ewblank

I love both of those songs for different reasons. If I had to choose, I;d say Emotion Detector would be have a slight edge due to the overall feel of the song being more up tempo.

 

However from a musician / technical viewpoint, I've always been blown away by how the guys could keep such tight time with the very quick synth pattern at the beginning of Middletown Dreams. I guess that's one of the many things I really love most Rush - the first 20 seconds of that song displays better musicianship than whole albums worth of material by most other bands.

 

cheers,

ew

I think the synth arpeggio works very well in the context of this song - I don't find the tone that annoying either. What I really love about this song are the Geddy / Neil punches during the fade out. After 20 years of listening to this I still can never count / tap out the timing on those damn punches! That's one of my favorite Rush song endings ever.

 

cheers,

ew

Aside from the classic prog-rock players that are usually mentioned (Fripp, Gilmore, Hackett, Howe), I'd have to say Frank Zappa is one of my top favorites in the "technical ability" category.

 

Now this will probably seem way out in left filed for a Rush forum member, but the other players that I really like are Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth. There's something about their wild and reckless approach to the guitar that I find simply awe-inspiring.

 

cheers,

ew

Thanks for this thread - I've tried several times to get into this band but their music just doesn't gel with me. Technically they're great players, but I can't listen to more than a track or 2 without becoming utterly bored. It's like the individual players are great, but everything they do together is lacking in passion and balls.

 

I thought I was really just "not getting it", but I see that I'm not the only one who just cannot get into this band.

 

I also can't stand the way Jordan Rudess is such a product promotion whore. That guy will shill for any iphone synth app that comes out.

 

cheers,

ew

Hi there,

 

Other users have made some good suggestions if you absolutely want to purchase a hardware synth and not a controller that can be used with a computer.

 

I would suggest you look into more options - especially in regards to midi / USB controllers. In the end you will be able to get more bang for your buck with a controller and software than from a hardware synth. If your son isn't playing live shows in the near future, a controller + whatever computer he is using will provide more sound options, plus recording and sequencing capabilities. Novation, M-Audio make a wide range of controllers, as do Roland, Korg and Yamaha. These will typically come with free software to get you going.

 

You can also find dozens of free software synths on the net. I suggest you gather as much info as you can on models of synths and controllers in your price range. Here are some link I think you'll find useful.

 

http://www.synthtopia.com/

 

http://www.vintagesynth.com/

 

http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/

 

I hope this helps. Good luck!

 

ew

QUOTE (Dobner has assumed control @ Jul 6 2011, 09:10 PM)

QUOTE (trenken @ Jul 6 2011, 04:23 PM) Yeah 6g's is way too pricey for a Les Paul. You're paying a lot more than the actual instrument is worth because his name is attached to it, but Ill bet it takes them a long time to sell all those out at that incredibly inflated price for a guitar that you can get for significantly cheaper with all the same parts. Cant get over that price though. I paid about 3 grand for a custom built 6 string MTD bass, and I always felt I over paid for that, even though it was hand built by Mike Tobias and is the finest bass ive ever played, 3 grand is still a lot for a bass. Was this guitar hand built by Alex or Les Paul? Nope, which means it is definitely not worth it. I can understand what you are saying about how a custom with all the same parts would be cheaper, but I have not seen the guitar cost more than $3,999. Where did you see it for 6g's? The MSRP listed by Gibson is $6115. We all know that nobody really sells at MSRP. Regardless - $4K is still way more than the average person can afford to spend on a guitar.   I think there's a price point past which you're not longer getting "value" and are just paying for status. I can't imagine any brand-new, factory made, mass-produced guitar being actually worth more than $2000.   Having said that, I would still buy one of these in a heartbeat if I had $10K just sitting around that I didn't need for other luxuries like rent, food, insurance, clothing, gas, etc.... ;-)

That's a very ambitious project for a trio! But not impossible.

 

I would suggest that you look into using looper pedals and sequencers to fill in the gaps when your hands are busy elsewhere.

 

The other suggestion I have is to consider this as an "interpretation" as opposed to a note-for-note cover version. Look up the various interpretations of Dark Side of the Moon (Flaming Lips, Easy Dub All-Stars) for examples. Same songs, but clearly played in the style of the performers and not a direct cover of the original album.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I highly doubt Mr. Lifeson has ever seen or laid hands on this monstrosity.

 

This looks like a generic super-strat knock-off that somebody has gone to town on with a bunch of Rush stickers and some Podge-It.

 

I also like the Zero positive feedback - nice touch to warn people away from buying anything from you.

 

I surely hope there isn't anyone out there who will fall for this.

 

ew

FWIW - Epiphone has a similar Les Paul model without all the bells and whistles - and it's under $1K. I think this might be pretty close to the Axcess in look and feel:

 

Epiphone Les Paul Plus Top

 

Cheers,

ew

QUOTE (hughes&kettner @ Jun 25 2011, 08:28 AM)

20?? really?  that list is about 12 too many. plus:  no les claypool? steve harris?? WTF?  tone-wise theirs are unmistakable.  no to mention their chops are stellar. it should be called: 8 best bass players tones and a bunch of other dudes that few really care about...

Always keep in mind that an opinion is just an opinion. Just because one bass player say's he doesn't like it, it doesn't mean all bass players think the same.

 

I play bass and I agree with many of the other posters in that Power Windows through Presto contain some of Geddy's most killer bass riffs. Marathon, Turn the Page, Scars, The Pass - all monster bass riffs that totally drive each of those compositions.

 

I think that there may have been be a slight and unintentional editorial bias against the "synth era" on the part of the documentary film makers. These are the guys that did "Metal - A Headbangers Journey" and "Global Metal" so one can guess that their tastes lean towards the heavy.... Just my own opinion.

 

cheers, ew

I'm with the OP on this - there may be some tracks that I don't love to death (mainly the early ballad / slow songs like Tears, Madrigal, Rivendell) but otherwise, I enjoy 95% of their work. I can't really say that for any other band.

 

cheers,

ew

Nice clip - thanks for posting. I love the part where the announcer says Rush is from Montreal. ;-)

Hey there Nick,

 

I guess there aren't many TRF'ers into experimental music!

 

I like what you're attempting to do here. Keep it up.

 

Of the 2 parts you posted I really like the guitar section that kicks in around 1:00. Nice riff!

 

Cheers and good luck with the rest of the project.

 

ew

Hey there - this isn't very Rush related - but if you're concerned about your snoring - try these:

 

http://www.breatheright.com/

 

They're snore strips you apply to the bridge of your nose. You should be able to find them at any pharmacy in the city. A small box will run you about $10. My wife won't get into bed with me unless I have one one ;-)

 

Cheers and enjoy Montreal!

 

ew