Unpopular opinions you have about RUSH

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (Gompers @ May 1 2012, 05:42 PM)

QUOTE (danielmclark @ May 1 2012, 06:37 PM) QUOTE (Alchemical @ May 1 2012, 04:33 PM) QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ May 1 2012, 05:05 PM) Oh, and that 2112 is the ONLY Rush album with no skippable songs! What's skippable on Hemispheres? I don't know about him, but for me, The Trees. And Hemispheres, unless I've got 20 minutes to kill or it's just on as background filler. danielmclark   Crucify him! Duck & cover!

[Gompers]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ May 1 2012, 08:04 PM)

QUOTE (Gompers @ May 1 2012, 05:42 PM) QUOTE (danielmclark @ May 1 2012, 06:37 PM) QUOTE (Alchemical @ May 1 2012, 04:33 PM) QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ May 1 2012, 05:05 PM) Oh, and that 2112 is the ONLY Rush album with no skippable songs! What's skippable on Hemispheres? I don't know about him, but for me, The Trees. And Hemispheres, unless I've got 20 minutes to kill or it's just on as background filler. danielmclark   Crucify him! Duck & cover!

[TheAccountant]

QUOTE (Alchemical @ May 1 2012, 05:33 PM)

QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ May 1 2012, 05:05 PM) Oh, and that 2112 is the ONLY Rush album with no skippable songs! What's skippable on Hemispheres? Try Hemispheres. That is skippable (at least compared to the 2nd side of the album).

[Principled Man]

[TheAccountant]

QUOTE (Apollo @ May 1 2012, 02:26 PM)

Honestly does anyone listen to side 2 of 2112 or Fly By Night?

Yes - I do and I like both!! But hey - I am sure there is stuff I would not listen to that you would love. No big deal. To each their own.

[New World Kid]

Old Rush good, new Rush much better.

[PrismEye]

I could stand to NEVER EVER hear anything from Moving Pictures at a Rush concert EVER. Period.

 

[GeddyRulz]

Anyone who thinks Song B is better than Song A isn't a "true Rush fan."

 

Song A has everything that makes Rush Rush. Deep lyrics, time and tempo changes, "progressive" yet hard-rocking... if you can't appreciate Song A, you don't understand what Rush is.

 

True story.

[TheAccountant]

Unpopular Rush opinions to confess:

 

1. I don't like The Fountain of Lamneth

 

2. I don't like The Necromancer

 

3. The song Hemispheres does not do a lot for me. Its ok. Thats all.

 

4. I love the song Tai Shan (more than the above 3 songs)

 

5. I like HYF & Power Windows more than Hemispheres (the album).

 

6. I don't like VT. At all. Well, Ghost Rider is ok.

 

7. Don't like the rap portion of RTB.

 

8. The keyboard era was great.

 

9. S & A was a very good album.

 

10. The more I listen to them, the first 3 songs off the new album don't really thrill me. HF is the exception but it not great. Just has some great instrumental work.

 

11. The lyrics on Faithless and BU2B don't really turn me on. Its fine with me that he feels that way but its just a little to much in my face for my likes. Of course, if the lyrics were religiously the other way I would not be turned on either. Religion / faith / belief / spirituality is just such a personal thing with me that I don't like it getting shoved in my face. Freewill is fine as are a number of their other songs but these 2 went a little to far over for me.

 

12. I don't really like Mal Nar. Its one of the few weak songs on S&A. Even Faithless (see point 11 above) I like more - as a song, even if I have problems with it on an emotional / spiritual / in my face level.

 

13. I like Time Stand Still and Subdivisions more than TS, Limelight, Freewill, The Spirit of Radio, Xanadu and Closer to the Heart.

 

14. I just don't get / like a lot of the movies / videos the group shows during their concerts. Just don't find them funny. I could do without them.

 

15. The set list on the R30 tour did not thrill me. I really was hoping they would play a lot of stuff that had never been played before and / or stuff that had not been played in 20 - 25 years. I felt they played some but not what i had hoped for.

