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Subject: RUSH Fans Digest of 07/25/90 (#17)
RUSH Fans Digest, Number 17
Wednesday, 25 July 1990
Today's Topics:
Premiering songs
Re: Songs premiered at tours not supporting that album?
(none)
what is the Spirit of Radio
Answering questions...
Alex special apperance
Territories and drum parts
Re: The Spirit of Radio
Re: RUSH Fans Digest of 07/24/90 (#16)
Rush Digest
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Subject: Premiering songs
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 09:24:34 EDT
From: David Arnold <davida@umd5.UMD.EDU>
In RUSH Fans Digest #16, Kurt Finchum asked:
>Does anyone know if Rush has ever premiered a tune during a tour that was
>not supporting the album on which the tune appears?
The last time I *remember* (key!) it happening was on the Hemispheres
tour, when they premeired "The Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill".
Didn't they also do some Moving Pictures stuff on the Permanent Waves
tour?
On "Stellar Dynamics" & 'the Electric Lady tape' (1974), they do songs
from their upcoming album, Fly By Night. As a matter of fact, on the
S.D. album, Geddy says something to the effect of "this is a new song
we've just finished writing; you're the first ones to hear it".
> what are the odds (based on past tours) that on the next
>tour we might hear something on Presto that wasn't played this time around?
I can't remember anything that followed this pattern, but I'd love to
see "Chain Lightning" live!
David Arnold Keywords: Rush, Neville Brothers, Squeeze, Crack the Sky,
Peter Gabriel, ELP, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd,
Inet: davida@umd5.umd.edu Talking Heads, Arc Of Ones (RIP), Stones, BOC,
UUCP: uunet!umd5.umd.edu!davida King Crimson, Police, Grass Roots, Hollies
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Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 09:49:59 PDT
From: Ron Chrisley <chrisley@parc.xerox.com>
Subject: Re: Songs premiered at tours not supporting that album?
To answer Kurt's question: yes.
That is, I know from personal experience that Rush premeires songs on tours
other than the tour for the album on which the song appeared.
First, the kind of case that is most relevant to Kurt's motive for asking the
question (that is, the case where it is premeired *after* the initial
tour): Witch Hunt. From what I've read, this was intended to be a
"production number", not to be played live. And, sure enough, it wasn't
played on the "Moving Pictures/Exit Stage Left" tour that I saw. However,
as I'm sure many are aware, it was premeired on the P/G tour, as part of the
complete "Fear" trilogy.
But there is another case: where the song is preimered *before* the album
on which it appears. When I saw Rush in London on Nov 5th, 1981, they
played "Subdivsions", even though "Signals" would not be released for about
8 months. But there are many cases of this kind of preview: they like to
test their songs out in concert.
Ron Chrisley chrisley@csli.stanford.edu
Xerox PARC SSL New College
Palo Alto, CA 94304 Oxford OX1 3BN, UK
(415) 494-4728 (865) 793-484
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Date: Tue, 24 Jul 1990 15:24:57 EDT
From: STU_PMWIDENE@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU (f**king red stratocaster must Die!!)
>In other words, what are the odds (based on past tours) that on the next
>tour we might hear something on Presto that wasn't played this time around?
>
>-Kurt
>
This has happened, I think. For instance, I don't think Rush performed
Vital Signs on the MP tour, but it was part of the encore on the P/G tour
(both on the tape and when I saw them live). I think they brought Witch
Hunt out for the same tour.
re: the P/G discussion --
P/G is one of my favorite albums because...blah blah blah ;). No, seriously,
I've always regarded p/g as a very reactionary work. After all the press
rumors about a breakup that followed Signals, and their separation from Broon,
and the opinions about "where's Alex on Signals" and "is Rush becoming a
synthesizer band", I think the band were very committed to making a
different sort of album than Signals. And that's what p/g is. Alex is very
prominent on the album; I've read interviews with Geddy and Alex where they
have commented on the fact that p/g was basically an over-reaction to
the synthesizers of Signals, and that Alex's guitar "came back and crushed
out all the dynamics of the synths". My opinions on the album have ranged
far and wide since it was released, though. In places (Distant Early
Warning, Red Lenses, Kid Gloves) it's brilliant, in others (most notably
Red Sector A, for me) it sounds almost clumsy, like a brute-force effort
to get the song done (the live version of Red Sector A from _A Show of Hands_
rectifies the original's flaws for me in grand fashion - it's much crisper
and cleaner IMHO).
After all of this, though, my stated caveat is: When you're evaluating
the album, you can't take it out of context. That's why I think p/g is
a very reactionary work. As others have commented, it's also a very
dark work, noting the death of Robbie Whelan (Afterimage), the completion
of the Fear Trilogy (the WeInTeHmIyN -- enemy within, neat, eh? ;) and
the themes of humanity versus the machine (the egg in the vise, 'the body
electric', 'between the wheels') and humanity versus humanity (DEW,
'red sector a', 'kid gloves', 'red lenses'). Geez, could I be a little
bit more long-winded?
