"All The Journeys Of This Great Adventure"- My re-discovery of this great band known as Rush..

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

How can you rediscover a band you never stopped listening too, and whose work you were barely familiar with?

 

(copypastas post explaining it)

 

 

 

I was always aware of Rush's existence. Pretty much ever since I was a little boy. I always known they were a good band by the little I've listened to, it wasn't until (and I'll get to this in my Moving Pictures review) I listened to Witch Hunt and joined this site that I had began to discover how good Rush really was....I just failed to mention that even though I do like a lot of deep cuts and 80s tunes, I've never listened to most of their more proggy songs like Hemispheres.

 

This thread is going to serve as a vehicle for my "second discovery" of Rush.

You'll have to thank copypasta for me, he did a great job of explaining

[Segue Myles]

How can you rediscover a band you never stopped listening too, and whose work you were barely familiar with?

 

(copypastas post explaining it)

 

 

 

I was always aware of Rush's existence. Pretty much ever since I was a little boy. I always known they were a good band by the little I've listened to, it wasn't until (and I'll get to this in my Moving Pictures review) I listened to Witch Hunt and joined this site that I had began to discover how good Rush really was....I just failed to mention that even though I do like a lot of deep cuts and 80s tunes, I've never listened to most of their more proggy songs like Hemispheres.

 

This thread is going to serve as a vehicle for my "second discovery" of Rush.

 

But you never finished the first time

[goose]

Boy oh boy....what an album....I know you've been waiting for this review, time for me to review what many fans claim is the most underrated Rush album alongside Hold Your Fire and Presto....

 

CARESS OF STEEL (1975)

 

 

1. Bastille Day

 

 

Rating: 10/10

 

My Thoughts: What else can I say other than this f***ing song kicks ass? Even before I listened to the whole album, I always thought this was a awesome song. Who'd think that a song about the French Revolution would be a kick-ass rocker? The solo is pretty damn good, but the riff alone is to die for!

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: Of course, I would have actually preferred this one to Lakeside Park.

 

2. I Think I'm Going Bald

 

 

Rating: 7/10

 

My Thoughts: The lyrics to this song are so stupid, yet I really do like this one. Lyrics put aside, it's a solid rocker that I think could have really fit on the debut or Fly By Night. Many people have compared this to KISS' Going Blind...Musically, I like ITIGB better because it's a kickass rock song while Going Blind is more ballad-like, which at the time KISS wasn't really known for. But I think Going Blind has better lyrics (shocking for a KISS song, amirite?) Either way, it's a fun little ditty and I certainly don't hate it.

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: I think it'd sound okay live so...yeah!

 

3. Lakeside Park

 

 

Rating: 8/10

 

My Thoughts: So far, I think this is Rush's happiest song. I mean, it's a song about an amusment park and as an avid roller coaster enthusiast, it really strikes a chord with me about all the times I've been on roller coasters as a kid going to places like Hersheypark and Dorney Park! Also, it has such a good message of cherishing good memories....Musically it's a very happy song, upbeat, yet mellow at times. I really like this one

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: Of course, and I did actually!

 

4. The Necromancer

 

 

Rating: 8/10

 

My Thoughts: Okay, so this is one of the two really long songs on this record...I really didn't think I was going to like this one, but I thought it was pretty good. Like most prog rock songs I like, I love the genre shifts in between the narration parts. I love how it starts off in sort of a trippy, Pink Floyd-ish way, then it transforms into a Zeppelin-like rocker, and for the third part, transforms into a mellow, acoustic based almost "Hard Luck Woman"-ish sort of thing. Overall, It is a pretty good song and not overly proggy and pretentious like Yes.

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: Realistically, no. Not the whole thing, but that instrumental part in the second part is f***ing awesome and I feel like that could be an awesome sort of band jam.

 

5. The Fountain of Lamneth

 

 

Rating: 7.5/10

 

My Thoughts: Okay...here is the one I was fearing. The huge f***ing 20 minute song....Now don't get me wrong, I like it musically. It really amplifies everything about The Necromancer, the genre shifts, the mood shifts and everything about that and really boosts it to the next extreme with five seperate parts to this song a la 2112...And don't get me wrong, the music itself is DAMN good, I have nothing against it. BUT....

My problem with this song is that Rush didn't know when the hell to stop. What they should have done with this song was split it into five separate songs and make it sort of a "concept" half album. That way, I feel like the whole story and artistic value of Lamneth will be easier to take in, if you know what I mean...

