analog guy

Computerized clinic

For superior cynics

Who dance to a synthetic band

In their own image

Their world is fashioned

No wonder they don't understand

 

Art as expression, not as market campaigns

Will still capture our imaginations

 

-

 

They say there are strangers who threaten us

Our immigrants and infidels

They say there is strangeness to danger us

In our theaters and bookstore shelves

That those who know what's best for us

Must rise and save us from ourselves

 

Quick to judge

Quick to anger

Slow to understand

Ignorance and prejudice

And fear walk hand in hand

 

-

 

All that you can do is wish them well

Even if you're going through hell, just keep on going

 

-

 

Nowhere is the dreamer

Or the misfit so alone

 

-

 

No hero in your tragedy

No daring in your escape

No salutes for your surrender

Nothing noble in your fate

Christ, what have you done?

 

-

 

Hit you in a soft place

A melody so sweet

A strong and simple beat

That you can dance to

 

Watch his every move

(Superconductor)

Orchestrate illusions

(Superconductor)

Watch his every move

(Superconductor)

Hoping you'll believe

Designing to deceive

That's entertainment

Finally dug in.

 

Been watching Roll The Bones tour shows, particularly the second leg, as that was my first show (Alpine Valley).

 

A bootleg exists of it but it's kind of a strange one (radio scanner?) and there's no video, so I've been watching all the dates closest to it that exist, just trying to bring back the images and sounds of that first show which is now going on 28 years ago (!). All the other shows I've seen are widely available, so this one remains kind of mythical.

It'll be interesting to see if some of the albums chart again.

 

I was looking through the Billboard 200 just out of curiosity and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" was on it, as well as Abbey Road and a few other "classic" releases.

I've now heard "Anthem" and "YYZ" on radio here in Melbourne, in addition to La Villa. So that's three songs, and that's only maybe in 30 minutes or so of driving.

 

Again I don't know much I can emphasise the relative rarity of that for the rest of you, but I've spent a great deal of time in this country visiting or living over the last 20 years and I never heard a single Rush song in public until last week.

I don't remember the station but it wasn't one of the big commercial ones like Gold or MMM. It was down in the low 90s or high 80s somewhere.

The cancer rumours had been around for a long time. The one that always went around in my circles was around the time of Roll The Bones, when he began shaving his head and wearing the bandanas. There were people saying he was hiding brain cancer then. Obviously the irony isn't lost on me.

 

It's weird... I did have a gut feeling he might be first. But like everyone else... not nearly this soon. Not for maybe another 10 years. And I thought we would find out first. I should have known that Neil would keep it close to the vest; it was always his style.

 

I had something of a dress rehearsal the day Rutsey passed. I had one giant freak out because I was scrolling around online and saw something to the effect of "Rush something something drummer something dead"... It would be unkind to say relief was the right word because it's not fair to John, but of course that wasn't going to hit with the same amount of force, let's be honest. Regardless, that didn't prepare me remotely for what happened this week.

Looks like my last post was May 2016. I've never been much of a regular or anything either.

 

Like anyone else, recent events brought me here. I don't really have anything special or unique to say, or offer... just that I'm here, and, to use a quote, I feel the way you would.

I haven't intentionally listened to anything. Any music at all.

 

I was driving back from an errand the other night and La Villa was on one of the more obscure stations in town.

 

I'm in Melbourne, Australia, where Rush just doesn't get played. Anywhere. In all the years I've spent living here and travelling back and forth, that was the first time I'd ever heard Rush played.

 

Honestly it was just a weird, numbing experience. I didn't find myself dancing or singing the parts or tapping or anything, just kind of blankly staring out. I didn't feel like myself. The world kinda doesn't feel like itself right now.

My favorite album and I have no problem with the production at all, but I also love a good Oberheim synth.

 

I think if you put it in context with what was going on musically in 1982, which in my personal opinion was one of the greatest years for rock and pop music, then it fits right in perfectly.

 

Signals is, I think, the album that most personally resonates with me, lyrically and musically..... Subdivisions is still an emotionally crushing song for me. I was in ninth grade the first time I heard it, and felt like it was basically about me.

Clockwork Almonds

 

Snacks and Arrows

Yep, he asks for "Time Stand Still" and "Subdivisions" back to back almost every morning.

I think it's probably over. I've been dealing with that reality as a reality, even though it's not official. No, it certainly isn't easy, especially now that my oldest son (age 6) has decided that Rush is his favorite band now and wants to listen to it in the car every day coming home from school.

 

But I also thought way back in the summer of 1992, after I saw them for the first time at age 15, that "well, I got to see them once. These guys have 15 albums out now.... I hope that wasn't the last one!". And then there was the long hiatus period, after which I moved overseas and kind of gave up on the idea of seeing them again.

 

So yeah, I feel like I've been playing with house money for 20 years.

A "F-ck you puppet" shirt?

 

I cannot give that enough points.

I've been invited to be the drummer in a tribute band. I've been a little lukewarm only because I'm pretty busy already.... but I feel like I got to do it now.

I think I need to join that tribute band that's after me.

"smile because it happened"

What a tour. What a band.

 

I am better for having experienced this.

We got a Neil bow and some very reflective statements..... hmm....

Tomorrow we're all gonna wake up with a crooked head.

Well at least this feed sounds good.

Why is every one of these 90 degrees?

It'd be a shame if that song never got played again. Simply one of the greatest songs ever written.

I think this has turned out to be my favorite part of this tour..... the nightly reveals in this thread :)

I thought I was late to the party back in 1992. As a 15 year old.

 

I remember thinking during the summer before Counterparts came out that "well, these guys have been around awhile and had albums going back to 1974.... they probably won't last much longer. I hope they make at least one more album."

 

It's never over until they say it's over. Until then, milk it. I never thought back then that I'd end up seeing them five times, especially when I eventually missed that tour due to a conflicting family vacation, and then the band had their long break soon after. Hence the 15 year gap between shows for me.

 

For a very long time, I thought seeing Rush was a one and done deal, but I was okay with that. Everything since then has been house money.

Yep.... Carhenge is actually closer to me here in Denver than it is to Lincoln.