Red Tide Oh no, the synths are back! As with some of the other posters, I am not a big fan of the loud synth horn heard in parts of this. I wish they could have found something a little more organic sounding to serve that purpose in the song. On the good side, this track has a certain energy and even anger to it, that really comes through. The drums and bass have a slightly ahead of the beat feel, propelling it forward. The guitar still has a strong presence throughout and the solo does exactly what Alex was going for, conveying the frustration and anger felt in the lyrics. The little part where the piano and guitar interweave sounds really good to my ear. The first line "nature has some new plague to run in our streets" has a new poignant relevance given the current state of affairs. Overall, a good tune.
Understand and respect the sentiment on this one. However beyond that most things associated with the song are ill judged, from the lyrics via the arrangement to Alex's solo. He couldn't write a good protest lyric NP it always came across too preachy and lofty. I quite like the piano verses it recalls a song called Graceland by UK band The Bible a tiny bit but it may well just be a couple of chords that are the same-has similar space. Another miss for me.
I was struck by something in an interview I found linked to the Superconductor video with Geddy and Alex. There was a vibe of a bit of distance between them-say compared to a Pe W or MP era interview, Geddy also commented on how they all listened to different music but found they still found they still really enjoyed and liked the music they made. The conclusion I came to was that probably up until Signals Rush were not only one of the hardest working bands in the world they seemed incredibly close knit-did that result in a more coherent sound? I would say so from GUP onwards this isn't a band really bringing new fresh ideas in , this is a band who are now making music in a field all of it's own but for me it starts to becoming pretty muddled sounding a lot of the time. Good sections consistently joined onto other poorer parts. Songs half form, clashes of ideas and styles. Ultimately by this album they sound oddly out of context in a way they never did before despite how much historically they carved their own path. You see Geddy in that interview and around that era he seems aloof him and Alex don't have that chemistry you'd see again years later and was there before. These guys close to burnt themselves out and slowed the pace quite rightly and distanced themselves and took longer breaks-a lot of the stuff post Signals (I exempt Po W) sounds like three guys coming to the party from different approaches whereas before it did seem like a three headed beast. Of course relationships are fragile things living in each others pockets can't be easy and as much as these three super musicians seemed like the most polite musicians in rock I have to believe there was a more real background to them. Of course after Neil's tragedy and the extended hiatus they had to rebuild Rush and from that era onwards you see three guys who look very close again of course by then the creative process for a band with members of that age was a different challenge again. I fully get I might be reading too much into not very much but it was pretty noticeable to me.
Thumbs up on The Bible. I’ve got the bastardized US version of their album, but I really liked what Boo Hewerdine did with Austin singer-songwriter Darden Smith on their 1989 album Evidence.
"Red Tide" is one that I should like quite a bit but it doesn't quite all come together for me. The synth, where it appears in a few places, is annoying to me. I do like the piano a lot, particularly the percussive manner in which it is used to anchor this track. I think a song like this serves to point out the fundamental problem I have with Presto, which is its production. If "Red Tide" had appeared on Power Windows or even Hold Your Fire, I think it might have become one of my favorite Rush songs. It needs that widescreen, big sound. Unfortunately, here, it sounds pinched, thin, and relatively impotent. It's an excellent lyric about what is obviously a hugely important - probably the most important - issue of our time (COVID notwithstanding). Remember, this was written in 1989. It references the ozone hole (still a concern but much less of a problem than it was back then due to worldwide treaties banning the production and use of CFCs), global warming, and unchecked pollution. It's a bit of a catch-all lyric, but I think Neil pulls it off pretty well. I'm not sure that the "red tide" analogy works, but it's a minor quibble. I don't really share Neil's concern about coming off as too "preachy" - I'm one who appreciates "preaching" in song lyrics as long as the preaching is intelligent and filled with good content (I'm not big on mere sloganeering or empty rhetoric). Then again, considering that the song was written in 1989 and expresses a fair amount of (warranted) urgency, it's profoundly dispiriting to look over the past 30 years to see how little we seem to have learned or done about these problems and to recognize that it's now probably too late. Hearing this one again makes me wish it had appeared on a better produced album.
