WorkingAllTheTime

What a great read. Thanks for posting. This fan definitely appreciates the fact they put some thought into what they would play for likely their last run.

My first show was the the p/g tour and it was there. I have a few friends who attended St. Louis shows on the Signals tour (10.12.1982 and 10.15.1982 - the apparently played a show at the University of Illinois in between those dates) who say they remember it - but they were perpetually stoned back then, so who knows. I asked a few folks in Texas who likely attended Signals shows in Texas (March, 1983) and they think it was there, but they were likely also perpetually stoned, so who knows. The boots I have suggest it did not show up until around Signals, but it could have been earlier I guess. As for the love it or hate it notion. I tend to love it. Corny? Sure. Cheesy? Yep. Fun? I will go with yes. My kids loved it (as well as the hand claps for TSOR) when they were old enough to go to shows, so that brings back warm memories. My son in later years, though, pointed out the "heys" are an odd sort of message of collective obedience, which is interesting in the context of 2112. That is probably not the message the band was going for with it, but it is an interesting thought.

Unless something incredibly earth shaking happens in the post-Rush era, talking about Geddy and Alex as individual musicians outside Rush is basically folly. Musically, they are known, almost entirely, for their work in Rush. Their fantastic musicianship is understood in the context of Rush... just Rush. Sure, they play in other things (Victor, MFH, etc.) from time-to-time, but they will always be known as two-thirds of Rush.... and let's be honest, no one ever thinks that final 1/3 was Rutsey. The band has released 19 studio albums (20 if you count Feedback). 1 of those albums was with Rutsey and not Peart. 18 of 19 (or 94.7%) of their studio work has been with Neil. Sure, Working Man gets a lot of love, and deservedly so. But is Working Man the quintessential Rush song? Is the debut the quintessential Rush album? Hardly. Nearly 95% percent of Geddy and Alex' most known work was 2/3 them and 1/3 Neil. That speaks for itself. Whether or not they would have been known as fantastic musicians outside of Rush is a pointless question.... that never happened. The lead line in their obituaries will not be anything other than their time in Rush. Rush are Geddy, Alex, and Neil. Geddy, Alex, and Neil are Rush. It doesn't matter how much people want to hate on Neil.... he is a key part of the Rush story... all of it.... proclaimed musicianship included. End of Story.

Quit complaining about people actually having an opinion rather than just blind and deaf gushing over every release. Thank you, Eagle. I had a post in response, but I decided: why bother? You said it nicer than I would have anyway. I just get tired of people getting criticized for having a brain in their heads and actually using it. Dumbing down of the world. Obviously, I am coming back to this a bit late. But, yeah, really... My suggesting the band did a good job of trying to balance the various fan demands in created the set list is dumbing things down? Its not acknowledging there is a lot of complexity and diversity to the history of the band? It's not simply saying I appreciated the fact they put some thought into the list and did not, as I mentioned, just do a "Greatest Hits" thing? Or are you suggesting maybe should I should just join the AARP TRF crowd and fall into one of the "Rush sucks after 'X' album" camps that permeate the forum? My admitting there were times where Ged's voice was a bit painful to listen to, but I was still thankful to have the opportunity to hear them again, was blind and deaf gushing? I wasn't acknowledging that there were times were Ged was not having his best night? Your comment of "I just get tired of people getting criticized for having a brain in their heads and actually using it" literally made me laugh out loud. First of all, I was indeed knocking the overall tone of the thread, but I was not knocking any one person. I was knocking the fact people come back to the same tired arguments over and over and over again when reality has not changed.... these guys are old and can't play the same way they did decades ago. Apparently understanding *that* requires more brainpower than some people have. Secondly, you seemed to have badly missed the two key messages in my post. For someone apparently claiming to have the higher intellectual ground here, it seems pretty obvious you do not. Here's the thing.... I can pretty clearly demonstrate that I do have a brain and I do use it. I generally think you are equally one of the people on the forum who do those things, as well. I just have to wonder if you misplaced those things for a while. PS For the record, I actually think the R40 release is not their best live work by a long shot. What I am able to partition in my mind, though, is the fact it is representative of where the band was at that stage of their lives and careers. Maybe I was foolish to expect something more than that... or maybe I am a realist.

