Headlong Flight Opinions 3 Weeks Later

[driventotheedge]

It replays in my head a lot, has since I first heard it. I like it at least as much as on first listen, and maybe more. I listen to it around one or two times per day. Oh, and I really like the heaviness. Edited May 8, 2012 by driventotheedge

[presto123]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 8 2012, 03:05 PM)

I didn't start this thread to prove this particular point, as honestly I had no idea what the results would be, but so far one thing is interesting. Only 1/3rd of the people who've heard this like the song as much as when they first heard it - everyone else either likes it more or likes it less. I would imagine if you conducted this poll in 6 months or a year, it would be even less than 1/3rd who held the same opinion as their initial one. It just goes to show that initial impressions aren't worth that much, and I would also apply that to people reviewing the album. There's just something that happens after hearing a song or album a couple dozen times spaced out over a 6 month or 1 year period that doesn't happen after 1 or 5 or 10 excited listens within the first week of release.

Why do you always have an agenda with your posts to take down the CA material a notch. Suddenly everybody's opinion is not exactly valid because we are all listening with fresh ears. You small group of posters that don't like CA material all that much continue to shout the loudest like you will change our minds or something. Not going to happen.

[Presto-digitation]

I like it about the same, the big difference is just getting to KNOW the song...anticipating what's next, etc. The song definitely seems SHORTER to me now.

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (presto123 @ May 8 2012, 03:15 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 8 2012, 03:05 PM) I didn't start this thread to prove this particular point, as honestly I had no idea what the results would be, but so far one thing is interesting. Only 1/3rd of the people who've heard this like the song as much as when they first heard it - everyone else either likes it more or likes it less.  I would imagine if you conducted this poll in 6 months or a year, it would be even less than 1/3rd who held the same opinion as their initial one. It just goes to show that initial impressions aren't worth that much, and I would also apply that to people reviewing the album.  There's just something that happens after hearing a song or album a couple dozen times spaced out over a 6 month or 1 year period that doesn't happen after 1 or 5 or 10 excited listens within the first week of release. Why do you always have an agenda with your posts to take down the CA material a notch. Suddenly everybody's opinion is not exactly valid because we are all listening with fresh ears. You small group of posters that don't like CA material all that much continue to shout the loudest like you will change our minds or something. Not going to happen.   QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 8 2012, 03:05 PM) I didn't start this thread to prove this particular point, as honestly I had no idea what the results would be...   I think you started the thread hoping to discover that a majority of fans now liked it LESS than they first did, and therefore they "came around" to your enlightened opinion that the new material is sub-par. You still haven't fully learned the lesson of your Vapor Trails posts of several years ago: some people truly like things that you don't, and not because they're crazy, or not thinking straight, or were initially blinded by their enthusiasm for new material. They just LIKE it, as much as you don't.

[losingit2k]

[quickfree]

Every time I hear the start of Headlong Flight it reminds of The Grudge of Jambi/Jimbayamechalekiheimechaheniho from Tool or the bass section from Demon Cleaner by Kyuss. Which I'm sure was inspired by TOol but not entirely intentional.

 

I like the beginning and the verse sections more than Bu2bubba and Dodge Caravan song. But the chorus is slightly of Bu2b trumps the other two.

[presto123]

What were Goober's last two threads before this one. HF vs some Astra song and would you listen to or purchase HF if it was by a new band. Tell me there is not an agenda going on there to discount the new stuff.

[RushIslander]

Well, I've listened to HF at least 30 times exclusively through my M~Box and studio monitors...cranked!

 

I LOVE this tune more and more every time! The spirit of their playing is SO obvious and greatly presented, imo. What I REALLY like are the MOOG TAURUS BASS PEDALS during the chorus, and after Alex's solo...ROCKS the room!

 

Geddy's vocals are better than I expected, and on this song go higher than I thought he would ever try again (Ha!) especially the first "again" when he goes sky~high sustained with old~school Geddy vibrato cut off!!! He gets a little rough toward the end of the song, but hey...that's our Ged, eh!

 

I am NO~WAY a fanboi....there are many Rush songs that I think are ridiculously bad (imo), but I gotta say, I haven't been more pumped for a NEW Rush song since "The Analog Kid"!!!

 

I can't wait to hear the rest of Clockwork Angels!

 

 

[Union 5-3992]

Listening to it for the 21st time, still great!

