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To: rush_mailing_list
Subject: 02/26/91 - The National Midnight Star #179
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The National Midnight Star, Number 179
Tuesday, 26 February 1991
Today's Topics:
Administrivia
Sinead and "The Pass"
RE: By-Tor and the Snow Dog
Wal vs. Steinberger vs. Rickenbacher (sp?)
Difficulty finding ASOH ...
Grammy nomination
stuff&more
Re: the Signals blueprint
Signals puzzle and names
Re: 02/21/91 - The National Midnight Star #176
Re: 02/25/91 - The National Midnight Star #178
Re: Rush in Rolling Stone Poll
Video bootleg of Presto tour?
various ramblings of sorts...
(none)
Asbestos Required!
Hemispheres, By-Tor, Names...
(none)
2112 ending
By-Tor & The Snow Dog
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Editor, The National Midnight Star <rush-mgr@syrinx.umd.edu>
Subject: Administrivia
Hi all,
I just wanted to briefly jump in here with my semi-annual
(meaning whenever I get around to it) mention of mail and networks.
I've been noticing a lot of bounced mail lately (several each day)
for various reasons. Many of them are just notices (delayed), others
are incorrect errors for valid addresses (host unknown). I'll get
five different reasons every day on why mail bounced from a particular
site.
When I get these messages, I don't know if the original recipient
will be getting a copy of that digest or not. Because networks are
a bit flakey and machines have a tendency to crash or just get confused,
mail is regularly delayed. In general, if mail is delayed, my mailer will
keep trying for several days to deliver it at 2 hour intervals. This
only happens if it knows the original mail bounced. Other times, mail is
held at an intervening node until it can be forwarded, or (much more
rarely) it is redirected incorrectly or lost. For example, Bitnet is a
store-and-forward network, so I'll only know there was a problem if the
receiving machine indicates so. Mail can be held for days if multiple
sites are having troubles.
What I'm (long-windedly) getting around to saying is that if you
suspect any problem with delivery of the NMS to your site, feel free to
drop a line to the administrative address. When I missed two days of
work a while ago (and didn't produce the NMS) I got mail from about 10
people asking what was up. This is fine, and I'd rather spend an extra
20 minutes sending a standard answer to to people than not know that
people aren't receiving copies when they should. Just one rule of thumb
when wondering if you've slipped in that black hole or not; please wait
until the next day you expect to receive a digest before asking. Some-
times they are delayed, or I'll state in this section that I missed a
day (I try to every time there's an interruption). It may take me a
day or so to reply (longer on weekends), but have faith, I will get back
to you if your mail indicates a need to. If you send mail and get no
response when you expect one, send again - I may have never gotten that
first one...
Well, enough of that drek. :-) On with the show!
rush-mgr
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Chris Schiller <chris@cdc.hp.com>
Subject: Sinead and "The Pass"
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 10:34:37 PST
In a recent NMS someone writes about Sinead:
> Date: 21 February 1991, 14:07:09 EST
> From: ALDSTF10 at OUACCVMB
> To: RUSH@SYRINX.UMD.EDU at EDU
>
As for Sinead, even her detractors have to admit:
1) She has an incredible voice;
2) She has gotten onto the radio one of the more unusual hits of late;
3) She took a strange and unconventional album to #1 on the charts.
I will use these statements about her as something in her defense that
at least one Rush/Sinead fan feels.
>>1) She has an incredible voice;
Pointing out her obvious talent. Does Geddy have an incredible voice?
>>2) She has gotten onto the radio one of the more unusual hits of late;
It seems to me the music listening public has gotten a taste as of late
for "unusual hits". I might point out that the "music establishment" will
do whatever it has to do to make a buck. If this means that "unusual" or
"controversial" or just "bald" will sell, then they will do it. Forget all
of the risk BS, they have their marketing departments and computer
simulations, they know what is going on.
>>3) She took a strange and unconventional album to #1 on the charts.
See the above statements for #2.
I'm sure I am coming across as bashing Sinead. I am more bashing the
mega music conglomerate, of which Sinead (and Rush) is an obvious part.
I do not particularly enjoy her music, but because of her "controversy"
I am very skeptical and suspicious of her motives. She seems to be
positioning herself as a "public figure" instead of as an artist. Maybe
it has all been ruined by the likes of Madonna. Of course I would
prefer the much more artistic positioning of Rush. Put an album out, let
people know about it in a reasonable way, and go on with life. Rush seems
to promote only their art, Sinead seems to promote herself.