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: Maybe only one of the five parts, but the whole thing would just be too much.

Great review! Good to see Caress getting high marks. To be honest, it literally took two decades for this album to fully click. Now it's among my favs!

 

:cheers:

[fraroc]

I know I've been lagging behind on this, but...here goes.

 

2112 (1976)

 

 

 

1. 2112

 

 

Rating: 10/10

 

My Thoughts: Oh f***in hell 2112 gets a 10/10!!! This is the song that MADE Rush who they are today! Everything about this song is just flat-out awesome. The first two parts (Overture and Temples) are just nothing but quintessential Rush hard-rock awesomeness and it truly is no wonder why 2112 became one of their signature tunes. Even people who haven't even listened to all 20 minutes of it probably know the first two parts by heart! The third part (Discovery) is an interesting segue from hard rock to soft rock. The fourth part (Presentation) I find to be the most interesting and possibly the most kick-ass of all the song.The two genres, soft rock and hard rock combat each other in the voices of The Protagonist and the Priests. The fifth and six parts (Oracle and Soliloquy) I find to be pretty similar to one another with the soft intro leading into the hard rock bombast. The last part (The Grand Finale) is nothing short of an awesome instrumental to wrap up an absolute masterpiece in prog rock.

 

Would I like to see it live: Meaning the whole song? Of course!

 

 

2. A Passage To Bangkok

 

 

Rating: 9/10

 

My Thoughts: Time to review the songs that no one cares about! (lol not really) Remember my Here Again review where I said that Rush wasn't good at the whole "hey man wanna get high?" motif? Well, now I kind of retract that statement. While Here Again isn't that good of a song to me, A Passage To Bangkok is. And it's a song that literally is all about smoking weed. Overall it's a pretty solid rock song.

 

Would I Like To See It Live: Of course, it's a very good song that would go over fantastic live!

 

3. The Twilight Zone

 

Rating: 8/10

 

My Thoughts: This one is a pretty good slow-to-mid tempo rock song However I do feel like it was kind of cheap of Neil to write about a TV show he likes for the sole purpose that source material had already existed for this song. Despite that, it really doesn't stop The Twilight Zone from being a decent song with good lyrics.

 

Would I Like To See It Live: I wouldn't be opposed to it, so...yeah!

 

 

4. Lessons

 

Rating: 8/10

 

My Thoughts: This is a pretty good one with a decent chorus riff. But I think that the subject matter of the song having read the lyrics is pretty funny because it reminds me of a frustrated teacher :) Anyway, it's a pretty solid song, doesn't really stand out like The Twilight Zone and A Passage To Bangkok do, but that doesn't mean it's bad.

 

Would I like To See It Live: I feel like realistically, this would be too much of a deep cut to be done live, but it would be cool.

 

 

5. Tears

 

Rating: 5/10

 

My Thoughts: So...this is Rush's first attempt at a straight-up ballad....And to be honest, I really am not a fan of this one...Something about it just puts me off and I honestly feel like Rush's other ballad attempts went over WAY better. The first part of Natural Science, Losing It, and Second Nature are all much more enjoyable than this song.

 

Would I Like To See It Live: Nah, not really.

 

 

6. Something For Nothing

 

Rating: 9/10

 

My Thoughts: This is a really good one and I'd consider it to be one of Rush's most underrated tunes that gets a bad rap simply for it's subject matter. In fact, I don't view this song as a "anthem" for social conservatism/puritanism at all. Simply put, the message of Something For Nothing to me is Carpe Diem. Seize the day and make the most of it because life won't wait for anyone. Musically the song is very good also.

 

Would I Like To See It Live: Of course, it's a good tune and I think it would have been a good way to wrap up the second set of the R40 tour after 2112.

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

Love your thoughts on 2112, Bangkok, and S4N; personally, I think you're underrating Lessons and Tears though...

 

By the way, you're right, Presentation is definitely the most kick ass part of 2112 :smoke:

[fraroc]

I know, it's been a disgracefully long time since I posted in this topic, but this project is not dead and I intend to give you the review for AFTK....RIGHT NOW!

 

 

A Farewell To Kings (1977)

 

 

1. A Farewell To Kings

 

Rating: 8/10

 

 

My Thoughts: I really like this one. I love how it starts off slow, yet explodes into the hard rock n' roll. I wouldn't say that it's the best song on the album as this album hosts one of Rush's most legendary tunes, but that doesn't make AFTK a bad song, not in the least!

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: Of course! It's a really good song that would go over great live!

