"Counterparts" - What do you really think of this album?

[Turbine Freight]

 

 

Good call on Maiden's last album.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Turbine Freight

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

Does anyone here know why they never did Speed of Love in concert?

 

A cited source from one of the guys? No.

 

Opinion? Cause it's not that great of a song compared to the rest of Counterparts.

 

Says who? If it was such a crappy song, they wouldn't have included it on the album. In their eyes, it must have had some merit for them to include it.

 

Then explain Tai Shan.

I'm sure that Geddy and Neil absolutely loved Tai Shan when they released HYF. I don't think it was until recently that they started acting so embarrassed by it

[The Analog Cub]

I wish that for their final album they would aim for something along the lines of AFTK. Maybe an album like that is a once in a lifetime one.

I was quite please with their last effort. What other band has produced a record of that quality, this late in their carreers?

 

The answer? No one. If they have another album in them, if it come anywhere close to the quality of Clockwork Angels, I'll be ecstatic! :banana:

I'd say The Final Frontier by Iron Maiden is better than CA. It's a real grower album, it doesn't really click well at first but I find it's really fantastic whenever I go back to it.

 

Add in the fact that I don't think Clockwork Angels was really that good. It's merely "okay".

 

You can argue that doesn't count since TFF is only Maiden's 15th album whereas CA is Rush's 19th, but at this point I think you'd be playing semantics.

 

As for the topic, Counterparts is honestly very much like CA in terms of how I think of it. It's certainly not bad but I'd still have to put it in the lower half of Rush albums. Though I do love me some Cold Fire.

 

Oh and I'm also in the "Roll the Bones is awesome" camp.

 

Final Frontier is a great Maiden album. I might be in the minority here when I say that I think Iron Maiden is better 2000-present than 1981-88 (with the exception of Somewhere in Time). Brave New World is fantastic.

[The Analog Cub]

Does anyone here know why they never did Speed of Love in concert?

 

A cited source from one of the guys? No.

 

Opinion? Cause it's not that great of a song compared to the rest of Counterparts.

 

Says who? If it was such a crappy song, they wouldn't have included it on the album. In their eyes, it must have had some merit for them to include it.

 

Every album is going to have, from the listener's point of view, a best track and a worst track. It would seem BC's opinion is that SoL is the worst track.

 

This. Don't get me wrong, I like Speed of Love, just not as much as any other track on the album.

 

I mean this along the lines of saying that Witch Hunt is my least favorite track on Moving Pictures but Witch Hunt is still an amazing song.

[Lorraine]

Does anyone here know why they never did Speed of Love in concert?

 

A cited source from one of the guys? No.

 

Opinion? Cause it's not that great of a song compared to the rest of Counterparts.

 

Says who? If it was such a crappy song, they wouldn't have included it on the album. In their eyes, it must have had some merit for them to include it.

 

Every album is going to have, from the listener's point of view, a best track and a worst track. It would seem BC's opinion is that SoL is the worst track.

 

This. Don't get me wrong, I like Speed of Love, just not as much as any other track on the album.

 

I mean this along the lines of saying that Witch Hunt is my least favorite track on Moving Pictures but Witch Hunt is still an amazing song.

 

I think Witch Hunt is one of the best songs Rush ever did.

 

Getting back to the other tune, if I have to listen to Counterparts, I have to like something on it. Between us, it would have made a good top forty hit in the days of AM radio in the sixties. If I had been consulted by Rush, I wouldn't have let the album see the light of day, but they didn't ask my opinion nor did they seek my advice. :o :)

[bathory]

better than the two before and the three after

[bathory]

plus, it brought back a bit of "balls" to their music. nice to see alex's guitar plugged in and actually sounding loud.

 

for whatever reason, I almost never listen to this record

[coventry]

Does anyone here know why they never did Speed of Love in concert?

 

Not specifically, but I don't think it was ever really considered. Counterparts was released during a stretch when they were playing only a handful of songs off each new album in order to get as much of the old beloved stuff in as possible. I remember reading comments made by Alex to the effect that he wanted to play Cut to the Chase and Geddy wanted to include Alien Shore, but there wasn't enough time for either one. A slower number like The Speed of Love probably never really had a shot.