THE PASS:
While I have flamed others in the past about wanting a particular
discussion stopped because "it has gone on too long", I will now ask one
question: What are you scared of?
I for one am still learning from the discussions of Christ in "The Pass".
I may be the only one, but there is at least one.
Chris Schiller
chris@cdc.hp.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 14:29:29 EST
From: S. A. Rasche <scrs_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: RE: By-Tor and the Snow Dog
It's sounds logical to me that in order to fully understand a song,
you should try and understand the title. In the case of 'By-Tor and the
Snow Dog' - the story behind the title is rather simple and a bit humorous.
(A simple RUSH title.... hmmm) Anyway, the story goes like this - as told
in _Visions_:
RUSH's road manager, Howard, came up with the title at a party. There
were two dogs at the party, one was a german shepherd and the other was a tiny
white nervous dog. Howard used to call the shepherd 'By-Tor' becuase anyone
that walked into the house was bitten. The other dog was a snow-dog (white...).
So from that night on Howard called the pair of dogs "By-Tor and the Snow Dog."
An odd way to find the title to such a complex tune eh?
Shorts
--Tip your bartenders - Tip your friends--
Kevn Kinney
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Wal vs. Steinberger vs. Rickenbacher (sp?)
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 13:35:24 -0600
From: neely@antares.mcs.anl.gov
Hey all,
Just out of curiousity, am I the only one that
wishes that Geddy would pull out his old Rickenbacker
Bass once in a while? I think the Wal sounds great for
most of the newer Rush stuff - but when it comes to
the boyz just getting down and doing power-trio
rock-n-roll, I think the Rick fills out the bottom
end much better. The sound he gets on Moving Pictures,
in particular during the guitar solo in _The_Camera_Eye,
makes me weep.
Anybody else share this sentiment? If so -
would you like to see him use the Rick in the studio?
or just on tour playing the old stuff?
[ Yes, I want to hear "Cygnus X-I" at concert volume once more before
I die... :-) :rush-mgr ]
While we're at it - what about the Steinberger
he used during P/G album and tour? Anybody count that
as their favorite?
Just curious.
Rob Neely
Argonne Nat'l Lab
Argonne, IL
"Let the truth of love be lighted,
Let the love of truth shine clear."
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Difficulty finding ASOH ...
From: MGOODWIN@maine.maine.edu (J. MICHAEL GOODWIN)
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 15:36:07 EST
Anyone have trouble finding this LP (or CD for that matter). I heard
"Distant Early Warning" and although I've only heard the one song, it seems
that the sound quality surpassed their previous live albums. Anyway,
I went to five stores, and none of them carried it.
[ Do you mean "don't carry it" or "didn't have it"? I can't see them
not carrying it; I can see them not having it in stock. It's $.02 time.
You could keep searching & eventually you'll find it, or you can have
your favorite store special-order it for you. The latter method may
take several days/weeks, and might cost an extra couple of $$. I'd say
just keep looking; I've seen it within the past month. :rush-mgr ]
ORQ- "The more that things change, The more they stay the same"
Mike Goodwin
mgoodwin@maine.bitnet
----------------------------------------------------------
From: rstark@aipna.edinburgh.ac.uk
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 91 16:13:37 GMT
Subject: Grammy nomination
well, about 700 people will probably say this, but...
Rush was nominated for a Grammy, best Rock instrumental, for YYZ.
They lost (I don't know what won).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randall Stark TEL: (+44)-31-650-2725 | Dept of Artifical Intelligence
JANET: rstark@uk.ac.ed.aipna | 80, South Bridge
ARPA: rstark%uk.ac.ed.aipna@nsfnet-relay | University of Edinburgh
UUCP: ...!uunet!mcsun!ukc!aipna!rstark | Edinburgh, EH1 1HN, UK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 14:26:00 MST
From: fpeabody@isis.cs.du.edu (Fred Peabody)
Subject: stuff&more
I'm a guitarist and brought up the question of what mode Freewill was
in. I received a great number of responses, and now would like to ask
for info on the modes used in *any* of Alex's _solos_. I'm trying to
get an ear for what different modes can sound like in a rock context and
apply them to my own songs...
