Dscrapre

I think that La Villa Strangiato from Time Machine is basically the best performance I've heard from them. Bar none.

Neil Peart "Many Moons Ago" Book Release Interview with Maxime Guillaume

(Excerpt taken from The Digital Drummer, December 21, 2027):

 

"When you look back on your career with Rush, were there any regrets you had during your days of touring?"

 

"Ah, well,...yes (pauses momentarily). I distinctly remember a considerably disturbing faux pas we had decided on back in the Summer of 2012, for the 8th leg of the Clockwork Angels Tour. We, ahem, I... came up with the not-so-brilliant idea to employ a strings section for this tour. Quite frankly, we were running out of novelties to utilize that would allow us to enhance a long running show- in a fashion much like how a Dung Beetle rolls a sphere of faecal matter, accumulating random "accoutrements" onto the sphere, if you will. We had considered the unplugged theme of the 90's, but felt this would force us to play most of our best material from the 70's.. and Bubba wasn't having any of that!(laughs). So, it eventually dawns on me that despite my being horrified by the idea of a strings section many years ago, it seemed like a great idea at the time to enhance the droning character of the new album. It also dawned on me that it would be quite economically feasable to simply hire a group of aging hippie musicians, throw on some cheap black t-shirts with a white alchemy symbol and let them stand in the dead area behind me. I thought to myself in my perceived moment of brilliance: "I can't stop thinking big", downed another The Macallan and high-fived my male wet-nurse, Michael (Neil explains the jovial banter the two have among each other).

So, many years later, after finally seeing video of those "orchestral" shows on YouTube, I felt the creeping shadow of terror and remorse fall onto me seeing the images of head-banging scruffy, balding and white-haired group of unkempt men of differing heights loitering behind me. It felt like a bad dream, to be honest...a nightmare. I still can't understand what in God's name I was thinking at the time...perhaps a bad combination of Macallan and pertness? (winks). If I could jump into a time machine and change the way we did things this travesty would be on the top of the list. I now realize this mental pratfall had no business whatsoever in being associated with Rush and greatly pains me to say it was a clear oversight on my part. But, it is what it is and I'm so thankful to God for the wonderful things and experiences in my life with Rush, past and present.

 

Oops- and then there's the issue of the African hat.. let's save that eye-full-of-sore for the next interview!" (laughs and smiles intensely)

 

@copyright TheDigitalDrummer.com

 

You pleasure yourself to fantasies of Neil agreeing with you, don't you?

Porcupine Tree: Open Car/Start of Something Beautiful

The Incident Pt: 1-14 (If I do break these up though I'll listen to Draw the Line-Time Flies or Octane Twisted-I Drive the Hearse)

 

Rush: Double Agent/Leave that Thing Alone

 

Frank Zappa: Sleep Dirt/The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution

 

Primus: Here Come the Bastards/SGT. Baker

Not the whole thing, but there is still the classic Neil "dystopian future lurking with evil people and bad things happening to the good" flavor to the story line

I understand what you mean there, although the story starts and ends on positive notes, so I see it as a happy story rather than dystopian. Have you read the novel? Maybe my viewpoint is coloured by that, also.

 

What do you think about Vapor Trails? Do you see that album as 'world sucks' too? I was surprised at the positivity in the lyrics, considering what Neil had been through.

 

Yes and no but mostly yes. lol The main theme of VT is coming back from adversity and hardtimes but the album still has its share of "everything is hopeless" songs ie The Stars Look Down, How It Is, Vapor Trail.

 

I was with you until How It Is. I'm a huge fan on that song (see my signature) and it is not an "everything is hopeless song". Quite contrary, I think it is one of the most gorgeous and hopeful songs that they've ever done.

It's seems to say it on all of the lyrics websites.

It's seems to say it on all of the lyrics websites.

So, I was checking the lyrics to Tears when I noticed the writers credits. It said "Geddy Lee, David Rotheray, James Gerard McDermott, and Paul Heaton".

I didn't know that Rush ever employed outside songwriters (Aside from Mr. Dubois' contributions to Tom Sawyer and Between Sun and Moon).

Any other songs with outside songwriters?

Sure, I'm justifiably jilted. Look at the direction he's taken this band in, since 2002. He has unfairly monopolized Rush from this time forward. I am being serious here.