#4 on Pat's Top Ten List of Rush Fantasies that will never happen:
I'd like to hear the results of a 1990 re-recording of Signals. Given
the group's changes in performance style and production values, I think
such a re-rerecording would be a blast to listen to. This has mainly to
do with a long-standing beef I've had with the production/mix job on
Signals. Ah well, I can but dream.
Later!
ob. Rush Quote: "...so we said, the hell with it, let's make a rock
record." - Geddy, about 'Presto' in Guitar Player magazine
----------
Patrick Widener patrick@dirac.physics.jmu.edu
James Madison University stu_pmwidene@jmuvax1.bitnet
ICBMNet: 38030'N, 78050'W
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Date: 24 Jul 90 15:03 -0500
Subject: what is the Spirit of Radio
From: yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca!
>X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.0.4 1/31/90)
In Toronto, it's radio station CFNY,
apparently a great station. I don't think the
nod to Simon & Garfunkel was supposed to be a
shot at them, or a criticism - just a witticism.
The phrasing is so different from the "Sounds
of Silence" that most casual listeners don't catch
on, even if they've heard both songs often.
--
Kerry Yackoboski <yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca>
The Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Laboratory in the Cellar
U of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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Date: 24 Jul 90 15:07 -0500
Subject: Answering questions...
From: yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca!
>X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.0.4 1/31/90)
Puanani Akaka aasked about the nationalities
of some bands - Saga and Gordon Lightfoot are
Canadian, Steppenwolf isn't although John Kay
is or was - the rest of the band wasn't.
If there's really interest I might post a
list of all the Canadian recording acts I could
think of, but I see little point - most of them
have never really been heard elsewhere, and besides,
so what - it's just their home, right?
--
Kerry Yackoboski <yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca>
The Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Laboratory in the Cellar
U of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 13:26:00 EDT
From: GREG GORING <CS110255@Sol.YorkU.CA>
Subject: Alex special apperance
I just picked up the new GOWAN release and guess who plays guitar
Alex Lifeson.This was a surprise because i wonder where he got the time
to play on Gowan's album,with making Presto and the tour as well.
Also i wonder on how many tracks he performed on since he was listed on the
main band list (with Ken Greer of Red Rider as well) and there was a couple
of other guitarists who was named elsewhere in the album.
This apperance is better than the one he made with Platinum Blonde(YECH).
Also,didn't Alex produce a EP for a small band a few years ago.Who were
they anyways???
Greg G.
CS110255@YUSOL
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From: telxon!teleng!dank@uunet.UU.NET (Dan Kelley)
Subject: Territories and drum parts
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 17:30:41 EDT
# From: Jeffery Bacon <BACON%MTUS5.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
#
# To break off on new things...I just stopped to listen to the "Territories"
# drum part a bit more than usual...and...well, I noticed that at times, Neil's
# beating out 16th's on (hi-hat? na, too bright for that...?) AND a rhythm on
# (roto-?)toms...is that possible?
#
# (NO, I know nothing abour drums. I'm a bass player by trade. But I've
# spent enough time having to listen to drummers to be curious about such
# things...)
#
Ok, I'm listening to "Territories" right now and this senerio sounds like a
classic case of over-dubbing to me (which is probably sampled in concert).
Studios can do wonders these days. The light sound you hear sounds to me like
some sort of crotalie with a splash cymbol thrown in for a "kick". The "tom"
sound is most likely some type of bongo which is probably generated
electronically.
Even though this is a case where he is not "playing" everything
simultaniously, listen to "Red Barchetta" toward the end. The left hand is
playing half notes on the snare, the right hand is playing eighth notes
on the high-hat and the right foot is playing quarter-note triplets on the
bass! I love that section and yes, I think it's hard to do. Another good
song to listen which displays Neil's feet coordination is "Grand Designs" and
"Manhatten Project" from _Power Windows_.
Also, another classic Peart rythem is the "samba" beat that he plays on
the ride cymbol. This appears on many songs such as "YYZ", "Distant Early
Warning", "The Spirit of Radio", "By-Tor And the Snowdog", among others.
Dan...
--
Dan Kelley <-> ...!uunet!telxon!dank <-> telxon!dank@uunet.uu.net
Telxon Corporation <->
Akron, OH 44313 <-> "...sadder still to watch it die than
(216) 867-3700 x3123 <-> never to have known it..." - N. Peart
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Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 21:14:21 EDT
From: Gary L Dare <gld@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu>
Subject: Re: The Spirit of Radio
The title of this Rush song refers to CFNY-FM, a station that was
a major pioneer in programming (and to some degree may still be;
I don't live in Toronto anymore). Before new wave/punk and electro-
dance hit, CFNY played a lot of progressive rock that the Top 40
(actually, Top 100 if you know about Canadian programming laws)
stations wouldn't play even to fill space between the hits. "The
Spirit of Radio" is a tribute to those halcyon days of radio in
Toronto (which has a great cutting edge music scene, rivalled only
by Boston and London, UK) and the station still uses that motto (the
boys actually lifted this from the adverts) but now they play "Modern
Rock" (i.e., Top 100 Brit Rock, some of which Americans call "college
music").