As for the Chain Lightning 'Hey's, I always thought they were keyboards
pushing soft chords: 'Wa Wa Wa'. It happens in the break between verses.
[FP]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 1991 13:31:36 PST
From: CRenshaw.OSBU_North@xerox.com
Subject: Re: the Signals blueprint
Ed Federmeyer noticed the Lerxtwood Mall, Olde Dirk Road and B.J. Pratt
& Assoc. on the blueprint, and wondered about the yellow line and red
pushpins. As this is one of my favorite subjects :-) about Rush, I
thought I'd stick in my 2 cents worth (however many pushpins two cents
gets ya these days...).
You'll notice that the blueprint is labeled as the "K-9 Survey." Now
think of what's on the Signals cover (here's a hint for those of you
without a nearby copy of Signals: a dalmatian sniffing at a red fire
hydrant). 99% of you have probably gotten the connection already, but
I'll spell it out. Each red pushpin is a fire hydrant, and the yellow
line is the route the canines follow.
Cheryl
(who's not afraid to admit to an addiction to puns!)
[ Yeah, Cheryl, go! :-) :rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 17:47:23 -0500 (EST)
From: "William F. O'Dell" <wo04+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Signals puzzle and names
Hi. To whoever asked for it, I have a copy of the Signals program. I
could make a copy of the puzzle along with the answer key and send it. I
really don't think the Signals program is half as good as the Presto one
as far as photos and writen stuff.
Neil is Pratt
Ged is Dirk
Anyone heard anything about the pre album tour-please oh please-bring
back BY-TOR!-and the snow dog too
Furman
wo04@andrew.cmu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 18:18:30 EST
From: michael <H97SI@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Re: 02/21/91 - The National Midnight Star #176
hi,
has anyone noticed aimee mann's voice at the end of tai shan?
you have to listen very carefully-i think she made to this track
also
another thought, i read 'the fountainhead'. i must say that
i had to force my way through it and in my honest opinion i thought
the book sucked. miss rand's concepts are so *(^%#^&* twisted
i can also honestly say that it was the first and i hope the last
book i ever considered burning. sorry neil.
...UNTIL LATER...
mike
p.s. for the person who is reading the book now...try to count how many
times she uses the word 'save' in place of except..............
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 18:38:25 EST
From: michael <H97SI@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Re: 02/25/91 - The National Midnight Star #178
hi again,
sorry to bring this up again, but can ANYONE out there in la la land
please tell me who Alan Weinrib is, and what his story is...for anyone
who has never seen the name, it is on the Video /CD (5 1/2'' version)
of 'The Big Money'(also it is a gold disc)
...UNTIL LATER...
mike
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 19:05:00 -0500
From: mofo@bucsf.bu.edu (jason greene)
Subject: Re: Rush in Rolling Stone Poll
In TNMS 178 Jason Rosenberg mentions:
> in the Rolling Stone issue that has Sinead O'Conner on the cover is also
> the readers poll... guess who gathered honers for favorite bass player
> and favorite drummer...Poor, unrecognized Alex, eh?!?
Unfortunately the Boyz did not really "gather honers" (he spelled it, not
me) so to speak.
For those not reading Rolling Stone (and an apology to those that do), here
is the unauthorized reproduction of the readers' and critics' picks for
best dummer and bassist for 1990, listed in the order of amount of votes
(only one choice was given for the critics' choices in most cases):
READERS CRITICS
Bassist: Paul McCartney Kim Deal (Pixies); (tie)
Geddy Lee Bootsy Collins
Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)
Flea (R.H. Chili Peppers)
Adam Clayton (U2)
Drummer: Phil Collins Will Calhoun (Living Color)
Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)
Neil Peart
Larry Mullen Jr. (U2)
Jason Bonham (son-of-you-know-who)
As you can see, them readers' picks are... well, interesting. I don't know
whether to be pleased and satisfied with my rush-pride that Geddy and Neil
were listed. I mean, it's great to be on the list, but can Paul McCartney
actually play a good bass? I can't say if he can play well or not. I went
to his concert and have been listening to his music for 20+ years and
have never really heard anything more than a simple rhythm from the ex-
mop-top's bass.
More embarassing is the inclusion of Nikki Sixx and Adam Clayton. I am
personally a big fan of the Chili Peppers and Flea (Michael Balzary) and
was not pleased to see "Nikki Sixx" *above* his name.
