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Subject: 03/19/91 - The National Midnight Star #195
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The National Midnight Star, Number 195
Tuesday, 19 March 1991
Today's Topics:
Administrivia
RE: Red Barchetta!
Hi there!!
(none)
Lyrics, Xanadu, Trees
Neil's snare breaking on ATWAS
Jacobs, re:David Spencer,etc
Syrinx-bird throat or Pan's pipes?
(none)
DDD vs AAD vs ADD & RUSH
Re: 03/18/91 - The National Midnight Star #194
(none)
Neil and lyrics
Here we go with another outstanding Rush Poll
non-sequitors and novels
We ALL generate more heat than light
Yes
Bad Lines and Breaking Snares...
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Administrivia
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 13:10:22 EST
From: RUSH Fans Digest Manager <rush-mgr>
Hello all,
If you hadn't noticed yet, there was a glitch in the sending out
of the NMS for Monday, 1/18/91. The issue was prematurely truncated,
about four articles from the real end.
I checked the version on the ftp directory, and it was complete.
I then compared the mailed version and the stored version, and found
what I believe to be the problem. The article which appears to be
the last article in issue #194 ended with a single period "." in
column one on a line by itself. In the Unix mail system, this means
"End of Message", and the mailer truncates anything left over.
This is not a bug, rather the way things are supposed to work. For
future reference, PLEASE do not start a line with the word "From", or
with a period in column one. If you need/want to do this, put some
other character in front of it, like ">From", etc. Thanks.
I'll include the five lost posts as the first five in today's digest,
so no real loss of posts will occur. If you're a completeist, you can
ftp issue number 194 from Syrinx, or get it from the server at Ingr.com.
Editor,
The National Midnight Star
(RUSH fans mailing list)
----------------------------------------------------------
From: "Ian D Bjorhovde" <idbst@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: RE: Red Barchetta!
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 91 19:36:42 EDT
Hello Again-
"I think I'm in the mood" to write to the NMS. In response to
Rauli Lauheren's posting about Red Barchetta on Friday (#193?) I would
like to offer my opinion--
Mr. Lauheren posted two possible interpretations of Red
Barchetta, one that the story takes place in the future, and the other
that it is all a dream of Geddy.
I believe (*** The following is only my opinion ***) that these
two interpretations are really the same one- i.e. The "dream"
interpretation is really the "future" interpretation. This is why I
believe this is so. In the song, Geddy sings about "Air-Cars" that are
giagantic- "two lanes wide" This would seem to be the future. But
when Geddy sings about "eluding the eyes," this also would seem to
indicate the future. (a la 1984) It seems that the "motor law" was
designed to eliminate gasoline powered cars (i.e. the Air Car) and
thus Geddy would have to "elude the eyes" so that he could "commit his
weekly crime." Therefore, it would seem that the story is not a dream,
but rather a story in the future.
However, not only is the song about a car in the future, I
don't think that Neil wrote the song to make predictions about what will
happen in the future. Although it would seem that this is the case, I
heard an interview where Geddy was talking about "Red Barchetta." Geddy
was saying that "Red Barchetta is meant to give the emotion of the
experience to the listener, and perhaps make the listener feel as though
he was behind the wheel driving himself." (Horribly paraphrased from
memory- it's been a while since I heard it) Please notice, Mr. Stark,
the ***** EMOTION ***** that the song was meant to convey.
Well, that's my tidbit for the day. I hope everyone has a fun
and exciting afternoon/evening.
Ian
P.S.: THIS IS IMPORTANT !!!
To whoever posted the list of musical digests- I tried the
Depeche Mode List, and never received anything back. I'm not sure what
the story is with the list, because I think the address is real- I
didn't get anything back from my mailer-daemon. But nothing yet.
[ How long has it been? Do you know they received it? Try sending another
note a week after the first. Sometimes list managers get swamped, or sick,
or go on vacation... I've gotten several 'second attempt' letters from
subscribers. :rush-mgr ]
Ian Bjorhovde idbst@unix.cis.pitt.edu
University of Pitt.
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Hi there!!
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 16:53:36 WET
From: Moschops <M.ODonnell@computing-services.thames.ac.uk>
I have to agree with Eric Kuhnen's letter in NMS#192
"Losing It" has some really powerful images in it's lyrics.
Rush have some of the greatest lyrics of any band that I have listened
to. At least they don't write the usual "Pointless Songs" that infest
the charts.
