Lucas

lol

From the heavens

I completely agree with No One At The Bridge - amazing piece of music ... Geddy simply rules - I love his voice at this stage . . .

First, I'd like to say WELCOME to the forum - I am actually somewhat new here too Hmmm - is this some sort of confession, and Geddy being on the receiving end of that thrown lighter ?? ;) OK, seriously !! From the span of May 1979 to May 1980, I saw my first 3 concerts - Cheap Trick, KISS and RUSH ... RUSH was the Palladium in NYC, and it was amazing ... I can still vividly remember the set, and the lighting and songs - and even thou I had seen the other two concerts, the "fragrance of Afghanistan" is still something vivid in my memory with RUSH lol ... I was just a kid, and the RUSH show was my first without my parents ( even though a friend's parent drove to RUSH, we were still let loose alone in the theater ) Experiencing Jacob's Ladder and the entire 2 Cygnus Books are something I will never forget

Then they most certainly would have needed to play "The Trees" live

Musically, GRACE UNDER PRESSURE does not strike me as dark at all - it's lightweight and very unthreatening, and the lyrics do nothing for me as far as creating an ominous feel ... CARESS OF STEEL, on the other hand, is, at times, creepy - the vibe of The Necromancer is really dark ... And as LedRush mentioned, Lakeside Park deals with a loss we can all relate to I go with Caress Of Steel, with 2112 not far behind

One of the many things that makes RUSH special is the fact that, within the context of fantastic songwriting, they use their chops accordingly - for the song, and not simply for the ego .. ( notwithstanding the "self indulgence" line for La Villa ;) YES is another of the rare bands that were great musicians, who never seemed to force their chops for the sake of chops ... This is, IMHO, in complete contrast to crap like Dream Theater, where it is so painfully obvious that odd time signatures and complex parts are planned and done for the sake of impressing the audience ... There are millions of people who have spent time building chops - I mean let's face it - there are 14 year old kids from Japan who have chops bigger than Alex Lifeson - but chops don't translate into songs ...

They would announce that after this tour, they would be returning to the studio, and using only pre-1980 equipment, begin work on an epic album with Terry Brown, tentatively titled Far Side Of The Sun ;)

It is really interesting to see them talk about it - if, just a little bit ... thanks for the link .... I don't think that interview is from '81 though - more like early 1980 or even 1979 perhaps

I can recall reading that during the planning stages of Permanent Waves, RUSH were to embark on another epic, full-side song ala 2112 ... If memory serves, Geddy said that this was scrapped - due, in part, to the exhaustion brought on by recording and performing Hemispheres .. Be that as it may, does anyone know if this epic song was completely shelved, or, was it shortened, perhaps to what we know as Jacob's Ladder, or, even Natural Science ? BTW - this is my first go at starting a thread !!

great story !

It will never die

As much as I like Madrigal, really not that unique. Basically a Genesis-style ballad Genesis - or anyone else for that matter - never had a a singer like our boy, and never even came close to taking me where RUSH has I completely agree with you about both of those things. I'm just saying that as far as the style of the song goes, it's really just a (very well done) typical 70s prog-band ballad. Which, to me, makes RUSH so special - even a song that could be considered the weak link on an album can still be so damn fantastic simply because of their style and unique abilities It is a very simple bit of music ... but they didn't need an mass amount of complexity to be great, or, more importantly, to be RUSH

As much as I like Madrigal, really not that unique. Basically a Genesis-style ballad Genesis - or anyone else for that matter - never had a a singer like our boy, and never even came close to taking me where RUSH has

I'll just take a minute to step up to bat for A Farewell To Kings, and say that not only is it my favorite, but a song like Madrigal is all of what RUSH is for me .... It may not be considered their best song ( as that honor goes to the song that follows ), but it is RUSH as unique and stylized as they ever got - nobody was like that, nobody sounded like that, and it is this period that means so much to me ..

I guess I qualify as "all others" ;) Welcome welcome welcome Bardan

I found this thread thru the search, as I was going to post something similar ( exact ? :) First, I don't think this is nostalgia - it is recognizing Brown as an integral part of the great band we all love, and who rarely is mentioned when the topic of RUSH comes up .. I believe that Brown helped elevate RUSH's music from "songs" to "places" - he gave them a cinematic dimension that was so important to the overall experience .. The eerie atmosphere created in the beginning of Cygnus X-1 - or - during the "I have memory and awareness" section of Hemispheres - the little bits of flange and echo in Jacob's Ladder "All at once the clouds are parted, light streams down in bright, unbroken beams s s s s ssss" ... this is magic, and I suspect Brown was responsible for creating it, and getting the listener involved in where the band took us ... . .

The part from 4:53 to 6:39. Two minutes of pure awesomeness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d09-oSVY9iw I agree - and I'll add that what makes that part so effective is what leads up to it, and what follows - the progression from one section to the next is pure magic I also think Terry Brown needs more recognition as far as his contributions to the overall vibe on these classic albums ... it's quite apparent that the band had great chemistry with him . .

ya beat me to it !!

I concur with the Hemispheres tour, or, early in the Permanent Waves tour - May 9th 1980 was my first show - Bonus disc - Something really old, with unreleased stuff like Garden Road

I'm not ashamed to say that I love that song - not to mention Summer Love Sensation too :D

It's not corny at all ... It is you being strong, and RUSH doing what they do best - having an impact on life I too have found that music can be the best form of therapy ... actually, "therapy" might be the wrong word ... Music is magic, and it can help us find what is truly inside us, and sweep away much of the bull**** that has no business being there

Could you expand on that ?

Overrated - Roll The Bones - I realize that there are a lot of people don't particularly care for the song - but the fact that anyone likes it makes it overrated Underrated - Circumstances - great song, and Geddy is more amazing than usual on it

A few off the top of the head: - Earth Wind And Fire "All 'n All" - KISS "Alive" - Jeff Beck Group "Rough and Ready" - Thin Lizzy "Jail Break" - Placebo "Without You I'm Nothing" - Skull Daze self titled