Clockwork Angels cover art, plus rankings

[Fordgalaxy]

Ran across this article t'other day talking about the cover art for Clockwork Angels and how it came about. The writer also ranked the studio albums, but it's all subjective so don't get too worked up about it. Read about it here.

 

 

Art director Hugh Syme considers Rush's 2012 LP, Clockwork Angels, the band's "opus," particularly for Neil Peart. And given the lengthier undertaking behind their final record, he earned a clear "window" into the drummer and lyricist's "working process and expectations."

 

"There was a lot of good fortune in our timing on that," he tells UCR. "They were having a good time [on the 2010-11 Time Machine tour], which was rare because Neil didn't normally like to tour. ... They decided to do a European leg, I believe. They were going to leak two songs ['Caravan' and 'BU2B'] from the forthcoming album [as] sort of a 'work-in-progress' — something they'd never done before. And the reason was that they didn't have the album anywhere near ready. They had those two songs in the can and played them live."

 

Previewing the project made sense commercially, generating fan hype for what became their first album since 2007's Snakes & Arrows. The slower pace allowed Peart to spend more time refining his lyrics, which later spawned an entire sci-fi novel co-written with Kevin J. Anderson.

Syme also benefitted from that timeline, with more flexibility to brainstorm visual concepts — first with the "Caravan" and "BU2B" single covers, later for the full LP. "I was able to spend the better part of 18 to 20 months preparing the artwork for what was promising to be … an epic undertaking," he says.

 

"I knew from talking to Neil how important this one was to him because it was a book in development," he continues. "The story kept growing and growing! It was one of the first full epic albums they'd done since 2112 [in 1976]. And I could just hear in his tone how much he was invested in this." And Peart, as became more frequent on Rush's later albums, had a clear vision of what the cover might look like.

 

"He liked the idea of just the clock and those alchemic symbols," Syme says, describing the final product. "I said, 'They'll have a nice home in the package somewhere.' It was one of those [moments of], 'No, I want that on the cover.' I remember feeling a little compromised by that summary request. But it did work really well. It ended up being a clean, iconic, minimal cover."

 

That image, like the simple graphic on 1987's Hold Your Fire, is just a teaser for the more robust designs inside. "I think it coexisted nicely against what would eventually be revealed in my illustrations for the inner package," he notes. "The rationale I had adhered to on Hold Your Fire found its place in Rush history once again." Syme admits that, had he been "left to his own devices to do cover for such an epic saga," he probably would have created something slightly more "picturesque" and "environmental."

But he's realized over time that the drummer's instincts were correct, as usual.

"The client," he says, "was right."

Edited January 14, 2021 by Fordgalaxy

[goose]

Agree to disagree with Syme on how well it worked (and I'm not convinced he fully agrees, either). As with HYF, I think there is inner sleeve art that would have made for a better cover over time.

 

This, minus the ships...

 

 

Or this...

 

[Rhyta]

I love the Clock with the alchemy symbols, have a pendant with it and key chain too. The red is fitting since 2112 had it on the cover too. Like two bookends :finbar: :ebert:

[Geddyleegenes]

At it's most basic, the Clockwork cover comes across (imo) as simply "red". That merely copies the Hold Your Fire cover. So to me, the Clockwork cover isn't at all special.

 

I've never really understood why Neil was as taken with the "clockwork machinery" concept as he was, as it certainly wasn't anything particularly new at the time. Perhaps in his intellectualism, Neil wasn't aware of the concept having been "out there" already for a long time. Sort of like USA President George H. W. Bush when he was amazed at the concept of grocery store check-outs using scanners for pricing. Those scanners had been out there for years, but in his "upper-class twit" mentality, he'd never been exposed to them previously for all those years. (And no, that's not to put Neil in that same class. He's simply superior-minded.)

 

Not that anyone asked (or is expected to care), I don't think the Clockwork Angels "story" holds together very well. To me it's a bit confused. Certainly not as straightforward as the story of 2112. Not just lyrically, but 2112 musically tells it's story with ease of understanding. To me, Clockwork Angels is all over the place. Headlong Flight is so powerful in it's sounds and it's words, that it just absolutely lifts me up. But this song is followed by what is easily the most outright depressing song not only on the Clockwork Angels album, but in Rush's complete catalogue. To me, BUTB2 just doesn't seem to belong where it is on the album or in the story being told.

 

But besides BUTB2 and the story being told and the cover artwork, this is truly a fantastic album. These songs, taken individually (by myself, that is) are incredible. Headlong Flight is currently my absolute most favorite Rush song. (That has moved around through the decades, from Spirit of Radio to Mystic Rhythms to La Villa Strangiato to Cut to the Chase to Headlong Flight. It will maybe change again some day.)

