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Superconductor: Explain the hate, because I like.


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A whole thread on one of my least favorite Rush songs ever (and I say "one of my least favorite" just because I don't want to take the time to think if there's any other Rush song that I like less than Superconductor). To me, Superconductor is excessively cloying in a way that I just don't hear on other Rush songs. It feels like a play for simplistic appeal; "pop pap," if you will. I've previously mentioned this, but when I hear Superconductor, I picture Shirley Temple, arms extended outward, palms forward, making big swirling motions, a la Good Ship Lollypop. Not a pretty image for a rock band.

Maybe I've been missing the purpose for all of these years, but perhaps the music is designed to highlight the message of the song; some hitmaker cobbles together a few harmonized chords, sticks a pretty boy/girl behind a mic, and viola, a hit! In that vein, think for a minute how the lyrics would sound to a background more typical of Rush: Alex' buzzsaw guitar and Geddy's bass runs with drum fills everywhere. I think the message of the song would get lost, as what you're hearing in no way correlates to the critique of the popular music industry. Perhaps that's why Rush wrote a song that musically sounds like the machine-produced pablum it describes. Wow, an on-line moment of self discovery by me. Cool. I still hate the song, but cool.

 

I said something similar in a long-ago post. I think the whole thing is tongue in cheek, including the video - I think it's deliberate. It's a piss take on pop music and pop culture - "fantasy for sale - that's entertainment." I think the lyrics are great, particularly the line "pin the donkeys on her tail." Everything about the video is "wrong" - including Lee's and Lifeson's positions on stage. The "crowd" is doing what every rock video crowd for hire does - over-the-top fist pumps. Meanwhile it is all orchestrated by a corporate bureaucrat - the "super conductor." The crowd jumps up as soon as he hits the button. When the song slows down, he turns a dial and everyone sits and does "the wave." Everything is fake, bullshit illusion - "careful to conceal the fact that she's only too real." If you watch the video without thinking "Gad, this is cheesy" . . . then you've missed the point.

 

When the conductor loses control near the end of the video, he "pulls the plug" - another all-too-familiar situation in the music industry.

 

It could be the song is deliberately mild by Rush standards to reflect this situation, as well. There's some pretty great drumming, though . . . Neil is the only one in his proper position on stage.

Edited by toymaker
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A whole thread on one of my least favorite Rush songs ever (and I say "one of my least favorite" just because I don't want to take the time to think if there's any other Rush song that I like less than Superconductor). To me, Superconductor is excessively cloying in a way that I just don't hear on other Rush songs. It feels like a play for simplistic appeal; "pop pap," if you will. I've previously mentioned this, but when I hear Superconductor, I picture Shirley Temple, arms extended outward, palms forward, making big swirling motions, a la Good Ship Lollypop. Not a pretty image for a rock band.

Maybe I've been missing the purpose for all of these years, but perhaps the music is designed to highlight the message of the song; some hitmaker cobbles together a few harmonized chords, sticks a pretty boy/girl behind a mic, and viola, a hit! In that vein, think for a minute how the lyrics would sound to a background more typical of Rush: Alex' buzzsaw guitar and Geddy's bass runs with drum fills everywhere. I think the message of the song would get lost, as what you're hearing in no way correlates to the critique of the popular music industry. Perhaps that's why Rush wrote a song that musically sounds like the machine-produced pablum it describes. Wow, an on-line moment of self discovery by me. Cool. I still hate the song, but cool.

 

That is exactly the point of this song, they way it is played, written, sonic approach etc, the video too (Alex playing on the right side of thes tage instead of his usual left). Complete opposite of what Rush is. So a cool parody you can say.

 

Song is still very sub par though....agree with that. Not horrible. But nothing really good.

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The video was directed by Jerry Casale from Devo, so it's a fair bet to say it's tongue in cheek...

:goodone:

 

The song in the vein of Dog Years, another most-hated RUSH tune that I also like just fine.

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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.
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The video was directed by Jerry Casale from Devo, so it's a fair bet to say it's tongue in cheek...

 

Just watched the Superconductor video. It's not that bad of a song. The video satirizes (or is it 'lampoons'?) the entertainer-audience relationship, and is cut from a similar cloth as this one:

That's a pretty sweet "upside down" guitar riff btw. :guitar:

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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.

 

I think the underlying issue is that Rush sucks at joke songs. I Think I'm Going Bald, Dog Years, etc. No one gets it but them. And you get baffled fans who try and approach the songs as being serious cause that's what they usually do.

Edited by Wil1972
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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.

 

I think the underlying issue is that Rush sucks at joke songs. I Think I'm Going Bald, Dog Years, etc. No one gets it but them. And you get baffled fans who try and approach the songs as being serious cause that's what they usually do.

 

Hey, if you can reach even one person you've done something. I get the jokes.

 

Joke's on me...

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The video was directed by Jerry Casale from Devo, so it's a fair bet to say it's tongue in cheek...

 

Just watched the Superconductor video. It's not that bad of a song. The video satirizes (or is it 'lampoons'?) the entertainer-audience relationship, and is cut from a similar cloth as this one:

That's a pretty sweet "upside down" guitar riff btw. :guitar:

Great tune! And Soundgarden's cover is solid, too.
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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.

 

I think the underlying issue is that Rush sucks at joke songs. I Think I'm Going Bald, Dog Years, etc. No one gets it but them. And you get baffled fans who try and approach the songs as being serious cause that's what they usually do.

 

Hey, if you can reach even one person you've done something. I get the jokes.

 

Joke's on me...

I dig all three of those tracks. :cheers:
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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.

