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Clockwork Angels tracks?


Texas King
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Clockwork Angels tracks?  

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  1. 1. Top 3 tracks from CA?

  2. 2. Filler track(s) on CA?



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The part in the title track where it sounds like Geddy is singing through a cheap speaker phone and I can't make out a single word. Not a one. Thanks a lot, Nick R. Bang up job you did there

 

It's supposed to sound like that. That is what that vocal effect does.

 

Then it was a bad decision.

 

I don't think it's a bad decision, quite the opposite I think it's a great idea...BUT...the mixing/mastering/execution is so bad that like you I can't quite understand everything that's going on musically or vocally. Way too compressed.

 

So doesn't that still make it a bad decision? Recording and editing should still be considered.

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The part in the title track where it sounds like Geddy is singing through a cheap speaker phone and I can't make out a single word. Not a one. Thanks a lot, Nick R. Bang up job you did there

 

It's supposed to sound like that. That is what that vocal effect does.

 

Then it was a bad decision.

 

I don't think it's a bad decision, quite the opposite I think it's a great idea...BUT...the mixing/mastering/execution is so bad that like you I can't quite understand everything that's going on musically or vocally. Way too compressed.

 

So doesn't that still make it a bad decision? Recording and editing should still be considered.

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

Besides in my opinion Rush are hit and miss with vocal effects. This one stands out as poor a decision as the muffled spoken word sections on CoS.

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The part in the title track where it sounds like Geddy is singing through a cheap speaker phone and I can't make out a single word. Not a one. Thanks a lot, Nick R. Bang up job you did there

 

It's supposed to sound like that. That is what that vocal effect does.

 

Then it was a bad decision.

 

I don't think it's a bad decision, quite the opposite I think it's a great idea...BUT...the mixing/mastering/execution is so bad that like you I can't quite understand everything that's going on musically or vocally. Way too compressed.

 

Unfortunatly the majority of the CA album I can't make out half of what he's singing, especially on the heavy songs. Its just a big mush of loudness and noise all crammed together. He may as well be singing in a different language for all I can tell.

Again, I don't want Nick R anywhere near the mixing board and Rush ever again if they were to record together at some point. It's not even his crappy compressed results but he's too much of a fanboy of the band to tell them when something isn't working. So many moments on Snakes and Clockwork where a guy like Broon wouldve said "no no no, that's not good at all!" instead of "That's awesome! Now play it just like that while I headbang to it! You guys are the best!!!"

Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics.

Edited by jnoble
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The part in the title track where it sounds like Geddy is singing through a cheap speaker phone and I can't make out a single word. Not a one. Thanks a lot, Nick R. Bang up job you did there

 

It's supposed to sound like that. That is what that vocal effect does.

 

Then it was a bad decision.

 

I don't think it's a bad decision, quite the opposite I think it's a great idea...BUT...the mixing/mastering/execution is so bad that like you I can't quite understand everything that's going on musically or vocally. Way too compressed.

 

Unfortunatly the majority of the CA album I can't make out half of what he's singing, especially on the heavy songs. Its just a big mush of loudness and noise all crammed together. He may as well be singing in a different language for all I can tell.

Again, I don't want Nick R anywhere near the mixing board and Rush ever again if they were to record together at some point. It's not even his crappy compressed results but he's too much of a fanboy of the band to tell them when something isn't working. So many moments on Snakes and Clockwork where a guy like Broon wouldve said "no no no, that's not good at all!" instead of "That's awesome! Now play it just like that while I headbang to it! You guys are the best!!!"

Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics.

 

This.

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Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics.

 

This is a really interesting statement! I haven't thought of it that way. Certainly the tinny treble overload sound is a huge problem for both of those albums, but I agree that the songwriting was in many ways superior to some of the more recent albums; Clockwork Angels being the most egregious offender. I still feel like there is a drop-off from the stellar work of the 80s synth era albums, both in terms of songs and sound especially on Presto, but I hadn't thought of Rupert Hine's contributions beyond the overall sound. Of course this is a faulty way to think about things, because of course producers are heavily involved in arrangements and would be responsible for all the things you mentioned. I think my takeaway is that those two albums ended up being a real mixed bag of wonderful and problematic, but overall came out better than many of the subsequent albums, especially Clockwork Angels, Vapor Trails, and Counterparts. Thank you for bringing up this point.

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"Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics."

 

Both his albums are recorded very flat, but his mixes are excellent. Everything is clear and seperate, bass light yes, but strong enough as a producer to stamp his sound on the records. The guitars occupy to much of the soundscape, sounding so huge that it's hard to get anything over it, combine it with Geddy's bass and busy drums you get the mess that you hear on some records!