For example, the first Rush song that I heard was "Manhatten Project"
and The first thing to stike me about the song was the lyrics ( It
remains one of my favorite tracks by the group )
Also the mystery about what Alex is singing in "La Villa Strangiato".
on the "Show of Hands" video. I heard that the passage that he sung
was deleted by Geddy for a joke!!, by cutting his vocal track out of
the final mix. He then added the symbols/warnings about the lyrics.!!
Laters Dudes!!
Moschops
========
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael O'Donnell | Thats " Moschops "
| to my friends!!
Janet : om1ey1@uk.ac.thames.csc | I love Rush, Queensryche
(or) M.ODonnell@uk.ac.thames.csc | and most Rock/Metal
| Bands
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Think of your family tonight. Try to crawl home after the
computer crashes.
----------------------------------------------------------
From: dave.bbs@shark.cs.fau.edu (David Edward Weiss)
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 13:18:41 EST
Subject: the answers at last!!! (i stumped everyone!!)
ok, finally the answers to my quiz on Neil:
the name of his first band:
Mumblin' Sumpthin'
members:
Neil Peart (drums)
Rick Caton (vocals)
Mike Defabio (bass)
Rick Kozak (lead)
year: '67-8
bonus: anyone know Neil's home address from when he was growing up?
(snicker -- i'm holding the answer in my shirt pocket)
dangerous dave (always worth what i charge...)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
why don't piranha attack [insert your favorite religious/ethnic/racial
group here] lawyers? professional courtesy!
purity test score results: 17.3% (12/90) 1,000 ques. version
weissd@tuna.cs.fau.edu (UNIX site, Gary Moore fan club address)
dave.bbs@shark.cs.fau.edu (discrete, datsicily)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Chris Schiller <chris@cdc.hp.com>
Subject: Lyrics, Xanadu, Trees
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 11:26:09 PST
First I'd like to say that Randall and then Anand expressing their
opinions is appreciated. I have never heard a Rush fan say that
they dislike the lyrics. Second, I would like to disagree about
the lack of emotionality. Yes, there is a good bit of left brain
absolutism going on (which I like), but there is a lot of emotion too.
I cannot see how anyone can say that he is not at least a very talented
poet. Yes, there are songs which do not stand beside the greats, even
some that do not stand beside Eddie Van Halen, but geez, this is rock
and roll. One shouldn't have such high expectations all the time.
Instead of flaming, I will give examples.
------------------------------
The Camera Eye
Grim faced and forbidding
Their faces closed tight
An angular mass of New Yorkers
Pacing in rythym race
The oncoming night
They move through the streets
Of Manhattan
Head-first humanity
Pause at a light
Then flow through the streets
Of the city
Are they oblivious
To a soft spring rain
Like an English rain
So light yet endless
>From a leaden sky?
[...]
--------------------------------
Poetry? Undeniable-alliteration, rhyme, imagery.
Emotional? more subjective, but the "soft spring rain"
part should move you a little (it moves me a lot)
or:
------------------------------
And some will sell their dreams for small desires
And lose the race to rats, get caught in ticking traps
And start to dream of somewhere to relax their restless plight
Somewhere out of a memory of lighted streets on quiet nights
------------------------------
or:
------------------------------
Well I guess we all have these feelings
We can't leave unreconciled
Some of them burned on our ceilings
Some of them learned as a child
------------------------------
or:
------------------------------
Are we the last ones left alive?
Are we the only human beings to survive?
------------------------------
or the ever popular:
------------------------------
christ, what have you done?
------------------------------
I could go on, but my bandwidth is getting pretty wide.
On the meaning of "the last immortal man" in Xanadu:
I have thought about it some, and I think it might
just be a compression of "last man" and "immortal man".
Meaning that he is the last man because he is the only
immortal man. Yeah, it's a little confusing, maybe cheap.
On whether Broons Bane was ever meant to be an introduction
to The Trees: I have been working on playing these songs on
guitar, and they don't seem to flow together in any way
other than that they are both "classical" (at least the
introduction to The Trees). I don't think they are even in
the same key (although this has never stopped Rush before or
after this song).
Chris Schiller
chris@cdc.hp.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 09:34:56 hst
From: Hinano Akaka <bigtuna!hinano@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Subject: Neil's snare breaking on ATWAS
Good day!
