What DOESN'T work about CA?

[Gedneil Alpeart]

QUOTE (Rushman14 @ Jun 7 2012, 12:38 PM)

QUOTE (Gedneil Alpeart @ Jun 7 2012, 10:33 AM) QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ Jun 7 2012, 12:10 PM) QUOTE (ReflectedLight @ Jun 7 2012, 01:04 PM) QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ Jun 7 2012, 12:01 PM) QUOTE (ReflectedLight @ Jun 7 2012, 12:55 PM) QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jun 5 2012, 04:16 PM) what doesn't work about the album? the first two songs.   Youz crazzy Dudez. they are weak songs dude and for me the album starts with track 3.   I hear ya...but I still think they rock.   Specifically BU2B...can't really relate to the lyrics, but sure as hell love the METAL! BU2B is a hell of a rocker and the middle section is the icing with those keys.....great melody, poignant emotion, touching lyrics, and strong flow too. Love the additional sound effects and more "meaty" sounding chorus on the new version. for some reason im enjoying BU2B more now than when it was first released. I'm not sure if it's the remix or listening to it in the context of the whole album or what, but one thing is for sure, this album is all killer and no filler Agree....BU2B redone is more powerful sounding and with the added acoustic intro for contrast, the heavier rest of the song is killer.

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (drgrendel @ Jun 7 2012, 10:18 AM)

From what I understand there is not an instrumental on this effort. I look forward to Rush Instrumentals so this is a big downer for me. Purchasing CA becomes even less probable now.

You got three last time. Over an hour of music and you're not going to buy because 5 of those 65 minutes isn't an instrumental? Nothing personal - that's

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Jomboni @ Jun 7 2012, 09:09 AM)

how did the high pitched backing vocals in Wish Them Well make it past Neil, Alex, Nick and Rich and not get cut out?

I like the high pitched background vocals in Wish Then Well. The song is slightly awkward in that it starts with the chorus kinds, but really it's a well-crafted song IMHO - I really like the production on this song.

[Merely Space]

QUOTE (losingit2k @ Jun 7 2012, 11:49 AM)

QUOTE (Gedneil Alpeart @ Jun 7 2012, 11:35 AM) I wish there were longer and more elaborated Alex solos...esp at the end of Wreckers.  It's really the only thing I can think of now that I wish was different.  An instrumental would be nice, but i'm not missing it honestly...the songs themselves have so much power and energy and musical prowess with nice musical interludes that not having a separate instrumental never stuck out for me. Yeah I'm not missing the instrumental either. When I first saw the track list I was disappointed their was no instrumental but after hearing the album, I don't miss it at all. The songs have enough instrumentation to to compensate for the lack of an instrumental. There isn't a bad track on this album. The only song that I found Ok was "Wish them Well" and that has grown on me as of late. This Album reminds me alot of the Signals-Power Windows era but much Stronger and Heavier. I also agree with you that they faded out The Wrecker to soon. But I'm sure that was be design so we can just die at the concert when they extend that Mother!   I don't miss an instrumental either, although I usually enjoy them. It just occurred to me, didn't the early discussions for this album revolve around the idea of an all instrumental album? But then, Neil stepped in with the idea for a concept lyrically? If I'm remembering correctly, that's some serious irony! Going from all instrumentals to none!

[Rushman14]

[Gedneil Alpeart]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jun 7 2012, 12:51 PM)

QUOTE (Jomboni @ Jun 7 2012, 09:09 AM) how did the high pitched backing vocals in Wish Them Well make it past Neil, Alex, Nick and Rich and not get cut out? I like the high pitched background vocals in Wish Then Well. The song is slightly awkward in that it starts with the chorus kinds, but really it's a well-crafted song IMHO - I really like the production on this song. Yeah..true....it's a pretty clean sounding production! and Neil's snare sounds nice and crisp.

[Barchetta82]

More cowbell!

 

[Snowman]

I want MORE keys. The strings does very well. And there are some synth effects/pads in the background.

 

I would like to have a bit more defined keyboardplaying.

 

Will probably come on the next album. VT had 0, S&A had almost 0, and CA has quite a bit, next album will give us the return of the signature keyboards!

 

Other than that, CA delivers on all aspects, there are melodic songs, there are hard rocking songs, there are a progressive element, there are just plain bad ass jamming, Neil delivers, Alex delivers ad Geddy delivers.

 

[Snowman]

I want MORE keys. The strings does very well. And there are some synth effects/pads in the background.

 

I would like to have a bit more defined keyboardplaying.

 

Will probably come on the next album. VT had 0, S&A had almost 0, and CA has quite a bit, next album will give us the return of the signature keyboards!

