Signals

[ucsteve667]

QUOTE (Sarge @ May 30 2011, 06:38 AM)

QUOTE (Humbleanddumb @ May 30 2011, 12:10 AM) QUOTE (tangy @ May 29 2011, 11:01 PM) QUOTE (Cosy Toes @ May 29 2011, 05:55 PM) QUOTE (tangy @ May 29 2011, 04:39 PM) Pretty sure that New World Man is rushs highest charting song ever? if thats true than its hard to argue that momentum was lost?? I think The Spirit of the Radio (sic) was.   But then Englandland has better taste than the USA perhaps fewer teeth leads to better taste........... ha ha, i can see that austin powers and the simpsons have done us in the UK no favours when it comes to the subject of teeth!!!!   i still have a full set (touch wood) and i ought to point out that noone, absolutely no on in the UK talks like powers or like the simpsons UK voices! Yeah Baby yer still not getting what I mean anyway. yer think I mean some way of conforming to a fashion, trend, whatever.so I guess were at a standstill on it. I invited ya to talk about it in a more open way cause everything get sorta misconstrued generally in these posts. But you'd rather keep it in the threads here apparently, being that you started another thread on it and all. Well, so be it, guess it dies here as far as Im concerned. Shame tho, I tried the same approach with Rush Goober and I think we had a pretty decent discussion that laid out our our view in a much more expansive and comprehensive way. I 'd much rather talk for a half hr or hr than type it out 1700 times trying to get what I mean to read better. And then everyone can hear it and add to the conversation. Oh well and anyone can listen to marley, brutal truth, or what have you and not really get what we were up to back then

Edited May 30, 2011 by ucsteve667

[J0N]

I would say a lot of earlier Rush is borderline heavy metal - some of it is just as heavier as any stuff released in the 70's, but I'm not quite sure how you could consider Signals a heavy metal album in any way

It's a pretty big departure from the earlier stuff in that respect.

[drbirdsong]

QUOTE (Tarkus406 @ May 29 2011, 11:34 PM)

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ May 27 2011, 10:57 AM) My best friend and I got it the day it came out.  We rushed (hah) home and played it on his stepdad's awesome system.  I remember being a little less than impressed at the end, but we agreed it was quite good.  After Hemispheres, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures if just seemed like a let down. The one thing I still remember is that it seemed to capture the mood of the early 1980s, but there was something about the sound that bugged me.  At 17 years of age I didn't know what mixing and mastering actually were. These days I wouldn't change a thing on it.  A remix now would destroy that moment in time.  It is one of the few 1997 remasters that sounds really good if you don't have the original vinyl. I can never pronounce your handle so I just call you "back of the head guy"   random, I know, but it had to be said "dee-are-birdsong" or if I'm felling pretentious, "Doctor Bridsong". When I joined the forum I failed to notice that most folks here had Rush related names.

[drbirdsong]

QUOTE (moving_signals @ May 29 2011, 11:36 PM)

Since this thread keeps hanging around, I'd like to add one more thing to my original post. One of the most overlooked things about Signals is that even though Alex got buried in the mix at times, and he only has 5 solos on the entire record, every one of the solos is excellent. In fact, I'd put the solo in Digital Man right up there with the solo for Limelight (one of my favorites). The lead up to the solo is sweet with Alex's tone drenched in chorus and delay, and the solo itself is spectacular, particularly in headphones where you can clearly hear the long delay he has set panned hard right and left with each side at a slightly different delay, and just the right number of repeats and decay to play off the central channel. The note he strikes at 4:08 sends chills down my spine no matter how many times I hear the solo. The solo in The Analog Kid gets a lot of peoples attention, and for good reason, it smokes, he gets right to the point, and is a classic example of how Alex can shred, but in his own eccentric way, which is what makes him my favorite guitarist, he simply sounds like no one else, and no one else sounds like Alex. After all, Alex is all about the tone. But The Analog Kid solo takes 3rd place on the record for me, as the Weapon slips into number 2. His work here is yet another example of what sets him apart from all other Rock guitarists. Starting out slowly and taking a backseat to the keys while building in nice volume swells in the grand tradition of Xanadu. Then working his fantastic phrasing into the volume swells while simultaneously adding nice touches of tremolo, and then building tension by losing the volume swell technique while continuing his signature "stretching and squeezing" phrasing in an urgent build to the final releasing moments of the solo where the entire band comes out of "interlude mode" and works their way back to the verse passage. I gather some here don't care for Chemistry, and I just don't understand why. I think it's a great song, having a lot of great bass lines, and a killer guitar solo. In fact, although it makes number 4 of 5 for me on this record, as I said, I think all 5 of the solos on Signals are stellar. A lot of the classic Lifeson elements are once again present here. He starts the solo off in a classic manner building right out of Geddy's final word (Chemistry, of course), works a few nice slides up and down the neck, into a few really sweet bends, which flow into some cool little licks that show off his "stretch and squeeze" phrasing, and finishing with the notes that bring the theme back with his guitar almost singing the words "seems to me, it's Chemistry", and he tops off the beauty of this solo with his fret hand sliding back down the neck with what I believe is likely some flanger (but really, aren't they all really just delay with slightly different algorithms?), that brings out the throaty tone of his rig. A triumphant finish to a song for almost the entirety of which he is buried by Geddy. Lastly, the solo for Subdivisions. Short, sweet, and also to the point. It's a bit predictable, but it almost had to be. I'll bet this one popped right out of Alex's head when they wrote this song. It's a classic example of how a solo should be; an extension of the song, not an addition. It features classic artificial harmonics that show off just how monstrous Alex's tone is (especially when heard live), I put it at number 5, but it's an excellent solo. It just doesn't measure up to the other 4.

