wilb1972

PW -- Pretty cool! I like the logo colorized. MP-- Prefer the original.

AFTK -- Interesting - the color is more vibrant. Hemispheres -- LOL -- now if you could just colorize Ms. Oolala, or make the whole thing black and white ...

QUOTE It happens to folks time and again. Those who order it online end up waiting for it while the rest of us who bought it at the store are listening to it. But for those of us in the boondocks its a matter of finding a freaking record store (do those even exist anymore?) or retail outlet that even has the album. The last three times Rush has released anything I have never been able to find it, or have been told that they only ordered a handful and sold out within an hour, or (as is the case most times) I get a puzzled, "Who?". So I end up having to order it anyway.

Rush -- An improvement, but makes it look a little dated. Would make a great t-shirt though! Fly by Night -- dreamier Caress of Steel -- figured you would've "corrected" this one to look like steel, the way the band intended. Still pretty cool. 2112--eh... prefer the original. Thanks for sharing!

QUOTE If the topic is "bashing religion" I never called it bashing, I was just pointing out that there are many of Neil's lyrics that fit his anti-God anti-religious POV, some more subtle than others. I don't think he is bashing in most of the songs, but he does seem to find a way to point it out a lot. Again, I never said it was a big deal, but since it was brought up, one has to be honest and say, yea, Neil's lyrics do question religion on many occasions.

QUOTE I always thought Roll the Bones was about chance, luck - ect, not Neils disdain for religious zealotry?? I guess what I am saying is that his religious views (I dont think its zealotry, just his particular beliefs) are sort of implied in the songs on Roll the Bones -- a random universe based solely on chance implies the lack of intelligent design, ie a Creator. Let me say that I am not trying to argue a case for or against Neil's POV -- I happen to believe much the way he does -- but the ideas are there, sometimes in a passing line, or the implied thought behind a song. Again, I don't think its an obsession. Just his thoughts. But I do agree he needs to find something else to talk about at times.

QUOTE Name all the rest of the songs that deal with this topic. I think Totem would fit, as would the majority of Roll the Bones. Maybe The Way the Wind Blows, Peaceable Kingdom in more subtle ways ... Far Cry ... Show Don't Tell. Not that its a big deal to me, but I think its noticeable in more than a couple of songs. I don't know if it qualifies as an "obsession" but it's there.

QUOTE I think the simple guess would be that maybe they weren't supposed to put that date up in the first place? That was my guess too - but you have to wonder if there isn't some truth to it (he says with hopefulness in his voice)??

Realistically speaking, I think Xanadu will be the one they bring back. But strictly from the point of view of wishful thinking, Jacob's Ladder would be ideal, to say the least.

Loved the Monkees -- they probably influenced more people than anyone is willing to admit. Good clean fun and great memories! I watch it now with my step daughters! Head was a fun film too. RIP Davy Jones!

Love hearing it live too, but I get irked cause they don't play the whole thing, they leave out a verse and the 2nd guitar solo, which I always liked better than the first one. But o well ...

CA release date/tour announcement: 3/21/12 (why not?) Early fall '12 -- winter '13: tour Set list : The Spirit of Radio Limelight The Enemy Within The Weapon Witch Hunt The Pass Where's My Thing? (new CA track) Middletown Dreams (new CA track) Force Ten BU2B Subdivisions Far Cry Freewill Closer to the Heart One Little Victory Driven Caravan The Camera Eye (drum solo) 2112 (overture/syrinx/grand finale) Tom Sawyer The Trees/Xanadu/Working Man A Passage to Bangkok YYZ CA Tour DVD/CD Release -- fall 2013 R40 - Summer 2014 (short tour, only major select venues) Spring 2015 - DVD/CD release of R40 Tour. Band goes on indefinite hiatus. Select unreleased shows get released via CD and or DVD through 2020. Band never officially "breaks up".

I always thought Hemispheres was a weird direction for the story to go -- I mean, you get this cool sci-fi tale of an astronaut flying into a black hole... What happens to him? Suddenly we are in some sort of Greek mythological world, and to me the whole incident with the astronaut is almost like an afterthought Neil tacked on, because he couldn't think of anywhere else to take it. It just has always seemed clunky. That, of course, is taking nothing away from the music. I just always felt it would have been better if they had taken the Cygnus X-1 somewhere else and resolved the Hemispheres storyline in a different way. But that's just me.

I think there is a website, Power Windows I believe it is called, that has a list of all the songs the band have not performed live. If I remember correctly, all of Grace under Pressure has at some point been performed live.

A talented guy who will be missed.

They probably both have stuff. I just guessed that some of it would be Al's since so many of those backstage passes were his.

