does HF make you more/less optimistic

[losingit2k]

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ May 1 2012, 05:03 PM)

I think it's too bad that S&A has to bear the slings and arrows of comparison. Not sure why this new album can't just be good/great/awesome without tearing down another by comparison.

I don't think you need to worry! S & A is a great album and will always remain that way! It has strong compositions, Its well mixed. Better than what we've heard from CA so far. much cleaner anyway. I just think its common to compare it to what came first. I actually think they should compare everything to Vapor Trails! Its all up from there!

 

[TheAccountant]

I don't love HF but it is better than BU2B or Caravan so I have to say it makes me slightly more optimistic about the album.

[FountainOfSyrinx]

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ May 1 2012, 12:26 PM)

I'm always optimistic with Rush releases. I'm a fan of all their material, and they always seem to pull through for me, and really don't do wrong IMO. In this case...I love Caravan, love BU2B, and love Headlong Flight. So, I'd say the optimism is right on track.

[snowdog2112]

QUOTE (likeclockwork @ May 1 2012, 11:55 AM)

Most of the remaining songs sound very different from the three songs that have been released to date. There's a much more melodic side to the album that hasn't been seen yet.

I expected this but I think it's going to be shocking to a large group of fans who are excited about CA as of now. I'm glad to hear confirmation (well, taking your word for it) of this even though I love what we've heard so far. I want some variety. But going by the average fan who doesn't keep up with it as much as we do such as people on other music forums, youtube comments, etc., there are a lot of people out there who have this impression that it's going to be an all-out super heavy assault and they're going to be pissed to hear a bunch of mellow songs on it. I hope that doesn't cause a big backlash.

 

 

[laughedatbytime]

I love all three! Definitely makes me more optimistic, after 25 years of mostly disappointment.

[1 of the 7]

No change for me, but that's not a bad thing. I loved Caravan and BU2B and was already stoked for the new album, and Headlong Flight was an affirmation of those feelings.

[Phantom]

One of the things I love most about this forum is the opportunity to read others peoples opinion and learn what they like, or dislike about the band/albums/songs.

 

In fact, I love reading posts about those who feel differently than I do as it helps me step outside of how I hear songs, and helps me " hear " them from another listeners perspective.

 

While I respect those that aren't moved by HLF, I am just totally blown away by the guys playing on this tune in particular. I love what each of them is doing throughout the song. To me, it's pure Rush adrenaline filled playing.

 

Needless to say, having heard it, I've become quite a bit more optimistic ( and I was optimistic to begin with ! ) regarding the album.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Phantom

[Pound of Obscure]

QUOTE (metaldad @ May 1 2012, 01:48 PM)

These 3 songs are a complete upgrade from the shitfest that was S&A

So were most Kenny Roger's records.

[NYM86]

I'll be looking for some stronger melodies in other songs, but for now, the power and ballsiness displayed by HF bodes well for the rest of the album

[Oracle]

You know, I've really tried to keep myself out of these threads. I really can't wait until the new album comes out, but "Headlong Flight"...I just don't know. There's two points I want to bring to the discussion that I feel haven't been looked over thoroughly enough.

 

1. The producing/mixing

 

Seriously? The guys allowed this muck out onto the radio? No offense to them, but this sounds like a 3rd generation tape that was left to melt out in the sun. Sure, there's guitar, but it sounds like it's buried in five feet of mud. What's Alex playing? Did he just say "f**k it" and start playing? Also, what the hell is Neil doing? I can hear the drums, but they sound so distant that it's almost nonexistent. Geddy's bass and vocals sound about right for a Rush album, so there's no complain from me there.

 

As an audiophile and a novice producer, this sounds like absolute crap from a mixing standpoint. The guitar would sound great if it weren't so damn loud in the mix. This is the main problem with the guitar mix in "Headlong Flight": the loudness factor. Did they not learn this lesson during "Vapor Trails"? Neil's drums also suffer, because the volume of the guitar mix highly outweighs that of the drums and low end. I seriously can't believe they could release this demo-sounding version of a great song.

 

2. Instrumentation

 

Alright, I'm a metal fan. That's nothing new. I listen to everything from Bloodbath to Earth to Iron Maiden and I enjoy that Rush is reincorporating metal elements and style into their music. In fact, I think it's great. But "Headlong Flight" just sounds like it's trying too hard when it comes to overall instrumentation and composition. Alex sounds like he's simply playing chords and using as many overdrive pedals as possible. Neil is in the back, probably thinking if he hits a lot of cymbals and uses his kicks, he can sound decent. Geddy actually sounds like he thought out his parts thoroughly. I mean, come on, the ending was absolutely fantastic for Ged, as was the beginning. But Alex and Neil? I could only imagine college students cramming for finals week. Nonetheless, I still respect all three as great musicians, but this is not one of their high points as a band.