 

16. I have great concerns over the state of Geddy's voice. Listen to Rush in Rio. Then listen to R30. Then listen to S & A Live, then listen to TMT. His voice has gotten much worse over that time. You can cover it up with mixing and multiple takes on an album but live? Yes he is pushing 60 but its been another couple of years since the TMT DVD was filmed. With each of the above shows I think age shows more and more with his voice. Just listen to Rush in Rio and then the TMT DVD. Big change (IMO) and not for the better. I have great concerns as to what we will get when they actually go on the road this time. Hopping for the best but very worried.

 

Their you go - my unpopular Rush opinions.

[FountainOfSyrinx]

Dislike for VT seems more popular than unpopular..

 

Well I love it!

 

 

 

I think a lot of fans are just dumb for hating T4E, it's musically wonderful and lyrically deep.

 

The keyboard era is my favorite.

 

Rush is the most talented band, ever.

 

Time and Motion is underrated, and unappreciated.

 

The Hemispheres album sucks.

 

Just kidding on the above statement.

 

Rush fans can be selfish and too picky.

 

Ultimately, despite all of this, I believe that Rush themselves are unappreciated..

 

 

[1 of the 7]

The synth period is the best and most Rush-y.

 

I love Rivendell, Going Bald, Tears, Madrigal, Entre Nous, Different Strings, Chemistry (hugely underrated), The Body Electric (also underrated), Red Lenses, Second Nature , Anagram, Roll The Bones, Face Up (LOVE LOVE LOVE), Neurotica, Speed Of Love, Half The World, Virtuality, and The Larger Bowl.

 

Tai Shan, High Water, and Superconductor aren't bad.

 

The Trees is a good song, but I don't flip over it like most Rush fans.

 

I think Geddy Lee still has a beautiful voice, and one that I still love to hear. Yes, I know it isn't what it was, but he shouldn't retire yet.

 

And on that note, I better activate my defense system...

 

 

[Gedneil Alpeart]

Geddy looked and sung like a real witch back in the 70s.

[GeddysMullet]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ May 1 2012, 06:37 PM)

QUOTE (Alchemical @ May 1 2012, 04:33 PM) QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ May 1 2012, 05:05 PM) Oh, and that 2112 is the ONLY Rush album with no skippable songs! What's skippable on Hemispheres? I don't know about him, but for me, The Trees. And Hemispheres, unless I've got 20 minutes to kill or it's just on as background filler. For me, The Trees.   And it's "her," not "him"

[danielmclark]

Ooookay. Here we go. Unpopular opinions about Rush. Light the torches, kids.

 

1. Moving Pictures is overrated. Yes, it's a good album. Yes, it's one of their best. But it's not the ultimate Rush experience that you yahoos make it out to be

 

2. Hemispheres is similarly overrated. The Trees is a clumsily written metaphor, and the title track rambles more than it should.

 

3. Jacob's Ladder is a plodding, boring dirge.

 

4. So is Witch Hunt.

 

5. And so is Armor and Sword.

 

6. I actively hope they never play Tom Sawyer in concert again. I can also live without Limelight, Spirit of Radio, Freewill and 2112.

 

7. Speaking of 2112, the plot is overly silly and the writing isn't nearly as tight as I expect from Peart (even in those early years).

 

8. I love it when Neil bashes religion. I honestly do. I think it's hysterical watching people get all apoplectic over the words that this one guy writes, as if it actually impact their lives in the slightest. I would pay twice the price for an album where Neil does nothing but bash religion.

 

9. Presto is one of the best albums they ever did. Top 3. If someone said "best", I wouldn't argue too hard. The production is not too thin or too weak. The production is what it is because it fits the style of the songs. Recording a song like Headlong Flight with Presto's production values would be a mistake. Recording Presto that way was not.

 

10. Same with Roll the Bones (about the production, I mean.)

 

11. (this one isn't necessarily an unpopular opinion, but I gotta say it anyway) Dog Years blows.

 

12. Counterparts is overrated. People praise its heaviness; I think that they sacrificed songwriting in an effort to "get back to their roots" - a move that is almost always a mistake for any band, let alone one that has progressive tendencies.

 

13. Oh yeah... Rush isn't progressive. Never has been. Never will be. They've done some songs that were prog, but saying that Rush is progressive is like saying Led Zeppelin is heavy metal. It's close, a little, but it's not the whole picture.