 

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"Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics."

 

Both his albums are recorded very flat, but his mixes are excellent. Everything is clear and seperate, bass light yes, but strong enough as a producer to stamp his sound on the records. The guitars occupy to much of the soundscape, sounding so huge that it's hard to get anything over it, combine it with Geddy's bass and busy drums you get the mess that you hear on some records!

 

Who said that quoted paragraph?

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1. Caravan

2. Clockwork Angels

3. Carnies

 

Everything else is meh. Headlong Flight + Seven Cities of Gold are alright, The Garden is awful and a horrible way to end a career. Highly overrated

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"Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics."

 

Both his albums are recorded very flat, but his mixes are excellent. Everything is clear and seperate, bass light yes, but strong enough as a producer to stamp his sound on the records. The guitars occupy to much of the soundscape, sounding so huge that it's hard to get anything over it, combine it with Geddy's bass and busy drums you get the mess that you hear on some records!

 

Who said that quoted paragraph?

 

Yeah, where is that from?

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"Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics."

 

Both his albums are recorded very flat, but his mixes are excellent. Everything is clear and seperate, bass light yes, but strong enough as a producer to stamp his sound on the records. The guitars occupy to much of the soundscape, sounding so huge that it's hard to get anything over it, combine it with Geddy's bass and busy drums you get the mess that you hear on some records!

 

Who said that quoted paragraph?

 

Yeah, where is that from?

 

*I* said it not too long ago. How dare one of my thoughtful gems get quoted about without due credit! :D

 

And yes, I will always be a fan of the Hine records over the two Nick R records because (as I pointed out) they're listenable, not a thick stew of layers and layers of distorted guitars and basses and vocals

Edited by jnoble
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1. Caravan

2. Clockwork Angels

3. Carnies

 

Everything else is meh. Headlong Flight + Seven Cities of Gold are alright, The Garden is awful and a horrible way to end a career. Highly overrated

 

I'd like The Garden better if someone else had sung it. Ged's voice was just beyond the point of being enjoyable for me, sadly. All I hear is the straining.

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1. Caravan

2. Clockwork Angels

3. Carnies

 

Everything else is meh. Headlong Flight + Seven Cities of Gold are alright, The Garden is awful and a horrible way to end a career. Highly overrated

 

I'd like The Garden better if someone else had sung it. Ged's voice was just beyond the point of being enjoyable for me, sadly. All I hear is the straining.

 

You have anyone in particular in mind?

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"Rupert Hine gets a lot of flack for his trebely tinny poppy sounding records with Rush and that's certainly a fair point but he WAS good at coaxing good melodies and song flow from the boys. I can't think of a single song on Presto or RTB where it sounded like a disjointed frankenstein of song parts scotch taped together with shoehorned lyrics."

 

Both his albums are recorded very flat, but his mixes are excellent. Everything is clear and seperate, bass light yes, but strong enough as a producer to stamp his sound on the records. The guitars occupy to much of the soundscape, sounding so huge that it's hard to get anything over it, combine it with Geddy's bass and busy drums you get the mess that you hear on some records!

 

Who said that quoted paragraph?

 

Yeah, where is that from?

 

*I* said it not too long ago. How dare one of my thoughtful gems get quoted about without due credit! :D

 

And yes, I will always be a fan of the Hine records over the two Nick R records because (as I pointed out) they're listenable, not a thick stew of layers and layers of distorted guitars and basses and vocals

A thick stew,I like that.Sums up the Nick R albums perfectly.And overdone stew it is.
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Excellent:

1. "The Garden"

2. "Clockwork Angels

3. "Headlong Flight"

4. "Caravan"

 

Great:

5. "The Wreckers"

6. "BU2B"

7. "The Anarchist"

8. "Seven Cities Of Gold"

 

Good:

9. "Wish Them Well"

10. "Carnies"

11. "Halo Effect"

 

Filler:

12. "BU2B2"

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Excellent:

1. "The Garden"

2. "Clockwork Angels

3. "Headlong Flight"

4. "Caravan"

 

Great:

5. "The Wreckers"

6. "BU2B"

7. "The Anarchist"

8. "Seven Cities Of Gold"

 

Good:

9. "Wish Them Well"

10. "Carnies"

11. "Halo Effect"

 

Filler:

12. "BU2B2"

 

I put The Anarchist up there in the top echelon but otherwise right on the money by my estimates.

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This thread reminded me that I'd love to have CA on vinyl, and haven't ever really looked into it. Well I should've looked into it when it first came out! Lol, cheapest I can find is over 200 bucks with shipping. Sad. Hopefully they'll do another run of it in the next few years. It is coming up on it's tenth anniversary next summer....
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