I am an unashamed lover of this song. The poppy, upbeat tempo juxtaposed to the rather dark, resolved lyrics are, I think, by design. It is a very clever song....and something I think anyone who has dealt with a long, deep bout of depression can relate to.

Oh how I wish this were true. Hanks' son could play the younger Peart.... Hanks as the older Peart. But who would play Alex and Geddy? My cast for Ray Daniels is Paul Giamatti.... I realize he looks nothing like Ray, but I think he could basically reach back to his character in Sideways and capture the ethos of Ray quite well.

Not gonna lie.... if I remember your interaction with him, you were outside his tour bus? That might have creeped anyone out. knowwhatimean? I am certain you did not mean to be that guy, but I get why he thought you may have been that guy. You meant no disrespect at all, but he did not know that. I have had two chance encounters with Neil. Oddly, they were truly by chance. In both situations, he eventually realized, yes, I knew who he was, but, no, I was not going to freak out, take a picture, ask for an autograph, or treat him as a celebrity. Granted, neither of those encounters were "in the sphere" in that they occurred while he was traveling and not in a situation (on a tour bus, etc.) where he would expect some sort of potentially crazy fan near him. The first encounter was more just in passing. Passing conversation was exchanged and it was pleasant. The second was actually more in depth and we talked about a lot of things other than Rush. The second encounter was quite pleasant. Now, here's the thing, I once held a fairly high profile, public position. While it is on a much smaller scale, I have dealt with the reality of people coming up and talking to you about work while you are out to eat with your family. I have dealt with people intruding on some of the more basic moments of your life (shopping for groceries, filling up at the gas station, taking a piss at a baseball game - seriously..... just trying to take a piss, man), I have dealt with the uneasy reality of people interacting with you in a way that they think they know you as a person (because they know who you are and your title - but not who you are as a person), but you have no idea who they are, let alone their intention. I have dealt with people, in a very public way, talking about you and your work on TV or the internet (sometimes good, sometimes bad). I have dealt with people who somehow think they own you because "they pay your salary". Most people mean well, but not all of them. I am not joking in that I have received the occasional threat on not only my safety, but my family's. Celebrity, on any scale, sucks. Even those who seek it, I am convinced, eventually realize all that glitters is not gold. And when your default setting is introvert, that is even more challenging. The whole "Neil is a dick" thing cracks me up. Neil is human. All humans are dicks at some point. I want your autograph. Seriously, don`t make me come looking for you in a restroom.... :P LOL. What makes it worse is that it wasn't for an autograph. It was to talk to me about some things related to the job.

It's Geddy Lee and he's saying politely "f**k Neil!" I can't see Geddy admitting this in an interview: It's not that I wouldn't believe it because I've watched Working Man from LA countless times and he does look affected and emotional. His throat looked really tight, but I wasn't sure if that was from singing or because he was choked up. It just that he sounds vulnerable in this interview, and I can remember only one other thing I read Geddy say in the eighties that showed any vulnerability. He's always seemed contained and in control in any interview I've watched or read. If that second quote is indeed from Ged, it is very real and very human. Assuming it is legit, I get his point of view, but I also think it is important to note that he clearly is not leveling blame at anyone in that quote. It reminds me of a time in my first career when I had to make a very difficult and public decision. It was not easy and it was, frankly, a very difficult time in my life. One young woman involved in the situation later came up to me and said, "I get it. I don't like it. But, I get it." I find it curious that most Rush fans get it, but don't like it, and move on, but some just don't get it.

