Gedneil Alpeart

I listened to HYF after a long time yesteday. What a beautiful piece of work. The music is so dynamic and there's such beautiful song writing and deeply moving lyrics. A very heartfelt and contemplative record. A lot here don't like it. For some reason lately, I too have tended to skp this album a lot, but I feel I'm missing out! It's a very poppish sounding record by classic Rush standards, but also very colorful and with good range. The whole record has a really dynamic and deep personality. Listen to the lyrics of Second Nature. Absolutely beautiful. Talks so much about social bonds and the distances between us. The lyrics cry out for a more compassionate and generous world. Brings tears to my eyes sometimes.

For some reason, I like the word "balls" It's the best word in the world! Until high school, I had a friend who didn't believe in the medical term "testicle". He thought it was made up and that doctors everywhere referred to our crown jewels as "balls" Ok, this conversation has definitely gone the other way!!!!!!

QUOTE (Warren Cromartie @ May 15 2007, 09:30 PM) I have a lot of respect for a band that isn't afraid to say what it feels in its songs, as long as it's done tastefully and poetically, like it is in Faithless. Yes, and I will say it again and again.........RUSH HAS BALLS! VERY CLASSY BALLS AT THAT!

QUOTE (WCFIELDS @ May 15 2007, 09:28 PM) QUOTE (Gedneil Alpeart @ May 15 2007, 09:24 PM) QUOTE (WCFIELDS @ May 15 2007, 09:02 PM) QUOTE (Gedneil Alpeart @ May 15 2007, 08:55 PM) Neil is just expressing his belief. He's not saying that you have to believe in what he is believing or that your belief is wrong. And some people disagree with Neil's beliefs (hence the I don't like the lyrics comments)....no one is saying Neil is right or wrong. For me, what Neil believes in his fine.....I just don't like the lyrical construction of alot of the songs. It seems very all over the place to me. (notice the "to me" part). I have no beef with your criticism, which is in the minority. Each to his own. Your criticism of lyrical construction is not relevant to the lyrical content, which is what is being discussed here. And it's one thing to disagree and it's another to be insulted by a disagreement. Based on some people's posts, they sound like they are insulted by Neil's lyrics. I agree......some people seem to be insulted by Neil's views. Lots of people interpret lyrics in different ways too, which I think has a lot to do with it. Good point. It's all about interpretation. Oh well, that's life and that's how it is!

QUOTE (WCFIELDS @ May 15 2007, 09:02 PM) QUOTE (Gedneil Alpeart @ May 15 2007, 08:55 PM) Neil is just expressing his belief. He's not saying that you have to believe in what he is believing or that your belief is wrong. And some people disagree with Neil's beliefs (hence the I don't like the lyrics comments)....no one is saying Neil is right or wrong. For me, what Neil believes in his fine.....I just don't like the lyrical construction of alot of the songs. It seems very all over the place to me. (notice the "to me" part). I have no beef with your criticism, which is in the minority. Each to his own. Your criticism of lyrical construction is not relevant to the lyrical content, which is what is being discussed here. And it's one thing to disagree and it's another to be insulted by a disagreement. Based on some people's posts, they sound like they are insulted by Neil's lyrics.

Let's all feel secure in what we believe and learn to tolerate what others believe (God, if only EVERYONE could follow this premise......). Diversity is a GOOD thing. If everyone on this earth believed in the same things, what a boring life this would be. Neil is just expressing his belief. He's not saying that you have to believe in what he is believing or that your belief is wrong. Don't read into beyond what's being said.

I'm very religious and I love the lyrics. Why take issue? Neil's just expressing his belief. He's not trying to push his belief down your throat. I really appreciate that he has faith in love and hope and kindness (unsaid). THat's wonderful. Who's to say that love and hope and kindness are also God? One of my fav tracks off of S and A. Pure emotion, pure brilliance.

