dakota2112

Let's just cut to the chase and end this topic right now :-)

Can't see for sure but looks like he might be here. I've always thought it sounded like a pick during that part on the studio album, although I know the story about his fingertip getting chopped off as a kid and the nail grew back in really thick so who knows.

I think Ged does use a pick on the bass during the intro to JL.

I have Asymmetry as well but I just can't warm up to it. Too much of a departure from what I absolutely love in Themata and Sound Awake. I know everyone's tastes differ but I think those two albums should be required listening for any hardcore Rush fan. :) (why does the post I am quoting never show up in my response :fuckinputer: )

There's a band called Karnivool that has 2 albums out (Themata and Sound Awake) which to me are every bit as good as anything from Rush. Some say Karnivool sounds similar to Tool, but I wouldn't know because I've never heard anything from Tool at all. If Karnivool could keep cranking out albums as good as those first two, they could by my 2nd Rush. And a shout out to the reference to Fair to Midland... another great band with unfortunately too little output or airplay.

Columbus Ohio, June, maybe R30? Can't remember... But the stuffed animal goat my wife brought for the band ended up sitting on Alex's amp, and his La Villa rant was about said goat. Quite the experience! We got an autographed promo pic in the mail several weeks later.

I agree - way more than just a whole step is needed. Maybe just wishful thinking, but it would be bad@ss if they figure out a way to pull off Hemispheres. I'm always curious about what sorts of things they try during tour rehearsals, and whether or not they're trying things like this idea.

That's the question - I'm no singer, except in the car lol... I wonder if he could pull it off, dropping down an octave as needed, would that be within his range. And would an octaver work with those phrases, or would that end up sounding awful? Technology is pretty good these days, but could that be made to work? Or am I just makin baked beans lol

(Meaning blend the octaver in, partially, only during those highest passages, could that possibly work?)

So I am wondering, maybe singers can chime in on this. Is it feasible, given Ged's current vocal range, for them to pull off Hemispheres, by just shifting the vocals down an octave, during the high passages? Like "food and wine" and "some fought themselves" etc? Maybe even throw an octaver on his mic signal during those phrases...

I always thought Neil's beeline-for-the-motorcycle-as-soon-as-the-last-note-is-played was partly his way of trying to avoid fan encounters (which is fine) but now I wonder if this causes distance between the band. It's almost like he isn't trying to avoid fans, but avoid Rush in general, as soon as the show is over. With Neil still being "the new guy, in some strange way" per Ged on BTLS... this does make me think maybe Neil tries to seek refuge and privacy even from the band itself. Add to that the fact that he has relocated to LA, makes ya wonder. (again, all conjecture... but I agree, leave the bike at home and save your energy for playing... and maybe spend some time with the guys after the show... maybe jamming and working on new material like the old days? sorry, major digression lol)

In response to the question about the "what if"... I can relate to Neil on a somewhat more personal level than some people can. I lost my wife unexpectedly and out-of-the-blue back in 2007, and it literally turned my world upside down. It took me about twice as long as it did for Neil to get "back in the game" and move on. I would say it's a vain effort to consider the what-ifs... but in the case of Rush, the sequence of events does suggest that there was a definite "re-birth" of the band that quite possibly would not have happened. When your world gets turned upside down like that, it does have a profound impact on everything in your life, and I think it's hard to truly relate with the gravity of this without actually going through it. In some ways, recovery and the rebound can make you look at things in a different light. Maybe a little bit like having make-up sex after a big fight, lol... so... hard to say, but Rush has rebounded very well. Not sure if any of this makes any sense, lol. (and why does the reply box only acknowledge about half of my keystrokes? I have to type at about 25% of my normal speed to avoid dropped letters.. ugh!)

Most things in life require compromise, and while making a Rush tour into a motorcycle vacation for Neil might be what makes it tolerable... my gut response on this is that if he treasures his time with his family, then maybe touring would be just as tolerable if he flew back home on a regular basis, and keep the motorcycle vacations on hold until the band is back on break. That's what I would suggest to someone in his situation I guess. But then again I don't know him, so this is all pure conjecture anyways ;-)

This is a tough one, and discussing this is hard for me because of how much Neil treasures his privacy and all, but... the whole topic confuses me, because I would think that touring for Neil would be so much easier overall if he would travel like Ged and Alex do, instead of making it a several-tens-of-thousands-of-miles-motorcycle-ride. For one thing, the physical demands of playing a 3 hour show would seem to be greatly relieved if he traveled via bus and air. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard on him if he hadn't ridden his motorcycle for hundreds of miles prior to every show. Tied into that is also the family issue. I read somewhere on here once that Ged and Alex often times can sleep at home in their own beds while on tour, presumably by flying charter back to YYZ inbetween shows. So... if Neil could keep his motorcycle in the garage and follow suit, maybe touring would be a lot easier on him in this respect. Just a thought.

btw - the AFTK and DS ones look great! :ebert: