Grover

The mixer did not know how to do 5.1 live. The sound of the band comes through with an artificial delay that is distracting and unlistenable. The stereo track in prolific mode sounds better and they didn't fix mistakes on the stereo track. Other mistakes include not making it anamorphic so you have to zoom and quality is lost and they used poor quality cameras on Neil so as not to disturb him.

Kansas are in my top 5 or at least top 10. Part of me thinks the quality of Kerry Livgren's writing was as good or better than Rush for a short time. Steve Walsh was an amazing singer in his prime but his best performances were not on his own material, but on Livgren's. Kerry and Steve were quite good on piano and organ, respectively. Phil Heart is an excellent rock drummer but not in the same league as Neil, Bruford, etc. They had some very good acoustic and electric guitar playing by Livgren and Rich Williams, but not hall of fame playing. I credit most of their success to Livgren's writing. Robbie Steinhardt saidvthat unless he had a writing credit, his violin part was written out for him to play and I wonder if all the other parts were set in Livgren's compositions. As others have said, Livgren's writing became less interesting when his spiritual search ended, and Kansas lost steam. I enjoy most of the albums from Power onwards, but it' s not the same.

I am curious about what people think is gained by using a turntable to listen to music that was recorded or mastered digitally. If you listen to analog sources and want to avoid a digital conversion, I understand the argument but am not a proponent. I do have a Thorens turntable that I have owned for 30 years.

I've read some history of Journey and it seems that their manager controlled that band and that while giving a good performance was a must, they were turned from their true musical interests. Very capable band that I saw in 1982 and 2008 but not in my top tier. However, I have no interest in these contests.

I like the studio versions of Prime Mover and Territories but found they were not as good on ASOH.

I love the production on this album; the bass and drums sound strong and clear and when all 3 are jamming you can hear everything. More than any other album, they play with confidence or conviction. My love for Cygnus x-1 has waned somewhat over the years. I love the title track but find the transition to closer to the heart at the end to be awkward and the only weak point in that song. Perhaps they were forcing a connection with the song. In any event, great production and playing and keys allowed to take a lead part without dominating the over all sound. Great album. I don't think digital is responsible for the poor sound of more recent albums, but poor choices with digital are. If bands recorded digitally but with similar limitations on tracks and processing, this sound could be duplicated.

The Mac did not exist in 1982. Did the Apple computers from 1982 make the same sound?

There was no hour long play. The Paradise theater to our was a regular rock show that opened and closed with the opening and closing of the album. The Kilroy Was Here tour opened with a 15 minute movie and then was about 7/8 concert and 1/8 stage play. Dennis was not kicked out then, they went their separate ways in 1984, had a reunion without Tommy Shaw in 1991 and one with him in 1995-1997. They did two big tours in 96 and 97. In 1999 they were working on an album and Dennis got sick and could not commit to a tour. Tommy didn't want to finish the album if they were not going to tour. Dennis asked for them to wait a few months to recover but they hired Gowan and went on tour without him. Dennis sued and they countersued and agreed that they could use the name Styx if he could tour as 'the voice of Styx'. Tommy wrote some great songs but about 3/4 of what I like most is Dennis' writing. I can live with Babe and Mr Roboto (he wrote a couple of worse songs). But the good outweighed the bad. I created 2 CDs of Styx songs for the car from my old vinyl and they are 3/4 Dennis 1/4 Tommy.Tommy.

This album has lots of bass and on turntables without very good tone arm balance it can jump out of the groove during loud bass. More weight will help but exceeding the recommended weight will wear out your stylus early. You should get a few hundred hours from a stylus.

I really like My Favorite Headache. I find Geddy's lyrics to be more personal. Even when Neil wrotes about his loss, there was a feel of it being observed rather than felt. Not sure if he did that because Geddy would have to sing them, so he made them more universal. My main complaint is that the playing is not as interesting as on Rush albums, but very nice singing and lyrics and melodies. I like bits of Victor for the playing but can't listen to it and enjoy it overall.

1. La Villa Strangiato 2. Xanadu 3. Hemispheres 4. 2112 5. The Trees 6. Circumstances 7. A farewell to Kings 8. By For and the Snow Dog 9. The Fountain of Lambeth 10. Cinderella Man

I like the production of Signals compared with some later albums. The guitar is weak, but otherwise good.

