Reasoning behind the somber feel to Signals?

[ShlappinDahBass]

Like I said, its one of the greatest Rush albums, but to me has a noticably sad undercurrent to it. NWM is the only "happy" sounding song on the album.

 

Digital Man is a pretty upbeat song! I find New World Man to be kind of boring and slow compared to other Rush songs.

 

NWM is obvously not a positive song, and I don't see how Digital Man can be viewed as one either. Upbeat rhythms don't equal upbeat songs.

 

Depending on the listener, that is completely incorrect.

[ucsteve667]

whats sad to me are the views expressed here about the space program.

[JARG]

Apart from Losing It, what's so somber about it? I don't really pay attention to lyrics, the music is my main interest.

 

The first note of the first song of the album tells you this.

The first note of Subdivisions is F sharp.

 

Everyone knows that the saddest of all possible keys is not F sharp but D minor.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHLT7XI6Pq4

 

I thought of the same damn thing when I read his post!

[tx_rush]

Apart from Losing It, what's so somber about it? I don't really pay attention to lyrics, the music is my main interest.

 

The first note of the first song of the album tells you this.

The first note of Subdivisions is F sharp.

 

Everyone knows that the saddest of all possible keys is not F sharp but D minor.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHLT7XI6Pq4

 

I thought of the same damn thing when I read his post!

 

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

[theredtamasrule]

Sonically it has a somber tonality throughout, don't know if it was from the mastering/mixing, studio, amps, plugs or what but from beginning to end Signals is "colored" aura about it.

 

I LOVE the album so I'm not knocking it but its not as crisp sounding as, say, Moving Pictures.

[JARG]

Apart from Losing It, what's so somber about it? I don't really pay attention to lyrics, the music is my main interest.

 

The first note of the first song of the album tells you this.

The first note of Subdivisions is F sharp.

 

Everyone knows that the saddest of all possible keys is not F sharp but D minor.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHLT7XI6Pq4

 

I thought of the same damn thing when I read his post!

 

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

 

It probably is. I just think it's funny someone thinks a single note (F#) tells them they're about to listen to a somber album.

[Ancient Ways]

Like I said, its one of the greatest Rush albums, but to me has a noticably sad undercurrent to it. NWM is the only "happy" sounding song on the album.

 

Digital Man is a pretty upbeat song! I find New World Man to be kind of boring and slow compared to other Rush songs.

 

NWM is obvously not a positive song, and I don't see how Digital Man can be viewed as one either. Upbeat rhythms don't equal upbeat songs.

just ask nick drake, the pixies, dinosaur jr, etc

 

I always think about semi charmed kind of life. Sounds like the happiest song you've ever heard until you realize it's about a meth head.

[tas7]

I always thought Grace Under Pressure to be a more sad sounding album. It always had this sort of post-apocalyptic feeling to it.

I agree and I was disappointed with it when it first appeared but it has grown on me. Signals is a lot more complex once you get below the surface.

[GeminiRising79]

When I say the album has a sad, or a background melancholic feel to it, I mean in both tone and lyrically, by and large. At times, I still get chills when I hear this album since it takes me back to where I was back then.

 

It would love to hear what was behind the mood of this album by all three of the guys. It may shed another interesting facet to such a profoundly stellar album.

[Disk98]

Apart from Losing It, what's so somber about it? I don't really pay attention to lyrics, the music is my main interest.

 

The first note of the first song of the album tells you this.

The first note of Subdivisions is F sharp.

 

Everyone knows that the saddest of all possible keys is not F sharp but D minor.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHLT7XI6Pq4

 

I thought of the same damn thing when I read his post!

 

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

Actually it's C# / F# / Bm / A / G / A / Bm

[HomesickAlien]

I always thought Grace Under Pressure to be a more sad sounding album. It always had this sort of post-apocalyptic feeling to it.

 

GUP has a dark, austere quality to it. Even the cover art, which is cold and stark, complements the music perfectly.