[Solitudeix]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 8 2012, 09:21 AM)

Yeah, I still like it the same, I think... although I haven't been spinning it a lot.  I still think the musicianship, especially the bass, is great on "Headlong Flight."  It's a fast and fun song to listen to. But I'm off listening to different stuff these days, and seldom listening to Rush.  It could even be said that Rush music doesn't have the same pull on me anymore than it did when I was in my teens and twenties or even my thirties.  (Gasp!)  They'll probably always be "my favorite band of all time," because of their impact on my formative years (if nothing else), but I'm not a daily Rush listener anymore by any means.  When the full album comes out, perhaps it'll take over my listening time and maybe even dominate it for awhile.  We'll see.

I dont think I have ever read a post as much in line with what I feel as this one.

 

[They Bow Defeated]

QUOTE (presto123 @ May 8 2012, 04:30 PM)

What were Goober's last two threads before this one. HF vs some Astra song and would you listen to or purchase HF if it was by a new band. Tell me there is not an agenda going on there to discount the new stuff.

Yup, no surprise here.

 

Rushgoober thinks it's mediocre and trenken doesn't like it.

 

 

 

[HeadlongMark]

Love, love, love the song even more than when I first heard it! And I loved it then! It's a classic Rush song IMO. Can't wait to hear the rest to see how it flows.

[rushgoober]

I started the thread because I decided to listen to the song after not listening to in a couple of weeks. I honestly hoped my opinion of it had improved, but alas, it went slightly in the other direction. I never want to not love a Rush song. I always do. I truly love the first three songs on S&A, and the instrumentals are also really great. A couple other songs I thought were very good. I'm really hoping for an album as good or better, but unfortunately based on the three I've heard so far, it doesn't look promising. I certainly hope I'm wrong.

 

People can think what they want about my agenda, but really this particular thread anyway wasn't really thought out a lot beforehand. I was genuinely curious, if after even only 3 weeks how opinion had changed.

 

I guess I probably also had in mind that recently I've noticed S&A has been really thrown under the bus, which actually kind of bummed me out, as initially it had far more positive reviews from fans. It took awhile before people started hating on it. I didn't think that would happen with a song as early as 3 weeks in, and it hasn't. A fair amount of people don't like it as much, but as many think it just the same and even more think it's better. It's just interesting is all. The majority of people HAVE changed their opinions.

[HeadlongMark]

QUOTE (RushIslander @ May 8 2012, 04:36 PM)

Well, I've listened to HF at least 30 times exclusively through my M~Box and studio monitors...cranked! I LOVE this tune more and more every time! The spirit of their playing is SO obvious and greatly presented, imo. What I REALLY like are the MOOG TAURUS BASS PEDALS during the chorus, and after Alex's solo...ROCKS the room! Geddy's vocals are better than I expected, and on this song go higher than I thought he would ever try again (Ha!) especially the first "again" when he goes sky~high sustained with old~school Geddy vibrato cut off!!! He gets a little rough toward the end of the song, but hey...that's our Ged, eh! I am NO~WAY a fanboi....there are many Rush songs that I think are ridiculously bad (imo), but I gotta say, I haven't been more pumped for a NEW Rush song since "The Analog Kid"!!! I can't wait to hear the rest of Clockwork Angels!

This is pretty much how I feel. To add, I can't stand Test For Echo. It's so bland. The new songs sound like they have so much life to them and I think that's why I'm excited about it.

[CantStopThinkingBig]

I like the music, hate the vocals

[Steely Caress]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 8 2012, 06:30 AM)

I hadn't listened to the song in over a week. I was hoping that it was just because I didn't want to burn myself out on the song prior to the album, but I wasn't sure if that was the reason, so I just listened again. I had classified the song as "very good with room to grow" previously. Now I think I'm going to downgrade it slightly to "good." I have hope that it will grow on me still, especially when heard in context. A large part is the vocals - the lyrics are just fine, quite good actually, but the vocal delivery isn't thrilling me - it's PROBABLY just the lack of enough melody. Also, instrumentally the boys sound great, but the song is just a tad heavy for my tastes. I would be able to handle the heaviness a lot better if the song had more variety and was able to stretch out a bit more. Virtuosity unfortunately does not equal musical adventurousness. I was curious to hear the guitar solo again, but while playing it, it kind of passed me right by. In paying closer attention to music by other groups lately, it really is the melody and how catchy a song is that makes it memorable - can I sing or hum along with it? Does it play in my head after I've heard it a couple/few times? For me this can even overcome a lack of stellar musicianship. Then again, stellar musicianship can overcome what would otherwise be a weaker song. I'm finding HF doesn't have enough melody to overcome the heaviness, and it doesn't have enough musical adventurousness to overcome the lack of melody and hooks. It's a good song, but it doesn't break out and go anywhere terribly exciting to me.