 

14. Vapor Trails is not the ear bleeding mess that nearly everyone seems to think it is. True enough, it's a little 'hot', but it is not unlistenable, and for probably 95% of anyone that listens to those tunes, it's just fine. The other 5% have high end systems and have trained themselves to hear the things they think the rest of us are crazy for putting up with. Guess what? We don't hear it.

 

15. Waveforms mean jack shit. Yeah, I know I started a waveform thread recently. I deeply regret that because my point - that Headlong Flight was looking and sounding pretty good despite being "too loud" according to some people - was lost.

 

16. I'm actually a very nice guy. Not sure how unpopular a notion that is these days, but I am Oh, that's not about Rush. Here:

 

17. More and more, I'm starting to like the VIP tickets option, even without people knowing where the exact seats are.

 

18. Geddy's voice, live, is fading fast. The vocals on the Time Machine DVD sound terrible. I know he wasn't 100% that night, but I saw them twice on that tour, and he wasn't that much different. Anyone who says he sounds as good as he did even five or six years ago is in serious denial. Studio work still sounds good, but the true test will be the CA tour without all the studio filters and effects.

 

19. Clockwork Angels will probably be their last studio album.

 

20. Based on the strength of the first three songs we've heard, if the rest of CA is as good or better... I won't mind if it's their last studio album. They deserve to call it a day with a solid album if that's what they choose. I'm not saying I think they *should* call it quits, just that if they do, I will not be screaming bloody murder about it.

 

There ya go. 20 unpopular opinions... or 19 at least. Here's one more to make it an even 20 Rush specific opinions:

 

21. Hold Your Fire is solid throughout. Tai Shan and High Water are exceptionally good songs.

[GeddysMullet]

QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ May 1 2012, 09:47 PM)

I think Geddy Lee still has a beautiful voice, and one that I still love to hear. Yes, I know it isn't what it was, but he shouldn't retire yet.

I'm totally with you on this. I absolutely love the way Geddy sings now. I think that what he now lacks in range he makes up for in soul and emotion.

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ May 1 2012, 08:15 PM)

QUOTE (danielmclark @ May 1 2012, 06:37 PM) QUOTE (Alchemical @ May 1 2012, 04:33 PM) QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ May 1 2012, 05:05 PM) Oh, and that 2112 is the ONLY Rush album with no skippable songs! What's skippable on Hemispheres? I don't know about him, but for me, The Trees. And Hemispheres, unless I've got 20 minutes to kill or it's just on as background filler. For me, The Trees.   And it's "her," not "him"   Sorry. I wasn't paying attention to who was quoting who and who I was replying to and all that. My bad

[ColdFireYYZ]

The videos during live concerts don't do too much for me.

 

Neil's drum solo should be shorter (no electronics/big band).

 

A lot of fans complain that they release too many live albums. I like that because I have the option to buy an official release if I wanted to.

 

Virtuality is great.

 

I like their cover of The Seeker.

 

Ghost Rider and Sweet Miracle are my favorites from VT, and Earthshine doesn't do much for me.

 

I like In The Mood, and the rest of the debut.

 

Signals is their best album and I like Chemistry and Countdown.

 

I think Geddy's best vocals are from the mid 80's - early 90's.

 

Geddy's vocals still sound good in the studio but he does struggle live.

[P-Tor]

Here are some of my unpopular opinions:

 

- Many people around here seem to love Counterparts, but I think it's one of their weakest albums and the songs are mostly forgettable.

 

- T4E is an excellent album. I don't get the hate most people have for this album.

 

- S&A is an awesome album. Again, I don't get all the hate.

 

- I think Red Sector A is an awesome live song. I know it's not a popular opinion but I hope they bring it back.

 

- I wouldn't miss TSOR if they retired it from the setlist. Same for Working Man.