Have someone do a serious vault inspection and make available audio and video from all periods of their history, trying to cover as much as possible that was played on each tour. Depending on amount of material, sell in sets or individually. They could use writable media and make on demand if they don't want to mass market a product of questionable quality.

I bought Moving Pictures and Signals in late 83 or early 84 on CD. I didn't get my first CD player until July of 1984. The firstvversion of Moving Pictures was defective; the first half seconf of Tom Sawyer was missing. I found GraceUnder Pressure within the next year. I bought Power Windows on vinyl on the release day, and the CD followed about a week or two later. After that I stopped buying vinyl and the CD was always available on the release day.

Not sure it it was the bass or the production but.... The Wal had definition, good for hearing speedy playing, but the low end was weak. The jazz sounds cool, great bottom end, but often hard to hear the notes, lacks definition. The Rick had definition and a better low end than the Wal but not as good as the jazz. The Steinburger was light, but sounded dull, and I think Geddy said the strings were either hard to change or hard to keep in tune.

I think the criticism comes from a few places or for a few reasons. 1. They had a strong hard and progressive fan base who loved longer tracks and instrumentals. They've felt abandoned. 2. Until Moving Pictures there was always something that was obviously improving, either musicianship, or songwriting or popularity or production. After Moving Pictures the style changed but they no longer surprised us with greatness, merely kept a high standard while searching for new sounds. I think the addition of more keyboards gave them a larger sound palmate and that Alex learned a lot from having to find a different place. I think they overreact sometimes. They didn't need to go really heavy on keyboards on all the tracks but also didn't need to react by going to a wall of guitars or eliminating keyboards. Their strengths are drums bass and guitar but Geddy can come up with some good lead keyboard parts and they can enhance the sound when used sparingly. Geddy is not as good a musician on keyboards so I think they should use them where they work and enhance a song but don't rely on them to define their sound and song structure. Looking back, p/g PW and hyf are not worse than most later albums, but the band were no longer hungry for progression and success (however they would define it).

Rush 4 Finding My Way 7 Need Some Love 3 Take A Friend 2 Here Again 5 What You're Doing 6 In The Mood 4 Before And After 3 Working Man 7 Fly By Night 6 Anthem 7 Best I Can 5 Beneath, Between & Behind 8 By-Tor And The Snow Dog 8 Fly By Night 7 Making Memories 5 Rivendell 4 In The End 7 Caress Of Steel 7 Bastille Day 6 I Think I'm Going Bald 6 Lakeside Park 6 The Necromancer 7 The Fountain Of Lamneth 8 2112 8 2112 9 A Passage To Bangkok 6 The Twilight Zone 7 Lessons 6 Tears 6 Something For Nothing 7 A Farewell To Kings 8 A Farewell To Kings 8 Xanadu 10 Closer To The Heart 8 Cinderella Man 8 Madrigal 6 Cygnus X-1 7 Hemispheres 10 Hemispheres 9 Circumstances 9 The Trees 9 La Villa Stangiato 10 Permanent Waves 10 The Spirit Of Radio 10 Free Will 10 Jacob's Ladder 9 Entre Nous 10 Different Strings 10 Natural Science 10 Moving Pictures 9 Tom Sawyer 9 Red Barchetta 10 YYZ 10 Limelight 9 The Camera Eye 10 Witch Hunt 8 Vital Signs 8 Signals 7 Subdivisions 9 The Analog Kid 7 Chemistry 6 Digital Man 8 The Weapon 9 New World Man 7 Losing It 9 Countdown 5 Grace Under Pressure 7 Distant Early Warning 7 Afterimage 9 Red Sector A 7 The Enemy Within 7 The Body Electric 6 Kid Gloves 7 Red Lenses 7 Between The Wheels 9 Power Windows 8 The Big Money 8 Grand Designs 8 Manhattan Project 6 Marathon 7 Territories 7 Middletown Dreams 7 Emotion Detector 7 Mystic Rhythms 8 Hold Your Fire 7 Force Ten 8 Time Stand Still 10 Open Secrets 8 Second Nature 7 Prime Mover 6 Lock And Key 7 Mission 8 Turn The Page 8 Tai Shan 7 High Water 6 Presto 7 Show Don't Tell 8 Chain Lightning 8 The Pass 7 War Paint 6 Scars 6 Presto 8 Superconductor 6 Anagram (for Mongo) 7 Red Tide 6 Hand Over Fist 7 Available Light 9 Roll The Bones 6 Dreamline 9 Bravado 7 Roll The Bones 5 Face Up 5 Where's My Thing? 7 The Big Wheel 7 Heresy 6 Ghost Of A Chance 7 Neurotica 6 You Bet Your Life 4 Counterparts 8 Animate 7 Stick It Out 5 Cut To The Chase 9 Nobody's Hero 8 Between Sun & Moon 7 Alien Shore 8 The Speed Of Love 2 Double Agent 8 Leave That Thing Alone 8 Cold Fire 7 Everyday Glory 8 Test For Echo 6 Test For Echo 8 Driven 8 Half The World 8 The Colour Of Right 6 Time And Motion 6 Totem 4 Dog Years 5 Virtuality 3 Resist 5 Limbo 6 Carve Away The Stone 6 Vapor Trails 7 One Little Victory 4 Ceiling Unlimited 8 Ghost Rider 7 Peacable Kingdom 8 The Stars Look Down 6 How It Is 8 Vapor Trail 8 Secret Touch 7 Earthshine 5 Sweet Miracle 6 Nocturne 7 Freeze 7 Out Of The Cradle 6 Snakes And Arrows 7 Far Cry 9 Armor And Sword 3 Workin' Them Angels 9 The Larger Bowl 7 Spindrift 3 The Main Monkey Business 8 The Way The Wind Blows 9 Hope 7 Faithless 7 Bravest Face 6 Good News First 6 Malignant Narcissism 8 We Hold On 6 Clockwork Angels 7 Caravan 6 BU2B 4 Clockwork Angels 8 The Anarchist 6 Carnies 6 Halo Effect 7 Seven Cities Of Gold 4 The Wreckers 7 Headlong Flight 8 BU2B2 4 Wish Them Well 6 The Garden 9

For me, the topic/lyrics so not require the level of urgency or angst that is in the vocals, and the lyrics do not form a cohesive track. Put the intro on a track with more excitement and it would work, and build a song around the 'closer to you' and it could work. The two tracks that I always skip on S&A are Spindrift and Armor and Sword, Take away those and I think the album is quite good,

I never liked Spindrift and the pace of Armour & Sword grates on me. I like the instrumentals, Far Cry, Work in Them Angels, TWTWB, TLB, Faithless and the others are okay.

They explained that at the time they were often still an opening act and they didn't want to devote half their set so they cut Discovery and Oracle and they never bothered to add them back when they were the headliners.

What You're Doing Fly by Night The Fountain of Lamneth 2112 (oracle) Xanadu (or A Farewell to Kings or Cinderella Man) Hemispheres Jacob's Ladder (or Different Strings) Losing It Afterimage Emotion Detector Open Secrets Available Light Can't Decide (can I give up this to get one of the long ones?) Cut to the Chase or Double Agent or Alien Shore Test For Echo How it Is or Vapor Trail or Ceiling Unlimited Malignant Narcissism Headlong Flight or ClockworkvAngels or The Garden Forgot Moving Pictures (The Camera Eye or give up to get Hemispheres)

No setting mismatch. Pop in Snakes & Arrows live and then switch to the new disk. One has punch and a nice low end and the other sounds like its being played on a TV speaker.

To me it sounds like a TV production, mixed not to tax built in speakers or the limits of older broadcast technology. Listenable in the living room but not gonna get me excited about cranking it on the home theater in the basement.

I was excited in 1985 when Ben Mink appeared on stage with FM again when they opened for Rush in Toronto. I was hoping he would join Rush on stage for Losing It. Didn't happen. I think it would have been great to play and not very hard for Geddy to sing.

I took my girlfriend to see Yes many years ago. She only knew Roundabout, Owner of a Lonely Heart, All Good People and And You And I. They didn't plant any of them except a snippet of AYAI during a Wake man/Anderson solo. I think it was their first show with no Roundabout. Not too easy to get a casual fan to go again after that.