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Somebody please explain why "Roll the Bones" is worth another listen.


toymaker
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I cannot, cannot, cannot warm up to this song. I can't help it. I have removed the rap part. It's still not working. The Rush I love is prodigious, bursting, overflowing genius musical enormousness and insane chops, music that's like the best toy you had as a child and music where you focus on the parts and then go "I have to listen again because I didn't give Lee's f***ing insane bass part enough attention that time."

 

Who likes this song and why? Be philosophical. Explain the appeal to . . . just about anything. While you're at it, give me some good reasons to listen to the following meager offerings. My soul gets nothing from these stunted . . . songs:

 

Chain Lightning

Second Nature

Hand Over Fist

The Big Wheel

 

I'll stop there. The list is beginning to bum me out.

 

Also, I just ate like 80 grams worth of glucose corn syrup and a can of Coke.

Edited by toymaker
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I really like Roll the Bones. It's really catchy, extra funky, killer guitar solo. I even think the rap is good :smoke:
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Roll The Bones makes me cringe ... God-awful, embarrassing song that sounds like each member emailed their parts in from 3 different points of the globe

 

I love RUSH, and I love all genres of music - regardless of style, when something is done sincere and done well, it will be appreciated .... but Roll The Bones is just forced and awful

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toy

relax

get rid of the sweet facts

no coke, no meager offenses

no maniacal sugar-tits...

:smoke:

 

Not the Rush-era that I prefer, but the song always had something to it when performed live.

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toy

relax

get rid of the sweet facts

no coke, no meager offenses

no maniacal sugar-tits...

:smoke:

 

Not the Rush-era that I prefer, but the song always had something to it when performed live.

 

When that song was performed live, my ass hit the grass and I sulked for 5 minutes.

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I hated the song when it came out. Well, let me be more clear, I was embarrassed by the song when it came out. Over the years I've come to appreciate it for the fun little ditty that it is, and I do think it has a good, funky beat.
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toy

relax

get rid of the sweet facts

no coke, no meager offenses

no maniacal sugar-tits...

:smoke:

 

Not the Rush-era that I prefer, but the song always had something to it when performed live.

 

When that song was performed live, my ass hit the grass and I sulked for 5 minutes.

dude Jack relax, get busy with the facts. Sorry I had to haha XD
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Yeah, I guess I've whined about Roll the Bones many times before. I've groused about the cover - some kid kicking a skull while walking along some decaying pier and past a wall of dice? What is that? Why, when I'm reading the lyrics to Dreamline, with its message of finding meaning and redemption and reflecting on what's past, must I have an elephant's ass in my peripheral vision? What was ol' Hugh thinking? Was he baked and looking at old Pink Floyd album covers? Wishbones floating over a lake? This album makes me feel as depressed as the kid on the cover looks. Both Lifeson and Lee have expressions that seem to say, "let me wear that suit and dress shirt when you're done with it. We'll put our hands in different pockets, and maybe people won't notice we're wearing the same clothes. We'll stick Neil in the middle with that shirt that's way too big for him."

 

Then there's the music...

Edited by toymaker
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Sometimes I have to hit the "skip" button on this one.

 

One thing I do that helps me get through the - uh - "speaking part" (as Geddy has called it) is to imagine different people or characters reciting it.

 

Next time, try imagining Homer Simpson doing the speaking part. It's fun to think of Homer saying "The night has a thousand saxamaphones".

 

Other "people" I imagine reciting the speaking part: Stewie from "Family Guy". Sheriff Rick from "The Walking Dead". Sargent Joe Friday from "Dragnet". Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick.

 

Maybe you can come up with a TV character favorite of your own.

 

Or just hit the skip button.

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Yes I use the skip button, I hope the band skips this one on tour. It gets a lot of play live for a song so many fans find weak.
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toy

relax

get rid of the sweet facts

no coke, no meager offenses

no maniacal sugar-tits...

:smoke:

 

Not the Rush-era that I prefer, but the song always had something to it when performed live.

 

When that song was performed live, my ass hit the grass and I sulked for 5 minutes.

Nosebleeds?

 

I rolled my bones to 5 shows of that tour and the 5 minutes were always great. :haz:

555

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Sometimes I have to hit the "skip" button on this one.

 

One thing I do that helps me get through the - uh - "speaking part" (as Geddy has called it) is to imagine different people or characters reciting it.

 

Next time, try imagining Homer Simpson doing the speaking part. It's fun to think of Homer saying "The night has a thousand saxamaphones".

 

Other "people" I imagine reciting the speaking part: Stewie from "Family Guy". Sheriff Rick from "The Walking Dead". Sargent Joe Friday from "Dragnet". Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick.

 

Maybe you can come up with a TV character favorite of your own.

 

Or just hit the skip button.

 

LOL

 

That is great

Edited by Lucas
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... Both Lifeson and Lee have exp<b></b>ressions that seem to say, "let me wear that suit and dress shirt when you're done with it. We'll put our hands in different pockets, and maybe people won't notice we're wearing the same clothes. We'll stick Neil in the middle with that shirt that's way too big for him."

 

Then there's the music...

 

More LOL

 

They didn't even take the photo together ( Neil's background is darker ) ... apparently, there was only one jacket and one shirt, so Geddy and Alex had to share

 

http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/images/books/usrocker-10.1991/usrocker-10.1991-1.jpg

 

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Actually, now that I see them all together, they do look like different suits. Damn, I can't even complain right these days.
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I love it. Not so easy to explain why, though.

First of all there's the bass line, funky, deep, full. You can tap to it. You can whistle it.

Also, the dynamics of the song, the full-stop sampled-Hammond chord, the background acoustic guitar in the chorus.

It's all about the music for me, I don't pay much attention to the lyrics. The rap section is ok.

This is how I love the song on my own.

Also, there's the fact that it's the Rush song my wife loves to dance to. So, aside from what the song gives to me, there's this "shared memory" added value.

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Listen to the lead guitar that's going on under the rap....that's quite tasty
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As I've mentioned, there's some decent tunes to be found on RTB, but I cant get passed the title track either. Just cringeworthy overall, and brings my overall perception of the album down. And agree on the cover too, the worst. Edited by greg2112
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Let's forget about the rap. The song is funky and fun, with very good lyrics. The guitars are more upfront than they had been in a long time and while I would have preferred a harder edge to the sound, the underlying sounds are great. Keyboards have been put firmly in the "support" section, ending almost a decade of tyranny. It's extremely accessible and has a good melody. The guitar solo is great and fun.

 

Most of what I said is true of The Big Wheel, as well. If these songs had the production/sound of Counterparts, they would be widely considered as better than every song on that album. Of course, I already think they are.

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It sounds much better live then on the album. because the album has that wimpy ass production. Great solo. I like it. but........that rap will never sound good in any setting. Geez.....almost makes you wanna cut connections with Rush.

 

Mick

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Never really liked the whole album from the day it came out...I remember the day I bought it, and sat and listened to the first few songs before a class I was taking...I liked Dreamline, thought Bravado was ok, then when Roll the Bones came on, I was totally freaking out by it! It was time to go into my class, so I turned off my car, and considered bringing the disc in with me (it was a recording class in a studio) and I thought...nah...not sure what to think of it....when I got in someone was already playing it in the studio and they were all standing there with their mouths open and eyes wide going W-T-F is THAT?!?!?!

 

We scanned through the rest of it and none of us liked the album, and pretty much thought Rush was done... To this day I can only listen to Dreamline (actually it's a favorite of mine) and the acoustic version of Bravado...I can't listen to the rest of it at all....

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