Well, David, I listened to "The Temples of Syrinx" on ATWAS for Neil's
snare breaking. I THINK it occurs around the second go-around of the
chorus, somewhere around the line "Our great computers". It must be
around there somewhere because the snare sounds like a tom after that
part.
To answer your question about how a snare might sound with the snares
broken, it would sound like a tom or it would have a kind of 'thud'
sound. For any and all who don't know much about a snare drum, it's
called that because of the snares along the bottom head of the drum.
Snares are like beads strung along a wire (please, if anyone can
describe this better, help!). They're quite small and there are
several wires along the head (the actual number depends on the drum
company, I think, but don't quote me on that!). The wires are
attached to a lever on the side of the drum which allows the drummer
to 'turn on' or 'turn off' the snares. When the snares are 'turned
on' (<--ooh, kinky!), that means the lever is 'up' and the snares are
tightened against the bottom head. When they're 'turned off', the
lever is down, and the snares are 'hanging' from the bottom and not
touching the bottom head.
With the snares up (the usual position) the snare has that
"tack" sound. With the snares down, it sounds like a tom with more of
a "dunk" sound, although toms generally have more "life" to them than
a 'dead' snare. All of this is, of course, very general. There are
different types of snares, different tuning techniques, etc. But in
Neil's case in this instant, with his snares broken, they were
probably hanging from the bottom, as if the snares were down. I don't
know what it would sound like if a head was broken, though.
And that concludes today's lesson. Tomorrow we'll focus on
paradiddles and double-paradiddles... Latuhz
Puanani Akaka
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 18:24 EST
From: Shane Faulkner <V127L2QZ@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: Jacobs, re:David Spencer,etc
The chord progression in behind Ged's intro to Jacob on ESL is
C Am F G
Contrary to what someone mentioned in the last digest, this progression is
NOT present in the song.. although the real tune does start out in Cmaj :-)
David Spencer mentioned his first exposure to Rush was on eMpTyV and that
he is 17 years old... This got me thinking... I'm 22 and know a lot of
teenagers (thru friends of my younger brother and kids I work with), and I
can't think of more than 2 teenagers I know who like Rush... When I was
14-17, I heard Rush on the radio all time, that's what got me hooked
(actually I was 12 when I got hooked).... It seems to me that the place
kids today get their musical exposure from is MTV and only MTV.... what
a sad state of affairs. I mean look who is hot today (Vanilla Ice, MC
Hammer) and who was hot 10 years ago... I do believe there will be fewer
new Rush fans added every year.
Re: Randall Stark
------------------
I compliment him for voicing his opinion in a rational manner.... Everyone
judges lyrics on their own terms, and that can't be changed. Personally,
I've never really stopped to think if Neil's lyrics are as efficient as
they could be... it never occurs to me to question wheter Neil is 'showing'
or 'telling'.... All *I* care about is that he writes about interesting
topics, and many of his lines are simply brilliant.
PS. Randall, I do believe you'd like Marillion a lot (blatant plub).. I
recommend checking out the album Clutching_At_Straws.
-Shane
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 17:29:30 -0600
From: Matt Jun <jun@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Syrinx-bird throat or Pan's pipes?
Attention all readers of TNMS:
I don't know if this has been dicussed before(I've only been reading this
for about two months), but the recent talk of 2112 led me to due a little
research.
[ The "From" bug arose here - apparently indenting doesn't cut it. Try
a ">" before "From", or something like that next time... :rush-mgr ]
From the Short Dictionary of Mythology:
Syrinx-name of nymph who, to escape from the importunities of Pan, was changed
by Dianainto reeds, out of which he made his famous pipes, naming them, "the
Syrinx."
Also, from Webster's:
syrinx-the vocal organ of songbirds, located at the base of the trachea, also
a musical instrument made of graduated lenghts of reeds bound together.
(Both reprinted w/o permission)
So what do you think? Is there some meaning to the use of Syrinx or is it
just another case of Neil just using a word because he likes the sound of it?
*****************************************************************************
* "And The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth..." Yeah, OK, So what do I get ? *
* "She's Big, She's Bad-Who Can Find The Beast?"-Aphrodite's Child *
* "It's One O'Clock, and time for lunch."-Genesis *
* "Nobody, But Nobody, Eats The Simpsons"-H. Simpson *
* *
* Matt Jun jun@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (217)-384-8988 *
*****************************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 19:04:44 EST
From: Kenneth Suzan <kdsu_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: DDD vs AAD vs ADD & RUSH
I was just wondering what people thought about this. A friend of mine
told me that I shouldn't buy CDs that are AAD. He said the quality of
sound is identical to tape. What do you think?
