I am so sorry Subby. I thought you had a solution coming from Rush Limbaugh, and I just had to hear what that could be.

Yours is so much better than that could possibly be.

I tip my hat to you sir/madam.

+1

+1

Nice. I haven't heard that one in some time.

+1

Ahahahahaha. Win, Subby.

This guy agrees wholeheartedly.

I'm not a fool, but I play one on TV.

Awesomeness. +1 - total win!


/how long until the haters arrive?

tbookman: Awesomeness. +1 - total win!


/how long until the haters arrive?

In alittle bit, so lets just enjoy what we have now.

+1

Geddy's sporting quite the fluffy mullet there.

Youtube is blocked at work. Is it Big Money?

/no whammy

I hated this song when it came out, but like it now. But damn, Geddy Lee looks like what would have happened if Steve Perry's head sprung a leak and started to deflate.

Brisco: I am so sorry Subby. I thought you had a solution coming from Rush Limbaugh, and I just had to hear what that could be beat you senseless for posting inane crap from that flaming nazi gasbag



FTFY

Truly dreadful.

That wretched 80s digital recording and those hideous synth voices
really ruin that one.

None of the sweet analogue warmth of "Permanent Waves" "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures"

Even "Signals" which was quite modern had a better sound.
("Signals" is their final listenable record for me)

I always thought the compositions on "Grace Under Pressure" were good but that record sounded like 80s ass. Bright and sterile sounding digital reverb and that thin glassy sound on the bass and drums. I hate most 80s recordings. "Power Windows" was a real stinker.

Rush fans are among the most pathetically stubborn lot.
Give it up geeks.
Your band sucks now and has been sucking since the mid-80s.

Name one single Rush song since the 80s that is as memorable as "Limelight" or "Camera Eye"
Nothing they have done in the last 20 years has any hook or decent riff. (except the recent record that has all the cool classic cover-songs)

Lame.

Craigdamage
I like the production of "Hemispheres", "MP", "GuP".
you're right... power windows is too glossy and over80'sfied.
I hate the synth sounds on "PW"... "GuP" was pushing it, but still tasteful. My fav. Rush synth albums are "MP" and "Signals".
I also don't like the guitar sound/tone on "GuP" and "PW". The overdriven/distorted guitar tone is too thin, weak, glossy, sheen, etc. [dare i say "80's hair metal band" sounding?]
[like stuff by Motley Crue or Poison or some S***]
[hell, even Yes's "Owner of a Lonely Heart" had a S***y guitar tone to it]
Give me thick powerful sound of "Hemispheres" or "MP".

to me, it's a toss up between "Rush" and "Caress of Steel" for their worst sound/production-wise album.

/ ones i like best are the thick powerful meaty tone of a Les Paul [distorted], tinny but rounded and mellow sound of a strat [clean], razor sharp sound of a distorted Telecaster.

I can explain Lifeson's awful late 80s guitar sound in one word:

GALLIEN KRUEGER. (worst guitar amps ever)

He should have stuck with the Marshall combos.

Honestly,I am OK with the murky sound of "Rush" and "Caress of Steel"


/btw--some of GK's current bass amps are quite decent though.
// I will NEVER play my basses through ANYTHING but AMPEG.

....more on Lifeson from wiki:

"In the mid 1980s Lifeson switched from passive to active pickups in his guitars, and from vacuum tube to solid-state amplification, all with an increasingly thick layer of digital signal processing. He became an endorser of Gallien-Krueger and Dean Markley solid-state guitar amplifier lines...."

Yep.
That explains it.
Solid state + digital + active = pure sh*t.

craigdamage: Truly dreadful.

That wretched 80s digital recording and those hideous synth voices
really ruin that one.

None of the sweet analogue warmth of "Permanent Waves" "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures"

Even "Signals" which was quite modern had a better sound.
("Signals" is their final listenable record for me)

I always thought the compositions on "Grace Under Pressure" were good but that record sounded like 80s ass. Bright and sterile sounding digital reverb and that thin glassy sound on the bass and drums. I hate most 80s recordings. "Power Windows" was a real stinker.

Rush fans are among the most pathetically stubborn lot.
Give it up geeks.
Your band sucks now and has been sucking since the mid-80s.

Name one single Rush song since the 80s that is as memorable as "Limelight" or "Camera Eye"
Nothing they have done in the last 20 years has any hook or decent riff. (except the recent record that has all the cool classic cover-songs)

Lame.


Rush fan here and... I have to say that I know what you're talking about regarding the over processed, digital sounds...
Compared to their 70's sound, it can get nauseating.

The thing you have to keep in my mind, is that the music business is a very cutthroat, unforgiving game and all of Rush's decisions were likely for the sake of survival and continued success of the band. Part of that success was conforming to the overly compressed radio sound.

I'm sure Rush could have expanded artistically, if they had that kind of influence over major label decisions/most bands don't.
Yeh, it's a sellout, but it made them successful for a long time. A band can't just declare themselves the next Beatles and do whatever they want and expect fans to follow them in droves.

