Lieutenant Dan

It's growing on me even after two listens. It took me a few go's before 'Backspacer' really got me as well. Later PJ albums don't have the instant accessibility to them that 'Ten' and 'Vs' had. Pretty nice summation of LB. It's refined and well-crafted, has some good rockin' numbers to go with the introspective medium and slower stuff. Nice overall atmosphere. They sound.....musically comfortable and mature, but not complacent to me.

Agree with many of you fine folks here. I'd prefer for them to take their time, some good R&R, and do a concept album based on hockey.

I basically agree with this, except that I think Clockwork Angels really is an awesome album, with a bunch of good songs, and a turn in the right direction. As much as I love Clockwork Angels' songs, I do wish it was a tad bit clearer, with better instrument separation, less bass and guitar "crowdedness" and less "splashiness" to Neil's cymbals and more precision. The other day I was listening the newly remastered Presto on my iPod (which sounds incredible, by the way), and after Available Light finished, Summertime Blues came on. Granted, it's not an original Rush tune, but the difference in production and sound couldn't have been more stark. Where Presto was precise, melodic, and "heterogeneous" to the nth-degree, Feedback was the complete opposite. It was messy and crowded. It really sounded like crap in comparison. Hopefully Clockwork Angels is a preview of better things to come. LOL, well going from Presto to Feedback would be a little jarring. I get what you're saying, but I think Feedback was just a fun EP of songs these guys were jamming to and playing out in their youth. As such, the production is much more garage-like and live sounding. It works well for the energy behind 'Summertime Blues' and 'The Seeker', especially....at least to my ears. It's like they wanted to get in there, play these songs and not overcomplicate the stew, as it were, if they tried to make a meticulous production out of it.

I'm looking forward to picking up Lightning Bolt. I've been onboard with PJ from the start...they lost me a couple times (Binaural and others), but boy did they get me back with Backspacer. LOVED that record, in particular the more mid-tempo and slower stuff. Eddie's solo records (Into the Wild and Ukelele Songs) really got me to digging his folksy side. I'm hoping the new album still has some of that too?

That's great about your son and golf....I love to TRY to play it :) I don't stress over the score, I just play for at least ONE great shot in a round and try not to slow down others who actually can play.

"The Camera Eye". Wicked drums, and SLICKMONO mentioned the incredible guitar solo. That whole guitar solo SECTION is incredible by all three guys. Plus, how can you not love a tune where Geddy belches and then exclaims "Oh my gosh!!" (at 8:54 :) )

I had to go with "Summertime Blues" because they rock that absolute crap out of it. "The Seeker" is RIGHT there, though!!!

"Armor and Sword".....it has grace and grandeur. 'No one gets to their Heaven without a fight' is an AMAZING lyric.

The logical answer follows the majority; "Subdivisions" is freaking brilliant. However, I voted for "New World Man" and here is why. —It's the song that I heard on the radio that introduced me to what would be my favorite band when I was in high school. —It's an incredibly well-put together shot-glass of what Rush is about. Great lyrics, the drumming is fantastic (but restrained JUST enough on this song) and the bass line is amazing. When I first heard this song, it told me the following in three minutes: that guy plays the HELL out of that bass, the drummer sounds like a beast, the guitarist is ultra-tasty, and the lyrics are very intelligent. As a radio single, I don't believe Rush could have done any better. It sure worked for me.

I love "Entre Nous" as a song, but voted "Jacob's Ladder" as it's just spectacular RUSH. Neil's drumming on this song is a clinic in syncopation and WTF? moments :)

"2112" suite.....the climax ( we have assumed control ) still makes the back of my neck tingle after 30 years of listening to it.

I voted for "Xanadu", which holds the special place in my heart for being the tune that inspired me to pick up the bass guitar. I never got real GOOD at it....but I picked it up.

This for me as well. This suite worked so well for me in so many ways. I loved to listen to it on headphones with my eyes shut and picture everything (though you should have seen me jump the first time at ..........."THEN ALL AT ONCE THE CHAOS CEASED."). It also worked great to crank up over the speakers and in the car...where ever, when ever! The imagery of the lyrics and the sheer gymnastics they were pulling off on their instruments while still being so MELODIC was astounding on Cygnus X-1, Bk 2. I've still never heard better bass bits that this piece, and my favorite Peart fill of all time happens at the climax of part V (Cygnus) at 16:26. Just......damn*. * (nod to Honorable Mention of the drumming on the latter part of "Jacob's Ladder" which also amazes me).

