Principled Man

Brian: “You’re all individuals!” Mob: “Yes! We’re all individuals!” Brian: “You’re all different!” Mob: “We’re all different!” JARG: “I’m not.”

No guitar solo? I still remember a critic’s review of Signals way back when, and the guy called Countdown a “space fantasy”. He had no clue about the lyrics’ meaning.

A sleeping white dragon….

1989: Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental - Jethro Tull ! Crest of a Knave! The first and last band to win such a prestigious award! Ian Anderson didn’t even bother to attend, as he didn’t expect it to win anything!

I’d love to hear the mix in mono, but that would have to be done by his cousin, Terry Unibrow.

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

That brings up an interesting scenario: “Dave” joins an established band that has been successful for ten years. Ten more years pass. The original members of the band have passed away, and Dave is the only member remaining. Does Dave have the right to continue using the band’s name? How many years does “the new guy” have to play with the band in order to be seen as a “true member”?

More accurate to call them "Roger and Pete playing the music of The Who". It's their music, so more power to them.

The Who went from 4 to 5 members on tour quite often. They had a keyboardist tour with them. Rush’s legendary status as a trio has been carved in stone. Chipping away at that stone temple is painful for many.

When the band decided that they wouldn’t have a keyboard player on stage with them, that required the use of extra technology. They had machines assist with certain sounds and melodies. Was it cheating? No. They were recreating some of the music they made in the studio. With all the multi-track recordings that bands have done, it’s to be expected.

The Second Leg of the Tour will be subtitled: “Anika LOVES the Fans!”

I never listen to “Fly by Night” anymore, but I still listen to “In The End”.

Geddy didn’t want to play The Camera Eye. He didn’t like Digital Man (but he liked the bass in it). They retired By-Tor for many tours. The Rush in Rio documentary mentioned the band’s desire to retire certain songs. It’s to be expected that three guys have different preferences on which songs to retire or keep playing.

Neil never “stood in the way”. All three guys chose what songs they wanted to play, and all three guys had songs that they didn’t want to play anymore.

I stopped worshipping the band many years ago. They will always be my favorite band by far, but age and wisdom have taught me that the guys are just as human (and flawed) as the rest of us. Their lives, their music, their career. If they choose to decide to play on stage again, then more power to them. Neil’s dead. He’s not bothered one bit by the new tour. He was also no god. He was just a very popular drummer and lyricist. If a new Rush drummer can play like he did, then more power to her/him.

Once a fan base moves past the “worship” stage, any discussion is perfectly fine. When Rush fans realize that neither Neil nor any other drummer is God, it doesn’t matter if another drummer is “better” than he was. The fanatical doctrine of “He’s the GOAT” is obsolete and should be buried deep in the ground.

Those people would be doodooheads for thinking that. Shame on them for thinking that Geddy and Alex would do anything to “dishonor” their departed buddy. Any new drummer’s fame would have nothing to do with Neil. Those fans would be projecting their own self-righteous sense of being “dishonored” onto Geddy and Alex.

Just shut up and play that guitar!

Just between us I think it’s time for Lurkst to realize The spaces in between Leave room for you and I to go

Don’t speak. Don’t peek. Don’t make any false moves.

I said goodbye properly in 2015, after I saw them during their last tour. All good bands must come to an end. Since then, I have never - not for one moment - wished for another tour, even though they’re my favorite band of all time. Neil once said, “I am no one’s disciple.” Similarly, I am no band’s worshipper, and that includes individual band members who have passed away. He’s gone, the band is done, and I still play their albums from time to time. I am content.

I have very mixed feelings about this. If Alex can’t play it anymore, and if Geddy can’t sing it anymore, then I have no interest in it. They are most certainly not doing it for the money…..right? RIGHT?

I’m not afraid to say it: Did they have to use Tom Sawyer yet again ?!

Mix out 90% of the synthesizers? Mix a real instrumental bridge into Force Ten? Mix out Prime Mover completely?

THIS ! The band disliked the idea of doing an official farewell tour. Integrity and humility were their best attributes. When it was time to call it a career, they would do it with no fanfare, and they wouldn’t come back.