CygnusGal

Don't feed the people, but we feed the machines

Sending out warning signs

In every place with a name, playing that same territorial game

We all figure that our homes

QUOTE (Mika @ Jul 21 2012, 04:13 PM)

I can't give complete credit to CA for this, but... early June I decided to put the entire Rush catalog on my ipod, as I hadn't yet fully explored their music. Some albums were sorely lacking in my listening of them: Test for Echo, Presto, Roll the Bones, Caress of Steel (the two long songs, anyway), most of Hold Your Fire... it's been incredible hearing 'new' Rush songs for the first time! I remember when Test for Echo first came out, I was a casual fan, enjoying Counterparts and a few albums before that like Hemipsheres and their earlier stuff. As it was mostly my brother that had influenced my listening to Rush, because he didn't care that much for T4E, it didn't register on my sonic radar. I kind of pushed it aside all these years, never really giving it a chance. T4E songs have been popping up on my ipod, and they deserve better than the mis-judgement I've been giving them all these years! It's exciting to hear 'new' stuff that I've been missing out on. 'Virtuality' is great, even though the lyrics sound dated. 'Test for Echo' is particulary good because of the 'vertigo' mention, which is something I've been dealing with for the past few months ( ), and 'Totem' has been standing out to me lately. Those lines you quoted is my favourite part in the song. So, not really because of CA am I gaining new appreciation for 'other' Rush songs, but the onset of the new album has at least encouraged me to explore unfamiliar Rush territory. And what a fantastic time I'm having! Each few days I have a new 'favourite'!

QUOTE (That One Guy @ Jul 21 2012, 03:29 PM)

QUOTE (OGr8imL84AD8inF8sBlackSedan @ Jul 21 2012, 10:57 AM) Totem  ....that's on T4E...I don't do T4E. Shame, it's a good album. I "do" all the albums. Driven is on the CD in my car's player right now. Good for you. I'm actually playing HYF right now. Must...maintain...open....ears....   I exclude no Rush albums. It is Rush, after all. Even HYF has its high points.

Thanks for the addition, treeduck.

 

"This is indeed a disturbing universe." said Maggie Simpson as voiced by James Earl Jones in a Simpson's Treehouse of Horrors episode.

QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 19 2012, 06:44 PM)

It's not synthy enough for the new wavers, it's not brickwalled enough for the I-Pod squad, it's not trendy enough for the alternative rockers, it's not proggy enough for the hipster pseudo proggers and because it has Rutsey and no Peart it's not arty farty enough for the snob rockers nor lyrically advanced enough for the Lyric tards...

QUOTE (Rick N. Backer @ Jul 21 2012, 10:00 AM)

QUOTE (CygnusGal @ Jul 21 2012, 09:33 AM) QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Jul 21 2012, 08:45 AM) Jays and Astros made big 10 player trade yesterday...no big names really...but Happ is good pick up for Jays to patch up the rotation for now...good riddance to Francisco Cordero... Agree about Happ.   Decent year for the Blue Jays. This is one of the injury years and they're still .500-ish in AL East this year, so I think they're showing depth and think they're moving in a great direction. Really like Farrell.   Seeing them at Fenway tomorrow afternoon. Go Blue Jays! Traitor.   Many years ago I too lived in Norwood, BTW, about 50 yards away from the commuter rail station. Thanks. Pretty close to the purple line myself.   The RedSox have bigger problems than Beckett and Lester, although they're certainly not helping things.   Watch out for Baltimore in the next few years. Sleeping giant if Angelo lets Duquette do his thing, imo.

QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Jul 21 2012, 08:45 AM)

Jays and Astros made big 10 player trade yesterday...no big names really...but Happ is good pick up for Jays to patch up the rotation for now...good riddance to Francisco Cordero...

There are no words or emoticons to express my sorrow about such a horrendous, senseless and evil act. My most heartfelt sympathy and warmest thoughts to all those touched by this tragedy.

As my affair continues with CA (all swoony with batting eye lashes), I'm taking breaks and relistening to the catalog. CA is a unique achievement (I believe it is a masterpiece) but I can hear CA in previous work in places I never expected. Obviously, the reverse it true but it is a fascinating illusion.

 

I remember when I was a child living around Moncton, New Brunswick and going to a place called Magnetic Hill where both the water in the ditch beside the road and a car placed in neutral at the bottom of the hill seemed to defy gravity and roll uphill to the squealing delight of the children. To me, CA is like Magnetic Hill; it defies my senses (squealing with delight).

 

For some reason, Totem keeps running through my head, particularly:

QUOTE

I believe in what I see, I believe in what I hear I believe that what I'm feeling changes how the world appears Angels and demons dancing in my head Lunatics and monsters underneath my bed Media messiahs playing on my fears Pop culture prophets whisper in my ear

QUOTE (condemned2bfree @ Jul 21 2012, 12:00 AM)

QUOTE (Tigershark2112 @ Jul 20 2012, 04:40 PM) I really liked this post, as I'm deeply involved with the story of CA. This is the first time in a while I've actually learned something from a forum post rather than just reading some bonehead's opinion on what they don't like! Very intriguing!    its great on here to read peoples creativity, ideas and thoughts on rush topics, discussing them openly. All too often its smart ass one upmanship, trying to get one over, on some one else.   its a blood bath on here sometimes.   Ditto.

QUOTE (spock @ Jul 20 2012, 08:25 PM)

For those playing at home - don't you see a pattern? Similar songs? Hmmm - aren't we really building the set list that ought to bookend CA next tour?!?  Why, yes we are! Hope someone in the band is reading this...

Sure, I'll play.