 

The artwork goose posted above are both beautiful. The second, the two outstretched hands and the clockwork in between, remind me of the Hemispheres cover. The Clockmaker above being Apollo and the jean-jacket below being like Dionysus. Pretty cool image. The first artwork, with the sundial and the dancer on the edge is just wonderful. I agree that either would have been great on the cover.

[jnoble]

I enjoy bits and pieces and random moments from CA but simply can't listen to it start to finish. Its too long, loud, dense, & chaotic plus I can't understand half of what Geddy is singing

[Rhyta]

At it's most basic, the Clockwork cover comes across (imo) as simply "red". That merely copies the Hold Your Fire cover. So to me, the Clockwork cover isn't at all special.

 

I've never really understood why Neil was as taken with the "clockwork machinery" concept as he was, as it certainly wasn't anything particularly new at the time. Perhaps in his intellectualism, Neil wasn't aware of the concept having been "out there" already for a long time. Sort of like USA President George H. W. Bush when he was amazed at the concept of grocery store check-outs using scanners for pricing. Those scanners had been out there for years, but in his "upper-class twit" mentality, he'd never been exposed to them previously for all those years. (And no, that's not to put Neil in that same class. He's simply superior-minded.)

 

Not that anyone asked (or is expected to care), I don't think the Clockwork Angels "story" holds together very well. To me it's a bit confused. Certainly not as straightforward as the story of 2112. Not just lyrically, but 2112 musically tells it's story with ease of understanding. To me, Clockwork Angels is all over the place. Headlong Flight is so powerful in it's sounds and it's words, that it just absolutely lifts me up. But this song is followed by what is easily the most outright depressing song not only on the Clockwork Angels album, but in Rush's complete catalogue. To me, BUTB2 just doesn't seem to belong where it is on the album or in the story being told.

 

But besides BUTB2 and the story being told and the cover artwork, this is truly a fantastic album. These songs, taken individually (by myself, that is) are incredible. Headlong Flight is currently my absolute most favorite Rush song. (That has moved around through the decades, from Spirit of Radio to Mystic Rhythms to La Villa Strangiato to Cut to the Chase to Headlong Flight. It will maybe change again some day.)

 

The artwork goose posted above are both beautiful. The second, the two outstretched hands and the clockwork in between, remind me of the Hemispheres cover. The Clockmaker above being Apollo and the jean-jacket below being like Dionysus. Pretty cool image. The first artwork, with the sundial and the dancer on the edge is just wonderful. I agree that either would have been great on the cover.

 

I don't think it is fair to compare Neil to Bush Sr., don't get that at all. :no: They were going for a different type of story and this was also around the time that steampunk novels were a "thing". If I remember, Neil had read Candide not long before he started writing Clockwork Angels. It was the inspiration for the Garden and "the best of all possible worlds" shows up in BU2B. I know there are many who just don't like the story and some of the songs. For me, I love the album and listened to it many times before I read the book. I think Neil chose the alchemy/steampunk vibe for his inspiration as it were "thinking big", to me it truly fits as a big tale to be told as was 2112. Geddy obviously enjoyed the symbols since he put the one for almagamation on his bass. I found it very clever and not old and out of touch as H.W. Bush was...to each their own.

Edited January 17, 2021 by Rhyta

[Rush Didact]

I also get the sense Hugh didn't really agree with Neil's decision and he's just being political.

 

Frankly, I hate it. Dull concept, bland execution. It's easily my least favourite of the entire catalogue, I can't find anything interesting about it. Even CP and HYF have a minimalist appeal and a symbolism that inspires thought, but CA just looks cheesy and cliché. There's no subtlety, no depth, no clever play-on-words that Syme does so well.

 

It would have been a great concept for a label design on the vinyl release, but it's embarrassment as the album cover.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Rush Didact

[Red3angel]

Always liked rush growing up but not a huge fan. Rented ca from library BECAUSE of the cover. Album blew me away with how it made me feel and you could escape in its sound. I didn’t want to know the full story I just loved the feel of the music.within a year of that rent, I had all the albums and was consumed by the band. Couldn’t believe it took the last album to wake me up Edited January 19, 2021 by Red3angel

[goose]

Always liked rush growing up but not a huge fan. Rented ca from library BECAUSE of the cover. Album blew me away with how it made me feel and you could escape in its sound. I didn’t want to know the full story I just loved the feel of the music.within a year of that rent, I had all the albums and was consumed by the band. Couldn’t believe it took the last album to wake me up

:ebert: