Is it wrong to be upset with RUSH for not making a new album

[Tony R]

“by 2015 he had a new wife and a 5-year-old daughter, and he wanted to keep them at the center of his life. “It’s a true dilemma,” the drummer told Prog: “Should I be excited about leaving my family? No, and no one should. I’ve been doing this for 40 years. I know how to compartmentalize. I can stand missing her, but I can’t stand her missing me. I’m causing pain.”

[Tony R]

Lifeson admitted that he’d have preferred the tour to continue for at least another 20 shows, telling Prog, “There was so much about it that was so positive and I think going into it there was the thought that this is the last one – a nice way to go out on top. But once we were in the middle of it or even towards the end of it, it seemed like it was just too short.”

[Tony R]

We always said that if the three of us aren’t on board, we don’t do a thing," Lee said in the film. "One guy doesn’t want to do that thing anymore that I love to do. That hurts. But there’s nothing I can do about it.” The frontman later told The Strombo Show that “there’s a bit of denial that gets you through. You go, ‘Ah, this won’t be the last one – we’ll take a break, then we’ll get back together and do another one.’ You don’t want it to end. I think I’ve accepted that it’s probably the last one.

[Tony R]

Remaining upbeat but noncommittal about writing with Lee or even working on a solo album, he admitted that he's "not sure what Neil’s got going these days. He’s always got something going on.”

[Tony R]

It’s all there once you cut through the diplomacy.

 

I believe it was a relatively simple decision for Peart, the band vs his daughter. Given the events of the late nineties and his age it was a no-brainer for him but clearly he hadn’t fully explained his position to Lee and Lifeson who appear shocked and powerless and, indeed, a little bitter about the way it ended. They don’t even keep in touch that much is obvious.

 

“We haven't toured for a few years and there are no current plans for us to get together to write or record. You could say that we (Rush) are finished.”

 

 

Rush is done.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Tony R

[edhunter]

We always said that if the three of us aren’t on board, we don’t do a thing," Lee said in the film. "One guy doesn’t want to do that thing anymore that I love to do. That hurts. But there’s nothing I can do about it.” The frontman later told The Strombo Show that “there’s a bit of denial that gets you through. You go, ‘Ah, this won’t be the last one – we’ll take a break, then we’ll get back together and do another one.’ You don’t want it to end. I think I’ve accepted that it’s probably the last one.

 

Then f**k that guy. Replace him. He was the albatross that kept them from reaching true greatness. Had they not been up against the wall with a tour coming up in '74, they wouldn't have chosen him. They settled and paid the price.

Edited April 10, 2018 by edhunter

[Rick N. Backer]

We always said that if the three of us aren’t on board, we don’t do a thing," Lee said in the film. "One guy doesn’t want to do that thing anymore that I love to do. That hurts. But there’s nothing I can do about it.” The frontman later told The Strombo Show that “there’s a bit of denial that gets you through. You go, ‘Ah, this won’t be the last one – we’ll take a break, then we’ll get back together and do another one.’ You don’t want it to end. I think I’ve accepted that it’s probably the last one.

 

Then f**k that guy. Replace him. He was the albatross that kept them from reaching true greatness. Had they not been up against the wall with a tour coming up in '74, they wouldn't have chosen him. They settled and paid the price.

 

Is Geddy's voice not an issue for you?

[JohnnyBlaze]

It’s all there once you cut through the diplomacy.

 

I believe it was a relatively simple decision for Peart, the band vs his daughter. Given the events of the late nineties and his age it was a no-brainer for him but clearly he hadn’t fully explained his position to Lee and Lifeson who appear shocked and powerless and, indeed, a little bitter about the way it ended. They don’t even keep in touch that much is obvious.

 

“We haven't toured for a few years and there are no current plans for us to get together to write or record. You could say that we (Rush) are finished.”

 

 

Rush is done.

 

Those are some telling quotes in your posts. Thanks.

