Wingmaster

Spot on! Moreover, and perhaps ironically, regarding your first statement, if Peart, Lee, and Lifeson didn't think the same way, we wouldn't be here in this forum talking about them today! They are consummate professionals in every way, shape, and form.

Read the review, and the only thing less impressive than his opinion is his review, which was well written I suppose, but semi-vapid, was his implicit logic and basis for argumentation. I couldn't tell if he was trying to save as much face as possible w/o sounding like a complete buffoon, or whether this clown is so out of tune w/ music, both generally as well as specifically. (Rush in the context of Rock) No one wants to hear my opinions on this clown, so let's get to a couple of quick facts. For starters, two of the band members, Lee and Peart are regarded by many, particularly in Peart's case, as the best in the biz. Mike Portnoy is the next drummer that comes to mind that has actually turned rock drumming into a musical experience and not merely a time-keeping exercise. Lifeson also makes most respectable lists of guitar players and any live performance of Rush, but particularly the Clockwork Angels tour, should go well beyond demonstrating his versatility and skill. ... and I don't even play guitar. Moreover, anyone that's qualified to review music and having seen these guys live that does not focus on, or at least strongly comment on the individual skill of the individual musicians absolutely has to be questioned in terms of fitness for even opening their mouth much less allowing words to escape from it related to that same live performance. Secondly, and in responding to this comment of his; Like hundreds of other rock bands, Rush is good but not notable. Like that of many others, its music has created a tribe of followers through its admirable skill and effort. But if the group were completely erased from history, rock would sound and feel the same today. ... apparently this clown is unfamiliar with the ranks of the inductees to the R&R HoF. I took a quick peek at the R&R HoF members/inductees to see exactly what kind of grand company Rush has been excluded from due to their "non-notable" status. Here's a list; http://en.wikipedia...._Fame_inductees I won't even bother commenting on some of these inductees in contrast, but when, as an avid music fan, one finds oneself asking 'who is/was that,' well, that kind of speaks for itself. Otherwise, let's take one of the more recent inductees, and a recognized one, ... The Ramones. Not being able to recognize one single Ramones song, I looked the up on Wiki and here's what I see; To start, anyone suggesting that Rush is too "pigeon-holed" with a band like The Ramones inducted is an ignoramus. (generally speaking) And The Ramones is not the only inductee as a basis for making that statement. Moreover, punk is about as pigeon-holed as one can get within the genre of "rock." Secondly, other than the album name, "Ramones," of which I cannot recall a single song, on the album, there is not one other of their album names that I recognize. I'd wager that most true Rock and Roll fans also cannot. Thirdly, The Ramones have 14 albums to Rush's 20, many of which are widely recognizeable by name, even among non-Rush fans. As to singles, The Ramones have a whopping three singles that charted in the Billboard top-100 in the U.S., ever, with 66th having been their best. In the U.K. they had 14 chart in the top-100, of those, only 4 better than 54th, and of those four only one better than 22nd, and that was a song not even written by them but only covered by them finishing 8th, again, in the U.K. They had three whopping songs chart in the U.S. in the Modern Rock category, 4th, 6th, and 30th. Rush has had 24 songs chart in Canada, 16 in the Billboard top-100, 37 chart in the U.S.'s Mainstream Rock top-100 including five #1's, two #2's, three 3's, two 4's, and w/ 21 of those 37 having been among the top-10 and including such widely recognizeable songs as Limelight, Tom Sawyer, Subdivisions, and New World Man. To suggest that songs such as Tom Sawyer and Limelight are not notable, displays a wealth of ignorance. Even in the U.K. where they appear to have done all but no marketing, they've charted 10 times. The Ramones' lasted 20 years. Rush has been active for over 40 and has done an extraordinary, almost unheard of, job of keeping their music relevant and keeping up w/ the sounds of the times. As to studio albums, of The Ramones 14 albums, in the U.S., four made the top-100 on Billboard in the U.S. (44th, 49th, 58th, and 63rd). That's less than 30% of their albums charting, none ever higher than 44th. In the U.K. 10 of their 14 charted within the top-100, only one better than 32nd at 14th. Of Rush's 20 studio albums, 17 (85%) charted among the top-100 Billboard in the U.S. 14 of those 17 charted better than 32nd, all 14 among the top-20, 11 of the 14 among the top-10, with 8 of those 11 at 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. In the U.K., 14 of Rush's 20 albums ranked better than 32nd with 9 of those among the top-10. Their charting in Canada for albums is ridiculous. So yeah, it's quite easy to see that Rush doesn't belong in the R&R HoF. (Biting sarcasm) There are others on that list, I just plucked one w/ a recognizeable name, yet that was pigeon-holed, which critics claim Rush is, although I simply don't see it, yet one whose accolades are only recognizeable by only the most ardent of their fans. And oh, just by the way, where does originality fit into the mix here? Few bands have been as original as Rush, if any, and in an era whereby much had already been done leaving even less room for originality, one would think that it would be lauded, not criticized. As well, apparently the literary and historical references that have influenced Peart's, Lee's, and Lifeson's songwriting soars over this clown's head like Sputnik. This review by Randall Roberts, and with my attempting to be completely objective given that I am a Rush fan, has several planes of ignorance attached to it against the backdrop that Rush does not belong in the R&R HoF. If this guy wanted to have any credibility, then given his criteria for admission/induction, coupled with the existing list of inductees, I would expect a corresponding statement by him that a good many of the artists currently in, on the magnitude of half, also should never have made it, ... by the same exact standards by which he claims that Rush should be denied. Yet, there isn't even that hint. Apparently ... On 24 February 2006, the Sex Pistols—the four original members plus Vicious—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum "a piss stain". I would think that Roberts' opinion of the R&R HoF would more mirror that of the Sex Pistols if he's going to be consistent in his views. Not that I agree w/ them, but in terms of consistency, Roberts' hypocrisy and lack of consistency in the matter may be more that stain. Finally, in the meantime, I'm all for hearing Roberts' list of bands that were able to remain prominent as well as relevant, not to mention musically sound despite his vapid reference to the relevance of blues in rock, for the near 40 years that Rush has. As I scan that list of inductees, most don't seem to have made it 20 much less 40. As they say, it is better to remain silent and be thought of a fool, than it is to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. [Editorial Note: I really don't care whether or not Rush makes it into the R&R HoF. At this point one could even argue whether or not it's even a good thing. Music and all that it stands for stands by itself and makes its own statement. I liked Rush as a kid in high school and college, but have grown to have them be my favorite single band of all time today, particularly after the Clockwork Angels album, which coupled with the book is a masterpiece of sorts. One would think that there would be room in the industry for recognizing a band that has been so utterly focused on musical perfection, one that was never afraid to step out of its current shell and take risks in making new albums/songs (in an ongoing basis thereby having no "shell" as it were), one that never made the news or "rumors" for deviant or immoral behavior, one whose members appear to be as intelligent as any in the industry and whose thoughts in terms of song-writing rival that of the bandmembers of Pink Floyd, although with a greater degree of lucidity, one in which the members have solid family lives and are therefore good examples to fans in that way, one that never had a need to incite their concert goers w/ gratuitious profanity just to elicit a response, one whose music speaks for itself, not to mention one that has as a trio, three consumate musicians in all respects.]