I think that all this readers' choice thing really does is show how many
people who listen to what groups/performers actually send in the ballot
that RS prints in their magazine in mid-winter (IE, there are a *lot*
of rush fans reading and writing out there... too bad I never seem to run
into any of em on the street or in bars, tho').
As for the critics? Well, keep in mind, these are the same critics that
gave Madonna's Like A Prayer album four stars out of four.
___________________________________/V\ofo______________________________________
"Hey! Wooly's gone apeshit, man!" -Dawn Of The Dead
mofo@bucsf.bu.edu 1039 Comm Ave #24, Boston, MA 02215
Jason Kekoa (Lee Peart Leifson) Greene
All we've got to do is just survive.
____________________________The Psychic Gorilla________________________________
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 17:05:04 -0800
From: ddelany@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Dan Delany)
Subject: Video bootleg of Presto tour?
I'd be interested in finding that. I tried to mail to the person who posted
the original article, but it bounced. Could you post any information you do
have about the video? Email me - maybe it could go in the faql.
(Additionally, is there any way I could get a copy?)
___ddelany@polyslo.calpoly.edu_____Dan_Delany__________________________________
"He's got a force field and a flexible plan... he's got a date with fate in
a black sedan... he plays fast forward just as long as he can, but he won't
need a bed- he's a digital man..."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 19:38:38 cst
From: Jay Cook <cook@donald.cs.umn.edu>
Subject: various ramblings of sorts...
Greetings all my friends across the nation and around the world,
I would like to take this time to comment on some stuff in prev. TNMS's:
David Andrew Rossing talked about Rabbits:
David, that trivia question is rather easy..*pats self on back*
but you're right in thinking it's not. The title was "Attack of
The Killer Rabbits". Rather cute I thought...considering the whole
film scene was done a la ASOH cover figures.
Daryl Santos talked about "Rush heads":
Daryl, I can kinda see where you're coming from when you say
that being called "Rush Heads" isn't exactly the most demeaning name
for us as a group. But keep in mind, that's just his name for it.
(his, being the Patster's...). Frankly, I think we should just stick
with "Rush-fans" myself...oh well, just a though...
Peter John Chestna talked about the New album date:
Friend, if it's any consolation...your post brought a huge smile
to my face!!! Now if this album will be just as good as Presto...
then this list will grow as well...:)
And..to the "Patster"...about some sort of rambling he did which
I can't seem to remember at the moment:
Dude...about the licence plates...BC's happens to be "2112 YYZ"!
I hope to get mine to say "SNOW DOG"!!! But, this is mainly to
just say that I'm not ignoring you here.
Well, that's about it from the Tech scene today...Laters!
***************************************************************
* Jay Cook * ORQ- "If you choose not to decide*
* cook@donald.cs.umn.edu * you still have made a choice" *
* Virginia Tech LASc * *
***************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 21:48:38 PST
From: Eric Rescorla <rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu>
medrcw!bob@uunet.uu.net writes:
>>IMHO, Peart is decrying religion, which has always told its
>>followers that they are doomed to failure/damnation/etc. (No
>>question as to my religious stance, eh?) I really don't think Peart
>>was using "Christ" as an emphatic; he's never done it before. I
>>think he was trying to get the message across that belief in Christ
>>(fill in the blank for your religion of choice) dooms one to an
>>ignoble fate, or, rather, the _belief_ that one has an ignoble fate.
>Ahem.
>Belief in Christ does not doom one to an ignoble fate, and
>Christianity does not damn its own communicants. Rather,
>Christianity holds the promise of personal salvation, eternal life
>in the Presence of God, and peace.
This depends a lot on your perspective. Neil's religious beliefs seem
kinda unclear at this point, but if one considers the possibility that
he is an atheist--or at least non-Christian--then the Christian belief
in self-sacrifice, humility, and personal guilt may seem fundamentally
absurd. For an atheist, as Nietzsche points out, Christianity holds only
the prospect of "slave morality" and submission to the moral judgement of
others. I am not advocating this position, but it is important to
recognize how things look from the outside looking in.
>It is obvious that "Prime Mover" is not conversant with the tenets
>of Christianity; may I politely suggest that Ayn Rand is perhaps not
>the best source of information about that particular faith, since
>she was an atheist. I might also suggest that until "Prime Mover"
>rises from his/her ignorance, that he/she might follow the old
>adage: "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to
>speak and remove all doubt."
