Rush: Clockwork angels gets worse with each listen.

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Andersoncouncil, Jan 18, 2014.

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  1. jojo209

    jojo209 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I love the drum production on Clockwork; it's way better than the "Scott Rockenfield shotgun blast" sounds of Power Windows & Hold Your Fire. Snakes & Arrows also sounded excellent to me. I think they both blow away the production on Vapor Trails. Songwise too. I don't get where people are finding a lack of melody on Clockwork. There's tons of it on "Caravan", "BU2B", "Carnies"... and "The Garden" is beautiful!
     
    Clanceman likes this.
  2. Stuart S

    Stuart S Back Jack

    Location:
    lv
    I disagree, the drumming is excellent, but the sound of the Drums is the worst on this album than any Rush album including Vapor Trails. The ringy guitars wash out any dynamics of Peart's set- especially the cymbals. And the cymbals sound like its played through AM radio. Yes it is really that bad.

    Actually the whole album sounds like AM radio.
     
    drummer, Carserguev and *Zod* like this.
  3. Clanceman

    Clanceman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Or
    I love Clockwork Angels. It gets better with each listen.
     
  4. *Zod*

    *Zod* Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    Power Windows has a lot packed into it. You have to listen very closely to what is going on, venture beyond the dominating synths. Ironically, it actually reveals itself to be one of the better Alex records when all is said and done. He does some awesome stuff on it. I really group Signals, Grace, and Power into the same group.....very strong songs, very strong arrangements - with each successive record simply packing/layering "more" into it.

    Regarding Clockwork, I was thinking the other day that it is probably one of those "transitional" type Rush albums that the band always mentions, usually which occur before something "definitive" following. It will be interesting to see what's next.
     
    ytserush, pablorkcz, jojo209 and 3 others like this.
  5. DrBeatle

    DrBeatle The Rock and Roll Chemist

    Location:
    Midwest via Boston
    I totally agree. A lot of fellow Rush fans always used to think I was crazy when I extended their peak period that started with A Farewell to Kings all the way up to Power Windows (most people cut it off around Signals) but it wasn't really until Hold Your Fire (which I do like) where they started to slip a bit until Counterparts.
     
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  6. C. Cushman

    C. Cushman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    Me too....Power Windows is probably my favorite Rush record. Alex's playing is extremely tasteful and really elevates the music.
    I found Clockwork Angels to be forgettable- nothing grabbed my attention....
     
    Carserguev likes this.
  7. Complier

    Complier Senior Member

    Location:
    Harrisburg, PA
    The thing I really dislike about "Clockwork Angels" are the lyrics. They seem very lazy and for once agree with all of those critics who cite Peart as one of the worst lyricists ever.
     
  8. BSC

    BSC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow, Scotland
    I've been listening very carefully to that record Zod since it came out, it's an album I like for me it just misses being in their top tier......and in the main it is very strong on melody.....Big Money has no tune for me, pure and simple I never liked it and I doubt I ever will......it's also a better record than Grace which arguably was the first album that started to exhibit a lack of melody--some killer songs on Grace but a disappointment for me at the time....Power Windows I seen as something of a return to form....
     
  9. HotelYorba101

    HotelYorba101 Senior Member

    Location:
    California
    I totally agree, Hold Your Fire through Roll the Bones I would say is their low point until Counterparts brought them back up. Unfortunately Test For Echo wasn't as consistent but Vapor Trails onward IMO has seen Rush consistently great. Their last album in my view is up their with their best
     
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  10. DrBeatle

    DrBeatle The Rock and Roll Chemist

    Location:
    Midwest via Boston
    I like huge chunks of T4E but overall, something about it just falls short when you take the album as a whole. I agree that from VT to the present has been a great late career run. I quite like Clockwork Angels and, like you, consider it one of their stronger albums. Is it on par with their classic late 70s/early 80s stuff? No, but I think it's closer to that stuff than it is to Presto or HYF!
     
    Jimmy Agates and HotelYorba101 like this.
  11. What I find odd is that they were able to make such radical changes in their sound and not lose most of their audience in the process. A lot of other bands have tried such things and paid for it, whereas many fans of Rush's more heavy/progressive rock were willing to stick it out through their Ultravox phase and beyond. They'd certainly make for a perplexing case study in music business school.
     
