorded in the studio.

 

It's easily my least listened-to Rush album (besides Feedback) and I don't think having Neil replicate the drum parts would have changed that. Just seems like they had better things to do with their time and resources.

[Syrinx]

No need to add Neil to the first album. It was a part of the history of the band. Don't re-create history.

[taurus]

I would think that time and money would have also played into that not being a consideration.

 

I don't know what kind of business deal was made with Rutsey, but if that first album provided him with a lifelong income, I'm glad they left things as they did but if I could play around with thee bands history, I would have liked the 1st album to remain an independent release on Moon records in Canada and when they got signed to Mercury, they re-recorded select tracks (FMN/ITM/WYD/WM) and combined them with Side 1 of FBN and have that as their international debut album. Coincidentally I just posted something similar to that a short while back.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

I'm fine with the first album existing as it was, as a snapshot of what Rush was in its early days. Although I wish "The Loser" had ever been recorded in the studio.

 

It's easily my least listened-to Rush album (besides Feedback) and I don't think having Neil replicate the drum parts would have changed that. Just seems like they had better things to do with their time and resources.

 

No need to add Neil to the first album. It was a part of the history of the band. Don't re-create history.

 

Yep. The first album is Lee-Lifeson-Rutsey. A lot of Rush fans have a soft spot for that debut album -- it's raw and youthful and loud, and Rutsey is big a part of that. No reason to erase him from Rush's history. Alex and Geddy aren't like Eddie Van Halen and the way he's treated Michael Anthony in recent years.

 

We have several live versions of a few of those debut album songs with Neil on drums, and that's good enough.

[HemiBeers]

The songs on the first album are basic so having them re-recorded with Neil would serve no purpose. It would be like asking Picasso to do something with crayons and fingerpaints. Edited February 11, 2020 by HemiBeers

[Maverick]

I can't believe this is even a thread.

[chemistry1973]

They didn’t do that stuff in those days. Once the record was done it was done. Especially low budget affairs like “Rush”.

 

They had no time or interest to go back and re-record anything. They were too damn busy. Re-recording that record would be a huge undertaking, and expensive. So why? It was a hit as it was!

[RUSHHEAD666]

He played many of the songs in concerts. Just wish they had studio remixed or re-recorded it with him playing. I think it would have been that much better.

 

Many bands re-record albums just because they can. What about the only Rush album without Neil on it? Has this been discussed here before and is there info somewhere?

 

1. Did Neil ever lay tracks, but the project got derailed/shelved?. Might they have such recording somewhere? or

 

2. They were just to busy making new music and touring to ever add Neil's tracks or just never bothered or cared to. or

 

3. ….

 

 

I must say that this is a very interesting question. I've been on here since 2006 and I don't ever remember reading about the possibility of Rush re-recording the first Rush album with Neil on the drums.

As I agree, the band instantly went forward but I would have liked to have heard Neil lay down those tracks in the studio. Just for fun!

[jc4gd]

He played many of the songs in concerts. Just wish they had studio remixed or re-recorded it with him playing. I think it would have been that much better.

 

Many bands re-record albums just because they can. What about the only Rush album without Neil on it? Has this been discussed here before and is there info somewhere?

 

1. Did Neil ever lay tracks, but the project got derailed/shelved?. Might they have such recording somewhere? or

 

2. They were just to busy making new music and touring to ever add Neil's tracks or just never bothered or cared to. or

 

3. ….

 

 

I must say that this is a very interesting question. I've been on here since 2006 and I don't ever remember reading about the possibility of Rush re-recording the first Rush album with Neil on the drums.

As I agree, the band instantly went forward but I would have liked to have heard Neil lay down those tracks in the studio. Just for fun!

 

For sure!

 

According to https://www.setlist.fm/ while touring Neil played Working Man about 900 times compared to John Rutsey's few apperances. Neil played Finding My Way about 307 times and In the Mood about 1000 times.

[RUSHHEAD666]

He played many of the songs in concerts. Just wish they had studio remixed or re-recorded it with him playing. I think it would have been that much better.

 

Many bands re-record albums just because they can. What about the only Rush album without Neil on it? Has this been discussed here before and is there info somewhere?

 

1. Did Neil ever lay tracks, but the project got derailed/shelved?. Might they have such recording somewhere? or

 

2. They were just to busy making new music and touring to ever add Neil's tracks or just never bothered or cared to. or

 

3. ….

 

 

I must say that this is a very interesting question. I've been on here since 2006 and I don't ever remember reading about the possibility of Rush re-recording the first Rush album with Neil on the drums.

As I agree, the band instantly went forward but I would have liked to have heard Neil lay down those tracks in the studio. Just for fun!

 

For sure!

 

According to https://www.setlist.fm/ while touring Neil played Working Man about 900 times compared to John Rutsey's few apperances. Neil played Finding My Way about 307 times and In the Mood about 1000 times.

 

Right on! Wow!! Cool stats!!!

[jnoble]

Why in the world would they have wanted to do that?

[jc4gd]

Many examples of bands re-recorded albums here...

 

https://www.ultimate...-recorded-54155

[ytserush]

They didn’t do that stuff in those days. Once the record was done it was done. Especially low budget affairs like “Rush”.

 

They had no time or interest to go back and re-record anything. They were too damn busy. Re-recording that record would be a huge undertaking, and expensive. So why? It was a hit as it was!

 

It was a shocker that they even recorded Feedback.

[ytserush]

 

Many bands re-record albums just because they can.

 

Many bands aren't Rush. It's not what they do.

[jc4gd]

Many bands re-record albums just because they can.

 

Many bands aren't Rush. It's not what they do.

 

Really? They re-recorded Vapor Trails

[ytserush]

Many bands re-record albums just because they can.

 

Many bands aren't Rush. It's not what they do.

 

Really? They re-recorded Vapor Trails

 

David Bottrill re-recorded it. Band just signed off on it.

[chemistry1973]

Remix is the term. Re-record would imply newer, different performances.

[edhunter]

Neil couldn't groove as well as Rutsey. Those songs would sound choppy and cluttered, like the bootlegs do.

[treeduck]

They should have played the Fountain of Lamneth and The Necromancer 1000 times instead of In the Mood.