Rush Headlong Flight VS Astra Barefoot in the Head

[Snaked]

QUOTE (druid13 @ Apr 24 2012, 02:42 PM)

Actually it sounded to me like: Tales from Topographic Crimson Red Ostrich Testicles VI

Thats pretty much it.

 

 

Been there, done that.

Got the t-shirts.

[They Bow Defeated]

QUOTE (presto123 @ Apr 22 2012, 05:01 PM)

Goober I don't understand your thinking sometimes. It's like you are doing anything you can to discredit anything that comes off of CA. Just admit it is a great Rush song and captures their classic mojo in a lot of respects.

Just remember, Rushgoober is the world's most pessimistic, glass-half-empty Rush fan (seemingly). Rush could release Hemispheres Book III with Terry Brown, and he would find something to hate about it.

 

The first part of that Astra video (Bull Torpis ???) was actually pretty cool. But the rest was just recycled Pink Floyd, including a near-direct ripoff of Have A Cigar. There was some cool melloton, trippy guitar, and a nice build at the end, but nothing very adventurous musically, just a slow 4/4 beat for 9+ minutes.

 

But at least it was better than those terrible Mars Volta clips Trenken posted when bashing HF.

 

 

 

[ColdFireYYZ]

I love Astra but I have to go with Headlong Flight. Quake Meat is my favorite track from The Black Chord and its about tied with HF for me.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (They Bow Defeated @ Apr 24 2012, 03:49 PM)

QUOTE (presto123 @ Apr 22 2012, 05:01 PM) Goober I don't understand your thinking sometimes. It's like you are doing anything you can to discredit anything that comes off of CA. Just admit it is a great Rush song and captures their classic mojo in a lot of respects. Just remember, Rushgoober is the world's most pessimistic, glass-half-empty Rush fan (seemingly). Rush could release Hemispheres Book III with Terry Brown, and he would find something to hate about it. Not true! I liked or loved more than half of S&A!   Seriously, I don't dislike something or only like and not love something just to be stylish or to to maintain some kind of consistency based upon what anyone else might expect of me in terms of reactions, I'm just giving my honest assessments. If it's great, I will love it. I WANT to love every Rush song and every Rush album, but I also can't force what isn't there.

Edited April 24, 2012 by rushgoober

[losingit2k]

Check your messages Goober! Anyway, This is the wrong place for this thread, No way Astra will get a fair shake against Rush at TRF!

 

No that said, I love "The BLack Chord" I hear alot of early Pink Floyd (Obscured by Clouds, Animal) on that disk, Much improvement from the first one! I haven't stopped listening to it. It's one of the cd's that going to allow me to get to he release of CA without going insane, The others are "Flying Colours", "Adrenaline Mob" and the new "the Mars Volta"!

 

Goober you should really check out "Flying Colours" I really think you'll like it!

 

[They Bow Defeated]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 24 2012, 06:41 PM)