 

A few years after my small disappointment with the album I was giving it a good listen and all the guitars suddenly came across for me. Both Signals and GUP are albums that have aged very well and both contain brilliant Alex Lifeson solos.

[Solitudeix]

QUOTE (ucsteve667 @ May 30 2011, 02:02 PM)

QUOTE (Sarge @ May 30 2011, 06:38 AM) QUOTE (Humbleanddumb @ May 30 2011, 12:10 AM) QUOTE (tangy @ May 29 2011, 11:01 PM) QUOTE (Cosy Toes @ May 29 2011, 05:55 PM) QUOTE (tangy @ May 29 2011, 04:39 PM) Pretty sure that New World Man is rushs highest charting song ever? if thats true than its hard to argue that momentum was lost?? I think The Spirit of the Radio (sic) was.   But then Englandland has better taste than the USA perhaps fewer teeth leads to better taste........... ha ha, i can see that austin powers and the simpsons have done us in the UK no favours when it comes to the subject of teeth!!!!   i still have a full set (touch wood) and i ought to point out that noone, absolutely no on in the UK talks like powers or like the simpsons UK voices! Yeah Baby yer still not getting what I mean anyway. yer think I mean some way of conforming to a fashion, trend, whatever.so I guess were at a standstill on it. I invited ya to talk about it in a more open way cause everything get sorta misconstrued generally in these posts. But you'd rather keep it in the threads here apparently, being that you started another thread on it and all. Well, so be it, guess it dies here as far as Im concerned. Shame tho, I tried the same approach with Rush Goober and I think we had a pretty decent discussion that laid out our our view in a much more expansive and comprehensive way. I 'd much rather talk for a half hr or hr than type it out 1700 times trying to get what I mean to read better. And then everyone can hear it and add to the conversation. Oh well and anyone can listen to marley, brutal truth, or what have you and not really get what we were up to back then were you talking to me?   I didnt see my post in your quotes...   But I would talk about it.   I am actually tring to understand what you mean by an "open way" I guess I could start a thread about it...   I guess we would also have to find what the point of what we are trying to say.   Perhaps I would find out I am more "metal" than I seem to be... or what the definition of "metal" would be...   I do know that most of the definitions I have heard and seen of what it is to be "metal" dont really apply to me.   I dont fit into the most of the metal "scenes" I have been a part of...   So no I dont really get what you mean... or where this was supposed ot be going. I dont necessarily think YOU are talking about conforming, but I sure do see that type of thought permeating most of the scenes I have been a part of.

