GeddyRulz

I had a meet and greet on the first leg of the S&A tour. Meet and greets are VERY brief - what picture-takers at Disney World secretly call a "love and shove" - snap snap, NEXT! The experience barely registers. If I had it to do over, I'd take sharp notice of EVERYTHING, down to the feel of their calloused hands as I shook them.

I knew I didn't have long, so I went to Geddy, shook his hand, and said "Thanks for all the years of inspiration." I shook Alex's hand and said "Alex... Mark." Snap snap, NEXT. But they seemed very nice.

My buddy chose one that's kinda appropriate, as it discusses growing-up:

Growing up, it all seems so one-sided,

Opinions all provided,

The future pre-decided.

I chose something a little more whackadoo:

Because he was human

Because he had goodness

Because he was moral

They called him insane.

In release order:

GUP

RTB

S&A

RTB and S&A both have a great track (the opener, the "hit"), but then drop off a cliff. On S&A, I wanted more upbeat, dynamic songs like "Far Cry," but too much of the album plods along, mid-tempo, with nothing too exciting, except maybe the instrumentals.

GUP (did I make enemies choosing GUP?) is a better overall album than the above two. Nothing "wrong" with it per se, which is more than I can say for RTB and S&A, but no song really excites. Where's the track or tracks about which you say "Holy shit, I have GOT TO hear that again"? It's the last of their albums I replaced with a CD, there was no hurry to get it in the newer format.

I'm a big fan, although for the past decade I haven't seen many new movies, and this applies to Woody films as well. He's having a resurgence, sparked by filming outside of New York: great reviews for Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine in particular, but I still haven't seen them.

Here's a guy who's 80 and has cranked out one film per year since his early 30s... many of them amazing. Great track record. And he works with great cinematographers, who make New York look beautiful and Romantic.

Faves ("brilliant" level) are: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Next tier, in no order ("excellent"): Take the Money and Run, Love and Death, Sleeper, Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Purple Rose of Cairo, Mighty Aphrodite, others.

Even "Small Time Crooks," which was a little trifle for him at the time, has its moments and was enjoyable. "Interiors" was very well done, but a depressing drama released between his two biggest "smart comedies" (Annie Hall, Manhattan). Made me feel suicidal.

If they’re done why is there a promotional app? What are they promoting?

In the short-term, the forthcoming 40th anniversary edition of 2112. Longer-term, the other Rush merchandise at the Backstage Club. "Keep buying t-shirts and CDs! And look at this framed photograph, only $300!"

I didn't want Instagram either, but I did it. As a bass player, I WANT THAT BASS.

Agree the app is kinda cheesy. It's totally a promotional tool, with links to Rush news stories (which you can get through Rushisaband), link to the Backstage Club (you could just navigate there directly), and a bunch of fanfare for the 2112 40th Anniversary CD/DVD, which drops Dec 9th. Marketing! No longer touring, but Anthem still wants our money.

I entered the contest and I'll play the videogame until I complete all levels.

Rush now has an official app available through the Apple App Store. If you have an iPhone, go there and search "R40." You should find it.

The app has several sections, including a videogame called "Finding My Way," where you play as either the Alex, Geddy, or Neil bobblehead.

There's also a contest to win a Geddy Fender Jazz bass. You go to "Camera Eye," which is a Rush photobooth. There's a template for each of the guys - their portraits from "Archives" with pieces of their faces missing. It uses your camera to take a picture of you, filling-in the missing pieces. Post your picture to Instagram with the tag #RUSHPHOTOBOOTH and you're in the contest.

Other sections of the app, too.

Who's installed it and begun using it?

Have you used the "Camera Eye" photo booth, and posted your pic to Instagram to enter the contest for a Geddy Fender Jazz bass?

What about the "Finding My Way" videgame? Any tips? I can't easily move my character (Geddy) where I want him to go!

Clearly the figure is humanoid, and so a reference to The Body Electric.

My interest lies with that sheet of broken metal or something, floating out in the middle. What is THAT exactly? I assumed a piece of a destroyed spaceship hull.

Who's already downloaded Rush's official "R40" app and is playing the "Finding My Way" videogame?

Any tips? I've figured out the object, but can't easily move my character (Geddy) where I want him to go.

I've now read both Under the Dome and 11/22/63. Loved and devoured them, but I give the nod to 11/22/63. It's going to stay with me.

I never would've guessed when I picked it up that I'd care less about the assassination and more about the fictional love story, but that's King's "head fake" with this novel. We ALL end up feeling that way, right? Jake and Sadie forever!

It's a sad boat we're in, myself and the other posters who said they used to read a lot, but after computers/smartphones, hardly at all.

This must be a common problem. A co-worker and I were discussing books this week, and he said the same. From 50 books per year to none.

My Yanks have been atrocious the past couple weeks, after a good start and then a really hot stretch in early June. What happened to the Baby Bombers?

