Bard

Agreed. Want to know what else? THE most overrated album by fans in their catalog. :o Yup. You heard me right my friend. I love Xanadu. I love Cinderella Man. The rest of the album? Not so much. ESPECIALLY Cygnus X-1, Book 1. Yup, Cygnus X1 is criminally overrated by fans. Can't stand it.

But you're not thinking of Jump, Hammerhead Shark, or Hot Dog and a Shake. :)

Have you read the lyrics to their songs at all? I remember a bass teacher of mine in the early 80s asking, when he was teaching me to pick up Free Will by ear, "do these guys write any songs about chicks?" They really don't, other than the debut. You can't have it both ways. Either their lyrics are thought provoking, and thus discussion worthy, or they're not. I love Roth era Van Halen. But I'm guessing a fan site of theirs wouldn't need a SOCN. You'd be surprised, then. Nearly any active rock message board has a politico forum. I actually have a theory about lyrics. They really don't matter. Whether it's Van Halen, Rush, Maiden, Genesis, Pete Gabriel, AC/DC, the Beatles, the Doors, it really doesn't matter. Sure, the lyrics are great for diehard fans to absorb and analyze and reflect upon. But the vox are most important in the context of how they mesh with the instrumentation. The harmonies and the melodies are what counts with the vox, not exactly what they're saying. Hell, when I first started seeing Rush eons ago, before I knew any of the lyrics they'd put out to date, I didn't WTF Geddy was singing about...or David lee Roth...or Bon Scott. Sometimes it's friggin' hard to tell wtf they're saying, LOL. There are STILL VH diehards who debate exactly WTF Dave is saying in certain lines in Everybody Wants Some, LOL. Point being...I don't really care what they're singing about. As long as the vox flow with the instruments, they could be singing about androgynous octopi for all I care. :) That's why it's more important that Jim Morrison hits the right notes than it is for him to tell me about the decline of western civilization. Though the latter obviously has its place. :) I actually agree with you in that I don't necessarily want a musician to offer me his or her views on societal issues, particularly if I get the sense that he or she doesn't really have a good understanding of them. And everyone is free to enjoy music for whatever reason they like, obviously. However, if you don't care at all what the lyrics of a song are about I actually feel sorry for you. I don't mean that in a smart @ss way. I mean that for me, some songs, often songs about love, can really capture the way you feel perfectly. Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed reminds me of my wife. The first time I heard Halo Effect, I immediately thought of a girl I dated off and on in college for two years. And I suspect Peart would be saddened to hear that a fan thinks that, other than his amazing drumming, he contributes nothing of lasting impact to any of the band's songs. But to each his own :cheers: I never said Peart contributes nothing of lasting impact outside of the drums. :) But the method and delivery of the way a singer sings, particularly live, is far more important than the specific context of the lyrics. My own emotions are provoked by the flow and synchronicity of a song more than its message. The message is secondary. The immersion within a perfectly cohesive beautiful moment of music (vocal and instrumental harmonies melding and blending together) is a far bigger flashpoint than the words. Words, after all, can be read. Songs must be heard. For me, lyrics rarely take away from a song. But good ones can greatly increase my appreciation for a song. Rush means so much to me not just because of their music, but because the lyrics are so powerful. It it weren't for the lyrics, I doubt that I would have ever come around to appreciating the synth period. And while I like some Bob Dylan songs, if it weren't for the lyrics I wouldn't be half as interested in him as I am. I agree with this. I love the Van Hagar era of Van Halen (not as much as the Roth era though) but Sammy's lyrics are cringe worthy if you read them. But if you're just singing about getting laid, you don't need too much sophistication. Roth's lyrics weren't any better. Van Halen songs are all about sex, drugs, rock and roll. :) They both had moments of lucidity in their songwriting (see Push Comes to Shove or Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do), but ya don't listen to Van Halen for the lyrics, LOL. Like I said....vox are about harmony and melody, not message. If there IS a message, great, that's just a bonus. Here's an easier way to put it. At a show, you're hardly gonna notice if Geddy messes up the exact phrasing of a lyric or a passage, or perhaps even skip over an entire stanza. But you're sure as hell gonna notice when he hits a flat note. It's that simple. :) Roth is a lot smarter than Hagar. His lyrics were more sly. He's Bon Scott to Hagar's Brian Johnson. LOL. I don't agree. His lyrics were no more or less playground than Sam's. See 'Jump' or "Just Like Paradise" for further proof. But Dave likes to spew out philosophic platitudes with an ADD personality, and unfortunately that just makes him seem like an attention whore more than a thinker. I actually dunno what 'sly' lyrics are. It's fine if you prefer Dave over Sam. A lotta people do. Myself, I like them both. But I don't credit either one with superior songwriting. Sam's the better singer, Dave's the better showman. It's all good as long as Ed's playing the guitar and Mike's on the bass. The VH world is currently blowin' up with Ed's new interview with Billboard. He said some dumb ass things in there, LOL. And I don't think AC/DC ever made a finer record than Back in Black. So I dig Brian Johnson. But there's no denying Bon's impact either.

