jnoble

I've given it 4 tries and I like a few things here and there, but it's not a good sign when I enjoy reading the story lines/lyrics and looking at the pictures much more than actually listening to the music itself. Too many songs start off OK but bore or annoy me after a minute or two. Then I skip to the next one. Same thing. Love the effort Rush, but you guys just don't have your magic anymore, that special "it" factor that all the previous albums up to TFE had. And it's undeniable that Geddy's voice just isn't very good anymore.

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jun 27 2012, 06:22 PM) QUOTE (nappy2112 @ Jun 27 2012, 03:15 PM) QUOTE (treeduck @ Jun 27 2012, 05:53 PM) QUOTE What's with all the Clockwork Angels hate?, I feel like I'm on drugs... You probably are on some kind of drugs Gary, though I know you try to deny it... I thought his praise for Hold Your Fire made that obvious. I'll never understand the hate for this album either (last two songs excluded). I like most of HYF very much from a song-writing/lyric/melodic perspective and honestly, I think it contains some of the best SONGS they've ever written and recorded. Time Stand Still is one of them. So is Mission. No shoehorning or brickwalling or wall of distorted noise to be heard. And plenty of hooks and melody and "arrivals" and "pay-offs" in the songs But the thing that pisses the anti-HYF people off the most is the dated overproduction and overall lack of a "rock" sound or attitude that Rush had built it's reputation on. For all the good things I like about it, HYF is definatly Rush at it's wussiest. Even the band themselves admit they got carried away with things in that regard.

QUOTE (ak2112 @ Jun 18 2012, 08:25 PM) QUOTE (AndroidOnTheRun @ Jun 18 2012, 07:31 PM) QUOTE (ak2112 @ Jun 18 2012, 08:27 PM)QUOTE (Anthony2112 @ Jun 18 2012, 03:32 PM) Vapor Trails might be Rush's best album. Yes, for that you do deserve to suffer greatly! Pure drivel that album.....and I was about to say about myself how much crap I've got for saying I thought VT was their worst album. I predict (and hope) that they wont play a single song off VT on the new tour. Wait, I take that back. I hope they do play one or two off of VT so I can go take a pee/poop and get some beer. Opening a can of worms here ... but can you put succinctly why you dislike VT? Except for the whole mastering... thing... I'm always a bit baffled that it gets no love. Is there something about the material itself that people find so objectionable? Not looking to start an argument so much as understand the other side. (If it's the sound thing, well, just say it's the sound thing and I'll let it go.) Pefectly reasonable question, and I can answer it easily. It was in BAD need of editing. Almost every song on the album is way too friggin long! They seem to be long for no good reason. Thats the main thing that bothers me about the album. A second reason, is that there are no real melodies to any of the songs either. The whole album seems unfocused and tired to me; not at all like an album by a band that had been apart for almost 7 years. Just horrible. It's not just VT, every album since 2002 including CA has songs that go on too long and lack good melodies. That's been far and away my biggest problem with the new stuff. That and Neil's lyrics just arent much fun to listen to. This is now the 3rd album in a row with a 'religion is scary and people are mean' theme

QUOTE (ak2112 @ Jun 18 2012, 07:28 PM) Ten years and still not enough time has past to wipe away the stench that that wretched album left. I actually feel that way about Snakes and Arrows aka Snooze And Snores. Vapor Noise I actually dont trash that badly...it had energy and passion despite everything else wrong with it

QUOTE (ShlappinDahBass @ Jun 17 2012, 10:14 PM) QUOTE (jnoble @ Jun 17 2012, 10:12 PM) Snakes was mostly just plodding, depressing and boring... things I've never accused a Rush album of being before. GUP was a pretty down album lyrically and musically but at least they kept it entertaining. You found Far Cry, MalNar, and Main Monkey Business boring? Okay...But I will agree Working Them Angels is a draaaaaaaaaaaaag. take note...I said "MOSTLY"....meaning I left exception for Far Cry and MalNar. That being said, MalNar still sounds out of place on that album. Almost like it was written and recorded and put on the album at the last minute.....Oh wait....

QUOTE (Bangster of Goats @ Jun 14 2012, 07:54 PM) And it's a *live* version of Camera Eye being played at the beginning. Also, during Neil's little spoken bit, it appears it's his drum solo being shown as he's speaking. Unfortunately, I imagine a lot of that stuff that was filmed ended up on the cutting room floor, or plain just lost or thrown out, and is gone forever. THIS Even if the film does still exist in a jumble on someone's editing room floor, it's probably in bad shape and degraded.

I'd listen to Rivendell, Tai Shan, You Bet Your Life, or Dog Years over most of the songs off the last two albums. Seriously.

Snakes was mostly just plodding, depressing and boring... things I've never accused a Rush album of being before. GUP was a pretty down album lyrically and musically but at least they kept it entertaining.

Just buy the regular VT now. Rush has been going back and forth over the remix/remaster of VT for years now: "It's being worked on now, it's not being worked on anymore, we're going to finish it soon, we're no longer thinking about it...." Can't get a straight answer from Ged or Alex. If it ever gets finished, it won't be for a long time.

