eshine

I'm not a religious person - but if Neil happened to be a Christian and wrote about his belief and faith, I could care less as long as it was done well. The few (and I stress few) songs that he has written in the last decade discussing faith and religion are well written and certainly topical. Just look at the news. And the idea that he needs to move on from this "overdone" theme seems odd. He wrote a few songs on Snakes and Arrows discussing faith (or lack thereof). This isn't something he has done repeatedly, ad-nauseum album after album - so I really don't get why people are so offended. It's as if people want him to think differently because they take his observations personally. That's what I have a problem with.

QUOTE (GeminiRising79 @ Feb 22 2012, 04:32 PM) QUOTE (eshine @ Feb 22 2012, 02:47 PM) The album is finished and the lyrics are written, rendering the o.p. moot. I hope you wrote this AFTER the bong hits. Try thinking a little more deeply into things before you post. You showed up early for the train that never came. No deep thought required (although bong hits would have helped) Your original post is trite.

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Feb 22 2012, 12:54 AM) I think CT raises a very interesting and important point. People go crazy when someone expresses any intolerance with some of Neil's recent lyrical trends. They are expressing the exact same kind of intolerance that people who don't like some of his lyrics are claimed to have. All they're doing is expressing their opinions, but because it's anything negative against Rush, they're immediately unpopular and maligned. As I've often said before, complaining about complaining is still complaining. Some people think it's a more noble or justifiable form of it, but to me it's exactly the same thing. It's easy to say why do you have a problem with Neil's lyrics - what's your problem? I can just as easily say, why do you have a problem with me having a problem with Neil's lyrics - what's your problem? If people just accept that not everyone is going to agree with you and there's nothing wrong with people for having a dissenting or unpopular opinion, there'd be a lot more peace in the land. The album is finished and the lyrics are written, rendering the o.p. moot. I wasn't really complaining about giving Neil lyrical suggestions for a work that is both finished and that hasn't been heard it (save for the first two songs) - but rather commenting on how stupid it is.

When it comes down to it - it's the songwriting that counts, and Vapor trails contains some breathtakingly good songs. Earthsine alone is just about as good a Rush song as they have ever written. The album is a decade old (good Lord) - if you didn't like it out of the gate, or at least appreciate the quality of the writing, it's highly unlikely a remix will make much of a difference. I mean, yes the production is bad - but for Ged sakes you can still hear the songs lol. Personally - I think VT is a highly flawed, brazenly indulgent and highly emotional work. It cannot be categorized alongside any other work by the band (I don't think Snakes sounds anything at all like this record - production -wise or in the songwriting) It's a work by a band with nothing to lose - done with reckless abandon that surely makes it the most polarizing album they have released since GUP.

I agree it was a great decision. Geddy knows the limits of his voice. He is almost sixty and still able to sing the vast majority of their catalogue because he has cared for his instrument. Yes - it cracks and creaks here and there - so what? His tone and pitch are amazingly consistent - and he is still a "belter" Regardless of his ability at the time of PeW, he was smart enough to know that he could not continue shredding his voice the way he had been doing up to that point. The recording of Hemispheres was a chore - and his vocals suffered during that tour. I'm sure he was ready for a change - and the new songs were better served with a more traditional vocal style. I disagree, however, with the assertion that he can still sing in a banshee wail but chooses not to. He cannot - and has not been able to for decades - as evidenced by his dreadful attempt at Hemispheres on the CP tour. Today, he is able to push the high part of Freewill - it's a fun, wink nudge to the old days - but nothing more. He could never sing an entire song in that key night after night. No - if they choose to do material from the seventies he will have to modify his vocals like he did for Circumstances - and even 2112 back in the 90's. I'm totally down with this - Ged has a cool singing voice no matter what key it's in - and I welcome new interpretations of old material - considering I've heard it all a million times.

QUOTE (circumstantial tree @ Feb 19 2012, 06:29 PM) QUOTE (eshine @ Feb 19 2012, 05:01 AM) Has it become so pathetic that modern, middle aged Rush fans have become laughably co-dependant? "Please, Neil - don't write things that matter to YOU - write things for meeeeeeeeeeeeee...." Christ indeed. Then there are those fans who'd eat Neil's shit if he asked them to do it. That's nasty. I'm not sure how not demanding personalized lyrics from Neil equates to eating his feces, but... Okay

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Feb 19 2012, 06:10 AM) QUOTE (eshine @ Feb 19 2012, 03:10 AM) QUOTE (rushgoober @ Feb 19 2012, 12:41 AM) For example, take the four Rush albums I'm not that crazy about; VT, T4E, Presto and RTB - I'll take Rivendell over any song from any of those albums with the exception of 3 songs. No personal offense - but this statement has pretty much negated any reason for me to read future posts from you. Well, since this is the last time we'll ever talk. LOL - oh who am I kidding, I can't quit you goob!

