Which album started Rush's "decline"?

[Rutlefan]

I miss SL; he made this forum a lot more lively and interesting. Question reminds me of a response a (very) politically conservative friend gave me when I asked him if he likes Rush Limbaugh (I'm no liberal but I don't think much of Rush L's bombast); my friend responded, "No, but at least he pisses off the right people." For that reason at least, I kind of enjoyed SL's posts. Or at least there's one person who I enjoyed seeing react to SL. In fact, I think that person has a secret man-crush on SL; he still talks about him.

 

Re the question, Moving Pictures is generally considered (irrespective of individual tastes) the pinnacle of Rush's commercial and artistic achievement, so Signals would be the beginning of the decline by that reasoning. For my tastes, an album with Countdown can't be compared to PeW or MP, so I'll buy this logic. I've never thought Neil should apologize for any of the older material ... except for that one, though Geddy shares some blame with that wee-do wee-do keyboard bit. Awful. I can just imagine Alex thinking, "Please let me give this song some balls! Pleease." But alas, he was denied. Beginning of the decline until they became great again with Vapor Trails.

[Lorraine]

Re the question, Moving Pictures is generally considered (irrespective of individual tastes) the pinnacle of Rush's commercial and artistic achievement...

In the Rush book I am reading, they said that Moving Pictures is the album that got them out of debt.

[savagegrace26]

Or at least there's one person who I enjoyed seeing react to SL. In fact, I think that person has a secret man-crush on SL; he still talks about him.

 

How do we know if he was really a he?

 

If you're to referring to me, he/she/it was my creative "muse" ;)

 

This "tribute" will live forever...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlbpZBkF3Pw

 

 

Growing up is always avoided

Insults all provided

Insanity pre-decided

Always disassociated

Here in the The Rush Forum zone

 

He is always the screamer

With a mind that's already blown

 

(Spaghetti-Lee)

In the forum polls

Or the constant lols

Be banned or have a freak out

(Spaghetti-Lee)

In the brand new threads

Or the boring retreads

A fool or a real lout?

Any outlet might help him smooth

The unattractive truth

That his words feel like an impacted tooth

That belong in an empty phone booth

 

Just like a troll he draws all our pity

With spineless altercations

Posting for reactions

Spamming like a dumb ass guy

Just to feed us hate and spite

 

He will always give us misfires

And lace the board with crap

That gives us all a nap

Then he'll start to seek someplace

To repost his words so trite

 

Where he can use more verbosity

And admit he loves Available Light 

Edited October 24, 2014 by savagegrace26

[fraroc]

Sphaghetti Lee did say some funny things, but the whole beastiality thing with Brutus and Neil was too far.

 

 

On topic, Rush's decline started after Hold Your Fire and Lasted until after Vapor Trails. Compared to the 70s and DEFINITLEY the 80s, the 90s and early 2000s really paled in comparison. Snakes and Arrows really brought Rush back.

[savagegrace26]

but the whole beastiality thing with Brutus and Neil was too far.

 

Don't think he/she/it ever implied that they had a beastiality thing going on. He/she/it didn't even go that far...unless you mean that either one of them isn't human...

[toymaker]

Can one be banned for referring obliquely to something someone else said that got him banned . . . ? If so, I don't know what you all are talking about.

[savagegrace26]

Can one be banned for referring obliquely to something someone else said that got him banned . . . ?

 

I guess we'll find out...

 

Since most of his posts still exist I would say no....

 

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/89761-what-would-you-ask-the-members-in-rush-if-you-met-them/page__st__40#entry3303412

[savagegrace26]

He wasn't a troll. Trolls provoke and like to stir up the dust and cause confusion more often than not. Trolls like to pit people against one another.

 

Spaghetti might not have fit the Rush fan mold, but at least he was honest about who he was.

 

He was also a bit to honest in expressing his views of others. And i cannot recall a single nice thing he ever said, and he showed a gross lack of respect concerning other fans views and opinions.

He showed a gross lack of respect concerning other fans views and opinions? Then he fit right in here.

 

He could be very nice, but you aren't in this section that much, Segue, so you probably missed those occasions.

 

He also had a good sense of humor, when he kept it within bounds.

 

Look, I know he went over the top, and he should not have written what he did, and that his humor could be gross and off, but tell me, does he make everyone else here feel better about themselves? Is that what this is all about?

 

He did say something sorta nice to me once...

 

http://www.therushfo...20#entry3270572

 

Hmmm. Never noticed that he changed my name in that quote to "spaghettistalker26" until now....pretty funny...

Edited October 24, 2014 by savagegrace26

[Lorraine]

Did you ever say anything nice to him?

 

Just asking.

[savagegrace26]

Did you ever say anything nice to him?

 

Just asking.

 

Of course not...but I assisted in promoting him...and still do...

 

I even posted his beautiful Amazon reviews for all to appreciate...actions speak louder than words...

[Rutlefan]

It is said that the opposite of love isn't hate but indifference. You certainly aren't indifferent. Wasn't it The Pretenders who sang that it is a fine line between love and hate? I admire your covert affection, sincerely. You are keeping the Spaghetti flame alive . Edited October 25, 2014 by Rutlefan

[savagegrace26]

Rush said there's a fine line between love and illusion...

