circumstantial tree Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 I think what makes me like the Rush tunes and albums that I do is "feel". It seems that most of the music I like stirs emotions in me that I don't mind feeling even if it's sadness. This can come from the lyrics or just the sounds of the music. For some people, it must be an all out rocker, or it could be the "technical" aspect, or the interplay of the musicians. This may be why I don't care for Test For Echo. Sure the songs are all out "rockers" but I feel detached emotionally from the record. Whereas Hold Your Fire (my fave album) and Vapor Trails are full of emotion and feeling and are quite personal. Yet the musical styles are polar opposites. Please explain what it is that draws you to Rush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barney_rebel Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 The fact that they don't follow the traditional "rock image", and always recognize the fact they are a Canadian band... The complexity in the music The deep lyrics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted December 4, 2004 Author Share Posted December 4, 2004 True, but what I'm looking for is not a comparison to other bands, but expressing what you think you like about certain Rush music and perhaps why other Rush music does nothing for you. Too many synths? not enough? etc...and that is just one thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Rat Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 My answer- Simply the pure fact that they are better musicians than anyone. Look at Geddy- he doesn't EVER get buzz, like a bassist usually gets when he accidently hits a fret bar. Geddy has amazing precision and accuracy, I've never seen him ever hit a wrong note, and that's GOT TO be hard when you're singing at the same time! Alex can throw in these great guitar parts wherever he wants them, making his song sound more alive and draws the listener to say "Oh yeah, this is bloody awesome!!" And I know I don't need to say much for "The Professor." That's given! Without a doubt, he is one of the greatest drummers of our time, and no matter what technology comes along in the future, Neil will forever have the bar set. Plus, Neil's lyrics touched me in a way I've never seen. Such great creativity, imagination and emotion flowing in each song. Each song has it's meaning, even if it's to be a little silly! Some of you may say that Dog Years was a big fluke in Neil's lyrics, but if you're really paying attention, you could see the awesome descriptions within them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-13 Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 QUOTE (barney_rebel @ Dec 3 2004, 08:03 PM) The fact that they don't follow the traditional "rock image", and always recognize the fact they are a Canadian band... The complexity in the music The deep lyrics Exactly what he said....took the words right out of my mouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indica Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 They sound like Rush, and no one else does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esmeralda Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 Indica is right, you cannot compare Rush to any other band!! Not in the early years, and not now. I don't know what it is.... Many people has asked me what I like about them, and I have always said: EVERYTHING. The music, the lyrics, the voice, the drums, the guitar, the bass, the synth, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Presto45 Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 I love The guys for there heart and love for there respectful Instruments. Also they would be great guys to hang with in a Bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowdog Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 QUOTE (Indica @ Dec 3 2004, 10:27 PM) They sound like Rush, and no one else does. Well put, Indy. They are very distinctive without a doubt and I love that about them. Another thing I like is that they do things on their terms, without regard as to what is "popular" at the time. And of course, I simply love the excellent musicianship. That is what really got me into the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaine mac Roth Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 What do I like about Rush? Where do I begin? technically, they are among the finest musicians in the world. However, unlike many so-called 'supergroups' that bring together such phenomenally talented people, the sum is actually greater than the parts. There do not seem to be any egos getting in the way of making the best music they can and, usually, each individual seems content to play his repective role within the band framework. Musically, they are always willing to stretch themselves and incorporate disperate influences into their music. As they do this, they are always able to mould these influences into their own unique style. Furthermore, they are not content to trade and past glories and always try to move the bar a little higher. In a songwriting sense, they are complex without being showy. They may incorporate off the wall time signatures and some complex interplay into their music but it not done for the sake of it. These intricacies never seem forced they way that some other bands do because they realise that all the technical flash in the world is nothing without a good solid heart of feel and emotion underpining the song. I have heard some rock fans criticise Alex for not playing faster than light solos but that man can say more in five notes than someone like malmsteem and Satriani can with 10,000. The songs have lyrics that are thought provoking, intense and intelligent. Except for a few excesses in the past, they rarely become pompous and pretentious (nothing wrong with a bit of pomposity in moderation though). The individual members themselves come across as genuine people. Having never met them personally, I can only judge by the interviews I have read but, through this media Alex and, especially, Geddy come across as two of the nicest people you could meet. Neil is a harder matter as his reserve makes him distant buthe does strike me as being honest and posessing deeply held convictions but avoids arrogance and rudeness. The fact they have remained such a force on the music scene for over thrity is a testament to their commitment to their music and their fans in an age where the musical fashions and trends seem to change on a daily basis. To sum up (and with apologies to Neil): Why do I like Because they're Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afterimage Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 Crikey, a number of reasons. Firstly I think the band have a really sophisticated sound, either early days or latter. Depth in the music & lyrics means repeated listens always through up new surprises. Lyrically always interesting, the band have a certain maverick appeal that errrr "appeals to me, I feel the band work on many levels. Musically they are always growing, consistent records of superb quality. Always challenging themselves, musically and lyrically. Typically friends of mine always have different opinions of what is their favourite album, that seems to be the power of Rush. In a nutshell EVERY new release the band do I am really anticipating, and to be honest, for this 37 yr old not many bands stir that kind of emotion in me anymore. Oh....they also RAWK!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test4VitalSigns Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 Musicianship....not too many bands can perform their material live like they can....they seemed to easily equalized or even exceed better live than their studio recordings....best live band period.