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A reason NOT to listen to Rush's studio albums

Rush Cocky

By Rush Cocky,
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Rush Cocky

Rush Cocky

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I've been thinking about this a lot lately since I'm on my Rush live kick, as I listen to them in the car to and from work.

 

There are certain studio albums that I just won't listen to anymore. Not because I hate them, no I think of them very highly.

 

But with so many live albums out there, it is hard to find a particular song which the studio recording was better than what was played live. And oftentimes, the live recording is much, much better.

 

Pick a song, any song. Rush did it better live. Example: Xanadu. I grew up endlessly listening to ESL (have it in the car CD player now in fact), and this one became a favorite. Eventually, I got around to picking up AFTK, and hey let's listen to Xanadu! And......huh. Sounds kind of ordinary. So what did I REALLY buy AFTK for again? Oh yeah, so I could hear Madrigal, the only song off the album never to be played live.

 

Ironically, one of Rush's least favorite albums (by the fanbase at large, but I like it a lot) -- Caress of Steel -- gets played a LOT in my player, because apart from Bastille Day, there are no decent recordings of any of that stuff live (that I've found anyway).

 

Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments in the section below. :D

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zepphead

zepphead

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For me this would certainly apply to a lot of the post Signals albums - I think the live versions rock harder.

 

But I adore the content of the the earlier studio albums and would prefer them to live versions.

Edited by zepphead
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Rush Cocky

Rush Cocky

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For me this would certainly apply to a lot of the post Signals albums - I think the live versions rock harder.

 

But I adore the content of the the earlier studio albums and would prefer them to live versions.

 

Fair enough.

 

Here's another example: Unless I'm just craving to hear Neurotica (which has yet to happen), RTB never makes it to the player. I hate the thin sound of those songs on the album, and anything I like off that album has already been played live, and it has "more balls" to it in those instances.

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grep

grep

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The one that comes to mind for me is The Camera Eye. The TMT version is shortened, the drums sound like shit and there's those stupid cat noises.

 

For one of my favorite Rush songs, that was a disappointment. I will take the epic studio version any day.

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zepphead

zepphead

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For me this would certainly apply to a lot of the post Signals albums - I think the live versions rock harder.

 

But I adore the content of the the earlier studio albums and would prefer them to live versions.

 

Fair enough.

 

Here's another example: Unless I'm just craving to hear Neurotica (which has yet to happen), RTB never makes it to the player. I hate the thin sound of those songs on the album, and anything I like off that album has already been played live, and it has "more balls" to it in those instances.

Totally agree .... some of the shows from the RTB tour are fantastic.

Similarly, I was never a fan of the Hold Your Fire album, but the 1988 shows supporting the album sound great!

Edited by zepphead
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grep

grep

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The one that comes to mind for me is The Camera Eye. The TMT version is shortened, the drums sound like shit and there's those stupid cat noises.

 

For one of my favorite Rush songs, that was a disappointment. I will take the epic studio version any day.

 

On the other hand - La Villa from ESL. Perfection. Definitive version for me.

 

When they'd play it live I'd even sing Geddy's nonsense in the right places. :)

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Entre_Perpetuo

Entre_Perpetuo

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To me most of the studio versions are still definitive. I have a good chunk of live Rush in my collection at this point, but I’m normally more interested in hearing a particular studio album than a particular concert. This is probably because: 1. Most of the shows I have sound great, but I think the studio recordings tend to just sound better, from a production standpoint mostly, and 2. I like hearing each song in its original artistic context, surrounded by a collection of other songs that create some interesting theme or meaning. Definitely songs can take on new meanings or purposes in a live setting, which is great too, but the meaning there is often: lets rock and have a fantastic time! The meaning of, say, Xanadu on AFTK is more, “let’s really dig into this high fantasy mythical sound which we introduced on the opener and mine it for all it’s worth.” A set with both Xanadu and 2112 is less thematically focused, and so on for a set with both The Trees and Tom Sawyer, or The Spirit Of Radio and Subdivisions. I love all these songs, but their meanings do change somewhat based on their context. Edited by Entre_Perpetuo
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Rush Cocky

Rush Cocky

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On the other hand - La Villa from ESL. Perfection. Definitive version for me.

 

When they'd play it live I'd even sing Geddy's nonsense in the right places. :)

 

Post of the day right here. I've probably listened to that version at least 1,000 times, and it never gets old!

 

Maybe one day I'll actually be able to drum it. :eh:

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bluefox4000

bluefox4000

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i haven't play like any Rush in like 2 years and change.

 

but i remember when i did it was almost always studio albums. 70's and 80's mostly......actually mostly 80's. Skipping most of the 90's. and the modern era stuff.

