What is it about Rush that turns people off?

[rftag]

Like many Rush fans, I've often tried to turn others on to them, many times without success.

 

The thing I hear most from people who aren't impressed is that while they really like the music, the singer makes it unlistenable for them.

 

They often seem to be quite impressed by the music, but inevitably say "the voice kills it."

 

 

[toymaker]

I pity them. Everything about Rush is unique. Why people should be turned off by a powerfully unique voice is beyond my understanding.

 

I would hate to have whatever oddly shaped ear canal or cognitive filter or whatever it is those folks have that causes them to gravitate towards singing that is by comparison fairly insipid.

[Lucas]

Going back to middle school - a 6th grade kid entering a school with kids who, at the time, may as well have been adults .. All of a sudden, the odd and obscure bands that I liked that no one else seemed to know about were either loved or hated by the throngs of older kids .... and back then, Rush was disliked by the kids who like prog - Genesis, ELP, Yes fans didn;t like Rush because they were a grating, glorified bar band .....

 

Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith fans weren;t thrilled with Rush either ..

 

( there were also the kids who liked James Taylor and Billy Joel, but we won;t talk about them )

 

Anyways, Rush has never fit neatly into any genre fan category ...

 

Even though in some circles, the appreciation for Rush has narrowed nowadays, I still feel there is some truth to this

 

.. and I've found people have a tendency to reject things very quickly that aren;t immediately familiar to them .. and Rush is unique

 

Plus, there is the factor of Geddy's voice ... I love it - it was the first thing that drew me into the band ... I guess some people don;t

 

.

 

 

.

Edited September 20, 2018 by Lucas

[ILSnwdog]

I chalk it up to two reasons. First, some never warm up to Geddy’s voice and two, some people just can’t get into complicated music. Ever notice how easy it is for a pop song to get stuck in your head? I hate that. Rush’s music is complex. It is something that needs to be taken in and digested. Some times it takes multiple listens for a new Rush song to gel. Most probably don’t want to put that much effort into their music.

[RUSHHEAD666]

So tired of Geddy's voice being the "Turn Off" of this immaculate band.

 

FUCKK EM!

 

 

I totally get that Geddy's voice started to go downhill or tune down but man his voice was always great through "Counterparts."

 

Idiots who hate Geddy's voice in the 70s and 80s are fools.

 

TOOLS!

 

 

Go listen to Michael Jackoffson or George Michael instead and leave the man alone! LOL!

[JohnnyBlaze]

So tired of Geddy's voice being the "Turn Off" of this immaculate band.

 

FUCKK EM!

 

 

I totally get that Geddy's voice started to go downhill or tune down but man his voice was always great through "Counterparts."

 

Idiots who hate Geddy's voice in the 70s and 80s are fools.

 

TOOLS!

 

 

Go listen to Michael Jackoffson or George Michael instead and leave the man alone! LOL!

 

BEAT IT!

 

Jackson was great! I’m not saying I jacked off to his stuff like you (should I?) or that I even liked a quarter of it all but Off the Wall and Thriller were “A” grade albums. And the Jackson 5 stuff?! Classic!

 

As for George Michael, I never liked his music but he certainly had a good voice.

 

Before this river

Becomes an ocean

 

You should think about all of this

 

 

 

Signed,

 

Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough

 

[grasbo]

My wife likes Geddy’s voice.However what really really drives her mad is when I play a video of Neil detailing his thoughts on their music,lyrics,drumming or his philosophy on all things under the sun.”Once he gets going he won’t shut up”She leaves the room

[JohnnyBlaze]

My wife likes Geddy’s voice.However what really really drives her mad is when I play a video of Neil detailing his thoughts on their music,lyrics,drumming or his philosophy on all things under the sun.”Once he gets going he won’t shut up”She leaves the room

 

 

Your wife’s quote describes the thoughts of half of TRF!

 

[Permanent-Rush]

Everything...

[Permanent-Rush]

My wife likes Geddy’s voice.However what really really drives her mad is when I play a video of Neil detailing his thoughts on their music,lyrics,drumming or his philosophy on all things under the sun.”Once he gets going he won’t shut up”She leaves the room

 

 

Your wife’s quote describes the thoughts of half of TRF!

 

 

Neil is my fav and I actually can stand him and his long interviews lmao

[EagleMoon]

There are a lot of people who don’t care for Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan or Neil Young i.e. because of their voices. People have trouble getting into groups like Weather Report or ELP because the music isn’t your basic top 40 pablum. Edited September 20, 2018 by EagleMoon

[grasbo]

Among my friends and acquaintances I am the only one who really likes Rush.The problem being is Rush never set a toenail here in Australia and never got on the radio.One classic line a mate said was “I don’t know it ,I don’t like it”.Some of my more musically inclined friends will rate their musicianship and maybe an album (2112,PW,MP)but I don’t see any of these in their collections.When I wear my MP t shirt people come up to me and say great band but they are mistaken for an 80s Australian band called Moving Pictures who had a totally crap one hit wonder.Whenever I play Rush to anyone ,from any era ,from any era,very few get it.One big remark was the lyrics are weird,don’t they do lurve songs?

