RUSH

SOLO ALBUMS/SIDE PROJECTS

Now here's a band that inspires such dangerous reactions in people.  On one hand, as far as combining hard rock with progressive, artsy overtones goes, it's difficult to find a more defining band than Rush - all three musicians are probably among the most skilled at their respective instruments, the arrangements and lyrics are sure to evoke some sort of overblown fantasy world (at least in their mid to late 70's period), and of course, a 'screeching elf' vocalist whose singing style alone can permanently turn off listeners forever.  On the surface, it's extremely easy to see why people would either love or hate the band, with very few of them falling in between.  Those who hate them think they're about the worst thing to happen to artsy music this side of Kansas or something - self-indulgent wankers with those same potentially abominable qualities I mentioned.

Then there are those who love the band to death and defend basically everything that they do, claiming that Neil Peart is the greatest drummer and lyricist to ever walk the face of the earth, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee are the most flawless instrumentalists and can do no wrong songwriting-wise, that every new album they come out with is their best one, etc.  Yeah, I know most fans are like that, but a lot of the Rush fans I've heard about in my experience are among the most annoying and 'elitist' you can find amongst this genre.  It's not hard to understand why this is so, as 'cult' bands like Rush tend to be only appreciated by a select group of people that have a taste for a 'nerdy' sort of music - these three Canucks that serve as art rock heroes for these types of people as a result.

With that said, I have to admit I lean much more toward the people who adore the band - their hard rock/prog combination did indeed produce spectacular results during their peak period of 1978 to around 1985 or so, with simply fantastic chops all over the place, great breathtaking arrangements and very often, catchy melodies.  And even when they largely broke away from their sound in the mid 80's to a more artsy New Wave/pop styled approach, the albums suddenly became extremely addictive listening for me.  They're also one of those bands that it's simply fascinating to hear in terms of the evolution of their sound - if you put on the debut and Test For Echo, it hardly seems like the same band (even though both albums are essentially rooted in hard rock), but yet the change from album to album was often so natural and smooth. It's neat!

As for the band members themselves, first is bassist, vocalist and later keyboardist Geddy Lee. Not only is his presence in the band controversial because of the obvious problem of his vocal style (though I have to say, even if his voice heavily annoyed me at first, it is quite unique and really fits the music perfectly, plus he did tone it down as the 80's progressed), but he's also largely responsible for taking the band in the some would say less interesting direction of synth pop with more emphasis on the keys and lyrics than melodies or musicianship.  But whatever you might say about the man, his bass playing rules to the point where he's easily one of my favorite players on the instrument.  Very technical in how it's like having another lead guitarist in the band.

Among all the excess, guitarist Alex Lifeson is perhaps the most likeable character in Rush.  It's obviously apparent from his playing that he's extremely proficient on his instrument, yet I can't think of a single instance where this gets overindulgent.  In fact, it's always quite tasteful and adds a whole lot of texture to the music.  Listening to Rush's more hard rocking moments, it's also apparent where a lot of the great hooks in their songs come from - the great riffs of Lifeson (especially ones like "Bastille Day" and "The Spirit Of Radio").  I also really, really dig that cool guitar tone he had throughout the 70's and a good portion of the early 80's before his fascination with that Andy Summers/Edge tone combination took over.  Judging from interviews, he also has a really neat sense of humor - where did you think all those hilarious subtitles in "La Villa Strangiato" came from?  Neil Peart?

Oh, and speaking of Peart, this guy's drumming and lyrics seem to be where much of the 'fan worship' gets focused on.  While he's not quite my favorite drummer ever (though honestly, I'm not sure who is), his style is still pretty unique and usually exciting within the progressive rock sphere, with his creative and distinct use of rolls and percussion throughout.  His lyric-writing ability is more inconsistent, as he was a little too overly obsessed with Ayn Rand imagery, Greek mythology, and general fantasy/science fiction stuff in the 70's, and way too focused on trite, preachy social commentary in the 90's (an annoying approach that was more noticeable due to lack of interesting musical ideas to counter them), but for most of the 80's, I must insist he was terrific - a lot of clever insights into everyday problems, social issues, and neat storytelling going on there that were made especially effective by Lee and Lifeson's music matching the mood of them wonderfully.

And there's your band.  I may seem like a fanatic in defending them all the time outside this site (most notably here), but that's probably just because a lot of their music really speaks to me on a personal level, and I always feel they get a bit too dumped on, unjustly.  But regardless, I see them as a great band that certainly had their flaws and lapses into serious inconsistency (i.e. when I think of a Rush song as bad, I often see it as awful).  And besides, I don't appreciate A Farewell To Kings that much, so I can't be too hardcore, I guess.  Read the reviews and decide for yourself.

--Nick Karn

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I just began to like Rush a year ago, when I purchased the albums Different Stages and Moving Pictures. I thought these were two awesomely kick-ass albums and eventually wanted to buy all their albums. As a guitar player, I tend to listen to music with awesome instrumental chops but with generally good songs, too: Rush more than fits the bill. But you guys saved me from becoming another "Rush dork." After reading Nick's and John McFerrin's reviews, I now understand that the guys do have their flaws, and I would not consider myself "hardcore." However, I still love 'em to death. Alex, when he was prominent, had some awesome guitar solos and really cool ambient parts: the guy really knew how to fill up space, which is another aspect I like in a guitar player. I like finding new music in the corners of the mix. Even when Geddy's keys pushed him into the background, he still made up things that supported the song really well. Geddy is undeniably one of the best bassists around, although I can't stand his voice on some of those early songs ("Cygnus X-1" being a case in point). But his bass chops make up for this on more than enough occasions. Neil Peart's drumming is consistently awesome, and as far as lyrics...well, they're generally stupid, but given the instrumental work, I find that I've happily ignored the lyrics that deserve to be.

Good site, Nick! Keep up the good work!

RUSH (1974)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Finding My Way, Working Man.  LOW POINTS: Before And After, What You're Doing.

It's interesting to contemplate what direction Rush might have taken had Neil Peart never joined the band, as their debut album is quite far removed from their usual art rock style.  Apparently, when they started out Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee (along with drummer John Rutsey) were greatly interested in playing their own version of heavy, garage rock influenced by Led Zeppelin, Cream, Black Sabbath and such bands.  Of course, because of this, most fans like to pretend this album never existed, but this lineup of the band, heavily unoriginal as they might have been, were not without their merits.  How can one deny these riffs, for instance?  It's not like Lifeson suddenly gained this magical power to craft them after this album - there are still quite a few of them here (especially in the highlights) and the material really benefits from a high amount of energy, with Geddy's wailings and all, along with completely unpretentious, often fun, youthful lyrics about love, drinking, rocking out and all that stuff.

The two songs that provide the most pleasurable thrills in my mind here are the bookend tracks, particularly the opening "Finding My Way" - this one seems to perfectly convey both the hard-rocking style of the whole album and the musical state of the band in trying to find a style within the lyrics, with a great fade in, a good level of energy, effective 'ooh yeah!  ooh yeah' screeches, and powerful Lifeson riffage, so what more could you want?  Oh, I know - the bludgeoning '9 to 5 anthem' "Working Man" is extremely close behind it in quality, with another powerful lumbering riff, and it has a very memorable melody of course, but what really makes it excellent is the middle jam which functions as a sort of soloing 'duel' between Lee and Lifeson, a powerful fury that should be evidence enough of the individual talents at work here.  It was also the song that helped get the band on the radio, and deservedly so.

Of course, nothing else here even comes close to matching those wonderful highs, and there are a couple weaker tracks in the mix - the Sabbath-like "What You're Doing" is mostly dull and never really catches fire, and "Before And After", despite starting out with an awesome Lifeson intro (which seems like a foreshadowing of Caress Of Steel's lighter moments), becomes totally forgettable once it becomes a rocker.  Still, there are other worthwhile entries as well.  These include a really fun, snappy hard pop gem "In The Mood" where you get to hear a rare glimpse of Geddy singing 'hey baby', an overlong but still captivating slow blues in "Here Again", the decent generic speed "Need Some Love" (or 'loooooooove', more like it) and a good quality hard rocker in "Take A Friend".  Not an album you really need in your collection, especially if you're looking for the artsier side of the band (in which case you'll probably be heavily disappointed), but a fun listen nonetheless.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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A bit strange to one who was brought up on the later stuff. I find this album ridiculously amusing. Geddy's Robert Plant-on-helium wails on "Finding My Way" are great. It's also interesting listening to Alex turn out surprisingly generic Zeppelin-ripoff riffs when his music eventually became so much more complex. John Rutsey sucks compared to Peart, but then lots of good drummers do, so I don't blame him. And the lyrics! "In the Mood" has got to be my favorite--anything involving Geddy's sex drive within the context of a Rush song is a priceless moment! "Working Man" kicks ass, with nice solos from Lifeson. I only wish he saved that heavy distorted sound for his later albums: I think he used a cheap Les Paul on this, but switched to a Telecaster on subsequent albums, where it became his main recording guitar. I guess that's why the sound changed. Not really worth my money, but its not bad. I give it a 7.

FLY BY NIGHT (1975)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Anthem, Fly By Night, Best I Can, Rivendell.  LOW POINTS: In The End, By-Tor & The Snow Dog.

The heavy blues-influenced riff rock of the debut seemed like a pretty limited path for the band, but little did they know that the replacement of John Rutsey, a change that probably seemed so minor at the time, would virtually redefine their entire sound - with the acquisition of Neil Peart, Rush suddenly becomes a bit artsier, mostly in the lyrics department, with a general concept of travel amongst Ayn Rand philosophy, Tolkien storytelling, mystical character creations and such.  Musically, however, the change from their simpler style to the artsier one was not immediate - the sound here still leans quite a bit more toward straightforward hard rock, just played by musicians of considerable talent, Peart included (the drumming seems like the most drastic improvement, naturally).  It also seems that Geddy Lee gained real confidence in his playing here, as his virtuosic bass seems really upfront among Alex Lifeson's riffs, making for a tight sound.

Of course, the big noticeable flaw of Fly By Night is it's very much a transitional album, as the two weaker tracks show in spades.  As far as the 'Zeppelin influence' part, the closer "In The End" sounds more like a meandering B-side from that band than anything else, going absolutely nowhere in its' arrangement and near-melodyless boredom for almost 7 minutes.  And in the art rock vein, their first extended suite "By-Tor & The Snow Dog" is somewhat better, but it's much too awkward in terms of arrangement - the beginning and ending parts are fine, with great rocking energy, but it goes into its' middle 'battle' part way too abruptly from there (a section that's too similar to the Yes epic "The Gates Of Delirium" in structure for my liking, though it is quite interesting in how the music itself tells the story of the battle through the manic jamming and 'barking' noises), and the 'ambient' parts where By-Tor becomes victorious and whatnot are kind of a bore.  Oh well, at least it does show a lot of promise during its' better moments.

Fortunately, a good amount of the other songs are really convincing, with the opening "Anthem" in particular being an absolutely killer energetic rocker, maybe the best of its' kind they ever pulled off, which is quite a compliment.  It has a couple great dynamic riffs (especially that lightning fast opening one) from Lifeson in the beginning, and Geddy also rules here, with his phenomenal bass playing throughout some of his best ever, with his vocal wailing also effectively giving the song considerable push.  And the next two tracks afterwards don't let up at all in terms of high energy - "Best I Can" is very similar to the basic rock of the first album, with its' silly youthful lyrics and riff, but it's even more compact and catchier (I love that guitar part at the end of each verse line too), and the tricky drum work of "Beneath, Between & Behind" complements the rest of the song's punch very well.

Besides the total crap of "In The End", side two is also quite good.  Lifeson's contribution "Making Memories" is a little generic, but the nice, dynamic interplay between acoustic and electric guitars, plus the bizarre vocal tone, makes it worth listening to.  And I can't forget the two highlights here in the excellent poppy title track that seems to lyrically fit the album's 'traveling' concept the best as probably the most hook-filled number here (that's why it's a Rush radio standard, anyway), and finally, there's the incredibly underrated acoustic Tolkien ballad "Rivendell", which might have silly lyrics, and I can understand how the start-stop structure of it would annoy people, but the melody and vocal tone employed here are both gorgeous, so in no way can I ever call it weak, a quality I initially thought the album was at first.  But luckily, further listens improved my thoughts on this effort - it may be somewhat patchy within the longer pieces here, but there really are several gems elsewhere, making this worth a buy.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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CARESS OF STEEL (1975)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: The Necromancer, Bastille Day, the 'No One At The Bridge' portion of The Fountain Of Lamneth.  LOW POINTS: None.

Figuring that the direction of "By-Tor & The Snow Dog" was the best place to head, the band goes further and further into art rock territory.  Oh sure, there's still a bit of straightforward hard rock, especially on a couple songs from side one, but this time, the songs are based much more on artsier song structures and lyrical topics than before.  Many listeners regard this one as the result of a band still going through the songwriting motions, and even Geddy Lee himself completely dismisses the album nowadays.  However, I'm still at a loss as to why this is exactly. The production might be somewhat murky and overwhelmingly bass-heavy, but I dunno - I see this feature as a big part of the album's charm, since it adds a really dark and creepy overtone to the epics, and makes the rockers pound with groove-like intensity.  And as for the songwriting, well, I really can't see how it's really any weaker than 2112 overall either...

There is, however, at least one song here that most people give its' due, and of course, this is the opening rocker "Bastille Day".  It certainly rivals "Anthem" as one of the defining rockers of the band's early period, with another killer Lifeson riff, a great energetic melody with Geddy yelping stuff about the French revolution, and tight playing throughout, especially right towards the end of the song.  The sort-of-ballad "Lakeside Park" is usually thought of well, too, and for good reason - the laid-back nature of it is really pleasing, plus that main riff and chorus guitar flourishes are quite memorable (especially during the bridge of the song), and the drumming is top-notch here as well. It's just the remaining 35 minutes of the album that many aren't sure about.  But I'll go ahead and say it right now - there isn't one song on here that I could do without.  Sure, the riff-rocker "I Think I'm Going Bald" might be somewhat silly, with the obvious stupidity of the lyrical subject matter, but I'll be damned if it isn't entertaining, thanks mostly to the great 'generic' riff Lifeson comes up with, and the vocal melody is a whole lot of fun.  And even as the weakest track here, it isn't bad at all.

Even when the album gives way to two extended art rock suites (one of which is a 20 minute sidelong) there's no way things get any less thrilling for me, especially when one of them I consider to be among the three best tracks the band ever pulled off, and that's saying a lot. Yes, it's the 12 minute three minute side closer "The Necromancer" I'm talking about. I'm not kidding. The structure of this piece just builds perfectly in such a captivating fashion - the 'spoken word' intro from Neil Peart ('the travelers of Willowdale...') is really dumb by itself, but combined with that awesome interplay between the dark main bassline and the creepy guitar (with backwards parts thrown in there, too!), it becomes entirely hypnotizing. And check out the way the song slowly builds from that main theme in part one, flows seamlessly into the second part's great Sabbath esque stop-start tendency ('brooding in the tower...') and simply breathtaking guitar soloing over a suddenly shifting fast tempo (some of Lifeson's best ever) to the absolutely gorgeous celebratory final portion (another great beautiful guitar part and melody here) that just brings it all to a great credit-rolling end....  it's just fantastic.

