70s Rush vs. 80s Rush

[Rutlefan]

There was bond among fans in the early days - the 70s - and Rush ignited a magnetic combination of adolescent testosterone and anti establishment / non conformist beliefs ..

 

The 80s had good songs, good albums, but what I experienced in the 70s was a lifestyle, and an electricity from albums so unique that Rush was as polarizing as any band out there ..... Most hated them, but those that loved them, loved them dearly .. A lot that was because of Geddy's voice ..

 

Would I feel the same had I been born 10 years later ?? .. Of course not - by that time, Rush meant something very different ..

 

It is one thing to enjoy the older albums in hindsight, but when those were the only Rush albums, and everyone identified the band by the singer, it meant something special to be a Rush fan

 

I'm not trying to sound like the old gray hair speaking from the mountain top, yet again, as I do sometimes envy the generation that got to discover Rush by working backwards through their catalog, but I just can't imagine that someone who discovers Hemispheres years after the fact can appreciate what it was like to be an adolescent in 1978, holding that weird but cool album sleeve in your hands, putting that disc with the album cover art at the center on the turntable, lowering the needle and hearing the music rise in volume, moving from speaker to speaker, to that initial crescendo. Rush at that time seemed so awesome and magical. They're still great of course, but '76 through '81 was just such an amazing time to be a Rush fan.

[EagleMoon]

There was bond among fans in the early days - the 70s - and Rush ignited a magnetic combination of adolescent testosterone and anti establishment / non conformist beliefs ..

 

The 80s had good songs, good albums, but what I experienced in the 70s was a lifestyle, and an electricity from albums so unique that Rush was as polarizing as any band out there ..... Most hated them, but those that loved them, loved them dearly .. A lot that was because of Geddy's voice ..

 

Would I feel the same had I been born 10 years later ?? .. Of course not - by that time, Rush meant something very different ..

 

It is one thing to enjoy the older albums in hindsight, but when those were the only Rush albums, and everyone identified the band by the singer, it meant something special to be a Rush fan

 

This happens with all bands though. Which is why it gets boring that the moment they hit the mainstream the "original" fans scream SELL OUTS because they no longer remain a secret.

 

I've felt this excitement with tonnes of bands and it's been bittersweet watching the old cool fans drop out the minute they have a single chart in the lower regions of the bottom 100.

 

Except that Rush has never really been considered to have sold out. They've done what they wanted to do, even though they've been influenced by the music at the time their own has stood apart, which is why it's so timeless. I don't think they're popular now just like I don't think they've ever been popular. They may be more well known now than they ever have been, but they're not "popular".

[ReRushed]

There was bond among fans in the early days - the 70s - and Rush ignited a magnetic combination of adolescent testosterone and anti establishment / non conformist beliefs ..

 

The 80s had good songs, good albums, but what I experienced in the 70s was a lifestyle, and an electricity from albums so unique that Rush was as polarizing as any band out there ..... Most hated them, but those that loved them, loved them dearly .. A lot that was because of Geddy's voice ..

 

Would I feel the same had I been born 10 years later ?? .. Of course not - by that time, Rush meant something very different ..

 

It is one thing to enjoy the older albums in hindsight, but when those were the only Rush albums, and everyone identified the band by the singer, it meant something special to be a Rush fan

 

This happens with all bands though. Which is why it gets boring that the moment they hit the mainstream the "original" fans scream SELL OUTS because they no longer remain a secret.

 

I've felt this excitement with tonnes of bands and it's been bittersweet watching the old cool fans drop out the minute they have a single chart in the lower regions of the bottom 100.

 

Except that Rush has never really been considered to have sold out. They've done what they wanted to do, even though they've been influenced by the music at the time their own has stood apart, which is why it's so timeless. I don't think they're popular now just like I don't think they've ever been popular. They may be more well known now than they ever have been, but they're not "popular".

How can a band sell out if it sold less per album after selling out?