gld
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Je me souviens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary L. Dare No golf courses on
> gld@cunixD.cc.columbia.EDU Mohawk Indian
> gld@cunixc.BITNET burial grounds! (Oka, Quebec)
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Date: Tue, 24 Jul 90 21:52 EST
From: "Paul G. Ackerman III" <ACKERM25%SNYBUFVA.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Re: RUSH Fans Digest of 07/24/90 (#16)
Antony,
I don't believe that the end of "The Spirit Of Radio" is so much a
parody on S&G as it is a poke on radio stations and the radio industry. The
Spirit Of Radio was written at a time when businessmen found out that money
could be made in radio, and they started changing formats around. What used
to be AOR stations changed to Top-40, Classic Rock, Soul, and other
fragmented subdivisions of musical tastes. Rush was against this, for what
reason I don't know. But they found that a Toronto, Ontario station CFNY
(102.1) was still playing a wide variety of music. Their slogan was (and
still is) "The Spirit Of Radio", and Neil had the idea to write a song about
the magic of radio, and how music should be free, with little business
strings as possible. I'm glad to report that the Spirit Of Radio is STILL
alive and well these days, playing a wide variety of what they like. I
myself don't listen to the radio much at all, I tend to listen to my own
collection (I like having complete control of what I'm listening to) so I
don't really know much more than that about the station itself.
I believe that Neil's changing of the S&G lyric "For the words of the
prophets were written on the subway walls, and tenement halls" is what a
record producer does, not an artist. This is a weird way of thinking about
it, but picture a record producer, much like the producer in Pink Floyd's
"Have a Cigar". Someone who is money hungry, using others art to get rich,
listening to the lyric by S & G. Then while counting his riches says, "If
only he really knew that 'The words of the prophets were written on the
studio walls, and concert halls'". I think that the change in the quote is
the sounds echoed by the salesman. This is just my interpretation of the
song, and it's open for revision (or scrapping altogether).
I forgive if I have confused anyone with my scenario. I also forgive
if I've offened those who are, or know people in the recording business. I'm
just offering my interpretations, and subjective analysis.
Onto another topic: Canadian Acts
Another band that has yet to be mentioned is Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
It was a line up of Randy and Richard (?) Bachman, once with The Guess Who.
They are another Mercury artist, and they helped paved the way (in an
indirect way) for Rush to be signed as a Mercury-Polygram (Polydor) recording
band. When people in the recording business heard BTO they "put on their
parkas and headed up to the Great White North" as Geddy put it on a Radio-
America interview. Mercury wanted to sign a good Canadian band and then they
made an offer that Rush couldn't refuse, so Rush didn't.
Take it easy all, and Have Fun!
Paul Ackerman, Buffalo, NY
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From: "Gary \"Lil King\" Long" <glong@uceng.UC.EDU>
Subject: Rush Digest
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 90 0:03:21 EDT
Hey all,
I have just started reading the Rush digest and I was wondering if
anybody could help me with a question about one of Rush's new songs.
The Pass, from PRESTO. I just started listening to Rush about two
years ago do to a friend of mine. He really likes them and follows
and believes in everything the group stands for. Well right after
he got me really hooked on there music and I really started listening
to the words and not just the music I realized that there songs do
have a lot of meaning to them. Well soon after that about a year later
right before Presto came out(I might wrong about the dates) my
roomate in college committed suicide. Then Presto came out with
the song "The Pass". My question is, what was this song written
about and who wrote it. I have my own theories, but I was just
wondering exactly what the song is all about. The last of the
song in my opinion is about a great warrior or friend that "set a
bad example" and "made surrender seem all right". Due to someone
committing suicide(especially a leader) others may think it is OK.
And we was obviously a "noble warrior";"who lost the will to fight!"
And everybody was mad at him for doing it "no salutes to your surrender"
and they lost the respect they had for him "nothing noble in your fate"
and then they ask the question "CHRIST WHAT HAVE YOU DONE".
The rest of the song(the beginning mostly) talks abou this "Warriors"
life up till the end. As I stated before this song came out right
after my friend died. THis song describes his life right up till
and after he died. He was a leader and he did many things for a lot
of people. They respected and liked him, but after he committed
suiced everybody was mad at him, I mean real mad. To the point that
they almost hated him. What they needed was time to think out
just what had happened to their good friend. Then they asked the
question about a year later "CHRIST WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Is this
what THE PASS is all about?
Later,
============================================================================
|----- -----| |----- -----| |----- -----|
| >RUSH< |>>>>>| Gary "=LIL KING=" Long |<<<<<| >PINK FLOYD< |
| Presto | | glong@uceng.uc.edu | | A Momentary |
|Moving Pictures|>>>>>| Kings JERB Chuck Inc. |<<<<<|Lapse of Reason|
|----- -----| |----- -----| |----- -----|
"All the world's indeed a stage :"We all have a darkside to say the least
and we are merely players...." : and dealing in death is the nature of
Limelight the beast!" Dogs of War
=============================================================================
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