LeaveMyThingAlone

I got a Passage to Bangkok. Apparently I’m a weirdo. Quiz seemed fun until I read the dumbass questions.

 

Quiz aside, I’m a mesh between Show Don’t Tell because I’m cynical and find most people to be full of shit, and Something for Nothing which best describes my political beliefs, and

 

Double Agent -

On the edge of sleep,

I was drifting for half the night

Anxious and restless,

Pressed down by the darkness

Bound up and wound up so tight

So many decisions, a million revisions

Caught between darkness and light

 

 

 

Personally, I thought it was way too long and drawn out. I have absolutely no problem with Alex supposedly disrespecting the process or poking fun of the RRHOF in general. I just didn’t find it very funny. Everyone got the idea after 10 seconds. I just found myself wanting him to land the plane early into it..

 

Alex is one of the funniest celebrities I’ve ever seen in interviews and certain situations, so Ii kind of look at it as a lost opportunity to really blast the RRHOF and also show off that sense of humor s little more. He’s great at fhat straight faced deadpan stuff so he could have really done something funny and also have everyone scratching their heads wondering if it was all real or not.

Regardless, Alex can do Whatever the hell he wants on that stage and still be about the coolest MoFo on the planet in my eyes

I don’t get the purpose of the thread. Why would any of us wish they had retired sooner? What’s the upside of that? We got some incredible tours. Remember, they only implemented the “Evening with Rush” format starting with Test for Echo. So we would have missed all those tours, along with tons of amazing songs. Not every album after GUP was great by any means,, but every one of them has at least 2 songs I can listen to for life.

 

Yes they peaked at Moving Pictures, but that sure as hell doesn’t mean I wish they had just called it a day so that could be their “legacy”. In fact, it would have been.criminal for them to retire when they still had the chops and no internal strife.

 

To be honest, I’m hard pressed to think of any band that I’d consider retiring at their peak. Can anyone here name a band that fits this category? Maybe Zeppelin? but that wasn’t by choice

The one thing I would tell them regarding Rush they might not get yet is that, while I appreciate their respect and adoration of Neil's drumming, I think they might be overlooking what Alex and Ged are bringing to the music as a result of their gushing over Neil so much. It always seems to come back to how blown away they are by Neil. (Most are, but they REALLY dig the drummer) lol

Everyone immediately notices the drumming, because most songs are drummed in such a typical rhythm with tempo changes or fills being the only variance. So he stands out immediately. I am surprised they haven't picked up on the bass as exceptional, since most do for the same reason. A rhythm section with only one exceptional cog would really stand out as subpar.

 

Alex has lived in a shadow for a long time, it's good his sense of humor is so keen and his obvious humble pleasure at being incredibly lucky to have live his life is clear. Guitarists are usually the musicians expected to stand out. They get the solos and because they get the solos they get the notoriety. So in many bands the standout musician is the one who solos. I imagine George and Ryan have heard the names of ten times as many guitarists as drummers or bass players. So unfortunately guitarists are expected to stand out. In a band like Rush, this pushes a guitarist back because people get surprised by how the others actually stand out.

 

It's unfair to Alex, because to be able to stand with Geddy and Neil in the same band is proof in itself that he's exceptional. I had a friend once, a musician, that said he felt Alex was the true glue in that band. That everything works so well because of how he makes their rhythms work.

 

I'm not a musician, but in a nutshell I think Alex is the most unnoticed because he's the one subconsciously expected to stand out simply because he plays guitar, and he's forgotten when people are struck by the other standout work.

 

I imagine after more listens they will realize how good the others are.

Or just listen to La Villa Strangiato. He's always good, but he's heavily showcased in his song.

 

I totally agree. Rush would never had the longevity they had without Alex being so humble and being able to check his ego. Ego is what dooms most bands and it is usually the lead guitar player whose ego screws it up. I look at Eddie Van Halen who was notorious for making s point of making Michael Anthony’s bass totally irrelevant in about every song. He didn’t allow him to play much outside of the simple beat. Luckily Anthony is another chill low ego guy that went with the flow.