 

Different Strings (Alex at then end)

Madrigal (I love contrast of the gentle melodic end followed by Cygnus X-1's chime)

Losing It (poignant)

Double Agent (strangest thing the band has done, imo)

Available Light (Alex's line after "play of light, a photograph, the way I used to be", the crack in Geddy's voice)

 

I'm leaving CA off the list for the time. I'm still digesting it and ranking it in the pantheon of , but I think you're correct about The Garden. It transcends the band.

 

Thanks Tombstone!

The band nearly lost me with HYF. Didn't care for (and that is being polite) Time Stand Still (guest vocalist? - wtf?) and it was the height of there 80s sound and really, really pop sounding, imo. I've since learned to accept it and even love Mission, Force Ten and the lyrical content of TSS and appreciate Aimee's performance (a fine one). I was not happy with the direction of the band on HYF.

Welcome! The more the merrier. Glad to have you here.

 

QUOTE (That One Guy @ Jul 18 2012, 12:26 AM)

QUOTE (HowItIs @ Jul 10 2012, 01:10 AM) QUOTE (UltimoGuitarist @ Jul 9 2012, 04:05 PM) Tabs are the hack musicians learning tool. Learn by ear like a real player. I'm sorry. I don't recall checking with you as to what a "real guitar player" is.   Frankly, I don't care what you think and I'm sure the other players here don't, either.   And I suppose I'm not a 'real' manual-trans driver if I don't heel-and-toe every downshift?   I learned how to play the guitar on tabs, and still can't read guitar sheet music to this day. Wahhhh Tabs have their use. Tabs can be helpful to dig out that hidden riff and I would have loved to have them around when I was learning to play. They are the only resource that a non-music reader has to use besides their ear.   IMO, they're a good road map but fail to communicate the rhythmic nuance - pretty important to a bass player. Another limitations of tabs is that they can lock you into fingering patterns that may not necessarily be the best fingering choices.   Fortunately, I do read music though I'm not a great sight reader. I highly recommend picking up a book on music theory or taking some piano lessons. It really opened up the fretboard for me. Also, having a very talented guitarist show me more efficient fingering positions changed my playing and finally let me understand how Geddy was playing what sounded impossible. And I love seeing Geddy's sheet music - looks like someone sneezed on the page.   And do not forget, neither McCartney, nor Lennon (and neither Jagger, nor Richards) could read music and no tabs back then. It didn't seem to hold them back and they did alright.   Just play. If you need tabs - no shame, use them. If you can read music, fine; if you can't that's okay too. Just play. The joy is in the playing. Let your inner song out.   "All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted".

I recall reading an interview and Neil attributed it to Freddie Gruber (RIP).

 

I see it as "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".

 

Definitively, no. I wouldn't trade tomorrow for today, and here's why:

 

Trading tomorrow for today says to me there is no hope. Trading away your tomorrow gives away any hope that the future will be better. I always hope that tomorrow is better than today (who doesn't?). Trading it would remove that hope.

 

Just my $.02.

Nice posting and a very rational analysis.

 

For some reason, I have a visualization in my mind as Headlong Flight being almost like a dream sequence of recalling his life before the spiritual crash of BU2B2. Kind of like after "The Wreckers" he's lying on a jagged beach, broken and battered and half-conscious, and fondly recalls his life, warts and all.

 

Oddly enough, and on a side note, I have some trepidation about reading the novelization. I think my concern is akin to watching a music video and having it provide me with a different vision of what my mind's eye has already created.

 

Thanks

QUOTE (HowItIs @ Jul 18 2012, 04:14 AM)

QUOTE (condemned2bfree @ Jul 17 2012, 10:38 PM) anyone into the history of alchemy? Funny coincidence last month or so i've been interested in alchemy in particular john dee and kerry in europe 16th century...king of bohemia. Look at dees glyph; http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/1971/deehieroglyph.gif The dawn of a great age. is the philosophers stone the hidden driving force in ca. The watchmaker has time up his sleeve, master alchemist who has gained the elixir of life? HHmmmmmm... it's a thought. http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd103/laserspray/internet%20stuff/smilies/diapo1850f8b72528112838e9ae02a3a3ed.gif   The symbol at 3:00 is Mercury. Looks like Mercury to me   And, yes, Neil specifically said that the Pedlar IS The Watchmaker. Interesting.   I've been thinking about this and noticed the resemblance of the "Pedlar" icon looks a lot like mercury too (as previously noted).   Mercury is the god with wings on his feet (messenger of the gods). I wonder if there is a connection. Neil stating the Pedlar is the Watchmaker is interesting (quite logical - what do you lack?) although it undermines a theory of mine (like that makes any difference) of the protagonist falling in love with the Pedlar (what did I see, fool that I was, a goddess with wings on her feet). I've read the liner notes and see that it was a carnie that he fell in love with, but I still wonder whether there's an indirect connection (a priestess maybe?).   The numerical offset on the cover (it isn't 21:12) would certainly infer an illusion and that we're not seeing what we think we are.

I am now starting to think about the satiric aspect to Candide. Apparently, debating the end of Candide is terribly contentious. Great minds (certainly greater than mine) have been debating this for hundreds years and will continue to due so for hundreds more (hopefully).

 

But I still love the dimension that it adds to the CA story.

 

Is the end a rebuke of Pangloss' ideas and that Candide's final statement of "That is well put, but know we must tend our garden" that would refute optimism and make it a scathing satire...all is for the best indeed and look at what happened (pirates, shipwrecked, lost cities and loves)?!? Most scholars seem to interpret Candide this way - brutal satire against Leibniz "best of all possible worlds".

 

Did the CA protagonist read Candide in the same light as Voltaire intended - full of satire?

 

There is much to consider...