And after that masterpiece, we hit the sidelong "The Fountain Of Lamneth", which is really six shorter pieces connected together in a rather iffy fashion under one title.  Regardless of the less than exceptional flow of the suite, though, it does have several moments that approach greatness. I'm particularly looking at the 'No One At The Bridge' portion - the great haunting guitar part mixed in with the general murky vibe of the album itself is just magical.  The main theme of the whole suite that begins things and reappears at the end ('I am born...') is also another gorgeous moment, with some of Geddy's most genuinely beautiful singing (he's not a screeching elf all the time).  'Panacea' and 'Bacchus Plateau' are quite worthy softer entries, too, with the former being a delicate guitar ballad that really has an effective 'fountain-like' atmosphere, and the latter is a convincingly poppy AOR-ish section.  Very nice.

Of course, this 'epic' isn't quite as convincingly pulled off as similar ventures later on ("2112", "Hemispheres"), as it does have its' noticeable flaws.  Besides the general flow (or lack of it), it also gets a little bit awkward when the pace is faster (i.e. when that really dumbass riff keeps reappearing throughout, plus that funny, though stupid, little drum solo thing), and I do get a slightly overlong feeling about the suite as a whole.  But still, it's best moments (and there are quite a few of them) are as beautiful and captivating as anything else on the album, which I must insist is one of the most underrated records I've ever heard.  It's not quite a 9, as "Fountain" does sag just enough for it to be kept out of that rating level, but it's close enough.  A heck of a lot closer to greatness than most would say.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

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Excellent review! Great album! What surprises me is that so many people don' t seem to like this album at all. "Bastille Day" and "Lakeside Park" are terrific! And "The Necromancer" is perhaps my all time favorite Rush track right next to "Natural Science". And the 20 minute epic "The Fountain Of Lamneth" does get a little boring in some parts, but it does have its moments, especially the "No One At The Bridge" section. Their darkest record ever. I agree with the 8.

2112 (1976)

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: the 'Presentation', 'Overture', and 'Temples Of Syrinx' portions of 2112, Tears.  LOW POINTS: The Twilight Zone.

Despite the continuing art-rock leanings of Caress Of Steel, the commercial response to the band was still less than overwhelming.  So of course, the band decided to take the easy sellout route and write an Ayn Rand-inspired concept suite where some guy discovers a guitar, the priests of the Temples of Syrinx (who have taken all entertainment away from society) dismiss his wonderful discovery as 'nothing new', and there's this big grand finale with a big booming mechanical voice at the end.  And so it was that Rush got their biggest commercial breakthrough to this point with by far their most well-known album of the 70's.  Maybe it was the fact that they put five songs under four minutes all in a row on side two?  But whatever it was, this album represents the absolute culmination of everything this early period of the band was leading up to.

Before I get into the specifics of the songs on here, there's always been this perception about 2112 that's always baffled me - many people see this record as a concept album.  But that just leaves me wondering if any of those people have ever actually listened to the thing.  You know what this sounds like to me?  A compilation of two separate EPs put together on one 38 minute disc, the first of them consisting of the six part concept sidelong "2112" (a suite I believe to be structured almost like a condensed version of Tommy), and the second a collection of five completely unrelated, shorter, almost poppy sounding tunes in nature that all range from 3 to 4 minutes, and sure don't seem like they belong on the same record.  As a result, this thing does not flow together at all as an album, and that's probably the most noticeable weakness I can see here.

So how exactly does that 'concept song' turn out?  Well, initially, I have to admit I was skeptical of it on account of the absolutely juvenile lyrics Mr. Peart was spewing out - is it just me or do they really seem in excecution like the work of a friggin' junior high dork that probably read Ayn Rand and decided to write something inspired by those writings?  But regardless of the lyrical quality of the piece, there is just no getting around that the music and melodies to the whole thing rule supremely.  A big part of that has to do with the fact I consider the suite to be Alex Lifeson's absolute peak as a guitarist - the effortlessly flowing barrage of great riffs in the opening 'Overture' section and the closing 'Grand Finale' alone makes these parts of the epic a mindblowing experience.  It also doesn't hurt that the overall production style is so full and incredibly energetic, which makes the whole thing sound heavenly when blasted out loud.

As far as Geddy Lee's work here goes, well, it almost goes without saying his bass playing is great, though his 'screeching elf' routine (this song might be the quintessential example of it, actually) may probably take some getting used to.  But one of the coolest features about the piece is the way Geddy screams like a 9 year old (or something like that) with such awesome enthusiasm that, coupled with the power of Lifeson's guitar, it completely makes the stupidity of the lyrics come alive.  It's like, totally the ultimate guilty pleasure of all time during the yell of 'WEEEEE ARE THE PRIESTS OF THE TEMPLES OOOOOOOOOF SYRINX!!!', and it culminates into the criminally kickass 'Presentation' (which is itself preceded by completely beautiful 'water-like ambience from Lifeson's guitar).  And of course, even the quieter sections like 'Oracle: The Dream' are positively hypnotizing.  It all rules!  Screw you people who think it gets boring after 'The Temples Of Syrinx'!

Nah, just kidding - I can easily see how people would get annoyed with this one, since it has a few potential problems on the surface that I already kinda hinted at (and some ambient / atmospheric wanking, too, but really, there's no more of that here than there is on "Close To The Edge", another epic I totally love to death, by the way).  But despite all this, I really believe that "2112" is the single most excellent and exhilirating Rush song in existence, and as far as sidelongs in prog go I can only think of two that I prefer more ("Supper's Ready" and that aforementioned Yes epic).  And after you're done with that, there's also a second EP here (sorry, side) here, and it happens to start off with a direct, catchy rocker that would later be improved on the band's second concert effort Exit: Stage Left ("A Passage To Bangkok").

Elsewhere, we've got two more 'generic' rockers that I have to admit aren't too exciting, though the neat guitar/vocal interplay and fine acoustic part of "Lessons" can be quite an entertaining listen, and "Something For Nothing" is probably the most high-energy of this portion, with more vintage Geddy screaming amongst more pretentious lyrics if you're into that kind of thing.  "The Twilight Zone" has the potential to be something neat with its' fantastic opening riff and verse groove, but there are a couple very distracting features here - the absurdly comical lyrics here are woeful even by "2112" standards, the melody and music don't do enough to make me ignore it, and of course, there's that whispering later on when the second chorus rolls around.  Not really a bad song, but a little annoying nonetheless....

But the highlight of the side, of course, has to be the totally breathtaking ballad "Tears" - if you thought that Geddy was only capable of singing in a potentially grating screech, this one's proof he can sing quite well in a normal voice.  What really makes it spectacular, though, is that the main melody (and guitar part) of the song is beautiful and captivating, and when it switches to the orchestrated chorus, the result becomes even more blissful.  Plus, I can't get enough of its' mellow, almost depressing, ending.  Or an overwhelming majority of the title suite, which is almost singlehandedly enough to earn the record an excellent rating.  Maybe not a 9 like I originally thought - the second side is mostly just good, and like I said, the album don't flow well. Plus there's no guarantee that you'll love it, as is the usual case with Rush.  But hey, I still think it's a great album anyway, and the one to start with if you wanna get into their 70's work.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

(Robert Grazer's review)

Well I certainly don't know a heck of a lot about Rush. I don't know why. They were one of the biggest prog bands ever, and still I never cared to look into them. I love Geddy Lee's vocals (so kill me), just as much as I love Jon Anderson's (Yes) or Derek Shulman's (Gentle Giant), and for that matter Bob Dylan's. As far as what I know about Rush's music, their big radio hits are mostly good, I heard Different Stages a few times and thought it was a decent live album, and also had a copy of Permanent Waves at one time, and liked that a lot too. In fact, now that I think of it, that PeW was a pretty great album there. "Free Will," "Jacob's Ladder," those are very good songs! Anyway, the album I'm reviewing here is not that one, it's 2112, their most famous, I think, at least their most famous from the 70s.

The side-long title track isn't the greatest epic I've heard, and for that matter doesn't make my top ten side-longs. It starts off awesome though. The first seven or so minutes with the "Overture" and "The Temples of Syrinx" are simply excellent rocking prog, just like the first seven minutes of others like "Close To The Edge" or "Thick as a Brick," but those two also manage to be great the whole way through. The rest of "2112," though far from bad, is just not nearly as exciting or interesting as those first parts. It's fairly enjoyable, and I would never say I hate or truly dislike it, but if those Rush guys had just kept the energy going the whole time, I just wonder if it could have made it to the "Tarkus" level.

The other side is nothing all that spectacular, but it is still rather good. "A Passage To Bangkok" has some interesting drum work, and a great chorus, while the bass lines on "Lessons" are incredible. Oh, and I love Geddy's screaming style in "Something For Nothing," or the whole album for that matter. Not quite the same as that gentler style he had on "Free Will." "The Twilight Zone" is nice, but when the part when the whispering with the singing comes on, I can't help but be reminded of Renaissance's superior "Trip To The Fair" where Annie does something very similar. It's still a fine song, though.

The highlight of the album (other then the beginning parts of the title track) is probably "Tears." It starts out nice and slow and simple, but man when that song hits the chorus it is just so wonderful I can hardly explain it. The vocals are cleaner and gentler, but in this case they work better than the screams, and the melody on the chorus is unforgettable. What a little masterpiece that one is. Overall, I think this album is worth no more than a low 7 because the majority of "2112" is fairly dull, but the rest is great. I'll probably get to some more Rush eventually, since there was some excellent stuff on this album, and most people say the 80s was their real peak period.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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i love prog rock as much as the next guy and here is the scoop about 2112

1.2112:(20:23) it starts with cosmic blast of synthesizers then bam guitars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's payback time!

1.OVERTURE:begins with an guitar jam then BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! the debris settles for

2.THE TEMPLES OF SYRINX: WE ARE THE PRIIIIIIIESTS!!!!!!!!! OF THE TEMPLES OF SYRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SORRY JUST WAILING! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY VOICE

3.DISCOVERY: a mellow splash of water will cool down this rollercoaster ride gentle guitars by alex then comes into

4.PRESENTATION: HEAVY BLASTS OF THUNDER BY ALEX LIFESON

05.ORACLE:THE DREAM: after the storm we hear more soothing luscious and pretty guitar strums by alex then tuns into an anthem! THE POWER OF THE GUITAR!

6.SOLILOQUY: the hero is depressed he dies!

7.GRAND FINALE:THE BATTLE BEGINS AS REBELS FIGHT AGAINST THE PREISTS AS THE HERO DIES THE AFTER THAT AN ELECTRIFYING EXPLOSION OF SWIRLING GUITAR NOISE

THEN AN ELECTRONIC VOICE ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION WE HAVE ASSUME CONTROL! the end

wow what a review huh? hope i don't bore you now side two this time a short track by track list

2.PASSAGE TO BANKOK:hevy stuff man heavy stuff

3.TWILIGHT ZONE: too many acid trips too many years of watching the fly

4.LESSONS: hard rock ooooooooooh! i love love love it loud

5.TEARS:a beautiful poem by geddy lee all of the seasons and all of the days then it goes will it touch me deeper tears are only eyes that only cry will it touch you deeper tears have fall into my eyes oh why i dedicate this one to my girlfriend laura i love you you arethe harmony i am life we both live now in the future our love forever more

oh laugh it up fuckers this is why not only was i a tough guy but hey a guy's gotta have a heart of gold and qoute russel crowe perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind but even a greater gift is to have a beautiful heart ok sad? yes ready to begin ? yes

6.SOMETHING FOR NOTHING: last hard rock tune by alex now the live album after 2112 was going to be explosive so i better buy anyhow thanks!

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE (1976)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Anthem, Bastille Day, 2112.  LOW POINTS: In The End.

The tradition in Rush history has been the release of a live record after every four studio sets to nicely sum up that particular period until the start of the next one, and especially considering the overall sound of 2112, this seemed like a perfect enough time to release such an album.  It certainly seems like a very well-timed effort even now in retrospect - out of all the band's live releases, they never quite topped the sheer bombastic hard rock power that's on display here.  The performances of material from the debut up until 2112 focus far more on energy and punch than those subsequent releases, and it seems that material from this Rush period simply works better in concert than from the others. Exit: Stage Left was sometimes too sluggish and clinical, A Show Of Hands too robotic and soulless, and Different Stages too long with too many second-rate songs.

But with this album, faults like these are mostly minimized, especially when it comes right out of the gates with blistering renditions of "Bastille Day", "Anthem", a medley of "Fly By Night" and "In The Mood" and "Something For Nothing", all of which probably equal or better their studio counterparts, which probably says something.  Maybe they don't actually differ from the originals too much in sound, but that extra dose of energy really helps, especially on "Anthem", which is probably the most essential out of these performances.  There's also a quite decent runthrough of "Lakeside Park" here, which doesn't do quite as much to distinguish itself, but it's still sounds just as nice as it ever did, and I particularly like the way it leads into the next one, with swirling sound effects in the background: 'We'd like to do for you side one of our latest album...'

Yup, of course, the three Canucks perform the "2112" epic here.  Of course, it can't really hope to top the original studio counterpart overall - for one thing, it's shortened about 5 minutes from its' original 20 minute length, and the flow is rather weird in spots (especially when the band goes straight into 'Presentation' from 'Temples Of Syrinx').  I liked that watery guitar buildup and the quieter 'Oracle'!  But regardless, this version certainly rivals the studio version in some ways, particularly concerning the energy level on the first two 'Overture' and 'Temples Of Syrinx' sections.  I can say one thing, though - those who think the song gets dull after the first two parts might prefer it to the original, but I can't, mostly because I thoroughly enjoy the whole thing from beginning to end immensely.  It still rocks hard here anyway, though.

The album isn't quite perfect, though - the weaker tracks on Fly By Night are still a bit iffy here - I'll admit Alex's guitar textures on the otherwise way too long 12 minute version of "By-Tor & The Snow Dog" help make things a little more captivating and less boring than it could be, but "In The End" still bores me to death just as much as it did before.  Making up for those misfires somewhat, though, is the effective back and forth medley of the two best songs from the debut ("Working Man" and "Finding My Way"), and surprisingly enough, it even features a neat, actually melodic, drum solo from Neil Peart at the end that doesn't bore me at all (his live drum solos are some of the few non-boring ones I've come across, actually).  This is an excellent summation of the band's 74-76 period in all, and a powerful starting point for those who want to get acqainted with this era of the band.  Note: "What You're Doing" has been deleted in order for the album to fit on one compact disc (though it's present on Chronicles).  Not that I miss it anyway.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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A FAREWELL TO KINGS (1977)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Xanadu, Closer To The Heart.  LOW POINTS: Cygnus X-1, A Farewell To Kings.

