Finally Got Off My Lazy Ass

A place to discuss the studio albums

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EndlesslyRocking
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Finally Got Off My Lazy Ass

Post by EndlesslyRocking »

and picked up Feedback on Friday.

Overall, not too bad. As I've said before, I wasn't real big on the idea of RUSH doing covers, but hey...what the hell.

Summertime Blues...meh. Is there anything left to add to this song, after umpteen covers? Not really. I guess they left the deep-voice spoken parts for the fans to do at the shows this tour. A nice breezy summer song.

Now Heart Full of Soul, on the other hand, is magnificent. Sounds great. I can't recall as I'm writing this...is this on the setlist? I'll have to go and check. Anyway, very good.

I also like The Seeker. The rest I think is pretty middle-of-the-road stuff. Competent, but not overly inspiring.

Still, all-in-all, a worthy purchase and an interesting idea.

JMHO
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Slaine mac Roth
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Post by Slaine mac Roth »

I think a lot of people are missing the point with the Feedback album.

According to Alex, the band suddenly realised they were going out on the road without an album to support. Considering the amount of time it take Rush to prepare and record an album, there wasn't enough of a window to do a new studio release. In addition, they couldn't release another live set due to the fact that Rio had not been out long. In addition, the countractual wrangles between Mercury and Atlantic would have made a proper 30th Anniversary impractical. So, what do they do.

They go into the studio, kick back and relax by laying down the songs that they learned while teenagers - in effect, the songs that started the process by which they became the musicians they are.

OK, some of the songs are a little predictable (Summertime Blues and Crossroads being particular offenders) but what the hell?

Feedback is not meant to be a proper Rush album. Its a bit of fun and should be treated that way.

My suggestion is that you just lie back and enjoy the lads enjoying themselves and sounding raw and fresh by cranking out some classic songs.
'Do not despise the snake for having no horns, for who is to say it will not become a dragon?'
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D'Anconia
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Post by D'Anconia »

Slaine mac Roth wrote:I think a lot of people are missing the point with the Feedback album.

According to Alex, the band suddenly realised they were going out on the road without an album to support. Considering the amount of time it take Rush to prepare and record an album, there wasn't enough of a window to do a new studio release. In addition, they couldn't release another live set due to the fact that Rio had not been out long. In addition, the countractual wrangles between Mercury and Atlantic would have made a proper 30th Anniversary impractical. So, what do they do.

They go into the studio, kick back and relax by laying down the songs that they learned while teenagers - in effect, the songs that started the process by which they became the musicians they are.

OK, some of the songs are a little predictable (Summertime Blues and Crossroads being particular offenders) but what the hell?

Feedback is not meant to be a proper Rush album. Its a bit of fun and should be treated that way.

My suggestion is that you just lie back and enjoy the lads enjoying themselves and sounding raw and fresh by cranking out some classic songs.
Well said. And I have to add, Heart Full of Soul is fantastic.
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Bri

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awip2062
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Post by awip2062 »

Well, I like the album. I find it to be fun and the kids seem to enjoy it as well.
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3 travelers
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Post by 3 travelers »

Heart Full of Soul is absolutely brilliant! I fell in love with this tune all over again :cool:
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D'Anconia
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Post by D'Anconia »

awip2062 wrote:Well, I like the album. I find it to be fun and the kids seem to enjoy it as well.
Interesting point. I have pretty young kids and they tolerate Rush, but they really like Feedback. I popped it in the CD player the other day and as Summertime Blues started I overheard my 9 year old say to her best friend (whose dad also happens to be a Rush fan) "This is my favorite Rush song."
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Bri

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Fridge
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Post by Fridge »

Slaine mac Roth wrote:I think a lot of people are missing the point with the Feedback album.

According to Alex, the band suddenly realised they were going out on the road without an album to support. Considering the amount of time it take Rush to prepare and record an album, there wasn't enough of a window to do a new studio release. In addition, they couldn't release another live set due to the fact that Rio had not been out long. In addition, the countractual wrangles between Mercury and Atlantic would have made a proper 30th Anniversary impractical. So, what do they do.

They go into the studio, kick back and relax by laying down the songs that they learned while teenagers - in effect, the songs that started the process by which they became the musicians they are.
Oh come on, Slaine....

This is a classic sign of an ageing band nearing the end of its creative powers knocking out some covers as they have run out of ideas. I'm not neccessarily saying that it is a bad thing per se, but if the "spark" of creativity was truly still alive, I don't think they would even have considered this, and a brand new album would be winging its way to the retail outlets.
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awip2062
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Post by awip2062 »

My kids all love Rush for Rush. They enjoy Feedback, but it is not anywhere close to their favourite Rush CD.

I don't think the creatvity is lost. I think they are too true to themselves to force themselves into a situation where they don't have the time to do the job right (as t hey see it), as it likely would have been if they tried to write a whole new album at that time. They couldn't take the time to ged everything just as they wanted it, so they had to do something else.
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Fridge
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Post by Fridge »

I would be more sympathetic to your point if their slump in creative form ws a relatively recent thing, but lets face it,it has been going on for a long time now....

As far as I am concerned (and yes I know it is a matter of opinion) the last truly great album they did was Hold Your Fire which was 17 years ago!

True, they did have a mini resurgence with Test For Echo, but the sad fact remains that they have been declining as a creative force for some time now.

By releasing an album of covers, they are only proving the point. Remember, in their creative peak they were churning out classic stuff at a rate of knots, so to say they needed more time "to get it right" says to me that they are no longer as capable of doing so.

I don't mean this as undue critiscism, they have done very, very well to last so long, but I really think it is about time for them to call it a day.
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Slaine mac Roth
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Post by Slaine mac Roth »

Why is it when anyone brings out an album, or moves in a direction, that someone doesn't like they're past it?

Personally, I think that Rush, musically at least, have not shown any real dip. My main gripes with their albums have always been on the production side.

And, as I said, Feedback is a bit of fun.

When they start releasing 'party' albums (like Status Quo and Lindisfarne) then they'll be past it.
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EndlesslyRocking
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Post by EndlesslyRocking »

I don't agree that "they're past it". I thought Vapor Trails was a vibrant, alive recording full of their trademark power and intelligence. It ranks in my Top 5 RUSH CD's (as does Counterparts, another relatively recent effort).

It was clear to me at the show last night that their appreciation of these cover songs is genuine. Call it a diversion or a lark or whatever. Given the incredible artistry of Vapor Trails, I'd say they're doing just fine.

JMHO
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awip2062
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Post by awip2062 »

I don't think they have lost it yet. I loved VT and if you read Neil's books, he sure hasn't lost his writing!
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Post by Sir Myghin »

thei creativity lives on, you must not be so blind and stuck in your ways
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Fridge
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Post by Fridge »

Sir Myghin wrote:thei creativity lives on, you must not be so blind and stuck in your ways
Well, it's all subjective isn't it?

I am afraid that I can only "call it as I see it", and it pains me to say we have a (once) great band whose creative powers are on the wane. I would love nothing more than for the boys to hit form once more and give us another monster release, but I just don't think it will happen. I would dearly like to be proved wrong on this, and would happily eat humble pie all day if that were the case.

To say I am blind and stuck in my ways is something of a non-sequiter. After all, I gave clear and (I think) well thought out reasons to support my argument, whereas you have merely made a statement.

If you were to commission a poll (and this has indeed been done many times) and ask fans what their favourite creative period was, the overwhelming majority would say 1976 - 1982. This is not my opinion, but fact.

They are still a good band, they are still my favourite artists, but they are on the wane...There is no doubt about this (IMO :-D )
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Slaine mac Roth
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Post by Slaine mac Roth »

I can see where you're coming from Fridge but (surprise, surprise) don't agree. Perhaps some of their stuff isn't hitting the heights of invention that they have done (personally, I think they peaked with Moving Pictures) but I think they are far from being on the wane as, in comparison to the majority of stuff in the charts, there is no-one to touch them.

Maybe they've set such a high standard in the past that it seems worse to you then it is.
'Do not despise the snake for having no horns, for who is to say it will not become a dragon?'
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