A re-evaluation of Rush

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by rpd, May 14, 2022.

  1. Ron2112

    Ron2112 Forum Resident

    You're wrong. End of thread.

    Seriously, this thread appears to have become a haven for the haters, without any real pretense of serious discussion. I thought this sort of thing wasn't allowed here.
     
    tuttle, dkmonroe and DGC2001 like this.
  2. Ron2112

    Ron2112 Forum Resident

    Great......now go back and read literally EVERYTHING Neil Peart ever said about this song until you realize that this song was deliberate satire, and the lyrics have the feel they do for a reason.
     
  3. DGC2001

    DGC2001 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chowchilla, CA
    I agree 100%
     
  4. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    For all the talk of Neil's over the top drumming, compare his live drumming to the studio versions: you could tell what song is playing even if you removed all the other instruments. His parts were written just as much as Alex or Ged's. All of those intricate parts were recreated live. He wasn't just making anything up as he went along.
     
    Herman Schultz, PDK, cnolanh and 3 others like this.
  5. Dansk

    Dansk rational romantic mystic cynical idealist

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Personally, I think Power Windows was the band's peak. It's a flawless album in my eyes, and an essential desert island disc.

    Do so. It's plainly obvious when someone is criticizing Geddy Lee's vocals based solely on the band's 70s output. His singing on New World Man is characteristic of virtually everything they released from Permanent Waves onwards, which amounts to 13 albums' worth of music.
     
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  6. Adagio

    Adagio Forum Resident

    When I was growing up (early 80's) I felt Rush was perhaps overplayed / too popular - at least in the Toronto area. I was into Boston, Kansas and Styx

    But then someone gave me "Signals" for my birthday and I was hooked. Really enjoyed that album and then went on to enjoy Moving Pictures, 2112, etc.

    I always felt they were a bit closer to a "Hard Rock" band so for me Lee's voice and Peart's drumming were a natural part of the package. But the lyrics and the messages were definitely more "Prog Rock" with thought provoking messages. Many were political. For example I feel that "Tree's" is far more appropriate to today's political/ cultural landscape then when it was written in the 70's.
     
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  7. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Funnily enough I really quite like it. Happy to accept your opinions at face value, obviously, but I'm curious as to why it's a poor record for you?
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2022
  8. Ted Dinard

    Ted Dinard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston suburb
    I don't disbelieve you. And I certainly don't intend to read "EVERYTHING" Neil Peart ever said about this song or anything else.

    But I will say I just scrolled through a bunch of posts about this song by Rush fans, whom Neil Peart seems to have successfully duped. They all think the song expresses his known libertarian views.
     
    Herman Schultz likes this.
  9. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    It's generated a good discussion with lots of fascinating comments. Enjoyable stuff. What the forum should be about, even. Rpd is, or at least has been, a fan, so it's not a "troll" thread by any means - at least in my opinion.
     
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  10. Dansk

    Dansk rational romantic mystic cynical idealist

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    My objection to all three of these is a single song: Time Stand Still. The lyrics have brought me to tears on multiple occasions; the vocals are melodic, restrained and tasteful; and the drumming is complex and interesting while not being even remotely close to "over the top".
     
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  11. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    And Aimee and Geddys voices blend perfectly.
     
  12. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    An intelligent reply & agree with everything you say!
     
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  13. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Gotta say, I hear a lot of things within the remit of Eighties (and onwards) Rush but I don't hear much that's overly commercial. Shorter songs and a different sound, for certain, but most of it is still a long way from "housewives choice" material, I reckon.
     
  14. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    And a good thing too.
     
    carlwm likes this.
  15. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    Trains come and go. I have a love.... not love/hate but shall I say love/not in the mood when it comes to Rush. The early vocals were a little on the screechy side but not enough for me to dislike them. Lame songwriting? The songs are top notch musically but maybe the lyrics do get a little corny now and then.
    I am not a drummer but a lot of drummers I know think NP was one of the greatest.
    I play bass and guitar and from my own experience IMO, Geddy and Alex are some of the best players in rock. Try to nail a lot of Alex's arrangements and you may agree. Geddy is truly one of a kind when it comes to bass playing.
     
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  16. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Or Dave Lee Roth!
     
  17. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    I don't much like his Seventies voice but I love his singing thereafter. Much the same as I dearly love Robert Plant's vocals over the last couple of decades yet struggle with him in Zeppelin mode.
     
    Dansk likes this.
  18. Bren

    Bren Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Is this another joke thread? And/or somebody unable to accept the viewpoint of certain lyrics? (Seen this before, they usually pick The Trees.) The integrity of Rush's music and creative path answers the question in a way that doesn't really need defending. I keep re-evaluating them as an important group, quite above any take-the-bait signal questions.
     
    ArpMoog, ARK, Dansk and 1 other person like this.
  19. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    Its easy to dismiss this as a hate or troll thread but I don't think that was the intention at all. Its inspired a decent amount of fair comments on either side and I can deal with the occasional negativity unless it boils down to something within the standards of this forum. Bring it on. Rush is good enough to withstand this.
     
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  20. sonofjim

    sonofjim Senior Member

    Surely everyone realizes that the trees are a metaphor for human kind, right? It’s not my favorite Rush song by a long stretch but I appreciate what they were saying. Maybe the lyrics are corny but the Oaks may as well be Russia and the Maples Ukraine these days. It’s just a different take on a why can’t we all just get along song.

    I apologize if I’m stating the obvious here but the song is not about trees. I do not hate it. I really like Alex’s guitar part too.
     
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  21. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    As a fan of Rush, I've enjoyed the discussion.
     
  22. mcchocchoc

    mcchocchoc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon
    The last time I was brought to tears by a Rush song was this one (as it often can/does) . . . Such a beautiful and powerful song, both lyrics and music.

     
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  23. mcchocchoc

    mcchocchoc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon
    and here's a lovely cover version. Enjoy ❤️

     
  24. Jeff57

    Jeff57 Senior Member

    A Bruins fan showing a small bit of admiration of something out of Toronto!

    (Go Leafs Go) :hide:
     
    ArpMoog likes this.
  25. A Grain of Sand

    A Grain of Sand Forum Resident

    Location:
    Riverside, CA
    Mega dittos!
     
    dalecooper likes this.

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