 

 

[PolarizeMe]

QUOTE (TheAccountant @ May 1 2012, 08:30 PM)

7.  Don't like the rap portion of RTB. 8.  The keyboard era was great. 9.  S & A was a very good album. 15.  The set list on the R30 tour did not thrill me.  I really was hoping they would play a lot of stuff that had never been played before and / or stuff that had not been played in 20 - 25 years.  I felt they played some but not what i had hoped for. 16.  I have great concerns over the state of Geddy's voice.  Listen to Rush in Rio.  Then listen to R30.  Then listen to S & A Live, then listen to TMT.  His voice has gotten much worse over that time.  You can cover it up with mixing and multiple takes on an album but live?  Yes he is pushing 60 but its been another couple of years since the TMT DVD was filmed.  With each of the above shows I think age shows more and more with his voice.  Just listen to Rush in Rio and then the TMT DVD.  Big change (IMO) and not for the better.  I have great concerns as to what we will get when they actually go on the road this time.  Hopping for the best but very worried.

Thoseare the ones I agree with.

 

I used to tolerate the rap on Roll The Bones....until I saw the music video for it.....totally f**ked up my views of the song permanently.

 

While I generally liked the R30 setlist, it had a lot of missed opportunities...they could've replaced some of the songs that were also on the VT Tour setlist with deeper cuts (ex: replace La Villa with Hemispheres; Red Sector A with Kid Gloves, etc). Same thing applies to the TM Tour.

 

Regarding #16, I thought his vocals sounded fantastic on RiR It might not have had the best mix out of the live albums since, but I think vocally and performance wise, it's the best live album post Different Stages. I thought it was just me being an audiophile and thinking that Geddy's voice sounded...a bit forced on staples like The Spirit of Radio in between RiR and R30, although I still like R30. And it was even more so between R30 and S&A Live. He improved in some places on TMT, but not as great as RiR and R30

 

Here's some of my unpopular opinions about Rush....

 

1. I think Where's My Thing? is a fantastic instrumental and I think it's better than Leave That Thing Alone in the sense that's its a busier tune than LTTA. It's even better live and should be brought back into the set one day.

 

2. I think Counterparts is a top 5 Rush album and unquestionably, the best 90s Rush album. If I gave Counterparts a 10 or 9, the albums after it rank between a distant 7 and 8.

 

3. I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but even with the albums that don't really do much for me (first album is the biggest culprit), I still listen to them straight through hoping that something will click each time I listen. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, others take a long time before they click (T4E, HYF, and Presto are good examples)

 

4. Power Windows is the best synth era album; better than Signals.

 

5. I thought Geddy's vocals on Red Barchetta on the S&A Live DVD was cringe worthy. IDK if it's just my speakers or it's Geddy. At least he sounded somewhat good on R30, and he can never top the performance on ESL. His vocals on that song get progressively worse and worse as time flies.

 

6. I actually liked his raccoon skin hat hair look, and also liked his hairstyle from the Presto era.

 

7. I actually love the fact that Animate is played at a slower tempo live. IDK, but for me, it adds more heaviness to it on top of the heaviness it already had on the studio version. I love the R30 arrangement more than the one on Different Stages.

 

8. Bravest Face is the best song off of S&A. The Way The Wind Blows is a close second.

 

9. I think 2112 sounds better detuned than the original tuning.

 

10. The "unpopular" Rush songs on most albums I like. Madrigal, Different Stings, Chemistry, Countdown, Losing It, Red Lenses, Second Nature, War Paint, The Big Wheel, Heresy, You Bet Your Life, The Speed of Love, Everyday Glory, Dog Years, Totem, How it Is, and Bravest Face are some examples.

[danielmclark]

22. I liked Feedback and wouldn't mind if they did it again. I'm not holding my breath or anything, but I wouldn't complain.

[Slack jaw gaze]

Vapor Trails > 2112

S&A > 2112

 

They should not play all of 2112 live. What they play is the right choice.

 

BU2B, Faithless, Free Will are spot on lyrically.

 

Roll the Bones is an excellent live song.

 

 

 

[Mr. JD]

Edited May 2, 2012 by johndyar

[Animate]

I dislike all live versions of 2112 (except ATWAS) and wish they stopped playing it live 30 years ago

 

I hope the CA tour has only songs from VT, Feedback, S&A, and CA

 

Cygnus X-1 is better than Hemispheres

 

Narration in the science fiction and fantasy themed Rush songs only makes them cooler.

