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Clockwork Angels Epiphany


tks95747
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I consider myself to be an old-school Rush fanatic, that is, I absolutely love their first 8 albums...Excellent material. (I am sure there are some of you that will consider an "old-school" love of their music to encompass, perhaps, less or more than their first 8 albums). In any event, I consider the next grouping of albums through CP to be great material (with the exception of Presto/RTB... just good material).

 

After CP, it my personal opinion that Test4Music is passable at best and that VT and S&A are detritus (except for maybe one or two songs between the two of them).

 

My real point is that when I first heard CA, I lumped it in with VT and S&A. I know that prior to first hearing it, I had pre-judged the album. Subsequently, I forced myself to listen to CA again and again with no more than a tepid reaction. However, after a few recent spins of CA, I have come to believe that it is a super album. I think my epiphany stems from the fact that I had a closed mind going in to each listen of the album.

 

For what it's worth, I now love CA and consider it to be one of their great works, although I still cannot stomach T4Music (except for Virtuality) and I run from VT or S&A.

 

What was your first reaction to CA?

Edited by tks95747
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I loved Clockwork Angels instantly. So much so, it made me want to explore their entire catalogue.

 

It was my fourth Rush album (after Moving Pictures, 2112 and Permanent Waves in that order). I subsequently started to collect then all.

 

Sad thing is, with each new purchase, starting initially with completing the run from the debut through Signals, CA sounded less and less impressive.

 

Even now I enjoy CA, but it doesn't come close to their finest works. The best moments tend to remind me of better moments. I enjoy the album, but I think Snakes And Arrows SOUNDS more beautiful and Vapor Trails packs a mightier emotional punch.

 

I give CA 7/10. On a good day, it can sound like the finest record ever. But its rare I enjoy it that much.

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This is an album from day 1 while everyone was frothing......i was like......WAIT A SECOND!!!!!

 

i disliked it with a passion than....not too hot on it now.

 

the thing. individually. i can actually enjoy songs. but as an albm? they ALL run together in a seemingly uneding wall of noise.

 

and when i say unending the album feels like longer than the director's cuts of Lord of the Rings......it just doesn't seem to end, lol

 

and the Production......while the less i say the more strokes i'll avoid.

 

5/10 but that's me being totally generous, lol

 

Songs i like. on their own

 

Caravan

Clockwork Angels

The Anarchist

The Wreckers

Headlong Flight

 

Mick

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This is an album from day 1 while everyone was frothing......i was like......WAIT A SECOND!!!!!

 

i disliked it with a passion than....not too hot on it now.

 

the thing. individually. i can actually enjoy songs. but as an albm? they ALL run together in a seemingly uneding wall of noise.

 

and when i say unending the album feels like longer than the director's cuts of Lord of the Rings......it just doesn't seem to end, lol

 

and the Production......while the less i say the more strokes i'll avoid.

 

5/10 but that's me being totally generous, lol

 

Songs i like. on their own

 

Caravan

Clockwork Angels

The Anarchist

The Wreckers

Headlong Flight

 

Mick

"...feels like longer than the director's cuts of Lord of the Rings".... LMAO... That's funny as hell :laughing guy:
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Solid late career album. 7/10. Same for VT. Both are really good. As pointed out they cannot touch their pre-Atlantic years (1974-1988). But still worth the time. As for SnA... Well, it has a nice production quality to it... Edited by Wil1972
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Loved it from day one. Not quite on par with most of the Terry Brown stuff, but better than everything else.
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Solid late career album. 7/10. Same for VT. Both are really good. As pointed out they cannot touch their pre-Atlantic years (1974-1988). But still worth the time. As for SnA... Well, it has a nice production quality to it...

"Well, it has a nice production quality to it..." ~ LOLOL... If I were forced to come up with something nice to say about S&A.... Ok... Gimme a sec... Ok... Ummm... Uhhh.... Alright.... ummm... Ok... I'll get back to you on that one ;)
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I have anticipated and throughly enjoyed, every single release since Fly By Night. I can honestly say that I played every release multiple times when they came out. Many times the people around me got tired of hearing it. Clockwork Angels included.
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Loved it from day one. Not quite on par with most of the Terry Brown stuff, but better than everything else.

 

This album doesn't come close to Grace Under Pressure, or anything from HYF to Counterparts, VT and arguably SA.

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I have anticipated and throughly enjoyed, every single release since Fly By Night. I can honestly say that I played every release multiple times when they came out. Many times the people around me got tired of hearing it. Clockwork Angels included.

Rather odd that you exclude the debut? Purposely or oversight?
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I think CA is a fine album, concept wise, but the production brings the rating down. Neil's drums, especially the toms, sound like they were recorded underwater, in a pineapple. As mentioned the wall-of-sound brings on ear fatigue rather quickly, I don't think I managed to listen through it one sitting. ...I miss old school albums/ tapes where you got a chance to flip it over, essentially an 'ear break' (ok, beer break).