Not gonna lie.... if I remember your interaction with him, you were outside his tour bus? That might have creeped anyone out. knowwhatimean? I am certain you did not mean to be that guy, but I get why he thought you may have been that guy. You meant no disrespect at all, but he did not know that. I have had two chance encounters with Neil. Oddly, they were truly by chance. In both situations, he eventually realized, yes, I knew who he was, but, no, I was not going to freak out, take a picture, ask for an autograph, or treat him as a celebrity. Granted, neither of those encounters were "in the sphere" in that they occurred while he was traveling and not in a situation (on a tour bus, etc.) where he would expect some sort of potentially crazy fan near him. The first encounter was more just in passing. Passing conversation was exchanged and it was pleasant. The second was actually more in depth and we talked about a lot of things other than Rush. The second encounter was quite pleasant. Now, here's the thing, I once held a fairly high profile, public position. While it is on a much smaller scale, I have dealt with the reality of people coming up and talking to you about work while you are out to eat with your family. I have dealt with people intruding on some of the more basic moments of your life (shopping for groceries, filling up at the gas station, taking a piss at a baseball game - seriously..... just trying to take a piss, man), I have dealt with the uneasy reality of people interacting with you in a way that they think they know you as a person (because they know who you are and your title - but not who you are as a person), but you have no idea who they are, let alone their intention. I have dealt with people, in a very public way, talking about you and your work on TV or the internet (sometimes good, sometimes bad). I have dealt with people who somehow think they own you because "they pay your salary". Most people mean well, but not all of them. I am not joking in that I have received the occasional threat on not only my safety, but my family's. Celebrity, on any scale, sucks. Even those who seek it, I am convinced, eventually realize all that glitters is not gold. And when your default setting is introvert, that is even more challenging. The whole "Neil is a dick" thing cracks me up. Neil is human. All humans are dicks at some point.

Since they only profit from tours and not albums, what's the point of just doing an album that doesn't make money? Oh yeah, creative expression...well that doesn't go far these days. Then if they make the album it will be non stop hounding about touring. R40 was a nice clean break and I'm fine with that. Pretty sure Ray Daniels is the only one worried about bank accounts.... Somehow, after 40+ years, I am confident that Geddy, Alex, and Neil have more than enough coin to retire securely. Given what I shelled out for R40, I am certain of it. I probably fronted a semester of Olivia's college experience!

And yet another cycle of Neil bashing shall commence... Yes, we get it.... Neil is done. Both Geddy and Alex have said there is no Rush without all three. Thus, no Neil, no Rush. For those who have not, please, get over it, people. If anything, Geddy actually seems resolved to it, as well (assuming this interview quote is legit). But, really, Neil is obligated to continue doing something he is not interested in doing? To who? For what? Why? A slightly related note... I once left a job and career path that I was both good at and successful in.... but my heart was no longer in it. It was my time to move on. A good number of the people who worked with and for me were sad. They told me as much. They told me they wished I would stay. It was touching, and yet my mind and heart were not swayed. But, unlike this situation, not one of them found fault in me for making a decision that was best and right for me. Therein lies the difference. None of them thought they somehow owned me.

:goodone: And a good outcome, to boot! (Personally, I find it quite charming when people speak slightly broken English.) The same hillbilly once heard me have an exchange with the employee in question. He speaks French beautifully. I studied French for many years. I lost a lot of my studies, but I can generally read it and I get the basic point of what is being said when I hear it (which is also the case for Spanish as they languages are quite similar, although I sometimes struggle with vocabulary when I hear Spanish). Anyway, the employee and I developed a relationship in which, when he becomes most confused by English, he speaks to me in French and I respond in English. It works pretty well and only every now and then we need some translation software. A while back the hillbilly heard one of these exchanges and asked me what language the employee was speaking. I told him French. He asked "You speak French?" I said, "No. I used to, but I still understand French. There's a big difference there, but it lets us communicate more clearly" I could see the wheels spinning in his head and I think that was the moment of clarity for him. PS I probably should not use the term "hillbilly" to describe this other employee. He is actually very intelligent. If anything, he is under educated and that explains the way he has viewed the world up until this point. Capacity and formal learning are two completely different things.

@ Lucas and @ Toymaker.... I love this exchange. Love it. Really, I do. I will hold that I do not think Neil was being intentionally racist. I think, rather, he was being insensitive and foolish. I also think that is a basic function of the human condition. I have an employee who speaks six languages beautifully. English is not necessarily the best of his six. He is actually quite fluent in English in that he functions well, but the diversity of his language background makes it so that he is often confused by basic sentence structure in English (because it actually often makes no sense when compared to other languages) and pronunciation. Initially, a number of other employees poked a little fun at him because of it, but I pushed back on their thinking. Yes, I am the boss, so they take my opinion and thinking with a higher level of influence, but I shared some of my own history as an educator and my understanding of language as mode for creating some common understanding. As much as I wanted to call them a bunch of uneducated hillbillies, I decided I would use it as a teaching moment and I was pleasantly surprised on how things turned. In some ways, I subtly called out the average employees' foolishness, but in other ways I encouraged them to A) help the other employee learn a little more about the absurdity of English (because it often is absurd) and B) understand why he structures some sentences in certain ways and why he pronounces some words in some ways. What has emerged is something I am proud of. The employee can now openly question how to say a word or structure a thought and the other employees both help him and seek to understand what he is trying to say. For the most part, they no longer make fun of him, but instead take ownership in his improving English. Just the other day, in fact, one of my most hardened hillbilly types told me he really enjoys talking to the employee and that he likes his accents and thinks he says some basic words in a way that is more pleasing than common English (!). I asked him, very bluntly, if he learned anything from the other employee and he said, "Yeah, he speaks six languages. I speak one. [He] is a whole lot smarter than we gave him credit."

