Could the Rush from "Rush"

[Captain Avatar]

I put the "Headlong Flight" MP3 on my ipod, and it is the first song in my "Rush" playlist. Immediately after it ends, because the rest follows in chronological order, "Finding My Way" comes on. The difference, to my ears, is astounding.

 

When I hear both songs back-to-back, it's almost hard to believe that it's the same band...except for Geddy's voice, which is unbelievably still so strong that he sounds eerily familiar after all these years. He never ceases to amaze me.

 

Anyway, the point I'm making is that the band seems to have grown so monumentally since recording "Rush" that I don't think that original lineup could even play, much less create, something like "Headlong Flight."

 

I don't see this kind of growth from a lot of other bands.

 

Rush rules.

 

[The K Man]

Not sure I'd call Geddy's voice "unbelievably still so strong," since he can't do a lot of what he used to do, and he struggles a lot live nowadays, but there is no denying that Rush is still doing pretty damn well considering their ages and how long they have been around.

[GangsterOnBoats]

Technically speaking, I think the Rush from the first album could easily have performed a song like BU2B because of its simplistic 4 chord nature, but Headlong Flight is certainly more of a challenge. Heaviness wise, its a different story because it would have been near impossible to get music as heavy as theirs is now back then.

 

Also, Have you noticed that taking any one Rush album out from the chronology makes their timeline of albums senseless? Its really amazing to see that each album truly is a stepping stone, for instance, how could you go from Hemispheres to Moving Pictures without Permanent Waves? Or how could you go from Roll the Bones to Test For Echo without Counterparts? The only one that I notice seems to be the weirdest jump Is from Grace to Power Windows. The sheer sadness and thematic-ness of Grace under pressure is a sharp contrast to the "happy" sounding Power Windows.

[losingit2k]

No, John Rutsey could not do those fills that Neil has laid down!

 

 

As fo for the other two instruments, I can see Alex and Ged pulling it off. Much of it sounds like Working Man stuff anyway!

 

Neil is the only factor, when it comes down to playing it in the past!

 

[drbirdsong]

The Rush from "Rush" may have had the chops to try a cover version, but they could never have written a song like Headlong Flight.

[GeddyLeefan2112]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Apr 28 2012, 11:38 PM)

The Rush from "Rush" may have had the chops to try a cover version, but they could never have written a song like Headlong Flight.

[trenken]

Not sure if Rutsey could pull off some of what Neil does, although he was a decent drummer. I havent really seen enough from him to know if he could or not, but I definitely believe 21 year old Geddy and Alex could play all the music on HF.

 

FBN only came out a short while later and there's stuff on there that equal everything those 2 are doing in HF so obviously they had the ability.

 

Neither of them are doing anything particularly difficult in HF. Now if you asked me if 21 year old Geddy could play some of the bass parts on Power Windows, or some of the early 80s stuff, hell no. Didn't have the jazz style skills at that time to pull off some of those bass lines, but he doesn't really play like that anymore.

 

That quick little bass run at the tail end of the Weapon, no way could he do anything like that then, but he doesnt play anything even remotely close to as fast on HF so he could play this then.

[GeddyRulz]

The 19-21 year-old Geddy, Alex, and Neil could NOT play something like "Headlong Flight" much less write something like it.

 

They could play a few flashy runs, but were mostly players in the blues-rock tradition of Cream and early Zeppelin. They were still learning their chops.

[trenken]

Edited April 29, 2012 by trenken

[Captain Avatar]

[NYM86]

Nope, Headlong Flight shows a lot of musical polish and smoothness that they just didn't have back then.

[rushgoober]

Whether or not the Rush of 1974 had the technical chops to play HF (probably not) isn't really the issue for me. Yes, Rush have grown in terms of musicianship, but that said, I enjoy the material from the first album A LOT more than HF - the songs are just looser and more fun. That's why I love the first album so much - it's fun, loose and it rocks - that's what makes it better than a lot of other Rush albums, even taking into consideration a better drummer and more mature lyrics.