[Lucas]

There was bond among fans in the early days - the 70s - and Rush ignited a magnetic combination of adolescent testosterone and anti establishment / non conformist beliefs ..

 

The 80s had good songs, good albums, but what I experienced in the 70s was a lifestyle, and an electricity from albums so unique that Rush was as polarizing as any band out there ..... Most hated them, but those that loved them, loved them dearly .. A lot that was because of Geddy's voice ..

 

Would I feel the same had I been born 10 years later ?? .. Of course not - by that time, Rush meant something very different ..

 

It is one thing to enjoy the older albums in hindsight, but when those were the only Rush albums, and everyone identified the band by the singer, it meant something special to be a Rush fan

 

This happens with all bands though. Which is why it gets boring that the moment they hit the mainstream the "original" fans scream SELL OUTS because they no longer remain a secret.

 

I've felt this excitement with tonnes of bands and it's been bittersweet watching the old cool fans drop out the minute they have a single chart in the lower regions of the bottom 100.

 

Except that Rush has never really been considered to have sold out. They've done what they wanted to do, even though they've been influenced by the music at the time their own has stood apart, which is why it's so timeless. I don't think they're popular now just like I don't think they've ever been popular. They may be more well known now than they ever have been, but they're not "popular".

How can a band sell out if it sold less per album after selling out?

 

Some do it well, and some don't

 

Did The Stones "sell out" with "Miss You" ?? ... how about Rod Stewart and "Do ya Think I'm Sexy", KISS with "I Was Made For Loving You" or Blondie with "Heart Of Glass" ? ..

 

All those songs were incredibly successful - both in terms of popularity and being very well-written and hitting the mark ..

 

Does that make them a sellout more than a band or performer that attempted the same thing but found a different result ??

 

Is this beginning to overlap with the "Failures Of An Artist" thread ??

 

How many questions can I ask in one post ?

[Lucas]

.. my point being that "sell out" is not necessarily a bad thing, or, nor should it be automatically considered a slight on the band ..

 

It is not east to write a great song, perform it in a way that gets the point across and does justice to al involved, and have mass appeal ..

 

Some songs are successful and popular because they touch something universal ... and that shouldn't be criticized if that is what the artist was striving for ..

 

Paul Stanley goes to Studio 54 one night, goes home and writes I Was Made For Loving You ... Sellout ?? .. no, brilliant songwriter - he connected with what it was all about ..

 

But if he writes some song nobody liked - a pathetic attempt at what was going on - then, I would say "sell out" ..

 

Just my opinion, of course

[goose]

'70s as MP is the only '80s album I really love. That's assuming PeW is a '70s album as it was recorded in the '70s? I don't know if anyone's considered that question before.

Hmmm... That might make a good thread.

 

 

http://pix.iemoji.com/images/emoji/apple/ios-9/256/thinking-face.png

[Stormtron]

I love everything up to and including PoW, but 70s Rush is just it for me. I've never loved any other music more than that era of the band.

[Todem]

Rush never...ever sold out.

Some fans just checked out.

 

But Rush never compromised anything they did. They were always progressing and then like any band they plateaued (Hold Your Fire) and started over in a sort of way (Presto) with them finally returning to the root power trio approach (Counterparts). Test For Echo was a strange album for the band. It seemed they had really burnt out after Counterparts and I can hear the labor on T4E. Neil looking for a new way to play, and then that magical T4E tour. "The Evening With" format was born.

 

It was on the road they rediscovered themselves and played perhaps they best they ever did live since 1980/81 IMO. Then tragedy hit.

 

Everything we got from 2002 till R40 was all a bonus. I thought it was over (I think we all did) in 1998 when Different Stages came out and Geddy released MFH.

 

But sell out and Rush is an oxymoron. They have always been true to their music and it was always about the song.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Todem

[furie]

80's

[Ancient Ways]

80s ftw due to PeW, MP, Signals, PW