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Why we don't love synth era Rush


laughedatbytime
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I love the synth era... great bass lines, great vocal melodies, some really memorable guitar parts. Oh yeah, and the synths. They add a texture and expand the Rush vocabulary to where we can really see the abundant talent and musicality of this legendary trio.

 

I agree with this...and I'll say it was most successfully and singularly achieved on Hold Your Fire.

 

The production values on that album are firmly rooted in the time during which it was made- really still the mid '80s, leaning toward the late '80s...but Alex has plenty of moments to shine, in conjunction with the synths...the separation of all the instruments is very clear, and balanced, so that none really dominates over another.

 

And the drumming on HYF is also stupendous. It's not often recognized as a high point for Professor Peart, but I really think it is. (I know that our friend Earl agrees with me, anyway).

 

Hold Your Fire is, for me, the pinnacle of Rush's achievements. It is easy to miss out in the nuances and emotional depths on display, but a really close listen reveals the best drumming I have yet to hear from Peart, the lyrics are truly beautiful, and Geddy is just on top form vocally, and stayed that way on Presto.

 

HYF is the one album of Rush that I find most easy to give a perfect rating. I love each and every song, I couldn't even pick out a highlight amongst all them highlights!

It's easy to miss the nuances and emotional depths because who can stay awake long enough to get to them.

 

The average Dan Fogelberg album rocks harder than HYF.

 

I don't think great music has to rock.

 

HYF is an amazing album, whatever genre it belongs too.

It belongs on Your Lite favorites on FM 102.3, right after Howard Jones, to settle things down a bit.

 

Good. After all that stone cold crud it would make an excellent change to have the greatness that is HYF take over the reins.

The boys should have posed like Frampton on the cover of I'm In You to give record buyers a taste of what they'd be hearing...

 

That was quite the satin outfit, was it not? :hi:

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Robert Plant would have looked stunning in that get-up!

Not as good as Peart.

 

Oh, I do agree. It has Neil written all over it.

No one does the come hither look better.

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Even 8 years since Snakes and Arrows seems like forever ago.

 

I like most of what synth era has to offer. It churned out of their greatest albums ever in Grace Under Pressure. Signals is also great. Hold Your Fire has like 4 good songs and Power Windows is mostly good.

 

Then you have that shitcake Presto.

 

Presto is the Gaines Burgers of Rush music.

 

I have an audiophile friend who's faithfully buying all the new Rush vinyl releases, with the exception of Presto. He said he learned to find something to like about PoW (he's come to like it very much), HYF, and even RTB, but he said he just can't stomach Presto no matter how hard he tries to find something to like. Point is, my rejection means nothing as I easily dismiss things, but he REALLY tried and still couldn't like it. I suggested "The Pass" but it wasn't enough. What an awful album really.

Edited by Rutlefan
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Even 8 years since Snakes and Arrows seems like forever ago.

 

I like most of what synth era has to offer. It churned out of their greatest albums ever in Grace Under Pressure. Signals is also great. Hold Your Fire has like 4 good songs and Power Windows is mostly good.

 

Then you have that shitcake Presto.

 

Presto is the Gaines Burgers of Rush music.

 

I have an audiophile friend who's faithfully buying all the new Rush vinyl releases, with the exception of Presto. He said he learned to find something to like about PoW (he's come to like it very much), HYF, and even RTB, but he said he just can't stomach Presto no matter how hard he tries to find something to like. Point is, my rejection means nothing as I easily dismiss things, but he REALLY tried and still couldn't like it. I suggested "The Pass" but it wasn't enough. What an awful album really.

 

Great cover, though.

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Even 8 years since Snakes and Arrows seems like forever ago.

 

I like most of what synth era has to offer. It churned out of their greatest albums ever in Grace Under Pressure. Signals is also great. Hold Your Fire has like 4 good songs and Power Windows is mostly good.

 

Then you have that shitcake Presto.

 

Presto is the Gaines Burgers of Rush music.

 

I have an audiophile friend who's faithfully buying all the new Rush vinyl releases, with the exception of Presto. He said he learned to find something to like about PoW (he's come to like it very much), HYF, and even RTB, but he said he just can't stomach Presto no matter how hard he tries to find something to like. Point is, my rejection means nothing as I easily dismiss things, but he REALLY tried and still couldn't like it. I suggested "The Pass" but it wasn't enough. What an awful album really.

 

Great cover, though.

 

It was a great tour, too. And I love the Presto album, by the way. Well-documented in other posts of mine in other threads, so that will suffice.

 

But seriously, the tour supporting that album was really wonderful.

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Even 8 years since Snakes and Arrows seems like forever ago.

 

I like most of what synth era has to offer. It churned out of their greatest albums ever in Grace Under Pressure. Signals is also great. Hold Your Fire has like 4 good songs and Power Windows is mostly good.

 

Then you have that shitcake Presto.

 

Presto is the Gaines Burgers of Rush music.

 

I have an audiophile friend who's faithfully buying all the new Rush vinyl releases, with the exception of Presto. He said he learned to find something to like about PoW (he's come to like it very much), HYF, and even RTB, but he said he just can't stomach Presto no matter how hard he tries to find something to like. Point is, my rejection means nothing as I easily dismiss things, but he REALLY tried and still couldn't like it. I suggested "The Pass" but it wasn't enough. What an awful album really.

 

Great cover, though.

 

It was a great tour, too. And I love the Presto album, by the way. Well-documented in other posts of mine in other threads, so that will suffice.

 

But seriously, the tour supporting that album was really wonderful.

 

Isn't that the tour where they cut off Xanadu? :rage:

 

Edit: no, that was the next tour. :rage:

Edited by toymaker
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Even 8 years since Snakes and Arrows seems like forever ago.

 

I like most of what synth era has to offer. It churned out of their greatest albums ever in Grace Under Pressure. Signals is also great. Hold Your Fire has like 4 good songs and Power Windows is mostly good.

 

Then you have that shitcake Presto.

 

Presto is the Gaines Burgers of Rush music.

 

I have an audiophile friend who's faithfully buying all the new Rush vinyl releases, with the exception of Presto. He said he learned to find something to like about PoW (he's come to like it very much), HYF, and even RTB, but he said he just can't stomach Presto no matter how hard he tries to find something to like. Point is, my rejection means nothing as I easily dismiss things, but he REALLY tried and still couldn't like it. I suggested "The Pass" but it wasn't enough. What an awful album really.

 

Great cover, though.

 

It was a great tour, too. And I love the Presto album, by the way. Well-documented in other posts of mine in other threads, so that will suffice.

 

But seriously, the tour supporting that album was really wonderful.

 

Isn't that the tour where they cut off Xanadu? :rage:

I think that was Roll the Bones
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Even 8 years since Snakes and Arrows seems like forever ago.

 

I like most of what synth era has to offer. It churned out of their greatest albums ever in Grace Under Pressure. Signals is also great. Hold Your Fire has like 4 good songs and Power Windows is mostly good.

 

Then you have that shitcake Presto.

 

Presto is the Gaines Burgers of Rush music.

 

I have an audiophile friend who's faithfully buying all the new Rush vinyl releases, with the exception of Presto. He said he learned to find something to like about PoW (he's come to like it very much), HYF, and even RTB, but he said he just can't stomach Presto no matter how hard he tries to find something to like. Point is, my rejection means nothing as I easily dismiss things, but he REALLY tried and still couldn't like it. I suggested "The Pass" but it wasn't enough. What an awful album really.

 

Great cover, though.

 

It was a great tour, too. And I love the Presto album, by the way. Well-documented in other posts of mine in other threads, so that will suffice.

 

But seriously, the tour supporting that album was really wonderful.

 

Isn't that the tour where they cut off Xanadu? :rage:

I think that was Roll the Bones

 

Yes- they cut off Xanadu on several tours. But it was only on the Roll the Bones tour that it went into Superconductor. :facepalm: (but I enjoyed the RTB tour, also, regardless of that). :blush:

 

On the Presto tour, it went Xanadu -> The Rhythm Method (ed: which was just phenomenal!) -> YYZ

 

It was outta sight!

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they cut off Xanadu on several tours.

 

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. :tsk: :tsk: :tsk: Sacrilege.

 

Agreed.

 

They redeemed themselves on that front this past year, though.

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they cut off Xanadu on several tours.

 

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. :tsk: :tsk: :tsk: Sacrilege.

 

Agreed.

 

They redeemed themselves on that front this past year, though.

 

Yeah, they played . . . most of it.

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they cut off Xanadu on several tours.

 

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. :tsk: :tsk: :tsk: Sacrilege.

 

Agreed.

 

They redeemed themselves on that front this past year, though.

 

Yeah, they played . . . most of it.

 

I'll never understand that one but, at this point in time, I am just grateful that they did the entire (almost) song.

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A truncated Xanadu morphing into Superconductor?!? That's so wrong on so many levels. Thank you Lord that you saved me from '90s Rush. (I know Presto was released in 1989, but we all know it was the first '90s Rush album.)
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they cut off Xanadu on several tours.

 

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. :tsk: :tsk: :tsk: Sacrilege.

 

Agreed.

 

They redeemed themselves on that front this past year, though.

 

Yeah, they played . . . most of it.

 

I'll never understand that one but, at this point in time, I am just grateful that they did the entire (almost) song.

 

To me, it was close enough for rock and roll!

 

:guitar:

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they cut off Xanadu on several tours.

 

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. :tsk: :tsk: :tsk: Sacrilege.

 

Agreed.

 

They redeemed themselves on that front this past year, though.

 

Yeah, they played . . . most of it.

 

I'll never understand that one but, at this point in time, I am just grateful that they did the entire (almost) song.

 

To me, it was close enough for rock and roll!

 

:guitar:

 

I suppose, but it lacked a sense of denouement.

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A truncated Xanadu morphing into Superconductor?!? That's so wrong on so many levels. Thank you Lord that you saved me from '90s Rush. (I know Presto was released in 1989, but we all know it was the first '90s Rush album.)

 

Oh let us count.... :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

 

I can't even bring myself to listen to that when I listen to the nineties bootlegs.

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I grew up with the synth era as my new Rush. Therefore, Moving Pictures through HYF hold a place in my history...besides being great music. I felt that from 89 on, there were more tunes I did not care for. HYF was the first lp of that era to have tunes I would skip.
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Presto is an amazing album!

 

Higher on my list than Hemispheres or 2112.

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