Yeah, that's pretty much what i was alluding to in my earlier post...just not as flavorful as you put it here. ;) All Superconductor jokes aside, after reading Neil's latest entry, this is the first time I have ever been ashamed to say that I am a Rush fan . . Seriously? Poor you. Not "poor Lucas" at all as I am very proud of myself Just embarrassed by the elitist, racist comment by Neil all this proves is that even when neil is being nice, he's still kind of a dick Why is that elitist or racist? Commenting on someone's accent is racist? It's an interesting question, because just about everyone does it. Is imitating an accent racist? Are the Simpson's voice actors racist? If I as an educator report that certain students mix up V and W sounds, am I doing it to belittle those students? I would say no, because it's just a fact that has to do with lack of facility with articulating certain sounds, which happens when you are learning a language. I never got pissed at my French teacher for telling me that I still wasn't pronouncing "vu" correctly. I'm sure that my lack of facility with pronouncing certain sounds in other languages is also subject to scrutiny and perhaps comment. When I try to pronounce my Asian students' names, they often giggle at me. I've learned a lot about how to pronounce names like "He" and "Qi" but I'm still not quite there yet. I certainly don't mind if people point it out or try to help me articulate the sound. I talk to students about the issue of accented speech, and my usual thing is to say "don't worry about it: everybody has an accent, even if they think they don't" In some extreme cases, the listener may not understand. I do question why Peart even mentions it. If it was stated in the context of "we had a bit of trouble understanding each other," that would be one thing. If it's done for a cheap laugh, then it seems a bit pointless, I suppose. Is it insensitive? Peart strikes me as someone who is endlessly curious about cultures and traditions, and I've never really heard him write about those things with anything but respect. However, a lot of our humor comes from caricature - look at Robin Williams' bit on Scottish golfers, or Russell Peters on the accented speech of Asians. I think a lot of that stuff is funny, but I don't really care for it when it is then associated with stereotypes. The George Lucas' alien voices controversy has much to do with the association of voices that "sound like" Japanese speakers or Yiddish speakers with racist stereotypes. This thing that Neil wrote just seems out of place - he could have made it purposeful, but it just seems carelessly tossed in. Too bad. At the end of the day, I prefer to think his thoughtful lyrics and other writings come from a good place. He suffers occasionally from speaking-before-thinking-things-through. So do I, unfortunately. Great post toymaker. I don't even know where to begin. I'll say this though: Peart's traveled so much it's really odd that he'd even comment on that "Ingrish". I wonder what he'd think at a typical Blaze family gathering where he'd hear Filipino, Thai, Hong Kong, and deep American south accents. The only non-discernible (American) accents heard would be from my bros & I and ONE longtime family friend...and we're usually imitating some tv or movie character's voice. I can imagine MommaBlaze addressing Peart in her usual friendly and commanding way [insert heavy Filipino accent and spelling at own risk], "Neil, you must be tired from riding your motorcycle. And why are you sitting all the way over there in the corner by yourself?! You don't have to be shy! And go help yourself to some more food!" ;) I found the inclusion of "Ingrish" perplexing. Perhaps he was just trying to point out there was a bit of a language barrier to overcome, but that point is clearly made if you do not include that one comment. That said, do I think it was fundamentally racist? No. Do I think it was ill advised? Yes. Do I think it was in poor taste? Of course. All *that* said, really, it is not as if he is running for President and calling basically every Mexican entering the country a murderer or rapist. *That* kind of language is far more worrisome than an ill advised, off color (pardon the pun) comment from a retired rock star who included this on a blog.

