Thunder Bay Rush

Hey Eagle… Fool’s Overture is on Even in the Quietest Moments… I’d start with that one if you’re thinking about giving Supertramp another go…

Fool’s Overture is a great song. I played in a band back in Toronto in ’81 – ’82 and we played that song. Most of the people in bars and clubs didn’t know what song it was, but we loved playing it. In fact, Supertramp was pretty much a progressive rock band until Breakfast in America came out. I believe that Crime of the Century is one of the best recorded albums in all of popular music. They were a huge band “back in the day.”

Neil has stated in a couple of his books that he just likes to get away before the traffic jams start. I would do the same… he doesn’t hang around and mingle anyway, so why not get the hell out of there? Cut the guy some slack… I’ve mentioned this part once before (about a year ago I think?) … I used to host a fishing and hunting television program. There are a million of these types of outdoors shows on the dish and cable. I was mixed up in the huge pile… not exactly top of the celebrity ladder… near the bottom actually. But, still, I had people coming to MY GODDAM HOUSE and knocking on my door (about 2 - 3 times a week) and at nearly any time of the day and any day of the week. Drunk or sober. It was often mom or dad bringing their kids over for a picture or to ask me to sign something. Being rude to people and kicking them off your property is easier said than done. I actually had to move and build my current house way the hell back in the bush, off the grid. And, I hosted a fishing show. I was not the drummer in Rush, or Genesis, Motley Crue, AC/DC, or Bon Jovi. You can only imagine what he and others at his level of notoriety go through. I don’t blame him one bit for shying away from strangers. What I went through was about 1% of what he goes through. And, it was too much for me. Hopefully, this will help some of you to understand why Neil (and MANY other celebs) feel the way he does. He doesn’t like the attention. He doesn’t “dislike” his fans. How could he? They pay for his BWM motorcycles and his home. Think about that…

I guess it’s true that the production (microphones and effects, et cetera) of a drum would ultimately make the sound good or not so good in a recorded setting. But, the DWs, for me, just don’t sound good at all. I played an acoustic set a couple years ago just for fun and I really didn’t like them. I was at a friend’s house and he still had his old Tama Imperial Star set from a million years ago and they sounded better in my opinion. I also played an old set of Rogers and one of Yamaha (not sure what models) recently and they both sounded so good… especially the Yamaha tenor toms. Unreal sound.

Yes, I knew it was a typo. I once left a GF at her house because she couldn’t stop texting. I’ll bet her very next text to one of retarded friends was, “OMG, what an asshole… he totally just walked out on me!” And, that was the last of that whole deal… she was F-ed anyway. It would drive me nuts to be at a rock show and see people talking or texting on their goddam phone. Didn’t Bono yell at someone in the front row for texting once? I think I saw that on the YouTube.

Another guy near me was thrilled by the 1'st set (the last time he had seen Rush was in the 80's - either the Power Windows Tour or HYF - I forget which) but you could tell he was not into the 2'nd set. To make matters worse (sigh - we have heard this before but here it comes) he had brought his girlfriend with him and she was a country music fan who did not like Rush. She just tested the entire time and as the second set went on was obviously saying to him "I am bored - lets leave" He finally did. Poor guy. That dude needs a new girlfriend and – a set of balls.

I think the drum sounds on Caress of Steel are fantastic… MUCH better than on 2112, where you can barely hear the small concert toms. (They sound like they are covered in blankets or something.) That set was the Slingerland “Chromey” set up. Again, favourite set was the black Slingerlands he used from 77 – 79… GREAT sound and look. Black drums look cool under the stage lights. We don’t hear about Gretsch drums much anymore… I played them from ’81 – ’85 and liked them very much. Mine were made from maple wood.

Babycat has it right!!

GREAT picture of Kim on that vinyl disc flying through the air with his ES 335 (I think that’s what that is.) He could fly, jump off the drum riser, do spins, walk out into the crowd and stand on chairs and tables and make his unbelievably skinny legs do very funny things… all this before wireless guitars. I saw Max play about 15 times from ‘77 - 81. They toured nonstop. The first Max show I saw was them opening for Rush on the AFTK tour, in Ottawa. 8,000 people, sold out… but, fittingly, Max got 5 encores that night. The crowd just kept cheering and cheering “MAX, MAX, MAX.” And, to top it all off, Kim was (and still is) a serious guitar player. I know he could give Alex a run for his money and many guitar players say he is even better than Lifeson. Kim’s solo material actually sold more than the Max albums, but to me, it wasn’t anywhere near as good as the Max Webster material. Most of the solo stuff seemed to be written with “hits” in mind. Sadly, that’s the record business for you… most times. Unless you’re Rush.