 

I'm usually never this critical about music, whether it's standardized pop or experimental mumbo jumbo. But here, I just couldn't help myself. I don't want to say I had high expectations about this single, because I sort of knew what I was going to hear. But this? This was way off base for what I expected. I expected something similar to "Caravan" or "BU2B", but what I heard was "Vapor Trails 2.0". Overall, I'm on the verge of leaning negatively on this song. I only hope that the album turns out better than "Headlong Flight".

[Echoes]

Way more optimistic. With the three songs they've released, CA is already better than S&A and VT.

[tas7]

QUOTE (Oracle @ May 3 2012, 02:34 PM)

You know, I've really tried to keep myself out of these threads. I really can't wait until the new album comes out, but "Headlong Flight"...I just don't know. There's two points I want to bring to the discussion that I feel haven't been looked over thoroughly enough. 1. The producing/mixing Seriously? The guys allowed this muck out onto the radio? No offense to them, but this sounds like a 3rd generation tape that was left to melt out in the sun. Sure, there's guitar, but it sounds like it's buried in five feet of mud. What's Alex playing? Did he just say "f**k it" and start playing? Also, what the hell is Neil doing? I can hear the drums, but they sound so distant that it's almost nonexistent. Geddy's bass and vocals sound about right for a Rush album, so there's no complain from me there. As an audiophile and a novice producer, this sounds like absolute crap from a mixing standpoint. The guitar would sound great if it weren't so damn loud in the mix. This is the main problem with the guitar mix in "Headlong Flight": the loudness factor. Did they not learn this lesson during "Vapor Trails"? Neil's drums also suffer, because the volume of the guitar mix highly outweighs that of the drums and low end. I seriously can't believe they could release this demo-sounding version of a great song. 2. Instrumentation Alright, I'm a metal fan. That's nothing new. I listen to everything from Bloodbath to Earth to Iron Maiden and I enjoy that Rush is reincorporating metal elements and style into their music. In fact, I think it's great. But "Headlong Flight" just sounds like it's trying too hard when it comes to overall instrumentation and composition. Alex sounds like he's simply playing chords and using as many overdrive pedals as possible. Neil is in the back, probably thinking if he hits a lot of cymbals and uses his kicks, he can sound decent. Geddy actually sounds like he thought out his parts thoroughly. I mean, come on, the ending was absolutely fantastic for Ged, as was the beginning. But Alex and Neil? I could only imagine college students cramming for finals week. Nonetheless, I still respect all three as great musicians, but this is not one of their high points as a band. I'm usually never this critical about music, whether it's standardized pop or experimental mumbo jumbo. But here, I just couldn't help myself. I don't want to say I had high expectations about this single, because I sort of knew what I was going to hear. But this? This was way off base for what I expected. I expected something similar to "Caravan" or "BU2B", but what I heard was "Vapor Trails 2.0". Overall, I'm on the verge of leaning negatively on this song. I only hope that the album turns out better than "Headlong Flight".

Totally agree.

[presto123]

QUOTE (Oracle @ May 2 2012, 10:34 PM)