-Ken
[ I think it's close, but tape will wear out, a CD won't (theoretically;
let's not argue durability of the medium). Also, you won't get any
tape hiss from the *listening source*, but you can sometimes hear the
tape hiss from the original master tape. :rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 23:22 EST
From: <UN040461%WVNVAXA.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> (mephistopheles)
Subject:
This is my first post (yes, I'm a virgin), so please excuse my
ignorance, grammar, spelling, and cactus.
A friend of mine told me a couple of months back that he saw "Yo! MTV
Crap (ups. those darn typos)" Anyway, Dr. Moron and the fat guy apologised
on the show to Rush, their manager, and their record label. Does anyone
know why? Was it even the same Rush (You never know, Run-DMC may now
be doing covers of Spirit Of Radio, and Show Don't Tell {sh-sh-sh-show,
don't te-te-tell})? Just a wonderin'.
Nathan Centofanti
too many quotes, too little time.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 3:51:30 EST
From: Lee Nussbaum <wln@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu>
Subject: Re: 03/18/91 - The National Midnight Star #194
...In NMS #194, Dan Dickerman notes the strength of the link between
computerdom & Rush. This link, though not necessarily subsidiary, is,
I would suspect, highly related to the strength of the ties between
computerdom & Libertarianism or Objectivism, as well as the Rush <->
Rand ties. In Computer Lib '87, Ted Nelson notes that in a
early-to-mid-80's survey, a sampling of the registered Libertarian
party members in NY state showed that over half were, in some way,
'computer people.' I've often suspected there's a little Judaic link
as well, since Rand, Peart, & Lee (at least, and if I remember
correctly: someone correct me if I'm wrong or leaving
tightly-related-enough people out, please!) come from historically
Jewish backgrounds. But that's probably also personal biased
perception...
Anyway, with respect to the computer <-> Rush relationship:
The philosophy Rush presents is not 'orthodox' Randian Objectivism.
(Yay!... as much as I agree with much of Obj'ism, too many of its
supporters treat some nonessentials as essential. I have particular
problems with various statements accredited to Peikoff...) Its
essentials, however, as well as most of the consequences of those
essentials, appear to be in agreement with Objectivism. Among them
are: the importance of context (and as a consequence, but probably
more significantly, the problems with context-dropping), the
recognition of sensual observation as objective (if, again, the
observer is aware of context: that of the situation and his or her
own), and that a thing is itself (A is A), not an inferior
representation of an undefinable ideal. These three, in particular,
are more explicit, yet more assumed, in computers than anywhere else.
Much of programming is direct application of these principles:
proceduralization and object-construction are exercises in recognizing
what depends on context and how. The precision required of a computer
program is, in many ways, absolute: routines are direct applications
of logic that must give 100% predictable results. Error is handled by
other routines that analyze the error and give a result that falls
into a predictable result, if necessary. Yet In other sciences, there are
levels of ambiguity, error, imprecision; even though, in many ways,
they are very predictable, the error may imply subjectivity; particle
physics, if one drops context and doesn't place them within a
framework that seems to extend infinitely, imply a non-predictable,
subjective universe, in many people's minds.
In the humanities, these beliefs are directly
under attack from much of many faculties.. My Contemp. Civ. prof, for
our reading of Kant, felt it necessary to add 'Know It, Live It, Love
It' to his note to pay close attention, during reading, to the section
on Kant's Imperative, or the dropping of context. Most of his other
reading comments have been much dryer.
The music? I haven't figured out that one, yet. I haven't figured
out any psychology of music, and still can't find anything graspable
enough for those associations. Any ideas?
In a side note, and in reference to a comment quite a while back about
Big Money, (and, more generally, about someone's perception that it
was one of the songs that indicated a big split from an
Objectivism-like philosophy,) I noticed tonight, watching the Big
Money video on Chronicles, that:
the video's on a *Monopoly*-like board, with the 'free parking' corner
reading 'N.S.F.'. And unless I'm missing a more obvious reference,
that could very easily refer to the National Science Foundation,
particularly given the fact that in Atlas Shrugged, the most-faulted
individual is the scientist Dr. Robert Stadler, whom she sees as
betraying his scientific rationality by allowing - actually, pushing
for - state funding of science research. That, it appears, and the
more general case of Government-granted monopoly has a lot to do with 'the
Big Money'. My apologies to the list if this had been gone over
earlier, but I remembered the question and didn't remember seeing a response.