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickyrob Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Dec 4 2004, 11:16 AM) Musicianship....not too many bands can perform their material live like they can....they seemed to easily equalized or even exceed better live than their studio recordings....best live band period.... Ditto the last two posts....unique band, music like no other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetmiracle Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 I love the balance between intellect and emotion...Neil's lyrics are very intelligent and thoughtful, and the music creates an emotional connection, especially Alex's guitar. Also, each album is such a surprise! They don't repeat themselves like many (or maybe most) bands do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted December 4, 2004 Author Share Posted December 4, 2004 Compare some of their work that you like to what you don't like. I don't need an allout kick ass record to please me. I need music that brings out the best of my emotions. There are other musicians out there who bring out those same feelings but are different kinds of musicians. For instance, I like African musician Samite. His album "Stars to Share" is full of emotional appeal. His main instrument is the kalimba, an African instrument that is played by plucking. I saw a guy play one in Harvard Square once and I loved it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushfreak Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 The Band! Everything and anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test4VitalSigns Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 QUOTE (Sweetmiracle @ Dec 4 2004, 12:49 PM) I love the balance between intellect and emotion...Neil's lyrics are very intelligent and thoughtful, and the music creates an emotional connection, especially Alex's guitar. Also, each album is such a surprise! They don't repeat themselves like many (or maybe most) bands do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
launchpad67a Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 I like the pretty lights!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faultline Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 QUOTE (Indica @ Dec 3 2004, 10:27 PM) They sound like Rush, and no one else does. Profoundly put!..it would seem to me that all of the great bands would share some of that distiction on some level, and is the reason that they have faired the test of time. Slaine, your review of the band was put quite nicely I share many of the same sentiments that have been shared by many of you.. I will add one more Sentimentality.I know that doesnt require anything great about the band, but the reality is, is that when I was 15 ys old in the late 70's, they meant so much to me. Back then , they appealed to my youthful need to ROCK!!my creative curiosity - thereby interesting me, my intellectual need to be enlightened -chanllenged- and affirmed, and Rush enforced my moral compass. How many bands can accomplish this?. I was scaresly introduced to them, and discovered them completely on my own. Sentimentality..over 25 years worth for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
progrush2112 Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Neil's lyrics are really deep and they make you think. I can relate to some of the lyrcs he has written. It is just really close to home i think. The melodies and grooves are really complex too, more so in the earlier days than recent albums (that's just my opinion though). The music of is just something that will never go away and will always be there till the end of time. Even when Lerxst, Dirk, and Pratt do decide to "hang it up," their legacy will live on through 2112 and Moving Pictures, RiR, and all of the other classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proggy Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Well, first of all, it was Rush that made me realise that music can actually be sort of three-dimensional, with all the instruments clearly doing their own thing and still manage to contribute to make a song sound more than the sum of its parts. (Does that make any sense now?? I can't explain it any better...lol.) When I heard Hemispheres -the percussion work specifically- this was the single greatest discovery I made, and it was nothing short of an epiphany musically speaking. It bewildered me at first but also fascinated me, and gave me a powerful urge to dig deeper into this kind of music. Other than that, it's actually quite hard to specify what I like about the music of Rush. A certain grandeur must be one of the things, seeing as many of my fav albums do possess a big/lush sound in some way or another: 2112, Permy, HYF, Hemis, Signals...and in my ears even my pet album, Grace, has music that incorporates rich textures, what with that perfect marriage of synths and the most wonderful guitar tone I have ever come across... But then, I also really love Presto, which IS thinner in sound (though I prefer to think of it as an album that "breathes" myself...and it works brilliantly for what it is in that respect.) Oh, I dunno -I can't really detect a visible main thread when it comes to my favourite Rush music! But it is interesting that I don't really go so much for entire eras when it comes to my preferences. For example, I adore COS and Hemis but don't really care for AFTK. I adore Signals, Grace and HYF but feel very ambivalent about PoW. I adore Presto, yet could live happily ever after if I never heard a single note from RTB again (provided that I can still listen to the live version of Dreamline!). CP and VT I can take or leave... But again, I very much like TFE. Having said that, it now strikes me that what I really must like about Rush is their sheer versatility! And yes, it is all about the music for me. There are only a handful of songs that have managed to really speak to me lyrically. But it doesn't matter -I'm a huge fan of Yes, as well, and those lyrics (understandably so! ) I bother with even less than the lyrics of Rush...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilPeartFan2112 Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Because they don't sound like every other band. They are amazing musicians. Deep lyrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madra sneachta Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 I've said before that my initial love of Rush came from the perspective of being an early '80s metal fan who wanted more. Musical excellence without it turning into masturbatory noodling, lyrical excellence without it turning into verbose wittering or secular sermonising (near misses like "Nobody's Hero" notwithstanding). Very few bands can challenge you to think and prompt you to play air guitar at the same time, no-one else has done so as consistently as Rush have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Q- Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Hello again to the board *waves* it's been awhile I LOVE rush simply for the fact that there is no other band that has such power over me.. I listen to the radio.. and like alot of the songs that I hear.. but I rarely buy the CD or download a song.. Rush is the only band I've heard that can give my entire body goosebumps and nearly bring me to tears (not sadness.. Just..tears of ..searching for the word here....amazement? awe?) either through thier music or lyrics or both. The live stuff is what gets me.. Broon's/trees/xanadu from ESL, 2112 (expecially Discovery) from Different stages and on.. and on.. and on.. Thier talent live still amazes me.. I can instantly picture myself at the show's i've seen when i listen to thier live stuff.. close my eyes.. and I'm there. Dont see any recent post's from the soap box king BSG still around? Scream? Todem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Presto45 Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Hey is just awesome to listen too and also the Music is composed nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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