You are right about the melody part goober. That is what gets me as well. Heaviness is fine, but just for the sake of being heavy, blah.

I feel like Rush has tried this formula since counterparts and sometimes it works, and others it doesn't.

That said, I liked HFlight, but to be honest, put it away and will not listen until I can hear it in full album mode.

[1 of the 7]

It's as good as ever! Admittedly, I haven't been listening to it a lot, because I don't want to get burned out on it. I'm going to be hearing it (and maybe the rest of the album) five times live, so I do NOT want to go into that burned out, plus, I want many of my initial experiences of it to be live. I'm just listening to it again now, though, and imagining in my mind what the atmosphere of those shows are going to be like, and I am sooooo psyched! I won't regret 'em and I'll never forget 'em! Maybe I should have have voted that I'm even more excited, not that my tickets are bought! Edited May 9, 2012 by 1 of the 7

[GeddyRulz]

[losingit2k]

[GeddyLeefan2112]

I voted that it was better than I originally thought.

 

I am rocking the hell out to it right now. It might be because I have a few beers in me. Who knows.

 

 

Can't wait to see it live.

[jnoble]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 8 2012, 09:21 AM)

QUOTE (Storm Shadow @ May 8 2012, 06:49 AM) I like it just as much. Haven't played it a ton, but still think it's great. Yeah, I still like it the same, I think... although I haven't been spinning it a lot. I still think the musicianship, especially the bass, is great on "Headlong Flight." It's a fast and fun song to listen to.   But I'm off listening to different stuff these days, and seldom listening to Rush. It could even be said that Rush music doesn't have the same pull on me anymore than it did when I was in my teens and twenties or even my thirties. (Gasp!) They'll probably always be "my favorite band of all time," because of their impact on my formative years (if nothing else), but I'm not a daily Rush listener anymore by any means. When the full album comes out, perhaps it'll take over my listening time and maybe even dominate it for awhile. We'll see. I've felt the same way for a number of years now, it just took me awhile to fully accept it. I'll always love the band, how they influenced me in many ways, grew up with them, learned many songs on bass and keys, played in a cover band for many years, went to at least one show from every tour starting with RTB in 1992, the whole nine yards.   But I'm just not the eager super fan that I used to be and don't care for most of the newer stuff and am tired sick of most of the old 'classic' stuff. Heck, I turn off Tom Sawyer now when it comes on the radio because I've only heard it a zillion times. Same with Limelight. I've gotten into other bands like Velvet Revolver, Jet, Plain White T's, The Black Keys over the years than being just another obsessive Rush fan who doesn't branch out muscially   So I'll buy the new album when it comes out more out of habit than anything else, but Im not expecting to love it and take a week off of work just to stay home and geek out on it like some on TRF will.

[Ranger J]

I like HF more than I did when I first heard it. I've got the chorus well stuck in my head. I do though wish that the song ended on Alex's solo, that would make it a 5/5. For me, after that point repetition sets in and I'm reaching for the 'next' button, which I rarely do. Edited May 9, 2012 by Ranger J

[Silas Lang]

QUOTE (Merely Space @ May 8 2012, 07:47 AM)

I still enjoy it very much.  Oddly, I find it very melodic and catchy.  The chorus lingers in my mind after listening, and I find myself humming it.

I do too - even the verses and instrumental parts I find very memorable and distinct. I hadn't heard it for over a week and it's as good as ever - meaning fantastic and some of the best stuff since Power Windows. It's got hooks, dynamism, vigor and energy with an Alex and Neil solo and Geddy doing some serious slappin of da bass. There's even a bit of dark weirdness with the spoken bit leading into a cool instrumental section. What more could ask for? 38 years after the debut and we have Rush with its classic lineup still doing their thing.

[NYM86]

QUOTE (Ranger J @ May 9 2012, 01:22 AM)

I like HF more than I did when I first heard it. I've got the chorus well stuck in my head. I do though wish that the song ended on Alex's solo, that would make it a 5/5. For me, after that point repetition sets in and I'm reaching for the 'next' button, which I rarely do.

I pretty much echo these sentiments. After that furious instrumental section, another round of "I have stoked the fire" feels like a plodding, anticlimactic way to finish the song. It's not a dealbreaker, since I still like the song a lot, but still.

[Phantom]

I decided to take 3 days off of HLF this past weekend, and came back to it on Monday with fresh ears.

 

I like it even more than I did when it first came out. I love that with repeated listens, I'm finding all sorts of new things inside that song that fire me up.