The Owl Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 QUOTE (brizzy @ Apr 13 2012, 09:13 AM) QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Apr 12 2012, 11:04 PM) QUOTE (savagegrace26 @ Apr 12 2012, 06:33 PM) QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Apr 12 2012, 04:29 PM) QUOTE (brizzy @ Apr 12 2012, 03:54 PM) I don't understand what everyone's problem is with the synth albums They're not Rush albums. Only half of Hold Your Fire is rock music, some of which isn't even good rock. No, those people are either: a) Old Stuck in the past c) Don't have the ability to appreciate diverse musical styles d) All of the above I am neither old nor stuck in the past. But when I want to listen to Rush.... I want to If I wanted to mellow out I'll listen to ABBA and Neil Diamond If you cannot jam to any one of the rush albums, then youre not fully appreciating their talent and diversity. How big of a fan can a person even be if they can't appreciate the different styles of rush? I just don't get it, every one of rush albums is exceptional and they have their own styles. That being said people that don't like the synth rush or the newer rush albums or whatever they don't like cant' fully appreciate the "rush" genre, which has gone in many different directions at different points in their career, but has shined brilliantly throughout their whole career. Sorry to call it out but, in your posts I have read the following argumentative fallacies: No True Scotsman fallacy Appeal to Wishful Thinking Appeal to Authority ..... brizzy, there are some people who don't like all or even any of the synth era albums, or the newer stuff...or hell even some of the older stuff.... you might like it all, and that's good for you. But don't call someone less of a Rush fan because there are some Rush songs, or even full albums that they do not like. Rush is not a perfect band, and to each his or her own, but they have released some tripe IMO... If you disagree, that's fine.... just don't go attacking other people for different opinions with BS reasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 QUOTE (savagegrace26 @ Apr 12 2012, 05:33 PM) QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Apr 12 2012, 04:29 PM) QUOTE (brizzy @ Apr 12 2012, 03:54 PM) I don't understand what everyone's problem is with the synth albums They're not Rush albums. Only half of Hold Your Fire is rock music, some of which isn't even good rock. No, those people are either: a) Old Stuck in the past c) Don't have the ability to appreciate diverse musical styles d) All of the above So...if you don't love Under Wraps, you aren't a Tull fan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Sawyer Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 QUOTE (brizzy @ Apr 13 2012, 10:13 AM) QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Apr 12 2012, 11:04 PM) QUOTE (savagegrace26 @ Apr 12 2012, 06:33 PM) QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Apr 12 2012, 04:29 PM) QUOTE (brizzy @ Apr 12 2012, 03:54 PM) I don't understand what everyone's problem is with the synth albums They're not Rush albums. Only half of Hold Your Fire is rock music, some of which isn't even good rock. No, those people are either: a) Old Stuck in the past c) Don't have the ability to appreciate diverse musical styles d) All of the above I am neither old nor stuck in the past. But when I want to listen to Rush.... I want to If I wanted to mellow out I'll listen to ABBA and Neil Diamond If you cannot jam to any one of the rush albums, then youre not fully appreciating their talent and diversity. How big of a fan can a person even be if they can't appreciate the different styles of rush? I just don't get it, every one of rush albums is exceptional and they have their own styles. That being said people that don't like the synth rush or the newer rush albums or whatever they don't like cant' fully appreciate the "rush" genre, which has gone in many different directions at different points in their career, but has shined brilliantly throughout their whole career. Grace Under Pressure = Synth Rush done perfectly Power Windows = Synth Rush done pretty well Signals = Synth Rush done well (But I just hate the songwriting) Hold Your Fire =/= Rush Sorry if you disagree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brizzy Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I didn't say anything about loving it, but you have to appreciate it. Just because it is not your preferred style of music doesn't mean that you can bash it and give it no credit as an album Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 I haven't forgotten about these... just taking a bit of a break and will resume in about a week or so... That way I can have these a bit closer together leading up to Clockwork Angels, other than every 10 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Okay, I haven't done one of these in about a month now... I can do these the way I want to... about 4-5 days in between reviews instead of 10..... Okay Here's Presto. --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Rush_Presto.jpg 1989 - Track #1: Show Don't Tell Nice subtle start into WHAAAAAA? ROCK MUSIC.....you don't say. The opening groove is very nice, complex and loud. The synth is more toned down and the guitar upplayed moreso than it has been in almost a