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Underground > Radio & Music >

Return of Rush?

11:26 / 14.04.02

After 6 years the band Rush is releasing a new album, Vapor Trails. I've had the pleasure of hearing it early (as well as hundreds of other rush fans) because of the "mp3 phenomenon", I also am entitled to an early copy, of which Rush's management is sending me as soon as they have a retail packaged version.

My thoughts: At first listen, I hated it, now I love it, its different, its fresh, its tight, it sounds like they married Tool's guitar tech, and its really good. Songs that stand out are Ceiling Unlimited, Nocturne, Freeze (Part IV of Fear), and Vapor Trail.

I'm wondering how many others are Rush fans and have heard this yet?

-Trish

14:01 / 14.04.02

I've heard the lead track and despite the fact that I got over Rush many years ago, I had to admit that it was pretty rock. Much heavier than anything they've done in years. Have mp3s of the rest somewhere, will have to spin them at some point...

20:45 / 14.04.02

what about the voice of geddy lee? how did it get so high? i wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy.

22:36 / 14.04.02

I know him, and he does.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

23:31 / 14.04.02

At the time RUSH was starting up, most bands wanted to be Led Zeppelin, and that lead singer would sing falsetto. RUSH's firt album was SUCH a LZ ripoff they should have claimed them as a dependent upon their taxes.

By the way, I'm speaking as a huge RUSH fan.

I am very excited about a new album. For a band almost 30 years in existance, their last few albums have been musically mature and lyrically deeper than they have any right to be. Most of the acts who started at the same time are now touring Casinos playing the same old songs they played back in the 70's, but when RUSH goes out, they even mess with their old songs, showing how far they have come.

It's almost a cliche to say it, but they are about the best MUSICIANS working in rock. Peart's two jazz drum albums are incredible, Geddy's solo album shows that he can still write a good song with Neal doing most fo the work and Alex...well...Alex likes to do his heavy metal, and it's still better than most heavy metal bands.

The new song was very good, and I'm looking forward to listening to them as I Role Play. ^_^

13:05 / 15.04.02

Not to derail the thread, but...

First time I heard Rush was Presto. There were a couple of OK numbers on it, but the album was really only note worthy for me at the time, for it's ability to cure insomnia with out fail (seriously, popped it into my walkman, and be the end of side A, I was out). Several months ago I picked up Signals, after hearing Subdivisions a couple times, and I love it. So much so that I'm feeling inclined to pick up more by them.

My question is, how is Presto viewed by Rush fans? Is it considered a good album? Also, any one feel like putting together a little Rush primer for a newbie?

ONLY NICE THINGS

13:15 / 15.04.02

More importantly, does it have that stylin' "March of the High Guard" thing from the credits to "Andromeda"? That's just rocktastic. The could have dancers throwing themselves sideways wearing Kevin Sorbo masks...

14:59 / 15.04.02

I remember someone lending me "Roll The Bones", sayin' "Listen to it, you're gonna love these guys". How I hate that record. Never gave Rush a second chance since then.

15:24 / 15.04.02

Roll the Bones was like their third life. The first life was Canadian heavy metal, which was fun head-bangin' stuff. ("Great White North" from the Bob & Doug McKenzie movie Strange Brew, for example.)
But the second life kind of fused that with technological & technique-heavy music that seriously kicked ass. Soundtracks for proto-cyberpunk science fiction.
"Subdivisions" is one of the best songs ever.
Ditto "Red Barchetta" and especially the mighty, mighty, "Spirit of Radio."
... a song which not only contains the line all this machinery for making modern music/ can still be open-hearted, but also fuses Yes with Simon & Garfunkel. In a good way.

After that period, end of the 80s, beginning of the 90s, they tried to reconfigure themselves in different ways, but there didn't seem to be the same instinctual drive to it - more arbirtrary and soulless. Which is where "Roll the Bones" came in. Going from prog-metal to dance music is just *wrong*.
If you get a chance to hear the albums Permanent Waves, Signals or Exit, Stage Left, go for it.

16:09 / 15.04.02

When is this fucker coming out?
I LOOOOOOVE Rush.
Presto was my first. "The Pass" is still one of their best. Trying to compare their early stuff with current stuff is like trying to compare new and old Pink Floyd. Good, but so different. I think "Bravado" from Roll The Bones is my fave song by them, but definitely not my fave album. The last one (which I cannot remember the name of) didn't really stick out to me, though "Counterparts" did very much. "2112" is of course their masterpiece, though "Farewell to Kings" gets over-shadowed by it too much. Oi, gotta little nit-pick here. Is it "VapOr Trails" or "VapOUr Trails"? Bloody Canadians.

Evil Zoom.

01:12 / 16.04.02

As excitement shivers up and down my spine.
Down in his barn,
My uncle preserved for me an old machine,
For fifty-odd years.
To keep it as new has been his dearest dream...

and that machine is CLASSIC ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

01:48 / 16.04.02

The hard core don't much care for Presto...or Grace Under Pressure for that matter. Presto wasn't GREAT, but some songs on it are among my favorites (including The Pass, which meant a lot to me at the time).

Test For Echo seems to have made the long-term RUSH fans pretty darn happy.

And Zoom, when I go to Canada this fall, wanna meet up at Alex's place?

02:48 / 16.04.02

I have a special place in my heart for Lakeside Park. I loved that place.

What are you coming to Canada for, Solitaire?

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

03:21 / 16.04.02

Visiting a friend in Windsor...and I want to make the RUSH trek at somepoint. Go to Lakeside park, etc...

I see that they will perform in Toronto in July, but I don't have vacation time until September or October, so I'll miss seeing them in their home town.

18:17 / 16.04.02

For some odd reason, I love 'Fly By Night' after all these years, but never got around to getting or hearing any other Rush albums or songs except for the videos... no idea why, but I still love that album.

Matthew Fluxington

19:14 / 16.04.02

E Randy, yr my fact-checkin' cuz.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

14:21 / 12.05.02

Vapor Trails comes out this Tuesday, and actually got a bit of a push in the Target and Best Buy ads this weekend, which will be good for letting people know it's out.

I have downloaded the whole CD (and I'll be buying it as well, but I couldn't wait) and it is a LOT like Test For Echo. Nothing all that new an innovative, which is a bit disappointing, since Alex's solo work was so radically different than RUSH.

And it doesn't look like there is an instrumental track on this one...bastards. Those are always my favorites.