It seems that all the major (and underground) prog bands out there have 'fan favorite' albums, which usually contain songs that feature some of the most complex music the band ever put out (which is certainly the case here) and aren't really appreciated as much by other outside listeners as the more 'accessible' albums.  But unfortunately, complexity does not equal quality - there's definitely more of an attempt to add a more instrumentally 'rich' sound here, with synthesizers, bells, exotic instruments and stuff like that (just look at what Neil Peart's credited with in the liner notes!) along with more complicated arrangements and riffs, but that can't make up for the fact that the band is starting to run out of steam in this sphere of prog songwriting.  That stop-start thing they perfected on some of the earlier material?  It's getting really stale here, guys!  And that's just one example.

It also doesn't bode well for the effort as a whole that the opening track on a Rush album has to suck, since they are one of those bands that consistently put their best (or at least most energetic) material at the beginning.  But no, the title track, despite its' promising classical guitar intro, just completely runs itself into the ground with fairly uninspiring main riffs, a really weak vocal melody, and one of the most defiantly ugly guitar solos imaginable.  "Cinderella Man" and "Madrigal" are somewhat better, mostly because they sound fairly pleasant while they're on, but nothing strikes me about the former other than the opening main riff and its' overall melodic awkwardness, and I pretty much completely forget how that other song goes.  You're on you're own there.

What I'd like to forget is the 10 minute closing science fiction epic "Cygnus X-1", which is quite possibly the worst thing the band put to tape, ever.  Yeah, there's about a million different riffs Lifeson throws into the song, but when none of them flow together worth a crap amongst a childish intro consisting of a corny spoken section and a really friggin' annoying stop-start jam on a lame four or five note sequence and awful shrieking from Geddy at the end (which is supposed to simulate him getting sucked into a black hole of some sort), the effect is defiantly crap.  At least the big hit "Closer To The Heart", while not truly deserving of being the representative of the three following live albums on account of being overly simplistic, lyrically trite and slightly derivative (especially with that overly Zeppelin-inspired solo), has a very, very nice melody, great driving energy, and an impressively condensed pop-length structure.  Very nice use of bells in there too!

Of course, I haven't mentioned the big reason for the album's decent rating yet, the 11 minute epic "Xanadu".  While it's maybe slightly overrated in terms of being called Rush's masterpiece, the intriguing lyrical picture of a man being trapped in a cave is very much enhanced by great music, especially that 5 minute introductory instrumental portion, where atmospheric bells and guitar textures effortlessly flow into a vintage rockin' spectacle the way the band does it best.  The way it goes from a slower, contemplative mood to a faster, tension-filled one throughout is something special, and I really dig that kickass bassline after the 'held within the pleasure dome / decreed by Kubla Khan' line.  But other than that more or less classic track (a big portion of the album, to be fair), I'm hardly impressed with this effort at all, and it's easily the weakest the band would release for quite awhile.  I laugh at you, elitist prog freaks!

OVERALL RATING: 6

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COMMENTS

[email protected]

How can you claim to be a Rush fan and spout off a bunch of shit and make the two best songs on the album "low points". The low point I saw was your lack of taste and over opinionated ignorance. You've got to be musically retarded to place songs like "Madrigal" or "Closer to the Heart" ahead of "Cygnus" or "Kings". How can "Xanadu" be overrated? If Rush has any overrated songs they are "Roll the Bones" or "Tom Sawyer". Go listen to some Bon Jovi or Winger, you poser fuck!

[email protected]

[email protected], you are an excellent example of what I like to call an "Rush-happy intolerafuck."  If you can't stand the reviewer's opinion, then don't read the site.  Sheesh, what is WRONG with you people?  Can't you tolerate a opinion that's not in absolute perfect sync with your own?  Take some MEDICATION, for the love of fuck!  Ignorance??  Lack of taste??  If you're that petulant that you have to start attacking people, then get the hell off the goddamn Net.  Sheesh!!!

Now--on to the album!  The only flaw I can find with it is its essential, well, frankly, tunelessness.  Except for "Closer to the Heart" and "Xanadu".  Good shit there.  Rush has never been a "tuneful" band, though, in my opinion--BUT, but but but--they make up for it with their amazing chops and their classical composition skills.  Peart isn't much of a lyricist, in my opinion, but HELL MARY, can he ever play the drums.  So you could say that A Farewell to Kings succeeds solely on the basis of playing alone.  And I LOVE the guitar solo in the title track, even if I don't like the rest of the song that much.  What the hell time signature ARE they playing, anyway?  19/4???

[added on much later:]

Note to readers--disregard any of the above comments I have made on this album. I am a jerk, asshole, degenerate, and otherwise enemy of mankind for writing such evil, un-Christian nonsense. And please put the feel-good music of the Carpenters on to help us put this whole messy, nasty, stinky business behind us, once and for all, and unto eternity.

HEMISPHERES (1978)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: The Trees, 'The Bringer Of Balance' portion of Hemispheres.  LOW POINTS: None.

Like A Farewell To Kings, this one's another fan favorite album, one that simultaneously probably caused even more people at the time to write off the band as complete pretentious dorks.  It's not hard at all to see why this is so - the very structure of the album hints that it's definitely their most art rock oriented to date, consisting of just four tracks (another sidelong and a 9-1/2 minute instrumental to close the album bookending a couple shorter, but still pretentious in their own way, songs in between) to please fans and disgust outsiders.  But my feeling about Hemispheres is that it's the ultimate transition album in Rush history, and out of all their regular issue albums in their catalog (not including compilations), it comes the closest to being the most representative in terms of all the sides of the band it manages to cover within its' rather short 36 minute running time.

To begin with, the aforementioned sidelong musically shows that they've still got one foot in the general sound of the last two albums - witness that technically, the title of this piece is actually "Cygnus X-1 Book Two: Hemispheres".  But don't let the reference to that completely disasterous epic scare you away - this is one of those cases where the sequel takes the original and completely kicks it out the door.  Oh sure, the lyrical matter is pretty much dispensable writings about Greek mythology and such (with Apollo and Dionysus thrown in there), plus about 9 or 10 minutes in, Geddy takes on a really unpleasant vocal tone that comes dangerously close to annoying the crap out of me, and the piece as a whole is not nearly as captivating as "2112", with more awkward flow to boot, and a few tail-chasing moments.

But still, there are several moments in this epic that don't exactly make it underwhelming at all.  The central riff for it is still quite captivating, with an almost grumbling tone to it that brings a drive to things, that fast melody throughout ('I bring truth and understanding, etc.') is exciting, and occasionally, they break into a neat grooves throughout the first half.  And just as I suspect the whole thing is about to lose steam when Geddy gets a bit grating, it goes into this really eerie robotic vocal portion at the beginning of 'The Bringer Of Balance' ('as a disembodied spirit, I am dead...') that's easily the most spine-chilling moment on the whole album, hauntingly beautiful and otherwordly all at once.  The whole thing also does a great job of coming full circle and resolving itself on a gorgeous one minute acoustic piece 'The Sphere', with some totally beautiful lyrical passages there to end it on a major high note.

Side two continues that all-encompassing feeling I get from this album. "Circumstances" brings together the basic hard rock of the earliest period with that excellent main riff and snappy melody, while melding it with pretentions such as the chorus sung in French and that synth-heavy middle section.  While that song looks to the past, "The Trees" looks to the future in the introduction of the 'condensed pop/prog' format prominent on the next two albums.  It's also one of their best attempts at it, too, with a thrilling arrangement (it slowly builds from an acoustic intro to a great rocker, with a very interesting synth/percussion middle), as well as a neat lyrical perspective - the way the oak trees are represented as oppressors of the 'maples' (common folk) is fascinating, and it enhances things as the song ends on the lines 'and the trees are all kept equal / By hatchet, axe, and saw!'

The closer here, meanwhile, is pretty much one of the ultimate demonstrations of Rush's playing ability, that characterizes so much of their work, and there couldn't be a better way to finish an album like this than the instrumental "La Villa Strangiato".  I'm actually not quite as much in love the song as I probably should be - the 12 part arrangement (with some hilarious subtitles like 'A Lerxst In Wonderland' and 'Never Turn Your Back On A Monster') produces an effect that's a little overlong, and so the structure gets a bit hard to follow at times.  Nevertheless, the opening lightning fast riff cannot be denied, the slow, bluesier sections are hypnotizing, and the obvious humor within the song (like the Warner Brothers musical quotes) makes the indulgence and incredible playing even more fun to listen to every once in awhile.  Very good album as a whole in both improving on the heavily unfocused Farewell To Kings sound and setting the stage for the more compact, but still technically awe-inspiring, style of the 80's.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5

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PERMANENT WAVES (1980)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Natural Science, The Spirit Of Radio, Entre Nous, Freewill.  LOW POINTS: Different Strings.

Apparently somewhere between Hemispheres and the release of this album the band probably decided to rethink their musical approach, maybe thinking that the more 'epic' side of their sound was running out of steam just a little.  They probably thought that the pretentious sidelong suites weren't winning them any friends outside the art rock world (which may have led to the band to decide to stop doing them), and maybe people thought they were putting complexity over actual melody and song structure.  But whatever it was, the band entered the 80's as a somewhat more accessible outfit, though by no means a sellout - in fact, the band members might have been at a peak in terms of instrumental virtuosity, and they must have realized it, because chops are still a big focus here.  It's just that the actual structures of the songs tend to be more compressed to a length suitable for normal listeners, but they still present enough complex ideas and astounding playing to satisfy art rock lovers - the ultimate compromise.  And it works!

The sound they came up with here is essentially something like a cross between pop and prog, with a bit of an 80's New Wave element thrown in, and this combination is surely the best thing that could have happened to the band.  I really don't think a song like "The Spirit Of Radio" would be more thrilling any other way - through rapid tempo changes in the instrumental intro following Alex's high-speed opening guitar part, these and other ideas (like the neat synth touches in the chorus) really convey the idea of fast moving radio waves.  And speaking of radio, the song's subject matter dealing with the 'freedom of music' is conveyed wonderfully through the lyrics in such awesome lines like 'all this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted'.  Plus the ending 'reggae' section is somehow the perfect way to push the song to its' thrilling conclusion.

The maybe even more well known radio hit "Free Will" is another rousing success in this vein, with a great hard rock, and effortless tempo shifts between the verses and chorus, all combined with an extremely catchy melody and tight playing that will knock your socks off (particularly Alex Lifeson's solo in a totally different feel than the verses).  Even when they go into a more straightforward hard pop vein, as they do in "Entre Nous", it still doesn't come across as simplistic, since there's still enough virtuosity in the playing and especially a completely beautiful catchiness in the main melody (and personal lyric writing) to leave me captivated.  Another great treasurable riff to add to Lifeson's collection.  On the other hand, the weak link here ("Different Strings") just seems too much like an effortlessly played ballad with quite a bit of emotional resonance, but really little else in the way of captivating music or melody.

Listening to the album, I get the impression (and the fact that this is the shortest Rush album ever at 35 minutes doesn't exactly prove me wrong) that they were a bit short on material, and besides the obvious filler "Different Strings" the 7 minute "Jacob's Ladder" also should be placed in this category.  It's supposed to recreate an electrical storm through its' music, and it does so just fine, but the piece as a whole (particularly the jam) sounds too much like a Hemispheres outtake to me, with half-assed guitar riff repeating over and over again and a robotic vocal portion that sounds almost straight out of 'The Bringer Of Balance'.  I'll admit it can be very entertaining to listen and play along to, though, and it has a very nice majestic ending, but it comes across a lot better live.  

Thankfully, they end the album on a great note with the ultimate highlight "Natural Science" (which just narrowly edges out "The Spirit Of Radio" for best song honors). It's another multi-part epic in the earlier Rush tradition, but in Permanent Waves fashion, it's compressed down to 9 minutes, and all the better for it.  The three parts (dealing lyrically with concern for environment and humanity) flow together extremely well, with the melodies (both vocal and instrumental) flowing in a really fast-paced 'natural' fashion, from the gorgeous acoustic intro to the chaotic and dark opening verse, the really silly but quirky 'Hyperspace' portion ('a quantum leap forward...'), and then the brilliant 'Permanent Waves' that plays out like a grand final statement with its' completely awesome tight groove, addictively uptempo melody and equally hopeful, pessimistic and unresolved lyrics.  As a closing note, this is another great and defining Rush album only slightly marred by its' inconsistent, fillerish moments, made essential since it's highs are among their best material ever.  Though it's not as essential as the next one.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

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MOVING PICTURES (1981)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Limelight, Red Barchetta, Tom Sawyer, YYZ, Witch Hunt.  LOW POINTS: None.

After being convinced to go back into the studio rather than release another live effort (which the band was planinng to do originally), they come out with a refinement of the pop-prog sound they had been exploring with Permanent Waves, and the result is the absolute high peak of Rush history.  And I really do mean peak - not only can I not think of another album in their catalog where all three members of the band are playing at this awesome a level, I also can't think of any other album in progressive rock history that has such a perfect balance between purely phenomenal musicianship and extremely catchy pop hooks (and Geddy's screeching kept to a minimum!).  At least on side one this is the case, and it is no coincidence that this is also the biggest commercial and radio success they've had, plus it's still generally the most highly regarded by both the band and their fans, featuring arguably their most popular single song to boot.

So let's look at side one, shall we?  An absolutely flawless half of vinyl, and certainly the best stretch of music ever recorded by the band.  Most of you probably know the signature opener "Tom Sawyer", and for good reason - heavily overplayed as it is, it's still an absolutely amazing song.  For one thing, the main spacey synth hook the whole gripping, totally unforgettable vocal melody (and the playing) seems to revolve around is a complete work of genius, becoming really neat during the instrumental breaks, and overall, this piece practically defines tight and hard-hitting, with completely vintage performances from everyone here.  But as incredible as that song is, that pretty much only scratches the surface of what the listener can expect throughout these songs.

The next one, "Red Barchetta", has an even bigger place on my favorite songs list, and along with maybe Pearl Jam's "Rearviewmirror", I consider this epic to be a serious candidate for the 'ultimate driving song'.  A subtle, quiet guitar line that introduces things serves as a great prelude for a completely exciting tale of the road, effortlessly flowing between this, an aggressive bass-heavy riff as if the vehicle was just starting to gear up for a high-speed drive (starting with the 'jump to the ground, as the turbo slows...' part).  It starts to gradually gains momentum (all with some really kickass playing and a captivating melody, mind you) until the whole thing really starts to break away - the whole lyrical and musical picture is just incredible at capturing the car going high speed down a country road or something like that (with a great melody during this 'wind... in my hair' portion) shortly before the main character gets to race a 'gleaming alloy air car'!  Yeah!  And after that race (during which the epic continues to ride at a thrilling tempo), I love the way it resolves itself fading out on that same guitar line which started it all.  Brilliant.