QUOTE (They Bow Defeated @ Apr 24 2012, 03:49 PM) QUOTE (presto123 @ Apr 22 2012, 05:01 PM) Goober I don't understand your thinking sometimes. It's like you are doing anything you can to discredit anything that comes off of CA. Just admit it is a great Rush song and captures their classic mojo in a lot of respects. Just remember, Rushgoober is the world's most pessimistic, glass-half-empty Rush fan (seemingly). Rush could release Hemispheres Book III with Terry Brown, and he would find something to hate about it. Not true! I liked or loved more than half of S&A!   Seriously, I don't dislike something or only like and not love something just to be stylish or to to maintain some kind of consistency based upon what anyone else might expect of me in terms of reactions, I'm just giving my honest assessments. If it's great, I will love it. I WANT to love every Rush song and every Rush album, but I also can't force what isn't there. Sorry, I don't think you're a hater, but you do strike me as the eternal pessimist. You seemed to like HF at first, now seem to be talking yourself into not liking it. You've been talking for weeks about how you were probably going to be dissapointed with CA, and now sure enough it comes to pass.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (They Bow Defeated @ Apr 24 2012, 07:22 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 24 2012, 06:41 PM) QUOTE (They Bow Defeated @ Apr 24 2012, 03:49 PM) QUOTE (presto123 @ Apr 22 2012, 05:01 PM) Goober I don't understand your thinking sometimes. It's like you are doing anything you can to discredit anything that comes off of CA. Just admit it is a great Rush song and captures their classic mojo in a lot of respects. Just remember, Rushgoober is the world's most pessimistic, glass-half-empty Rush fan (seemingly). Rush could release Hemispheres Book III with Terry Brown, and he would find something to hate about it. Not true! I liked or loved more than half of S&A!   Seriously, I don't dislike something or only like and not love something just to be stylish or to to maintain some kind of consistency based upon what anyone else might expect of me in terms of reactions, I'm just giving my honest assessments. If it's great, I will love it. I WANT to love every Rush song and every Rush album, but I also can't force what isn't there. Sorry, I don't think you're a hater, but you do strike me as the eternal pessimist. You seemed to like HF at first, now seem to be talking yourself into not liking it. You've been talking for weeks about how you were probably going to be dissapointed with CA, and now sure enough it comes to pass. I might come off that way if you focus on some things I say, but in reality I'm far from pessimistic.   Anyway, I do very much like HF, I just don't love it.

[Tommy Sawyer]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 24 2012, 02:33 PM)

Alright, I guess I started this thread to highlight the deficiencies I'm finding in Headlong Flight, and how a modern day song (by a band that is truly prog) blows Rush out of the water, at least IMHO, even though obviously the songs have little to do with each other - I guess that's kind of the point. I LIKE Headlong Flight, but compared to Astra and some other modern retro groups people are introducing me to (like Wobbler), Rush songs just seem so structured and constricted.  They weren't always like that, the songs had a lot more room to breathe, had more range, more light and shade, were less repetitive, etc.  It's very good within the structure, as long as I don't get disappointed that it never really breaks out of the structure, and that for as great instrumentation as there is, in the end it's really pretty straight ahead hard rock, though done very well.

I very much enjoyed the Astra, and will look into buying that album.

 

However, I think part of your problem is this: How old are the members of Astra? What will Astra be doing in 20 years? From the fact that Astra started in 2001 and pictures, I would guess they are about 30, right? When Rush was 30, they were recording Moving Pictures, which I am sure you would agree is better than whatever Astra has put out.

 

The Wobblers? According to Wikipedia, their keyboard player was born in 1981, putting him at 31 years old. At that age, Rush was releasing Grace Under Pressure, right?

 

 

See the problem? There isn't really a good comparison because as much as we'd like to forget it, Geddy, Neil, and Alex are 59 years old and they just aren't as purely awesome as they once were (at songwriting and such).

 

 

Just my take.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Tommy Sawyer

[Shreddy Lee]

QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Apr 24 2012, 10:27 PM)

Geddy, Neil, and Alex are 59 years old and they just aren't as purely awesome as they once were (at songwriting and such).

Couldn't disagree more on that point. Based on the Time Machine tour, they're currently playing as well as (or better than) they ever have, and in my opinion, Caravan, BU2B and Headlong Flight all greatly surpass the songs they were putting out in, say, the mid 80's to 90's, in terms of songwriting and everything else. If those three are any indication of what CA will be, I truly think it will be one of the best albums they've ever made. As has been said, most bands at this point in their career would be mellowing out, if they were even still making new material at all. For them to be nearly 60 and going in this direction, rocking so hard and playing so well, is pretty damn awesome. The way I see it, they've only gotten better as time goes on.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Shreddy Lee

[rushgoober]

Edited April 25, 2012 by rushgoober

[Tommy Sawyer]

[druid13]

I don't really have anything against the Astra tune....other than it sounds pretty reminicent of much other stuff I have heard...

 

that is why I can't really call that progressive.

 

I think Mars Volta is very progressive...nothing sound like them and while they can be a headache inducer at times they really are doing their own thing and pushing the envelope too.