decade. The real highlight is the bass here, Geddy is on fire in this song.. The lyrics are not the best, but it's a small detraction. Surprisingly strong, albiet sort of forgettable opening track.. - Track #2: Chain Lightning Not a bad song, it defiantly has that late 80s early 90s contemporary generic rock sound and gets a bit repetitive after a while. The playing is not bad, singing, nor the lyrics... I just falls into the mediocre category. The solo is good though, actually most of the guitar work is good here. - Track #3: The Pass Ahhh, what a song. The subtle beginning to a nice build, great lyrics (The Best Neal has written since Grace Under Pressure) and very emotional playing. And unlike alot of the songs on this album, it carries my intrest all the way through the song. The playing is not the best the boys can do, but as I said they do give what they do a great sense of emotion that complements the lyrics.... phenomenal song, by a wide margin the best on the album. - Track #4: War Paint Ach! The song started out good, but that synth background at the beginning I do not care for (flair of the previous 2 albums peeking back in)... it's the same tone they used alot on HYF and PW that I cannot stand. But they sort of hold back on it at least.... but the main body of this song is surprisingly a good and solid rocker.... the lyrics are good. And once again Geddy's bass work is very good. - Track #5: Scars FUNKY BASS GROOVE......and a nice underplay of drums.....but it stays this way......and dosen't really change....for the whole damn song. I've called songs repetitive alot in my series of reviews, but this one takes the cake. There is some layering in and out of the song, and some good moments that change the monotony, but it reverts back to the same phrase over and over again...the lyrics are mediocre, as is the song overall -Track #6: Presto Okay let's get the lyrics out of the way first....Very cheesy... not bad in particular... but cheesy nontheless...Neal has written better. However the playing on this song is very, very good... I love the mix of acoustic guitar in the softer parts..nice transitions into heavier sections, really strong drumming...etc...hell this could almost work as an instrumental....musically probably the strongest on the album...I will also note, that Geddy's voice is really strong on this track as well. - Track #7: Superconductor I'm gonna go ahead and call out a technical problem here......The mix is not good.... right at the start I am hearing a harsh clashing of sound, and it kind of persists through the song..... The song itself is pretty generic, as are they lyrics and playing.... you can do better boys...... like alot of this album, not a bad song, but unimpressive as Rush goes. - Track #8: Anagram (For Mongo) Okay, I am liking the structure right here at the beginning, but while it feels like the beginning is building towards something strong and heavy, it falls and dosen't deliver.... anything but light-ish rock. And that mood carries the song. There is some nice things going on during the short instrumental break, great layering of sound, but it is over shortly. The last minute of the track is a bit stronger than the start but not by much. But still a decent song. -Track #9: Red Tide There are better "Red" songs. The piano at the beginning gives some promise , but the circus tone to the synth destroys it totally. There is a nice mix of subtle light rock during the verse sections that builds nicely towards the choral sections. The lyrics are decent, on better set of this album. Overall the song has a great drive, and keeps my attention... a good track. - Track #10: Hand over Fist Wow lyrically this album is a bit bi-polar.... there are some great sets of lyrics on this album, and some less than good...this track falls into the latter category. Musically it is a decent song, about the same as the average of the whole of this album... I do like the layering (especially in the guitar work..I am liking that very much), and the song does change from passage to passage... Another decent track (lyrics aside) - Track #11: Available Light. The beginning paiano and drum start is a different for a Rush track, but I like it and it builds nicely into the main body of the track... they lyrics are pretty good, far from Neil's best, but good. There is some nicely bluesy guitar work in the middle of the song that is real good...The solo break is good, probably the best solo of the album. And the song closes out great, not a bad album closer. -----------------------------Overall Thoughts/ Final Review---------------------------- Well, I can say one thing....we're officially out of the synth era of Rush, and I can say thanks for that... I am glad to finally have Alex Lifeson back in the forefront of this album (for the most part) and doing what he does best. Wow, I am a bit mixed on this album. I have not listened to it in a long time, and nor have I regarded this album as a favorite, (matter of fact it is still probably in my bottom 5), but truth be told.... It's isn't a bad album....there is a lot to enjoy on it, especially coming off of Hold Your Fire, and I don't think there is a truly "bad" track on this album.. but why is that? What is it about Presto that makes it a bottom 5 album for me? I have to say my opinions on "Presto" are kind of the same as they were on "Power Windows" is that there is hardly anything "memorable" on this album... even the better tracks I lavished on in the song reviews; (the Title Track, War Paint, Available Light) I ultimately forget about, and have no really staying power. "The Pass" is the only song from this album that has any kind of staying power... And the rest of the album I can throw into the mediocre pile...... that's how I feel about Presto... some good to be had but ultimately forgettable and skippable in the annals of Rush.. Overall Score for "Presto": 75/100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Sawyer Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Neil. Neil. Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 gonna try and get RTB in on Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queslington Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ May 7 2012, 09:46 PM) Neil. Neil. Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DistantEarlyRushFan Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Your review of Hold Your Fire does not give enough credit to Open Secrets or Lock and Key. I consider them two of the best, from a troubled synth era Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 QUOTE (Queslington @ May 9 2012, 06:48 PM) QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ May 7 2012, 09:46 PM) Neil. Neil. Neil. Sorry about that.... I don't often proof read... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmotionDetector Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 QUOTE (The Owl @ Apr 10 2012, 08:03 PM) - Track #3: Open Secrets There is some good guitar at the beginning and in spurts throughout the song, but that is only good thing to be said about this very mediocre song...not impressed with the lyrics or the basic song structure... The light rock pseudo kenny-g esk softness is really starting to bother me... believe me the guitar in this salvages it from being a "bad song" and just a "less than mediocre"....very disappointing after two very solid first tracks. Love reading the reviews, but WOW...this is so the opposite of what I think. Open Secrets is the absolute best track on HYF. The guitar work is fantastic, but so is everything else. The melodies are great, and Neil's lyrics are awesome. To me, it's one of their most underrated songs in the entire catelog...simply love everything about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DistantEarlyRushFan Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ May 9 2012, 08:33 PM) QUOTE (The Owl @ Apr 10 2012, 08:03 PM) - Track #3: Open Secrets There is some good guitar at the beginning and in spurts throughout the song, but that is only good thing to be said about this very mediocre song...not impressed with the lyrics or the basic song structure... The light rock pseudo kenny-g esk softness is really starting to bother me... believe me the guitar in this salvages it from being a "bad song" and just a "less than mediocre"....very disappointing after two very solid first tracks. Love reading the reviews, but WOW...this is so the opposite of what I think. Open Secrets is the absolute best track on HYF. The guitar work is fantastic, but so is everything else. The melodies are great, and Neil's lyrics are awesome. To me, it's one of their most underrated songs in the entire catelog...simply love everything about it. Its the overall flow of the chord changes that I like. It's complex AND catchy, accomplishing the best of what they set out to do during the late 80's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animate Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmotionDetector Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 Sorry for the lack of updates in this review thread, i have not forgotten about it, but ive been thinking since the clockwork angels subforum was opened only about a third of the people that were reading and responding to this thread have continued to do so.....if not less. Not something I dont understand , its the nature of the beast...its what people are wanting to discuss, however I dont want to do these writeups with only a handful of people still responding (and thanks for that as well, i really enjoy the feedback and dissenting opinions) , but I do not wish to stop entirely either. So I will give this thread a bit of a hiatus and give the new album time to release and a couple of weeks of cool down post-release before resuming the reviews here... I will do the Clockwork Angels review however in the same format, but probably post that in it's own thread in the CWA forum.. I am not "tired, or bored " of doing these...I'd just like more interaction here, and that wont happen with the new album out soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagegrace26 Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Just post the damn reviews. Stop making an attention-grabbing spectacle of yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Muffin Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Please keep doing these, I enjoy reading them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 (edited) QUOTE (savagegrace26 @ May 16 2012, 05:28 PM) Just post the damn reviews. Stop making an attention-grabbing spectacle of yourself. Calm down..... no need for that..... not trying to "make a spectacle of my self" just explaining why