Rush.

[ezbass]

3 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I can’t bear the production on Clockwork Angels.

Me neither, just too dense,  it’s seems to be Nick Raskulinecz‘s MO. I’d love to hear a remix by someone else.

[prowla]

4 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

I can’t bear the production on Clockwork Angels. That’s opinions for ya!

 

They actually wanted Trevor Horn to produce Power Windows - that’s how they ended up with Anne Dudley arranging the strings.

 

Big fan of Drama here, btw. I think he does a great job on the vocals. Fly From Here - Return Flight, too.

 

Live in 1980 though? Not so much of a fan. Not his fault, tho.

 

Well - it would've been funny seeing if Trevor Horn could sing Geddy's songs! 🙂
I think his production is great, BTW.

Two Tribes is a fine bass line too.

[Jonge McLengo]

On 17/02/2025 at 11:11, paul_5 said:

Jesus, that's a shiit video!

I think the general consensus is that it’s enjoyably shite. Who wouldn’t want to see Geddy’s turbo mullet zooming around their TV screen in front of a stock background?

[Musicman666]

i was seriously into rush in the 70s  ..even caught a couple of their early hammy odeon shows then after moving pictures came out which was amazing they went all genesis 80s meltdown on me ...about then i jumped ship into the cure bunnymen etc etc... 

[dmccombe7]

On 17/02/2025 at 11:20, cetera said:

It's all about the Farewell To Kings album/era for me. Everything else comes 2nd....

100% when i saw them on that tour in Glasgow i just couldn't believe how 3 guys could produce that level of complexity.

Just 3 cool looking guys having great fun doing what they do best. 

I really liked the idea of their concept albums. I just got lost in their world while listening. Probably reading more into it than i should but at 18yrs old your imagination runs wild. 🤩

Dave

[Musicman666]

9 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Probably reading more into it than i should but at 18yrs old your imagination runs wild. 🤩

Dave

good old mother nature tends to have that effect..

[jensenmann]

Rush was my bass bible for quite some time. Geddy´s playing is so unusual, inventive, full of character and unusual ideas. Very refreshing. Many hyped bassplayers have less to say than Geddy.

Sorry, still a fanboy after 40 years.

[Musicman666]

geddy was a huge entwistle fan from the get go so the two go hand in hand in my mind..

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

On 18/02/2025 at 08:21, wateroftyne said:

I think the production is perfect, in an 80s way. Very Trevor Horn.

Listening to it now through decent headphones on lossless and it sounds ace.

[TrevorR]

On 18/02/2025 at 08:21, wateroftyne said:

I think the production is perfect, in an 80s way. Very Trevor Horn.

It’s a shame that Steve Lillywhite pulled out of producing Grace Under Pressure at the last minute(Geddy still bears a grudge apparently). Given the direction that album went, I think that could have been a really interesting collaboration. Peter Henderson did a fine job but I’d have loved to have travelled to an alternative timeline/dimension to listen to the Lillywhite-produced version. Love the sound he got on Big Country’s The Crossing album around the same time.

[wateroftyne]

22 minutes ago, TrevorR said:

It’s a shame that Steve Lillywhite pulled out of producing Grace Under Pressure at the last minute(Geddy still bears a grudge apparently). Given the direction that album went, I think that could have been a really interesting collaboration. Peter Henderson did a fine job but I’d have loved to have travelled to an alternative timeline/dimension to listen to the Lillywhite-produced version. Love the sound he got on Big Country’s The Crossing album around the same time.

I think of it as a dodging a bullet.. I’m not sure I’d have liked it. Still, it would be interesting to hear. 
 

The real production surprise for me was Counterparts. I listened to it when it came out, but like many of the newer albums I didn’t really return to it that much.

 

Listened to it all the way through a little while ago and while the songs are.. OK, the recording is so organic and punchy. Real pre-loudness war stuff.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

26 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I think of it as a dodging a bullet.. I’m not sure I’d have liked it. Still, it would be interesting to hear. 
 

The real production surprise for me was Counterparts. I listened to it when it came out, but like many of the newer albums I didn’t really return to it that much.

 

Listened to it all the way through a little while ago and while the songs are.. OK, the recording is so organic and punchy. Real pre-loudness war stuff.

I always think of Counterparts as the forgotten gem of the Rush catalogue. Test For Echo was a nosedive as far as I’m concerned, but I really like Counterpsrts.

[TrevorR]

I remember I was listening to Steve Wright In The Afternoon and the did a “tracks from albums coming out soon - guess the band” and they played a track from Counterparts. I recognised Geddy’s voice but thought, blimey, that’s a change of style for Alex with the grungy guitar.

[prowla]

19 minutes ago, TrevorR said:

I remember I was listening to Steve Wright In The Afternoon and the did a “tracks from albums coming out soon - guess the band” and they played a track from Counterparts. I recognised Geddy’s voice but thought, blimey, that’s a change of style for Alex with the grungy guitar.

