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Tributes to Rush

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:59 am
by Big Blue Owl
There are a lot of albums featuring other bands and musicians playing Rush songs. One of the latest is from *gulp* Kenny G. :shock:
Here is a review of it (not by me):

Kenny G: Fly By Night - The Music Of Rush

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Hearing Kenny G wrap his sultry soprano saxophone around the riffs of Canadian progressive rock icons Rush is startlingly incongruous on first listen, however the more time spent with this collection, the more it's charming nuances and carefully crafted aesthetics reveal themselves. "Spirit Of The Radio" kicks off the disc with Kenny G's breezy sax copying Alex Liefson's original frenetic fretwork nearly note for note against a backdrop of jazzy keyboards and fluid drumming courtesy of Jeff Lorber and Paulhino De Costa respectively. Tasteful orchestral backing accompanies a softly understated "Closer To The Heart" while "Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres Part IV: Armageddon (The Battles Of Heart And Mind)" is dominated by swirling synthesizer and a pulsating bass riff. "New World Man" swings along at a brisk pace and a bossa nova interpretation of "Tom Sawyer" exposes the song's melodic warmth. Only "Limelight" and "2112 Overture" miss the mark and are poorly served by their smooth, relaxed arrangements. A respectful tribute and an all-around enjoyable listen.

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:48 am
by CygnusX1

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:57 am
by Big Blue Owl
I heard some of that and really liked it. I'm a classical freak anyway and when you combine Rush songs and strings it transcends!

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:05 am
by awip2062
The string-quartet is up my alley, Kenny G., though, uhhhhh...I'd try it but not buy it until after I'd tried that one.

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:06 am
by CygnusX1
Big Blue Owl wrote:I heard some of that and really liked it. I'm a classical freak anyway and when you combine Rush songs and strings it transcends!
Cool.

I've always wanted to play Rush tunes with a two-guitar attack and heavier
distortion..I always thought that would be different, but I know - it's been
done. :roll: :P

**sticks to my day job**

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:15 am
by awip2062
Doesn't mean it can't be done again.

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:16 am
by CygnusX1
awip2062 wrote:Doesn't mean it can't be done again.
TRUE! (((hi t!)))

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:13 pm
by Big Blue Owl
CygnusX1 wrote:
Big Blue Owl wrote:I heard some of that and really liked it. I'm a classical freak anyway and when you combine Rush songs and strings it transcends!
Cool.

I've always wanted to play Rush tunes with a two-guitar attack and heavier
distortion..I always thought that would be different, but I know - it's been
done. :roll: :P

**sticks to my day job**
It's been attempted...and that might be a generous statement. I bought Red Star - A Tribute To Rush a few years ago and I'm not sure that I've listened to it twice. Death Metal bands trying to slice through Rush but not quite getting it right. I laughed like an idiot a few times, I remember. And there were a few really good moments, but they were quickly trashed by something with a crap drummer or a *WHAT?* voice.

http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/alb ... torush.php

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1. Engrave Speed Death "Anthem" (4:14)
2. Killingfield "Working Man" (2:46)
3. Shallows of the Mundane "Bastille Day" (3:44)
4. Hostile Intent "Subdivisions" (5:43)
5. Hate Theory "What You're Doing" (3:54)
6. Capital 2 "Tears" (3:56)
7. Scary German Guy "A Passage to Bangkok" (4:08)
8. Disarray "Tom Sawyer" (4:04)
9. Blood Coven "The Temples of Syrinx" (4:02)
10. Mythiasin "Freewill" (5:23)
11. Prototype "Red Barchetta" (6:24)
12. Premonition "The Spirit of Radio" (4:37)

Here is a review:
It seems we have a winner in the never-ending "Worst Tribute Album Ever" contest. Rush songs are notoriously difficult to cover (which is why there's so few of them), so when you get Dwell records dipping into its bottomless tar pit of zero-talent bands, the result doesn't just suck, it's sheer blasphemy! You know there's a problem when the most listenable cover is "Anthem" by Engrave Speed Death, normally a forgettable also-ran on Dwell's other putrid platters. Capital 2 comes up with an interesting idea for "Tears" by interpreting that ballad with a melodic-metal riff, but the opportunity's wasted as that song just goes on and on and ON with no dynamic changes whatsoever. I should also mention Prototype's "Red Barchetta" as a head above the rest, mainly because they appear to have more talent than the other eleven bands combined (alas, that's not saying much.) The rest is absolute garbage -- case in point is "Bastille Day", where the band sticks to only one or two chords from the original, since obviously they're not skilled enough to play that song the way it's supposed to be played! And "Scary German Guy" simply is a waste of a great band name. I don't know what possessed me to trade for this CD except that I was curious to hear if it was really as bad as everyone said...and believe me, it's worse than you can imagine. Save sixty minutes of your life and avoid this album at all costs!

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:18 pm
by awip2062
Kinda hard to cover Rush if you can't drum tight, or sing, or....*thinks of a ton of reasons why*

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:19 pm
by CygnusX1
^^^

^^^

Yikes!

**note to self - Aviod Red Star Tribute Album at all costs!**

sorry you had to lay down hard-earned jack for that Bro. :???:

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:27 pm
by Big Blue Owl
Oh, I'm not regretful of buying it. I have this...room-full shrine-like space dedicated to my Rush collection dating back to '74. I get everything I can find, crap or not. So even though it blows, if it's to do with Rush, it's in there. :-)

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:31 pm
by CygnusX1
Big Blue Owl wrote:Oh, I'm not regretful of buying it. I have this...room-full shrine-like space dedicated to my Rush collection dating back to '74. I get everything I can find, crap or not. So even though it blows, if it's to do with Rush, it's in there. :-)
True Owlie. Swag is SWAG!

I have a mirrored Rush pin I got from a Hemispheres show years
ago...that's about as diverse as my collection gets, barring all the no-
brainer stuff...ticket stubs, autographs, etc.