The Snakes tour - first leg, had the best and most surprising setlist of any I have ever seen by the band.

so who, exactly, is supposed to care about this? and why?

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Feb 19 2012, 12:41 AM) For example, take the four Rush albums I'm not that crazy about; VT, T4E, Presto and RTB - I'll take Rivendell over any song from any of those albums with the exception of 3 songs. No personal offense - but this statement has pretty much negated any reason for me to read future posts from you.

Has it become so pathetic that modern, middle aged Rush fans have become laughably co-dependant? "Please, Neil - don't write things that matter to YOU - write things for meeeeeeeeeeeeee...." Christ indeed.

The Snakes tour was one of Geddys best vocally. Neil even mentioned it in one of his updates, how Ged was singing "out and over" the audience. His voice was strong and confident - his tone spot on, and his delivery effortless. His treatment of Circumstances prove, to me, that with modifications he can definately handle more older material and give it a fresh new perspective. He absolutely nailed the vocals on that one. The only problem with his vocals on the Time tour were that he was cracking more frequently then usual. Obviously age is a factor, but vocal rest and song choice play a big part as well (the one two three punch of Spirt, Time Stand Still and Presto was an abitious choice) Considering the amount of rest he will have by the time they tour again - I'm sure he will sound just fine, if not better then he did last time out. The bottom line is, his voice is not deteriorating to a level even remotely close to what has been perpetuated here. He is still an excellent live vocalist - in many ways better then some tours past.

While he can sometimes get long winded, his travelogues are very successful in putting the reader in the moment.

I've listened to most of the new Van Halen - and comparing current Van Halen to current Rush is an exercise in futility, but here goes (and I apologize in advance to VH fans) Rush are celebrating what seems to be a creative revival right now. Van Halen dusted off some old, not very good demos. Alex Lifeson is playing at the top of his game right now. Not only can he shred - but he continues to grow as a player. Some of his most beautiful moments are so subtle and nuanced you almost miss them. Eddie is an incredibly skilled soloist - but he hasn't grown as a writer or player. He has been recycling the same thing for decades. I suppose being a drugged up, mean spirited douche bag doesn't do much to spur creative growth. Geddy Lee has a rock voice that is aging gracefully. He is aware of his limitations and uses his voice wisely. Yes, it's a little rough around the edges, but the guy still has chops and delivers night after night. David Lee Roth looks and sounds like the annoying, drunk guy dancing by himself and singing way too loudly at the bar when an old VH song comes on. The bass playing and drumming in current VH are irrelevant. I know I sound harsh - but they deserve it. Van Halen (Eddie in particular) have disdain for their fans. After doing the impossible and replacing DLR with a great singer / songwriter, they managed to allow ego to snuff a rare second chance with their fans. Say what you will about Neil Peart - but the VH brothers make him look like Ghandi. Sure - the album and tour will sell. VH are a nostalgic party band that used to be a blast - but I find them ghoulish. I'd go see Hagar and Anthony at a small club in a second. If I won front row seats to this current VH show I would give them away.

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ Feb 10 2012, 04:46 PM) QUOTE (eshine @ Feb 10 2012, 05:34 PM) Christians absolutely LOVE to preach their beliefs - ad-nauseum - to people who don't share their faith - to the extent that they want to literally dictate how other people should think, feel and live. Really eh? You're pretty sure of yourself to generalize all Christians like that. Listen, I'm a Christian. I can tell you straight up that I don't go around telling anyone how to live their lives, nor do I spend any of my days worrying about those that think differently than me. I don't care. People are free to think, feel, and live whatever way they want. None of my business...just as I would expect others to treat me the same in that regard. Besides, that "hypocrisy" that you speak of can easily be looked at from both sides. BOTH 'believers' and 'non-believers' are guilty of this. I think that's Goobs ultimate point...I know it's mine: Just leave the topic alone altogether. No need for it in Rush songs. Neil is a smart enough boy...the guy can write, and there are literally thousands of concepts and ideas out there that he could write about! Bottom line...I don't care either way. I'm stoked about a new record...and I really just want this thing to get released ASAP! To clarify - I did not mean to generalize. Obviously, not all "Christians" preach their religion or discriminate against others, just like not all "gays" love showtunes lol But... there are of people who do discriminate under the guise of religious piety. I am speaking more to the extreme, and I think Neil is as well - his personal belief in faith notwithstanding.

And for the record there is no "backlash" against Neil or the band based on his choice of subject matter - as evidenced by their growing success over the last decade.

