Perfect Rush Albums

[toscanobarga]

There will never be another perfect Rush album.

 

The CD era has created a need for artists to make albums longer , resulting in more filler being added that wouldn't have made the cut in the Vinyl-only days.

 

Take VT for example, ignoring the sound quality issues.

 

Imagine a side 1 and side 2 as follows (pick your own 8 songs)

 

Side 1

 

One Little Victory

Ceiling

Ghost Rider

Peaceable Kingdom

 

Side 2

 

Vapor Trail

Secret Touch

Earthshine

Freeze

 

 

Maybe not up there with MP and PW, but definitely on a GUP/Signals level

 

 

[ReRushed]

QUOTE (toscanobarga @ Sep 25 2011, 10:37 AM)

There will never be another perfect Rush album. The CD era has created a need for artists to make albums longer , resulting in more filler being added that wouldn't have made the cut in the Vinyl-only days. Take VT for example, ignoring the sound quality issues. Imagine a side 1 and side 2 as follows (pick your own 8 songs) Side 1 One Little Victory Ceiling Ghost Rider Peaceable Kingdom Side 2 Vapor Trail Secret Touch Earthshine Freeze Maybe not up there with MP and PW, but definitely on a GUP/Signals level

I frequently make edited playlists of later Rush albums. Personally, I think there's a lot of fat to trim on every album post-Power Windows.

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (toscanobarga @ Sep 25 2011, 08:37 AM)

The CD era has created a need for artists to make albums longer , resulting in more filler being added that wouldn't have made the cut in the Vinyl-only days.

See, I don't get that. It's not like bands release an album then two weeks later go in and record another one. There are years between albums. Rush, 3-5 years lately. Someone like Peter Gabriel, a decade. So I'm not on board with the idea of filler, especially in Rush's case. I think that every song is one they intended to have on the record, one they intended to make the best they could make it. It's not like they don't have time to consider these things.

 

I bash Dog Years, but I know that it was an honest effort, and I give 'em props for that.

 

What will be interesting is what happens in the next few years as the CDs give way to more digital distribution. Will artists stick to the (roughly) hour-long format? Or will they put out 90 or 120 minutes of music every couple of years because they're not limited to the space on physical media?

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Sep 25 2011, 08:54 AM)

QUOTE (toscanobarga @ Sep 25 2011, 08:37 AM) The CD era has created a need for artists to make albums longer , resulting in more filler being added that wouldn't have made the cut in the Vinyl-only days. See, I don't get that. It's not like bands release an album then two weeks later go in and record another one. There are years between albums. Rush, 3-5 years lately. Someone like Peter Gabriel, a decade. So I'm not on board with the idea of filler, especially in Rush's case. I think that every song is one they intended to have on the record, one they intended to make the best they could make it. It's not like they don't have time to consider these things. I wish it worked like you were describing, however, it's not like Rush are continually working on material for 5 years and honing it and refining it, and that's why it takes so long to put out an album, and when they do it's definitely their best, most considered material from over a 5 year period. That would be wonderful.   No, it seems that no matter how long the gap between albums, they still spend about the same amount of time writing songs, rehearsing them, and recording them. There's no way a song like Good News First (which I recall even the band saying needed more work on the lyrics) gets through if they have months and years to consider it. The lyrics just don't make sense.   And then the one time they DID seem to spend working a lot longer than usual on an album, VT, was disastrous.   It's a nice theory, but it doesn't work like that IMHO, at least not with Rush.

[toscanobarga]

QUOTE (ReRushed @ Sep 25 2011, 07:19 AM)

QUOTE (toscanobarga @ Sep 25 2011, 10:37 AM) There will never be another perfect Rush album. The CD era has created a need for artists to make albums longer , resulting in more filler being added that wouldn't have made the cut in the Vinyl-only days. Take  VT for example, ignoring the sound quality issues. Imagine a side 1 and side 2 as follows (pick your own 8 songs) Side 1 One Little Victory Ceiling Ghost Rider Peaceable Kingdom Side 2 Vapor Trail Secret Touch Earthshine Freeze Maybe not up there with  MP and PW, but definitely on a GUP/Signals level I frequently make edited playlists of later Rush albums. Personally, I think there's a lot of fat to trim on every album post-Power Windows. My point exactly.   When I look at my own collections and what I consider "perfect" or even "great" albums, very few are in the CD era, most are from the days when vinyl was still if not the predominant media, at least still significant.