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Studio work declined, but live performance improved: any other bands?


Weatherman
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I don't think I'm being controversial when I point out that Rush's studio output was of, um, mixed quality starting with Test For Echo. They made no classic albums or even classic songs from 1996 onwards.

However, they improved as a live band. Their stage show got really good as time went on, they played more evenly, Geddy even tamed his singing voice.

My earliest tour was Roll the Bones, but I imagine that any Rush show in 1980 was inferior to -- for example -- Rush in Rio in 2003.

 

My question: Can you think of any other classic rock bands who followed this same arc?

 

I'll suggest one: Rolling Stones. Their best studio days were decades ago, but when they play live today it's kinda spine-chilling how good they sound.

 

You?

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for me their best live performances were back in the days when they were making their best music. ATWAS and ESL. Disc 3 of different stages etc etc

 

personally, after grace under pressure, they both declined. still great shows and they finished very strong all things considered. like their advanced age. more polish less aggression.

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Clockwork Angels is a classic album, argument disproved.

 

Not like they couldn't have a misstep before T4E. Look at Roll The Bones...

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Clockwork Angels is a classic album, argument disproved.

 

Not like they couldn't have a misstep before T4E. Look at Roll The Bones...

 

Bones is my second least favorite Rush album. I like four songs off of it, the rest are forgettable or much worse.

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Clockwork Angels is a classic album, argument disproved.

 

Not like they couldn't have a misstep before T4E. Look at Roll The Bones...

 

Bones is my second least favorite Rush album. I like four songs off of it, the rest are forgettable or much worse.

 

What's your #19?

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Clockwork Angels is a classic album, argument disproved.

 

Not like they couldn't have a misstep before T4E. Look at Roll The Bones...

 

Bones is my second least favorite Rush album. I like four songs off of it, the rest are forgettable or much worse.

 

What's your #19?

 

snakes & bungholes

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Clockwork Angels is a classic album, argument disproved.

 

Not like they couldn't have a misstep before T4E. Look at Roll The Bones...

 

Bones is my second least favorite Rush album. I like four songs off of it, the rest are forgettable or much worse.

 

What's your #19?

 

snakes & bungholes

 

Test for Echo would be third from the bottom. Even though there’s nothing on it I dislike, there are plenty on it that are forgettable.

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I don’t agree with the premise. Geddy’s voice and Alex’s playing both declined in later years.
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I don't think I'm being controversial when I point out that Rush's studio output was of, um, mixed quality starting with Test For Echo. They made no classic albums or even classic songs from 1996 onwards.

However, they improved as a live band. Their stage show got really good as time went on, they played more evenly, Geddy even tamed his singing voice.

My earliest tour was Roll the Bones, but I imagine that any Rush show in 1980 was inferior to -- for example -- Rush in Rio in 2003.

 

I can't listen to anything from the last two or three tours because of Geddy's faltering voice, god bless him. Their playing on those tours was good but felt slowed down and even mannered which was understandable given the band's age. Their 70s and 80s live playing was the best for me although they were still pretty awesome up to R30.

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I don’t agree with the premise. Geddy’s voice and Alex’s playing both declined in later years.

 

Ged: Basically he lost his shriek, right? That counts as an "improvement" in my book. But I get what you're saying.

Alex: I wasn't aware that his live playing had declined. Can you elaborate?

Neil: Improved with age. (Minus the final tour.)

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The Glass Spider 87 songs in Montreal by Bowie on his Loving The Alien box set are way better than Never Let Me Down.

 

Thanks - I've been meaning to do a deep dive into Bowie. I don't know most of his catalog.

Was planning to do the same with Dylan until I realized 1) I don't really like his music, 2) he's kinda of an asshole.

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Bones is my second least favorite Rush album. I like four songs off of it, the rest are forgettable or much worse.

 

4 good-or-great songs out of 10 ain't too bad.

I mean, Power Windows definitely doesn't reach 40%, not in my opinion.

And Vapor Trails rates 0 of 13. I wouldn't even use the disc as a coaster. The cover art is literally the best thing about that album.

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The Glass Spider 87 songs in Montreal by Bowie on his Loving The Alien box set are way better than Never Let Me Down.

 

Thanks - I've been meaning to do a deep dive into Bowie. I don't know most of his catalog.

Was planning to do the same with Dylan until I realized 1) I don't really like his music, 2) he's kinda of an asshole.

 

Ironically, one of his songs is Song For Bob Dylan on Hunky Dory.

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Lock and Key from the ASOH Laserdisk. It has a nice bottom end. Unlike the studio album it came from....
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Bones is my second least favorite Rush album. I like four songs off of it, the rest are forgettable or much worse.

 

4 good-or-great songs out of 10 ain't too bad.

I mean, Power Windows definitely doesn't reach 40%, not in my opinion.

And Vapor Trails rates 0 of 13. I wouldn't even use the disc as a coaster. The cover art is literally the best thing about that album.

 

4/10 is not good in my book. If I didn't like the best songs on RTB so much I doubt I would ever listen to it. No sense wasting much time on an album with more duds than hits. PoW and VT are both great albums to me, but I can understand how they each rub people the wrong way.

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Bones is my second least favorite Rush album. I like four songs off of it, the rest are forgettable or much worse.

 

4 good-or-great songs out of 10 ain't too bad.

I mean, Power Windows definitely doesn't reach 40%, not in my opinion.

And Vapor Trails rates 0 of 13. I wouldn't even use the disc as a coaster. The cover art is literally the best thing about that album.

 

4/10 is not good in my book. If I didn't like the best songs on RTB so much I doubt I would ever listen to it. No sense wasting much time on an album with more duds than hits. PoW and VT are both great albums to me, but I can understand how they each rub people the wrong way.

Talk about different productions, eh? PoW is too glossy. VT is too Rice Krispie. I like VT a lot more than PoW though because I like the songwriting better.

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I like most of the grateful deads catalog.

 

I do suspect a lot of their fans feel that their live performances were always superior to the studio recordings.

 

I find this to be true of Phish. Phish is all about the shows and jams. The albums are just a starting point for ideas, IMO.

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Rio is peak Rush as a live act IMO.

I think so too.

Obviously Exit Stage Left is terrific but 23 years later in Rio they had an additional 8 albums of mostly excellent music to exploit. Plus better sound systems, more money, more rehearsal, more experience, and more muscle memory.

Yeah, 2003-2008 was probably their live peak. Ironically it was their lowest point in the studio.

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