The guitar squeak before the main chorus of Wind Blows begins, just after Geddy sings the words "elemental war" the first time......you can clearly hear Alex's finger squeaking the acoustic string which falls exactly on the 5th beat of the 6 beat measure. THAT IS SO f***ing COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE (amalignantfarcry @ Apr 13 2007, 12:22 PM) First time post here and a hello to all. I have to say after reading this I have a lot of mixed feelings about where Neil is taking Rush's music with these kinds of lyrics. For a man who has written so much about Fear in the past it certainly sounds like he has a lot of it himself. In the posted lyrics to Faithless he strikes a few nerves with me already and I am sure a decent portion of the fanbase already. Touching on God, Politics, and the New York Yankees are usually no-no's as anyone knows! And I know that Neil has touched on religion and politics in the past, but this time he seems to really be going after it personally. He is half right when you read these lyrics : i don't have faith in faith i don't believe in belief you can call me faithless you can call me faithless i still cling to hope and i believe in love and that's faith enough for me and that's faith enough for me One can't have faith in faith. Faith has to have an object that is neverchanging. He's smart not to do what a lot of other people are doing without even realizing it.....and that is having faith in faith. However, he's too focused on man to learn about the heavenly father imo. Im totally starting to lose it for him. He is starting to rail on like a liberal with a bone to pick about anything, almost bandwagon like. His lyrics in the past always had a message or something like a centrist story line to it. I consider myself politically a centrist. I don't like raging right wingers and I don't like loony leftists either. But Rush is really taking a step towards hitting the ball into the left field big time with S&A. Fear seems to be a big issue with Neil. It seems to have reached a fevered pitch with him. What's sad to me as a fan of 3 decades is that I know Geddy feels the same way since he stated numerous times in the past that he can not sing anything he does not have the same convictions about. Rush is now becoming preachy with these songs and that is concerning to me as a fan who never felt preached to. On one hand it appears that Neil has no belief in angels and God and what have you. Then the next he goes out of his way to recognize them. If you look at the lyrics to Ghost of A Chance and his comments on love and angels "I don't believe in the stars or the planets or angels watching from above" and then in Double Agent his belief is found in angels as they are fighting with his demons at war. Ok. Deep inside I get the feeling he holds such great anger towards a higher power for ripping his wife and child from him. His directive thoughts at a higher power in The Stars Look Down and not walking with angels in Sweet Miracle. Yet, he claims he doesn't have a belief in heaven's unearthly estate in Freewill. It has just become one contradiction through the years and now it just feels like this bitterness is coming through the music all over the place. One thing about the review that left me a bit empty as well was no mention at all of keyboards or the mellotron that is rumored to be used on the record or the taurus pedals. Where they fit sonically on the record and how they sound. Rush has always been a band that based its musical path on moving forward. Going forward exploring with new sounds, new technology, keyboards, and orchestras as well as choirs. I have had a good amount of anticipation for this new record for quite some time. But I am now getting the feeling that they have run back to the past and stayed there with the acoustic, drum, bass combo they have been forcing so hard since Counterparts that they are afraid to embrace more outside sounds. I sincerely hope for a better view of the record when I purchase it on May 1st but right now my gut as a Christian and 80s Rush fan is get ready for isolation. Opinion respected, but kind of harsh when you haven't even heard the album yet.......or seen all the lyrics.........

I like being called "intense" to thanks! I think most Rush fans are pretty intense folks! I gotta get my hands on Neil's latest book.

QUOTE (rushman14 @ Apr 13 2007, 11:16 AM) great review. im a little concerned that he thinks MalNar is the best of the instrumentals. I was too, but remember, everyone is going to have a different opinion when this album comes out. I think I will like TMMB more simply because it will be more drawn out, intricate, and elaborate, even though not as concentrated as MalNar. And also, it will be almost 3 times as long. But, we shall see. It definitely won't suck!!!! Maybe not upto expectations for some people and it is our expectations that always do us in.

From his impressions: * lots of acoustic guitar * diverse range of styles * very strong and melodic choruses * brief but powerful Alex solos (real solos) * TMMB is awesome but not as concentrated as MalNar * Great singing * Crisp production * Sounds to me like powerful lyrics

