A Generation Y members perspective

[Coltonz]

Hello everybody!

 

I like to consider myself an "official lurker" as I don't post here very often unless I feel compelled to... And well, this is one of those times.

 

Snakes and Arrows was released when I was only in Grade 8, at the end of my elementary school education.. I am now graduated from high school, and Snakes and Arrows is still the last album that has been released by Rush. The time between the end of elementary school and the end of high school feels like a span of geological time (see what I did there?) when you're going through it, and that thought kinda just made me realize how long its been since the last album.

 

However, when I listen to S&A, it still feels exciting and fresh, not dated like so many current-generation albums would sound like after such a span of time. And I love it just as much as any other album the band has put out. Looking forward to Clockwork Angels, I feel more excited for the release than mostly anything I've had to look forward to recently. I consider myself one of those Rush fans that loves the music that the band has produced throughout the all their decades, and I feel like this next album will be absolutely terrific (and its been a looooong time waiting).

 

I check these forums nearly every day for CA news and rumors (because why search for news on the upcoming album when I can just get other Rush nerds to do it for me?) and lately I've had a hard time having to read the grating comments from certain users on this board. I don't know why so many people are bashing the album before it even comes out.. I think Caravan & BU2B are fantastic. I also think that younger people are generally more open-minded about Rush's newer releases (and dont give me that crap about liking the stuff because I was raised on NSYNC etc etc.... I was raised on my dads old record collection)

 

Anyways.. I might be starting to ramble, so I'll just finish this thread by saying.. I wish the less-optomistic people on here would just keep their crummy comments to themselves and let the people who are actually looking forward to the next album and are excited about it, do so. Because I am 19 years old and have a spent great portion of my adolescent life just waiting for the next Rush album to come out, and gosh darn it, I think its gonna be awesome. So there!!

 

 

 

[drbirdsong]

Good for you. Don't let anyone ever tell you what you should or should not like.

[myturn2drive]

Your sentiments fit in well with how I think most Rush fans determine their favorite albums.

It seems to be kind of normal that whatever Rush album was current when a person became a fan will always hold a special place in their heart...then you go back and "discover" the prior catalogue and choose other favorites...then you anxiously await that next album. For me it was Presto...went to the concert, then colected everything from Rush to Hold you Fire. Roll the Bones was my"Next" album, and I actually didn't like it as much as Presto, but so-so Rush is still better than 95% of the rest of the swill that passes for music today

[Perchance to Dream]

Man, I am freakin' gettin' old!

 

Back in the day, a Rush album would come out on almost a yearly basis. Waiting 3 or 5 years between releases has been a drag. Can't really complain, though. It's been a great ride.

[Presto-a RUSH fan!]

QUOTE (Coltonz @ Mar 19 2012, 07:46 PM)

Hello everybody! I like to consider myself an "official lurker" as I don't post here very often unless I feel compelled to... And well, this is one of those times. Snakes and Arrows was released when I was only in Grade 8, at the end of my elementary school education.. I am now graduated from high school, and Snakes and Arrows is still the last album that has been released by Rush. The time between the end of elementary school and the end of high school feels like a span of geological time (see what I did there?) when you're going through it, and that thought kinda just made me realize how long its been since the last album. However, when I listen to S&A, it still feels exciting and fresh, not dated like so many current-generation albums would sound like after such a span of time. And I love it just as much as any other album the band has put out. Looking forward to Clockwork Angels, I feel more excited for the release than mostly anything I've had to look forward to recently. I consider myself one of those Rush fans that loves the music that the band has produced throughout the all their decades, and I feel like this next album will be absolutely terrific (and its been a looooong time waiting). I check these forums nearly every day for CA news and rumors (because why search for news on the upcoming album when I can just get other Rush nerds to do it for me?) and lately I've had a hard time having to read the grating comments from certain users on this board. I don't know why so many people are bashing the album before it even comes out.. I think Caravan & BU2B are fantastic. I also think that younger people are generally more open-minded about Rush's newer releases (and dont give me that crap about liking the stuff because I was raised on NSYNC etc etc.... I was raised on my dads old record collection) Anyways.. I might be starting to ramble, so I'll just finish this thread by saying.. I wish the less-optomistic people on here would just keep their crummy comments to themselves and let the people who are actually looking forward to the next album and are excited about it, do so. Because I am 19 years old and have a spent great portion of my adolescent life just waiting for the next Rush album to come out, and gosh darn it, I think its gonna be awesome. So there!!

