Rush

[Analogman]

I think there is suppose to be some sort of theme or concept running through the album.

[opsopcopolis]

General onsale for a lot of the dates is today

[Analogman]

I have not heard the new album yet - I suppose I may check it out at some point.

 

A rather long two part interview with Billy Corgan and Geddy Lee:

 

Part 1

Part 2

 

Let's talk about the sonic choices you have to make these days when recording an album, and really this goes into the mastering. Both of your albums have great dynamic range, something that is missing from a lot of music now that people are mastering for digital downloads.

 

Geddy Lee: "Yeah, mastering is a dangerous thing. You know, you go through the history of music, and mastering was a supposed to be a way to get your music onto vinyl without [the needle] skipping. And then the role of the mastering engineer took on such a distorted sense of importance. As music turned to digital and suddenly you had the possibility to make things louder than loudest, which boggles the mind but it's true, and what you have are all kinds of different ways of distorting your music.

 

"Then it becomes a game of 'this person's record is this loud,' so how can I possibly produce a record that is not that loud and actually has dynamics? It's a fight. It's a battle between record company, between producer and between mastering engineer. Because the louder you make your record in a digital process, the more dynamics are squished out of it. Nobody knows exactly what happens, but the dynamics in the performance disappear, and everything is at the same volume.

 

"With us, it's always a matter of compromise. We say, 'Yeah, you can make it loud, but at the point where I feel the dynamics are going away, then stop. Stop making it loud.' [laughs] But you know, it's a strange, strange part of the process now."

 

Billy Corgan: "I pretty much echo everything he says. Luckily, we've been working with Bob Ludwig lately, and he's got that kind of understanding of how to bring it to the modern era without compromising the values. It's pretty amazing when you can sit with somebody like Bob and talk about Led Zeppelin, because he mastered those records. He talks about the choices he made back then and the choices he has to make now, and sort of the 'linearity,' if that's even a word, of his thinking as time has progressed.

 

"It got pretty weird there, particularly in alternative music in the late '90s, because all of a sudden everybody's doing this brick wall mastering, and every band sounded like, you know, God came down and started a band. [Lee laughs] Suddenly, organically produced force didn't sound as forceful anymore."

 

Lee: "That's right."

 

Corgan: "It's kind of weird because obviously both of us have spent a lot of time figuring out how to create that force, and then play off that force by coming down and creating interludes and things like that. Suddenly, when you have somebody that just wipes you out and you see the audience responding to this insane… I don't even know – battering [laughs], you know, if you oversquash yourself, well, there goes why everybody likes your band. It's kind of a weird place to be put in."

[Vacant Horizon]

I have not heard the new album yet - I suppose I may check it out at some point.

 

A rather long two part interview with Billy Corgan and Geddy Lee:

 

Part 1

Part 2

 

Okay, so ged is aware of the loudness war, but he really doesnt care rush albums are mastered too loud. That's infuriating, but it's nice to know rush not ignorant. They just don't give a shit. Hence, the new album is a muddy garbage loud mix!

[Azzurri]

I have only started listening to Rush the past few years, and while the new album is not up to the level as say, Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures, I still think it is very good. I understand the "loudness" gripe, but the tunes are pretty melodic and hard hitting and they are not cluttered. The guitar, bass and drum sound is fairly crisp...but then again, I am not an audiophile so I respect those who disagree.

 

What strikes me in listening to interviews with Rush is that they are really intelligent and thoughtful guys, with a great sense of humor. They seem to get a lot of crap from the indie world and Rolling Stone, but it's cool that they really don't care. The documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage was excellent.

[uncool2pillow]

The documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage was excellent.

 

Yep. Gained a whole new respect for those guys watching this. Esp. Neal Peart. He's had it rough, losing his daughter and all. But has anyone handled fame better than this guy. Widely considered the best living rock drummer, but can be somewhat anonymous in the general public. That's having your cake and eating it too.

[Analogman]

They seem to be in the camera eye quite a bit these days. I read somewhere that the new album sold over 100,000 copies last week.

 

It's nice to see some new people getting into the band. As stated several times, I generally prefer the earlier stuff.

 

If you have not heard the first album, Fly By Night, Caress of Steel (The Fountain of Lamneth), 2112, All The World's A Stage (particularly the live 2112 section), and A Farewell To Kings - be sure to check those albums out.

 

Speaking of the film, I wonder if bands still play in high schools? I suppose not. I was in HS during the first four years of the 1980s. I recall bar bands playing in the gym from time to time.

[jff]

 

 

Speaking of the film, I wonder if bands still play in high schools? I suppose not. I was in HS during the first four years of the 1980s. I recall bar bands playing in the gym from time to time.