[metaldad]

I think its the last Great Rush album

[moving_signals]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ May 31 2011, 08:30 AM)

QUOTE (moving_signals @ May 29 2011, 11:36 PM) Since this thread keeps hanging around, I'd like to add one more thing to my original post.  One of the most overlooked things about Signals is that even though Alex got buried in the mix at times, and he only has 5 solos on the entire record, every one of the solos is excellent. In fact, I'd put the solo in Digital Man right up there with the solo for Limelight (one of my favorites).  The lead up to the solo is sweet with Alex's tone drenched in chorus and delay, and the solo itself is spectacular, particularly in headphones where you can clearly hear the long delay he has set panned hard right and left with each side at a slightly different delay, and just the right number of repeats and decay to play off the central channel.  The note he strikes at 4:08 sends chills down my spine no matter how many times I hear the solo.  The solo in The Analog Kid gets a lot of peoples attention, and for good reason, it smokes, he gets right to the point, and is a classic example of how Alex can shred, but in his own eccentric way, which is what makes him my favorite guitarist, he simply sounds like no one else, and no one else sounds like Alex.  After all, Alex is all about the tone.  But The Analog Kid solo takes 3rd place on the record for me, as the Weapon slips into number 2.  His work here is yet another example of what sets him apart from all other Rock guitarists.  Starting out slowly and taking a backseat to the keys while building in nice volume swells in the grand tradition of Xanadu.  Then working his fantastic phrasing into the volume swells while simultaneously adding nice touches of tremolo, and then building tension by losing the volume swell technique while continuing his signature "stretching and squeezing" phrasing in an urgent build to the final releasing moments of the solo where the entire band comes out of "interlude mode" and works their way back to the verse passage. I gather some here don't care for Chemistry, and I just don't understand why.  I think it's a great song, having a lot of great bass lines, and a killer guitar solo.  In fact, although it makes number 4 of 5 for me on this record, as I said, I think all 5 of the solos on Signals are stellar.  A lot of the classic Lifeson elements are once again present here.  He starts the solo off in a classic manner building right out of Geddy's final word (Chemistry, of course), works a few nice slides up and down the neck, into a few really sweet bends, which flow into some cool little licks that show off his "stretch and squeeze" phrasing, and finishing with the notes that bring the theme back with his guitar almost singing the words "seems to me, it's Chemistry", and he tops off the beauty of this solo with his fret hand sliding back down the neck with what I believe is likely some flanger (but really, aren't they all really just delay with slightly different algorithms?), that brings out the throaty tone of his rig.  A triumphant finish to a song for  almost the entirety of which he is buried by Geddy. Lastly, the solo for Subdivisions.  Short, sweet, and also to the point.  It's a bit predictable, but it almost had to be.  I'll bet this one popped right out of Alex's head when they wrote this song.  It's a classic example of how a solo should be; an extension of the song, not an addition.  It features classic artificial harmonics that show off just how monstrous Alex's tone is (especially when heard live), I put it at number 5, but it's an excellent solo.  It just doesn't measure up to the other 4.   A few years after my small disappointment with the album I was giving it a good listen and all the guitars suddenly came across for me. Both Signals and GUP are albums that have aged very well and both contain brilliant Alex Lifeson solos. I agree with you. I think both Signals and P/G have aged well, and Alex's solos are all among his best work. Take Afterimage for example. The solo is almost entirely made of chords (some arpegiated) instead of single notes strung together. It's brilliant and a great example of how unique Alex is. Who else in the world of Hard Rock would do that?

[trenken]

QUOTE (Yokkov @ May 26 2011, 05:02 PM)

I've been on a lot of forums lately and I've seen a lot of people saying that Signals was such a big let down after Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures . I just got signals on vinyl and have been listening to it all the time. Its really really good! It might not be as good as the preceding albums but it is way above being a let down!

Look up the word opinions in the dictionary. I think Singals has 3 good songs on it. Rest is crap. If you love the whole thing, then good for you, but it is a well known fact this is the album when people really started jumping off the bandwagon and losing interest.

 

They peaked with MP, then completely went the 80s synth route with Signals, and alienated many of their fans at the time.

[Yokkov]

I know the word Opinion. I was posting MY opinion. I didn't say "you have to think this." If you have a problem with MY opinion, then say what you think, don't criticize me for doing the same! Actually, I noticed that you said, "a well known fact" about an opinion that you had, so once again, don't criticize me!

MY Opinion is that Rush stayed very good even into the 90's. They might not of sounded the same, but they were still great at what they were doing!

[Tommy Sawyer]

QUOTE (Yokkov @ May 31 2011, 09:27 PM)

I know the word Opinion. I was posting MY opinion. I didn't say "you have to think this." If you have a problem with MY opinion, then say what you think, don't criticize me for doing the same! Actually, I noticed that you said, "a well known fact" about an opinion that you had, so once again, don't criticize me! MY Opinion is that Rush stayed very good even into the 90's. They might not of sounded the same, but they were still great at what they were doing!

I love it when newbies stand up for themselves.

[ucsteve667]

blank Edited June 1, 2011 by ucsteve667

[ucsteve667]

QUOTE (Solitudeix @ May 31 2011, 12:47 PM)

QUOTE (ucsteve667 @ May 30 2011, 02:02 PM) QUOTE (Sarge @ May 30 2011, 06:38 AM) QUOTE (Humbleanddumb @ May 30 2011, 12:10 AM) QUOTE (tangy @ May 29 2011, 11:01 PM) QUOTE (Cosy Toes @ May 29 2011, 05:55 PM) QUOTE (tangy @ May 29 2011, 04:39 PM) Pretty sure that New World Man is rushs highest charting song ever? if thats true than its hard to argue that momentum was lost?? I think The Spirit of the Radio (sic) was.   But then Englandland has better taste than the USA perhaps fewer teeth leads to better taste........... ha ha, i can see that austin powers and the simpsons have done us in the UK no favours when it comes to the subject of teeth!!!!   i still have a full set (touch wood) and i ought to point out that noone, absolutely no on in the UK talks like powers or like the simpsons UK voices! Yeah Baby yer still not getting what I mean anyway. yer think I mean some way of conforming to a fashion, trend, whatever.so I guess were at a standstill on it. I invited ya to talk about it in a more open way cause everything get sorta misconstrued generally in these posts. But you'd rather keep it in the threads here apparently, being that you started another thread on it and all. Well, so be it, guess it dies here as far as Im concerned. Shame tho, I tried the same approach with Rush Goober and I think we had a pretty decent discussion that laid out our our view in a much more expansive and comprehensive way. I 'd much rather talk for a half hr or hr than type it out 1700 times trying to get what I mean to read better. And then everyone can hear it and add to the conversation. Oh well and anyone can listen to marley, brutal truth, or what have you and not really get what we were up to back then were you talking to me?   I didnt see my post in your quotes...   But I would talk about it.   I am actually tring to understand what you mean by an "open way" I guess I could start a thread about it...   I guess we would also have to find what the point of what we are trying to say.   Perhaps I would find out I am more "metal" than I seem to be... or what the definition of "metal" would be...   I do know that most of the definitions I have heard and seen of what it is to be "metal" dont really apply to me.   I dont fit into the most of the metal "scenes" I have been a part of...   So no I dont really get what you mean... or where this was supposed ot be going. I dont necessarily think YOU are talking about conforming, but I sure do see that type of thought permeating most of the scenes I have been a part of. thats my fault, looks like I quoted the wrong reply. heres where I think we're kinda at: in the course of discussion here about Signals, it was referenced that it was on a list for metal albums in 1982. which I said RUSH was never a metal band and thats when the definition of Metal came into play. in my experience it usually people who arent metal heads that tend to refer to the hard rock bands of the 70's as metal. i think the metal culture, that typifies a metal head started on that cusp of 79/80-ish era. All these points have often been argued and debated, i actually just watched Sam Dunns movie again just to refresh myself on what his concept of the metal scene is for some reference, as this topic has become the heart of my show's theme this week. And what I usually find frustrating is trying to explain my views on some things in this type of format. I find it much easier and more thorough to discuss things , as well as much more fun to just talk about it. it also makes my show a lot more interesting, for me at least.

[Cosy Toes]

QUOTE (ucsteve667 @ Jun 1 2011, 06:48 AM)

thats my fault, looks like I quoted the wrong reply. heres where I think we're kinda at: in the course of discussion here about Signals, it was referenced that it was on a list for metal albums in 1982. which I said RUSH was never a metal band and thats when the definition of Metal came into play. in my experience it usually people who arent metal heads that tend to refer to the hard rock bands of the 70's as metal. i think the metal culture, that typifies a metal head started on that cusp of 79/80-ish era. All these points have often been argued and debated, i actually just watched Sam Dunns movie again just to refresh myself on what his concept of the metal scene is for some reference, as this topic has become the heart of my show's theme this week. And what I usually find frustrating is trying to explain my views on some things in this type of format. I find it much easier and more thorough to discuss things , as well as much more fun to just talk about it. it also makes my show a lot more interesting, for me at least.

I've had a word with my daddy, he started getting into what was called "Heavy Metal" back in the mid 70s. Rush were then very definitely a Heavy Metal band, and there was very definitely a Heavy Metal Culture back then. That is why in 1979 the Sainted Sir Geoffrey of Barton - ALL HAIL! The first man to proclaim Old Rush Good, New Rush Bad in his review of Hemispheres - coined the term NWOBHM or "New Wave of British Heavy Metal".