You know, I've really tried to keep myself out of these threads. I really can't wait until the new album comes out, but "Headlong Flight"...I just don't know. There's two points I want to bring to the discussion that I feel haven't been looked over thoroughly enough. 1. The producing/mixing Seriously? The guys allowed this muck out onto the radio? No offense to them, but this sounds like a 3rd generation tape that was left to melt out in the sun. Sure, there's guitar, but it sounds like it's buried in five feet of mud. What's Alex playing? Did he just say "f**k it" and start playing? Also, what the hell is Neil doing? I can hear the drums, but they sound so distant that it's almost nonexistent. Geddy's bass and vocals sound about right for a Rush album, so there's no complain from me there. As an audiophile and a novice producer, this sounds like absolute crap from a mixing standpoint. The guitar would sound great if it weren't so damn loud in the mix. This is the main problem with the guitar mix in "Headlong Flight": the loudness factor. Did they not learn this lesson during "Vapor Trails"? Neil's drums also suffer, because the volume of the guitar mix highly outweighs that of the drums and low end. I seriously can't believe they could release this demo-sounding version of a great song. 2. Instrumentation Alright, I'm a metal fan. That's nothing new. I listen to everything from Bloodbath to Earth to Iron Maiden and I enjoy that Rush is reincorporating metal elements and style into their music. In fact, I think it's great. But "Headlong Flight" just sounds like it's trying too hard when it comes to overall instrumentation and composition. Alex sounds like he's simply playing chords and using as many overdrive pedals as possible. Neil is in the back, probably thinking if he hits a lot of cymbals and uses his kicks, he can sound decent. Geddy actually sounds like he thought out his parts thoroughly. I mean, come on, the ending was absolutely fantastic for Ged, as was the beginning. But Alex and Neil? I could only imagine college students cramming for finals week. Nonetheless, I still respect all three as great musicians, but this is not one of their high points as a band. I'm usually never this critical about music, whether it's standardized pop or experimental mumbo jumbo. But here, I just couldn't help myself. I don't want to say I had high expectations about this single, because I sort of knew what I was going to hear. But this? This was way off base for what I expected. I expected something similar to "Caravan" or "BU2B", but what I heard was "Vapor Trails 2.0". Overall, I'm on the verge of leaning negatively on this song. I only hope that the album turns out better than "Headlong Flight".

Did you buy it or are you going by the steam? Almost everybody who has purchased it says it sounds fabulous and way better than the online versions. Neil is kicking ass on this song. Don't know what you are listening to?

[Tony R]

It's too loud, again. When are they going to understand that they do not need to compete in the loudness wars?

 

[Hatchetaxe&saw]

QUOTE (metaldad @ May 1 2012, 06:48 PM)

These 3 songs are a complete upgrade from the shitfest that was S&A

Sir, you are the Goober of S&A, as opposed to the Goober of S&M......

[Your_Lion]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 1 2012, 05:39 PM)

More optimistic, for sure. (I assume you meant "...about the new album.") I liked "Caravan" a great deal, especially the part with the "Primus" jam, and "BU2B" was pretty good, too. But "Headlong Flight" is a freaking killer! More like that, please.

This

[GernTheFish]

I'm not really any more optimistic than I was before, but HF does confirm that the album will likely have consistent quality. I'm pleasantly surprised that all 3 songs kick so much butt. On average, most Rush albums have about 3 songs I really like. So CA's off to a great start!

[goose]

QUOTE (Alchemical @ May 1 2012, 04:06 PM)

Neutral mostly. Caravan and BU2B are still the superior songs to me. I actually have a hunch that HF will end up being one of my least favorite tracks off of CA.

One of those songs that, at first, is an awesome jam, but with each repeated listen gets less and less intersting? Maybe that will be it for me.

 

Musically there's a lot going on, which will make each listening pure joy. Melody, theme and lyrics will probably get old fast and leave me scratching my head with each listen. So, in a sense for me this is a return to the epic Kings/Hemi era of RUSH.

[goose]

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ May 2 2012, 08:05 PM)

QUOTE (metaldad @ May 1 2012, 01:48 PM) These 3 songs are a complete upgrade from the shitfest that was S&A So were most Kenny Roger's records. Kenny!

[Captain Avatar]

Like others have said here, because of the confusing options, I wasn't really sure what to choose, but, assuming that "yes" means I'm "more optimistic" and "no" means I'm "less optimistic," I went with "no."

 

I feel this way because of three main reasons:

 

1) All of the reports coming from the "listening party" were claiming that it was the best thing since Tom Sawyer and that it had keyboards all over the place, was melodic, and very old school (someone likened it to 1981-1991 thrown into a blender). What emerged was something much more akin to Vapor Trails in sound...my least favorite album.

 

2) Neil, once again, teased us by describing, in one of his blogs, how complex and difficult the drumming was on Clockwork Angels. He said that he wanted it to be his "drumming masterpiece" that would showcase all the stuff that he's learned throughout the years. In particular, he noted "ONE SONG" that was so complex that he had to, for the first time ever, write it down on paper so that he wouldn't get lost in the complexity. I couldn't wait to hear that song, thinking that it would be another Hemispheres-type song (perhaps the title track, Clockwork Angels), but, as it turns out, it's Headlong Flight. So that means that I've already heard the most mind-bending song on Clockwork Angels, and I don't think it's much like how I envisioned it to sound (mind you, I think Neil is playing his tail off on this song, and I'm proud of him for putting so much effort into a song at his age. I was just expecting something different).