 

Welcome to TRF and glad you decided to post. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I think the people who dislike the newer RUSH tend to be more vocal and the ones who enjoy the newer RUSH tend to just sit back and say nothing (mostly).

 

That's usually what happens in life. A small minority of people who dislike something tend to speak out about it and it gives the appearance that they are in the majority, when they simply aren't. Take the VT poll we recently did. Forever on TRF, it was almost accepted as fact that everyone hated VT. Then the the poll results showed that wasn't the case. Again, everyone's entitled to their opinion, but it doesn't mean because they are more vocal about it, that it's fact.

 

I look forward to CA too and think it will be great. Probably not the next 2112 or MP as those are legendary. If CA is as good as S&A I will be happy, then again, I'm just happy they are still putting out new music!

 

It's great to see a young generation of fans embracing RUSH!!

 

[DistantEarlyRushFan]

S & A came out when I was a Junior in high school so I know how it feels to be waiting forever for this next release.

 

Was a fan before S&A came out but was only into their early stuff mostly

[Presto-a RUSH fan!]

QUOTE (myturn2drive @ Mar 19 2012, 07:54 PM)

Your sentiments fit in well with how I think most Rush fans determine their favorite albums. It seems to be kind of normal that whatever Rush album was current when a person became a fan will always hold a special place in their heart...then you go back and "discover" the prior catalogue and choose other favorites...then you anxiously await that next album. For me it was Presto...went to the concert, then colected everything from Rush to Hold you Fire. Roll the Bones was my"Next" album, and I actually didn't like it as much as Presto, but so-so Rush is still better than 95% of the rest of the swill that passes for music today

Wow...that is my RUSH history. Became a fan after seeing the Presto tour, went out and bought everything. Then RTB came out and it was ok, wasn't my favorite, but since it was my first official release since being a fan, I was excited about it. Especially the memories associated with the album. In hindsight, although it would have been really nice to become a fan earlier and get to see some of those early concerts, getting in on Presto worked out for me as I like the albums both "Before and After" it. (sorry)

[treeduck]

Let me just say one thing:

 

 

"X"

 

 

[psionic11]

Glad you posted your point of view. For many of us, Rush is the soundtrack of our lives, and it looks like it will be a part of yours as well.

 

Way back when (Gen X here), I used to love the anticipation of the next great Rush album... will they have a different synth sound? will the guitars be super heavy or more chorused and clangy? is the single going to be epic? what new style/styles will they explore next? Being a bass player, I couldn't wait for more awesome bass lines. And the anticipation of yet another batch of catchy songs with great musicianship... Rush has more good songs than any other single band I can think of (subjective, of course).

 

This happened again and again every 2-3 years, where you were still enjoying the last album and Rush comes out and releases another great one. So I feel your pain when you've waited all your teen years just to get *one* more next album. Things happen so fast nowadays, so much stuff in between, with technology and social networking and world events and the churning of TV crap.

 

So yeah, ignore the naysayers and the haters. Instead, relish the anticipation. Meanwhile, make some awesome Rush playlists of your favorite songs, maybe with a theme for each playlist (epics, mellow, big synth, preachy, personal, etc), and just enjoy what we have for now.

 

[Union 5-3992]

I feel the same way. S&A came out while I was in 7th grade. I first heard songs from it in 9th, it paved the way for my future listening of Rush. It may not be my favorite album, but it holds a special place in my heart. It is a fine album and I expect the next to be even better.

