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Jimbo
07-06-2018, 06:13
Anyone a Rush fan.

I must admit they have not been on my radar for years but I learnt that this year that they may have come to the end of the road, certainly touring and may be retiring.

My earliest memories of Rush were as a teenager when they released 2112. I was not sure if I initially liked the album but I could not ignore their amazing musicianship. I then bought Hemispheres, Fairwell to Kings and Moving pictures, these albums joined my huge collection of classic stuff that was realised in the mid to late seventies so Van Halen, Floyd, Zeppelin, AC/DC and others were more often found in my turntable.

Over the last few nights I has a personal retrospective of Rush's music and played Zanadu, 2112, Witch Hunt and the Trees amongst other of their great stuff. Most of the stuff was on YouTube which was great to see them live, one of the bands I never got to see myself. What came across was the stunning technical skill, musicianship and fantastic creative writing. I guess if your a Rush fan you already know this?:lol:

I was left with a feeling they were one of the truly great rock bands of all time and produced a quality of music of complexity and imagination that will never be produced again. I feel their music still stands the test of time and you can only watch and listen in awe at their ability as a three piece band. Compare that to almost any band or artist on the planet touring today and they are light years ahead in what they achieved.

Sad they have maybe come to an end and I never saw them live.

struth
07-06-2018, 07:15
quite liked them back in 70's. had 3 albums of them in the early days, although long sold. preferred them in early 70's style wise

Pete The Cat
10-06-2018, 19:02
I got into Rush with Hemispheres, which if albums were a game of one half would win the World Cup. A schoolmate called Bill had a cheapo stereo and we’d all seek repeat fixes of side 2. Having grown up on a diet of chart music and the punk wars those 18 or so minutes really gripped us.

Over the course of ’79 I consumed everything before it and then Permanent Waves as it came out in January ’80. From the edge of provincial England, too far and too young for seeing them at the likes of Bingley Hall, I avidly listened to Tommy Vance’s all time Top 20 to find where Xanadu and 2112 would feature, had a Rush T-shirt which I wore until repeat washes faded it to grey, and on a rare trip to London found a poster of them which was on my wall for a decade. I willingly followed through further shifts in style in the early ‘80s (“where’s Alex’s axe ?” as I recall someone writing in the Letters page of Sounds about Signals) but lost faith from Hold Your Fire when they appeared to no longer have anything special about them.

Somehow I caught onto Vapor Trails, which clicked with me in spite of its rightly criticised mixing and mastering, and I joined the bus again. In common with many Rush fans I’m not sure if they ever made a truly great album - possibly due to the urge to always include a “maths rock” instrumental ? - although Moving Pictures comes mighty close.

I smiled when I saw your track references since they’d mirror mine. Yet over the past 15 or so years I’ve also had cause to smile when I've heard Peaceable Kingdom, Far Cry, Workin’ Them Angels, BU2B, Seven Cities Of Gold and no doubt others besides. In the internet age it has been good to be able to see / hear footage of them live and marvel at how they sound like there are more than the three of them - La Villa Strangiato at Pinkpop ’79 is brilliant.

With Rush we got several different bands for the price of one. Don’t like 2112 ? Then try Grace Under Pressure. Or Snakes & Arrows. Or the sheer fun of the first album. I also like that they seem pretty down to earth blokes.

One of the best rock bands ever.

Did that answer your question ?

Pete

Wakefield Turntables
10-06-2018, 19:14
A farewell to kings, probably the best thing they ever did followed by 2112. :D

Jimbo
10-06-2018, 20:11
Indeed it did Pete. Been watching some interviews of the band and many live performances especially the R40 tour. Amazing Talent. These guys would embarass many other rock bands even those at the very top because they could simply play at such a high level effortlessly. Most other bands were surprised what 3 blokes could do.

Even to the very end and although Geddys voice was not up to his youthful abilities these guys played perfect renditions of their albums. They came from an era when touring was very hard work and they simply perfected their stage craft to a level
that was stunningly good. Each member of Rush was a top of their game as a musician and rank probably with the best rock musicians of all time.

