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Every album has a concept


Nate2112

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Rush-Partying, fun

Fly By Night-Discovery

Caress Of Steel-Life, memories

2112-Rebellion

AFTK-Watching History move

Hemispheres-Two sides of the brain

PW-Change over time

MP-Fame, Culture

Signals-Science

P/G-Perseverence

Pow-Power over people or things

HYF-Elements of Nature

RTB-Taking Life by chance

CP-love and compassion

VT-Comebacks

S/A-Faith/Religion

 

as you can see I have put every album but Presto and Test For Echo

What do you think the albums focus on mainly? confused13.gif

 

 

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I think that Presto is pretty much Neil's views on a lot of issues that were going on in the world at that time, also the way people interacted with each other and the way people had to either adapt or fail.

 

As for T4E, maybe you should ask a dog because I haven't really listened to that enough.

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A lot of text ahead:

I would say theme is the word you're looking for, not necessarily concept. But yeah, I agree with you there. Although some of the stuff you wrote is off, and the first two albums hardly have a them if any, and CoS if a mess thematically, though it is great in my opinion. 2112 was great but the b-side was really nothing but filler, as much as I love those songs. Had nothing to do with the theme of the epic except MAYBE Something For Nothing. The themes truly started, for me at least, with AFtK.

 

So that said,

AFtK is about combining ideals and morals of the past with modern technology and culture and using it to progress correctly. The first song questions government in general and the people, and ultimately asks who or what will bring us together. Xanadu tells the story of discovery for immortality, which is, in my opinion, a metaphor for a balanced and functioning society. It will go on forever with the balance of morality and ideals if we continue to accept modern progression. Closer To The Heart is a call for unity, and a damn good one. Cinderella Man is the odd one out, but it still kinda fits, telling the story of a man with morals who was ignored, which is what happens at first. Madrigal is Closer To The Heart on a more personal level, between two people really. And finally, The Voyage. A metaphor for abandoning everything you know in order to discover true love and wisdom...which comes on the next album.

 

Hemispheres is about the balance of heart and mind, and ultimately this leads to living a perfect life and functioning as a great society. The rest is kinda filler but it does actually fit. Circumstances tells Neil's personal experiences of how he had to deal with change in order to find this balance. The Trees is a metaphor for what happens to an unbalanced society, and LVS is an instrumental appealing to both mind and heart. It is complex, challenging the mind, and emotional, moving the heart.

 

Permanent Waves I feel is about honesty and the perservation of it. The Spirit of Radio makes a brilliant opener because, in the end, Rush only makes and plays music, and the song talks about honesty in their art. Freewill just talks about how we must choose freewill to be honest to ourselves. Jacob's Ladder is a metaphor for how honesty can clear up bad things. They say if you lie, you have more to remember and the more you lie, the more obscure things get. Entre Nous is about being honest to each other to understand each other, and Different Strings is the sequel, showing how honesty to oneself and others rewards you. Finally Natural Science goes back to heart and mind and strings it together with integrity. We have to utilize both in order to move forward, and the honesty of truly relying on both heart and mind will pay off.

 

 

 

I'll do more later tongue.gif

 

tongue.gif

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As the big Hold Your Fire fan, the basic themes are time, primal instinct, and temperament.

 

I remember reading that Neil never had a specific theme for Presto. Not sure about Test for Echo since I haven't played that one in many years.

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Actually, I always thought that there was a concept behind TFE...

 

COMMUNICATION

 

Test For Echo - communication through the media (TV / Radio)

Driven - ?? (not sure)

Half The World - communication between both sides of the world

The Colour of Right - communication through relationships

Time and Motion - communication between man and nature

Totem - religious communication

Dog Years - some examples of communication between dogs and their surroundings

Virtuality - communication via the Internet

Resist - self-communication

Limbo - Cool Instrumental cool.gif

Carve Away The Stone - ?? (not sure)

 

I'm not sure this is exactly what Neil was going for, but this is the way I have always looked at it anyways. smile.gif

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QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ Apr 26 2011, 10:37 AM)
Actually, I always thought that there was a concept behind TFE...

COMMUNICATION

Test For Echo - communication through the media (TV / Radio)
Driven - ?? (not sure)
Half The World - communication between both sides of the world
The Colour of Right - communication through relationships
Time and Motion - communication between man and nature
Totem - religious communication
Dog Years - some examples of communication between dogs and their surroundings
Virtuality - communication via the Internet
Resist - self-communication
Limbo - Cool Instrumental cool.gif
Carve Away The Stone - ?? (not sure)


I'm not sure this is exactly what Neil was going for, but this is the way I have always looked at it anyways. smile.gif

I agree, even the cover has satellite dishes for exchanging data, or communicating....

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QUOTE (Nate2112 @ Apr 26 2011, 11:42 AM)
So overall, Test For Echo is about just communication?

I left change to PW. Because of Natural Science and "change".

Just wait till someone broaches how the whole sequence of Rush albums follow the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot Deck, I would but it's a secret I like to hold between Neil and I.

 

yes.gif

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QUOTE (Nate2112 @ Apr 26 2011, 12:42 PM)
So overall, Test For Echo is about just communication?

I left change to PW. Because of Natural Science and "change".

I remember TFE being about Rush wondering if anyone was out there intellectually. Like the submarine "ping" to listen for echoes, "Is anyone out there (paying attention)?". I am trying to recall the interview from the CD release show.

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QUOTE (FourthmemberofRush @ Apr 26 2011, 11:49 AM)
QUOTE (Nate2112 @ Apr 26 2011, 11:42 AM)
So overall, Test For Echo is about just communication?

I left change to PW. Because of Natural Science and "change".

Just wait till someone broaches how the whole sequence of Rush albums follow the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot Deck, I would but it's a secret I like to hold between Neil and I.

 

yes.gif

Really this whole self important shtick is getting a little old.

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QUOTE (presto123 @ Apr 26 2011, 12:23 PM)
QUOTE (FourthmemberofRush @ Apr 26 2011, 11:49 AM)
QUOTE (Nate2112 @ Apr 26 2011, 11:42 AM)
So overall, Test For Echo is about just communication?

I left change to PW. Because of Natural Science and "change".

Just wait till someone broaches how the whole sequence of Rush albums follow the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot Deck, I would but it's a secret I like to hold between Neil and I.

 

yes.gif

Really this whole self important shtick is getting a little old.

Self important, or is it possibly true? Believe me, no-one has ever broached this topic on any of the Rush sites...it is way to deep. You should be asking me what it all means....how cool.

 

 

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QUOTE (Digital Man @ Apr 26 2011, 01:31 PM)
I think 'broach" was in someone's word of the week calendar this week.

a broach is a piece of jewelry. smile.gif

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QUOTE (presto123 @ Apr 26 2011, 01:23 PM)
QUOTE (FourthmemberofRush @ Apr 26 2011, 11:49 AM)
QUOTE (Nate2112 @ Apr 26 2011, 11:42 AM)
So overall, Test For Echo is about just communication?

I left change to PW. Because of Natural Science and "change".

Just wait till someone broaches how the whole sequence of Rush albums follow the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot Deck, I would but it's a secret I like to hold between Neil and I.

 

yes.gif

Really this whole self important shtick is getting a little old.

Someone needs to see a therapist I think. yes.gif

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QUOTE (Digital Man @ Apr 26 2011, 12:31 PM)
I think 'broach" was in someone's word of the week calendar this week.

Oh, he said broaches. I thought he said roaches. That makes more sense, I think? confused13.gif

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