[Queslington]

I became a Rush fan the summer before my freshman year of highschool and have had no new studio releases yet, so I'm extremely excited for Clockwork Angels. I'm just thankful I can see my favorite band live and experience the anticipation of new material because most of the bands I listen to are either long gone (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant, good Genesis) or very elusive (Van der Graaf Generator, King Crimson).

 

to all Rush fans, old and new

[losingit2k]

Dude you're hooked. You are one of us now! Thats basically what we are all feeling right now, Except at our age you're just hoping the album comes out before your die!

 

[thizzellewashington]

My boy.

[Snowman]

It is interesting to see so many young people starting to like Rush. How do You stumble over them?

 

Friends, parents, coincidence?

 

As Geddy said in the last episode of Metal Evolution; there are so many "empty calories" on radio that it will always make room for the odd listener that needs something more challenging, and that Genesis, Tool, Rush, etc, would be there for them....I dont listen very often to the Radio, the Spirit of Radio is gone. It is so much shitty music being released so I guess Geddy is right there.

 

In the same Metal Evolution that Meshugga bandmember stating that Rush would be as up to date in 50 years as they are now...I think that is a pretty bold statement but who knows. Maybe Rush keeps on growing and growing. Maybe they will be a member of the RRHOF in 50 years.

 

Anyhow, I plan to convert my soon 3 year old and 1,5 year old bois into Rush fanbois. That is for sure!

[wilb1972]

I was introduced to Rush in HS via a classmate who (believe it or not) was a drummer. It was 11th grade and Presto was the latest album. He made me a mix tape (remember those?) and put stuff from the old days and the new, mixed together. Really went a long way to getting me into them. But I quickly found I loved the older stuff better than the latter years (1982 - 1989) because I had also recently been investigating Yes and so the proggier Rush stuff appealed to me.

 

Then like a perfect dream, Chronicles came out and I bought it, then Presto, on CD. After that, I started working my way through their back catalogue. Within a year, Roll the Bones came out, and I just missed the chance to go see them on that tour; I heard about the show too late.

 

However, within 2 years, Counterparts came out -- my Rush feeding frenzy was being satisfied rather quickly, with both the new releases and my own discovery of older albums. And I managed to find out about Rush playing in Atlanta via a local music store and immediately bought tickets -- scored 14th row seats at the Omni in Atlanta, on Al's side of the stage, directly in front of him. Glorious days!

 

So I guess I became a fan just on the cusp of the years when Rush was still regularly pumping out new material every couple of years, and right before the period of taking years between albums. Its been tough waiting on this latest release, but I know it will be worth it -- this band has for twenty years kept me going in good times and bad, and I have had the opportunity to see them 5 times, twice on the last tour with my wife, who loves them to death too. They really have been the soundtrack to my life.

[Coltonz]

Hey, thanks for the positive reaction!

I started listening to Rush when I was eleven, so that'd be eightish years ago. (I think it was 2004, so vapor trails was already out but it would be a long time before the S&A)

 

At the time I was starting to get more curious about music and trying to get an grasp on what I really liked to listen to... I was rooting through my dads collection and grabbed Chronicles, to which he remarked, something along the lines of "Ah, good ol' Canadian band right there." So I patriotically put er on..

 

I think the first song I put on was the Trees, because it had the most interesting title to me.. I thought it was a bit weird at first with the acoustic guitar and the talk of oaks and maples.. But then the song kicked in with Alex's deep, chorusy guitar and I was like... whoa

 

And then the arpeggio part came and I was like... whoooa (Kind of like the first whoa, but like... a more chilled whoa)

 

And then came that guitar solo, and I was like...

 

And then before I knew it it was over, and my mind was completely blown. It was that very day, that I decided to start playing guitar and that I began to crawl out of the pathetic shell of my former self and reach some kind of identity. The sound of Rush, to me, was/is the sound of happiness.