Anyway, talk to you later
- Lee
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 09:32:28 PST
From: Eric Rescorla <rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu>
On the topic of Red Barchetta.
>object: I think the song takes place in the present, not the future.
>The "alloy air car" is just a metaphor for police vehicles, though I
>don't think it means they are actually "floating on air." Now, correct
>me if I'm wrong, but there actually is a car called the Barchetta which,
>I believe is illegal to drive in the US. (anyone happen to know why?)
>made the car illegal for whatever reason. I've never heard anyone
>interpret it as being futuristic, but after reading that last letter,
>it's a possibility.
No, it has to be futuristic. Consider the following two lines:
"Sunday's I elude the wire and hop the turbine freight."
Now, I'm not a railroad engineerbut I've also neve hear of a turbine
freight. Sounds futuristic to me.
"A gleaming alloy air car shoots towards me two lanes wide"
Now, cop cars are NOT two lanes wide. And we know that he means this
because he loses the air car by going through a 1-lane bridge.
So, it has to be set in the future to make any sense.
That all clear there, boys and girls?
-eric
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Rescorla rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu
Yale University Department of Chemistry rescorla@psun.chem.yale.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 19 Mar 91 10:05:00 EDT
From: "MAPLE::AXEMAN" <axeman%maple.decnet@pine.circa.ufl.edu>
Subject: Neil and lyrics
Hey fellow Rush addicts!!
First of all, I would like to say that I was shocked to read Randy's
post on *his* opinion on Rush's lyrics. I was quite impressed that he
had the guts to express that strong an opinion on this server (good for
you, Randy!). Anyhow, I am a relatively new Rush fan, but I assure you
that I have more passion for the band than anyone I know. I will say that
when I first started listening to Rush (after ASOH), I didn't really pay
much attention to the lyrics and I couldn't appreciate the music that much.
I *liked* Rush and I saw the Presto Tour (In Orlando), but I just *liked*
them. Well, that was until summer 90 when I borrowed a couple of tapes
from one of my roommates and I sat down and read the lyrics to PoW and
Signals. I realized that there was an AWFUL lot more to Rush than just
cool music. In case you haven't already guessed, I adore Neil's lyrics.
However, I must agree with some others that Neil, believe it or not, is
a human being and he is not perfect (hard to believe I know). I agree
that Neil has some lines/songs that are lacking lyrically. A couple of
these are War Paint and Open Secrets. Now I **Love** just about every
Rush song in existence but I can't seem to get into some of the lyrics.
I have a request for all you lyric buffs. I have been OBSESSED with
Distant Early Warning for a long time now. It is an outrageously great
song. However, I fail to understand exactly what it is about. Forgive
me but I sometimes have trouble with literature/poetry (I'm an Engineering
major).
One last thing, I wonder exactly how many of you out there like Power
Windows. For some reason, many Rush fans that I know like it but don't
find it to be anything special. I hold the opposite opinion. I am
debating whether it is my favorite Rush cd. The song Territories just
blows me away EVERY time I hear it. Hope to hear from y'all soon!!
Gregg Brown
ORQ- "The hopeful depend on a world without an end,
whatever the hopeless may say."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 10:49 EDT
From: "Douglas G. Schwabe" <DGSST4@vms.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: Here we go with another outstanding Rush Poll
In the recent outbreak of polls I decided to start one of my own. The topic
should be interesting and should appeal to every die-hard Rush fan:
If you wanted to create a cassette featuring you all-time favorite Rush
songs (I do mean extremely favorite, best of the best, etc) what would those
songs be? Would your tape be a mixture of songs from the '70's and '80's
(e.g. Xanadu with Superconductor)? Would your tape consist of only 70's stuff
or 80
(sorry 'bout that) stuff? Would you make your tapes based on themes (e.g.2112
with Cygnus (both books) )? What about your favorite live songs (I have been
wanting to make a tape like that for years)? Do you have any ideas how to
want your tape to come out? IOW, do you have any ideas of your own?
If you have any ideas or you agree with the above ideas, please send them
plus a list of songs that you would put on this tape (Minimun 10, Maximum 20)
The results will be posted in MNS. These results will consist of the most poput(that's popular) songs for each tape as well as themes tapes and live songs
tapes. If you have any questions at all about this please send mail.