 

Other than that, CA delivers on all aspects, there are melodic songs, there are hard rocking songs, there are a progressive element, there are just plain bad ass jamming, Neil delivers, Alex delivers ad Geddy delivers.

 

:haz

 

Double post just to underline my opinion!

Edited June 8, 2012 by Snowman

[Presto-digitation]

Ok, it's a minor complaint, BUT I wish that Alex's solo at the end of The Wreckers (I have the right song, right??) was at least 30 seconds longer. I don't mind that it fades out, but as many others have pointed out, I think it fades a bit too soon. This should make for a nice live moment of extended jam, should they play it live, but man...even 15 more seconds of solo would've been a lot more satisfying. It's like giving a hungry kid a chance to sniff the sandwich in front of him instead of actually take a bite. Edited June 8, 2012 by Presto-digitation

[Gedneil Alpeart]

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ Jun 8 2012, 06:28 AM)

Ok, it's a minor complaint, BUT I wish that Alex's solo at the end of The Wreckers was at least 30 seconds longer. I don't mind that it fades out, but as many others have pointed out, I think it fades a bit too soon. This should make for a nice live moment of extended jam, should they play it live, but man...even 15 more seconds of solo would've been a lot more satisfying. It's like giving a hungry kid a chance to sniff the sandwich in front of him instead of actually take a bite.

This

[Presto-digitation]

QUOTE (Gedneil Alpeart @ Jun 8 2012, 06:32 AM)

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ Jun 8 2012, 06:28 AM) Ok, it's a minor complaint, BUT I wish that Alex's solo at the end of The Wreckers was at least 30 seconds longer.  I don't mind that it fades out, but as many others have pointed out, I think it fades a bit too soon.  This should make for a nice live moment of extended jam, should they play it live, but man...even 15 more seconds of solo would've been a lot more satisfying.  It's like giving a hungry kid a chance to sniff the sandwich in front of him instead of actually take a bite.  This Do I have the right song? Or am I thinking Wish THem Well...? DAMMIT!!!

[Jomboni]

Pretty sure you have the right song. Wish Them Well should actually fade out much much earlier than it does

[RushBowler2112]

I would have to say Geddy's vocals. They are just plain bad at this point. He does a good job with it and I love the album don't get me wrong, but you can just hear the strain in his voice.

 

As I said I absolutely do love this album, but my fear is that it is going to end up where TFE, VT and S&A ended up. Songs I don't skip when they come up, but not songs I ever think about playing. In the case of CA it's because the vocals are so bad it is hard to pick out the lyrics clearly and I really enjoy singing along with Geddy in the car!!!! :-)

[EmotionDetector]

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ Jun 8 2012, 07:28 AM)

Ok, it's a minor complaint, BUT I wish that Alex's solo at the end of The Wreckers (I have the right song, right??) was at least 30 seconds longer. I don't mind that it fades out, but as many others have pointed out, I think it fades a bit too soon. This should make for a nice live moment of extended jam, should they play it live, but man...even 15 more seconds of solo would've been a lot more satisfying. It's like giving a hungry kid a chance to sniff the sandwich in front of him instead of actually take a bite.

Yep!

 

This is basically Different Strings all over again...except you get a little more solo with DS.

 

I've personally never been a fan of fadeouts. They annoy me to a degree...lol.

 

I really love The Wreckers so much, and I'd love to hear more of that solo. It sounds like it's about to get real good...then it fades out.

 

Hopefully this one will get a nice extended solo LIVE...similar to the treatment they give Bravado.

[snowdog212]

QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 5 2012, 08:15 PM)

Really the main thing for me is the lyrics arent doing much for me. This whole story concept is not interesting at all to me. It doesnt touch me in anyway, I find some of the lyrics awkward. But ive said in the past at this point the lyrics in Rush songs are the least important part to me now. Just not a real big fan of his lyrics and unwillingness to come up with clever metaphors to disguise what he's trying to say, and instead is taking the easier path of writing in a very direct plain English manner which for me leave no room for listener interpretation. I used to be able to make Rush songs mean whatever I wanted it too, now these lyrics are so easy to understand and they're so descriptive about the story itself which isnt interesting to me so they just dont do anything for me.

The best post ever about CA

[Unattractive Truth]

I would say the only thing that doesn't work for me is the bluesy-megaphone part of Clockwork Angels. It seems out of place to me.

[Todem]

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ Jun 5 2012, 08:33 PM)

DO KNOW that (to me) it's not an immediate album. It takes some serious absorption. Lots going on in some songs....

Agreed. Their sound is always immediate to me....but the sum of all the parts takes time to digest.

 

Still chewing on this feast!