Afterwards, we hit the pure jamming showcase "YYZ", one of my all-time favorite instrumentals (this should have won a Grammy - not "Behind My Camel"). Sure, "La Villa Strangiato" was probably just as amazing from a technical standpoint, but it was too overlong for me, and I generally like my instrumentals in a normal length song format.  This one really works in such a setting, from that breathtaking fast-paced bassline, the way the flow always gets paused by either an awesome bass part or a Peart drum roll, the extremely majestic synth middle - it's totally fantastic!  All built on one really simple riff, too.  Oh, and there's this one pop song "Limelight" that is probably even better than these three pretty good tunes.  It may be constructed as a simple riff number, but the totally perfect, heavenly pop melody carries it and inspiring lyrical subject matter (good/bad sides of the stage) to new heights.  I totally love everything about this song, from the incredible playing within its' compact catchiness  to the spare, gradually building Lifeson solo that completely hits home.  Wow.

Now, of course, side two can't even hope to compare with that overwhelming stretch, but judging from the rating below, it more than holds its' own.  And what better way to start it than "The Camera Eye", the last 10 minute plus epic Rush would ever make in their career?  While it may be the weakest individual song on the album, it still has a lot of great ideas - built around the lyrical concept which contrasts city streets in New York and London, it rides along on a majestic synth background which Lifeson and Peart add to wonderfully before it explodes into a completely thrilling keyboard-based semi jam thing that's just a total blast to play along to, this right before shifting into the excitingly fast-paced individual song about 3-1/2 minutes in, which itself contains some totally haunting melodies ('I feel the sense of possibilities...') and the reprises of the main themes of earlier are executed so well.

Then, to close the entire album, we get two (understandably) overlooked pieces..  The first of these, "Witch Hunt", is quite an interesting entry here, as it is the third part of a backwards trilogy called 'Fear' that also includes songs from the next two albums.  It starts out with a weird introductory build of angry villagers and suchlike, and continues on a totally dark, haunting note, enhanced by an extremely effective chord change during the verse, and a fabulous keyboard-driven melody as an instrumental break and a grand finale.  It's probably my favorite in this stretch mostly due to its' mood, but "Vital Signs" is just as neat a curiousity - essentially, it predicts the strange robotic reggae/new wave side of Signals, as it gets driven by a strange groove built on a great bassline/synth loop.  Not only that, the lyrics and main hook are so absurd here that I can't help but be extremely entertained by it all, and that final melody ('everybody got to deviaaaaate...') is a completely awesome way to fade out the entire effort. And what an effort it is - there could not have been a more appropriate way to end the band's most creative period than this classic.  But of course, afterwards, it was time for a change...

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

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COMMENTS

[email protected] (John Schlegel)

Nice review, Nick. You defend a full 10 rating for this album to a tee. I fall into that other category that tends to give Moving Pictures a 9 because of the second side, but I'm no threat--my opinion comes from a pretty casual Rush listener, which makes my rating quite favorable. I know that Rush are generally taken as a love-it-or-leave-it sort of entity, which makes lesser enthusiasts like me an uncommon breed. Still, this album no doubt features more than enough classic songs, creative melodies and stellar playing to keep any hard rock fan happy throughout. Sure, "Tom Sawyer" is overplayed, but I never seem to get tired of it. "Limelight" is one of the catchiest pop songs of its era, and "YYZ" is one of the best instrumentals ever recorded. I don't think side two holds its own compared to the first, but I'm sure I have not given it enough listens yet to make an accurate assessment. At any rate, it is listenable, and many interesting ideas are certainly tried. Definitely a classic hard rock record, and a most energetic, enticing listen.

[email protected] (Shaun Downton)

man i've heard three songs of this beast. yyz, limelight and tom sawyer. man i can see why les claypool's idol is geddy lee.WHat a bass player!!! i just love the progressive structures too. thanks nick karn for introducing me to another fuckin awesome band .

EXIT: STAGE LEFT (1981)

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: The Spirit Of Radio, Jacob's Ladder, A Passage To Bangkok.  LOW POINTS: La Villa Strangiato.

But before that change in style could occur, it was time for the band to sum up the musical direction they had pursued in this 1977-81 period with a live effort.  I mention the period it was made for a reason, since this effort seems to be heavily favored by those who are not really big on Rush's individual studio albums by any means, but enjoy a fair portion of their music.  I can certainly understand why, as the biggest strength of Exit: Stage Left is unquestionably the thorough track listing, which brings together many of the key songs (and most, but not all, of the hits - "Limelight" is the most glaring omission) that defined the band during this era.  Some of these performances even go as far as to improve on the originals. However, there are enough annoying flaws here for me to discourage the idea of the E:SL being Rush's best amongst all the considerable virtues that it has.

For one thing, after most of the songs you hear the crowd fading out - I know this may not sound like a big deal or anything, and maybe I'm just crazy, but it just seems to me like there's a loss of momentum from not making this seem like it was one complete show.  There's also the fact that several of these songs add little or nothing to the original studio versions - "The Trees" and "Tom Sawyer" are virtually clinics for the band to execute them as flawlessly as possible.  And there are others that are just flawed performance-wise - I really cannot see the appeal of "Xanadu" being way too sluggish during its' faster portions, even if the most of the song is done fine.  Plus, while "La Villa Strangiato" seemed merely overlong before, here it just seems to be considerably duller, "Red Barchetta" has Alex's guitar mixed way too low during the climactic portions of it, and "YYZ" doesn't really need a decent, but not too exciting, drum solo when it already started off too slow.

Fortunately, most of the rest of this album I can't really complain about.  As hinted at earlier, two songs somewhat improve on the already awesome originals - "The Spirit Of Radio" opens things on a truly inspiring note, with even more convincing vocals and perfectly placed bells during the awesome 'invisible airwaves...' section, which give it more of an effective mood amongst the great musicianship.  And I was never a huge fan of the merely good "Jacob's Ladder", but this version really does it for me - the overall stormy vibe just seems so much more majestic and doomy, plus the repetitive nature of the instrumental section is actually powerful due to more energy, and the robotic vocal section here also outdoes the original in terms of its' eerie feel that it's actually more than worthy of being a direct "Hemispheres" descendent.

There's also a superior "A Passage To Bangkok", which has an even cooler guitar tone than before, with more convincing heavyness and overall drive, and speaking of guitar tone, "Free Will" Alex somehow gets a more heavenly sound to an already extremely catchy song, and the audience singing along to "Closer To The Heart" somehow gives it more anthemic power and overall effectiveness (even if the ultimate version was still to come later).  See, to go along with these improvements and the fact that I probably would still love most of these songs if I only heard these versions, I can accept people treating this like the ultimate Rush compilation, especially since the overall quality of this is very good.  But I'd still rather go with the original studio versions more often than not (and in the live Rush vein, All The World's A Stage for more energy).

OVERALL RATING: 7.5

(Pat D.'s review)

Here we have another live album that bores me to death. Its pretty difficult for me to understand why anybody gets a kick out of inferior execution, sound, and having people making NOISE in the backround. Its supposed to SOUND GOOD people. If your SO desperate for the 'concert experience' go to a damn show. As I said somewhere before, live albums aren't even as good as actually being there to hear the sub-studio execution. Maybe with other bands, execution isn't really missed; with Rush thats mostly what makes them so enjoyable. The preciseness of Neil's drumming, for example. The enveloping nature of Alex's guitar. The speed and accuracy of Geddy's bass. None of this is anywhere to be found on a live album. And it is definitely missed here.

Most of the Rush hits prior to 1982 are on here, and that is the main reason I didn't drop this rating another notch. It's not that the performance are especially mistake laden, or bad, but there just seems to be a lack of energy in the sound. Maybe it's the mix; I don't know. However, one song "A Passage to Bangkok" is done extremely well by Geddy and co., and I like it better than the original. On the other hand, there are quite a few tracks on here that are painful to listen to, whether its because of the little mistakes here and there, or the fact that asking 3 guys to sound LOUD during a performance is a little too much.

Why do I continue buying live albums if I know I'm gonna hate them? Well, I heard a lot of good things about this one (see Mark Prindle's review site), and had hoped it would be the live album that got higher than a 5. I guess I was wrong. But hey, I've been wrong before. Why else would I have bought Bush's Deconstructed or U2's Zooropa? Because of quality? HA!

OVERALL RATING: 5

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COMMENTS

[email protected] (John McFerrin)

In response to Pat D.'s review:

Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. I MUCH prefer this album to the studio albums that come before it. From the opening notes of Spirit of Radio where Alex's guitar tone sounds tons more energetic than in the original, heading through an improved version of Red Barchetta, eventually hitting a version of Jacob's Ladder that surpasses the original (and it was my favorite on PW), through the glorious Xanadu, and ending with an explosive La Villa Strangiato that sucks me in far more than its studio counterpart, this album is a friggin' masterpiece. Great song selection, great performances. An easy 10.

[email protected] (Alex R.)

Bought this expecting to be in for a treat but it turned out to be a dissapointment. It's not bad mind you but I don' t seem to understand why John loves it so much. The main problem with this live offering is that the guitars are mixed way too low and due to that most of the songs on here are less exciting than their studio counterparts. However, there are some cool moments on here, Neil's drum solo is pretty cool and I like "Red Barchetta" better than the studio version, but other than that there's nothing else on here to get excited about. If you want a good live album from Rush get All The World's A Stage.

SIGNALS (1982)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Subdivisions, The Analog Kid, Countdown, Digital Man.  LOW POINTS: None.

Although keyboards had certainly been heard on Rush albums prior to this one, note that Geddy Lee always used them for adding extra color to the overall sound, while it was largely his bass playing and Alex's riffs that provided the overall 'drive' (with Neil functioning as the musical 'glue' of the band, of course).  Concerning the style change here, though, there almost seems to be a role reversal here - this time, it is actually Geddy's keyboards that drive the songs and generally provide a lot of the main instrumental hooks more than ever, even though his bass playing is still quite apparent, and it's also worth noting that his vocals are completely toned down at this point, with almost no screeching in sight.  Lifeson's guitar, meanwhile, seems to provide the coloring and shading ala Andy Summers of The Police, and Peart's introduction of a varied blend of rhythms gives the sound an almost robotic reggae tone, and this is also the start of the band attempting even more to function as a background for his lyrics, which by now have become increasingly more thoughtful and personal.

And the album itself starts off with one of with one of my personal theme songs in the completely breathtaking classic "Subdivisions", whose timeless lyrical matter (high school peer pressure and separation - boy, can I ever relate to this stuff) is really well written and contributes to cold, majestic mood of the track.  And musically, it's just incredible - the main keyboard melodies are pretty much the main focus of it, and they're among the most expressively melodic and affecting ones this side of "Jump", with a hard hitting tightness within the rest of the band, and the hooks (in both the verse and chorus) among the most memorable on the album.  Its' followup "The Analog Kid" is almost equally as classic, though, also having an 'adolescent' theme running through it in the lyrics, with its' energetic innocence conveyed in the awesome rocking out verses (where a really kickass Lifeson riff shows up throughout).  Plus, the way it blends effortlessly into a downright gorgeously atmospheric chorus ('you move me, you move me...') and a nearly as catchy bridge ('too many hands on my time...') is just completely enthralling.

After those two complete gems to start off the album, there are also a couple very interesting, almost experimental but still highly accessible and complex songs to round out side one. "Chemistry", despite being marred a little in having a keyboard line virtually identical to the riff of "The Twilight Zone" (from 2112), is quite a quirky little 'science lab' tune (with lyrics from all three members) that benefits from the majestic synths in the chorus (especially in the 'electricity!  biology!' portion). The semi-epic side closer "Digital Man" is also highly entertaining, as it best showcases the creative, engaging Peart rhythms and really kickass bass playing throughout.  They also seem to have hit upon a really neat hook to drive the song here, and the creative ideas in addition to the rhythms, like the 'futuristic' sounding breakdown section in the refrain and the colorful guitar work, make it consistently exciting, and not overlong at all.

As far as side two goes, it may not have as much in the way of absolute classic tracks like the previous one, but the freshness of the interesting approaches here doesn't diminish one bit.  The side-opening "The Weapon" (also part two of that aforementioned backwards 'Fear' trilogy begun with the last album) can best be described as a sort of dark new wave track in the techno-styled rhythms and keyboard sounds, which even foreshadows some of the stuff on the following album (particularly in that really eerie middle section).  To contrast that song's nearly epic status, though, is "New World Man", which really benefits from its' condensed 3:48 structure.  It has a great robotic vibe in its' verses (not only in the keyboard parts, but also within the main melody and lyrics) and the way it goes to a fast rocker in the chorus (starting with that nice riff Lifeson throws in, and that kickass bassline) is pretty thrilling, and it's also probably the single catchiest song on the album.

The introspective "Losing It", meanwhile, can definitely be thought of as another interesting diversion.  It can get a bit dull as a whole, but its' introspective violin/keyboard driven ballad structure has a very depressing tone to it in its' main hook, also helped by the lyrical focus on the fading away of one's glory years.  Nice use of tension building in the middle, too.  But the real winner in that department, though, would be the closing "Countdown", one of the band's all time best lyric/music mood combinations.  As hinted at by its' title, it's meant to capture the mood surrounding a rocket launch and the feelings that go with it (uncertainty and excitement) in equal amounts.  You'd think the samples here might get distracting, but they only help the beautiful and dramatic arrangement of it, from the great keyboard flourishes to the exciting "Natural Science"-like build it has.

So what's the overall result of Signals?  Well, the band has pretty much created a whole different style out of expanding styles and sounds that had only been hinted at on the past few albums ("Vital Signs" and the ever-increasing synth use) and mastered it here.  Sure, it would eventually lead to a mild stagnation, but here, there's still a timeless sound, thanks to clever arrangements, great melodies, creative ideas, thoughtful lyric writing and of course awesome musicianship in furthering the compressed song stylings began with Permanent Waves.  And best of all, the song quality here is excellent, with not a single really weak song in the bunch, and several classics among them.  So yeah, it's an absolute essential in the Rush catalog, though contrary to popular belief, I don't think the peak period stopped here.

OVERALL RATING: 9

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GRACE UNDER PRESSURE (1984)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Distant Early Warning, Red Sector A, The Enemy Within, Afterimage.  LOW POINTS: Between The Wheels, Red Lenses.

Now this album is where people really start getting divided over the actual quality of Rush records, and I have to admit, my first impression of this one was pretty sour.  What Grace Under Pressure does is take the mostly smooth, often creative sound of Signals and gives it a darker, grittier, and very synth-heavy feeling.  Not coincidentally, it marks the point where many felt that the synths and electronic drums were starting to be used a bit too heavily, and still others say that the songwriting is on a big decline, with melodies that sound as if Geddy made them up as he went along, and the arrangements are becoming more heavy on the keyboards, less on Alex Lifeson's guitar, and even more of a focus on the dark, often hopeless lyrics that have a very conceptual tinge to them.  So this one turns out to be a major point of controversy - some feel the atmosphere is somewhat cold, sterile and completely soulless on account of the dated mid 80's technology, but others feel that the atmosphere is brilliantly matched by the lyrical matter and raw emotion coming from them.