Metallica was faced with the same situation in the '90's, although they recently returned to their roots on their recent album.

I'm just saying Rush now still get to play big venues vs. being (poorer) artists who play the smaller places.

Despite the mentioned production issues, there are many songs I like from the past 20 years. I do admit, though, they have lost staying power as compared to the classics.


Two from '93's Counterparts I like:

YouTube

YouTube

Those songs from "Counterparts" are almost ok at best.

Play those two songs next to "Vital Signs" or "The Analog Kid"

NO COMPARISON
NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE

...just like the song "Losing It"

RUSH LOST IT

craigdamage: Those songs from "Counterparts" are almost ok at best.

Play those two songs next to "Vital Signs" or "The Analog Kid"

NO COMPARISON
NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE

...just like the song "Losing It"

RUSH LOST IT

no need to be hatin'!

craigdamage: I can explain Lifeson's awful late 80s guitar sound in one word:

GALLIEN KRUEGER. (worst guitar amps ever)

He should have stuck with the Marshall combos.

Honestly,I am OK with the murky sound of "Rush" and "Caress of Steel"


/btw--some of GK's current bass amps are quite decent though.
// I will NEVER play my basses through ANYTHING but AMPEG.

I'll just go ahead and get off of your lawn regarding Rush...

But I will stand on the edge of your lawn regarding Ampeg bass amps. I play a GK RB400-IV through an Ampeg Classic Series 8x10, and I get comments on my tone after EVERY show. I've never had comments about bass tone until I started playing through this rig. Every bassist that i've let play through it has nothing but positive comments (even guys who play usually through Ampeg or Mesa tube heads). It has never given me a lick of trouble (knocking on wood, going on stage in 5 hours), i've never had to pay a bunch of money for a new set of tubes or tube service, I don't have to baby it when loading in or out, and I can carry it by myself without needing a chiropractor afterwards. The Ampeg cab had to have one speaker replaced after less than 6 months of use, and i never turn that GK up over 5.

craigdamage

that's funny.... i HATED "vital signs" for the longest time... now i think it's actually good...
same with "Losing it".

/ i still F***ing HATE "Countdown" off of SIGNALS tho...
ugh.
// extra slashies

Third_Uncle_Eno: now i think it's actually good...
same with "Losing it".

"Losing It" is on of my favorite songs ever, and has been since I first heard it.

Odd meters rule.

TSE

How the Hell do you power a 4 ohm 8x10 with only 280 watts?
You must understand that low wattage amps are actually sometimes more likely to blow a speaker than a higher watt amp.

There is a GK 800RB at my studio I occasionally use as a keyboard amp. It rests on a modest Ampeg 2x10.
Sounds awful with bass. Even with the treble way down it sounds bright and thin.

Check out GK's "Goldline" series.
They are like Hartke but quite a bit better.
The 500 watt head and the 8x10 are sweet and only slightly over $1000 bucks total for both. It has a very vintage vibe but also kinda modern too like Ashdown but MUCH more reliable than Ashdown.

(I swear to God,I have received three defective Ashdowns in a row from Musician's Friend)

craigdamage: Name one single Rush song since the 80s that is as memorable as "Limelight" or "Camera Eye"
Nothing they have done in the last 20 years has any hook or decent riff. (except the recent record that has all the cool classic cover-songs)

You have a point here, craig, but I hope you see what the real point is. If you compare the music they've done in the past 20 years, I agree with you.

But if you compare it to anyone other than them, it's surprising how well it stands up. Pretend it's not Rush (this is difficult, it took me years) and give it a listen. Imagine it's Third Door Shut (or whatever they're called) doing "Half the World" or Foo Fighters doing "One Little Victory" or Coldplay doing "Superconductor". You'd be impressed then.

Enjoy music for what it is. Be critical, but want to enjoy it.

craigdamage: Truly dreadful.
Lame.

I just love it when the musical snobs show up. They provide so much insight. Oh, wait...

craigdamage: Truly dreadful.

That wretched 80s digital recording and those hideous synth voices
really ruin that one.

None of the sweet analogue warmth of "Permanent Waves" "Hemispheres" and "Moving Pictures"

Even "Signals" which was quite modern had a better sound.
("Signals" is their final listenable record for me)

I always thought the compositions on "Grace Under Pressure" were good but that record sounded like 80s ass. Bright and sterile sounding digital reverb and that thin glassy sound on the bass and drums. I hate most 80s recordings. "Power Windows" was a real stinker.

Rush fans are among the most pathetically stubborn lot.
Give it up geeks.
Your band sucks now and has been sucking since the mid-80s.

Name one single Rush song since the 80s that is as memorable as "Limelight" or "Camera Eye"
Nothing they have done in the last 20 years has any hook or decent riff. (except the recent record that has all the cool classic cover-songs)

Lame.

as usual, i agree with craigdamage-except id say they started sucking balls well before grace under pressure. 'exit stage left' is the end for me. but man, they ruled at that point. oh, and:

craigdamage: ....more on Lifeson from wiki:

"In the mid 1980s Lifeson switched from passive to active pickups in his guitars, and from vacuum tube to solid-state amplification, all with an increasingly thick layer of digital signal processing. He became an endorser of Gallien-Krueger and Dean Markley solid-state guitar amplifier lines...."

Yep.
That explains it.
Solid state + digital + active = pure sh*t.

that has NOTHING to do with it. he completely changed his style from badass classic rocking to faggy whammy bar gaybanging. THATS why he sounds so bad on all the 80s stuff.

craigdamage: Name one single Rush song since the 80s that is as memorable as "Limelight" or "Camera Eye"

The Body Electric
Mystic Rhythms
Force Ten
Time Stand Still
Turn the Page
The Pass
War Paint
Presto
Superconductor
Red Tide
Dreamline
Cold Fire
Test for Echo
Driven
Time and Motion
Carve Away the Stone

No one has any love for "Snakes and Arrows"?

I love the bass and guitar tones on that album. It has quite a bit of great songs too.

Speaking of bass amps...I'm kind of a Peavey fan myself...being from Mississippi. My current setup is a Firebass head through a 4x10 and a 1x15. It sounds good to me.

I've been listening to Power Windows a lot lately. Love it, Grace Under Fire, Hold Your Fire.I just got Snakes and Arrows. Not much interest in in from me yet.

Just goes to show how different tastes can be, I suppose.

How the hell did they do that amazing realistic animation!?!?!?!?!


Heh,

I love the song and the video. Saw them twice last year, Rush is great.

Speaking of bass amps...I'm kind of a Peavey fan myself


I spoke with and audio-electronics repair tech about bass amps recently. BTW--if you EVER want the whole truth about amps/effects/speakers...etc talk to one of these guys instead of a salesperson. Anyway,he said that Peavey is just about the most rock solid and bulletproof reliable amps period. They almost NEVER fail but when they occasionally do--they are very simple and cheap to repair. Stay the HELL away from Ashdown amps. They have the worst quality control in the industry. I heard the same about the old Trace Elliot amps too. (Trace Elliot became Ashdown)

They are well designed but poorly and cheaply manufactured.

Purely subjective of course, but the album that rocks me is Permanent Waves. Right on that threshold of coming out of the 70's, but not quite the 80's yet. That album is just so damn tight...a little too short, but the "sound" and production just hits the sweet spot for me. Alex, especially on that album, is still the only guitarist that can literally give me goosebumps. I own every RUSH record and his guitar tone on PeW is perfection IMHO. He could've used his PWaves setup for every album since and wouldn't get tired of it. Not to mention Peart and Lee's sound and skillz. All 3 come together on PeW like on no other album. Broon did an awesome job and I miss him.

Since then off the top of my head what stands out is Mission, Available Light, Bravado, Alien Shore, Half the World, Totem. Not having very much love for Vapor and Snakes, sad to say... not "Bad" albums, they just don't excite me.

Rush fans are proof that musicians have the worst taste in music.

/doesn't like Rush, but likes a lot of their songs anyway
//thinks Big Money is actually pretty awesome
///went blind watching that video though

tailormadebassist: No one has any love for "Snakes and Arrows"?

Cut out three songs (Working Them Angels, Armor and Sword, The Larger Bowl) and it comes close to being their best album.

craigdamage: Name one single Rush song since the 80s that is as memorable as "Limelight" or "Camera Eye"

Here's mine, from each record:

1. Subdivisions
2. Afterimage
3. Mystic Rhythms
4. Time Stand Still
5. The Pass
6. Bravado
7. Animate
8. Resist
8. TIE: Ghost Rider / Earthshine
9. TIE: Far Cry / The Larger Bowl / Working Them Angels

Some made it on the radio, some didn't. IMHO these are just a small sample of lasting, memorable songs from this band. Your distaste for 1980s synths, 1990s amped-up guitars and crass ingenuity of this decade is to some degree a choice. Seriously if you gave their music three listens per release, I think you might think different about their music.

Camera Eye is a great song, but Lifeson freely admitted he struggled for a long time trying to create a solo for it. It's a fan favorite, but the band is about as eager to play it as Robert Plant is to sing Stairway to Heaven again. Overall, Moving Pictures was an amazing album with an incredible number of changes in songs - moving indeed. The trio smartly decided to move on rather than trying to recapture that spark.

And so it is: Some have stayed behind to dwell on former glories so long ago and gone. The rest of us have moved on with the band. No one is the lesser for their choices here. It's just where we pretty much choose to be.

And that's... okay.

Even "Signals" which was quite modern had a better sound.
("Signals" is their final listenable record for me)


"Signals" was the last album produced by Terry Brown.

Dreamline is a pretty cool tune. So is Spit it Out.

Secret Touch.