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Feb 10 2012, 02:07 PM) Putting down a totalitarian regime is one thing. Putting down people's heartfelt beliefs, which Neil seems to be doing recently in songs and blogs, to me crosses the line and moves into the realm of personally offending large portions of his audience. Just my personal take/opinion. Obviously others, especially those who agree with his philosophy, will disagree. The hypocrisy is almost mind numbing. Christians absolutely LOVE to preach their beliefs - ad-nauseum - to people who don't share their faith - to the extent that they want to literally dictate how other people should think, feel and live. A recent example is "one million moms" - a large Christian group who's "heartfelt beliefs" include, among other things, discriminating against gay people. They literally called for the firing (yes, the firing) of Ellen Degenerous as JC Pennys new spokesperson because her sexuality doesn't jibe with their "heartfelt beliefs". That, my freind, is called a witchunt. Do you think they care at all about who they are offending?? Should Neil take their feelings into account before penning new lyrics? If he feels strongly about a subject, should he filter himself out of "fear" that he may polarize his audience? Should he worry about offending a Muslim? (Interestingly, you don't hear Christians defending muslim groups on these boards?? Apparently, christian faith is the only one worthy of defense against mean ole Neil Peart Any large religious group that dictates how others should live are open to scrutiny and criticism - Christians being of no exception. Having said that - Neils writings and lyrics are not designed to soley discriminate against Christian faith. This is an illusion. In addition to voicing his feelings about "faith" and the many hypocrisies of the Catholic church, He clearly speaks out against outdated Middle Eastern philosiphies that cause harm to others under the guise of religious piety. Either way - these are universal themes totally appropriate for discussion in song or poetry. To say that he "should or should not" talk about a subject is pretty ludicrous.

- and for the record - I could care less if the Watchmaker is God so what? It's Neils story - he can write whatever he wants. Having said that - this is great news. I often wondered what kind of "concept" he would come up with and how the two songs could possibly fit into something cohesive - and this sounds very cool indeed!!

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Feb 9 2012, 03:35 PM) Well this answers one very important question and raises another: We now know for a fact that the Watchmaker is a character in a story, and not simply an allusion to the Christian god (or any specific god). While I might concede after hearing the whole album that the parallel is intentional, we know now that this is primarily a character in a story. So, does that change your opinion about this supposedly blatant personal attack on religion? Can we see now that Neil has simply written a story and populated it with characters? I wrote a story that revolved around a serial murderer years ago - doesn't mean I'm a serial murderer myself. Anderson's description is a far cry (see what I did there?) from the people here frothing at the mouth over how CA is going to be a giant anti-Christian/anti-religion/pro-atheism album. THIS.

Geddys vocals on the S@A tour were fantastic. He had some rough spots on the TMT (particularly the second leg) but the overall quality of his voice was intact. What he can still accomplish as a singer night after night is for us fans should be celebrated. The good FAR exceeds the bad. With plenty of care and rest he will surely be able to deliver the goods for a couple more tours.

QUOTE (GeminiRising79 @ Jan 29 2012, 12:49 PM) Looks like it was just posted this morning- Neil is offering a special hat for sale in the spirit of his "BeYourself" balaclava hat (as seen on his new DVD). According to his site, he states "I wanted to create something for my fans that carried a message that they could possibly read and remind themselves of everytime they look into a mirror". He mentions "The hat's idea also stems from essentially the same message that is conveyed in the song, "Limelight". Neil goes on by saying "Getalifeinc., is a new program geared to help my fans realize that they don't have to go through the rest of their lives as worthless and directionless automatons". Also noted from Neil: "I am also offering another hat available in the essence of the black-hole Cygnus X-1 theme. This hat will be the ultimate statement that, "yes, I am the quintessential Rush fan". I can't convey enough how much I endorse this product". Hats are modestly priced at $21.12 each. http://rlv.zcache.com/yes_i_suck_hat-p148790108035899313qz14_400.jpg *sigh trite, witless and brutally unfunny.

I've always thought Available Light served as a great album closer.

QUOTE (trenken @ Jan 30 2012, 11:35 AM) The bass playing is fine, although the tone sucks. Of course easily fixable. Dont like the singing though. You dont have any vibrato at all which Geddy is great at, or was anyway. And the notes without vibrato arent very smooth and a bit too dramatic sometimes so its pretty rough around the edges. Not awful, but not great either. Just trying to help. The only way to get better is to know what can be better, and the singing definitely needs work. Keep practicing, develop that vibrato and keep it subtle, you dont want to sound like some broadway singer with some crazy over the top vibrato. Dude - he's doing a bass / vocal cover of Rush in his bedroom, not auditioning for American Idol. And actually - the singing is impressive. Rarely can someone attempt to "imitate" Geddy withpout sounding like an idiot. CruisingInPrimetime pulls it off very nicely. Again, I would love to hear some of your music. You dole out criticism with an almost "authorative" tone based on your own experience and set of skills, so - I imagine you're pretty good. Lets hear it.

Test For Echo

Man, he was a mere five years older then me. Makes you really count your blessings.