But regardless of the obvious flaws that might be on the surface, I can now see this album as a somewhat powerful effort in places - if the overall atmosphere is so much on the soulless side and the melodies weak, why is it so damn captivating and addictive?  Sure, Grace Under Pressure may not fit into the progressive rock category at all, with the New Wave-ish synths, Lifeson's guitar being used even more for the 'sound coloring' aspect than his riffing, and the material is hardly too complex, with most of the songs basically staying on the same path the whole way through, but hey, it's good at what it does.  Especially since there are several terrific diversions, including the excitingly funk-based first part of 'Fear' ("The Enemy Within") that has a great bassline, pace and haunting synth-led middle and the terrifyingly robotic "Red Sector A", a powerful account of a concentration camp with an incredible conviction-filled atmosphere in the vocals and lyrics, exceptionally haunting use of synths and guitar chimings, and a breathtaking, mesmerizing groove that manages to rule in spite of its' simplicity.

Along with "Red Sector A", there's also another absolute classic in the form of the opener "Distant Early Warning", which is easily one of my five favorite songs from the band, and for good reason.  It's one of the most exciting, energetic and catchy songs they put out in the 80's (particularly in the extremely memorable chorus and gripping synth breaks at the end of each verse that just give the song an incredible presence), and the tension throughout which brings the nuclear war-influenced subject matter of the lyrics to life is unmatched.  It's one of those songs I can never stop listening to, along with virtually the entire first half, which would include those other two aforementioned songs and the often underrated "Afterimage" - this one might be a little simplistic and cheesy in nature with the synths and all, but again, the sheer conviction and pain expressed here (the moving subject matter dealing with the death of a close friend) really drives it, and that totally haunting midsection synth break is completely captivating stuff.

As for the second half of the album, none of it really manages to eclipse the near-brilliance of side one (which I'd easily give a very strong 9 on its' own), but it at least starts off well, with "The Body Electric" being a rather curious singalong number that has friggin' binary code as its' chorus, and it manages to be completely entertaining in spite of itself, no doubt helped by its' fine bridge (that 'mother of all machines...' part), and "Kid Gloves", while not exactly the most substantial song ever written, is still a fine pop number dealing with the tensions between Geddy and Alex, particularly standing out with its' entertaining 5/4 groove.  Though it does take awhile for these first six songs to get under your skin if they ever do, I'd say this is quite an impressive stretch of Rush music.  Sounds great, right?

Unfortunately, Grace ends on somewhat of a down note with the last two tracks on which the band simply runs out of steam, as "Red Lenses" and "Between The Wheels" happen to be the most sterile and heavily flawed tracks of the lot.  Neither one have much melody to speak of, and both have cheesy synths, a totally dated and stiff sound, and extremely clumsy arrangements all over the place.  The latter in particular is extremely boring and heavily overrated by fans - I realize that lyrically it makes it clear there's a concept dealing with the Cold War and Soviet relations going on, but that doesn't excuse the overlong arrangement, lame opening synth chords, and whatever other weaknesses it might have (like the word 'time' being repeated over and over).  But regardless of those two suckjobs, I award the album a low 8, simply because a good half of this is such addictively powerful stuff that I still frequently put on, though I can't guarantee you'll feel the same way.  Go take a chance on this anyway if you see it cheap.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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COMMENTS

[email protected] (Pat D.)

You're definitely right about Alex's guitar---no more fast fretwork, with the notable exception of the exceptional ambience solo in "Distant Early Warning". That song is indeed phenomenal. Each member does what they do best, Geddy playing contrary movement basslines, Alex with that absolutely dreamy guitar tone, and although Neil's drums don't sound as powerful as on past albums, his playing is still killer. That said, I cannot find another reason to buy this album. I HATE "Red Sector A". Sorry, Nick, but I didn't like it on Chronicles and I don't like it here. And the rest of the album with such tracks like "Kid Gloves" and "Between the Wheels" wander aimlessly. "Body Electric" isn't too bad, but thats it. In my opinion, not worth a purchase. I'd give it a 4.

POWER WINDOWS (1985)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Marathon, Mystic Rhythms, The Big Money, Manhattan Project, Territories. LOW POINTS: None.

Oh man.  While I may not always understand the obsessive motivations of some Rush fans, this is one such album that I completely buy into their 'fan favorite' love for.  Curiously enough, this also seems to be a chronological anomaly in the band's catalog, at least in the amount of energy and the relation of Alex Lifeson's guitar in the mix as compared to the two surrounding albums. In contrast to that album's cold, dark and depressing new wave tendencies, this one seems to be a lot more energetic and progressive.  It's still not as technically complex as what the band showed us in the early 80's, even if there are still flashes of instrumental greatness, but in a dynamic sense, with great melodic and mood shifts between the various verse, chorus and bridge sections.  And call me an idiot, but I just flat out love the overall sound and atmosphere they're going for here - it's probably the closest they ever got to marrying their progressive and synth pop sides together in a grand near-masterpiece. 

Of course, before I start praising the heck out of everything, let me just point out that this album does have a few flaws that keep it just out of the level of Moving Pictures.  Not so much in the individual songs, but just in the overall sound - the melodies might take a couple listens to hit the listener just because they're in the same 'simplistic' vein as Grace and do veer dangerously close to adult pop at times, plus the synth overabuse is gradually starting to get out of hand and would rear its' ugly head later on.  But that's about all I can complain about here - from the opening classic "The Big Money", Power Windows just smokes all the way through.  That aforementioned track in particular is a stunner, with a wonderfully cynical vibe in the lyrics, and a killer combination of a single hard-hitting chord that opens the song and really drives the verses. Geddy also rules supreme here in contributing some phenomenal bass playing and always appropriate synth touches, though besides his hard-hitting playing, Lifeson threatens to steal the show with his awesome midsong solo.  Oh, and there's an awesome pop chorus here as well.

Speaking of pop choruses, this album also boasts what I consider to be the absolute best song under 10 minutes they ever pulled off in the simply stunning "Marathon".  The way the backing music, lyrics and main melody work in simulating a hard uphill run (especially with that great galloping bassline) is simply a stroke of genius, and the way it suddenly explodes into one of the most amazing sing along choruses I can think of ('from first to last...')... wow.  It may be a little overdramatic, but for me, it just feels like an otherworldly experience listening to it, especially when it's repeated for the final time with a majestic choir and orchestra simultaneously backing it up.  And how about Lifeson's amazing guitar solo after that short, complex middle jam that perfectly fits things, or that bridge right before that heart-stopping end?  It's all phenomenal... a truly stunning song... what more can I say?

But wait - there's more where that came from!  I can understand the pretentions of "Manhattan Project" (lyrically dealing with the atomic bomb situation in World War II retold in song) would turn some people off, but even though the actual melody might not be the greatest they ever came up with, the song structure just thrills me to no end.  I always love how it starts off in a fairly dreamy fashion in its' opening verses ('imagine a time...') and then gradually builds up to this huge wall-of-string section towards the end of it, turning into a great breakaway rocker in between.  The guitar-filled transitions in each part ('the big bang came...') are effortlessly awesome, and the song just generally kicks ass.  Even the excessive U2/Police guitar style chimings of Lifeson on the weakest track of the album ("Grand Designs") really work, and the quirky keyboard parts here are thrilling, as potentially cheesy as they may be.

And the second half has more great stuff waiting for you, as both the political number "Territories" and the small town epic "Middletown Dreams" are absolutely smashing music and lyric combinations.  The former song is driven by Peart's great rhythms (love those booming drums in the chorus - 'yet we keep looking through the eyeglass in reverse...') and harsh lyrical putdown of the general arrogance the Chinese have, plus Lifeson's really appropriate 'Oriental' guitar tone (particularly in the intro and the fast line that shows up throughout) and Geddy's great bass playing that sets up a powerful groove.  The latter one, meanwhile, beautifully places the listener in your average neighborhood at night - I love the combination of those quiet, slightly ambient-like verses that build up to the beautiful anthemic, and very synth-dominated chorus ('dreams transport desires....') that further enhances the mood.

"Emotion Detector" is less overwhelmingly great, but it's still a nice half-ballad whose most distinguishing feature is a really catchy synth line running through the verses, another beautifully memorable chorus, and excellent simple, to-the-point lyrics.  And "Mystic Rhythms" closes things on a big high note - the simple, but extremely effective, African drum beat merges so effortlessly with the equally creepy guitar and synth parts (both of which create an incredible effect as the song fades out and they're still running through my head).  Plus, it has such a powerful hypnotic chorus, and a completely timeless atmosphere which works perfectly with the lyrics that convey the idea of higher beings and the creation of the world / humanity.  What a great way to close off an album that I think is the last truly great record the band ever made, not Signals, and a very unique, special album for the mid 80's.

OVERALL RATING: 9

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COMMENTS

[email protected] (Pat D.)

This is a very highly regarded album among Rush fanatics, and maybe some day i'll pick it up! As for now, i love "The Big Money" which has a phenomenal Geddy bassline running throughout the entire song. BTW, if anybody believes that Steve Harris was the first to have that cool, trebly, loud bass sound, go listen to 70s Yes or Rush. I'm gonna have to disagree with Nick about Marathon though---some truly awful lyrics "It's not how fast you can go/The force goes into the flow/If you pick up the beat/You can forget about the heat" Ick. "Manhattan Project" is extremely haunting with its chiming, drak tinged guitar, although the chorus is repeated too many times.

[email protected]

Long a favorite of mine. Lots of things going on in all the songs and Geddy's basswork is at an all time high on this album. His performances in "The Big Money" and "Marathon" in particular are just astounding. Also check the bassline behind Alex's guitar solo in "Emotion Detector." Holy cow, is that even legal? Just insane. Great, great album.

HOLD YOUR FIRE (1987)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Prime Mover, Force Ten, Open Secrets.  LOW POINTS: Second Nature, Lock And Key, Turn The Page.

Alright, now this is an album I can't quite figure, as without a doubt, it is the most controversial release in the entire Rush catalog.  It almost seems like my rating below is the ultimate compromise, as opinions on this one are as divided as you could ever imagine.  It's extremely easy to see why, as elements of both the band at their best and worst are showcased quite clearly throughout these 50 minutes.  As for what most people complain about, Geddy Lee's synth use has now reached its' most excessive point, as this effort is almost completely overflowing with them, and much of these tones, along with the backing music and production are the generic adult pop variety.  And Alex Lifeson's choice of jankly guitar tone here leaves him nearly unnoticeable under all the synths, and the same can be said instrumentally about Neil Peart, whose drums sound incredibly stiff here - despite some cool fills every once in awhile, this often showcases him as distressingly indistinguishable from any 80s pop drummer.  With all these flaws, this could easily be rated at the absolute bottom of the band's catalog.

But believe it or not, Hold Your Fire has some serious virtues that cause just as many silly fans to claim it's one of the band's best albums.  Lyrically, it may be Peart at his absolute best, as his emotional, often personal, slant deals with various, unpretentious aspects of life (loosely tied by a concept of the 'elements'), and they still work with the music quite well in places.  And even though Geddy might be the villain of the album for his overly excessive synth use and often cringe-inducing melodies, his bass playing really kicks ass here, and his singing has arguably never been more pleasant.  Even on one of the weaker tracks like "Turn The Page", which should be absolute crap with its' totally generic melody and Phil Collins-style chorus, is saved at least a little by both these things, and it really helps a very good introspective tune like "Open Secrets" - as completely overdramatic as the chord progressions might be, that song still has a fantastic bassline in the intro to go along with convincing vocals (particularly in the 'you could try to understand me...' bridge that ranks as an emotional high).

Two other tracks here can count as serious highlights, first of these being the opening "Force Ten", an impressively dynamic and hard-hitting energetic rocker with an awesome mood shift in the chorus ('look into the eye of the storm...'), and even the overly cheesy synths seem to elevate the power of the whole song once you get used to them.  And I've come to really dig "Prime Mover" a lot - sure, the adult pop production gets in the way a little, but other than that, I can't deny how the extremely fun energy of it (love that singalong chorus) and the exceptional bass playing come together in an extremely overlooked gem.  I can even get a dorky pleasure out of the creativity ode "Mission" - the synths may be really overblown, the melody may not be very good, and the marimba run section might be really inappropriate, but there's also something eerily beautiful and inspirational about the lyrics and overall vibe.

As for the rest, well, there are a couple other prime crap songs in "Lock And Key" (a quite faceless and substanceless rocker with a slight symphonic tinge) and "Second Nature" (the only time Peart stumbles lyrically here, with socially conscious but trite and clumsy political crap combined with a rudimentary two note piano melody and probably the most idiotic Rush chorus not from Counterparts), but the rest isn't bad, even if it is flawed.  The most frustrating of these is probably the single "Time Stand Still" - this one has powerful lyrics that anyone going through the uncertainty of growing older can relate to, but the melody and backing music of the 'freeze this moment a little bit longer...' refrain is so overly commercial as if the band deliberately wrote the song strictly for hit making purposes that it simultaneously moves me and makes me sick to my stomach.

See, this is why the album is so difficult to rate.  I'm rarely offended or bored by the material as a whole like those who think it goes downhill after "Force Ten" or anything, but these are mostly potentially good or great songs ruined by the horrendous overproduction, misguided ideas and weak melodies.  Just look at those last two tracks - "Tai Shan" and "High Water" both have an otherworldly quality about them (the former was written about Peart's experiences in China and it's evoked through the music, while the latter gives off the feel of being on a calm river in the hours of the early morning) but outside the Far Eastern music influence in the former and the really neat rhythms in the latter's intro I can hardly remember how either of them go at all. But despite the album's weaknesses, I can't really see how it's any worse in quality than A Farewell To Kings, even if does show the band getting stale much like that one.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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COMMENTS

[email protected] (Pat D.)

Heh----if you want to hear Peart "stumble lyrically" listen to some of the tracks off of Counterparts. Laughably bad lyrics. Painful to listen to, which is partially why i gave that album such a low score.

[email protected] (John McFerrin)

I. Hate. This. Album. The best way I can describe it is to compare to it a massive cloud of gaseous cyanide - at first, the almondy smell might be pleasant, but then you realize that you're choking, unable to breathe, and next thing you know you're dead. Yes, I'm aware that there is some nice bass work on the album, but the fact is that it is completely ruined by Geddy's continuing dream of becoming the next Tony Banks.

That being said, Force Ten rules. And do you know why? Because it's the only melody on the album WRITTEN BY LIFESON. More often than not in Rush's history, Lifeson is the one who has penned the great riffs and 'rocking' melodies that have made the band work. The rest is written by Mr. Synth-pop-is-the-wave-of-the-future.

Oh yeah, I give this album a 2.

A SHOW OF HANDS (1989)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Closer To The Heart, Subdivisions.  LOW POINTS: Turn The Page.

How about that album cover?  Yup, quite a lot has changed since the last Rush live effort, as this outing, mostly documenting the supporting tour for Hold Your Fire (with a few of the performances taken from the Power Windows era), proves.  As expected, the song selection focuses mainly on the band's synth era - the vast majority of the tracks are from 1984-87, with only a couple tracks from earlier, but what's a bit disappointing is the actual overall performance of the band.  On stage, these songs mostly seem clinical and extremely faithful to the original studio version of the song in question, probably because Geddy wanted to prove he could still recreate the songs in concert playing bass, keys, and sing simultaneously, and Alex and Neil also get into the act in this respect. The fairly lifeless picture of the 'rocking contructovists' on the cover art fits this vibe, and these aspects are enough to make a lot of Rush fans cringe (especially since it was this period they started journeying into generic pop).