 

There's so much to be said for melody, energy and out of control over-the-top guitar solos. Maybe Alex could play the brief wah-wah solo in 1974, maybe not, but stack that against the epic solo in Working Man or the guitar work on most of their debut, and their debut wins in a landslide. Geddy might not have been able to do the complex bass lines in 1974, Rutsey definitely wouldn't have been able to do Neil's drum work. Still, those songs from the debut album are simply far more enjoyable to me than Headlong Flight, even though it is a very good song.

[drbirdsong]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 29 2012, 02:24 PM)

Whether or not the Rush of 1974 had the technical chops to play HF (probably not) isn't really the issue for me. Yes, Rush have grown in terms of musicianship, but that said, I enjoy the material from the first album A LOT more than HF - the songs are just looser and more fun. That's why I love the first album so much - it's fun, loose and it rocks - that's what makes it better than a lot of other Rush albums, even taking into consideration a better drummer and more mature lyrics. There's so much to be said for melody, energy and out of control over-the-top guitar solos. Maybe Alex could play the brief wah-wah solo in 1974, maybe not, but stack that against the epic solo in Working Man or the guitar work on most of their debut, and their debut wins in a landslide. Geddy might not have been able to do the complex bass lines in 1974, Rutsey definitely wouldn't have been able to do Neil's drum work. Still, those songs from the debut album are simply far more enjoyable to me than Headlong Flight, even though it is a very good song.

 

 

Can you imagine the young Alex trying to restrain himself to such a short and concise solo? Never.

[WCFIELDS]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 29 2012, 01:24 PM)

Whether or not the Rush of 1974 had the technical chops to play HF (probably not) isn't really the issue for me. Yes, Rush have grown in terms of musicianship, but that said, I enjoy the material from the first album A LOT more than HF - the songs are just looser and more fun. That's why I love the first album so much - it's fun, loose and it rocks - that's what makes it better than a lot of other Rush albums, even taking into consideration a better drummer and more mature lyrics. There's so much to be said for melody, energy and out of control over-the-top guitar solos. Maybe Alex could play the brief wah-wah solo in 1974, maybe not, but stack that against the epic solo in Working Man or the guitar work on most of their debut, and their debut wins in a landslide. Geddy might not have been able to do the complex bass lines in 1974, Rutsey definitely wouldn't have been able to do Neil's drum work. Still, those songs from the debut album are simply far more enjoyable to me than Headlong Flight, even though it is a very good song.

I agree with this. With the exception that you like HF a little more than me.....

[Czarcasm]

QUOTE (GangsterOnBoats @ Apr 28 2012, 01:25 PM)

Technically speaking, I think the Rush from the first album could easily have performed a song like BU2B because of its simplistic 4 chord nature, but Headlong Flight is certainly more of a challenge. Heaviness wise, its a different story because it would have been near impossible to get music as heavy as theirs is now back then. Also, Have you noticed that taking any one Rush album out from the chronology makes their timeline of albums senseless? Its really amazing to see that each album truly is a stepping stone, for instance, how could you go from Hemispheres to Moving Pictures without Permanent Waves? Or how could you go from Roll the Bones to Test For Echo without Counterparts? The only one that I notice seems to be the weirdest jump Is from Grace to Power Windows. The sheer sadness and thematic-ness of Grace under pressure is a sharp contrast to the "happy" sounding Power Windows.

You could easily remove P/G and it would still make sense with their chronology. The jump from Signals to Power Windows seems feasible, if there was a 3 year gap between albums. They just intensified the keyboards and got a new producer. The positive sound from Signals would just become stronger on PW.

 

You could also remove Test For Echo, as strange as that sounds. Or even VT. Is the jump from Test for Echo to SnA that large? Both have a mixed collection of songs.(Some good some bad) And the albums also have a mix of styles on them. The rest you're 100% correct about though.