Anyway I don’t care .Anyone rides in my car is going to be subjected to Rush or they can piss off and walk

[J2112YYZ]

I chalk it up to two reasons. First, some never warm up to Geddy’s voice and two, some people just can’t get into complicated music. Ever notice how easy it is for a pop song to get stuck in your head? I hate that. Rush’s music is complex. It is something that needs to be taken in and digested. Some times it takes multiple listens for a new Rush song to gel. Most probably don’t want to put that much effort into their music.

 

I was going to say something similar. Your average music listener just wants a song that's catchy and easy to remember. They don't want to or don't have the time to listen to more complex stuff like Rush.

 

And of course Geddy's voice is always a big reason. I can see why people don't care for his voice in the 70s. I wonder if those same people ever gave a listen to anything after that when Geddy became a better and more melodic singer.

[bathory]

it's easy to forget they're generally a well-respected, influential group. their haters are really vocal, probably because the devotion of certain fans reaches that grateful dead/phish level of fanaticism, but there's a reason they sold out arenas consistently for around 35 years. I wouldn't worry about it - you either dig it or you don't. there's people who think the beatles suck, people who hate led zeppelin, people who hate black sabbath, people who don't like cheeseburgers, pizza, chocolate... f**k them, who cares?

[tangy]

Going back to middle school - a 6th grade kid entering a school with kids who, at the time, may as well have been adults .. All of a sudden, the odd and obscure bands that I liked that no one else seemed to know about were either loved or hated by the throngs of older kids .... and back then, Rush was disliked by the kids who like prog - Genesis, ELP, Yes fans didn;t like Rush because they were a grating, glorified bar band .....

 

Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith fans weren;t thrilled with Rush either ..

 

( there were also the kids who liked James Taylor and Billy Joel, but we won;t talk about them )

 

Anyways, Rush has never fit neatly into any genre fan category ...

 

Even though in some circles, the appreciation for Rush has narrowed nowadays, I still feel there is some truth to this

 

.. and I've found people have a tendency to reject things very quickly that aren;t immediately familiar to them .. and Rush is unique

 

Plus, there is the factor of Geddy's voice ... I love it - it was the first thing that drew me into the band ... I guess some people don;t

 

.

 

 

.

 

Yeah rush was the nickleback of the 70s

 

As a fanboi i would try to sell the band to no avail. Of course years later they came around as fans

 

He who laughs last.....

[JohnRogers]

Like many Rush fans, I've often tried to turn others on to them, many times without success.

 

The thing I hear most from people who aren't impressed is that while they really like the music, the singer makes it unlistenable for them.

 

They often seem to be quite impressed by the music, but inevitably say "the voice kills it."

I enjoy Geddy’s vocals but I doubt he’d make my Top Ten Vocalist list.

[bathory]

Going back to middle school - a 6th grade kid entering a school with kids who, at the time, may as well have been adults .. All of a sudden, the odd and obscure bands that I liked that no one else seemed to know about were either loved or hated by the throngs of older kids .... and back then, Rush was disliked by the kids who like prog - Genesis, ELP, Yes fans didn;t like Rush because they were a grating, glorified bar band .....

 

Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith fans weren;t thrilled with Rush either ..

 

( there were also the kids who liked James Taylor and Billy Joel, but we won;t talk about them )

 

Anyways, Rush has never fit neatly into any genre fan category ...

 

Even though in some circles, the appreciation for Rush has narrowed nowadays, I still feel there is some truth to this

 

.. and I've found people have a tendency to reject things very quickly that aren;t immediately familiar to them .. and Rush is unique

 

Plus, there is the factor of Geddy's voice ... I love it - it was the first thing that drew me into the band ... I guess some people don;t

 

.

 

 

.

 

Yeah rush was the nickleback of the 70s

 

As a fanboi i would try to sell the band to no avail. Of course years later they came around as fans

 

He who laughs last.....

 

damn, even with foreigner, styx, journey, all that garbage polluting the airwaves?

[tangy]

I chalk it up to two reasons. First, some never warm up to Geddy’s voice and two, some people just can’t get into complicated music. Ever notice how easy it is for a pop song to get stuck in your head? I hate that. Rush’s music is complex. It is something that needs to be taken in and digested. Some times it takes multiple listens for a new Rush song to gel. Most probably don’t want to put that much effort into their music.

 

I was going to say something similar. Your average music listener just wants a song that's catchy and easy to remember. They don't want to or don't have the time to listen to more complex stuff like Rush.

 

And of course Geddy's voice is always a big reason. I can see why people don't care for his voice in the 70s. I wonder if those same people ever gave a listen to anything after that when Geddy became a better and more melodic singer.

 

That and asides from a few here at trf, most women did not find the gedster to be the handsome lead singer most successful groups have

Edited September 20, 2018 by tangy

[JohnRogers]

it's easy to forget they're generally a well-respected, influential group. their haters are really vocal, probably because the devotion of certain fans reaches that grateful dead/phish level of fanaticism, but there's a reason they sold out arenas consistently for around 35 years. I wouldn't worry about it - you either dig it or you don't. there's people who think the beatles suck, people who hate led zeppelin, people who hate black sabbath, people who don't like cheeseburgers, pizza, chocolate... f**k them, who cares?