(Rhetorical question. The bats are still good, Judge is still lighting-up the Majors, but starting pitching has been iffy or downright shoddy.)

The replies in this thread show that the USA (the TRF sample anyway) isn't as fanatical about our flag as much of the world imagines

 

The extreme ends of the spectrum always get the most publicity. Whether it's political, religious, economic, or any other facet of our nation, the large majority is right in the middle, and not making any noise.

True. I think the extremes get the publicity and attention just because they're loudest. We don't get much attention "right in the middle, and not making any noise."

There were some pretty vocal Broncos fans when the Marshall thing was happening - threats of boycotting the team and the NFL, demands that he be released or FORCED to stand, etc., and you'll still see a few posts like that whenever he's mentioned on the Broncos FB page - but yeah, those people are probably a minority.

I like too many...

Just about anything by Errol Morris, but especially The Thin Blue Line; Vernon, Florida; and Gates of Heaven.

In sports: Ken Burns' Baseball; Hoop Dreams; and When We Were Kings.

In music: Beyond the Lighted Stage; Jaco; and Theremin.

All those, plus Roger & Me, Crumb, the Up series, Dear Zachary, and DOZENS of "true crime" docs!

Uber-nationalistic people freak me out, as uber-religious people do... and the mark for what I consider excessive has changed as I've aged, where now I feel even a little is "too much." That's just me.

When the Kaepernick and Brandon Marshall story hit last fall, I was glad to hear high-ranking military officers say they supported the players' right to do whatever they wanted: stand, sit, kneel, lie down, whatever. That's America (or should be)! Any veterans or other "patriots" who say our military fought and died for the flag have it wrong. They never fought for a flag; they fought for the FREEDOMS the flag represents, including the freedom to do whatever the hell you want when the flag is raised and anthem played. (I stand respectfully and remove my cap, but don't put hand on heart. That's me.) Freedom is more important than the mere SYMBOLS of freedom, like a flag or anthem.

A country which made it MANDATORY to stand for its flag or anthem isn't a free country, and wouldn't be a country any of us (the uber-nationalistic people, too) would want.

I'm a Denver fan. Some Denver fans said they were going to boycott the Broncos last year because of Marshall taking a knee. I said great, any season tickets you want to get rid of? I'll take them off your hands.

I was doing about 50/year, but then I got a smartphone and now I don't read at all. Stare at my phone all the time. Sad, ain't it?

I'm meaning to start reading again.

 

I tried to get through The Stand when I was a young lad and avid reader. I couldn't do it.

I had two false starts with it myself, but on the third attempt I could NOT put it down. It remains my favorite King book, and many King readers feel the same.

I got into King when I got a job at a bookstore. "Misery" was his new hardcover then, and I bought it and read it. Then I was off to the races. Strangers would see me reading King and start conversations with me. They all kept saying The Stand was his best, and I'd never even heard of it before - it was an older book and hadn't been made into a movie (yet). So then I gave it a try, and as I said, it didn't grab me the first two tries; third time was the charm. What was I thinking those first two attempts? This book is awesome!

Available Light is ridiculously good.

Scars and Warpaint never did much for me.

Weather Report

From a nuts and bolts perspective, I think bass is way easier. Fewer strings, thicker strings, wider spacing, and (usually) one finger on one string on one fret at a time - rarely playing CHORDS. I couldn't adjust to guitar, with its close-together strings and all that chording. (Three fingers on three strings on three frets? Yikes!)

But bass has its own challenges. To play WELL, you really need to understand rhythm like a drummer does, and theory like the players of melody instruments do. Imagine bass as having a portable drum kit around your neck and being expected to play NOTES on it, to create something that gets asses moving. It's about learning rhythm, and that can be as challenging as learning melody.

On bass:

Parts of Spirit of Radio and Fly by Night.

First full song was Limelight.

Favorite to play is probably Freewill.

Just bought a new bass after foolishly selling my one and only a couple years ago. I'm getting back into playing, and this time I'm changing my APPROACH.

A little background: I've been a bass player for 27 years but I've never been in a "band" - closest I've come was back when some friends and I (two of them are HS music teachers) would gather once a month and play some songs together. I'm a hobby player and after 27 years I'm still just mediocre. I cannot improvise; I'm only as good as the combination of notes I've memorized that form a recognizable song. And my feel is a bit off; I'm too mechanical.

I want to become better and get where I should be after 27 years on the instrument, so here's the "branching out, trying new things" part. Instead of just learning the note combination that forms a song, I'm working a lot on RHYTHM (and more music theory). I should've been doing this all along. Bass is a rhythm instrument so, you know, rhythm is kind of important. Ha ha! It's not enough to just memorize a bunch of licks; that doesn't make a good player. Can I pick up the bass and GROOVE? Being able to improvise bass lines like, say, John Deacon's lines (great R&B chops) is my new goal, and I want to get there by becoming an honest groove player, not just memorizing the notes to Queen songs. The Real Deal, not just knowing a few fancy licks and wiggling my fingers.