But there are a few things Rush have going for them here - first Geddy actually sounds better on stage than in the studio, often varying the tone of his voice to interesting effect.  Plus, most of the band's last few efforts had substandard production, so a strong, unified concert sound helps the songs out more often than not, and there's also a good energy level displayed throughout. The song selection, though it has its' flaws, is good.  The best chunk of Power Windows gets performed, which goes off decently, although if not for the varying vocal styles, you'd swear they were just playing a tape of the backing music of "The Big Money" from the album version. "Marathon", though, is still solid, even if the 'uphill climb' of the first verse is slowed down and the atmosphere from the album version isn't quite as good, "Mystic Rhythms" is still extremely haunting (though similar), and "Manhattan Project" is still gripping, with the opening verse sped up (though it's obvious the orchestration near the end was sampled).

From Grace Under Pressure is "Distant Early Warning" (which is more or less identical to the album version, but the song rules anyway) and "Red Sector A", which sounds even more like bloody and scary in a frightening 'techno' number. Hold Your Fire is represented by "Force Ten", "Time Stand Still", "Mission" and "Turn The Page", all of which benefit from the more energetic stage environment as opposed to the slickness of the studio - especially Geddy's rearrangement of the melody in the prechorus of "Time..." and his vocal ability that is done in superior fashion to the originals, though "Turn The Page" still sounds cool when speeding down the highway, and still bores otherwise.  As for the other synth-era number, there's only one song from Signals (ugh), although it's the God-like "Subdivisions", which may actually be an improvement over the original - it's faster, and the way Geddy sings the 'conform or be cast out..' part of the chorus is so cool.

The other earlier tracks are "Witch Hunt" from Moving Pictures and the fan favorite "Closer To The Heart" from A Farewell To Kings, which may be the best performance of all in proving how far a little energy can carry the band, and the extended jam at the end is phenomenal in tightness and power.  It wasn't one of my favorites originally, but it simply blows away the previous two renditions of the song (including the one on Exit: Stage Left).  There's also a drum solo from Neil Peart in "The Rhythm Method", which doesn't thrill me, but also doesn't bore me either - plus at least it's not stuck in the middle of one of the songs like it was with "YYZ" last time.  And there's no crowd noise fading out after every song!  Still, A Show Of Hands doesn't quite match the previous live outing in quality due to the obvious clinical weaknesses, but the actual song selection is mostly great, and that's good enough for me. 

OVERALL RATING: 7

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PRESTO (1989)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Superconductor, Chain Lightning, Anagram (For Mongo).  LOW POINTS: Presto, War Paint.

A lot of people must have complained about the synths and the overproduction of the last album (especially Alex), because this album shows Rush going for a change in approach yet again.  The basic difference is that Presto goes for a more 'open' production style, giving all the instruments more room to breathe, and opting for a rawer, more groove-based sound.  And as for the synths, they haven't disappeared completely, but they are seriously toned down at least. Unfortunately, the instrumental abilities of the three members seem to be quickly disappearing, and the parts here seem only slightly more complex than your average pop band. That can certainly be forgiven, though, as Neil Peart's lyrics continue to be spectacular, and strong melodies, which were somewhat non existent on the last two albums, have returned, as the result is a solid, very catchy pop rock album that brought the band big commercial success - nothing groundbreaking or challenging, but certainly a very nice listen.

Because of the lack of distinctiveness in the sound, though, the degree of success they have with the songs depend almost exclusively on their melodic strength, or if they have a great groove going as with "Scars" (fantastic bassline, effective use of tribal drumming and really uptempo chorus).  Therefore, "War Paint" and the title track both suck, the former being particularly irritating with its' singalong near the end, and the latter's dreamy atmosphere not able to compensate for its' utterly uninteresting and overlong structure.  Meanwhile, the opening "Show Don't Tell", even if not one of their stronger singles, has a cool funky riff and pretty decent melodic hook, and "Chain Lightning" is particularly excellent - it has a really powerful singalong chorus, which is backed effectively by keys that almost recall the song title in its' mood (probably the catchiest number here, too) and a nice pounding bassline in the verses.

Two of the most overlooked and outstanding numbers, though, come in the form of the quite clever "Superconductor" and "Anagram (For Mongo)" - the former (my favorite here) is a really great bashing of fake pop stars (given the year this album was released and the lyrical slants, it's possible New Kids On The Block and Madonna could have been this song's subjects), with mildly hard-hitting riffing, an extremely catchy chorus, and an airy, almost majestic, bridge. The latter track, meanwhile, benefits from really clever wordplay throughout the lyrics as the title might suggest (i.e. 'tic and toc in atomic', 'pride reduced to humble pie'), with a beautifully flowing mellow chorus that may be generic, but it just has a great peaceful effect.

As for the rest of the album, none of it's really particularly special, but it is very enjoyable and mostly memorable all the same (I should also mention that there are 11 songs total on here, the most ever on a Rush album to that point, and they're probably their most 'simplified' ones they ever put out too).  "The Pass" is another one of those good ones - the lyrical focus on suicide attempts certainly gives its' emotional melody and overall chord progression some resonance, and to add a little humor to the proceedings is the dumb (come on, a song based on the 'rock, paper, scissor' game?) but quite infectious "Hand Over Fist".  There's also a decent rocker with a nice piano line running through it ("Red Tide") and another good-quality ballad with an effective emphasis on the snare drum and relaxing piano ("Available Light").  Not spectacular stuff by any means (which is why I'm baffled over AMG's high rating in relation to other Rush albums), but these are good, very pleasant pop songs that are on the whole more worthwhile than the following two albums at least.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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COMMENTS

[email protected]

Great underrated classic here in "The Pass." This song is anathema to Rush's usual emotional detachedness as this one hits like a piledriver. Especially that section after the guitar solo, you can hear true emotion in Geddy's voice. And the message hits home.

CHRONICLES (1990)

(reviewed by Pat D.)

The first Rush greatest hits collection. For those of you who have no clue about the band, Rush are from Canada. But unlike most things from that useless barren land to the north, they DON'T suck. Ahhhhhhh, I'm just kidding. Just wanted to see how many Canucks I could piss off with that one. Anyway, Rush is a progressive rock band. And NO, the lead singer (who is also the EXTREMELY kickass bassist) IS NOT a woman. Sure, Mr. Geddy Lee can sound like it sometimes, most notably on "The Spirit of the Radio" and "Freewill", but his doctor swears he has the BEANS and FRANK (Ha! I managed to get a There's Something About Mary reference in a record review. Now that's writing talent!).

In addition the the coolass soaring basslines of Mr. Lee, the band also contains the guitar vituosics (is that a word?) of Mr. Alex Lifeson. Finally, to round things out in this spectacular three-piece, one of the coolest sounding drummers in history, and one of the weirder lyricists, Mr. Neil Peart. With all of this talent, you may be wondering why Rush is not the greatest band that ever lived. Well, a couple of reasons to that, which are fully illustrated on this top-notch double CD.

First of all, A LOT of you are going to hate Geddy's voice. I believe someone said that it is in the falsetto range, but occasionally it goes into an unpleasant shriek. I find his vocals acceptable, but fellow webmaster Kevin, and maybe someday webmaster-if -he-ever-sends-in-his-reviews Jason, can't stand it. Most Rush fanatics will say you are stupid and closeminded to not like his voice, but I love the band, and sometimes I find him irritating. So don't feel bad. Secondly, Rush are usually NOT a pop band. Neil's lyrics tend to drift towards mystical topics. The band's songs (especially in the older days) often drifted to 7 minutes and up. And although a lot of the material has excellent hooks and riffs, the band just never really hit the mainstream like Pink Floyd (who I detest) and bands like.

Third, and I might piss off you Rush fanatics with this, they just never had phenomenal songwriting like Kevin's favorite band, Led Zeppelin. The lyrics could be stellar, but often the songs fell short of expectations. But don't despair. If you are just a casual Rush fan, this album is just for you. Almost every song is captivating in its own right, and show the startling changes in sound the Canadian trio went through in its 30-year career. Disc 1 goes from early Zeppelinesque hard rock (Tracks 1-6) to Pink Floyd type compositions ("2112"), to virtuosic acoustic and electric performances (Tracks 9-12) to some fantastic pop singles (13 and 14). My faves from Disc 1 are the stunning instrumental "La Villa Strangiato", "The Spirit of Radio", and the the riff heavy "Anthem" and "Bastille Day".

Disc 2 is mostly their 80's stage, where synths came into play, gradually erasing Alex's great ambiance guitar work. A couple of tracks here are not that great, I dislike "Force Ten" and "Manhattan Project" for the synthsizers do not move me in those tracks, and everything sounds overprocessed. They're not BAD by any means, just slightly less exceptional than the other compositions. Every other track is enjoyable in its own unique way. Highlights include the phenomenal "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight", "Subdivisions", "The Big Money", "Distant Early Warning", "Show Don't Tell", and a exceptional live version of "A Passage to Bangkok". All of those songs are absolutely phenomenal, and the best part is, the other tracks are almost as great (except for the two I mentioned). I paid around $30 for this double CD-set and it was worth every penny. However, while I would not call myself a "fanatic" of this band, I admit I enjoy them more than the average person. So you may not like it as much I do. Though I cannot see how that is possible. Buy it.

* OVERALL RATING: 10 *

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ROLL THE BONES (1991)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Bravado, Roll The Bones.  LOW POINTS: The Big Wheel, Heresy, Neurotica, Ghost Of A Chance, Face Up.

Although the band found a decent degree of success on Presto with the catchy pop style of that album, I think Roll The Bones proves once and for all that this type of thing is way too simplistic and unambitious for a band of this caliber.  It seems that they've entered the 90's with that basic pop approach in mind, as the musicianship here seems to have gone even further into uninspired territory - there really isn't much in the way of outstanding instrumental parts, and that's something that should sink a Rush album almost right away.  Regardless of this, a lot of the first half of the album is at least pleasurable to listen to melodically, with some amount of beauty and emotion, but the general mood of the album (and this really sets in on side two) seems to have an overly morose and depressing tone with little pulse or conviction.  Maybe it's the subject matter of mortality in the lyrics here that contributes, but the impression that I get in the performance here is that the whole band thinks their mortality is slipping away from them and they're playing like it's the very end of their lives and they don't give a shit.

Like I said, though, there are certainly a few good moments here on side one. For instance, "Dreamline", is probably their most laid-back opening song ever, with typical pop/rock instrumentation and light touches of keyboards adding well to the solid hook throughout ('we are young, wandering the face of the Earth...'). But even more impressively, "Bravado" is the one gorgeous gem that comes out of this sound, as the beautiful chiming guitar line and emotional lyrics really create a sort of heavenly, inspirational impression, not to mention that the guitar solo here works perfectly.  The title track, meanwhile, is the only number that has a fairly dynamic arrangement, alternating between uptempo party verses, a relaxing chorus with acoustic backing ('why are we here?  because we're here...'), and a downright bizarre 'rap' section, with Geddy's machine-altered voice singing the band's version of this genre - that's something you gotta hear.

Sadly, the rest of the album never reaches the triumphs of those songs, as "Face Up" is definitely a more generic sounding rocker that offers almost none of Rush's best qualities, and "Where's My Thing?" (their first instrumental in 10 years) has a good amount melodic beauty within its' funky tendencies but just sits there a bit too much, mostly because of its' really depressing mellow atmosphere.  Those songs, however, are highly memorable compared to the truly wretched excuses for Rush songs that follow.  "The Big Wheel", in fact, is a strong candidate for their most atrocious song ever, as it's a horribly banal pop tune with an annoying melody and keyboard line running through it, stupid youth inspired lyrics, and irritating vocals - the way Geddy sings 'prisoner of fate' in the second verse and 'looking for loooove' in the chorus alone is enough to ruin the song for me.  Ick ick ick ick.

The other four songs are really little better.  "Heresy" and "Ghost Of A Chance" are just as uninspired and bland, the former just astoundingly lifeless and way too depressing track, with more preachy, overwhelmingly somber lyrics (with additional horrible lines like 'a counter revolution, at the counter of a store' - why???) and the latter has no melodic pulse whatsoever. Both of these are like the the weakest Hold Your Fire pop tunes, but worse - not exactly with an overabundance of synths, but intensely generic melodies, go nowhere arrangements and the opposite of what saved some of that material - awful lyrics and purely average musicianship.  Then we have "Neurotica", a merely annoying rather than torturously boring song, as it has a purely irritating verse melody and another insipid chorus ('neurotica, hypnotica, psychotica'????).  "You Bet Your Life" is a little more on the memorable side, though nowhere near a great tune, even if the "We Didn't Start The Fire" like rushes of phrases ('graffiti existentalist'... 'hip hop lite pop metalist') are somewhat interesting.  But in all, this is a pretty below par effort from a once great band - Peart's lyrics have gone out the window, the band has lost their instrumental wizardry, the melodies are often rudimentary and a lot of the songs just suck.  Pass, since the worthy songs on here can all be found on Different Stages.

OVERALL RATING: 5

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COUNTERPARTS (1993)

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: Animate.  LOW POINTS: Stick It Out, Double Agent, The Speed Of Love, Cut To The Chase, Alien Shore.

Well, at least there's more life in the songs on here, but I still don't get it - why do people tend to bash the hell out of Rush's 'synth' era (particularly Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows), but generally praise this one?  Sure, it's definitely their heaviest and most live-sounding ever, and Alex Lifeson is truly prominent in the mix for the first time in awhile, but other than that, there's very little to praise here.  The actual melodic quality of the material is just as weak as Roll The Bones, if not more so, and there's even less in the way of memorable instrumental performances - I don't hear any kickass basslines, great riffs, or much in the way of remotely interesting arrangements, just simplistic power chords and go-nowhere song structures.  And of course, there are the lyrics - what the hell?  Was Neil trying to be all politically correct and sensitive or something like that?  Ehh.

Alright, the album isn't completely hopeless, of course, as it does have a fine quality opener in "Animate" - it's not really all that great of a song, but it does have a reasonably dramatic melody and a main riff that's actually memorable and driving without being way too simplistic.  It doesn't even feel overlong at 6 minutes, either.  The album also ends decently, too, as "Cold Fire" is a pretty decent confrontational relationship song with a good fast pace and acceptable melody, and "Everyday Glory", while having totally forgettable verses, at least closes on a great pop chorus that leaves a nice impression in your head.  But that's really it - looking down the track listing, I don't see what makes this stuff stand out in any positive way: for instance, there are painfully undistinguished riff rockers ("Cut To The Chase"), more generic adult pop done a touch heavier ("The Speed Of Love"), and a totally unnecessary instrumental that merely sounds like "Where's My Thing?" in a different key ("Leave That Thing Alone!").