[rummut71]

I feel as though we need some more Headlong Flight threads... Last time I thought this, people cried.

[Snyder80]

I was tempted to say no until I remind myself that their second album contained a not too easy track entitled By-Tor and the Snow Dog. And that my song, my friends, is no cake walk.

 

However, I don't believe their writing style was quite there. Chops wise, I truly believe they could have played it.

 

Remember, these guys wrote La Villa Strangiato in their mid-20s.

[The K Man]

QUOTE (drbirdsong @ Apr 29 2012, 06:46 PM)

Can you imagine the young Alex trying to restrain himself to such a short and concise solo? Never.

Yes. Plenty of Alex's solos on those early records were short and concise. Making Memories, anyone?

[Gilbertk]

Yes. I have no doubts they could've played it. Could they have written it? Of course not. They're writing abilities have evolved over time and what they right now has 40 years of influence behind it.

 

Something I always wonder is would they like their music if they heard it then? Go back to '74 and play Lerxst and Drik anything off of S&A or CA. Would they have enjoyed it or believed that they would one day write it?

 

 

[Captain Avatar]

So I guess all of you who are saying "I have no doubt that they could have played it" are referring not only to Geddy and Alex but Rutsey as well?

 

[Phantom]

QUOTE (Captain Avatar @ Apr 30 2012, 06:39 PM)

So I guess all of you who are saying "I have no doubt that they could have played it" are referring not only to Geddy and Alex but Rutsey as well?

Rest in Peace Rutsey, but I'm not certain he had the kind of chops needed to play Neil's drum part in Headlong Flight. Alex and Ged, they'd have been able to play that for sure.

[snowdogged]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Apr 29 2012, 02:24 PM)

Whether or not the Rush of 1974 had the technical chops to play HF (probably not) isn't really the issue for me. Yes, Rush have grown in terms of musicianship, but that said, I enjoy the material from the first album A LOT more than HF - the songs are just looser and more fun. That's why I love the first album so much - it's fun, loose and it rocks - that's what makes it better than a lot of other Rush albums, even taking into consideration a better drummer and more mature lyrics. There's so much to be said for melody, energy and out of control over-the-top guitar solos. Maybe Alex could play the brief wah-wah solo in 1974, maybe not, but stack that against the epic solo in Working Man or the guitar work on most of their debut, and their debut wins in a landslide. Geddy might not have been able to do the complex bass lines in 1974, Rutsey definitely wouldn't have been able to do Neil's drum work. Still, those songs from the debut album are simply far more enjoyable to me than Headlong Flight, even though it is a very good song.

[madra sneachta]

There's another factor which can't be ignored. Production.

 

Nick Raskulinecz is bringing his production values to the piece, aided by huge leaps in terms of the mixing and editing facilities available in the studio.

 

I've always believed that central to Rush's longevity has been a willingness to embrace new technology, and treat it as an opportunity rather than a threat. Back then, they had analogue recording facilities with which they and Broon could work wonders.

 

Now, they have access to digital equipment, compression, vocal layering, and they use it to its potential, particularly in terms of Geddy's vocals.

 

Could the Rush of '74 have played the notes?. Yes.

 

Could they have recorded Headlong Flight? NO.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (madra sneachta @ May 4 2012, 09:28 AM)

There's another factor which can't be ignored. Production. Nick Raskulinecz is bringing his production values to the piece, aided by huge leaps in terms of the mixing and editing facilities available in the studio. I've always believed that central to Rush's longevity has been a willingness to embrace new technology, and treat it as an opportunity rather than a threat. Back then, they had analogue recording facilities with which they and Broon could work wonders. Now, they have access to digital equipment, compression, vocal layering, and they use it to its potential, particularly in terms of Geddy's vocals. Could the Rush of '74 have played the notes?. Yes. Could they have recorded Headlong Flight? NO.

Understood, but I'll take very good production with fantastic material over fantastic production with very good material any day of the week, month, year or decade.