 

I think the underlying issue is that Rush sucks at joke songs. I Think I'm Going Bald, Dog Years, etc. No one gets it but them. And you get baffled fans who try and approach the songs as being serious cause that's what they usually do.

You can get the joke and still not think it's funny.

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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.

 

I think the underlying issue is that Rush sucks at joke songs. I Think I'm Going Bald, Dog Years, etc. No one gets it but them. And you get baffled fans who try and approach the songs as being serious cause that's what they usually do.

You can get the joke and still not think it's funny.

Very true.
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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.

 

I think the underlying issue is that Rush sucks at joke songs. I Think I'm Going Bald, Dog Years, etc. No one gets it but them. And you get baffled fans who try and approach the songs as being serious cause that's what they usually do.

You can get the joke and still not think it's funny.

 

There is that too, which was the other point I was making. They suck at joke songs.

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it sounds like a battery commercial jingle.

 

Mick

 

The thing is is was supposed to sound that way and it works on that level (Doesn't mean I have to like it though)

 

I like the lyrics and the music supports the lyrics and paints a picture of a lot of the fluff that passes for entertainment (then as now.) And the video (my least favorite Rush video ever) kind of works on that level too.

 

Not a song I ever hit the repeat button on either. I like what Neil does at the end of the song live though. I can see how they would have so much fun playing it because they can kind of put themselves on cruise control and not have to think too much about what they are playing.

 

 

 

Least favorite on that album for sure.

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I hate eggs of all types. Slimy texture depending on the cooking style, unpleasing odor, and the taste makes me want to gag. However, it remains a beloved dish by millions if not billions.

A simple matter of...taste.

 

Oh Superconductor...

When Rush played it on the Presto tour I remember the crowd and them loving it! It's a decent song I think. It's not Presto's best but certainly not its worst either. I also enjoy it more than half of Roll the Bones. :yes:

 

When the topic of "worst or bad Rush songs" is mentioned, I never think of Superconductor.

 

Saw that tour four times! LOVED THIS SONG LIVE! I have always loved this song! Nice cowbell smack to open the track!

 

So did I but it was my least favorite Rush tour ever. Something was off on that tour.

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DULL song!

Funny but it seems that a lot of folks that dig Superconductor will express love for Madrigal or Rivendell. Give me upbeat parody all day over that stuff.

 

Like Rivendell, Madrigal and Tai Shan. "Stupidconductor?" Not so much.

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A whole thread on one of my least favorite Rush songs ever (and I say "one of my least favorite" just because I don't want to take the time to think if there's any other Rush song that I like less than Superconductor). To me, Superconductor is excessively cloying in a way that I just don't hear on other Rush songs. It feels like a play for simplistic appeal; "pop pap," if you will. I've previously mentioned this, but when I hear Superconductor, I picture Shirley Temple, arms extended outward, palms forward, making big swirling motions, a la Good Ship Lollypop. Not a pretty image for a rock band.

Maybe I've been missing the purpose for all of these years, but perhaps the music is designed to highlight the message of the song; some hitmaker cobbles together a few harmonized chords, sticks a pretty boy/girl behind a mic, and viola, a hit! In that vein, think for a minute how the lyrics would sound to a background more typical of Rush: Alex' buzzsaw guitar and Geddy's bass runs with drum fills everywhere. I think the message of the song would get lost, as what you're hearing in no way correlates to the critique of the popular music industry. Perhaps that's why Rush wrote a song that musically sounds like the machine-produced pablum it describes. Wow, an on-line moment of self discovery by me. Cool. I still hate the song, but cool.

 

I said something similar in a long-ago post. I think the whole thing is tongue in cheek, including the video - I think it's deliberate. It's a piss take on pop music and pop culture - "fantasy for sale - that's entertainment." I think the lyrics are great, particularly the line "pin the donkeys on her tail." Everything about the video is "wrong" - including Lee's and Lifeson's positions on stage. The "crowd" is doing what every rock video crowd for hire does - over-the-top fist pumps. Meanwhile it is all orchestrated by a corporate bureaucrat - the "super conductor." The crowd jumps up as soon as he hits the button. When the song slows down, he turns a dial and everyone sits and does "the wave." Everything is fake, bullshit illusion - "careful to conceal the fact that she's only too real." If you watch the video without thinking "Gad, this is cheesy" . . . then you've missed the point.

 

When the conductor loses control near the end of the video, he "pulls the plug" - another all-too-familiar situation in the music industry.

 

It could be the song is deliberately mild by Rush standards to reflect this situation, as well. There's some pretty great drumming, though . . . Neil is the only one in his proper position on stage.

 

Absolutely! It they tried to do something like that now I think it would be totally different and I'd probably like it.

 

My aversion to the wrapping paper probably has more to do with me not liking the song than the song itself. Just not my scene.

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The problem with doing a piss take like this is that from the outside it seems that Rush have gone all power pop and have got screaming kids in a corny film clip.I was horrified when I first saw the clip until I "got"the joke.But until you got the joke it seemed to the average punter that Rush had sold out.As a song I really liked it when I first got Presto mainly because it was the most rocking song on the album along with Red Tide but I gradually moved to the deeper cuts.

 

I think the underlying issue is that Rush sucks at joke songs. I Think I'm Going Bald, Dog Years, etc. No one gets it but them. And you get baffled fans who try and approach the songs as being serious cause that's what they usually do.

 

Interesting point.

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I might be the only one who likes this song.

 

Nope, me too.

Ditto here.

 

Indeed I do, as well. Although I have "shit opinions" on what is Good Rush vs what isn't

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