But don't think that's all the problems I have with this record.  There's even more mediocre or worse crap here, and some truly embarassing diversions.  Now, I don't have anything against grunge as a whole (I actually love the best of this stuff), but "Stick It Out" is just a bad attempt at it, featuring a lamebrained riff, a completely idiotic chorus, a horrid attempt at impersonating the singing style of it and awful lyrics.  "Double Agent" at least tries to be adventurous in its' song structure, but it crosses the line into extremely stupid childishness.  Clumsy, too.  And there's bad poetry set to limp AC/DC styled-riffing ("Between Sun And Moon"), plus a couple other really crappy and unpleasantly trite social commentary songs ("Alien Shore" and "Nobody's Hero", the latter one with that famously awful opening verse, though at least that one gets more generally moving as it goes along). Hooray. Don't buy this album unless you're a completist or an album reviewing freak like I am.

Update: Alright, I admit I was too hard on this one, though I still think it's pretty mediocre - just not the worst Rush album ever (that honor would go to Roll The Bones).  The songs generally aren't THAT bad, and there are more catchy, enjoyable ones than I gave it credit for.  Maybe I'll rewrite this slightly.

 OVERALL RATING: 5.5

(Pat D.'s review)

This is one of those mediocre releases before Test For Echo. I read in some drum magazine that Neil likes to track his drums using a digital recorder, for it adds brightness to the sound. Well, it sounds like they got an engineer for this album that has no clue how to record on a digital system. In fact, the whole album sounds like overproduced 80's rock. The band's usual precise attack sounds lame and unfocused on this album, and well, in a word, imprecise. I can't tell you enough how much I hate the mix on this one. Its one of those records that you have to crank the radio to get any acceptable bass at all., but by that time, the speakers are overloaded by some "phantom" bass.

Rants about the mix, aside this album is not one of their better ones. The lone radio single was "Stick It Out" which has a groovy riff, and an OK solo, so I can dig it. "Animate" is a cool song, and a lot of Rush fans love it as well. But the only other songs I like on here are "Between Sun And Moon" and "Alien Shore", both of which have some fantastic rhythm guitar by Mr. Lifeson. Oh yeah, and the exceptional "Nobody's Hero", which I used to hate because of its painfully bad opening verse. But the rest of the song is fantastic and downright relaxing and moving. Overall, though, the album leaves a lot to be desired. Lots of filler and uninteresting go-nowhere pop tunes. So, it gets a 5.

OVERALL RATING: 5

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COMMENTS

[in response to the first review:]

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My opinion is that Counterparts is by far a better album than Test for Echo, Presto and hold your fire which received better scores from you. Animate, stick it out, double agent, cut to the chase, nobody's hero and leave that thing alone are all very good songs. When you got 6 good songs in one album it is quite expectional (= for today's standard)

An easy 8 for counterparts.

TEST FOR ECHO (1996)

(Nick Karn's review)

HIGH POINTS: Test For Echo, Half The World, Driven.  LOW POINTS: Dog Years.

A total comeback!  Alright, maybe not really, as the overall sound here doesn't differ too drastically from Counterparts, but basically, Test For Echo seems to have learned from most (though not quite all) the mistakes that album made.  For the first time in awhile, there seems to be a focus on a few things that had been sorely lacking in the last couple of releases: remarkable musicianship and very catchy melodies.  For once, there's no longer emphasis on groove and the declining lyrics, but finally, we get to hear some of Geddy's best basslines since at least Hold Your Fire, Alex's heaviness set to some actual good riffs (not to mention his effective use of acoustic and electric guitar overdubs in full swing) and Neil's tricky drumming, which sounds more complex and precise than it has in years (lessons can really do some good, despite what some may tell you).

Of course, this album isn't a technical tour de force by any means, as much as the playing has improved, but considering where they are in their career here, who am I to complain?  Plus, the first three song stretch in particular is quite a very refreshing stretch of this album's best qualities. The opening title track effortlessly alternates between a simply fantastic slow groove and a thunderstorm of pounding heaviness in its' chorus with a great flair and a powerful hook to boot. Even the excessive raving lyrics work in this context!  "Driven", meanwhile, has an absolutely killer main riff and bassline that not only has incredible intensity, but it also has great dynamics with the acoustic portion flowing perfectly into it.   In particular, "Half The World" also has a powerful combination of that aforementioned acoustic/electric interplay (great instrumental hook and bassline), and melodically, it's probably one of the catchiest and uplifting songs they've ever come up with.  At least in my mind.

Unfortunately, the album dies down a bit from there into less spectacular territory.  The only real misfire, though, is one of the band's most woeful attempts to set lyrics to music, as "Dog Years" is built on a really lame punkish riff and annoying chorus, and during its' first verse in particular, the lyrical matter is horribly childish.  There are other tracks here that seem uninspired in places, though they're at least ultimately saved by some freshness of approach (i.e. the otherwise forgettable closer "Carve Away The Stone" has an effectively melodic guitar line during its' refrain and "Resist" would probably be completely bland if not for the beautiful piano part that runs through it), and as much as the lyrics might try to bring down "Virtuality" (come on, how hard is it to write lyrics on internet love and not sound hopeless?), there's no denying that excellent riff and solid musical dynamics here.

The remaining four songs here are fairly pleasant, though.  "The Color Of Right", despite its' questionable lyrical angle, has a very uplifting pop melody in its' chorus, and "Time And Motion" is probably the closest to a true prog rock song they've done in awhile, with its' multi-faceted arrangement, subtle synth background and clever usage of time changes.  And even though the second chorus of "Totem" reminds me too much of the terrible "The Speed Of Love" for comfort, the rest of the song is terrifically bouncy, with an equally entertaining main melody. Even the instrumental "Limbo" is good, especially since it features some of Geddy's finest bass playing in years and never bores (unlike the two previous attempts).  Good effort as a whole - unfortunately, it was to be the band's last studio album for a long while, as Neil had to endure two tragic deaths of both his wife and daughter.  Fortunately, he admirably made an attempt to get his life back together (he remarried again, for one thing), while the other two members remained fresh by putting out solo projects (reviewed below).

OVERALL RATING: 7

(Pat D.'s review)

Fellow music fan Jason and I recently got in an argument about when this album came out. I said 1997, he said 1996. Well, I guess I was wrong. But then again, I usually am, huh Jason? Huh? Always gotta be right, eh? Gotta make me look foolish in front of the girls, hmmmmm? I'm just kidding. After all, I really couldn't care less when this album was released, for it was a savior of the band. The last 5 or 6 albums were very poor in quality, unless you are some kind of Rush freak. The synthesizers were absolutely overpowering, and the songwriting had hit a low. For example, I thought Counterparts was the album of the century after listening to such drivel as Hold Your Fire and Roll The Bones.

But this album (for the most part) returns to the kickass Guitar-Bass-Drums combo that spawned all of those classic Rush tracks. And Alex's guitar is fucking heavy on this album. Its as thick as Mr. Dean Deleo's (of STP) tracks in some places. My only complaint with the guitar lines are that sometimes they are too dull-sounding. Not many (if any) solos are found on this disc, and sometimes it just sounds like Alex changed the rhythm of a guitar line to create another song rather than writing from scratch. So, sometimes it might get a bit repetitive.

The good points? Well, I love "Virtuality". Excellent catchy rhythm guitar on that track. And a cool backing acoustic guitar behind the chorus. Good song. The title track and "Half the World" were the only tracks to hit the radio, and are pretty good. "Driven" has a nasty sounding rhythm guitar that you just would not expect from Rush. "Time And Motion" is weird in a good way, enough to hold interest. And "Totem" is a upbeat, catchy, acoustic driven song. But I hate "Dog Years". That song by far is one of the most mismatched vocals and music ever heard by Rush. Plus, the lyrics are dumb. "Resist" is a song that usually I would scorn, but for some reason, I really dig it. "Limbo" is the instrumental, and while it is not as great as "YYZ" or "La Villa Strangiato" it provides a pleasant diversion. Overall, a good listen. No really phenomenal tracks, but it's very  consistent. Especially considering the releases before it.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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COMMENTS

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The title track is a phenomenal song. A classic even. Easily the best song they'd done since Power Windows. Unfortunately, it was the first single and the rest of the album didn't quite live up. Don't get me wrong, the album is good, very good even. It just doesn't live up to the title track's classic status. The aptly titled "Driven", chiming "Half the World", "Virtuality", "Totem", and "The Color of Right" are all good songs. I agree that "Dog Years" sucks though. A horrible misstep.

RETROSPECTIVE I (1974-80) (1997)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: most of the songs are great.  LOW POINTS: By-Tor & The Snow Dog, maybe.

Although there had been a greatest hits effort from the band before in Chronicles, the Retrospective sets I guess were intended to make the Rush compilation experience a little more thorough, dividing the band's history into two periods.  This first one covers the more 'hard rocking' period from 1974 to 1980, as the title says, and as far as the track listing goes, it is indeed a wonderful introduction to this era of the band.  Unfortunately, it's not in chronlogical order, which is a slight drawback since it's fascinating to hear how the band evolved during this era, and it contains nothing new for those who don't already own the albums (not even within the liner notes) but the songs are mostly excellent, and most of them flow wonderfully within each other, effectively using such contrasts as a technical instrumental ("La Villa Strangiato") flowing into a straightforward pop song ("Fly By Night") and the opening song from the debut ("Finding My Way") as a showstopping closer for the collection.

There are questionable inclusions and omissions contained within of course (what compilation isn't that true for?). Why "Something For Nothing" and not "A Passage To Bangkok"? Why "Finding My Way" and not "Working Man"? Where is "Lakeside Park"? Why four songs from Fly By Night (including the rather iffy epic "By-Tor & The Snow Dog")? Plus, the Permanent Waves tracks sound a bit out of place here - they'd be more at home on the second volume, just because they seem to be more 'radio friendly'. It is understandable that they'd include only the first two sections of the "2112" suite, though ("Overture", "The Temples Of Syrinx") since they hold up rather well on their own. Also, kudos for including the epic "Xanadu", which was absent from Chronicles, and is the celebrated song of many Rush fans. I'd personally recommend starting out with 2112 and Moving Pictures as the earliest buys, but as a compilation, this one demonstrates the talent of the band as good as anything.

OVERALL RATING: 8

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COMMENTS

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This compilation does a good job at collecting most of the highlights from Rush's earlier, harder-rocking years, like Nick said. I agree that the stomping riff-rocker "Working Man" and the obnoxiously catchy "Passage to Bangkok" are very much missed in exchange for a few so-so arena rock songs ("Something for Nothing," "Finding My Way"). I also prefer best-of albums when they run chronologically. I guess I am really parroting the other guy's opinion here, but, I will add that, in spite of a muddy mix and REALLY cheesy lyrics, I enjoy the amateurish epic "By-Tor and Snow Dog." Some glaring omissions notwithstanding, this is a pretty well-put-together comp; in any case, it's a long CD, so it's a good bargain for you buck. It gets an 8 from me too.

On a side note, has anyone ever noticed how Anthrax's "Indians" is a completely unabashed rip-off of "Passage to Bangkok"? (The intro riff, anyway.) It's probably a screaming ode to Rush, but from time to time it sounds like unbelievable stupidity.

RETROSPECTIVE II (1981-87) (1997)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: most of them, pretty much.  LOW POINTS: the general flow of the songs.

This volume of the retrospective collection covers the more radio oriented years of the band (though some tracks like "Closer To The Heart" and "Free Will" on the first volume fit that description too), focusing on the tightly constructed pop prog numbers and the synth-led tunes from the mid 80's. Overall, I'd say the song selection is stronger than the previous volume (though I can think of more than a few people who would argue with me on that one), but the flow between tracks is generally much weaker - the driving song "Red Barchetta" after the synth anthem "The Big Money" doesn't work, and I could say the same for the catchy Moving Pictures track "Limelight" following the nice but overly generic and synthesized "Mission" or the haunting, previously album closing track "Mystic Rhythms" near the beginning of the album.

Despite those shortcomings, though, almost every track is among the highlights from the albums represented (three each from the five Moving Pictures through Hold Your Fire releases), and it's safe to say your feelings toward these songs will define your feelings toward the entire era. Unlike the first volume, I can't think of a single change that I personally would make to the track selection in terms of omissions and additions - sure there are songs I think are probably better songs, but they weren't really terribly popular songs in relation to everything else here.  Except for possibly "YYZ", but that's understandable. So yeah, this is about as perfect a definitive view of this controversial period of the band as possible, in my opinion. No fans need it, of course, but it's got "Marathon" on it! How can you possibly go wrong with that song?

OVERALL RATING: 8

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DIFFERENT STAGES (1998)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Natural Science, The Spirit Of Radio, Tom Sawyer, YYZ, The Analog Kid.  LOW POINTS: Stick It Out, Cygnus X-1, A Farewell To Kings.

Alright, who didn't see this one coming?  Logically, the completion of another four album stretch would imply that another live album was coming, though seeing that the band was now fully immersed in the CD age at this point, why limit it to double length?  As a result, Different Stages plays out more like a few albums in one, as it's taken from shows on the tours for the last couple of albums (Counterparts and Test For Echo), plus a 1978 performance from the Hammersmith Odeon in London on the Farewell To Kings tour as a sort of bonus.  All of these are chronicled together on this nicely packaged, and quite monolithic three disc set that covers well over three hours of music.  Needless to say, this certainly makes for a lot of excessive listening all at once.  It's no surprise, then, that the sheer length of Different Stages is what the advantages and disadvantages of the album itself revolve around.

First off, there are a number of songs from the band's 'fourth' 89-96 period, all of which benefit from a walloping guitar sound a la T4E, which helps in many cases, particularly on something like "Show Don't Tell", though many of them sound a bit inferior in this setting next to a lot of the older classics here, and stuff like "Stick It Out" and "Nobody's Hero" isn't really done much better (if at all) than before.  But on the other hand, there are enough vintage performances here that it's easy for one to make a 90 minute compilation of the highlights and call it quite possibly the best Rush album ever.  I'm looking at the stretch at the end of disc two in particular ("Natural Science", "The Spirit Of Radio", "Tom Sawyer", "YYZ"), and it's nothing short of mindblowing, causing me to believe for a few glorious minutes the Rush of 96-97 is still the same band they were in the early 80's.

Of course, it's well obvious that they aren't in other places, as evidenced by the clumsy renditions of "2112" in full (where the modern Geddy vocal style sounds particularly weird trying to emulate his old screeches, plus Alex's guitar sounds a bit out of tune) and the ugly bass solo of "Driven".  Still, "Limelight", "The Trees", "Closer To The Heart" (not as good as the Show Of Hands version, but still quite energetic), and newer classics like "Test For Echo" and "Bravado" go off extremely well, making for an almost greatest hits live type spectacle from this portions. Maybe the playing isn't quite as spectacular, but they really put a lot of effort into making them still kick ass, and they pull it off wonderfully.  They even make up for that one song from Signals error on the last live album at least partially by including "The Analog Kid", and it's great!  One of the best and most inspiringly passionate performances on here, in fact.