Have you read the lyrics to their songs at all? I remember a bass teacher of mine in the early 80s asking, when he was teaching me to pick up Free Will by ear, "do these guys write any songs about chicks?" They really don't, other than the debut. You can't have it both ways. Either their lyrics are thought provoking, and thus discussion worthy, or they're not. I love Roth era Van Halen. But I'm guessing a fan site of theirs wouldn't need a SOCN. You'd be surprised, then. Nearly any active rock message board has a politico forum. I actually have a theory about lyrics. They really don't matter. Whether it's Van Halen, Rush, Maiden, Genesis, Pete Gabriel, AC/DC, the Beatles, the Doors, it really doesn't matter. Sure, the lyrics are great for diehard fans to absorb and analyze and reflect upon. But the vox are most important in the context of how they mesh with the instrumentation. The harmonies and the melodies are what counts with the vox, not exactly what they're saying. Hell, when I first started seeing Rush eons ago, before I knew any of the lyrics they'd put out to date, I didn't WTF Geddy was singing about...or David lee Roth...or Bon Scott. Sometimes it's friggin' hard to tell wtf they're saying, LOL. There are STILL VH diehards who debate exactly WTF Dave is saying in certain lines in Everybody Wants Some, LOL. Point being...I don't really care what they're singing about. As long as the vox flow with the instruments, they could be singing about androgynous octopi for all I care. :) That's why it's more important that Jim Morrison hits the right notes than it is for him to tell me about the decline of western civilization. Though the latter obviously has its place. :) I actually agree with you in that I don't necessarily want a musician to offer me his or her views on societal issues, particularly if I get the sense that he or she doesn't really have a good understanding of them. And everyone is free to enjoy music for whatever reason they like, obviously. However, if you don't care at all what the lyrics of a song are about I actually feel sorry for you. I don't mean that in a smart @ss way. I mean that for me, some songs, often songs about love, can really capture the way you feel perfectly. Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed reminds me of my wife. The first time I heard Halo Effect, I immediately thought of a girl I dated off and on in college for two years. And I suspect Peart would be saddened to hear that a fan thinks that, other than his amazing drumming, he contributes nothing of lasting impact to any of the band's songs. But to each his own :cheers: I never said Peart contributes nothing of lasting impact outside of the drums. :) But the method and delivery of the way a singer sings, particularly live, is far more important than the specific context of the lyrics. My own emotions are provoked by the flow and synchronicity of a song more than its message. The message is secondary. The immersion within a perfectly cohesive beautiful moment of music (vocal and instrumental harmonies melding and blending together) is a far bigger flashpoint than the words. Words, after all, can be read. Songs must be heard. I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth. But if you're saying you don't care what the lyrics are at all, then Peart doesn't really add anything to a song other than his drumming. I didn't say I didn't care what the message is, just that it was less important than the vocal melodies and harmonies, in tandem with the instrumentation. Percussion is another key component in the quad that makes a good four piece work. Vox, guitar, bass, drums.