 

Unfortunately, such quotes might reignite the fraroc’s theories of Geddy being a spineless wuss.

[Planet X-1]

We always said that if the three of us aren’t on board, we don’t do a thing," Lee said in the film.

 

Obviously all three aren`t on board with retirement, so somebody needs to grow a spine and get Neil back on tour!

 

{edited to be kinder}

:P

Edited April 10, 2018 by Planet X-1

[edhunter]

We always said that if the three of us aren’t on board, we don’t do a thing," Lee said in the film. "One guy doesn’t want to do that thing anymore that I love to do. That hurts. But there’s nothing I can do about it.” The frontman later told The Strombo Show that “there’s a bit of denial that gets you through. You go, ‘Ah, this won’t be the last one – we’ll take a break, then we’ll get back together and do another one.’ You don’t want it to end. I think I’ve accepted that it’s probably the last one.

 

Then f**k that guy. Replace him. He was the albatross that kept them from reaching true greatness. Had they not been up against the wall with a tour coming up in '74, they wouldn't have chosen him. They settled and paid the price.

 

Is Geddy's voice not an issue for you?

 

I just close my eyes and think of Cher. The battleship version...

Edited April 10, 2018 by edhunter

[Cmutt]

"I'm not trying to be argumentative either, but I take slight exception that you omitted this line from my post and then tried to argue like I didn't say it.

 

"That's not to imply he didn't always give 100% when writing, recording or performing live."

 

So again, I never said he didn't invest himself completely into the creation of those post-hiatus albums. Or that he didn't go out on stage and push himself to give a perfect performance up through the last night of R40. Even while suffering through various ailments. True professionals like Neil always strive to do their best whenever there is a task at hand. By "heart", I meant it more like enthusiasm at being in Rush again and connection with his bandmates, NOT effort.

 

So maybe I should have said that Neil's heart wasn't in it as much BY THE END. By all accounts, he was done after the CA tour. As in he would've been fine with Rush quietly disappearing into the history books at that point without as much as a goodbye. He had to be prodded (gently, I'm sure) into even doing R40. He took to calling Alex and Geddy "the guys from work"......repeatedly. He was gleefully counting down shows while Ged and Alex were dreading that every day was closer to the end of a tour they really wanted to continue. Ged especially was obviously a little pissed after it was over that Neil was so firm in excising himself so completely from Rush. But that's how it goes when it's a three or none democracy.

 

At first, I felt a little disappointed in Neil too for not sticking it out long enough to say goodbye to the European fans. But I got over it. It's no one's fault. Neil gave all he could and it ended the way it ended. As long as they're all alive and healthy enough for their age, sure, another chapter is possible. I just see zero indication that Neil has budged from his position of nearly three years ago or that he's ever likely to."

----------

 

I didn't omit the line from your post in order to discount it, or to evade it. And I didn't say that you did or didn't question Neil's commitment to the band, or his work ethic. My reply wasn't really about that.

 

I was responding to the assumptions that you were making. So I included most of your other statements which seemed like you were taking the liberty of "presuming" what Neil did or didn't feel, or think.

 

For example, you just said, "So maybe I should have said that Neil's heart wasn't in it as much BY THE END."

 

That's something that you just can't know. And many of the statements you made seem to have that same issue. You're stating them like they are fact, rather than saying "perhaps", or "maybe".

 

Semantics? I don't know.

 

Don't get me wrong bro, I'm not against different theories or opinions. That's what good communication and learning is all about.

 

I don't necessarily agree with your theories on Neil's mindset, or his frame of mind, or how much his heart was in it, and whatnot. But I won't argue against those possibilities.

 

From what I could see, and from all of the interviews, videos, and books... it seems like he was very happy doing what he loved, which was writing and making music with his old friends.

 

The secondary part of that music creation was touring, which Neil has long kept saying, is both a pleasure and a pain, in various different aspects.

 

I also agree with many others who believe that Neil's ultimate reasons for retiring pretty much stem from a few core sources.