 

Listen to Geddy's solo album and then try to tell me with a straight face that Neil is the one who has been pushing the band in it's current creative direction.

Wow Gemini, this post sucks a lot less than your usual garbage! Nice work!

 

I'd tell him that the production on the Clockwork Angels did a disservice to the strength of the songs. There needs to be more breathing room.

Under the Shadow

Can't wait for the greatest hits tour next. Glad this one has finally egressed down, late-flush.

 

Why? So that you can complain that the setlist only caters to casual fans?

 

I'm just calling it in advance, you pathetic troll.

This is truly a great album. After sliding further and further into the saturation of keyboards, the band tried to extricate themselves with Presto and only half-succeeded. RTB made Rush relevant for the first time in years. Rush was played on the radio, people openly talked about going to their concerts, and the fans came back after almost a decade of declining popularity and relevance. The great songs on the album are truly great, working as palatable pop, middle-brow philosophy, and musical ingenuity. The other songs are generally still good, even though they are not among the band's best.

 

I love this album.

 

:eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll:

 

why am in not surprised that you love this album.

 

rush has made 4 mediocre or bad albums: presto, rtb, t4e and vt. why do i fear you love all of them?

 

Good to see that Mr. My-Opinions-are-Facts Rushgoober has found this thread.

Considering that Geddy is the artist, I'm inclined to agree with him. If he thinks that Tai Shan was an "error" then that's his opinion. Truthfully, though, Tai Shan is a beautiful song and I actually like it. Dog Years is the real error.

Geddy always sings live. Studio recorded background vocals are used when "Geddy Choirs" are needed and during specific parts where live vocals just aren't possible (Clockwork Angels, Earthshine, Double Agent etc). I just wish that Geddy and Alex would stop pretending to sing when they are clearly not.

 

I for one want to hear more of Alex's singing. I know it's rough at times, but that's part of the appeal.

Does somebody on this board have a "Syrinx" license plate?

I get that they're attached to Territories, but they should drop that and put Limelight there instead. I WANT MIDDLETOWN DREAMS!

Yeah. Get ready to be extremely disappointed. Setlist and energy sucks. Sound isn't getting better.

 

Stay home and save the money.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou9HV5j8eho

ACtually, as most of us age into our 40's and such, we smoke up way less than we used to, or not at all. Thus, the shows aren't as exciting; nor are we as lmesmerized by the instrumentation, lightshow, or the way the smoke seems to turn into a dragon above Alex's head during "Xanadu"

 

That's odd, I've never "smoked up" and Rush shows are awesome! You don't need to be in a drug induced haze to enjoy great music.

I've learned that you can't tell the truth on this site.

 

The latest tour is a borefest that belongs in a small theatre.

 

I've already been victimized

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS7nqwGt4-I

I've been giving advice to avoid this boring snoozefest for 8 months........

 

Yup, because everybody on here has just been HATING this tour. Plus, the critical reviews have been just scathing. [/sarcasm]

 

Let me let you in on 2 secrets: 1) You're in the minority. 2) Nobody feels sorry for you.

I can understand a few attendees not knowing a lot of the material, particularly anything post-'81, but I'll never truly understand some of the animosity that's hurled towards their synth-era material...

 

Wow. "Post-'81".

 

That equates to 33 years of living in more-or-less Rush ignorance while focusing on just seven years of pre-81 music.

 

Yeah, that was the height of the band's popularity. When was the last time you heard anything post-Subdivisions on the radio?

 

When I tell people that I'm going to see Rush, I get a lot of "Wait, they're still around?". If you want to really blow peoples minds, just say "Yeah, they also put out a new album last year, and it completely rules!"

 

I still don't understand why anybody would go see a band that they haven't cared about since the early 80's.

People need to realize that a band is more than a living, breathing greatest hits CD.

 

Oh, and hearing new music isn't going to hurt.

Something that I'll never understand:

 

"Sure I'll spend $120 dollars to go see the Clockwork Angels Tour, but I won't spend $15 for the Clockwork Angels CD."

 

After the show:

 

"Why did they play so much new crap that I've never heard of?"

I'm going to see MGMT the night before :rush: at Summerfest. I have only the most basic idea of what they do, so I'm going in pretty fresh, but that sometimes turns out really well.