 

 

2. Xanadu

 

Rating: 10/10

 

My Thoughts: To me, this is the perfect progressive hard rock song. Artistic and beautiful, but not a lot of wankery and pretentiousness. The music just takes you on this journey where you are completely enamored with this tune. The feeling of being completley overtaken by the song goes with the feeling that it does not feel like it's 12 minutes long, at the most it feels like only 5 or so minutes. The riff is kickass, the atmospheric quality is gorgeous, the lyrics are fantastic and overall, this is possibly their greatest work of the 1970s. The studio version really doesn't do this song justice, you need to hear a few live versions, even the shortened ones.

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: Of course, and I did!

 

 

3. Closer To The Heart

 

Rating: 10/10

 

 

My Thoughts: This one holds a special place in my heart because it could possibly be the very first Rush song I had ever heard in my life. It's a nice little song that's obviously very radio friendly as you still hear it ALL THE f***ing TIME on classic rock radio. I really hold this up to the high standard of The Spirit of Radio and Tom Sawyer, it really is a great song.

 

Would I Like To See It Live?: Yes, and I did as a matter of fact!

 

 

 

4. Cinderella Man

 

Rating: 8/10

 

My Thoughts: This is a pretty decent song. The lyrics are written by Ged as opposed to Neil Peart, but you honestly can't tell because the lyrics tell a story like Neil's lyrics usually do. It's a nice tune with a good melody and a pretty good solo from Alex.

 

Would I Like To See It Live: I wouldn't be opposed to it, so yeah! I think it might be a bit of a deep cut though.

 

 

 

5. Madrigal

 

Rating: 3/10

 

My Thoughts: CAN SOMEONE TURN THE FAX MACHINE OFF?! Oh wait, that's the song....Anyway, this song is A Farewell To Kings' only turd. The song is annoying as f**k, the synthesizer sounds like, as I mentioned before, a fax machine which is not a good thing. The lyrics, although penned by Neil, really aren't that good...Not "The Speed of Love" bad, but still not good. Anyway, this song gives me a headache and it sucks.

 

Would I Like To See It Live: FU'CK. THAT.

 

6. Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage

 

Rating: 9/10

 

My Thoughts: Well this is more how I like it! This song is f***ing fantastic! The long instrumental parts are just nothing short of awesome and is a true testament to what Rush does best. Artistic progressive music but in a true rock n' roll fashion. I sort of view this, and the next song in the series, which is best saved for ANOTHER album review, as the unofficial sequel to 2112, as it deals with the sci-fi theme, but I'd also consider both Cygnusses to be a prequel to Natural Science for that reason to...I'll go into more detail when I review Hemispheres and Permenent Waves. Another thing, how the f**k does Geddy sing those high notes at the very end?

 

Would I Like To See It Live: Yes, of course! And I did...well, 2/3s of it.

[ctbadger]

Reading all of these reviews makes me really appreciate that I discovered Rush in 1983 and have been fortunate to see them live 20 times over the years. I can't imagine how much of a bummer it must be to have discovered them late in their career and think about what you had missed.

 

Keep 'em coming!

[fraroc]

I know it's been a hell of a long time, but I'm seriously thinking about restarting this whole thing.

[Wil1972]

Recently, I've made the decision to go back and time and re-discover Rush's music from the bottom up...And what better way to do it than in chronological order?! This thread is going to have one purpose only for me, sharing my experiences in listening to all of Rush's songs, whether I've know them by heart or I've never ever heard them before in my life...I really hope that this thread also inspires people who haven't been listening to Rush lately to give it another whirl and re-enter the world of Rush!

 

This is how it's going to work, I will write a small blurb about what I feel about a certain song, rate it out of 10, and say whether or whether not I'd like to see it live or not....so here we go....

 

 

 

RUSH (1974)

 

 

1. Finding My Way

 

Rating: 8/10

 

My Thoughts: What can you say? This is Rush's first song! (Well, first song on the debut album...but whatever) I really like this one. A solid rocker with a kickass guitar riff! Geddy Lee was really channeling his inner Robert Plant with this song, so I get what Gene Simmons says when he referred to them as "Canadian Zeppelin". Overall, I feel this awesome song was the right way to kickstart Rush's 41 year career!