Here are the words to Beyond the Moon… This will give you an idea of the band’s sound. Not something you’d often hear on radio. It's another world we think in Because words are obsolete Two thousand years we kissed the devil Before we knew defeat Chapter eating Marx one morning Freaking out on electric meat Chewing thrills with Turkish madmen Space speed to Sweden without sleep Cocaine colored computer cards Coding cosmic zipper skies Vitamin clouds beyond the moon Yogurt blood lunacy shoes Acid warped the global fetus Like the bourgeois look at feet… and Cadillacs Two thousand years we crossed up Jesus Thinking he'd make ends meet… Christ no You can't make the world to order Like a hotel service's food Take the sixties as a movie Take the seventies as fuel You've got a reason to be endless Because your mood is summer cool Let deliverance be existence Before this song becomes your fool

I normally dislike tribute bands because they’re normally terrible. But, this one, K Rush, is REALLY good. I just watched part of their promo video on the YouTube. One of our members (Kenny Lee) is the… wait for it… bass player, singer and keyboardist. And, no I don’t know the guy, nor did he ask me to do this… just giving credit when due. kRUSH - A Tribute To Rush.

For me, it's hard to beat the sound of Geddy's Ricky 4001 on A Farewell To Kings... especially on Cygnus and Xanadu.

Max was never really much of a "hits" band, other than a few written by Terry Watkinson, the keyboard player and occasional lead vocalist (next to Kim Mitchell.) Their best tunes (like is often the case) are the ones you never heard on the radio. Go on the Google and check out Beyond The Moon. The guitar solo near the end will blow your goddam mind. Then, listen to The Party Crazy stuff.

Whatever parts Hugh Syme played...

Max - My second all time fave band! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY was a better showman than Kim Mitchell. From '76 into '81, he owned the audience. One of the best guitar players on the planet too. Buy their CDs. It will freak you out. Start with "High Class in Borrowed Shoes," from 1977.

Or, worse? Yes, Gemini... anything with the goddam DW logo on it. I don't know why so many drummers are using them these days... >>>>>????

No contest... the black Slingerlands he used up until he the end of Hemispheres tour. Loved the look AND the sound. Amazing drums.

Alex playing the ES 355 brings back my best Rush memories... the Hemispheres Tour. That gets my vote...

Gotta be the Ricky... 4001 I think??

Um... just a joke. Holy shit...

Not sure why people are complaining about the sound and the editing... it sounds fine on my shitty TV set. Maybe if I had a big system like some of you do, I'd notice a difference. The only thing I did notice, was the drums weren't loud enough at times. I think the camera work and the editing are excellent. But, I still miss Kelly D and her friend rockin' out!!!

To me, there was never a better Rush than the Rush from 77 - 81, which was the MP tour. One thing that they've done in the last 10 - 15 years that I'm not really a fan of, is the whole comedy thing. Every tour these days, we can think "I wonder what the funny opening video will be like this year." Kind of repetitive... I preferred Rush back in the late 70s when they came out, no opening video (they didn't need one, nor do they today) and just kicked ass. I used to think Rush was a cool band, not a funny one. Today, it seems they want to be comedians. So, back in their prime, they were an awesome band. And, cool as hell too.

The last place I'd ever be seen is in a crowd of 450,000, Rush or not. That would be horrible if you ask me.

Hmmmm.... I seem to be getting my ass kicked, and possibly for good reason. All of the Toronto shows I saw (accept for Time Machine (July, 2010 and that crowd was loud) were from '78 - '87 and believe me, those shows were nuts! I was there when they taped the grace Under pressure show for DVD... wild crowd. The wildest crowd I saw in TO were the Moving Pictures shows in '81. Was there the first two nights (of the three) and OMFG!

All I will say, is this: I have seen Rush 27 times now, since 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Minneapolis and Winnipeg. And, until you see a Toronto show, "you ain't seen shit!"