[coventry]

Keep in mind that Signals is composed of of a series of songs alternating in their portrayl of constraint and release.

 

1. Subdivisions - constraint

2. TAK - release

3. Chemistry - release

4. DM - constraint

5. Weapon - constraint

6. NWM - release

7. Losing It - constraint

8. Countdown - release

 

There are four of each theme, with the album starting with the asphyxiation of "Subdivisions' but ending with the boundless energy of "Countdown".

 

If it's at all somber, it ends with pillar of hope.

[calirush]

My opinion thinking about it is that signals feels subdued more than somber. The big change started by Rush is taking the power of the guitar to the background allowing the synth lead. This isn't to say that there isn't great guitar work it's just that there is a sonic shift in Rush's sound that began with this change. It's amazing that Alex is such a team player to go so many years this way. It just goes to show that he is all about the music first.

[Bluefunk]

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

Actually it's C# / F# / Bm / A / G / A / Bm

I think tx_rush was meaning the key signature, not the chords used.

[tx_rush]

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

Actually it's C# / F# / Bm / A / G / A / Bm

I think tx_rush was meaning the key signature, not the chords used.

 

yep all of those chords are in d major

[JARG]

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

Actually it's C# / F# / Bm / A / G / A / Bm

I think tx_rush was meaning the key signature, not the chords used.

 

yep all of those chords are in d major

 

Hmmm..

 

The F# chord has a Bb in it, which ain't in the key of D major. Turn that F# into an F#min and then you're in good shape.

The C# chord doesn't work either...you'd need to turn that C# into a C#dim

[tx_rush]

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

Actually it's C# / F# / Bm / A / G / A / Bm

I think tx_rush was meaning the key signature, not the chords used.

 

yep all of those chords are in d major

 

Hmmm..

 

The F# chord has a Bb in it, which ain't in the key of D major. Turn that F# into an F#min and then you're in good shape.

The C# chord doesn't work either...you'd need to turn that C# into a C#dim

This is true I had a brain fart, the chords he listed are all notes in D major scale

I have played primarily violin and bass, so all the variations of different chords dont really register with me, as if I know what key im in for bass or guitar, I just figure it out without thinking

[Disk98]

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

Actually it's C# / F# / Bm / A / G / A / Bm

I think tx_rush was meaning the key signature, not the chords used.

 

yep all of those chords are in d major

 

Hmmm..

 

The F# chord has a Bb in it, which ain't in the key of D major. Turn that F# into an F#min and then you're in good shape.

The C# chord doesn't work either...you'd need to turn that C# into a C#dim

Only problem is that Geddy plays the B-flat, so it has to be F# major. F# minor would be an A instead of the B-flat.

[JARG]

well subdivisions is key of D major I believe, which is usually like a celebratory key, hallelujahs and such

Actually it's C# / F# / Bm / A / G / A / Bm

I think tx_rush was meaning the key signature, not the chords used.

 

yep all of those chords are in d major

 

Hmmm..

 

The F# chord has a Bb in it, which ain't in the key of D major. Turn that F# into an F#min and then you're in good shape.

The C# chord doesn't work either...you'd need to turn that C# into a C#dim

Only problem is that Geddy plays the B-flat, so it has to be F# major. F# minor would be an A instead of the B-flat.

 

Why is that a problem?

[Bluefunk]

I don't know if this helps at all:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/Bluefunk/Subdivisions.jpg

[GeminiRising79]

Everything's well subdivided here ^^^ I dont see any problem.

[Ancient Ways]

I don't know if this helps at all:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/Bluefunk/Subdivisions.jpg

 

Looks like D

[Bluefunk]

I think it's B minor.

[snowdog203]

What somber feel ?

Sounds pretty upbeat to me !!

[Slack jaw gaze]

The Weapon and Losing It have a somber feel for obvious reasons. I suppose the first few notes of Subdivisions do as well. That doesn't seem enough to characterize the album as somber.