Hey man, Hope you don't mind me putting this as a new topic. I think everyone on here should see what you wrote in case they missed it in the other thread. I really liked your impressions and especially how you quoted some lyrics. Good job! I shouldn't expect more details after only two listens. Quoting Master Egg Cream: "WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW! READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK! I mean no ill will, but the album will definitely leak at some point. Up until the last couple of weeks or so the media had yet to receive their review copies, but now those CDs have been distributed. Reason I know this is that a friend of mine works for a national music magazine and the main reviews guy there got his copy this week. So the leak is inevitable now, seeing how a leaked version has not come from another channel -- such as the plant where the discs are produced, or the ole "friend of a friend of a friend who worked at the recording / mixing / coloring book studio where Rush recorded / mixed / colored pictures." More important, though, is that my friend was able to borrow it for a few hours. Since it is a copy-protected disc and could not be played in a computer, we both hopped in his car and listened to it. Thankfully, it worked! Now, let me just add something: Yes, I am a first-time poster. Yes, you're right to be dubious. But please, turn off your flamethrower, as I am telling the absolute truth. First, the three instrumentals are "The Main Monkey Business," "Hope" (acoustic guitar ONLY!) and, as it is referred to here, "MalNar." Speaking of acoustic guitar, the album is ripe with it. No surprise, seeing how Alex mentioned it was written on said instrument. I'll add more once I can dig out my notes. Yes, I jotted down observations here and there while listening -- hey, I only had a couple of hours to hear it! MEC" "WARNING! SPOILERS! READ ON PAST THIS POINT AT YOUR OWN RISK! WARNING! SPOILERS! READ ON PAST THIS POINT AT YOUR OWN RISK! WARNING! SPOILERS! READ ON PAST THIS POINT AT YOUR OWN RISK! WARNING! SPOILERS! READ ON PAST THIS POINT AT YOUR OWN RISK! WARNING! SPOILERS! READ ON PAST THIS POINT AT YOUR OWN RISK! Thirteen songs that clock in at just under 63 minutes. As already noted in the few reviews posted online, it is indeed a heavy, prog-riffic affair. The melodies and sections of songs are not straight and narrow here. Twists and turns, highs and lows. "Far Cry" -- You already know. I completely agree with one review's comment that it is the most accessible cut on the album. "Armor & Sword" -- Killer melody in the chorus! "No one gets to their heaven without a fight." Midtempo. "Workin' Them Angels" -- Again, another great melody in the chorus. "All this time I've been workin' them angels overtime." Midtempo. "The Larger Bowl" -- A lyrical ponderance on the age-old topic of the haves and the have-nots. Super-catchy, acoustic, folky picking here in the verses, which lead into midtempo choruses. Very different vibe and sound for a Rush song. "Spindrift" -- Dark, midtempo tune. Not terribly melodic. "What am I supposted to say / What are the words to answer you / When you talk that way." "The Main Monkey Business" -- There's a part in here that sounds very, very similar to a section of "Cygnus"; the "through the void, to be destroyed" part. I was expecting something different based on that title, but it is a bad-ass rocking tune! I can't see how they could possibly *not* play this live. "TWTWB" -- Sorry, couldn't resist the abbrev. As observed, there is some sweet, tasty, black-no-sugar blues in this one! Damn, it sounds good. "We can only go the way the wind blows / We can only bow to the here and now / Or be broken down row by row." Nice. A lovely outro. "Hope" -- This one totally caught me off guard. An acoustic guitar instrumental? Wha? (A la Prof. Farnsworth, of course...) It has to be played on steel strings (a reader inquired). My ears are good, but maybe once you hear it you'll make me eat my words... As for arpeggios/classical style, eh, not much. Lots of tasty chord changes and finger-picking, though, and it gave me chills, to be honest -- Alex on acoustic guitar playing a song called "Hope" after that NYE fiasco. Yeah, I'm probably digging too far into it, but that's what I thought on first listen. Speaking of acoustic guitar, it is everywhere on the album. No shock, though, seeing how Alex mentioned (somewhere, I forget) that the album was written on said instrument. "Faithless": i don't have faith in faith i don't believe in belief you can call me faithless you can call me faithless i still cling to hope and i believe in love and that's faith enough for me and that's faith enough for me Nice that this comes after "Hope" in the sequence. A nice mix of fast and slow parts, and a great melody from Geddy in the middle section, then a woozy at first, then piercing solo from Alex. "Bravest Face" -- Great little acoustic strumming in the verses (coupled with some conversational lyrics) and at the outro. All too brief "clean" (vs. distorted) solo. "Good News First" -- Some killer uptempo sections here -- really soaring! And an equally soaring (though brief) solo from Alex. Sweet choruses -- I'm a real sucker for uptempo, melodic stuff, and this track is as full of that as, say, "Far Cry." "MalNar" -- Well, if you heard the leaked version of this, you heard the whole song! Yes, I can't believe how short it is either, but man, does it cook or what? I wish there was more uptempo, full-throttle music like this on the rest of the record. I change my mind about what I said yesterday, about the more likely new instrumental to be played live -- it's got to be this one. And why not? It's only two minutes and change. Must keep eyes trained on Geddy throughout song at concert. It's his jam through and through. I would consider it the 21st century, contemporary version of "YYZ." There's just no way anyone couldn't love this one in the same way. And while everyone's going gaga about the possibilities about "TMMB" -- and don't get me wrong, it's really, really good -- this is the best of the three. "We Hold On" -- "We could be down and gone, but we hold on." Uptempo, with Alex peeling off these distorted, squiggly lines throughout, giving the song a nice sense of urgency. Additionally... Yes, there are guitar solos. Of course, that's an arbitrary term, so you and I might differ on our own interpretations; e.g., do I consider "Far Cry" to have a solo? No. Overall they're on the brief side, and not every song has one. A couple of songs -- "TWTWB" and "The Larger Bowl" were definitely influenced by their recent covers indulgence, especially the latter song -- I couldn't help but hear "Heart Full of Soul" in it. Still amazed at Geddy's vocal strength (and his full head of hair!). He sounds fantastic, especially on some of the quieter moments when it's just his voice or him and Alex's acoustic. And I don't know if it's just me, but the drums sound so freaking great! Perfectly set in the mix and a real nice sharpness and crispness to the snare. I'm glad Alex was quoted as saying he couldn't quite describe the overall sound of the album -- cos from these notes of mine, I bet you're saying to yourself, "Hey, this guy's having trouble too!" I tried my best, folks, at sharing some stuff with you. Hope you enjoyed it. While it might not please everyone -- cos how can you really explain the depth of this band's music from just a couple of listens? -- I'm sure at the very least it'll get you even more excited about May 1. But you know, if you're a Rush fan, you already love it!"

Mmmmmm.........love hot women's toes........mmmmmmmmmmm....anyone here want their toes sucked?

There will be 3 instrumentals and each one will be each member's rendition of "How it Sucks to be Old" playing only on keyboards with 3 variations on polka.