Wow so he sold (or gave away) the white one too?? Of all the guys in Rush, Al always seems to me to be the most nostalgic -- look at the collage in the Different Stages booklet -- most of those backstage passes look to be Alex's. He hangs on to stuff, but I have to agree, to part ways with that guitar is odd. But I am sure he has more than one... Got to have more than one!

I really hope the album release is still fixed for the spring. The anticipation has gone from excitement to agitation to dang near apathy. If they wait until the summer to release the album the joy of wanting it will be just about gone. As for the tour, it is what it is. Gives me more time to save money. Just don't delay the album any longer guys!

So does anyone know if the glitches with the Sector sets have been cleared up? I have seen comments on Amazon.com as late as last week from reviewers stating that the problems were still existant on the sets they purchased.

QUOTE Geddy's voice aside, Rush music isn't "sexy" and has no swagger. Tell that to my wife! But you are right, I think the mainstream rock fan likes music that is more in tune with the whole "sex drugs and rock 'n' roll" mentality. I know on the classic station here in town -- well, before they took it off the air after 20+ years and replaced it with a hip hop station, but that's another story -- Working Man was the one Rush song that got the most airplay. I think because its that blue collar, simple, loud, gutteral type of sound that most fans like. They don't want music that makes them think, outside of thinking about sex. Which, again, explains the popularity of AC/DC.

I think its more about the highness in his voice more than anything. Yea, Robert Plant sang high, but Ged sounds a little thinner than Robert and I think that, coupled with the complex musical arrangements, can throw folks off. But based on personal experience over the years, I have had a variety of reactions, and I think it has to do with personal preference: Back in the '90's I played the Fly by Night album for a guy and his reaction was shock -- he thought it was a girl singing, and when he found out it was a guy, he laughed and shook his head and replied, "Sorry man, that's just too high for me!" And didn't want to hear anymore because it sounded painful to him. Which I thought was strange, because he seemed okay with it when he thought it was a girl singing. Then I had my own mother, who grew up on classic rock, threaten to turn off the car radio if I didn't change the station one day a few years ago when 2112-Overture/Temples of Syrinx came on; it hadn't even gotten to the singing yet, it was still in the overture part, and she was like, "Would you please turn that off?!" A co-worker of mind recently said, when we were discussing music we liked, "Nah, never cared much for Rush, can't get past that guys voice." On the other hand, you have my wife, who never even gave Ged's voice much of a second thought. She thinks its cool and unique.

QUOTE Only trouble is, Alex gave or sold a doubleneck to a guy in another band (both the guy's and the band's name escape me...someone help me out). If it was the one he used for Xanadu (and I think it was)... Didn't he have one nicked at one point? I believe that was the old one from the Xanadu video that you are thinking about, wasn't it red? He gave that to Eric Johnson, I believe, and one of Johnson's roadies stole it and sold it for drugs. Al has the white double-neck that he uses now, he used it on the R30 tour. And I agree, Ged needs to break out his double-neck!

Yea I think I remember Ged stating in an interview that his stage banter being sort of ordinary resulted from the fact that he was not comfortable speaking to the crowd -- in fact, notice on all of the early footage of the band with Rutsey, and notice he is the one doing all the introductions and in-between song banter. Then once Ged got more comfortable I think it became more a feeling of necessity. Sort of like, "I guess we need to say something!" The feeling that they needed to connect with the audience on a more personal level. Now I think he is more easy going about it. He does throw in the odd funny comment but most of it is still rehearsed. "We need to go away for some brain surgery"...."We have wayyy too many songs to play" or "We have about a million songs to play for you"... Actually they should let Al say more! Not necessarily the old rants, but more in-between interaction with the audience. Oh, and my fave Ged live moment: "One, two, buckle my shoe!" (ATWAS)

RUSH - PERMANENT WAVES: VINYL AND CD MOVING PICTURES: CD EXIT...STAGE LEFT: VINYL AND CD SIGNALS - S&A: CD CARAVAN/BU2B: DOWNLOAD I used to have everything up through Hold Your Fire on Cassette, but got rid of them when I bought the CDs. Actually I have made it a mission (no pun intended) to track down all their albums on vinyl. I just found AFTK two weeks ago! The most surprising of all my finds was CoS, never thought I would run across something like that.

Since converting my wife to Rush shortly after we started dating, this is an easy list to compile: 1. The Pass (she loves the sentiment of this song) 2. One Little Victory (it rocks and she loves the lyrics -- actually its the lyrics that get her in most of the songs on this list) 3. Stick it Out 4. Resist (either version, she just loves the song) 5. Circumstances 6. Red Barchetta 7. Secret Touch 8. Tears 9. Workin' Them Angels 10. Closer to the Heart