I have not posted some of the reviews as of late... I also work 40 hours a week and try to lead a bit of a social life... so I really hope you are just joking around with your quib. And I do plan on continuing..... and okay, I will make an effort to get some out soon... Edited May 17, 2012 by The Owl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Just because people aren't reading it now, doesn't mean they won't later. I say get all your reviews together and post them all in one big post in a new topic right after the album release. Or make a separate topic for each release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarcasm Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 These reviews aren't written in a manner that appears that time consuming. It seems like you write your opinions on an album track by track without much detail. Like a stream of conscience regarding every song. If these reviews were paragraphs in length and were discussed in an essay type style, the amount of time you're taking would be logical. Just post the reviews. I know that I've been checking this thread quite a bit and am routinely disappointed when you don't post a review on the expected date. I lurk mainly to be fair, but so do many other people. Instead of writing these reviews with the intention of getting written feedback, check the number of views this thread has received. Obviously a lot of people care about this topic, including me. A lot of people like these reviews so you should just man up and do them. If you're fan of Rush doing this shouldn't be a chore anyway. And I can't lie, that last post you made was SO "attention grabby" "I have a social life! Writing a half hour review every 5 days is outrageous!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 I get that, and another aspect of it is that I am writing as I listen to the album.... so I guess that's why they seem to flow from the "same stream of consciousness" .... ...Ill keep putting them out, and I am not trying to piss anyone off, part of it is getting in the mood to do one as well. I will say this as a small preview of RTB then... I suspect alot of disagreement from you all... I actually find the album (for the most part) underrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarcasm Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 QUOTE (The Owl @ May 16 2012, 08:00 PM) I get that, and another aspect of it is that I am writing as I listen to the album.... so I guess that's why they seem to flow from the "same stream of consciousness" .... ...Ill keep putting them out, and I am not trying to piss anyone off, part of it is getting in the mood to do one as well. I will say this as a small preview of RTB then... I suspect alot of disagreement from you all... I actually find the album (for the most part) underrated. Fair enough. I can't wait to read it man. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 Here Goes... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Rush_roll_the_bones.jpg Roll The Bones 1991 - Track #1: Dreamline We begin with the most recognizable track and live staple from this album... and for good reason. Dreamline is among the best tracks since the Moving Picture days... Good lyrics, a great driving riff, and a great highs and lows make this a brilliant start to the album.. One of the best album openers in the Rush catalog. And a good choice for the lead off single, while not falling into the contemporary vain of the day. - Track #2: Bravado Bravado takes the momentum of the previous track and gives us a very poignant and poetic track. Geddys singing is amazing here, as are the lyrics. A beautiful playing... the playing is not complicated but dosen't push the limits of what needs to be, yet what playing there is certainty up to the standard one would expect from the boys.. - Track #3: Roll The Bones Oh, Boy..... here we go. Well let me start off... I do not dislike this song. In fact I enjoy this song alot... once again I like the lyrics. The music is good, a bit different in it's slight funk feel, but not bad in any shape or form... The acoustic guitar played along during the chorus is nice. There is a good solo in the mix..etc.. It's not as good as the previous two tracks, but still a good song... BUT then there's the.... Rap section.... Yes, Ill agree with the majority here... It's bad, and completely un-belonging in a Rush song. But even while the rap vocals take away from the song.. It dosen't absolutely ruin the song for me...like it does for alot... I still would call this a good song... just with a slight nuisance... Like a real comfortable pair of linen boxers with a stretch mark. - Track #4: Face Up This song is a bit off... it's good a good drive, and some nice playing, but like alot of examples from the 80s albums, where the band tried too hard to have the contemporary feel of the day that dissuaded me, I feel almost the same way about this song we're just trying to match "what's in" in the 90s now, It has a feel of that early 90s MTV feel... It gets repetitive fast and not much else happens in the track.... Not horrible, but slightly less than mediocre. - Track #5: Where's My Thing? A question I often ask myself...lol. As far as Rush instrumentals go, this one is not often hoisted up as "one of the best" and when you compare it to the other instrumentals it dosen't