I have seen many of the great rock bands live. AC/DC at bingley hall with Bon Scott, Def Leopard were the support, Zeppelin at Nebworth at the height of their fame and the Floyd performing The Wall at Earls Court in 79 an 80 amongst many others.

Wish I had seen Rush!

Ian7633
10-06-2018, 21:08
I was lucky enough as a spotty sixteen year old to see them live at The Brighton Centre on their Permanent Waves tour in 1980. Even at that age I was completely blown away ( quite literally as I was standing right next to a bass stack ) by the power and then the subtlety of their music. As Spirit of the radio was in the charts at the time, when they played it the roof flew off the building and as I remember it we were treated to many classic tracks and it all finished with their powerhouse Working man/Something for nothing medley.
I'd seen a few punk bands before but this was like the F1 of music to me, my ears rang for days and I pissed my mum off by playing 2112 and Permanent waves over and over again for ages. There have been very few concerts I've been to since then that have had a similar effect on me although Pink Floyd performing The Wall live at Earls Court in 1980 was right up there ( Christmas present to me and the other apprentice from the boss ).
On the album front I'd like to mention Counterparts from 1993, it had the feel of the older stuff and harder edge to it I think it was around the time when Geddy Lee fell out with Rickenbacker and moved on to Fender basses and it seemed to change his approach to a deeper, more driving bass as opposed to the Ricky's nasal, trebley flights of fancy.

Right I'm off for a Rush session now, excellent thread.

Blackdog
10-06-2018, 21:48
While I like some of their stuff, I've not been a big fan. However a few years ago i took my son to a concert at the local arena for the Clockwork Angels tour, and left with a totally new appreciation for the band. It was an amazing concert, with musicianship you don't see with most of today's bands. They can still rock.

Spectral Morn
11-06-2018, 12:16
Both Alex and Neil have medical issues that mean they can't play live for long periods so yes no more live Rush.

For me it was Permanent Waves on tape, borrowed from the local library that started my liking for the band. When I first got a music center, Farewell To Kings was the first album I bought on vinyl by them.

I love from Permanent Waves through to Roll the Bones after that they got a bit too heavy for me, the first three albums are ok, but a bit too much of a Led Zep copy. Favorite albums are Signals, Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves.

I never got to see them live, a friend has seen them twice.

Jimbo
11-06-2018, 12:28
Just an example of their awesome epic sound. Ok recording not the very best but on headphones you get an idea.

Witch Hunt - what a fabulous track.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vizDW4LxUFA#fauxfullscreen

Svend N
12-06-2018, 13:10
Anyone a Rush fan.


Definitely, yes. I was kind of lukewarm about them as a teenager in the '70s and early '80s, but really came to appreciate their music as my own tastes matured. Now I find them outstanding on all counts -- song writing, musicianship, the works... Their induction into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame took way too long - they should have been recognized much earlier. My big regret is not ever seeing them live, which is a shame as they are a local band here so no lack of opportunity. My bad :doh:

Dr Winston O Boogie
04-11-2018, 19:25
Love em and really back into them on vinyl recently.:)

AJSki2fly
06-11-2018, 03:47
Saw them live at Gaumont Southampton around 76 and they were superb. I have a few of their albums on vinyl, and all good, very accomplished musicians.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pete The Cat
10-11-2018, 07:03
The Hemispheres 40th anniversary vinyl is £79.99. Who is paying these prices ?

Pete

Haselsh1
16-11-2018, 16:41
Oh my word, just caught sight of this thread. I got into Rush with 'All The Worlds A Stage' and then 'A Farewell To Kings'. I then bought 'Fly By Night' and '2112' and then sort of lost them with the release of 'Hemispheres' which I really didn't like. So although the fling was brief it was good. Saw them live once at Sheffield Arena but really can't remember when that was however I thought the support band were better, still, a good night out. Don't really listen to them anymore but do still listen to some Prog. My taste has changed so much from those gorgeous days of discovery back in the 70's but at least I don't yet listen to Buble :eyebrows: