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When did you break up with Rush?


Weatherman
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If you're a big fan of any artist, you go through up times -- the ones when you feel in love.

Then there are the other times -- the ones when you drift away, disappointed.

These are the breakups.

 

I've broken up with Rush twice.

 

THE FIRST BREAKUP

1) The release of Vapor Trails in 2003. Unlike others, I didn't forget about them during Neil's hiatus -- I was listening to Different Stages, and holding my nose and listening to TFE (which I missed when it was released). When Vapor Trails was announced, I was geeked. It was recapturing my teenage years in my late twenties.

 

Man was I disappointed. No need to get into why, since you've all heard that album. It ranks as their very worst, for me, by a loooong shot. I'd rather listen to CoS or the debut before that thing. I didn't even bother to see them live.

 

Then Snakes and Arrows came along, which I enjoyed somewhat, and we got back together briefly.

 

THE SECOND BREAKUP

2) After seeing Snakes and Arrows Tour in 2007. The band was good. Really good. Neil's drum kit wasn't to my liking, but he really did well. Geddy sounded good. Alex rocked. Zero complaints about the performance. I took a friend of mine to the show, his first, and afterwards he said, "Man they really earned their money tonight."

 

Problem was, that was all they did. I didn't feel excited. I felt let down. I'd been plunging deep into electronic music for a few years, and to my ears Rush now sounded really outdated. For the first time.

 

That's when I broke up with them a second time.

 

I didn't follow them for the next 8 years. I ignored all the subsequent tours, Time Machine, Clockwork Angels, R40, etc. I could barely stand to listen to Clockwork Angels.

 

When Neil died this year, I rediscovered them. So it's a happy ending. The breakup is over, we're back together again, and I appreciate them a lot more than before, especially the synth era.

 

What about you?

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Your reaction is very personal.

 

Sounds kind of like you are blaming the Band for your disappointments.

 

A Happy Ending, good! But, 20 albums, or so, you choose two that did not make it up to your standards?

 

It's good you re-discovered them. Your journey will now be, perhaps, more appreciative of what they did. And tried to do.

 

 

Edit: "When Neil died this year I rediscovered them. So it's a happy ending. The breakup is over, we're back together again".

 

...Glad you are happy, many are not so much.

 

Where are you getting this energy from?

Edited by Bahamas
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Why you dislike Vapor Trails?

He doesn't seem to like the debut or Caress, either. My guess is he couldn't get past the noisiness of VT, which I understand. I love the songs, but as a full album I think it's a pretty tough listen.
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Started to drift with Power Windows, further lost interest with HYF, then Presto pretty much did the rest.

 

Live concert films brought me back, and two of the last three albums were pretty damned good it should go without saying what the outlier was).

Edited by laughedatbytime
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1 - Pre 1975..... We had yet to be introduced.

 

2 - Caress of Steel to Moving pictures..... We met, fell in love and entered a deep meaningful relationship.

 

3 - Signals..... The cracks began to show. We seemed to be drifting apart.

 

4 - Grace Under Pressure ..... We had a major fall out and decided to separate although agreed not to divorce.

 

5 - Power Windows ...... We dated briefly but decided to split again

 

6 - Roll The Bones ..... We started meeting on a casual basis

 

7 - Vapor Trails ...... We fell in love again. Two older wiser beings who had learned to appreciate each other once more.

 

8 - 2020 ...... Neil's passing has only strengthened our bonds.

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1 - Pre 1975..... We had yet to be introduced.

 

2 - Caress of Steel to Moving pictures..... We met, fell in love and entered a deep meaningful relationship.

 

3 - Signals..... The cracks began to show. We seemed to be drifting apart.

 

4 - Grace Under Pressure ..... We had a major fall out and decided to separate although agreed not to divorce.

 

5 - Power Windows ...... We dated briefly but decided to split again

 

6 - Roll The Bones ..... We started meeting on a casual basis

 

7 - Vapor Trails ...... We fell in love again. Two older wiser beings who had learned to appreciate each other once more.

 

8 - 2020 ...... Neil's passing has only strengthened our bonds.

 

:LOL:

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Never had a break up.

 

Vapor Trails was an album that fell flat, but I didn't stop listening to them and the album had a few songs that hooked me. The same was true of Snakes.

 

Clockwork amazed me. I sincerely see that album as one of their very best ever.

 

I revisited the former two as well and like both much more now.