hold a candle to them, but this is still a good track in and of itself.. There is some great bass and guitar work throughout the album... The synth tone on this track I don't care too much for, but it's not that much of a detraction. It does it's job is almost all I can say...it's solid playing with not much to scoff at, nor is it something to lavish upon. - Track #6: The Big Wheel Pretty epic opening, building into a nice riff, that permeates the track. There is some nice subtle synth work throughout the track as well. The lyrics are ughh...okay I guess. It's another mediocre track, not bad nor good, albiet forgettable. Nothing much more to say on this. - Track #7: Heresy There is some good stuff happening on in the beginning of the track, more synth but not overpowering, some great moving chords and some nice driving drums. The lyrics are are good, and well sung. There is some rather excellent song structure... I honestly do not understand why this song does not get much more notice... It's very enjoyable, and while far from my top 50 of Rush, it certainty not bad. It could have been heaver at times though. - Track #8: Ghost of a Chance This track is very good.. The opening guitar riff, with the nice pace set out by some great playing by both Neil on drums is very enjoyable. The slow sections are moving are very beautiful and sung excellently accompanied by some excellent guitar playing. The lyrics are great, as is the best guitar solo on the album... I don't have anything to say in the negative about this song...stellar track. - Track #9: Neurotica Okay, here's a stinker..... Musically it is just a so-so standard of a track, though if you can get past what makes this song bad there is some good bass work to be had, as well as a pretty (albiet short) shredding solo. The electronic effects middle song are way out of place, but the real detriment to this song is the lyrics... completely unenjoyable, as is the vocal structure, and the "OOOOHING" during the chorus... A very skipable song. - Track #10: You Bet Your Life I can get some enjoyment out of this track, a bit of a standard repetitive rock track, but a "standard repetitive track" done better than average... The song does have a great pace and a nice drive, and there is some great layering of sounds throughout the track, but especially near the end that has a very good Alex solo leading us out of the track and out of the album... I still would give this track a very mediocre stamp, but on the better side of mediocre. ------------------------------------Final Thoughts/Overall Review------------------------------- Roll the Bones, despite all the negativity it receives I feel is a pretty decent album, almost underrated seeing as it tends to draw alot of hate, but I find it more enjoyable than the 3 previous records. There is certainty more good than bad on the record, and other than "Neurotica" there is not a song I utterly disliked. There are some true gems on this record as well, as I mentioned in my song reviews, and while almost half this album falls into mediocrity, I still see this album as a step above "Presto", and while alot of people put Roll the Bones in their bottom 5, 3, or even last Rush albums. I am not one of them... though these are my opinions, And I'd like to hear your reasons why. That being said there is very much room for improvement here, while "Presto took us out of the synth era, Roll the Bones only continued that trend, but I feel did not come to full fruition of being back into the guitar driven hard rock mode that one would hope.. (It would take 1 more album to bring us back there, but .....SPOILERS for the next review)... I felt alot of the playing on this album could have been much heavier, and the guitar tones dropped to emphasize that. This album, even on the songs I praised could have had a lot more "umph" to it. I lastly want to also remark that on the previous few albums Geddy's voice has noticeably dropped register on each successive album since Moving Pictures... leading to somewhat of inconsistency vocally over the past few records... This album, and the track Bravado especially does seem to define the bedrock of the drop in his vocal register that will last through the rest of their albums, and where Geddy finds a comfortable balance of his vocal ability in the latter part of the Rush discography, leading to Geddy's best vocal performance overall in years.. Overall album Score : 77% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Owl Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 I need some feedback regarding my scores on the albums, and this is almost same reason I stopped rating the songs.. I feel that I am giving out to some degree arbitrary scores to the albums as a whole... I gave the last album a 77, but gave the debut album a lower score, and I don't feel that's entirely correct. "What I like" as opposed to the somewhat objective "what is good" seems to be conflicting the scores as well, I feel I am second guessing myself in the scoring of these albums.... If I could do it all again I feel a letter grading system (A+, A, A-, B+...etc) would have been better in retrospect.... how do you feel about the scores so far, and would it be too late to change the scoring up a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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