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  12. BSC

    BSC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow, Scotland
    Not really though because they always moved their sound on-your audience simply doesn't desert over night and Rush spent a long time building theirs up-the effect is seldom instant plus Rush actually built their audience with their changes it actually went in a more commercial direction-Xanadu or Spirit Of Radio....La Villa or Tom Sawyer...etc etc...and they always had a solid live show to fall back on.

    In the history of rock it's not massively unusual U2 arguably did something even more radical with a much bigger audience.....
     
  13. tcj

    tcj Senior Member

    Location:
    Phoenix
    Well, I'll stand there right with you - Presto is actually my FAVORITE Rush album! It's also a really personal feeling album - the lyrics were about life, rather than some of the more standoffish "pictures of society" and tech-oriented songs. Vapor Trails is another favorite of mine for this very reason. But Presto is really special. There's a lot of joy in the music and lyrics. "Chain Lightning" in particular really gets me, but especially so after Peart's daughter died. Makes me sad but more in a "I've got to do more with my kids" kind of way. You can never do enough with your kids.
     
  14. BSC

    BSC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow, Scotland
    I liked Presto when it came-it did seem to have a more human slant from Peart-at the time I had just went through a big break up and I always thought woah Mr Peart is having relationship issues-maybe I just projected that at the time...who knows. However I don't think time has been kind to the record, a couple of top level Rush songs but a lot of it seems like filler now......
     
  15. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    Rushs music and lyrics have both seemed to progressively and gradually decline since the early 80s
     
  16. autodidact

    autodidact Forum Resident

    I tried, really tried to get through it again recently. Musically, it might be passable, but honestly it is hard for me to judge when the assault on the ears is so sustained throughout.
     
  17. rollerball9000

    rollerball9000 Forum Resident

    If you think that about Clockwork Angels you must love the original Vapor Trails...
     
  18. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    I have thought this too, the frequency range seems to have been greatly damaged by post production/compression poisoning.
    I have never liked the album, and even if I didn't have such masterpieces as 2112 and FTK as a yardstick, I still would be deterred from listening to my copy of it.
    It sounds like computer music.
     
  19. autodidact

    autodidact Forum Resident

    I find Vapor Trails more listenable. And I thought the songs were constructed better as well. But yes Vapor Trails is somewhat difficult, but nothing compared to the pain that is Clockwork. Also, the vinyl of the original Vapor Trails is easier to take on several levels. So I will return to Vapor Trails, but not Clockwork. I'm done.
     
  20. It remains one of my fav. Rush albums - it's strong, start to finish, nods to their old sound while taking the new sound forward. I think it's their best album since Signals.
     
    Clanceman likes this.
  21. Clanceman

    Clanceman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, Or
    :agree:
     
  22. nicotinecaffeine

    nicotinecaffeine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Walton, KY
    Neil said in the BTLS movie, "There's a different clock at work now".

    Yeah, well, that different clock has f***ed the melody department something awful.
     
  23. BrewDrinkRepeat

    BrewDrinkRepeat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merchantville NJ
    I'm not sure I've heard any resemblance to their old sound in anything they've done since 1985 or so... if it wasn't for Geddy's voice (and even that is way different now) there would be no way to tell this band was the same one that made Moving Pictures or Fly By Night... it's gotten to the point where I listen to someone else's copy of every new album, once, and then don't buy it, and at this point I can't stand to hear Geddy's sad attempts to sing the old songs so I don't bother to see them live.
     
    kannibal likes this.
  24. vinyl diehard

    vinyl diehard Two-Channel Forever

    Well if you were creating music since the early 70's you wouldn't be considered in top form all of the time either. I personally think CA a great effort from this seasoned band. You guys are quite opposite to all of those Pink Floyd fans on the other post who think that the new-old release of T E R is classic Floyd. Maybe in a year from now they will be tearing it apart too.
     
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  25. ifihadafish

    ifihadafish Forum Resident

    At least Rush are still trying to develop or at least play to their strengths on each release. Okay develop might mean a look back over the shoulder into the older format - there are some A Farewell To Kings flavours that resurface on the latter album IMO. But never would have thought I would still be enjoying Rush albums 40 years into their career and live - wll they still kick ass (but I only ever see them once per tour)
     
    Clanceman likes this.
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