 

Oh, BU2B2 is a complete miss...it probably sounded like a good idea on paper or in pre-production...

 

7.5/10

 

Pros: another Rush album to bitch about

 

Cons: the last Rush album to bitch about

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I think CA is a fine album, concept wise, but the production brings the rating down. Neil's drums, especially the toms, sound like they were recorded underwater, in a pineapple. As mentioned the wall-of-sound brings on ear fatigue rather quickly, I don't think I managed to listen through it one sitting. ...I miss old school albums/ tapes where you got a chance to flip it over, essentially an 'ear break' (ok, beer break).

 

Oh, BU2B2 is a complete miss...it probably sounded like a good idea on paper or in pre-production...

 

7.5/10

 

Pros: another Rush album to bitch about

 

Cons: the last Rush album to bitch about

"BU2B2 is a complete miss..." Couldn't agree more. I just don't get it... :eh:
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I have anticipated and throughly enjoyed, every single release since Fly By Night. I can honestly say that I played every release multiple times when they came out. Many times the people around me got tired of hearing it. Clockwork Angels included.

Rather odd that you exclude the debut? Purposely or oversight?

 

JD was a fan way back when when the first album was out. Therefore, he has anticipated the release of every subsequent album.

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I too identify as old school fan. My favorite 8 albums are the first 8 albums.

I was, however, really impressed with CA and have loved it ever since first listen. I might even put it my top 8 and bump the debut to the 9 spot.

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I still have never and will never be able to listen to CA start to finish. Its a tedious chore. To be fair I've felt the same way with VT and Snooze & Snoreows

All three of the last studio albums could've easily had two or more weaker songs left off without affecting anything

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Loved it from day one. Not quite on par with most of the Terry Brown stuff, but better than everything else.

 

This album doesn't come close to Grace Under Pressure, or anything from HYF to Counterparts, VT and arguably SA.

 

GuP, HYF, Presto, and VT are all good, but a step below CA. PoW comes close, but doesn’t quite match its highs. RTB and CP just aren’t very good by Rush’s standards, especially RTB. Sounds like Huey Lewis And The News without any gusto.

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It's a good album, conditionally. By conditionally, I mean that it's a solid, adventurous effort for their age and declining abilities. A SnA version 2.0 would have been a real disappointment. Hanging it up after Testicles For Echo, because of Neil's situation, would have been a travesty.
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I think Clockwork Angels and Vapor Trails are in a different tier from the rest of their post-80s work.

 

I agree. For me its hard to describe but they are more emotional?

Vapor Trails certainly is. That one falls off somewhat by the end (after "Sweet Miracle") but the first nine songs are all so good and so unlike anything else they had ever done, sound-wise, that it's way up there for me. Clockwork is just phenomenal from a songwriting and sequencing standpoint.

 

The rest of the post-HYF stuff is really uneven to me.

 

Presto and Roll the Bones sound dated and thin and only some of the songs are at the level of their best stuff.

 

Counterparts is musically one of the best albums they ever made, but it's also the worst lyrics Neil has ever written.

 

Test for Echo has a great sound but the songs aren't there. "Driven" and "Resist" are the only songs that are up their with their best.

 

Snakes, a lot of the songs individually are really good, some even great, but they're all midtempo and so it's hard to listen to from start to finish. Not enough variety.

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Here are the only songs I actually like from their 21st century albums...

 

Vapor Trails

1) OLV

2) Ceiling Unlimited

3) Ghost Rider

4) Peaceable Kingdom

5) Vapor Trail

6) Secret Touch

7) Earthshine

 

- There aren’t any songs on VT that I dislike but the others are just okay or forgettable.

 

 

Snakes & Arrows

1) The Main Monkey Business

2) The Way The Wind Blows

3) Hope

4) Malignant Narcissism

 

- Some forgettable fluff here + a couple of just “okay” level tunes + a trio of songs I dislike.

 

 

Clockwork Angels

1) Caravan

2) BU2B

3) CA

4) The Anarchist

5) Carnies

6) Headlong Flight

 

- the rest: one tune that I dislike while the others are just okay or forgettable

 

:blaze:

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Masterpiece. But then I had the same reaction when Vapor Trails and Snakes and Arrows came out too. Those three are among the best they've ever recorded.

 

Test For Echo is probably slightly below that. Didn't totally love it right away, but like Hold Your Fire and Presto it was a slow burner.

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I think CA is one of Rush’s best albums. Period. The playing from the Boys at Work is inspired, especially Neil & Ged. Some of Ged’s note choices are hair-raisingly perfect and this is some of Peart’s most vibrant & busy drumming since MP.

 

Is the production great? No. Rush hasn’t had a great sounding album since MP...IMO. Too many instruments, too many layers...too much “stuff”.

 

That being said I think it’s a very inspired work.

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