Steven Wilson would like to work with Rush*

"Moving Pictures" is an incredible-sounding album. I will never understand how such smart guys (as Lee, Lifeson and Peart seem to be) let themselves to be carried away by the loudness war. "That's the way people like to listen to music nowadays", someone may say. But still, I've felt they went to the extreme. And it's not just because of "Vapor Trails". Their live albums, starting with "Rio" are unbearable. I can't stand "R30", and it's a shame because the opening medley is truly great. They could have tried and find a middle loudness point that pleased everybody.

 

OMG, have they really had TWENTY albums since Moving Pictures? Thank god I've only heard a few of them.

 

There is no need to re-mix Led Zeppelin's catalog.
(Or, ahem, Jethro Tull's.)
Hands off.
There were opportunities missed with the Zep reissues, but not along those lines.

 

Best of their career, no. But still very, very good. I can get over the mix/mastering and enjoy the music. Vapor Trails and Clockwork Angels I think are the best of the later albums.

For Clockwork Angels, I was lucky enough to get this from HDTracks with a sale that made it $9.99, This is very listenable to me, although far from audiophile quality (at best, it is what the CD should sound like).

 

Mr Wilson is spot on regarding both the Rush later albums and the Zep remasters, some of the forum love for the latter continues to baffle me.

 

Steven Wilson is saying and doing exactly what needs to be said and done. Rush need to get back to making listenable albums, and Zep need some surround mixes. There is no shortage of layers tracks in LZ recordings. And I do not agree with previous poster that he needs to be careful so not to bother industry people. He needs to stand up proud unafraid to be vocal, and let those chips fall (in his lap).

 

Zeppelin fans around the world begin to weep.
Good on SW for speaking his mind. Hopefully these seemingly going deaf rockers can at least hear his message. Take better care of the sound!

 

I like the sound of the Terry Brown produced albums.

 

Nothing to be afraid of. In fact brave people who speak their minds intelligently are often highly respected by the smarter folks in the room.

 

I don't know if you have the AF SACD of Counterparts, but if you don't, you owe it to yourself to get it. It sounds like a whole new album--in a good way.

 

Don't think he is doing this to "get rich". He is simply trying to do his part in restoring things to how they once were. I praise him for what he is doing. I only wish more people in the industry thought the way he does. But regardless, it's our decision if we want to spend our hard earned money on the projects he involves himself in.
I am personally happy with the money I've contributed to his nest egg thus far.

 

Snakes & Arrows sounds fine to me, especially compared with the dismal-sounding Clockwork Angels. I guess people need a reason to bitch.

 

I would love to see Steven Wilson remix all of the later Rush albums...right after he fixes the Iron Maiden CD releases that is.

 

I disagree in regards to the Zeppelin remasters but I would not complain if Mr. Wilson was hired to remix Zeppelin IV in HiRes Stereo and 5.1 surround.

However, I agree 100% in regards to Rush. I feel they have not had a great sounding album since Test For Echo from a fidelity standpoint. And too many overdubs in my opinion on Vapor Trails and Snakes And Arrows causes the delivery to lose any semblance of a "trio." I recall when Presto first came out, Geddy mentioned in an interview that they wanted to bring back the sound of the trio after so many years of keyboards and layering. I think they are due for that same re-evaluation again.

 

I can't say whether they're badly produced, but that they're badly recorded/mixed/mastered is painfully obvious.

If they're writing/performing the best music of their career I suppose will depend on who we ask. For me, however, Snakes & Arrows ranks in their top 5 without a doubt.

 

Normally if you want to work for somebody it is best not to be too negative about the past. He will have to keep imagining things.

 

I haven't heard their recent albums but you've caught my attention with that comment. I'll have to pick it up. I'm curious what other albums would be in your top five.

 

Musically, I think S&A and CA are a real return to form for Rush.
Sonically, they suffer compared to the vintage stuff.
SW has a few bits on his last two albums that are VERY "Rush-esque"... I have no idea how he'd be as a producer, but simply in terms of turning the engineering & mixing reins over to him, I'd LOVE to hear CA mixed with the clarity of The Raven or Hand Cannot Erase. I suppose best-case scenario is for Rush to let him take a crack at a remixing job.

I haven't been impressed with the 5.1 mixes I've heard from the Rush camp... Again, it'd be interesting to hear SW take a crack. Same with Zeppelin. That said, their reissue campaign has NOT been a disappointment for those of us who missed out on the Classics releases and are really enjoying the new (reasonably priced) vinyl reissues.

 

I sure was cranky yesterday !!!

 

Don't get your hopes up. Bear in mind that's just my very subjective opinion. For whatever reason, Snakes & Arrows hit me just right, and I found more to enjoy the more I played it. I love it. Your experience might not be anywhere near mine, you know how this thing goes.

The other Rush albums in my top 5 besides Snakes & Arrows are Grace Under Pressure, Moving Pictures, 2112, and my personal #1, Farewell To Kings.

I still haven't got/heard Clockwork Angels, but going by their 1974-2007 discography, I believe Rush has never made a bad album.

 

IIRC, he did throw his hat into the ring about doing the Zep remasters before they came out. He mentioned it in an interview somewhere. Of course, those are Jimmy's babies so it never was going to happen. Heck, Page is still waiting for Plant to change his mind about a new Zep tour.

 

I'm actually not a fan of Nick's work outside of Rush - the latest Mastodon and the Foo's In Your Honor don't sound great to me - but I really, really, really, like S/A and C/A and what he's done with them, sonically or otherwise.

Sonically, I think S/A and C/A are the two best sounding Rush albums in years.

Throw in the Remixed Vapor Trails as well.

I love you Mr. Wilson, but I don't know how you could listen to these albums and dislike how they sound. They sound great to me!

 

Curious what you mean about bad production choices on C/A. I don't know jack squat as far as technical stuff goes, but if you mean the background noises and the strings and that kind of stuff, I thought it sounded awesome.

 

Just curious: Have you heard (for instance) "Moving Pictures" or "2112" as originally released on a good-sounding system?. I see in your profile that you are very young. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but maybe your ears are "tuned" to the loudness wars and that's why you like the recent albums' sound that much. A respectful guess, of course.

 

CA sounds awesome, crank it up and lose yourself in it...superb!