- Touring, and the toll it takes mentally, physically, and emotionally.

- Age and health

- Family, time, emotions, etc.

 

Exactly how much of each of those things factored in, who knows. That's not something we can ever know, and it's probably not all that important.

 

Everyone is right about the bottom line though. Neil has retired. He did it his way, and on his own terms. He did not short change the band, and he didn't leave them high and dry. He came to them and told them that he felt like it was time for him to hang it up. They asked to do one more tour, and he agreed to a limited number of shows.

 

It was hard for Geddy and Alex to hang it up that soon, but they are friends and they respect each other. I don't believe that they harbor any bad feelings. Alex had been contemplating retiring from touring too. So it happened, and they've probably each been dealing with it in their own personal ways.

 

Anyhow, all I'm saying is that I, like many others, only hopes that Neil will get the itch to play and make a little bit more music someday soon.

[edhunter]

I'm somewhat stunned his wife hasn't said "For the love of heaven, go make a record, or tour or something!! You're unbearable."

[Wil1972]

My opinion, after having a couple years to observe and process everything pre and post R40......

 

Throughout his second run in the band (2002 - 2015), Neil's heart was never completely into being a *member* of Rush like it had been up until 1997... I just believe it never came to feel like more than a job to him the second time around... And I don't think Geddy and Alex ever completely picked up on that (or maybe they did and just decided to ignore it)... Neil was experiencing each new album project or tour as another job requirement and primarily evaluating what it required of him and whether it was worth the compensation.

 

...My main point is that there was obviously a disconnect between how connected HE felt to being a member of Rush again and how connected and committed Ged and Al ASSUMED he was.

 

All this hope we sometimes have about a future band project will just remain......hope... Neil won't be drumming with them again. He won't decide to work in Rush again because he misses the other guys or because he wakes up and feels a need to create music again. He's past that... Anyone who thinks he'll change his mind and want to come back simply because other supposedly retired musicians have done that really doesn't understand Neil.

 

Well, you're certainly entitled to your own opinion.... and I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I disagree with much of what you're saying. You use the phrase "doesn't understand Neil", and yet you say that you believe his heart wasn't really in it after 1997. Personally, I don't see how "understanding Neil" would lend to that opinion at all. Neil has pretty much defined his whole career as being 100% involved with whatever he was doing. Age, time, experience, motivations, and other various factors may have had some influence on his mindset, but I doubt he ever felt like it was all "just part of the job".

 

I'm not trying to be argumentative either, but I take slight exception that you omitted this line from my post and then tried to argue like I didn't say it.

 

"That's not to imply he didn't always give 100% when writing, recording or performing live."

 

So again, I never said he didn't invest himself completely into the creation of those post-hiatus albums. Or that he didn't go out on stage and push himself to give a perfect performance up through the last night of R40. Even while suffering through various ailments. True professionals like Neil always strive to do their best whenever there is a task at hand. By "heart", I meant it more like enthusiasm at being in Rush again and connection with his bandmates, NOT effort.

 

So maybe I should have said that Neil's heart wasn't in it as much BY THE END. By all accounts, he was done after the CA tour. As in he would've been fine with Rush quietly disappearing into the history books at that point without as much as a goodbye. He had to be prodded (gently, I'm sure) into even doing R40. He took to calling Alex and Geddy "the guys from work"......repeatedly. He was gleefully counting down shows while Ged and Alex were dreading that every day was closer to the end of a tour they really wanted to continue. Ged especially was obviously a little pissed after it was over that Neil was so firm in excising himself so completely from Rush. But that's how it goes when it's a three or none democracy.

 

At first, I felt a little disappointed in Neil too for not sticking it out long enough to say goodbye to the European fans. But I got over it. It's no one's fault. Neil gave all he could and it ended the way it ended. As long as they're all alive and healthy enough for their age, sure, another chapter is possible. I just see zero indication that Neil has budged from his position of nearly three years ago or that he's ever likely to.

 

Well stated.