I think the Beatles are highly overrated, I don’t like Black Sabbath and I loathe Chicago Style Pizza.

[bathory]

it's easy to forget they're generally a well-respected, influential group. their haters are really vocal, probably because the devotion of certain fans reaches that grateful dead/phish level of fanaticism, but there's a reason they sold out arenas consistently for around 35 years. I wouldn't worry about it - you either dig it or you don't. there's people who think the beatles suck, people who hate led zeppelin, people who hate black sabbath, people who don't like cheeseburgers, pizza, chocolate... f**k them, who cares?

I think the Beatles are highly overrated, I don’t like Black Sabbath and I loathe Chicago Style Pizza.

 

that's really interesting.

[tangy]

Going back to middle school - a 6th grade kid entering a school with kids who, at the time, may as well have been adults .. All of a sudden, the odd and obscure bands that I liked that no one else seemed to know about were either loved or hated by the throngs of older kids .... and back then, Rush was disliked by the kids who like prog - Genesis, ELP, Yes fans didn;t like Rush because they were a grating, glorified bar band .....

 

Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith fans weren;t thrilled with Rush either ..

 

( there were also the kids who liked James Taylor and Billy Joel, but we won;t talk about them )

 

Anyways, Rush has never fit neatly into any genre fan category ...

 

Even though in some circles, the appreciation for Rush has narrowed nowadays, I still feel there is some truth to this

 

.. and I've found people have a tendency to reject things very quickly that aren;t immediately familiar to them .. and Rush is unique

 

Plus, there is the factor of Geddy's voice ... I love it - it was the first thing that drew me into the band ... I guess some people don;t

 

.

 

 

.

 

Yeah rush was the nickleback of the 70s

 

As a fanboi i would try to sell the band to no avail. Of course years later they came around as fans

 

He who laughs last.....

 

damn, even with foreigner, styx, journey, all that garbage polluting the airwaves?

 

Strangefully enough the most die hard led zep fans were among the harshest critics in my experience. I guess the old description of a poor mans led zep is too blame?

 

Then again there was so much great music being made in the 70's folks were overwhelm by their options

[Mosher]

The people that I know who hate Rushhave two basic reasons.

 

The first is the voice. I understand that. I don't think he has a good voice either. It didn't turn me off, but I'd put dozens of people ahead of him.

 

The second is the music. The people I'm referring to are big fans of all sorts of music. It's convenient and reassuring to dismiss their dislike as being from people who like simple familiar music, but the reality is they often find the complexity a distraction and even sometimes pretensious. They get that Rush can play, and are turned off by the showing off.

 

I don't agree, but nevertheless it's a honest opinion.

[bathory]

Going back to middle school - a 6th grade kid entering a school with kids who, at the time, may as well have been adults .. All of a sudden, the odd and obscure bands that I liked that no one else seemed to know about were either loved or hated by the throngs of older kids .... and back then, Rush was disliked by the kids who like prog - Genesis, ELP, Yes fans didn;t like Rush because they were a grating, glorified bar band .....

 

Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith fans weren;t thrilled with Rush either ..

 

( there were also the kids who liked James Taylor and Billy Joel, but we won;t talk about them )

 

Anyways, Rush has never fit neatly into any genre fan category ...

 

Even though in some circles, the appreciation for Rush has narrowed nowadays, I still feel there is some truth to this

 

.. and I've found people have a tendency to reject things very quickly that aren;t immediately familiar to them .. and Rush is unique

 

Plus, there is the factor of Geddy's voice ... I love it - it was the first thing that drew me into the band ... I guess some people don;t

 

.

 

 

.

 

Yeah rush was the nickleback of the 70s

 

As a fanboi i would try to sell the band to no avail. Of course years later they came around as fans

 

He who laughs last.....

 

damn, even with foreigner, styx, journey, all that garbage polluting the airwaves?

 

Strangefully enough the most die hard led zep fans were among the harshest critics in my experience. I guess the old description of a poor mans led zep is too blame?

 

Then again there was so much great music being made in the 70's folks were overwhelm by their options

 

yeah, I was born in 95. it's possible I would've found rush pretty derivative and underwhelming had I encountered them in the mid-70s or so, having already been familiar with tull, yes, floyd, etc. like, why are these guys doing half-assed hard rock rewrites of genesis songs?

[Wil1972]

Like many Rush fans, I've often tried to turn others on to them, many times without success.

 

The thing I hear most from people who aren't impressed is that while they really like the music, the singer makes it unlistenable for them.

 

They often seem to be quite impressed by the music, but inevitably say "the voice kills it."

 

I had a co- worker years ago who really loved One Little Victory... until Geddy started singing. He hated his voice. Refused to listen to the rest of the song.

[Hunted Witch]

 

It's convenient and reassuring to dismiss their dislike as being from people who like simple familiar music, but the reality is they often find the complexity a distraction and even sometimes pretensious. They get that Rush can play, and are turned off by the showing off.

 

 

That kind of sums up my attitude towards Pink Floyd.