Hey Steve, I took my son, then 9, to the Snakes & Arrows tour a couple of years ago. We had lawn seats in Bristow, VA. He loved it. This time I took the whole family, wife and two daughters aged 5 & 7 and son now 11. We took hearing protection for the girls, headphones, and soft ear plugs for my son but he didn't want them. The show was so great that he and I drove to Charlotte to see it again, which we both thought was better despite a couple of malfunctioning moving screens. Neither of us wore hearing protection at that show which wasn't as loud as we thought being that it was indoors. Anyway, at 12 he'll absolutely love it! I've seen Rush five or six times now including the original Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves tours. I may have seen the Hemispheres tour as well, I can't recall. Also saw the Test for Echo tour whatever that one was called, and again, the Snakes & Arrows tour a couple of years ago. This was by far and away the best by a country mile! I would say this however, if you've not read the book, definitely get it and read it before the show. It's a really quick read, depending upon one's reading skill level, I'd say 3-6 hours. I really don't read novels, I'm more into non-fiction, but this was the best novel I've ever read and it makes the show all that much better since kind of like Pink Floyd's The Wall, this tells a story although not a dark one, a very uplifting one. If you're careful about what you let your kids read as we are, you should find absolutely nothing offensive whatsoever in this book. I'd been meaning to send a letter to Neil Peart on what a great job they did w/ the book, but I figured it would just get stuffed into some pile and read by someone paid to read it so I haven't done that. Either way, get the book, read it before the concert as you still have time, and definitely have your son read it too and enjoy the show. I'll predict that it's right up there w/ the best live performance you'll have ever been to if not the all-around best ever. Let me know what you think after the show. BTW, it is a long show, 3+ hours, but it doesn't seem like it and if it starts at 7:30 or so, figure 20 min. late, you'll still get out at a reasonable hour and if you don't take him you'll be kicking yourself for years. IMO Rush is a fantastic band for young people to assist them with learning about music. They're so ridiculously talented and as a trio easily have the best blend/combo of three musicians all near tops in their particular art genres w/ Peart and Lee noted by some as the best in the biz overall. BTW, aren't you lucky, according to posters here the Phoenix and Dallas shows will be recorded for the DVD that I can't wait to buy. I wish they had put the Charlotte, NC show on DVD. I'll take any one of this tour tho, seriously, best concert I've ever been to period, of the oh, 80 - 100 I've been to over my lifetime.