 

Thank you. That's all I wanted to know. It sounds to me like an easy song for them to do and one that would give them a chance to catch their breath, so I wondered why they chose to do certain songs off this album Stick It Out, Nobodys Hero, Animate, Double Agent and Leave That Thing Alone in lieu of that one.

 

i wonder, too, whether neil wrote the song for jackie?

[Lorraine]

Does anyone here know why they never did Speed of Love in concert?

 

Not specifically, but I don't think it was ever really considered. Counterparts was released during a stretch when they were playing only a handful of songs off each new album in order to get as much of the old beloved stuff in as possible. I remember reading comments made by Alex to the effect that he wanted to play Cut to the Chase and Geddy wanted to include Alien Shore, but there wasn't enough time for either one. A slower number like The Speed of Love probably never really had a shot.

 

Thank you. That's all I wanted to know. It sounds to me like an easy song for them to do and one that would give them a chance to catch their breath, so I wondered why they chose to do certain songs off this album Stick It Out, Nobodys Hero, Animate, Double Agent and Leave That Thing Alone in lieu of that one.

 

i wonder, too, whether neil wrote the song for jackie?

 

You know, I never even thought of that. But you might be right, and I don't know if that would be something they would tell us, considering how Neil values his privacy.

[tas7]

Terrible cover, horrible grungy attempt. I sold it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Xanadoood]

Ive never understood the Grunge comparisons..if what we are reffering to as Grunge is something like Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden, then Counterparts is not even close to being grunge..and Grunge is a silly term anyway

[Mr. JD]

I really like Counterparts. Everyday Glory is AWESOME!!!

[Segue Myles]

I've been listening to this album over and over.

 

Speed of Love would have fit in nicely on Grace Under Pressure. In my opinion, it is a song ten years too late for Counterparts.

 

:outtahere:

 

I think more PoW than p/g, nevertheless I adore Speed Of Love!

[troutman]

I really like Counterparts. Everyday Glory is AWESOME!!!

 

Hell Yeah!! :ebert:

[Cyclonus X-1]

I've been listening to this album over and over.

 

Speed of Love would have fit in nicely on Grace Under Pressure. In my opinion, it is a song ten years too late for Counterparts.

 

:outtahere:

 

I think more PoW than p/g, nevertheless I adore Speed Of Love!

 

I'm thinking more Presto than PoW or GUP. :) It would be right at home with stuff like Anagram and Hand over Fist.

 

I like the song too.

[LedRush]

Ive never understood the Grunge comparisons..if what we are reffering to as Grunge is something like Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden, then Counterparts is not even close to being grunge..and Grunge is a silly term anyway

 

I think the point is that the guitars were back and up front (and fuzzy) and the band was loud again. It wasn't grunge, but it took note of what was happening in the musical world around it and made it Rush-like, just as Rush had done it's entire career.

 

And I think the guitar in Stick it Out is closer to the guitar in Outshined than the guitar in just about any song on Rush's previous 3 albums (and perhaps any of their earlier albums).

[bathory]

Ive never understood the Grunge comparisons..if what we are reffering to as Grunge is something like Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden, then Counterparts is not even close to being grunge..and Grunge is a silly term anyway

 

yeah, I never understood the thought process behind calling CP "grungey." what ledrush said about the guitars being up front again and rush taking note of what was going on musically at the time is right, but from what I've found, the people who call CP a grungey album are people who never bought a grunge album. or any album after whitesnake's self-titled :P

[coventry]

Ive never understood the Grunge comparisons..if what we are reffering to as Grunge is something like Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden, then Counterparts is not even close to being grunge..and Grunge is a silly term anyway

 

yeah, I never understood the thought process behind calling CP "grungey." what ledrush said about the guitars being up front again and rush taking note of what was going on musically at the time is right, but from what I've found, the people who call CP a grungey album are people who never bought a grunge album. or any album after whitesnake's self-titled :P

 

Having bought - and still own - many grunge albums, I can see the grunge comparison: the sludgy chording, the minimalist (for Rush, at least) arrangements. I mean, it's really not grunge per se any more than 'The Weapon' is disco, but it does reflect in Rush's own way the musical zeitgeist.