 

Geddy calls Alex an exceptional and underrated guitar player because he can go from the lead player to the rhythm guitar in the background seamlessly. He’s that rare guy that doesn’t need to have the whole world know how great he is. He knows, his bandmates know, and the fans know and that’s good enough for him. He’s such a cool guy

Neil mentioned in an interview about wanting to do Hand Over Fist for that tour for instance

 

Wow, really? That would have been an odd and

Puzzling choice. I can’t think of too many songs in their catalog that would be less interesting to hear live than Hand Over Fist.

If Show Don't Tell was played on 3 tours, I'd say that's a fair amount to satisfy. Something from Presto on R40 would've been nice though.

 

As the #1 lead song on Presto, I would think it would get more play. Rush always packs quite a punch with the first songs of their albums. I think Show Don't Tell and Test for Echo are the only 2 album lead off songs that fizzled in terms of live play

That's really kind of funny. Rush was kind of an easy target for bands like The Police trying to be edgy and raw and what not, but I wonder if Rush was even relevant enough where anyone was listening to what The Police were saying about them? This was in the late 1970's when Rush was still a popular cult band so I doubt anyone really cared. I remember when Johnny Rotten was just mocking Pink Floyd around when The Wall was #1. THAT definitely got some attention for The Sex Pistols.

 

Cool story...what's Sting's take on Rush?

1.Permanent Waves

2. Hemispheres

3. Moving Pictures

4. 2112

5. Counterparts

6. A farewell to Kings

7. Grace Ubder Pressure

8. Clockwork Angels

9. Signals

10. Roll the Bones

 

The top 7 are locked in, but 8-10 could change depending on my mood

 

 

My bad. I have no memory of them playing NWM on the VT tour. Wasn’t memorable to me, which could explain why they retired it after that. Glad they gave it some love in the latter stages. It’s a great little tune

2112 is one of Rush's 6 or 7 timeless masterpieces within their catalog.

 

The way music is going, they might be right on target with the story of the guitar being lost and forgotten. It seems I hear less and less great guitar on Rock music these days.

Fly by Night

New World Man

Show Don't Tell

 

What do these 3 songs have in common? They have all been highly successful songs commercially for Rush, yet none have been played live by the band since the 1980's. New World Man is their only Top 40 song, Show Don't Tell got a ton of play on MTV, and Fly By Night is a staple of FM radio to this day. I like all 3 songs quite a bit, though they don't seem to get a ton of love from other hard-core fans on the boards. I would say New World Man and Fly By Night are two of Rush's catchiest tunes and Show Don't Tell has one of those classic Alex sick guitar riffs I love. Three forgotten songs that are also 3 of their most successful songs. Why no love from the fans or from the the boys in the band?

Animate is my #1. One of their greatest songs as a whole, but the outro gives me chills. The minimal but perfectly timed use of keys to take it out adds perfectly to the jam.

When I first started learning about all these "reaction" you tube channels, the concept sounded so over the top. It seemed so idiotic and very self-serving The idea of watching these channels sounded as appealing as watching the Real Housewives. However, I've come to really appreciate and respect these guys. It's not the "of course they must be smart and must know music because they like Rush" opinion either. As others have mentioned, they are incredibly astute and eloquent in their opinions. There is much more depth to their reviews than any rock critic I've seen or read. Especially the guy always on the right. They are picking up on aspects of Rush's music that shows a lot of depth, understanding, and a great ear for music and the intricacies of it. They have a totally unbiased ear and objective for the music. They understand things going on that took me many multiple listens to pick up on. The things they appreciate about Rush are many of the same things that die hard Rush fans have been on their soapbox about for decades. The emotion of the music, the seamless transitions from one groove to another, the technical chops, the cohesiveness of the 3 of them, etc. I also thought it was super impressive how they were able to understand the lyrical story of 2112 so well with their first lesson.

 

The one thing I would tell them regarding Rush they might not get yet is that, while I appreciate their respect and adoration of Neil's drumming, I think they might be overlooking what Alex and Ged are bringing to the music as a result of their gushing over Neil so much. It always seems to come back to how blown away they are by Neil. (Most are, but they REALLY dig the drummer) lol

Alien Shore is a good song, but it gets lost in the magnificence of Counteroarts. If it were on an album likeTest fo Echo, it would stand out more. Counterparts has some of Rush’s best post-MP songs that stand out. It’s a good tune that probably deserves more attention.