 

Would I Like To See It Live:Hell yes! If they had done this song as the R40 encore, that would have been perfect for me! If they had done this song and The Garden from Clockwork Angels, we would have really had a setlist go "From first to last"

 

2. Need Some Love

 

Rating: 7/10

 

My Thoughts: I really like this short little song by Rush, but I must say, It's odd to see Geddy Lee singing about wanting to love a girl in almost a KISS-esque fashion. It almost doesn't sound like a Rush tune at all, especially after hearing Ged singing about dining on honeydew and madmen fed on fear and lies. Overall, it's a good rockin' song with a good riff.

 

Would I like To See It Live: I wouldn't have been opposed to it if they played it as part of the R40 encore. It's a fast paced song and I think the audience would really like it.

 

3. Take A Friend

 

Rating: 8/10

 

My Thoughts: I know of Rush fans that really don't like this song. I'm NOT one of them. Compared to the other songs on the debut, the intro riff and outro riff has sort of a "Anthem" esque feel to it, however the rest of the song is pretty reminiscent of the other rockers on the album. It's a pretty good song about going out in the world and making friends. The instrumental part is pretty good, even though you'd kind of expect it would be a little more intricate and more complicated...Just goes to show you how much influence Neil had once he joined.

 

Would I like To See It Live: I'd personally like to see this song done live, but I think it would be too much of a deep cut for the audience.

 

4. Here Again

 

Rating: 4/10

 

My Thoughts: I'm sorry, but while Rush was absolutely f***ing AMAZING at progressive rock, psychadelic stoner music is really not their forte and you can definitely tell with this attempt at a stoner-esque "hey man wanna get high?" song. The song itself is only 7 minutes, but it seems longer than Xanadu...then again Xanadu doesn't seem 12 minutes long, but I'll get to that on my A Farewell To Kings review....Overall, this song is just boring and un-Rush like. Even for this album.

 

Would I Like To See It Live: A shortened version would be tolerable, but NOT the whole song.

 

5. What You're Doing

 

Rating: 9/10

 

My Thoughts: God DAMN this song is good! I really like this one, probably because it sorta kinda reminds me of Watchin' You by KISS. But the fact that the songs sound kind of similar put aside, I like What You're Doing on it's own too! Alex's riff and Geddy's Robert Plant-esque vocal melodies are catchy as all hell! I think I even like it better than Wachin' You!

 

Would I Like To See It Live: Hell Yeah! And I did, it was the first time I ever listened to this song and I fell in love with it straight away!

 

 

6. In The Mood

 

Rating: 9/10

 

My Thoughts: I love this song! I always have and I always will! Despite not having as "artistic" of lyrics as what is to come in Rush's history, I'd still rank it up there with songs like Limelight. The riff is catchy and John Rutsey's drumming is good also. It's odd to see Rush singing a song about flirting with a chick, but that's one of the beauties of pre-Neil Rush, in my honest opinion!

 

Would I Like To See It Live: Of course! If they had done this song instead of What You're Doing, I'd still would have been content!

 

7. Before and After

 

Rating: 7/10

 

My Thoughts: I almost thought this was an instrumental when I first listened to this one, but this song is a classic case of "don't judge a book by it's cover." Once it hits that 2:20 mark, it just gets going and doesn't stop! What you expect is a boring song like Here Again turned into another kick-ass rocker! I feel the intro kind of drags along, but once you hit that threshold, it just kicks your ass! I'm glad I listened to it all the way through!

 

Would I Like To See It Live: Yes if they'd do a shorter intro or cut it completely. Gotta trim the fat somewhere.

 

8. Working Man

 

Rating: 9/10

 

My Thoughts: Technically Rush's first hit and it's a damn f***ing good song! Alex really channeled his inner Tony Iommi with this one because it really sounds just like a Black Sabbath tune at times. Alex's solo also really kicks ass as well. The middle of the song defnitley kicks ass, it almost has sort of an "Iron Man" like feel to it. You know how the main melody is slow and plodding, yet in the middle it really picks up? Overall, it's a kick ass song and it's a good way to end a pretty solid album, with an exception (Here Again).

 

Would I like To See It Live: Of course! And I did actually on the R40 tour, this song I think sounds even better live in fact!

 

Your comment on Watchin' You and What You're Doing is interesting - I've never thought about the two songs like that, but it is an interesting observation ... There is a similarity, now that you mention it

 

I love the debut

 

I always thought What You're Doing sounded a lot like Heartbreaker.

Good topic, interesting read ...

[Wil1972]

Love your thoughts on 2112, Bangkok, and S4N; personally, I think you're underrating Lessons and Tears though...

 

By the way, you're right, Presentation is definitely the most kick ass part of 2112 :smoke:

 

I agree about Lessons and Tears.