 

p.s. - Between Whitesnake, Whitelion, and Great White, who would you prefer to see in concert? Now? Assuming there were no pyrotechnics in the show.

Edited June 7, 2014 by coventry

[greg2112]

better than the two before and the three after

 

you are correct sir!

[Spaghetti Lee]

Regarding Cunterfarts, the only descent songs are:

 

1) Enema8

2) Dick is Out

3) Ho-buddy's Queer-O

4) Cuddle Gay Gent

 

The rest is almost as bad as the majority of Incest Whore Gecko.

[EagleMoon]

I've been listening to this album a lot lately and it's really grown on me. I've always liked about half the album. Animate, Stick it Out, Cut to the Chase, Double Agent, Leave That Thing Alone and Cold Fire were always in the musical rotation. The rest of of the songs are getting more and more airplay as time goes on.

 

I find that about a lot of Rush songs. You have to really listen to them multiple times for them to sink in. I'm not sure why that's so, maybe because they're not your typical radio-play songs? They're usually a bit more complex and it takes a while to get through the layers. (like an Ogre) Shrek reference.

[EagleMoon]

Regarding Cunterfarts, the only descent songs are:

 

1) Enema8

2) Dick is Out

3) Ho-buddy's Queer-O

4) Cuddle Gay Gent

 

The rest is almost as bad as the majority of Incest Whore Gecko.

 

Can you even write a post that has nothing to do with your own sex life? Obviously not.

[jamie]

I don't like it a whole lot but I'll listen to it once in a blue moon. I just think that the 90's were pretty weak for Rush; their 70's and 80's stuff was better. But Counterparts has some really good drumming, guitar, and bass.

[bathory]

Ive never understood the Grunge comparisons..if what we are reffering to as Grunge is something like Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden, then Counterparts is not even close to being grunge..and Grunge is a silly term anyway

 

yeah, I never understood the thought process behind calling CP "grungey." what ledrush said about the guitars being up front again and rush taking note of what was going on musically at the time is right, but from what I've found, the people who call CP a grungey album are people who never bought a grunge album. or any album after whitesnake's self-titled :P

 

Having bought - and still own - many grunge albums, I can see the grunge comparison: the sludgy chording, the minimalist (for Rush, at least) arrangements. I mean, it's really not grunge per se any more than 'The Weapon' is disco, but it does reflect in Rush's own way the musical zeitgeist.

 

p.s. - Between Whitesnake, Whitelion, and Great White, who would you prefer to see in concert? Now? Assuming there were no pyrotechnics in the show.

 

I can see the comparisons also. they were changing with the times and yada yada yada, that's all true, but some rush fans act like counterparts is as heavy as a melvins record! that's what I don't understand.

 

and I wouldn't wanna see any of em now, but they might as well do an ALL WHITE super-nostaglia tour. they'd sell out every county fair in the country

[Ancient Ways]

Ive never understood the Grunge comparisons..if what we are reffering to as Grunge is something like Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden, then Counterparts is not even close to being grunge..and Grunge is a silly term anyway

 

yeah, I never understood the thought process behind calling CP "grungey." what ledrush said about the guitars being up front again and rush taking note of what was going on musically at the time is right, but from what I've found, the people who call CP a grungey album are people who never bought a grunge album. or any album after whitesnake's self-titled :P

 

Having bought - and still own - many grunge albums, I can see the grunge comparison: the sludgy chording, the minimalist (for Rush, at least) arrangements. I mean, it's really not grunge per se any more than 'The Weapon' is disco, but it does reflect in Rush's own way the musical zeitgeist.

 

p.s. - Between Whitesnake, Whitelion, and Great White, who would you prefer to see in concert? Now? Assuming there were no pyrotechnics in the show.

 

I can see the comparisons also. they were changing with the times and yada yada yada, that's all true, but some rush fans act like counterparts is as heavy as a melvins record! that's what I don't understand.

 

and I wouldn't wanna see any of em now, but they might as well do an ALL WHITE super-nostaglia tour. they'd sell out every county fair in the country

 

I think it's heavy in comparison to roll the bones, not anyone else's album.