Disc three (the '78 performance) is a bit of a question mark for me, though.  On one hand, "By-Tor & The Snow Dog" gets shortened to 5 minutes, which prevents it from becoming overlong (and hence it's the best readily available version of it), while "Xanadu", "Bastille Day", "Something For Nothing" and "Anthem" are still done quite convincingly enough. But unfortunately, around a third of the disc is taken up by the most mediocre Farewell To Kings tracks in the awful "Cygnus X-1", "A Farewell To Kings" and "Cinderella Man" that are only marginally better than the originals, and that's not saying much (every song on there except the short "Madrigal" is covered throughout the album as a whole, in fact - bleh).  In all, while the quality of the tracks varies drastically throughout, there are certainly enough great performances here to make this installment of live Rush worthy of your listening time.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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VAPOR TRAILS (2002)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Ceiling Unlimited, How It Is.  LOW POINTS: Freeze.

So Rush has finally returned from their longest break ever, with a renewed sense of purpose. Not only is this their first album of the 21st century, but look at how much time they spent on this.  Their past efforts had only taken eight weeks to record on average, and this one took a whopping 14 months, so you know they put a lot of effort into the songwriting (it also resulted in 68 minutes of music, by far their longest studio effort ever).  But what's more noticeable is the sound - it's their first album since at least 2112 to contain no keyboards at all, and where the heck did the guitar soloing go?  It's almost nowhere to be found, though there are quite a few subtle textures within, whether they're made by guitar and vocal effects or even weird stuff with the bass. A closer look at the lyrics will also reveal that there's really no clear concept at all, really a series of different philosophically influenced ideas, fortunately none of them bordering on overly morose or trite.  Just stuff that's kinda there.

What also strikes me about this album is how unassuming it all is.  Other than some textural experiments, it really doesn't differ too much at all from their harder 93-96 period.  I guess that's most apparent in lead single "One Little Victory", which, to me at least, is honestly one of their least impressive openers ever - it does have a very intense and memorable "Test For Echo" style buildup, and the song's wonderfully hopeful, but the verses show that the Geddy style of melody making is getting old.  Plus, I know "Earthshine" and "Secret Touch" are fan favorites, and they're really not bad songs on the whole, but seriously, they don't have much going for them other than the energy and decent opening riffs (not to mention the latter desperately needs a better hook than 'the way out is the way in'), and "Freeze" is almost a disgrace to the original 'Fear trilogy' (I don't know why Neil decided to continue that by making this song part 4), just rambling on for 6 minutes with a really unconvincing chorus to boot.

Still, "Freeze" is the only truly weak song here (and even that doesn't come until 12 tracks in), as much of the remainder of the album is a very nice listen once it actually sticks.  The unfortunate thing is that it might be their only effort without a single awesome classic on it, but that thankfully doesn't stop me from digging "Ceiling Unlimited" and "How It Is" a good amount. On both of them, Lifeson is especially active, particularly with his interesting 'clanking' guitar noises over the rhythmic base in the former, a song that already boasts the most imaginatively bouncy melody on the whole album.  That one's probably my favorite here, but the latter (dubbed by Lifeson as 'the mandola song') comes close - it's probably the one song on Vapor Trails with big hit potential, with the constrasting fast-paced guitar/mandola verses effortlessly shifting into that nicely poppy, and uplifting, chorus.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, there is a song in response to the September 11th attacks ("Peaceable Kingdom"), but even though it's not that breathtaking melodically, it's subtle enough not to be cheesy, and it's musically interesting enough to evoke images in your head.  The heavyness of the verses are an interesting picture of the intense atmosphere surrounding the tragedy, and the quiet, bass-driven refrain right before it turns heavy again convey the aftermath (and such passages as 'a wave toward the clearing sky' and 'time against the tower' work well). "Vapor Trail" is a good one for imagery, too - that slowly building guitar line sounds suspiciously familiar, but it's a very colorful and mysterious song that sounds like a Roll The Bones track with actual bite in the sound, especially that tribal sort of refrain.  It's pretty cool.

I don't really get that excited about the rest of the material, but for the most part it's good, and maybe even great if you're really into late period Rush.  There's a fine example of how Geddy's recent lighter vocal style has made its' way into the songs in the nice 'backwards guitar' ballad "The Stars Look Down", as well as a 'triumph over adversity' anthemic rocker in "Out Of The Cradle" to close the album (with its' 'endlessly rocking' hook), a lighthearted poppy tune in "Sweet Miracle", a fine rhythmic piece with nice bass/drum interplay and a 'wandering' atmosphere in "Ghost Rider", and the closest thing to a big dramatic epic here in "Nocturne" (dig the haunting bass intro and the intense heavy guitar break).  A decent comeback that falls a little short of 7 because of, well, a lack of great material and interesting ideas, though still, it's nice to have you back, guys.

P.S. Oh, and on a more negative note (though not enough to bring down the rating), the production here sucks - this album's not only one of the most bass-heavy I've ever heard (it really puts a hurting on your stereo, especially if it's not top of the line), but you can hear audible crackling in several songs when this is cranked up loud.  Now that's annoying. I'd go into this more, but I'll let the dynamic compression experts handle that.  I admit I am no sound quality professor.

OVERALL RATING: 6.5

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COMMENTS

WK [email protected]

Your Vapor Trails review made some good points but I have a few disagreements. First off, you mention that this album may be Rush's first effort without a real classic on it. I think Earthshine fits that bill easily. It may be their best song in the past 25 years and it is certainly better than anything on T4E. It has an amazing, fat riff that grooves, that cool mandolin laced prechorus with the subtle change in time signature and strong vocals in the main chorus. In addition, it has a beautiful atmospheric Lifeson solo that blends perfectly with the imagery of the song. It's a winner.

Your write off of Sweet Miracle as a "lighthearted poppy tune" is way off the mark. This is easily the most emotionally charged song the band has ever done. Rush is known for a detached analytical tone rather than soul-bearing emotion, which makes this song all the more powerful. I was touched by the desperation and recovery described in the words, given the personal tragedies of Peart (he had an emotional collapse after his only child died in a car accident and his wife died a year later from cancer). This combined with an expressive vocal performance by Geddy and simple yet powerful instrumentation make this a very moving song. You should give it a closer listen.

I agree with you that there are really no weak tracks on the album except Freeze. As far as Freeze goes, I haven't really made up my mind. It's certainly different and at times the words and music don't flow very smoothly. However, I think the jaunty, unnerving effect from the instruments all playing different rhythms was intentional and in keeping with the overall feel and message of the song. I think they were trying to be a little experimental on that one.

Overall I think this album deserved at least a 7.5, maybe an 8. I think most agree that it is stronger than their last effort, Test for Echo, which you gave a 7. Also the fact that you gave this album a lower score than the terribly inconsistent Victor is hard to fathom.

FEEDBACK (2004)

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Heart Full Of Soul.  LOW POINTS: None, other than the fact some inclusions here are predictable.

To celebrate their 30th anniversary, the band apparently decided to release this stop-gap EP of eight late 60's/early 70's covers that inspired them to start a band of their own.  It's not really that much more than a rather slight release, though.  For one thing, surely they could have been more adventurous with their selections - half of these songs are very well known classics, and Rush don't particularly add a whole lot other than performing them with a heavier 90's/00's edge.  Fun to listen to as the performances might be, it's hard to figure out what the point of their takes on "Summertime Blues", "Crossroads", "For What It's Worth" and "The Seeker" are other than to say, "Hey, we worship at the altar of The Who, Cream and Buffalo Springfield."  The first two are particularly useless, for reasons I don't think you need me to go into.

Don't get me wrong, though - this is a nice, enjoyable effort.  One thing in particular that stands out is by listening to Geddy Lee sing other people's material, I've really begun to appreciate his distinctively warm late period voice even more on this album, which does add at least a little Rush personality to the mix, and Lifeson and Peart are in very good playing form as well.  Plus, a couple of these renditions catch fire in particular - "Heart Full Of Soul" benefits particularly from Geddy's personality upfront, and it's a great acoustic/electric pop song to begin with.  Love that guitar tone!  The frantic, careening energy of Love's "Seven And Seven Is" is also well suited for this band, and I guess the other two covers ("Mr. Soul" and "Shapes Of Things") are done nicely, I guess.  But really, there's not much else to say here.  Actually, Feedback is an album that's more enjoyable to listen to than the approximate rating I've thrown out here, but I can't really see myself ever putting it on again.

OVERALL RATING: 6

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SOLO ALBUMS/SIDE PROJECTS

GEDDY LEE

My Favorite Headache

2000

During Rush's long hiatus following Test For Echo, vocalist Geddy Lee released his first ever solo album My Favorite Headache, which also featured the services of Ben Mink (who had collaborated with k.d. lang as well as Rush themselves on the Signals track "Losing It") and former Soundgarden / current Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron.

--Nick Karn

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MY FAVORITE HEADACHE (2000)

released by Geddy Lee

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Grace To Grace, My Favorite Headache.  LOW POINTS: Home On The Strange.

It's obvious as to why Geddy Lee's first solo disc was a very anticipated release in the Rush camp, since his band hadn't released any new material in four years, and it's certainly an effective way to hold fans over until their next album.  It also can be seen as a showcase of his songwriting personality - after hearing this one, you'll know pretty much exactly who was in charge of the melodies on 90's Rush albums, since the ones on this album are more or less just like 'em.  It's also worth noting that My Favorite Headache also features a backing band of Ben Mink (who handles a lot of the guitar work and collaborates with Geddy on the music) and drummer Matt Cameron of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam fame, and that Geddy wrote all the lyrics for the album (which are more cryptic and less direct than his bandmate Neil Peart), as he hadn't contributed lyrics to Rush since the early 80's.

As for the music on My Favorite Headache, it's not overwhelmingly different from the output of Rush in the 90's - very straightforward hard rock, with the melodies constructed in a similar fashion as well.  The songs usually have somewhat more in the way of memorable hooks than that material though - the dynamic title track is definitely the most shining example, particularly within its' refrain and aggressively raw verses, plus that hauntingly beautiful lighter bridge, all with a really catchy melodic base. It alos doesn't hurt that the music is given an orchestral tone at times - this works particularly well in the affecting "The Angel's Share", which switches from a somber acoustic ballad to an uplifting chorus.  Speaking of uplifting, the mood of these songs seem to be quite a contrast from the sometimes too occasionally bleak recent Rush output, as the general optimism and uplifting chorus of "Moving To Bohemia" and the hard hitting singalong "Runaway Train" prove.

Some of this material also proves how much Lee has matured as a vocalist, as "Still" has some of the most gorgeous singing of his career with the great falsetto in the verses (far from the shrieking elf, eh?) and his vocals on "Working At Perfekt" also work well the string arrangements in the chorus to help give that ballad more life it may not have had, and my favorite song here, the closing "Grace To Grace", is masterful in how it switches from a raw-edged rocker to a shimmering synth-led chorus.  The rest of the album is decent as well, with only one stupid throwaway (the funk oriented and somewhat boring "Home On The Strange"), two decent but merely passable tracks ("The Present Tense" and "Window To The World", both featuring tiresome melodies) and another fine acoustic/piano driven ballad "Slipping".  Any fan of Rush in the 90's should love this one, as it continues in that direction with a lot more subtle lyrics and without as much generic quality.  I actually think it's better than any of those efforts because of it (and it has better standout tracks to boot).  Nice job Geddy.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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COMMENTS

[email protected]

Not that great an album, but man does "Runaway Train" rule. It's just sooooo catchy! Coulda, shoulda been a hit single, but it's you know...Geddy Lee, so mainstream rock radio wouldn't touch it. Tis a shame though, great song.

VICTOR

Victor

1996

A side band of guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush fame featuring various backing musicians (including Edwin, the lead vocalist of I Mother Earth), Victor released their self-titled debut in 1996 in the wake of Rush's own Test For Echo.

--Nick Karn

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VICTOR (1996)

released by Victor

(reviewed by Nick Karn)

HIGH POINTS: Promise.  LOW POINTS: None.

I'm 'sending out a warning' here now.  Do not approach Alex Lifeson's Victor project expecting something resembling modern Rush (look to Geddy Lee's My Favorite Headache for that), or even flashy guitar work.  Basically a collection of songs performed with various musicians of whom the only constant is Lifeson (who writes much of the lyrics and music), the music on Victor is more experimental, diverse, heavier, edgier and all around more worthwhile than anything his band has released since 1985, and probably a tad better than Headache too.  Five of the eleven songs employ I Mother Earth singer Edwin on lead vocals (the other vocal track sung by Lisa Dalbello), two of them are spoken word tracks (courtesy of Lifeson's voice) with clear ambient and techno influences, and three are instrumentals.

Things certainly starts out fiercely with the aggressive opener "Don't Care", with an in your face riff and quiet and really dumb (but nevertheless still threatening) bridge, and "Promise" works a fabulous guitar line and a highly memorable vocal melody to go along with a haunting synth/guitar midsection (reminiscent quite a bit of 80's Rush, which is probably why I dig it so much), while "Start Today" (the Dalbello sung track) is less effective, as its' pummeling main riff sounds suspiciously like Zep's "Four Sticks", and the vocal yells in the chorus sometimes get irritating (though they're quite convincing).  The album heads into more varied territory, however, with the wonderfully anthemic guitar/techno instrumental "Mr. X" and the first and best of the spoken word tracks, "At The End", which has quite a haunting and unsettling edge to it, even with the calmness of Lifeson's voice.

After the highly memorable riff rocker "Sending Out A Warning" (great confrontational lyrics here) comes two more instrumentals in the Steve Vai-ish funk "Shut Up Shuttin' Up", which features Alex's wife and friend hilariously blabbing about how men suck over an awesome groove, and the really neat mandola-tinged "Strip And Go Naked", which has versatile playing.  The industrialized madness of "The Big Dance" is simply scathing, with a fine power beat and undeniable catchiness, and the second spoken word song in the title track is a W.H. Auden poem set to music. The effort is somewhat awkward and cheesy in a few places, but its' best moments are still chilling as hell due to the atmosphere.  In great contrast you get the bright and uplifting "I Am The Spirit" to close things.  One really has to wonder why Lifeson doesn't get more creative control in Rush, what with his interesting songwriting ideas and guitar versatility on display here.  Maybe Victor isn't a great album, as only "Promise" seems to be a real knockout track, but still, it's a really consistent batch of good, consistently captivating, material.

OVERALL RATING: 7

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COMMENTS

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Not at all like Rush. It's like really dark and aggressive. Check out those guitar tones, crunchy! It's good though. Some of the songs are still catchy, like "Promise" with a memorable chorus and Rush like midsection. "I Am The Spirit" also rules, with a heavy as hell verse riff offset by a beautiful, echoey chorus that really sticks to your brain. I also dig the poisonous, misogynistic opener "Don't Care". Other notables are the instrumental "Mr. X", the quasi-instrumental "Shut Up Shuttin' Up" (with great Alex guitar work) and the pounding "The Big Dance" (with Les Claypool! on bass. Neato!)

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ALEX LIFESON IS THE SHIT! YEAH I LOVE HIM! HE HAS FORMED A BAND I DON'T KNOW IF HE WOULD STAY IN RUSH OR GET INTO HIS SIDE PROJECT BUT I STILL SAY HE IS THE SHIT!

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