I guess at 46 I qualify as an old-timer :codger: However, my very first exposure to Rush was "New World Man" on the radio when Signals came out. My brother (who had some bucks) picked up the "Signals" and "Moving Pictures" LPs and we both listened to those for weeks. Then I continued to move backwards into their catalog, while also keeping up with their new releases. I'm kind of a low-rent audiophile, and a musician and self-producer, so my ear is very keen to the production differences in the albums, but I guess I don't find myself wishing for a return to the dry aesthetic of the 2112 through Hemispheres era. They've already done that, and it's a dated sound. I feel that CA has sort of become the crystalization of what Rush has always aimed for. It's a focused, full-length concept album with very good production and arrangement while not being overwrought in either of those things. My favorite album in their catalog remains "Hemispheres", but I certainly wouldn't want everything to sound like that or an extension of it. They've already DONE it. Rush is progressive, from album to album, their journey always moves forward (and occasionally down a side-road that some fans don't much enjoy the scenery lol). Now, for giggles...what do I think is their best-sounding album? In many respects, I'd have to say "Signals" because it's so meaty, big and bouncy :) It's not as clinically clear as "Moving Pictures" or as dry as "Kings", but it's punchy all day long. Good lord, go back and listen to "Subdivisions", "The Analog Kid", "Countdown"....listen to Geddy's bass just GROWL and feel Neil's kick drum! Woof! On a slight tangent, "Hold Your FIre" has some great songs on it, but the production?? It's like they fit the band into a reverb chamber and hit 'RECORD". Enough rambling...sorry for the long post folks. I'm still too new here to go on so! :)

Oh, that is devilish...I love it! Just wait till they start wailing "WE ARE THE PRIESTS!!!" at daycare :) I had to come to TRF to confirm the existence of female Rush fans...it's true!!!! :dweez: Santa Claus? ;) J/K....has your son gotten into golf, then? For myself, I'm very proud that my son and my oldest step-son are big Rush fans. My son Kendall is 18 and he attended the Nashville, TN show on the Time Machine Tour. He was jumping up and down and loving the whole experience...he's very reserved and I've never seen him exude such pure joy :) Alex even saw him and acknowledged him from the stage, and that made Kendall's night a singular experience for both of us! My step-son's father abused him for years before he was jailed, and I came into the picture years after in 2003. I had moved out here when he was a freshman in HS and still angry, but I had drums with me. He was excited about the drums (Roland E-Drums) so we set them up the very day I got here. The next day, I handed him 'Test for Echo' and he went head over heels for Rush. I continued to feed him more Rush, Dave Matthews Band (for Carter Beauford), Yes, The Police, Porcupine Tree, etc. He soaked it all up. He used the drums as an outlet for his emotions and funneled his energy into them. In very short order, he got very good and plays in a Peart style to this day. We got him his own Tama acoustic kit, which he still cherishes, and he was in a local band playing progressive rock for a few years. He joined the Marines after high school and he saw Rush twice in concert and loved it.

Treeduck....I'm a new guy here and I want you to know I've just become a big fan of your use of 'Geddy Gang' to describe the vox LOL. Awesome. Not sure if that term was already part of the Rush Forum vernacular but since I saw you use it first, I must tip my hat :) This was an excellent overview of the remix, thanks for your effort in this! I originally cottoned to Vapor Trails immediately when it was released. I liked almost all of the songs very much, and I fought through the sludge (and pissed and moaned about it to anyone in earshot) for the sake of the great songs. It was also never lost on me how much Neil exposed his feelings on this and how difficult it is for someone like him to put this out there. Ged and Alex very strongly reinforced all these pointed and emotionally charged lyrics with unusually powerful music. This album is very organic for a later Rush album. I did a lot of comparisons between the Remix and the original and it's safe to say that the original is going to be relegated to the archives. It's still a keeper for it's rawness, but that distortion....no. The Remix is all I will listen to from now on. To end this post, I think Neil was extremely successful with getting his emotions across on this album since he chose to stay out of the Remix project. VT is unique in the Rush calalog for being so raw and fueled by both tradgedy and triumph.

Thank you kindly, Seeker :)

Hello everyone...first post :) Great topic! Okay, for the album covers....and again, this is based PURELY on the artwork and not the content. Grab that baby and go to the counter: Exit Stage Left (to me, it's the best because the concept of all previous cover elements being present is awesome) Permanent Waves A Farewell to Kings Hemispheres (and this is me paring it down! Rush has a lot of great covers...Clockwork Angels, Signals, and Power Windows are great too) Oh Lord, the UGLY! Drop it!! list: Hold Your Fire Counterparts Snakes and Arrows RUSH