Rather enjoyed that one. Especially love the fact the pic of Neil did indeed make it onto the internet. What I think is more important than Neil spending what is, on his income, a novel amount of money for a stranger, was the fact he took the time to spend time with and get to know that stranger. Kind of throws a wrench into the whole "Neil is a d*ck" routine, yes? Maybe, just maybe, he is indeed human.

Oh. Wow. Kiel Auditorium, may it rest in peace. Lots of great Rush boots recorded in my hometown of St. Louis. I was not a fan during some of the more famous ones and only saw them live beginning ca 1984, but Kiel and the old Arena (aka The Checkerdome), may it also rest in peace, hold some great musical memories for me.

I gave up FB 2 years ago. Every now and then I think maybe I should go back.... then something like this reminds I should not. Thank you, TRF, for saving me from myself.

That's my overall reaction to this thread. My take: Leave the R40 set lists (all of them) alone. They were, in fact, perfect. Was there a song X, Y, or Z fan could have done without? Yes, of course. Over the course of 40+ years the band has built a variety of fans with a variety of preferences. But there were also plenty of songs that made X, Y, or Z fan grin ear-to-ear. For my money, the band did a remarkable job of A) touching on the vast canon of their career, and B) putting a little something in there for everyone... including themselves. That's hard to do. They could have mailed it in as a "best of" setlist. They could have played Dreamline... again. They could have done a lot, lot worse. Sure, Ged sounded great on some songs and terrible on others. I saw some back-to-back shows where he was inconsistent on the same songs. But that's life and touring and a life of touring for 4 decades. Indeed, it was painful at moments, but I am just thankful they gave us one more spin.

The good people of Goatnut, Tennessee fancy chasing cars and sniffing rumps?

Ah, yes, The Garden.... the great divider of TRF. I love it, likely for the same reasons you do. The first time I heard it and really listened to it, I knew Neil was coming to the end of his time in the band.... and I understood why. Most of us here who are long in the tooth relate to that song. And while I know it was Neil's words, I think both Alex and Geddy could equally relate to that song given their station in life. But, yeah, that song, and Geddy's interpretation, speak to me. As I grow older I realize my legacy, if I have one, is not in material possessions or experiences, but it whatever good I put into the world for others. It's a dramatic song sung in a dramatic way. If CA is the last album Rush ever does, The Garden is the perfect song to end their career as a band. Alex's guitar adds to the poignancy of that song. Without it, the song wouldn't be quite as effective. Agreed. It's the perfect end to the canon, if it is indeed the final studio work. And, agreed, Alex' solo is the perfect end to that song. I think I read it was nearly not in the song. That would have been a travesty.

Ah, yes, The Garden.... the great divider of TRF. I love it, likely for the same reasons you do. The first time I heard it and really listened to it, I knew Neil was coming to the end of his time in the band.... and I understood why. Most of us here who are long in the tooth relate to that song. And while I know it was Neil's words, I think both Alex and Geddy could equally relate to that song given their station in life. But, yeah, that song, and Geddy's interpretation, speak to me. As I grow older I realize my legacy, if I have one, is not in material possessions or experiences, but it whatever good I put into the world for others.

I would suggest the whole song is a good example. That's a gem on an otherwise less recognized album.

I think you mean Between the Wheels, but yes. But also yes to The Camera Eye... They seem oblivious To a soft spring rain Like an English rain So light, yet endless From a leaden sky The first time I heard that song, I had not been to England, but I felt as if I had. I felt as if I knew what a soft spring/English rain was.

That's it exactly, and it can't be easy for him to do since he didn't write them, but he manages to put life and emotion into them that touch us. Sometimes my eyes fill with tears and I don't know why - it's not particularly the lyrics that move me as much as how he is singing them. For me, that's Rush collectively. Yes, Neil is a robot with his drumming, but he is the lyricist and adds his emotion in that way. Alex and Geddy, I think, play with a great degree of emotion (Alex, particularly). I understand these guys are scientific about their music is a number of ways, but they have always had an element of humanity that makes their work art. The fact they have connected with so many people over the decades speaks volumes to that reality. The critics who say their music is too timed, too coordinated, etc., I think, seem to miss the point.

It turns out there are indeed lyrics to YYZ. I did not realize this until Rush in Rio.... but there they were. 50K+ people singing along to YYZ....