[Tommy Sawyer]

I wish there were fewer choruses that repeated like 50 times.

[losingit2k]

To many repeated chorus on Wish them Well!

 

[Presto-digitation]

QUOTE (Todem @ Jun 8 2012, 10:52 AM)

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ Jun 5 2012, 08:33 PM) DO KNOW that (to me) it's not an immediate album.  It takes some serious absorption.  Lots going on in some songs.... Agreed. Their sound is always immediate to me....but the sum of all the parts takes time to digest.   Still chewing on this feast! Me too!

[DistantEarlyRushFan]

Seven cities if kinda boring in the first half. The wreckers is a little plain. Wish them well is a little too repetitive.

 

But the lyrics are NOT the problem.

 

"Celestial machinery - move through your commands

Goddesses of mystery, so delicate and so grand

Moved to worship, we bow and close our eyes

Clockwork angels, promise every prize "

 

^^^some of the best from Peart

[rushgoober]

I guess the main complaint I still have is a certain business in the production. Again, I don't need the clarity and simplicity of say Counterparts, but sometimes when listening I can't help but miss a clearness of sound present in many of their earlier albums. Maybe it's the intense heaviness, or one too many overdubs, or a desire for so much complexity that sometimes it's forgotten that less can be more. Maybe it's that I still haven't heard it on CD, although I have heard the lossless version, and while it's a marked improvement over the 192k mp3, I feel there is more room to go in terms of clarity and instrument separation that I fear I won't get.

 

And don't get me wrong, the album has many songs and parts of songs that are more simple and clear, but that often serves as a stark contrast to the parts that have maybe a little too much going on. Perhaps with those parts a tad more melody and one or two fewer layers would have brought the album to the next level.

 

Ultimately it's a relatively minor complaint overall, as there's a lot of fantastic music and lyrics going on here, but still it's not an element I've fully overcome... at least not yet.

[presto123]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jun 9 2012, 02:25 AM)

I guess the main complaint I still have is a certain business in the production. Again, I don't need the clarity and simplicity of say Counterparts, but sometimes when listening I can't help but miss a clearness of sound present in many of their earlier albums. Maybe it's the intense heaviness, or one too many overdubs, or a desire for so much complexity that sometimes it's forgotten that less can be more. Maybe it's that I still haven't heard it on CD, although I have heard the lossless version, and while it's a marked improvement over the 192k mp3, I feel there is more room to go in terms of clarity and instrument separation that I fear I won't get. And don't get me wrong, the album has many songs and parts of songs that are more simple and clear, but that often serves as a stark contrast to the parts that have maybe a little too much going on. Perhaps with those parts a tad more melody and one or two fewer layers would have brought the album to the next level. Ultimately it's a relatively minor complaint overall, as there's a lot of fantastic music and lyrics going on here, but still it's not an element I've fully overcome... at least not yet.

That's my only minor complaint as well. It sounds way better than VT obviously but not quite as clear as I expected. Like you said some parts are and other parts are not. Too bad they can't just use Nick R. to produce and bring in Kevin Shirley to engineer. He did the Counterparts record and it is both heavy and clean. Problem is I don't think Nick's ego would go for that. He aready pushed Chycki out of the mixing chair.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (presto123 @ Jun 9 2012, 12:32 AM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jun 9 2012, 02:25 AM) I guess the main complaint I still have is a certain business in the production.  Again, I don't need the clarity and simplicity of say Counterparts, but sometimes when listening I can't help but miss a clearness of sound present in many of their earlier albums.  Maybe it's the intense heaviness, or one too many overdubs, or a desire for so much complexity that sometimes it's forgotten that less can be more.  Maybe it's that I still haven't heard it on CD, although I have heard the lossless version, and while it's a marked improvement over the 192k mp3, I feel there is more room to go in terms of clarity and instrument separation that I fear I won't get. And don't get me wrong, the album has many songs and parts of songs that are more simple and clear, but that often serves as a stark contrast to the parts that have maybe a little too much going on.  Perhaps with those parts a tad more melody and one or two fewer layers would have brought the album to the next level. Ultimately it's a relatively minor complaint overall, as there's a lot of fantastic music and lyrics going on here, but still it's not an element I've fully overcome... at least not yet. That's my only minor complaint as well. It sounds way better than VT obviously but not quite as clear as I expected. Like you said some parts are and other parts are not. Too bad they can't just use Nick R. to produce and bring in Kevin Shirley to engineer. He did the Counterparts record and it is both heavy and clean. Problem is I don't think Nick's ego would go for that. He aready pushed Chycki out of the mixing chair. Heavy and clean - I like that - that's what I'm missing.