Have you read the lyrics to their songs at all? I remember a bass teacher of mine in the early 80s asking, when he was teaching me to pick up Free Will by ear, "do these guys write any songs about chicks?" They really don't, other than the debut. You can't have it both ways. Either their lyrics are thought provoking, and thus discussion worthy, or they're not. I love Roth era Van Halen. But I'm guessing a fan site of theirs wouldn't need a SOCN. You'd be surprised, then. Nearly any active rock message board has a politico forum. I actually have a theory about lyrics. They really don't matter. Whether it's Van Halen, Rush, Maiden, Genesis, Pete Gabriel, AC/DC, the Beatles, the Doors, it really doesn't matter. Sure, the lyrics are great for diehard fans to absorb and analyze and reflect upon. But the vox are most important in the context of how they mesh with the instrumentation. The harmonies and the melodies are what counts with the vox, not exactly what they're saying. Hell, when I first started seeing Rush eons ago, before I knew any of the lyrics they'd put out to date, I didn't WTF Geddy was singing about...or David lee Roth...or Bon Scott. Sometimes it's friggin' hard to tell wtf they're saying, LOL. There are STILL VH diehards who debate exactly WTF Dave is saying in certain lines in Everybody Wants Some, LOL. Point being...I don't really care what they're singing about. As long as the vox flow with the instruments, they could be singing about androgynous octopi for all I care. :) That's why it's more important that Jim Morrison hits the right notes than it is for him to tell me about the decline of western civilization. Though the latter obviously has its place. :) I actually agree with you in that I don't necessarily want a musician to offer me his or her views on societal issues, particularly if I get the sense that he or she doesn't really have a good understanding of them. And everyone is free to enjoy music for whatever reason they like, obviously. However, if you don't care at all what the lyrics of a song are about I actually feel sorry for you. I don't mean that in a smart @ss way. I mean that for me, some songs, often songs about love, can really capture the way you feel perfectly. Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed reminds me of my wife. The first time I heard Halo Effect, I immediately thought of a girl I dated off and on in college for two years. And I suspect Peart would be saddened to hear that a fan thinks that, other than his amazing drumming, he contributes nothing of lasting impact to any of the band's songs. But to each his own :cheers: I never said Peart contributes nothing of lasting impact outside of the drums. :) But the method and delivery of the way a singer sings, particularly live, is far more important than the specific context of the lyrics. My own emotions are provoked by the flow and synchronicity of a song more than its message. The message is secondary. The immersion within a perfectly cohesive beautiful moment of music (vocal and instrumental harmonies melding and blending together) is a far bigger flashpoint than the words. Words, after all, can be read. Songs must be heard. For me, lyrics rarely take away from a song. But good ones can greatly increase my appreciation for a song. Rush means so much to me not just because of their music, but because the lyrics are so powerful. It it weren't for the lyrics, I doubt that I would have ever come around to appreciating the synth period. And while I like some Bob Dylan songs, if it weren't for the lyrics I wouldn't be half as interested in him as I am. I agree with this. I love the Van Hagar era of Van Halen (not as much as the Roth era though) but Sammy's lyrics are cringe worthy if you read them. But if you're just singing about getting laid, you don't need too much sophistication. Roth's lyrics weren't any better. Van Halen songs are all about sex, drugs, rock and roll. :) They both had moments of lucidity in their songwriting (see Push Comes to Shove or Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do), but ya don't listen to Van Halen for the lyrics, LOL. Like I said....vox are about harmony and melody, not message. If there IS a message, great, that's just a bonus. Here's an easier way to put it. At a show, you're hardly gonna notice if Geddy messes up the exact phrasing of a lyric or a passage, or perhaps even skip over an entire stanza. But you're sure as hell gonna notice when he hits a flat note. It's that simple. :)