[wilb1972]

QUOTE

The sound of Rush, to me, was/is the sound of happiness

 

[MCM]

QUOTE (Coltonz @ Mar 19 2012, 06:46 PM)

Hello everybody! I like to consider myself an "official lurker" as I don't post here very often unless I feel compelled to... And well, this is one of those times. Snakes and Arrows was released when I was only in Grade 8, at the end of my elementary school education.. I am now graduated from high school, and Snakes and Arrows is still the last album that has been released by Rush. The time between the end of elementary school and the end of high school feels like a span of geological time (see what I did there?) when you're going through it, and that thought kinda just made me realize how long its been since the last album. However, when I listen to S&A, it still feels exciting and fresh, not dated like so many current-generation albums would sound like after such a span of time. And I love it just as much as any other album the band has put out. Looking forward to Clockwork Angels, I feel more excited for the release than mostly anything I've had to look forward to recently. I consider myself one of those Rush fans that loves the music that the band has produced throughout the all their decades, and I feel like this next album will be absolutely terrific (and its been a looooong time waiting). I check these forums nearly every day for CA news and rumors (because why search for news on the upcoming album when I can just get other Rush nerds to do it for me?) and lately I've had a hard time having to read the grating comments from certain users on this board. I don't know why so many people are bashing the album before it even comes out.. I think Caravan & BU2B are fantastic. I also think that younger people are generally more open-minded about Rush's newer releases (and dont give me that crap about liking the stuff because I was raised on NSYNC etc etc.... I was raised on my dads old record collection) Anyways.. I might be starting to ramble, so I'll just finish this thread by saying.. I wish the less-optomistic people on here would just keep their crummy comments to themselves and let the people who are actually looking forward to the next album and are excited about it, do so. Because I am 19 years old and have a spent great portion of my adolescent life just waiting for the next Rush album to come out, and gosh darn it, I think its gonna be awesome. So there!!

Bravo and good for you. S & A was your "Discovery Album" it will always hold a special place in your heart.

 

It has been a long time waiting for this one but we're almost there! Your story really puts it into perspective tho, you've gone thru all your high school years waiting on an album. That wouldn't have happened in the "old days", an album a year is what we had been used to for a long time, and it was a magical time.

 

It is good to see a whole new generation of younger fans, hope for the future.

 

[HowItIs]

QUOTE

It is good to see a whole new generation of younger fans, hope for the future.

 

 

Keep on posting Coltonz! Good to have you here at TRF

[spock]

After ignoring my friend's assurances that I would LOVE Rush, I (finally) first heard The Trees on the radio back in 1978 and the rest is history.

 

I'm psyched about CA for one reason: Nick R is clearly a fan of elder Rush and so that influence combined with so many great years of experimentation and growth should (IMHO) produce a GREAT Rush album (sorry - still think of them things as 'albums'). I'm thinking it'll be the best of old Rush and new Rush embodied (as opposed to disembodied) in the newest Rush.

[They Bow Defeated]

QUOTE (Coltonz @ Mar 19 2012, 06:46 PM)