If you have any ideas and songs, send mail anyway!! Here's the addresses:
Douglas
Schwabe
VAX: dgsst4@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Unix: cschwabe@unix.cis.pitt.edu
dgsst4@unix.cis.pitt.edu
Have fun making your list!!
Let's Go Penguins!!!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1991 11:15:17 EST
From: RH2@JAGUAR.UCS.UOFS.EDU (Rebel, Runner, Restless young Romantic)
Subject: non-sequitors and novels
i must fill this empty void of screen, so i will relay random RUSH rhetoric.
the song 'losing it' is not only about failure, but
specifically about ernest hemingway. one should note the
refences to the suicidal author. '...the bells tolls for me.'
is neil's response to the title _for whom the bell tolls_.
the second stanza, however, concerning an author who has lost
inspiration, parallels hemingway's slow painful demise-as a victim
of cancer('...now his mind is darkened by his sickness'), and as a
muse-less writer. another allusion/illusion: 'as he stares out the
kitchen door, where the sun will rise no more.'->ref to _the sun also
rises_.
in general, the song has a 'hemingway style'-absurdist, if
i may suggest, in that suicide is preferable to failure, since one
has made the choice(i feel an allusion) to die.
personally, hemingway is better than taking valium, and possibly
more damaging to my neurons, but he has his place in the halls of
literature...and neil has peered on that shelf.
rose
[ The writer is indeed Hemingway; the dancer was supposed to be partially
modelled after a character in "The Turning Point". See the FAQL for
the notation. :rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 11:59 EST
From: CRANMER@MPS.OHIO-STATE.EDU
Subject: We ALL generate more heat than light
Hello,
Yes, this is the "LYNCHING" dude. And I do apologize for that, Randall.
But I don't apologize for expressing my opinions. It seems strange to
me that many people seem to classify spirited discussion as "flames," thus
it must be stopped. We _are_ adults, here, and opposing viewpoints are
bound to occur, so why not express them in some kind of debate? Yes,
using terms such as "lynching" and "napalm" may not be the best way to do
this [ fun to read, though :-) ], but is quenching any kind of disagree-
ment a valid thing to do, either???
Anyway, I do NOT think of Neil Peart as a "god." In fact there are Rush
lyrics that I do not like (gasp!). What I do like about Neil is that he
(to mis-quote James Joyce) "points to what is grave and constant in human
suffering." To me, "socially conscious" songs like _Second Nature_ and
(arguably) _Red Tide_ seem to undermine this quality. Neil's best lyrics
discuss the human condition in general, not say what we "should" do in
the specific.
And let's remember that this is "only" rock and roll. When one compares
Neil to his fellow lyricists, he, in my opinion, rises to the top. If one
compares him against all of *Literature* (however you want to define that
word!), all kinds of other issues arise: How "derivative" is Neil of
Rand, or Dos Passos, etc...?
Remember, he "generates more heat than light!"
(don't we all!)
Just improvising,
Steve Cranmer
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Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 10:11:53 MST
From: Mark S. <mserda@hydra.unm.edu>
Subject: Yes
I wondered if anyone knew the dates for the Denver and Phoenix concerts
I am interested in seeing this band. I have never seen them before in
concert. Thanks!
Mark S.
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From: stedmant@LONEX.RADC.AF.MIL (Terrance A. Stedman)
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 12:26:57 EST
Subject: Bad Lines and Breaking Snares...
Although I consider myself to be one of the biggest Rush fans and
even still a bigger Neil Peart fan, I still find that some of the lines
in their songs are not to my liking. Case in point from "Anthem" off FBN:
Live for yourself -- there's no one else
More worth living for
Begging hands and bleeding hearts will
Only cry out for more
To me, those lines are both disturbing and depressing. Flames are pretty
much discouraged, but any comments on the above lines would be appreciated.
As far as breaking snares go, it is quite possible to do this by
having a broken stick slice through the batter and snare side heads. Although
the batter side head is pretty durable, a lot of pounding on it can weaken
it to the point of breaking. The snare side head is normally very thin to
produce that "crisp" snare sound. It is very easy to tear this head as a
result. However I must confess that you would have to hit a snare drum
pretty darn hard to slice through two heads and break the snares as well!
Cheers!
Terry
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||_) || | ((~ ||_| Terry Stedman ORQ: "if I could wave
|| \ ||_| _)) || | (stedmant@lonex.radc.af.mil) my magic wand..."
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End of The National Midnight Star Number 195
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