I'm surprised somebody didn't put out "The Red Collection" With Rush Split Enz David Bowie Elvis Costello Sam the Sham Etc etc
Red Tide - one of the really slight songs on Presto, IMO. It's not an outright dislike, but it and Anagram are songs that I don't think are very strong. I remember at the time I saw Red Tide compared to the Police's Message in a Bottle, in terms of ripping off the melody. I think Anagram had a good chorus but didn't put a good song around it. Red Tide sounds a bit out of place on this album, as others have noted. If it had gotten P/G or HYF treatment, it may have had enough energy and drive to make it more compelling. As it is, it just limps along, with wimpy synths and a tinny drum sound.
Red Tide I forgot to mention that I like the increasingly faint “And the red tide kisses the shore” at the end. A cool little touch to close out the song. Geddy’s phrasing is a bit syncopated.
I loved Red Tide the moment I heard it. I love the piano. I know when Neil was writing he wasn't thinking "I am writing words that will hold up over time". However, it doesn't surprise me that when he writes about society I can apply the thought to today's virus situation. Deadline approaches For the weary land It used to be something But we let it run down in our hands Too late for debate, too bad to ignore Quiet rebellion leads to open war Bring a sea-change to the factory floor As the red tide covers the shore
Anagram (for Mongo): I'll take this for what it is, a novelty item where Rush are goofing around. Some of the lyric is well observed and other parts make little sense, but the overall effect is reasonable and more than the sum of it's parts. I wouldn't put it on a concise, targeted album, but in the bloat of Presto it finds a niche. Red Tide: solid hook helps to give this track a personality and I think Geddy does a really solid job of delivering the lyric. Conceptually, it works well enough but sonically it lacks punch. Previous comments are fair: particularly @robcar suggestion Red Tide would have benefited greatly from a much bigger sound. Alex's brief nuclear holocaust sound after the "endless winter night" lyric at 3"47 is nice, kind of reminiscent of the shockwave in Manhattan Project.
A bit of a diversion, if you don't mind...and some great pics. Which Songs Did Rush Play Most in Concert?
Still baffled they didn't feature this on that tour. I really wanted to hear three songs on that tour (Chain Lightning, Presto and Available Light) and got none of them.
It all works but that doesn't mean I have to like it. It's my least favorite track on this album. I will forever remember Scott Muni (WNEW 102.7 DJ) continuously referred to this song as "Semiconductor" when he had Geddy on for a brief interview to promote the album in December of 1989. Not sure if he was sober or not, but it definitely wasn't one of his best interviews. Geddy, being Geddy, handed it fairly well. Not much better live although the drum flourish at the end of the song is really sweet. The segue into Superconductor from Xanadu isn't one of those legendary Rush live moments either.
As you said, the song works on nearly every level except for the level that would inspire me to enjoy it.
And just for fun... List of every Rush song not played live Rush songs never played live in order of appearance on an album: 43 Take a Friend (Rush) Making Memories (Fly by Night) Rivendell (Fly by Night) I Think I'm Going Bald (Caress of Steel) Fountain of Lamneth (Caress of Steel) Lessons (2112) Tears (2112) Madrigal (A Farewell to Kings) Different Strings (Permanent Waves) Emotion Detector (Power Windows) Open Secrets (Hold Your Fire) Second Nature (Hold Your Fire) Tai Shan (Hold Your Fire) High Water (Hold Your Fire) Chain Lightning (Presto) Anagram (For Mongo) (Presto) Red Tide (Presto) Hand over Fist (Presto) Available Light (Presto) Face Up (Roll the Bones) The Big Wheel (Roll the Bones) Heresy (Roll the Bones) Neurotica (Roll the Bones) You Bet Your Life (Roll the Bones) Cut to the Chase (Counterparts) Alien Shore (Counterparts) The Speed of Love (Counterparts) Everyday Glory (Counterparts) The Color of Right (Test for Echo) Totem (Test for Echo) Dog Years (Test for Echo) Carve Away the Stone (Test for Echo) Peaceable Kingdom (Vapor Trails) The Stars Look Down (Vapor Trails) Vapor Trail (Vapor Trails) Sweet Miracle (Vapor Trails) Nocturne (Vapor Trails) Freeze (Vapor Trails) Out of the Cradle (Vapor Trails) Bravest Face (Snakes & Arrows) Good News First (Snakes & Arrows) We Hold On (Snakes & Arrows) BU2B2 (Clockwork Angels)
It's Alex live and I'd have to go back an listen to the studio version again, but I think he's responsible in the studio as well.