 

 

I’ve decided that my 3 least favorite Rush albums are Vapor Trails, Test for Echo, and Snakes and Arrows. I’ve noticed a lot of others mentioning those 3 more than any other as well.’ I would normally say that it’s just a sign of a great band hitting their inevitable decline, but then they come out with Clockwork Angels and totally redeem the latter part of their career. I think I have more and more of an appreciation for that album based on the redemption value that comes with it. A really remarkable way to

go out.

 

By any chance, do you have a link to that interview with Alex you’re referring to? I had never heard that Alex wasn’t really into that album. Regarding Victor, I thought that came after T4E? There was a long hiatus between T4E and Vapor Trails. I thought both Ged and Alex did their albums after T4E

 

It’s interesting you say that about Alex and that album, because I always felt Alex’s work on that album was the only saving grace. I consider T4E a great Alex album with some really cool riffs and bridges by Alex. The problem is he’s trying to rock out to the most atrocious lyrics Neil ever wrote for Rush (I also agree that Snakes is really bad too). DognYears opens with that really cool riff and is in most of the song, but when Geddy comes in with doggie heaven and a sniff at the hydrant it’s just too ridiculous.

Virtuality is the same thing. Cool Guutar. Worst lyrics on a

Rush song of all time.

 

Anyway, just my .02 Cents on T4E

 

 

 

Still don't get the Limelight love though. Ruins an otherwise damn near perfect album for me.

 

We are all entitled to our opinions, but that's a new one on me.

Drinking excessively is somewhat unlikely to be the cause of a darkened or bright red nose. To take the leap to that really isn't fair to Neil. It could have to do with severe allergies, major anxiety, and many other things. There is a skin condition called Rosacea that is the most likely culprit. It almost always causes that kind of nose discoloration

 

I have lived around alcoholics a lot in my life, and what alcoholism actually causes is severely broken capillaries all over your face, not just the nose. Typically, if you see a middle-aged or older man with red spots all over his face (mainly cheeks) that look like broken rashes, then that might be an indication of an alcohol issue. A bright red nose, however, is not typical for chronic alcohol abuse.

To the OP, just spare yourself the frustration and insanity that comes with discussing politics in a music forum.You may think this place is different, because we all share the same love for Rush, but it isn't. The Hillary Obama members are never wrong. Interesting, yes? What makes it REALLY interesting is that the the Bush Reagan members are ALWAYS right. If you are somewhere in the middle, your posts will likely be dismissed and/or ignored because there's no place for being somewhere in the middle in politics, right. I've done my time in too many political forums and just find it less frustrating to just switch back and forth between MSNBC and Fox News and marvel at it all...

This reading is a classic. I mean it is the ultimate thread to justify Neil's discomfort with fans and being in the Public eye. One black and white picture (taken in what context we really don't know) and the consensus is he's either dying, will be placed in a home in the next 2 years, has Leukemia, is snorting Coke again, or all of the above.

 

Regardless, everyone appears to agree that he looks like total shit. LOL

 

Time to go back into hiding Neil. Looking forward to the next picture in about 2 years...

Only Rush album I'd call bad is Vapor Trails. The song quality combined with the production makes it that. Other than that, there are average albums (HYF, T4E, Snakes), good albums, and masterpieces.

 

One bad album out of twenty-something is pretty damn impressive

I don't know why Neil has to be so shitty to people who like him.

 

I guess to him the world is sharply divided into long awaited friends to be embraced warmly and strangers to be ignored (his appreciative fans would fall into the latter category).

 

Sure, there are no doubt lots of loony fans out there that they've been bothered by over the years, but the typical fan - especially in the very controlled and safe environment of a meet and greet or autograph signing - isn't expecting to be seen as a "long awaited friend"; they just want to show their appreciation, maybe get a handshake, photo or autograph. Alex and Geddy seem to have managed to survive the ordeal for 40 some years.

 

Love his drumming and writing and he's probably a great guy to those who know him but his attitude towards the fans leaves much to be desired.

