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The Owl reviews every Rush album


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QUOTE (Silas Lang @ Mar 4 2012, 02:02 AM)
I agree that side 1 is clearly the superior side (much like Fly By Night and 2112). The first 3 songs are definitely all 10s. CM I'd give a 9 with Cygnus getting an 8 and Madrigal a 7. As an overall package, I rank the two previous albums over it.

goodpost.gif I'd put AFTK a little higher than 2112, though.

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QUOTE (goose @ Mar 4 2012, 01:36 AM)
A Farewell To Kings is an album that many RUSH fans seem to describe as RUSH approaching its pinnacle (that apex being Hemispheres).  To me, it is RUSH entering the era in which its most ardent critics' barbs are most justified.  AFTK features Geddy at his most unlistenable moments (the Cygnus wails) and features some of Neil's most laughably sophomoric lyrics (the title track). 

Yet the album contains the radio standard gem "Closer to the Heart" and the musically brilliant hockey anthem "Xanadu".  In fact it is the music of this album that saves it from disaster and makes it great.  The complexity and utter musicianship shines through in spite of Geddy's  decision to take a 78rpm approach to vocals and Neil's failed attempt to come across as a serious philosopher/poet-laureate.

Thank goodness this phase only lasted two albums.

I think this is the most overrated album by fans. The musicianship on the album is fantastic across the board (as it is on every album, frankly), but the track list has too many holes in it. Let me get this out of the way, Cygnus X-1 is probably my least favorite Rush song, and at times I find it as unlistenable as Revolution 9. The title track is a good, but certainly not great, song. Xanadu and Cinderella Man are my two favorite tracks on the album. The remainder are really ordinary to my ears.

 

Last piece of heresy. I understand why a lot of people love Closer to the Heart. I don't though.

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im gonna go against the grain so far and say Cygnus X-1 > Book II: Hemispheres.

 

i find Hemispheres to drag on for far too long without switching up the music enough. by the end of the prologue, we've already heard 80% of the music in the whole song, but it keeps going for another ten minutes before something different happens. also, how can you complain about the intro to Cygnus when Xanadu has just as long of an intro? wacko.gif

 

maybe im the crazy one.

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QUOTE (Dylan2712 @ Mar 4 2012, 04:53 PM)
...how can you complain about the intro to Cygnus when Xanadu has just as long of an intro?

Because Xanadu's intro has a lot of content. In Cygnus, it's just effects and cheesy narration.

 

That being said. I love Cygnus too, but I understand why many people don't.

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QUOTE (Dscrapre @ Mar 4 2012, 08:03 PM)
QUOTE (Dylan2712 @ Mar 4 2012, 04:53 PM)
...how can you complain about the intro to Cygnus when Xanadu has just as long of an intro?

Because Xanadu's intro has a lot of content. In Cygnus, it's just effects and cheesy narration.

 

That being said. I love Cygnus too, but I understand why many people don't.

Yes.... I love long songs, if you can make the minutes count.

 

 

Xanadu makes the most out of every minute it has, while the first few minutes of Cygnus fell like it has a minute and a half of padding..

 

 

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Awhile back I did a top 50 list of Rush songs. The title track of A Farewell To Kings came in at number 10.

 

For those above who are putting the song down in any way, I have to give you a very big wtf.gif

 

Seriously, the song is brilliant and genius, surpassed on the album only by the even more brilliant and genius Xanadu, but still both songs are unreasonably outstanding, and the album side comprising those two songs is my 3rd favorite album side of all time by anyone! yes.gif 1022.gif wub.gif

 

Maybe people need to take the large wad of balled-up cotton OUT of their ears before listening? confused13.gif tongue.gif wacko.gif

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QUOTE (rushgoober @ Mar 5 2012, 12:07 AM)
Awhile back I did a top 50 list of Rush songs. The title track of A Farewell To Kings came in at number 10.