Whether or not Prime Mover is "conversant with the tenets of Christianity"
I myself am...Before you ask, I have read the Bible cover to cover. I have
read the Old Testament once and the New Testament at least twice, more for
many books. The truth is that many variants of Christianity have
emphasized self-sacrifice, with particular respect to the sacrifice of
Jesus as an exemplar. Thus, the Catholic church reveres those who were
martyred for the Church. Whether this is an accurate portraying of
Christianity as a whole is certainly open to debate, however, it is
impossible to deny the emphasis on personal sacrifice in many flavors
of Christianity. Witness the apostle Paul, and Origen's self-castration.
In summary, surely Ayn Rand portrays a biased view of Christianity,
as do the Christians themselves. However, it accurately represents the
critique that has been leveled against Christianity for years, of which
Nietzsche is merely the most common proponent. Hence, for Prime Mover
to say what he did far from reveals a profound ignorance of Christianity.
It would be regrettable if this discussion turned from a discussion of
Peart's intentions to one of religious opinion. Perhaps we can keep it
on a less personal level.
-Eric Rescorla
<rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu>
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 00:13 EST
From: "Michael Sensor" <CJB117@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Subject: Asbestos Required!
I seem to have drawn a bit of fire from one medrcw!bob@uunet.uu.net regarding
my analysis of "The Pass" in TNMS 176. To clear up any misconceptions on
this digest, allow me to (briefly) respond.
Mr. "bob" accuses me of ignorance and uses a rather overused quote to
drive that point home. Please note that in my post I merely conveyed an
opinion; this opinion did not necessarily reflect my personal viewpoint.
Mr. "bob" also accuses me of not being familiar with the tenets of
Christianity and gives us a rather subjective overview of that religion.
To set the record straight for "bob" and the anyone else who gives a whit,
I do not believe in God or in any religion of any type; however, I am
(perhaps all too-) familiar with Christianity. I did not say that Christianity
or belief in it dooms one to an ignobel fate; I merely said that perhaps Peart
was trying to say this.
This is the last I will say about this subject. I do not want this to
erupt into a flame-fest of atheists vs. religious zealots, so I will ignore
any further negative comments that may appear here. If someone wants to
debate the subject over e-mail, I am more than willing to do this over
private "bandwidth", but I won't tie up TNMS with this stuff.
Sigh. As Ayn Rand wrote, "Judge, and prepare to be judged."
Michael Sensor (the mysterious "Prime Mover"; yes, I am a "he")
CJB117@psuvm.psu.edu
Pennsylvania State University
OPRQ: "You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 23:31:41 -0700
From: kellerl@mozart.cs.colostate.edu (Pete Wilson)
Subject: Hemispheres, By-Tor, Names...
Hello all,
I was listening to my copy of Hemispheres and it has not a hiss
in it. In fact it sounds perfect. I turned up the volume to a
significant volume as well as using the headphones and the only hiss I
could hear was the slight hiss of the speakers, but the CD itself was
just fine.
As for By-Tor and the Snowdog, it is a song that was inspired
about two dogs. One of them was a German Shepard and the other was a
tiny white dog. The Shepard would bite everyone so it was named By-Tor
and the other dog jumped all over the place and acted nuts and since he
was a snowdog the two of them became known as By-Tor and the Snowdog.
Sort of a simplistic story but...
Pratt, Dirk and Lerxst are Neil, Geddy and Alex, respectively.
Everyone who works with and around Rush gets a nickname such as "B-Man"
for the guy who wrote the biography "Visions". I guess that is the names
that they were given and they have stuck. Who knows why they dedicated
the album to themselves, just being goofy I guess.
-Pete.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 23:39:13 PST
From: Theodore Jay Pederson <case%cs@hub.ucsb.edu>
I have a couple of comments regarding the recent discussion about
Signals. First, viewing the "New World Man" as the United States
yields a very interesting reading of the lyrics IMO. Any comments on
this idea? Also, a while back someone asked for any ideas regarding
The Weapon. I was very interested, but no one has responded. Anyone
have any ideas on this song? Or how about Digital Man? I've always
found these songs fascinating, but my attempts at interpretation have
always been a little unsatisfying.