I'll do you one further. Not only have I always really liked Superconductor, but I also like the video which most around here hate on.

QUOTE (beherit @ Jun 15 2012, 11:46 PM) QUOTE (jnoble @ Jun 15 2012, 11:34 PM) I had to switch to another window while keeping the audio on because I didn't need to look at his fat face any longer than necessary You kinda have to look like that to do a series of videos about reviewing prog albums. Take it from me, I'm a fan of prog music! I turned off his review of HYF after a few minutes. His voice was boring me.

I had to switch to another window while keeping the audio on because I didn't need to look at his fat face any longer than necessary

QUOTE (WCFIELDS @ Jun 15 2012, 11:27 PM) S&A was the same way.....this album is fresh. Lets see how it holds up over time.... I WANT to love this album. I really really do. I just can't get into the music they put to Neil's story. And I'm not capable of forcing myself to like something when it comes to music.

Every new Rush album on here gets the new car treatment: "OH MY GOD THIS IS THE GREATEST MOST FANTASTIC THING IVE EVER HEARD SINCE MOVING PICTURES!!" And while some may really feel that way, after some time passes there are some who burn themselves out on it or just don't feel the same way anymore. I'm pretty sure every message board for bands that have been around a long time reacts the same way to new albums. The uber-fans go nuts while the casual ones sort of react skeptically.

If only Geddy can get his ability to compose/sing a good melody back AND Neil can go back to writing lyrics that can more easily be put into a good song again, I'd like it much more. Pretty much all of Neil's lyrics starting with VT make for interesting poetry but awkward sounding songs...too many words in most.

here's one I just thought of today while listening to Presto: "bitterness breeds irritation, ignorance breeds amputation..." Also, I've seen old promos of Show Dont Tell that listed it as "Show Hotel"

The ATWAS version of What You're Doing is possibly the most bad-ass, hardest, most rocking, most-ass kicking, most bang-your-head Rush moment on record. I've always LOVED that one, it makes me want to run through a brick wall.

my current unpopular opinion about Rush is that I'm not having multiple orgasms over Clockwork Angels. It's already being relegated to coaster status after multiple tries to "get it". I actually like the storyline and I appreciate what they were going for, but none of the music moves me or even sticks with me. Sure, the opening riffs sound heavy but once Geddy's voice kicks in, it just sounds monotonous and droning and directionless. The guy isn't a good singer anymore. There, I said it. His voice has lost far too much range and emotion to make for good heavy rock songs. He still sounds OK on the softer materal (Dreamline, The Pass, Big Money, etc) but an entire hard rock album? His '70s voice was AWESOME and served the material well. He can't do it anymore, hasn't for a long time. I think that's also the reason why he can't seem to write a strong melody anymore. Starting with TFE and getting worse each album, too many songs sound like he's inventing the melody on the spot. Not to mention that awkward cracking and straining live in concert on pretty much every song pre-1991 I guess this makes me a bad fan.

I shouldnt have to listen to anything, especially when it's over an hour long, five or more times to "get it" or figure it out. I can usually tell by the second or third time at the most if an album grabs me or if it ends up collecting dust next to Feedback and S&A and that Scott Weiland solo album a friend gave me for Christmas a couple years ago.

QUOTE (losingit2k @ Jun 14 2012, 01:04 PM) QUOTE (SignofEth @ Jun 14 2012, 01:01 PM) I have to say I'm disappointed with this album. I've listened to it a handful of times now and I can't get into it. It's a great piece of work, just not one of my fav. S&A and Vapor Trails were incredible. But somehow this album lacks something. I found myself putting this cd away, and pulling out Hemispheres and Caress of Steel. Perhaps it'll sound different in a few weeks. For now, not something I'm dying to listen to when I have a moment to relax. Give it a few more listens, the album needs to grow on you! Then if you still feel that way use it as a coaster! I've given it a third listen while in the car today and it's, unfortunatly, already being mentally cataloged into the "coaster" section of my CDs right along with Snakes and Feedback. I've said before....I like the story, I like the artwork. I like the return to epic style music....I just don't like the music. None of it moves me or excites me or even really connects with me on any level. The songs are much too long, too dense, too busy, too much singing, on top of that Geddy's voice just kinda sucks now (IMO). Everything sounds the same. Hell, after all the gushing about The Garden I've given that extra attention and can't connect with that one either. And YES, I understand what it's about and I love the analogy, but, again, the music itself just sort of goes nowhere.

If anything, HYF and Presto seem to fit that description more than Counterparts.

I doubt that the extra footage still exists being that this is over 30 years old now. This topic has come up before. Concerning the extra GUP show footage, someone claimed that some company has it and might restore/release it in full someday. ESL was captured on film while GUP was on video.

the studio version of The Big Money always gets me excited and pumped. It's also refreshing to hear it on the radio instead of the usual overplayed Rush songs (TS, Spirit, Limelight, etc etc)