Rush: Classic or Dud?

You better run, homeboy

xp

"Ghost of a Chance" is a more refined version of Stevie Nicks' "Rooms on Fire," also produced by Rupert Hine. That's why I love it.

Interesting comparison, not one that would have occurred to me. Rupert Hine definitely has a sound he likes, doesn't he? Light and zingy!

Like the Pina Colada Song?

Rupert Hine definitely has a sound he likes, doesn't he? Light and zingy!

― Al Moon Faced Poon (Moodles),

no that's me

https://img.discogs.com/4P4Dn-vS6BPsn-AdblVu5WKeuuQ=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/A-75184-1403897763-4284.jpeg.jpg

oi, Alfred! That's my sound! Expect a call from my lawyers!

i love the rupert hine sound. Human's Lib, Reach the Beach, half of that tina turner record

Avadataumatawhakatangihangakuayuwotamateaturipukakupikimaungahoronukupokaiawhenuakatanatahumatakuatanganuakawamikitorakedavra!

I love his choice of synth pads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UchhRsc2spg

alfred have you every checked out the Hine solo albums and/or his Thinkman records? I have always been curious about them.

or Quantum Jump?

So is anyone going to see the new doc on Thursday? I unfortunately will be missing it.

I actually enjoyed the new doc more than I thought I would. It works as a nice supplement to the other doc, with its own share of surprises, like Michael Moore as a talking head, and a cameo, of sorts, from Barack Obama. Interesting to learn about all of Peart's health issues, but he seems pretty happy with his decision to call it a day (for now). Geddy, on the other hand, does not seem happy.

Anyway, is "Presto" the most underrated Rush album? In some ways it's their most "mature," pretty chill and with an emphasis on songwriting over playing (even more so than that era's usual). At the least, "Show Don't Tell" is a really cool opener. They never really played much of this album live in the past decade or so, did they, aside from "The Pass," which is a pretty great song.

I've been avoiding this because I'm worried it will be too depressing, should I just go ahead and check it out?

It's a little sad, but not depressing. They still seem like such good people (esp. Alex) and there are fun stories. It's a nice bow tied around the whole thing.

Anyway, is "Presto" the most underrated Rush album? In some ways it's their most "mature," pretty chill and with an emphasis on songwriting over playing (even more so than that era's usual). At the least, "Show Don't Tell" is a really cool opener. They never really played much of this album live in the past decade or so, did they, aside from "The Pass," which is a pretty great song.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, February 9, 2017 9:07 AM (thirty-two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah Presto is interesting, def a transitional album out of the late 80s Power Windows/Hold Your Fire era into the 90s work, I like Chain Lightning a lot

I mostly just listen to "Show Don't Tell", "The Pass", and "Superconductor" on Presto, but I really like those songs.

Sentimental favorite for me, because it was the first Rush album I was old enough to anticipate.

It's a nice album, and I like that the bonus live footage on the disc is from that tour.

Anyway, yes, really enjoyed the new doc as well. Would have liked to have seen the short piece that screened before the one-off theater showing but I didn't make it to said showing, so.

It would be super
if everyone remembered
to post in haiku

Haven't seen the doc
But I'm surprised to hear that
Geddy's the sad one

Had to watch Rush vids
During sleep experiment
Thus mental trauma

Neil's feet really hurt
Alex's grandkids come first
But Ged wants to rock.

Presto is a fave
It has lulls but the good songs
Are fucking great songs

Dismissed as mere prog
Presto proved strong melodies
Helped Rush span the years.

Yeah, I do enjoy
“Chain lightning”, “War Path”, “Presto”,
But what is ‘*mere* prog’?

Crits claim prog's all chops
But Rush hooks and melodies
Refute dismissals.

Peart's form looks painful
no wonder tendonitis
should've loosened up

His tendons are fine
It's the rest of him that hurts
(Though tendons are next)

Alex is achy
Peart likes to ride his cycle
But Ged is all good.

Hard to imagine
But when your chops go, what's left
for a band like Rush?

Dropping into say what a good 80s-Rush album Signals is. They went way further into synths and even synth-pop structures later in the decade, but I'm not sure they ever actually made a better "modern rock" version of the Rush sound than on Signals. /thatisall

Signals is awesome. In fact Rush in the '80s were awesome from Permanent Waves up to Power Windows.

Back in the day, I refused to go past Signals. Then I fell off Rush completely for a good 15 years. Then, a couple of years ago I listend to Grace Under Pressure and realized the production was great, and a few of the songs were really good. Still not so sure about it being a good album, or Power Windows for that matter (tho that one is probably more consistent). Listen to Hold Your Fire yesterday, and kind of hated it, and my memories of Presto are not good.

But Signals is (still) class!

It is.

"Analog Kid" is my favourite from Signals.

i love Hold Your Fire fiercely but it's pretty in your face

Tend to prefer A Show of Hands when it comes to HYF material. Also my first Rush album ever! Took a chance and loved it.

I liked one tune pretty well -- Lock & Key -- but probably because it sounded most like old Rush

i love hold your fire, perhaps irrationally

Hmm, I've got to say
I don't like Hold Your Fire much
Find it a bit "soft"

"Analog Kid" is my favourite from Signals.

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, April 7, 2017 7:01 PM (twenty-one minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, it's also my favourite song on the album... such a great riff, and I love those synth chords in the chorus. Excellent guitar solo from Lifeson, and of course the usual phenomenal Peart drumming.

i love both Power Windows and Hold Your Fire - they're kinda the head & heart halves of the same sound. the closing tracks on both of them are particularly incredible imo

The closing track of Signals is the one thing I really don't like about it. Just boring.

I've heard some criticise Terry Brown's production on Signals, but I really don't get what they're complaining about. They should have continued working with him!

part of it is i learned the intro to "Force Ten" from a guitar mag tab and i was really proud of myself

(the bass part)

Man here's a detail I'd missed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Ten_(song)

"Force Ten" was written in three hours on December 14, 1986, the last day of pre-production for Hold Your Fire.[2][3] With nine songs already written, producer Peter Collins felt it was important to have one more song for the album.[3] Pye Dubois, who previously worked with Rush on their song "Tom Sawyer", had sent Neil Peart some lyrics for the song, and Peart would add more verses to it.

Grace under pressure, as it were.

wow!

They have a history of doing that... 'Natural Science' apparently was one of those "written in the studio at the last minute" things, surprisingly.

'New World Man' on Signals was recorded the same day it was written, and only exists because they needed something roughly four minutes long or thereabouts to add to the album to keep the playing time of both sides equal.