[Rutlefan]

That's the problem with Neil; always over-analyzing matters of the heart. Edited October 25, 2014 by Rutlefan

[goose]

He wasn't a troll. Trolls provoke and like to stir up the dust and cause confusion more often than not. Trolls like to pit people against one another.

 

Spaghetti might not have fit the Rush fan mold, but at least he was honest about who he was.

 

He was also a bit to honest in expressing his views of others. And i cannot recall a single nice thing he ever said, and he showed a gross lack of respect concerning other fans views and opinions.

He showed a gross lack of respect concerning other fans views and opinions? Then he fit right in here.

 

He could be very nice, but you aren't in this section that much, Segue, so you probably missed those occasions.

 

He also had a good sense of humor, when he kept it within bounds.

 

Look, I know he went over the top, and he should not have written what he did, and that his humor could be gross and off, but tell me, does he make everyone else here feel better about themselves? Is that what this is all about?

 

You have got to be kidding me. Why are you standing up for him? It's like an abused wife who thinks her husband wont keep beating her and will reform. There's just a certain amount of respect people should have when they post on a public forum. He had none of that.

 

Agreed.

 

But the odd occasion he was very likablle

 

If you say so. I never saw that.

I did. But he crossed a line...repeatedly. It's a public forum, not some private chatroom.

[savagegrace26]

He wasn't a troll. Trolls provoke and like to stir up the dust and cause confusion more often than not. Trolls like to pit people against one another.

 

Spaghetti might not have fit the Rush fan mold, but at least he was honest about who he was.

 

He was also a bit to honest in expressing his views of others. And i cannot recall a single nice thing he ever said, and he showed a gross lack of respect concerning other fans views and opinions.

He showed a gross lack of respect concerning other fans views and opinions? Then he fit right in here.

 

He could be very nice, but you aren't in this section that much, Segue, so you probably missed those occasions.

 

He also had a good sense of humor, when he kept it within bounds.

 

Look, I know he went over the top, and he should not have written what he did, and that his humor could be gross and off, but tell me, does he make everyone else here feel better about themselves? Is that what this is all about?

 

You have got to be kidding me. Why are you standing up for him? It's like an abused wife who thinks her husband wont keep beating her and will reform. There's just a certain amount of respect people should have when they post on a public forum. He had none of that.

 

Agreed.

 

But the odd occasion he was very likablle

 

If you say so. I never saw that.

I did. But he crossed a line...repeatedly. It's a public forum, not some private chatroom.

 

What's the difference?

[Jeffrey]

Signals makes my top 5 Rush albums. Unlike some, I would never consider it in any way shape or form a decline.

[Segue Myles]

Presto was a great album, but it was the first album to dip in quality from the one before it, only for the next one to be that little bit worse...

 

But then CP gets better, T4E dips a little, VT reaches PeW level heights and then they dip again only for CA to impress once more.

 

And yes you read that correctly: I think VT is every bit as good as Permanent Waves.

[troutman]

OMG!

 

:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

[Relayer2112]

I think "decline" is possibly too strong of a word.

 

Based on the many interviews I've read and listened to, it's obvious that Rush was never satisfied with the status quo. Whether it was changing studio, changing sound, approach to writing songs etc., the band has never been content. To me, I feel the band made the most conscious decision to change things up when they wrote and recorded the Signals album. At the time, Signals was quite a shock to the fan base, I'm guessing more than any of their albums before or since. I don't think it necessarily led to a downfall as they are still an immensely popular band at least from a touring perspective. I just think that all of the album releases since Signals require more of an effort to appreciate than their earlier work.

[BigBob]

I vote "RUSH". It's a stupid answer for a stupid question

[EmotionDetector]

There is no "decline" for this listener.

 

For instance...even if I considered an album to be a bit of a "drop" from the previous, the next album would be a big jump upwards in quality.

 

For instance...I tend to rank VT near the bottom (though I still enjoy the album), but both S&A and CA both rank much higher on my overall list. Same when comparing Presto and RTB to Counterparts...which is one of my all-time favourites.

 

Their last two albums in particular...have had some really, really good stuff that I would put up there with some of their best material...so I don't see a "decline" anywhere. Progression continues...

[Segue Myles]

OMG!

 

:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

 

Is it something I said? Hehehe

[bluefox4000]

Well Segue the ONE ALBUM i did not want you to do the segue with......VT.......Ya did :laughing guy:

 

I just call it temporary insanity......cause in my heart i know you'll re-Segue, lol

 

Mick

[H. P. L.]

It seems to me they certainly had a slip in creativity between RTB and T4E, but from VT onwards it's still been a rising curve for me. There's no rigid "ascending" or "descending", it's more like a parabole.

[Segue Myles]

Well Segue the ONE ALBUM i did not want you to do the segue with......VT.......Ya did :laughing guy:

 

I just call it temporary insanity......cause in my heart i know you'll re-Segue, lol

 

Mick

 

I may re-Segue but in all honesty, VT is just an all round great rock album. Like GREAT.