toymaker

I think some of these would be cool to hear. As I stated in another post, I get bummed out by songs like Chain Lightning that start coolishly heavy and riffy and then wimp out in the chorus ('sun dogs fire on the blah blah). Losing It would be exceptionally cool if Alex were given the solo spot given to Ben Mink on the album version!

I love trying to play along to the solo in Here Again (I'm okay up to a certain point and then Alex plays too fast). I just think it's a cool tune—lots of emotion and I think a hint of where they were going.

I remember playing the drums for this tune at a high school talent assembly ("talent" is used loosely in my case). It was a brutally difficult thing to drum to on a five piece drum set with one crash and one ride cymbal. I didn't try any fancy high-hat tricks—it was all I could do to keep it going. I gave up drums soon after that performance...

For goodness sakes. koon-skin hat. As RACCOON! Ugh. Auto-correct FAIL. Okay. I was a little worried about your original statement Yeah...what kind of bizarre auto-correct is that???

Yeah, I agree. I'm often surprised when I hear people talking about bad audio quality, because I never know what they're talking about. It always sounds pretty good to me - quiet ('cause the kids are in bed) or loud ('cause I have the house to myself). The only time I agreed that an album sounded bad was when I heard the original Vapor Trails, but I was so happy to hear some face-melting rock that I didn't care. Now, I should probably mention that I've been playing bass in a bar band for several years, so I probably have crappy hearing...

Go back to 1974 and then just . . . stay? Ah...I see someone already had this idea...

I know judging their speeches is strictly a matter of opinion, but I also enjoyed Alex's speech more. The pizza toppings reference was hilarious. Perhaps I misheard this—but it sounds like Alex says "least of which is getting this . . . honour." I'm sure he meant to say "not least of which..."

This was my question, though. Maybe I'll check to see if Hugh Syme has a web site, and if he can be contacted. Someone needs to convince him to do right by this album cover. If done the way he intended, I bet it would be among the coolest album covers... Update: I have e-mailed. We'll see if he writes back!

I wants to know too... I bet I can guess.... 5 stars :haz: BTW.. Wonder if he's a ninny? We could use another..... :D What is a ninny? nin·ny ˈninē/ noun informal a foolish person or anyone who likes The Garden :) Dr S Coopers' definition.... I like the Garden because my wife loves the Garden—partly—but I also think it's an interesting song (great solo, too).

I loved it when I was young, then I sort of disliked it when I was older and sophisticated and trying to be cool; then I decided I liked my first impression better and being sophisticated and cool is not such a great way to be anyway. Caress of Steel pretty much scorches my brain—with a couple of moments that I wait patiently through: 1) Panacea and 2) the spoken narrative bits. I also can't help but chuckle at "silence shrouds the forest as the birds announce the dawn." I always think of birds holding little signs (because they are obviously not making any noise). Then....Alex's solo in the Necromancer, which is beautiful and unholy and blisters my cortex.

Is it? I just had a look at my Anthem issue LP, and it looks awfully pink to me. This being the copy that I didn't colour over with a red magic marker when I was younger.

A Farewell to Kings is the beginning of the "Period of Glorious Rush Majesty," hinted at by 2112 and bid a fond farewell by the end of Signals. Not to say I don't dig everything from Finding my Way to The Garden (and Garden Road, which, when I discovered it on the Internet, almost made me cry tears of joy), but those unbefuckinglievable (can I say "unbefuckinglievable"?) albums will forever be associated with my adolescent self's Happy Place, and turned me right on to guitar, bass and drums and trying to write my own songs. A Farewell to Kings continues to melt my face off, from the twittering birdies to the haunting Cm - Ebm - Em progression that closes it.

I don't know if this is the right forum for this, but there's something I don't get about album covers. We hear stories that the original logo on the first Rush album was supposed to have red lettering, but it came out pink. When they reissue an album, or a remaster, or whatever, why don't they give us what was intended? The album cover for Caress of Steel was supposed to be this metallic, burnished steel sort of thing, but somebody "got creative" and made it look like bronze over this dark, bluey-green background. So, can someone show us the original conception? Do they think people will get confused? I miss the old days of listening to vinyl albums, sittin' in my beanbag chair studying the album art and the lyrics and the liner notes. Mobley talks about this in his new book, too.

Are people disliking Dog Years because it's just goofy? Is it in the same league as I Think I'm Going Bald? A serious theme with less-than-serious lyrics? Is it Peart "trying to be funny" and failing? I'm not suggesting it's any of these, just curious. I don't mind the song that much—the guitar riff is sort of heavy, and there's a bit o' passion in the playing. The words make me think about life and aging in spite of my resistance to goofy punning. Peart has always been one for puns, right? He's come a long way from some of the early lyrics—I always get a chuckle out of this one, from Caress of Steel: "silence shrouds the forest as the birds announce the dawn..." I don't get it: are the birds announcing the dawn in some totally quiet way??

Absolutely and totally. I couldn't be happier with it. It might be one of those rare albums where I don't skip tracks.

Ooooh I, need some love...

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They played 9 songs from the album on the Snakes and Arrows tour. I like the album—a lot—and when it came out I did a little Snoopy dance. But for sheer smokin' classic killer kick-ass Rush, Clockwork Angels is what I want to see them play live (again, I mean). Seven Cities of Gold and Headlong Flight are just over the moon. These guys are in their freakin' 60s. 60s!!! These tunes rock harder than so many "magic-four-chord-formula" pop tunes that are out there (I'm thinking mostly of the band-that-shall-not-be-named, whose singer sings his heart out but sings some of the worst cheese going. But I don't want to get started...

Thanks. I've never joined one before. Haven't got a clue yet what I'm doing! You are doing better than I did. I shouldn't be doing it at all right now. I'm supposed to be grading papers.

It seems to me that even Geddy Lee thinks it's kind of ridiculous to mime along with the pre-recorded part—if you watch Earthshine, for example, he sort of makes a half-assed (so it seems—it's like he's grinning) effort to "sing" along with the pre-chorus.

Thanks. I've never joined one before. Haven't got a clue yet what I'm doing!

Does anyone understand how the technology works whereby Alex steps to the microphone, sings along, and magically sounds like Geddy Lee singing harmonies? Is he just triggering a pre-recorded part? Is it just done for show?

I heard "wakey wakey" as well.

There's definitely a place in my heart for Counterparts. As a long-time fan who was getting a bit bummed out by the poppy stuff they were writing, I was overjoyed to hear some crunchy guitar riffs (and an acoustic guitar centred tune). I think the guitar solos are imaginative, and I think the songs are decently catchy. I do skip "Speed of Love," which doesn't seem to fit the rest of the album.

When I first bought Test for Echo, I had very high hopes. It turned out to be one of those albums, though, that took many listens to get into. I think I'm still in that stage....maybe a few more listens will do the trick. What bothers me about some Rush tunes is how they start with these glorious, heavy riffs and then just sort of wimp out. I think Virtuality has a killer riff, but the chorus sinks it. I know some people love that about Rush—how a song can have different moods and dynamics—but I don't think it works here. Other examples: The Big Wheel (Roll the Bones), which has that fat chording and then wimps out with a keyboard chorus ("playing for time, don't want to wait for heaven....") and Chain Lightning, which has another interesting heavyish riff and then blows it with "Sun dogs fire, on the horizon." To me it's a let down. Don't mean to get off topic, but I think that some of the newer tunes suffer from this mentality of sorting through jams and trying to tie bits together.