 

I love how people love to dis him because of how they think he really is, but honestly none of us know what goes on in his head. Nor do we know everything that has happened to him with fans. There are a lot of creepy people out there who call themselves fans (I've seen some of them on Facebook) who follow him around like stalkers. If I were him I'd be creeped out by people who claim to be fans but just want something from him. I'm sure not everyone is as nice as we would be if we met him. Well...most of us.

 

For the record, I based my previous post not so much on what I “think I know about him” as much as based on what I have consistently heard from people that have been a part of the band in some way and from fans that tried to approach Neil. When I start to hear very common themes and consistencies in their stories and experiences with him, I am comfortable forming an opinion. Again, you can be someone like Neil who is scared to death of people and fans, be able to avoid interacting with them, yet still handle these situations in a way that doesn’t come off nearly as harsh and mean. I am not referring to skipping meets and greets or interviews, etc. He has every right to do whatever he wants with those. Im just talking about interactions he happens to have with people. I just think his expectations of how he thinks people should act and react around him are totally not based on reality.. And to stomp on those favs when hey don’t act the way he thinks they should act is what shows so poorly.

 

I wonder if he has ever approached a celebrity that he knew but didn’t know him. Better yet, what if he were a 17 year old kid that happened to see Keith Moon walking along side him? Would he really not say a word to him at that age? If he did decide to approach him, would he be ok with being treated the way he treats a fan that approaches him? It’s one thing to say he wouldn’t approach his hero at this point in his life having experienced what it’s like to be a celebrity, but if he’s just another kid that is naive about these things at 17,would he really have been so enlightened as to not approach?

1) Alex

As great as Geddy and Neil are, it’s really Alex that has driven most of their music, especially in their golden era. As much as I love listening to a good bass sound, I would never have given Rush the time of day if they had an average guitar player. He’s so underrated .

 

2) Geddy

I love baseball and am a fantasy geek. I’m introverted and kind of quiet. I usually don’t like big talkers. Geddy s my kind of guy

 

3)Neil (most obvious answer ever)

The results are hardly surprising. The more I hear from Neil and about him, the more he strikes me as being a bit self-righteous, intolerant, and judgmental. I always go back to the story the Rage Against the Machine drummer told in BTLS about being kicked out by Neil’s “security team” because he was too big a fanboi (I guess). There are a lot of those types of experiences with Neil. I don’t care how shy, introverted, or socially awkward he is, there are so many better ways he could handle that kind of stuff without humiliating the guy and pissing on him. I think when I hear the other 2 guys describe him as being shy, it’s a bit of a cop out.

1) Alex

As great as Geddy and Neil are, it’s really Alex that has driven most of their music, especially in their golden era. As much as I love listening to a good bass sound, I would never have given Rush the time of day if they had an average guitar player. He’s so underrated .

 

2) Geddy

I love baseball and am a fantasy geek. I’m introverted and kind of quiet. I usually don’t like big talkers. Geddy s my kind of guy

 

3)Neil (most obvious answer ever)

The results are hardly surprising. The more I hear from Neil and about him, the more he strikes me as being a bit self-righteous, intolerant, and judgmental. I always go back to the story the Rage Against the Machine drummer told in BTLS about being kicked out by Neil’s “security team” because he was too big a fanboi (I guess). There are a lot of those types of experiences with Neil. I don’t care how shy, introverted, or socially awkward he is, there are so many better ways he could handle that kind of stuff without humiliating the guy and pissing on him. I think when I hear the other 2 guys describe him as being shy, it’s a bit of a cop out.

I have almost always found the idea of posting a reaction to music on You Tube to be kind of self-serving and egotistical, but I have watched all 3 of their reactions to Rush songs (and a few others) and I really gotta hand it to them. They are absolutely spot on in almost everything they say when describing Rush It’s like they are picking up on a lot of subtle things about their music after one listen that it takes me a few listens to pick up on. More than anything, what I think they hear is the soul and feel that Rush possess in their music that is impossible to duplicate. They seem to appreciate the same things I do, a lot of which are unrelated to technical prowess. The fact that they were not really impressed with Dream Theater tells me they recognize a difference that I think most of us have always recognized and have been on our soapboxes about.

 

I think it’s great that they are potentially introducing Rush to newer generations that may never have listened otherwise.