Yep - despite the title of the song I previously linked, they never stood still.

[Bilbo]

Caress Of Steel was my first Rush LP. I had heard a live gig on The Friday Rock Show and had recorded it on a C90 cassette. Wore it out eventually. I remember getting Permanent Waves 'hot off the press' and loved that and Moving Pictures but Grace Under Pressure and Signals were a bit of a challenge. They lost me at Power Windows but I still have all of their catalogue except Clockwork Angels. There are highs and lows throughout.

 

Their videos, including the stuff on the back screen at gigs, was always ropey as fcuk. I always thought it was in jokes that nobody laughed at except the band. Their MTV style videos were generally terrible. I loved the sense of camaraderie the projected but they will probably go down as the coolest uncool people in the World. Neil Peart is not even close to being the best drummer and Gary Weinrib is not the greatest bass player by a country mile. Nevertheless, the three of them were undoubtedly greater than the sum of their parts and I loved them until I didn't.

 

Edited February 24 by Bilbo

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

19 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

Neil Peart is not even close to being the best drummer....

I know a lot of drummers that would disagree with you.

[dmccombe7]

I would say he was the greatest rock possibly prog drummer but a lot depends on the style of drumming you prefer or listen to. 

I've heard some drummers that i think are exceptional at their style of music and i'm thinking more jazz/funk styles but its like apples V's oranges.

Not sure there are any one shoe fits all.

Dave

 

[peteb]

19 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

I would say he was the greatest rock possibly prog drummer but a lot depends on the style of drumming you prefer or listen to. 

I've heard some drummers that i think are exceptional at their style of music and i'm thinking more jazz/funk styles but its like apples V's oranges.

Not sure there are any one shoe fits all.

Dave

 

 

Technically, there are many far better drummers than Peart! What NP was great at was 'orchestrating' drum parts that sound impressive and to build songs / pieces of music around those parts. But he wasn't one of the top guys in terms of groove or technique, etc by any means. 

 

Edited February 24 by peteb

[Bilbo]

Peart playing Jazz with that Buddy Rich thing was 'uncomfortable'. He played on Jeff Berlin's first album and had to be doubled by Steve Smith from Journey to make it work. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan but Peart stopped being interesting a loooonnng time ago and couldn't really move around freely outside of Rush.. So many players out there with more chops and fresher ideas. His first decade with Rush, though, was incredible.

As for his lyrics, he had that enviable ability to make you think you were thinking. Some really great lines but some of it was, frankly, rubbish. As I said, I am a fan but I don't think they live up to the hype. And I agree, Lifeson was the more creative of the three.

Edited February 25 by Bilbo

[prowla]

55 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

Peart playing Jazz with that Buddy Rich thing was 'uncomfortable'. He played on Jeff Berlin's first album and had to be doubled by Steve Smith from Journey to make it work. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan but Peart stopped being interesting a loooonnng time ago and couldn't really move around freely outside of Rush.. So many players out there with more chops and fresher ideas. His first decade with Rush, though, was incredible.

As for his lyrics, he had that enviable ability to make you think you were thinking. Some really great lines but some of it was, frankly, rubbish. As I said, I am a fan but I don't think they live up to the hype. And I agree, Lifeson was the more creative of the three.

 

 

(Not Permanent Waves?)

[Bilbo]

Sorry, Prowla. I love Rush, really I do. I was playing Limelight with a guitarist friend only last Thursday (absolutely true - we also looked at YYZ but I can't say we 'played' it - too bloody hard). I also have a load of Rush transcriptions on my website if you want to have a look (I think all of Signals, Moving Pictures and Hemispheres are on there as well as some others).

[ezbass]

2 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

we also looked at YYZ but I can't say we 'played' it - too bloody hard

So it seems…

 

[Bilbo]

The intro is the easy bit!! 

[TimR]

Exit... Stage Left, is an essential listen. It's basically a live 'Best of' all the songs on the first 8 albums up to and including Moving Pictures. Pre 1981.

 

Then in the 80s and 90s they were releasing an album every 2 years.

 

I agree with Power Windows as a great album to listen to, but a lot of what came after was very pop oriented and possibly doesn't stand up to the test of time.

Edited February 25 by TimR

[wateroftyne]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

Exit... Stage Left, is an essential listen. It's basically a live 'Best of' all the songs on the first 8 albums up to and including Moving Pictures. Pre 1981.

 

Then in the 80s and 90s they were releasing an album every 2 years.

 

I agree with Power Windows as a great album to listen to, but a lot of what came after was very pop oriented and possibly doesn't stand up to the test of time.

ESL always sounded a bit wishy-washy to me. IMO It’s been rendered redundant by the bonus live stuff on the Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures deluxe editions. Much better mixes.