 

having said all that what Astra is doing isn't bad...look at how many other genres you have bands playing essentially the same thing that has always been done in their genre. ( Blues, Metal, etc) I ffact I read something recently wiht Derick Roddy who now plays DW who feels NOTHING new is happeneing in metal and has not for a long time...blast beats really fast ...but then what?

 

So if you as a bandmember like playing 70s prog stuff....go for it I say!

[trenken]

Ive never hear of that band Astra before, but after listening to that long ass song they are very clearly a Pink Floyd ripoff, which is making that song sound extremely dated. It sounds like it was put out in the 70s. Not a fan.

[Rush Cocky]

While I don't share trenken's pessimism, I gave the song a chance and I listened to the last 3 minutes as you said.

 

Yeah, it's very much Pink Floyd, and I'm not a Floyd fan, so this is an easy choice.

 

And the last 3 minutes? Reminded me of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"

 

It's a decent song, still better than most crap out there today, but it's no "Headlong Flight".

[rushgoober]

Interestingly, 7 other people besides myself voted for Astra, but no one so far has admitted to it publicly, or stated why they prefer it!

 

Thtat's actually not a bad showing considering this they're up against Rush on a Rush board.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

These two songs are so different that I don't see the point in comparing them. But we're talking about Goob here, and I suspect this is one of his shrewd marketing ploys -- he's getting exposure for the Astra song by comparing it to the brand new Rush song, even though he's aware they sound nothing alike. Shameless Goob Marketing!

 

This little stunt did get me to listen to the Astra song though, and I did like it (though I won't be buying the CD). But "Headlong" is more my speed.

 

And BTW Goob, I suspect the seven people who voted for Astra are the same people who always bitch and moan about new "non-melodic" Rush while hopelessly pining for Hemispheres II. Take it with a grain of salt.

Edited April 25, 2012 by 1-0-0-1-0-0-1

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Apr 25 2012, 10:00 AM)

These two songs are so different that I don't see the point in comparing them. But we're talking about Goob here, and I suspect this is one of his shrew marketing ploys -- he's getting exposure for the Astra song by comparing it to the brand new Rush song, even though he's aware they sound nothing alike. Shameless Goob Marketing!

Who, ME????

 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 25 2012, 01:03 PM)

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Apr 25 2012, 10:00 AM) These two songs are so different that I don't see the point in comparing them. But we're talking about Goob here, and I suspect this is one of his shrew marketing ploys -- he's getting exposure for the Astra song by comparing it to the brand new Rush song, even though he's aware they sound nothing alike. Shameless Goob Marketing! Who, ME????

[Merely Space]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Apr 25 2012, 12:00 PM)

These two songs are so different that I don't see the point in comparing them. But we're talking about Goob here, and I suspect this is one of his shrew marketing ploys -- he's getting exposure for the Astra song by comparing it to the brand new Rush song, even though he's aware they sound nothing alike. Shameless Goob Marketing! This little stunt did get me to listen to the Astra song though, and I did like it (though I won't be buying the CD). But "Headlong" is more my speed. And BTW Goob, I suspect the seven people who voted for Astra are the same people who always bitch and moan about new "non-melodic" Rush while hopelessly pining for Hemispheres II. Take it with a grain of salt.

"Shrew marketing ploy?"

 

Goobs sells shrews?

 

I want one!

 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

[canadianice]

Put Asstra in the Zune player, and did not even finish the album. It has now been deleted.

[They Bow Defeated]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 25 2012, 03:56 AM)

That said, is Moving Pictures necessarily a better album than the two Astra  have made?

ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY!!! Easiest answer ever, based on several Youtube listens.

 

Are you somehow connected with Astra?

 

 

[rushgoober]

[treeduck]

I'd have to hear both in proper context, ie on my stereo. So far I've only heard Headlong Flight on my laptop. It has admittedly good speakers, but they are NOTHING, I mean NOTHING, not even a dust mote compared to a mountain, in comparison to my stereo. Far cry for instance sounded way different once I got the album and stuck on my Technics...

[Rush Cocky]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Apr 25 2012, 01:00 PM)

Shameless Goob Marketing!

I'm sensing a new member title here.......