Hello everybody! I like to consider myself an "official lurker" as I don't post here very often unless I feel compelled to... And well, this is one of those times. Snakes and Arrows was released when I was only in Grade 8, at the end of my elementary school education.. I am now graduated from high school, and Snakes and Arrows is still the last album that has been released by Rush. The time between the end of elementary school and the end of high school feels like a span of geological time (see what I did there?) when you're going through it, and that thought kinda just made me realize how long its been since the last album. However, when I listen to S&A, it still feels exciting and fresh, not dated like so many current-generation albums would sound like after such a span of time. And I love it just as much as any other album the band has put out. Looking forward to Clockwork Angels, I feel more excited for the release than mostly anything I've had to look forward to recently. I consider myself one of those Rush fans that loves the music that the band has produced throughout the all their decades, and I feel like this next album will be absolutely terrific (and its been a looooong time waiting). I check these forums nearly every day for CA news and rumors (because why search for news on the upcoming album when I can just get other Rush nerds to do it for me?) and lately I've had a hard time having to read the grating comments from certain users on this board. I don't know why so many people are bashing the album before it even comes out.. I think Caravan & BU2B are fantastic. I also think that younger people are generally more open-minded about Rush's newer releases (and dont give me that crap about liking the stuff because I was raised on NSYNC etc etc.... I was raised on my dads old record collection) Anyways.. I might be starting to ramble, so I'll just finish this thread by saying.. I wish the less-optomistic people on here would just keep their crummy comments to themselves and let the people who are actually looking forward to the next album and are excited about it, do so. Because I am 19 years old and have a spent great portion of my adolescent life just waiting for the next Rush album to come out, and gosh darn it, I think its gonna be awesome. So there!!

 

It's hard sometimes, but don't get too discouraged by all the negativity. I was a lurker myself when Snakes & Arrows was released, and the complaining was EPIC. You would have thought that Rush had released a new Nickelback album. This time, I'm sure we'll have the usual 10-12 posters who will have something bad to say about every aspect of CA, so be prepared.

 

I can already guess some of the talking points: 1) too heavy, 2) not prog enough, 3) shoehorned lyrics, 4) faith bashing, 5) not enough keyboards, 6) Geddy's vocals, 7) don't like the cover artwork, 8) album is 70 minutes instead of 40 like in the good old days, etc.

 

I'll probably take a break from TRF for a few days when CA is released, because all the constant b!tching somewhat lessened the fun of the S&A release, something I had never experienced before with a new Rush album.

[Union 5-3992]

QUOTE (spock @ Mar 22 2012, 12:44 PM)

After ignoring my friend's assurances that I would LOVE Rush, I (finally) first heard The Trees on the radio back in 1978 and the rest is history. I'm psyched about CA for one reason: Nick R is clearly a fan of elder Rush and so that influence combined with so many great years of experimentation and growth should (IMHO) produce a GREAT Rush album (sorry - still think of them things as 'albums'). I'm thinking it'll be the best of old Rush and new Rush embodied (as opposed to disembodied) in the newest Rush.

What's wrong with calling them "albums". It's not like people have stopped calling them that.

[hem]

I first heard Rush back in the early 80s as a teen (old, yep) and was immediately a fan. I dug back from Signals to the beginning and then bought the next few albums from GUP as they were released.

 

I loved the music, but it was the timing that was important in retrospect. I was 15, enjoying life, new to playing the guitar, probably had a nice girlfriend etc. Rush was part of the soundtrack of those years to me.

 

I lost interest in Rush after Roll the Bones for quite a few years. I had changed. So had the band. I think a lot of us older ones can say, if we are being honest, that most music goes far beyond just the music itself. It is a complete package of everything in our lives at a particular time.

 

Those first few albums I bought (basically Permanent Waves to Grace under Pressure) mean more to me than all the others put together. Are they better? They are for me. But I won't pretend that I am being objective and basing my opinions solely on the music. My feelings are based on a time of which those albums were a part.

 

I'm looking forward to Clockwork Angels because I really do like Caravan. But I don't expect Rush to ever make me feel like I did when I was 15, because I'm not 15 anymore. Except for when I play the albums that I had when I was 15.

 

[GeddyLeeFender]

S & A was released when I was a junior in high school and it holds a special place in my heart as well. Listening to the songs take me back to a very good time in my life, not near as many worries and they only continue to stack as we get older. I hope when CA comes out I will look back at it as I do S & A, as a great time in my life. Either way I am EAGERLY awaiting CA like just thinking of having a new album is insane..very pumped!

[Union 5-3992]

To me, Snakes & Arrows is somewhat new since I only had about 5 songs from it downloaded. So now that I have the entire album, it feels fresh to me.