CrimsonE

I saw the news, and I'm a bit sadder that we don't get to see a Cinderella reunion. Over the years, I've seen them live perhaps five times, and they always put on a great show, whether they were headlining or opening. Perhaps the best time was on the Heartbreak Station tour, in which I had second row seats, which was the closest I ever was for a show (at least one without general admission). RIP to an unsung guitarist for an underrated band.

When I saw Henry Rollins perform his spoken word bit in Knoxville (2008), he Described seeing Van Halen first time opening for Ted Nugent in the late 1970s. Rollins talks about how VH blew away Nugent (who was beginning the downturn of his career). He described the crowd reaction to Eruption as 10,000 people's jaws hitting the floor at the same time, which sounds like a perfect description for their first national tour. I had that same reaction when I saw Live WIthout a Net (as I would not become familiar with VH's catalog until the mid 80s). IMO, that was a perfectly constructed 15 minutes guitar solo, which has yet to be matched by any guitarist, not even EVH himself.

My first live concert experience was Rush in February of 1988, and of course it was amazing. However, months later, my second live experience was Van Halen (Monsters of Rock tour with Scorpions, Dokken, Metallica and Kingdom Come) and it was also amazing, thanks largely to EVH's energetic performance. One of the highlights was watching him do Mine All Mine, when he played keys and guitar in the same song (unlike latter tours when they used a backing track). Every hard rock band that started in the early to mid 1980's might as well have sent 10% of their royalties to EVH, such was his influence on the genre.

Although he's probably better known for Quiet Riot, IMO, his best achievement was being on the best albums that W.A.S.P. ever did--Headless Children and Crimson Idol. Both were awesome albums, in no small part due to Frankie's drumming--especially Crimson Idol, where he often did a great job of channeling Keith Moon's fills. RIP Frankie.

I can't think of a least favorite, but here are some of my favorites, in no particular order: La Villa Straingato Kid Gloves Natural Science (both solos) Red Tide (All too short) Bravado Limelight Necromancer Between the Wheels The Pass

I actually prefer the Howe era to the Rodgers era version of Bad Co. Yes, the sound was typical late 80s/early 90's rock, but they made it work. Plus, they put on very good live shows, as Brian How really did justice to the Rodgers material, as well as to the material he recorded with the band. For them, my high point was seeing them co-headline with Damn Yankees twice on the Holy Water tour. Although they couldn't quite keep up with their partners (but who could in just about any band with Ted Nugent at his most furious), but they closed out the shows in fine form.

Who woulda thought Ozzy would outlive everybody? However on a similar subject....this is why part of me is still worried about EVH....If Neil kept his illness under wraps like this...who's to say there's not a lot of details that Dave, and the VH family isn't keeping under wraps? Never mind Ozzy--who would have thought Keith Richards is still going strong?

I can’t help imagining the following scenario: Scene: Heaven, The Afterlife, Elysian Fields, Valhalla Jesus: Oh My ME!!! Look over there, look who just walked in through the gates, it’s NEIL FREAKING PEART!!! Buddha (fanning self): I can’t believe it! Zeus: Think he’ll sign an autograph? Odin: For us, sure! Of course! Of all his fans, no one can say we aren’t the biggest! (Group of deities heads in Neil’s direction. Neil spies them and cringes). Neil, muttering as he tries to evade the Fangods: Oh cripes, not THIS shit again! Where’s the Praetorian Guard? Oh f**k, that’s right, they’re not dead yet. Bastards. Jesus et al: Neil, Neil, you’re the greatest drummer ever! Neil: Go away Allah: Come on, please sign my book! Neil: No. Leave me alone. I’m not famous anymore. Now go away! Buddha: Play Tom Sawyer!! Apologies if this offends. I need a little gallows humor to cope. Did anyone else read this with the voices of the Monty Python players in their heads?

It's not an exaggeration to say that Rush and Neil Peart saved my life many ago. Back in the early 90's, I was in college, dealing with severe depression. At one point, I had almost reached the breaking point, and one of the few things that kept me going was the lyrics of "The Pass" in my head: Turn around and walk the razor's edge. Don't turn your back and slam the door on me. Those lyrics alone are enough to give me the strength to get on with my life and to fight the depression. For that I am grateful. I am forever grateful for the connection the band has made with me and its fans. The lyrics have often been poignant, reflective of what I'm feeling, where it is as a young teen (Subdivisions, Dreamline), or an older adult (Losing It, The Garden). RIP to the Professor, the best drummer in my lifetime, and my favorite lyricist.

I've enjoyed collecting bootlegs since the mid 90's or so. I often went to record shows, and there were some stores in the area who sold boots on cassette--and later CD. Of course, since the arrival of Dime, I haven't need to do so. I wouldn't say I've got the most Rush boots of any fan, but my collection is easily in the triple digits, with multiple shows from just about every tour. Of course, I don't listen to more than a handful on a regular basis, but there are some great shows out there, including a few shows that I've seen, such as Chicago on the closing night of RTB, and the opening night of S&A in Atlanta. What I really enjoy are boots with technical mistake such as Milwaukee 97 where the guitar went out at the beginning of Stick it Out, or the keys not working in the opening of Between the Wheels in Atlanta 2007.

Why were you depressed? How did you shake it off? I've always taken things (including myself) way too seriously at times and always judged myself by high standards, which I often didn't meet. It was much worse in college when I didn't have any true friends and struggled to connect to anyone. I'm not sure how I shook it off other than to take each day one at a time. It helped that I had (and still have) a family that cares for me, someone I can talk to, although I often didn't always feel like it at the time. It took me years to reveal how deeply depressed I was, and I shouldn't be that surprised that they (including mother) knew. I still had bouts of depression here and there until I found my true calling in life, which was to be a teacher, for which I am grateful. I am still a bit of a loner, but I've come to accept that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

This is a very somber response, but there is a good chance that I might not be here if it were not for the inspiration of Rush. During my college years, I was going through some very rough times. Today, I can see them for what they were, but in the middle of them, I was incredibly depressed. At one point I had reached the brink and was seriously contemplating suicide. However, thinking of the lyrics of The Pass is one of the few things that kept me going.

Perhaps the biggest compliment you can make: "There's eight people in this band...There's no way this is a three-man band"

The LIV guys are pretty cool, and I like their honesty, even when I disagree with them. They enjoy Rush, but they've been pretty critical of other bands such as Dragonforce Dream Theater and Slayer. Nonetheless, they still respect the musicianship, even if they admit it's not their style. However, they have had nothing but praise for Rush in the four videos they've done. I just hope they would do more recent stuff, whether it be the synth era of the 80's or the more rock oriented style since. I've love to see their take on a song like Subdivisions or Big Money.

They did two Slayer songs: Raining Blood and Seasons in the Abyss. They did not particularly like Raining Blood but they did respect the musicianship. However, they dog the groove of Seasons. One song they didn't like was Anthrax--Caught in a Mosh, as they felt it was too chaotic. They also weren't thrilled with Metropolis by Dream Theater, a song they felt the band was trying to do too many things with during the instrumental section. One thing that seems to be a common thread is that these guys tend to like songs with easily identifiable grooves. Those tend to be the songs that make the playlist.