 

Kids, talk to the old folk, get them to share their memories, find out if they have Music paper cuttings from the 70s, you can then find out lots about METAL.

 

That is all.

[Rush Cocky]

QUOTE (circumstantial tree @ May 27 2011, 12:03 AM)

I never thought of Signals as being too radically different from Moving Pictures. Grace Under Pressure however seemed a radical shift to me.

CT has it right.

 

Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and Signals are undoubtedly a trifecta of greatness.

[Rick N. Backer]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ May 31 2011, 08:30 AM)

Both Signals and GUP are albums that have aged very well and both contain brilliant Alex Lifeson solos.

I first got into Rush when PeW was their most recent release. I bought MP, Signals and GUP on their release dates. For me, PoW was the first disappointing album. Anyways, I frequently listen to both Signals and GUP and would place both of those albums ahead of the vast majority of the pre-Hemispheres stuff and what followed GUP. I think Signals and GUP have aged great.

 

Back in the day Peart and Lee were widely recognized as the best drummer and bassist in rock, but Lifeson just never got his due. Shameful since almost no one has the range he's shown from say What You're Doing to La Villa to Digital Man to The Enemy Within.

 

On the side topic of "metal," there were plenty of metal bands around in the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately, the Varg Vikernes Appreciation Society doesn't think they're heavy enough so they don't get recognized as such today.

[metaldad]

QUOTE (ucsteve667 @ Jun 1 2011, 01:46 AM)

blank

[hunter]

I've always thought of the rush albums in sets of four. Where the first is a move toward a new direction then that "style" evolved through the next 3 albums with the culmination of that new direction on the fourth album.

Rush: not a lot to say here debut and all but hear glimpses of what's to come in Working Man and such.

Fly by Night: Bytor is certainly a move towards the epics of Necromancer and Lamneth on COS. And say what you will about those songs we wouldn't have the culmination of that style in 2112 without them.

Then a live album. To showcase that period.

FTK: Start to see another direction. Slightly more succinct in their writing while still maintaining the epics like Xanadu, and Cygnus x1.

Hemispheres: Truly epic in it's scope and with The Trees, and Circumstances we see an evolution towards what will come in the form of PW.

PW: While still maintaining a couple of epics like JL and NS we hear the guitar and bass tones starting evolve as well as the story telling and structure that will permeate the culmination of that style - Moving Pictures. All the while the keys continue to gain a support in the rebellion until... oh wait that's Star Wars.

Then a live album. To showcase that period.

Signals: A shift but not so different from Moving Pictures in structure. The keys are much more prominent and no real epics but lots of great songs. Countdown a prelude to Manhattan Project. A clear evolution towards...

P/G: Again the keys are featured and the songs are shorter and to the point. The guitar continues to become more "thin" in the mix but this album gave us BTW which AWESOME. Which also paved the way for songs on

Power Windows like Marathon. When I listen to them looking back I can hear the clear evolution of the style form one to the next. At the time I didn't know where they were headed so it seemed like a big difference from one to the next until the keys and thin guitar period culminated in Hold Your Fire.

Then a Live Album. To showcase that period.

Then we get a continual evolution starting where HYF left off from Presto to TFE as the keys start to take a back seat the guitar gets a little heavier etc.

Then a live album...

 

Then it all falls down.

The pattern no longer holds true.

 

So some albums signify a shift to new branch on the Rush evolutionary tree and turned some fans off and brought some new ones in... and so it goes.

 

That's just my tree fiddy...

 

edited for grammar...

Edited June 1, 2011 by hunter

[Rush Cocky]

Good post hunter.

 

Very well thought out.

 

I need some time to digest it though to see if I agree.

 

Lots of good stuff in there.

[GotRush]

[reani14]

funny, signals is what got me heavy into rush.

[treeduck]

QUOTE (metaldad @ Jun 1 2011, 08:53 AM)

QUOTE (ucsteve667 @ Jun 1 2011, 01:46 AM) blank

[ucsteve667]

QUOTE (treeduck @ Jun 1 2011, 07:31 PM)

QUOTE (metaldad @ Jun 1 2011, 08:53 AM) QUOTE (ucsteve667 @ Jun 1 2011, 01:46 AM) blank i was having an issue with my quoting. I must have hit the wrong replies so i did it over and put blank up there.

[ucsteve667]

I should thank all you people cause I had no idea what to base MY SHOW on this week...

MY METAL SHOW