For those above who are putting the song down in any way, I have to give you a very big wtf.gif

Seriously, the song is brilliant and genius, surpassed on the album only by the even more brilliant and genius Xanadu, but still both songs are unreasonably outstanding, and the album side comprising those two songs is my 3rd favorite album side of all time by anyone! yes.gif 1022.gif wub.gif

Maybe people need to take the large wad of balled-up cotton OUT of their ears before listening? confused13.gif tongue.gif wacko.gif

Try reading the lyrics instead of listening to them.

 

scared.gif

 

Cheesy, tired metaphors...

 

Guess what I think of Trees lyrically.

 

rofl3.gif

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QUOTE (goose @ Mar 5 2012, 06:35 PM)
QUOTE (rushgoober @ Mar 5 2012, 12:07 AM)
Awhile back I did a top 50 list of Rush songs.  The title track of A Farewell To Kings came in at number 10.

For those above who are putting the song down in any way, I have to give you a very big wtf.gif

Seriously, the song is brilliant and genius, surpassed on the album only by the even more brilliant and genius Xanadu, but still both songs are unreasonably outstanding, and the album side comprising those two songs is my 3rd favorite album side of all time by anyone! yes.gif 1022.gif wub.gif

Maybe people need to take the large wad of balled-up cotton OUT of their ears before listening? confused13.gif tongue.gif  wacko.gif

Try reading the lyrics instead of listening to them.

 

scared.gif

 

Cheesy, tired metaphors...

 

Guess what I think of Trees lyrically.

 

rofl3.gif

Well, I'll give you points for originality. I've been on this board nearly 7 years, and I can't recall one instance of someone putting down the song A Farewell To Kings so intensely.

 

It's a valid opinion, as are all, but good luck selling that one! wink.gif

 

Meanwhile, back in realityland where the rest of us live, check out these EXCELLENT lyrics to an truly excellent song (a song so good that if you don't like it for any reason, you are seriously missing out):

 

 

 

When they turn the pages of history

When these days have passed long ago

Will they read of us with sadness

For the seeds that we let grow

We turned our gaze

From the castles in the distance

Eyes cast down

On the path of least resistance

 

Cities full of hatred

Fear and lies

Withered hearts

And cruel, tormented eyes

Scheming demons

Dressed in kingly guise

Beating down the multitude

And scoffing at the wise

 

The hypocrites are slandering

The sacred halls of Truth

Ancient nobles showering

Their bitterness on youth

Can't we find

The minds that made us strong

Can't we learn

To feel what's right and wrong

 

Cities full of hatred

Fear and lies

Withered hearts

And cruel, tormented eyes

Scheming demons

Dressed in kingly guise

Beating down the multitude

And scoffing at the wise

Can't we raise our eyes

And make a start

Can't we find the minds

To lead us closer to the Heart

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Great review, Owl! I am Morticia to Neil's Gomez with Circumstances. wub.gif

 

Hemispheres...musically top notch from start to finish. The epic side one suffers from the fact that the music was written without real regard to Geddy's ability to sing it, so the vocals come across a bit forced to me, musically. And the lyrics...well, I've had my say.

 

Side 2 is pure magic. Trees metaphor and borrowed Strangiato themes aside, the boys are at the top of their proggish game here.

 

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Here is another great Rush lyric:

 

Losing It

 

The dancer slows her frantic pace

In pain and desperation,

Her aching limbs and downcast face

Aglow with perspiration

 

Stiff as wire, her lungs on fire,

With just the briefest pause -

The flooding through her memory,

The echoes of old applause.

 

She limps across the floor

And closes her bedroom door...

 

The writer stares with glassy eyes -

Defies the empty page

His beard is white, his face is lined

And streaked with tears of rage.

 

Thirty years ago, how the words would flow

With passion and precision,

But now his mind is dark and dulled

By sickness and indecision

 

And he stares out the kitchen door

Where the sun will rise no more...