 

I've never felt like a band sounded outdated, and I've never really understood the sentiment. I like something from every kind of music. I no more see an album like Power Windows, for example, as steeped as it is in 80's production,as outdated than I see Bach as outdated.

 

I like it or I don't like it. If the predominant style changes that has no bearing on whether I like a song or not.

 

Now--lyrics can often be outdated. That happens a lot. I don't mind it, but it is an area I really can agree happens.

 

BTW, although I agree that their debut is one of their worst albums, it's so much worse than any other Rush album I don't bother counting it when I rank Rush songs or albums. I look at it as the band Geddy and Alex used to be in.

 

And CoS if a great album. better than 2112.

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Only once... when they did not come to Europe during the R40 Tour. I did not listen to them for a very long time. But then I figured out, I am just punishing my self by not listening to their music.
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Never in the way the OP describes, but I'd had diminishing returns from the albums since HYF -- then I liked Counterparts more than anything since Power Windows, only to be underwhelmed again by T4E (which to this day is my Rush low point). That was the first tour since '86 I didn't go see, passing up several shows/chances.

 

When VT came out, I liked it quite a bit, but still skipped the tour -- until I discovered a friend from work wanted to go, so we cruised up to Ames '02 and I re-remembered why Rush have always been so awesome.

 

Hell, I even like Feedback!

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First started dating after Moving Pictures was released. Heard Tom Sawyer and Limelight blasting from car radios day after day going down my street. Figured out what band it was and bought the album. Front to back HOLY SH#T! This girl is smoking hot! Got the tingles whenever we were together.

 

We spent a lot of time getting to know each others history and I loved everything about her! Even her baby pictures were adorable!

 

We stayed together for years, devoted to each other, growing and exploring together until she went to magician school (Presto) and I just wasn't into it. We separated for a time and gave each other space. It was the healthy thing to do. Besides, I still had all the fond memories and thought just maybe, sometime in the future we'd meet again.

 

It didn't take long and we met at a party (Roll the Bones). She was playful and enthusiastic and we fell right back in love! She was simple, maybe even a little silly and I loved her for it. We were again inseparable and stayed together until tragedy struck and she had to go find herself again (You all know what I'm talking about). Many years past, it seemed like forever, then I heard she was back.

 

She had changed, was more aggressive and didn't seem to take as much care in her craft as before. I liked being with her sometimes but other times she was hard on the ears (Vapor Trails). We had fun whenever we got together (in concert) but we didn't have anything new to offer each other. She was still beautiful and had some fantastic ideas in the years to follow but sadly just couldn't seem to put it all together ever again. The magic for us was gone.

 

Still to this day I love her. Sad that I will never experience another chapter but the memories will always remain...

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Well, we took a break about two years ago. I just thought I should start seeing other people—I mean, listening to other bands. But we found each other again last year, and when Neil died I think we tied the knot.
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1st breakup was PeW. "What, no side-long epic? Man, if this is the way all their 80s albums are going to sound, then screw that". Lasted about a week, and then I adapted and was fully back in the fold.

2nd breakup was Signals. "Why am I straining to hear Alex? Oh yeah, because he's having to compete with all the keyboards". Lasted about a month, and again I adapted, and was mostly back in the fold.

3rd breakup was Vapor Trails. "My god, these are amazing lyrics, but Jesus Geddy, what happened to your consonants when you sing in your upper register, and why do these songs sound like they were stitched together from the 'discarded ideas garbage bin'?" Yeah, I bought the remaining two albums and still went to shows, but that was more out of a sense of duty than love for the band/material. We're still together, but, as B.B. sang, the thrill is gone.

Edited by JARG
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When VT came out, I liked it quite a bit, but still skipped the tour -- until I discovered a friend from work wanted to go, so we cruised up to Ames '02 and I re-remembered why Rush have always been so awesome.

 

Hell, I even like Feedback!

 

Ugh, that would have been the first show were both at. I had plans to go, but I was laid off about a month before. I also had a ticket to go to the next night in Minneapolis.

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Discovered Rush in 85. Instant obsession with the music.

Was always excited when new albums came out (starting with HYF) but was always disappointed until S&A, Thought that was a decent album. Then came CA. Thought that was a great album.

 

Never have I had a 'breakup'. In the late 80's I pretty much listened to nothing but Rush. But then I fell in love with a bunch of other bands as well so I guess I'm an unfaithful cheater. But I love the first 8 albums (studio) just as much now as when I heard them for the first time. Post MP I rarely listen to anymore other than CA. So I may have had a break-up with the synth era.

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