 

 

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (TheAccountant @ May 1 2012, 06:30 PM)

16. I have great concerns over the state of Geddy's voice. Listen to Rush in Rio. Then listen to R30. Then listen to S & A Live, then listen to TMT. His voice has gotten much worse over that time. You can cover it up with mixing and multiple takes on an album but live? Yes he is pushing 60 but its been another couple of years since the TMT DVD was filmed. With each of the above shows I think age shows more and more with his voice. Just listen to Rush in Rio and then the TMT DVD. Big change (IMO) and not for the better. I have great concerns as to what we will get when they actually go on the road this time. Hopping for the best but very worried.

Ah yes, I forgot about this one!

 

21. Geddy's voice is deteriorating rapidly live, and maybe it's time to call it quits. Some material on live albums / DVD's in recent years, as well as some recent bootlegs is really pretty painful and embarrassing. It's a shame, as otherwise the boys are playing at the top of their game, but this is the one element that's keeping them from sounding like the consummate professionals they are. Doing another tour is pushing it. Anything beyond that, and I think his voice is going to go beyond the point where even the diehards who don't seem to notice or care will start to notice and care. Obviously he can still pull off being of good voice in the studio with being able to do multiple takes, getting enough rest and breaks, etc.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ May 1 2012, 07:18 PM)

Ooookay. Here we go. Unpopular opinions about Rush. Light the torches, kids. 1. Moving Pictures is overrated. Yes, it's a good album. Yes, it's one of their best. But it's not the ultimate Rush experience that you yahoos make it out to be 2. Hemispheres is similarly overrated. The Trees is a clumsily written metaphor, and the title track rambles more than it should. 3. Jacob's Ladder is a plodding, boring dirge. 4. So is Witch Hunt. 5. And so is Armor and Sword. 7. Speaking of 2112, the plot is overly silly and the writing isn't nearly as tight as I expect from Peart (even in those early years). 8. I love it when Neil bashes religion. I honestly do. I think it's hysterical watching people get all apoplectic over the words that this one guy writes, as if it actually impact their lives in the slightest. I would pay twice the price for an album where Neil does nothing but bash religion. 9. Presto is one of the best albums they ever did. Top 3. If someone said "best", I wouldn't argue too hard. The production is not too thin or too weak. The production is what it is because it fits the style of the songs. Recording a song like Headlong Flight with Presto's production values would be a mistake. Recording Presto that way was not. 10. Same with Roll the Bones (about the production, I mean.) 12. Counterparts is overrated. People praise its heaviness; I think that they sacrificed songwriting in an effort to "get back to their roots" - a move that is almost always a mistake for any band, let alone one that has progressive tendencies. 13. Oh yeah... Rush isn't progressive. Never has been. Never will be. They've done some songs that were prog, but saying that Rush is progressive is like saying Led Zeppelin is heavy metal. It's close, a little, but it's not the whole picture. 14. Vapor Trails is not the ear bleeding mess that nearly everyone seems to think it is. True enough, it's a little 'hot', but it is not unlistenable, and for probably 95% of anyone that listens to those tunes, it's just fine. The other 5% have high end systems and have trained themselves to hear the things they think the rest of us are crazy for putting up with. Guess what? We don't hear it. 15. Waveforms mean jack shit. Yeah, I know I started a waveform thread recently. I deeply regret that because my point - that Headlong Flight was looking and sounding pretty good despite being "too loud" according to some people - was lost. 19. Clockwork Angels will probably be their last studio album. 20. Based on the strength of the first three songs we've heard, if the rest of CA is as good or better... I won't mind if it's their last studio album. They deserve to call it a day with a solid album if that's what they choose. I'm not saying I think they *should* call it quits, just that if they do, I will not be screaming bloody murder about it. There ya go. 20 unpopular opinions... or 19 at least. Here's one more to make it an even 20 Rush specific opinions: 21. Hold Your Fire is solid throughout. Tai Shan and High Water are exceptionally good songs.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/60363010_2265cd07e5.jpg

 

Burn the witch!

 

Man, so much of what you said I seriously disagree with, at least the ones I quoted above! At least I didn't disagree with you being a nice guy. You are. Opinions have nothing to do with being a nice person - hopefully most people can see that.