 

I don't know. I kind of doubt it. My (two) high schools had annual concerts, but it was high school aged bands playing cover songs. At least one band would always attempt a Rush song. I'm pretty sure neither of those schools have concerts anymore. One of them has changed demographics to almost entirely African American, and the other school lost the principal that was strongly supportive of the annual concert.

[Analogman]

I don't recall any of those bands doing Rush songs, mostly it was Southern Rock. If they did play one, it was probably Working Man.

 

Also -

[calvino]

In the early/mid 80s, I remember bands played in our gym while I was in grade school. One time, a local guitar player, who was also guitar teacher at a guitar store was playing, my buddy who had him as a teacher, got to get up on stage and played Johnny B Goode with the band - I thought it was the coolest thing at the time.

[Analogman]

Grade School!!! Doh!

[calvino]

We were a cool grade school

 

For the 7th and 8th grade dances sometimes we had live bands play - they usually played for the whole school during a assembly during the day.

 

anyway back to Rush....Haven't heard the new album, but man, nothing brings out the Audiophile's, like at new Rush record.

[Analogman]

I was joking on our age difference.

 

I am still surprised they got Neil to tour again. They also switched record labels.

[Analogman]

Opening night of the new tour (setlist):

 

Verizon Wirelss Center

Manchester, NH

 

Set 1

Opening vid

Subdivisions

The Big Money

Force 10

Grand Designs

The Body Electric

Territories

Analog Kid

Bravado

Where's My Thing (with drum solo)

Far Cry

Intermission (string section comes in)

 

Set 2

Opening vid

Caravan

Clockwork Angels

The Anarchist

Carnies

The Wreckers

Headlong Flight

Halo Effect

Wish Them Well

The Garden

Manhatten Project

Red Sector A

YYZ

Working Man

 

Encore

Tom Sawyer

The Spirit of Radio

Outro vid

[opsopcopolis]

It was an interesting show. I didn't know the majority of the first set, but I thought the Clockwork Angels stuff was worth the price of admission alone. It was truly incredible

[Analogman]

The must think if they don't play Working Man the people will riot.

 

Looks like they are changing it up:

 

Set 1

Opening vid

Subdivisions

The Big Money

Force 10

Grand Designs

Middletown Dreams

Territories

Analog Kid

The Pass

Where's My Thing (with drum solo)

Far Cry

Intermission (string section comes in)

 

Set 2

Opening vid

Caravan

Clockwork Angels

The Anarchist

Seven Cities Of Gold

The Wreckers

Headlong Flight

Halo Effect

Wish Them Well

The Garden

Dreamline

Red Sector A

YYZ

Working Man

 

Encore

Tom Sawyer

2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx/Grand Finale

Outro vid

 

[imsjry]

I love me some Rush and like to see the mix-up, but I'd be pretty disappointed with that setlist. Still haven't found the "love" for the new album.

[calvino]

Finally gotten around to watch Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage doc --  good stuff. Really didn't know anything about Rush, other than that they were from Canada. Peart definitely went through a rough spell for bit - it was nice to see how the band/organization waited it out and supported him when needed. Gene Simmons was actually not annoying to listen to - either was Billy Corgan - I even enjoyed Sebastian Bach's enthusiasm.

[Analogman]

Those guys did a great job in that documentary. How is it you never listened to RUSH? Just never liked the band?

[calvino]

I always have listened and enjoyed band since the 70s - but never read up on them, history-wise.   Saw them live once back in the early 90s.

 

It was funny that they talked about the whole majority male-based audience of Rush in the doc -- the two biggest Rush fans that I know are my sister and my wife.

[Analogman]

Interesting. 

 

I guess this tour may be the last. The speculation is that they are going to play songs they don't usually play. 

[Vacant Horizon]

Isn't that always the speculation : p

 

I'd like to hear Farewell to Kings and at least some of Hemispheres.  Not sure I see this one.  Saw them on Hold Your Fire and Presto then on the Time Machine tour which was incredible.  Also saw them on the last tour with the string section.  Snooze fest.

[The Inside of Outside]

I watched the documentary the other day. Pretty good, especially in that they put the emphasis on the early years, up through Signals or so. After that, each album got a mention in the film, but that was about it. I am glad that they acknowledge the change from a rock trio to a keyboard/synth based band. Comparing songs like Finding My Way, Spirit of the Radio, and Working Man to something like Time Stands Still is, well, it's hard to do. I found anything after Power Windows to be painful to listen to.

[Analogman]

Isn't that always the speculation : p

 

I'd like to hear Farewell to Kings and at least some of Hemispheres.  Not sure I see this one.  Saw them on Hold Your Fire and Presto then on the Time Machine tour which was incredible.  Also saw them on the last tour with the string section.  Snooze fest.

 

I'd go for a 25 minute version of Before and After>YYZ. That's probably not going to happen though. 

[Mr. Heartbreak]

 Sausage fest.

Fixed it for you. We are talking about a Rush concert, after all.