Regarding Eric Kay's grouping of TNMS readers, I also have a
couple comments that hopefully won't anger anyone. Like Brad
Armstrong, I also feel the groupings are pretty accurate, and I also
would be in the C category. A number of postings have come from
subscribers who are obviously of the A persuasion. On one hand, if
Rush completely satisfies you musically, then I think that is great.
If you're only going to be into one band, you have made a great
choice! On the other hand, there's so much great music out there,
and IMO people who limit themselves in this way are really missing
out. It bothers me when I hear a song like "Jigsaw" by Mike Stern,
and I realize that if a song like this was on the next Rush album,
Rush fans would be raving about it, but since such music doesn't get
as much exposure, good stuff can go unnoticed. For anyone interested
in some experimentation, here are a few fusion albums that I would
highly recommend. The songs are often intricate, fast and furious,
and thus shouldn't offend the sensibilities of Rush nuts, even those
of the heavy metal persuasion. Mike Stern - Jigsaw. John Scofield -
Still Warm. Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue. Bill Bruford - One of
a Kind.
Also, I have to say that I am a little bothered when reading
postings that refute any critisisms of Rush with statements like "Too
bad, your opinion is invalid since Rush did it, and it is therefore
good, etc., etc.." Such comments reflect poorly on the author, and
attempt to stifle intelligent discussion about Rush. I know this will
be considered as blasphemous by the most far-gone fanatics, but Rush
is just a rock trio consisting of human beings that can make mistakes,
occasional bad songs, etc.. I love Rush also, I just think
open-mindedness is key to TNMS being enjoyable to read and post to.
Finally, I'd like to say that I hope I haven't offended anyone, and
I don't consider myself or "group C", whatever the hell that means,
to be superior to anyone else. I also want to stress that while I
thought the grouping of Rush fans was interesting, I am not trying to
encourage the division of TNMS readers into neat little groups, who
can then have little wars between them. Enough said.
Ted Pederson
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 23:55:29 PST
From: djabson@UCSD.EDU (The God of Balance)
Subject: 2112 ending
Last issue Ed Federmeyer asked who the voice at the end of "2112"
belonged to. I myself had always thought it was the "lost brotherhood of man"
but now that you mention it, I suppose it could very well be the priests.
The song seems to be somewhat more climactic if you use the first interpretation
but either one would make sense. I had always pictured this huge battle taking
place (during the "Grand FInale") and the "lost brotherhood of man" reclaiming
"the home where they belong". Funny how you develop your own interpretation
of a song (or story, or poem, etc.) and no other possibilities even come to
mind, at least sometimes that happens.
Dave
"Spinning, whirling, still descending
Like a spiral sea unending."
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: By-Tor & The Snow Dog
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 11:11:41 EST
From: David Arnold <davida@umd5.UMD.EDU>
In the NMS # 178, Gregg Brown <axeman%maple.decnet@pine.circa.ufl.edu>
wrote:
> My roommate and I are mega-fans of RUSH's early classic titled "By-Tor and
>the Snow Dog." We were wondering if anyone knew anything about how the song
>came about.
Ahh, Gregg, you are probably looking too deep. I don't think either By-Tor
or The Snow Dog have any root in a specific legend. I remember from some
interview that the name 'By-Tor' came from a dog who was a byter ('byte-er',
'by-tor'). Also, the place(?) "Tobes of Hades" is taken from a friend's
father, who always used to say "Colder than the Tobes of Hell". It just
happened to stick in a young Neil's head.
Also, Ed Federmeyer <ed@iitmax.iit.edu> wrote:
> At the
> end, when they go "...We have assumed control...", is that the
> "lost brotherhood of man" (mentionied in the "Oracle") coming
> back to reclaim the planets?
Well, I've interpreted it to be the Elder Race returning, as foreshadowed
in "Oracle: The Dream":
"The elder race still learn and grow
Their power grows with purpose strong
To claim the home where they belong
Home to tear the temples down
Home to change..."
Yes, it is a shame that the "protagonist" dies. Maybe Neil was angling
for the irony viewpoint; snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as
it were.
David Arnold Keywords: Rush, Jethro Tull, Crack the Sky, Squeeze, BOC,
Neville Brothers, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd,
Inet: davida@umd5.umd.edu Talking Heads, King Crimson, Rolling Stones,
UUCP: uunet!umd5.umd.edu!davida Police, ELP, Grass Roots, Hollies, Guess Who
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End of The National Midnight Star Number 179
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