 

was a big 80's Rush guy.

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ST3V

ST3V

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I was never a live albums guy. I've heard All The World's A Stage, Exit Stage Left, A Show Of Hands, and the first half of Different Stages. They're not bad, by any means, I just would never say that I prefer live albums over studio one, for pretty much any band. The only significant thing I've gotten from the live albums is that if the ESL version of The Trees was on Hemispheres rather than the studio version, it wouldn't be my least favorite Rush song (would only bump it up a couple pegs, nothing too crazy).
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Entre_Perpetuo

Entre_Perpetuo

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i haven't play like any Rush in like 2 years and change.

 

but i remember when i did it was almost always studio albums. 70's and 80's mostly......actually mostly 80's. Skipping most of the 90's. and the modern era stuff.

 

was a big 80's Rush guy.

 

It's been that long? Interesting. Do you think you'll come back to them someday?

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bluefox4000

bluefox4000

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i haven't play like any Rush in like 2 years and change.

 

but i remember when i did it was almost always studio albums. 70's and 80's mostly......actually mostly 80's. Skipping most of the 90's. and the modern era stuff.

 

was a big 80's Rush guy.

 

It's been that long? Interesting. Do you think you'll come back to them someday?

 

Welllll......i've playing a ton of Mastodon. and honestly they remind me of a heavier version of 70's Rush in their playing......they way they play with time signatures and such. it's very Rush inspired. Actually 70's rush fans would take to these guys if they could stand screamed vocals. if they could take 70's Ged they should be fine.

 

that's my long way of saying that these guys owe a bunch to Rush and it's reminding me how great Rush are......so a Rush run could be days away, lol

 

Mick

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Entre_Perpetuo

Entre_Perpetuo

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i haven't play like any Rush in like 2 years and change.

 

but i remember when i did it was almost always studio albums. 70's and 80's mostly......actually mostly 80's. Skipping most of the 90's. and the modern era stuff.

 

was a big 80's Rush guy.

 

It's been that long? Interesting. Do you think you'll come back to them someday?

 

Welllll......i've playing a ton of Mastodon. and honestly they remind me of a heavier version of 70's Rush in their playing......they way they play with time signatures and such. it's very Rush inspired. Actually 70's rush fans would take to these guys if they could stand screamed vocals. if they could take 70's Ged they should be fine.

 

that's my long way of saying that these guys owe a bunch to Rush and it's reminding me how great Rush are......so a Rush run could be days away, lol

 

Mick

 

One of my favorite things about Rush's story is how they were looked at like some kind of weird, unintelligible heavy progressive screaming nonsense in their own time, but they sneakily became one of the most influential bands of all time, especially in metal. As early as Iron Maiden too.

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Fordgalaxy

Fordgalaxy

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I rarely listen to anything live by Rush or any other band because the studio version is almost always what I hear first and that's what sounds "correct" to me. I know people who prefer the live stuff because it transports them back to a certain concert and the memories associated with it.

 

The first time my son went to a Rush concert with me he said, "it sounds almost like their cds" which I think is about the highest compliment you can give a musician.

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Entre_Perpetuo

Entre_Perpetuo

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I can think of only two songs Rush where I prefer the live version to the studio: What You're Doing, and Armor & Sword.

How bout "In The End" on ATWAS?

I can think of only two songs Rush where I prefer the live version to the studio: What You're Doing, and Armor & Sword.

Not even Bytor from ATWAS???

 

Atwas makes its case for best live album on cus like these, which take great songs that were perhaps executed a bit naively in the studio and shows them at their full potential.

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grep

grep

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I can think of only two songs Rush where I prefer the live version to the studio: What You're Doing, and Armor & Sword.

How bout "In The End" on ATWAS?

I can think of only two songs Rush where I prefer the live version to the studio: What You're Doing, and Armor & Sword.

Not even Bytor from ATWAS???

 

Atwas makes its case for best live album on cus like these, which take great songs that were perhaps executed a bit naively in the studio and shows them at their full potential.

 

This is the way.

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Rush Cocky

Rush Cocky

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Atwas makes its case for best live album on cus like these, which take great songs that were perhaps executed a bit naively in the studio and shows them at their full potential.

 

My contention is that live Rush in general accomplishes this "great songs....show[ing]...their full potential." when they are finally played live.

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JARG

JARG

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I can think of only two songs Rush where I prefer the live version to the studio: What You're Doing, and Armor & Sword.

How bout "In The End" on ATWAS?

 

It's a great performance, but I like the acoustic intro.

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JARG

JARG

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I can think of only two songs Rush where I prefer the live version to the studio: What You're Doing, and Armor & Sword.

Not even Bytor from ATWAS???

 

It's close.

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