Have you read the lyrics to their songs at all? I remember a bass teacher of mine in the early 80s asking, when he was teaching me to pick up Free Will by ear, "do these guys write any songs about chicks?" They really don't, other than the debut. You can't have it both ways. Either their lyrics are thought provoking, and thus discussion worthy, or they're not. I love Roth era Van Halen. But I'm guessing a fan site of theirs wouldn't need a SOCN. You'd be surprised, then. Nearly any active rock message board has a politico forum. I actually have a theory about lyrics. They really don't matter. Whether it's Van Halen, Rush, Maiden, Genesis, Pete Gabriel, AC/DC, the Beatles, the Doors, it really doesn't matter. Sure, the lyrics are great for diehard fans to absorb and analyze and reflect upon. But the vox are most important in the context of how they mesh with the instrumentation. The harmonies and the melodies are what counts with the vox, not exactly what they're saying. Hell, when I first started seeing Rush eons ago, before I knew any of the lyrics they'd put out to date, I didn't WTF Geddy was singing about...or David lee Roth...or Bon Scott. Sometimes it's friggin' hard to tell wtf they're saying, LOL. There are STILL VH diehards who debate exactly WTF Dave is saying in certain lines in Everybody Wants Some, LOL. Point being...I don't really care what they're singing about. As long as the vox flow with the instruments, they could be singing about androgynous octopi for all I care. :) That's why it's more important that Jim Morrison hits the right notes than it is for him to tell me about the decline of western civilization. Though the latter obviously has its place. :) I actually agree with you in that I don't necessarily want a musician to offer me his or her views on societal issues, particularly if I get the sense that he or she doesn't really have a good understanding of them. And everyone is free to enjoy music for whatever reason they like, obviously. However, if you don't care at all what the lyrics of a song are about I actually feel sorry for you. I don't mean that in a smart @ss way. I mean that for me, some songs, often songs about love, can really capture the way you feel perfectly. Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed reminds me of my wife. The first time I heard Halo Effect, I immediately thought of a girl I dated off and on in college for two years. And I suspect Peart would be saddened to hear that a fan thinks that, other than his amazing drumming, he contributes nothing of lasting impact to any of the band's songs. But to each his own :cheers: I never said Peart contributes nothing of lasting impact outside of the drums. :) But the method and delivery of the way a singer sings, particularly live, is far more important than the specific context of the lyrics. My own emotions are provoked by the flow and synchronicity of a song more than its message. The message is secondary. The immersion within a perfectly cohesive beautiful moment of music (vocal and instrumental harmonies melding and blending together) is a far bigger flashpoint than the words. Words, after all, can be read. Songs must be heard.

Have you read the lyrics to their songs at all? I remember a bass teacher of mine in the early 80s asking, when he was teaching me to pick up Free Will by ear, "do these guys write any songs about chicks?" They really don't, other than the debut. You can't have it both ways. Either their lyrics are thought provoking, and thus discussion worthy, or they're not. I love Roth era Van Halen. But I'm guessing a fan site of theirs wouldn't need a SOCN. You'd be surprised, then. Nearly any active rock message board has a politico forum. I actually have a theory about lyrics. They really don't matter. Whether it's Van Halen, Rush, Maiden, Genesis, Pete Gabriel, AC/DC, the Beatles, the Doors, it really doesn't matter. Sure, the lyrics are great for diehard fans to absorb and analyze and reflect upon. But the vox are most important in the context of how they mesh with the instrumentation. The harmonies and the melodies are what counts with the vox, not exactly what they're saying. Hell, when I first started seeing Rush eons ago, before I knew any of the lyrics they'd put out to date, I didn't WTF Geddy was singing about...or David lee Roth...or Bon Scott. Sometimes it's friggin' hard to tell wtf they're saying, LOL. There are STILL VH diehards who debate exactly WTF Dave is saying in certain lines in Everybody Wants Some, LOL. Point being...I don't really care what they're singing about. As long as the vox flow with the instruments, they could be singing about androgynous octopi for all I care. :) That's why it's more important that Jim Morrison hits the right notes than it is for him to tell me about the decline of western civilization. Though the latter obviously has its place. :)

Well I tried to fart bomb it, but it keeps coming back like a zombie. LOL, okay, THAT was funny,. :)

Wishful thinking. It's nice. But not realistic. All things come to pass.

Number one rule of internet participation. Try to avoid politics and religion at all costs. Quite a silly rule if you use the Internet to argue on political forums. Using the internet to keyboard jockey political platforms is a waste of time.

Number one rule of internet participation. Try to avoid politics and religion at all costs.

This thread is what Alex was referring to in his blah, blah, blah moment. My God it's like listening to a Dennis Miller monologue....blah, blah, blah...esoteric reference....blah, blah, blah...humerous to 3 people, confusing/annoying to all others. Some people can't shut up until they think they're the smartest people in the room I am very sorry that I chained you to your computer and forced you to read this thread. That was very racist and/or sexist of me. Yeah, you're kind of a dick. Apology accepted. Try not to be so racist and sexist, please. :)

Yuck. Rush and politics. All this because of a Peart sound byte? Blaggh.