 

Some are born to move the world -

To live their fantasies

But most of us just dream about

The things we'd like to be

 

Sadder still to watch it die

Than never to have known it

For you - the blind who once could see -

 

2.gif trink39.gif 2.gif wub.gif

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QUOTE (losingit2k @ Mar 5 2012, 11:11 PM)
Here is another great Rush lyric:

Losing It

The dancer slows her frantic pace
In pain and desperation,
Her aching limbs and downcast face
Aglow with perspiration

Stiff as wire, her lungs on fire,
With just the briefest pause -
The flooding through her memory,
The echoes of old applause.

She limps across the floor
And closes her bedroom door...

The writer stares with glassy eyes -
Defies the empty page
His beard is white, his face is lined
And streaked with tears of rage.

Thirty years ago, how the words would flow
With passion and precision,
But now his mind is dark and dulled
By sickness and indecision

And he stares out the kitchen door
Where the sun will rise no more...

Some are born to move the world -
To live their fantasies
But most of us just dream about
The things we'd like to be

Sadder still to watch it die
Than never to have known it
For you - the blind who once could see -

2.gif trink39.gif 2.gif wub.gif

yes.gif

 

Universal themes on a personal level is where Neil most succeeds, I believe.

 

trink39.gif

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Yes, this is an incredible album; it's either this or PeW that's my favorite album. I've always loved "Circumstances" for its absurdly heavy main riff and constantly shifting time signatures (save for the verses). I always end up singing the 5/4 bass riff during the midsection in "The Trees." And, of course, "La Villa" is practically flawless (though I would say that the "To sleep, perchance to dream..." section is a little overlong). (I'm slightly torn on the title track, as it's just a little too repetitive, especially parts II. and III. Lyrically, though, it's a masterpiece).

 

bacon.gif

Edited by BringOutYourDead
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QUOTE (BringOutYourDead @ Mar 5 2012, 11:20 PM)
Yes, this is an incredible album; it's either this or PeW that's my favorite album. I've always loved "Circumstances" for its absurdly heavy main riff and constantly shifting time signatures (save for the verses). I always end up singing the 5/4 bass riff during the midsection in "The Trees." And, of course, "La Villa" is practically flawless (though I would say that the "To sleep, perchance to dream..." section is a little overlong). (I'm slightly torn on the title track, as it's just a little too repetitive, especially parts II. and III. Lyrically, though, it's a masterpiece).

bacon.gif

I'm with you. Side 2 is perfect, while side 1 would work better as a 7-9 minute song. No need to recycle those themes endlessly.

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Side 2 of the album is virtually as solid as any other album side in their catalog. I like side 1, but I don't love it. I actually prefer 2112 as a piece to Hemispheres. But count me among the fans who consider side 2 as the springboard into the band's golden era.
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QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ Mar 7 2012, 02:58 AM)
I'm pretty surprised that AFTK (song) isn't as popular as I thought it was. It's one of my favorite early Rush songs; I particularly like Geddy's emotional delivery.

Yep. It's my 3rd favourite Rush song...I love it!

 

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Mar 3 2012, 09:06 AM)
The first 3 songs I'd give a perfect 10 out of 10, however.  Actually, the title tracks deserves more like 12/10 and Xanadu something like 15/10, but we're just talking about levels of perfection at this point.

 

Exactly yes.gif goodpost.gif

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Hemispheres is a tricky one for me in that there's nothing to find much fault with but at the same time doesn't quite match the peaks of previous albums like side 1 of either 2112 or AFTK (and CTTH). It's nothing less than great but I still would rate Caress and 2112 above it.

 

One thing I disagree with Owl on is that I much prefer 2112's Overture over Prelude (and Soliloquy/Grand Finale over Cygnus/The Sphere for that matter). And I don't think Hemispheres represents best lyrics up to that point. Also I can't go along with Hemispheres as being Rush's last progressive album. While it's true there was a change in direction and their attitude (thankfully) what followed in the 80s was just as complex and adventurous.

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