 

3) I am a sucker for melody, no matter how heavy or complex a song happens to be. It's why I like, for instance, the song "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica. It's relatively very heavy, but doesn't neglect the melody. Rush used to make me want to sing along with their songs, and want to reply them over and over again, not only because of the inherent complexity, but also because they were just so incredibly melodic. I want to listen to HF over and over again, but after about three listens in a row, my head kind of hurts and I want a break. I miss Alex's arpeggios and creative touches. I'm not a big fan, and haven't been, of his barrage of layered chords pummeling my eardrums.

 

Despite all this criticism, I still like these songs better than most off of S&A, so I'm optimistic that it will be a better album than their last. I guess I was just expecting more than that.

[CrossedSignals]

I've read multiple posts comparing what we've heard of CA so far to Vapor Trails.... but aside from both being on the heavy side, I don't understand that comparison. The mood and feel is entirely different. Edited May 3, 2012 by CrossedSignals

[Oracle]

QUOTE (presto123 @ May 3 2012, 03:26 AM)

QUOTE (Oracle @ May 2 2012, 10:34 PM) You know, I've really tried to keep myself out of these threads. I really can't wait until the new album comes out, but "Headlong Flight"...I just don't know. There's two points I want to bring to the discussion that I feel haven't been looked over thoroughly enough. 1. The producing/mixing Seriously? The guys allowed this muck out onto the radio? No offense to them, but this sounds like a 3rd generation tape that was left to melt out in the sun. Sure, there's guitar, but it sounds like it's buried in five feet of mud. What's Alex playing? Did he just say "f**k it" and start playing? Also, what the hell is Neil doing? I can hear the drums, but they sound so distant that it's almost nonexistent. Geddy's bass and vocals sound about right for a Rush album, so there's no complain from me there. As an audiophile and a novice producer, this sounds like absolute crap from a mixing standpoint. The guitar would sound great if it weren't so damn loud in the mix. This is the main problem with the guitar mix in "Headlong Flight": the loudness factor. Did they not learn this lesson during "Vapor Trails"? Neil's drums also suffer, because the volume of the guitar mix highly outweighs that of the drums and low end. I seriously can't believe they could release this demo-sounding version of a great song. 2. Instrumentation Alright, I'm a metal fan. That's nothing new. I listen to everything from Bloodbath to Earth to Iron Maiden and I enjoy that Rush is reincorporating metal elements and style into their music. In fact, I think it's great. But "Headlong Flight" just sounds like it's trying too hard when it comes to overall instrumentation and composition. Alex sounds like he's simply playing chords and using as many overdrive pedals as possible. Neil is in the back, probably thinking if he hits a lot of cymbals and uses his kicks, he can sound decent. Geddy actually sounds like he thought out his parts thoroughly. I mean, come on, the ending was absolutely fantastic for Ged, as was the beginning. But Alex and Neil? I could only imagine college students cramming for finals week. Nonetheless, I still respect all three as great musicians, but this is not one of their high points as a band. I'm usually never this critical about music, whether it's standardized pop or experimental mumbo jumbo. But here, I just couldn't help myself. I don't want to say I had high expectations about this single, because I sort of knew what I was going to hear. But this? This was way off base for what I expected. I expected something similar to "Caravan" or "BU2B", but what I heard was "Vapor Trails 2.0". Overall, I'm on the verge of leaning negatively on this song. I only hope that the album turns out better than "Headlong Flight". Did you buy it or are you going by the steam? Almost everybody who has purchased it says it sounds fabulous and way better than the online versions. Neil is kicking ass on this song. Don't know what you are listening to? I bought the track because I honestly thought it would be worth the money. I'm almost regretting buying it. Maybe it's because the track is a digital file and the quality is compressed due to iTunes, but this is just what I heard. I've also heard it on the radio a few times and that's only just a tad better than the digital version.   As for Neil's playing, it's alright. I'm not looking for something so majorly complex that even Neil can't remember how to play it, but it sounds like he's got a stick shoved up his backside. It's just so stale, but I applaud how Neil at least brought the performance out to a respectable degree.

[Silas Lang]

QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ May 1 2012, 09:36 PM)

No change for me, but that's not a bad thing. I loved Caravan and BU2B and was already stoked for the new album, and Headlong Flight was an affirmation of those feelings.

Sums up my feelings - no change for me