Cheese. Grater. :) Someone owe me ten bucks. :D

Not even once has any of my favorite musicians - or any musicians for that matter - ever influenced my sociopolitical views. Strange to see that kinda statement. I daresay Peart himself would scoff at the notion. Only novelists? Or poets? Or pundits? Or playwrites? Why is it strange? He has always written on so-called sociopolitical views. Neil Peart has a blog where he shares authors and writers who influenced or inspired him. Letting others influence individual sociological and political understandings is, I would offer, how bad things happen. :) Taking the facts available, one ought to filter and process their own understandings within their own capacities regardless of how others have openly expressed opinions on the same matter, be they presidents, poets, musicians, writers, journalists, fathers, mothers, cult leaders, whatever. I don't believe in something because Brad Pitt does. I don't ascribe 'more strongly' to something because Neil Peart said something about it. Okay. How does one reach the point they can process and filter through their own capacities? Is it simply innate? I'm not talking about mimmicking what others think. That's not what I said Neil Peart inspired me to do. But it does sound like how Neil Peart has espressed his "views" on Rand Paul. Education and life experience, I suppose. Yes, of course we have to read others' books and listen to others' opinions while progressing through life, but only to shape the capacity to filter and process...not to form an end result. Obviously the latter is what many if not most people do. But that doesn't mean it's the right way. It's easy to hop on a bandwagon. It's much harder to build your own. In any case, you said that Peart had a big intellectual influence on you, implying that his beliefs profoundly affected your own. I was pointing out that every opinion I've ended up concluding was never based on what Mark Twain would've thought on the same matter. The subject of the opinion is the main affecting factor...not how others see the subject. Individuation vs. groupthink, I guess.

Not even once has any of my favorite musicians - or any musicians for that matter - ever influenced my sociopolitical views. Strange to see that kinda statement. I daresay Peart himself would scoff at the notion. Only novelists? Or poets? Or pundits? Or playwrites? Why is it strange? He has always written on so-called sociopolitical views. Neil Peart has a blog where he shares authors and writers who influenced or inspired him. Letting others influence individual sociological and political understandings is, I would offer, how bad things happen. :) Taking the facts available, one ought to filter and process their own understandings within their own capacities regardless of how others have openly expressed opinions on the same matter, be they presidents, poets, musicians, writers, journalists, fathers, mothers, cult leaders, whatever. I don't believe in something because Brad Pitt does. I don't ascribe 'more strongly' to something because Neil Peart said something about it.

Not even once has any of my favorite musicians - or any musicians for that matter - ever influenced my sociopolitical views. Strange to see that kinda statement. I daresay Peart himself would scoff at the notion.

you clearly have not peeked into SOCN Hint the "N" doesn't mean neocon. I'd go search for it, but I don't really care. :) Edit: Haha,okay, I see. Def shows how little I look at the bottom end of the forum page. Yeah, political forums on the internet are a lot like sticking your dick in a cheese grater. Can be done. Unwise nonetheless. :)

This has nothing to do with the topic. Who is discussing American nationalism? Oops. Reach a little farther, buddy. I have a tiny brain. I have no idea how this pertains to the topic, buddy. Well, everybody evolves at their own individual rate, man. It's all good.

you clearly have not peeked into SOCN I don't even know what SOCN is. Is that a sub forum somewhere on here? I stick to the three main Rush forums at the top of the page pretty much. :) Still, if there are this many red white and bruised neo-cons who dig Rush....that's far more shocking than Neil Peart advocating against racism. :)

This has nothing to do with the topic. Who is discussing American nationalism? Oops. Reach a little farther, buddy.

Geez, are there this many right wing Rush nerds? LOL. You guys are following the wrong band. They're CANADIAN. Duh. ;) Seriously, though...not sure American nationalism and prog rock go hand in hand. :D

What makes a great kiss? Synchronicity aligning with passion. :)

I'd wager not. :)

Last tour, kids. Believe it.