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Subject: 09/06/91 - The National Midnight Star #334
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The National Midnight Star, Number 334
Friday, 6 September 1991
Today's Topics:
brought to us by...
(none)
Re: Big Money NSF
NSF?
NSF on Big Money
(none)
South End of a North-Bound Elephant
Hamilton Show
Pop? So what!
Misc. RTB
Many things
Cygnus X-1 Book 1 - The Voyage
ROLL THE BONES-LTIS
RTB
Misc. RTB & Other Stuff
RTB
RTB pictures
Some thoughts on RTB
RTB overdubs / Roch. Presto show
lady dark (oops)
Rush on the cover.....
The Big Money Video and the NSF Question
this 'n that 'n the other ...
RTB production and style
This and That
Very Canadian!!!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 11:39:14 HST
From: hinano@ahi.pbrc.Hawaii.Edu (Hinano Akaka)
Subject: brought to us by...
Hyvaa huomenta, kaikkille!
well, no one (i think...of course i'm a few digests behind...) has
brought up the fact that
Roll the Bones is brought to us by the letter "B"
puanani
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 16:38:39 -0400
From: merk!uvmark!davem@uunet.UU.NET (Dave Meeks)
Fellow Rushians, I picked up the new Rush album on Tuesday, and after having
listened to it many, many times, I thought I would make some comments on it.
Well, it isn't their best work to date, but I think I still like it anyway.
I love the cover artwork, and even more so, I love the back cover art work.
As for the album itself, well, it has it's highs and it's lows. I really like
the "sound" of it, and like the sound of Alex's guitar and Geddy's bass.
I was struck by how simplistic most of the drumwork sounded, especially for
Neil. Even on Where's my Thing?... So, here is my assessment of the album,
track by track...
Dreamline - I really like this track, and it is one of my current favorites.
Very good song, Neil's trademark key lines (I love some of the lines he has
in his songs... this time. "We're only immortal for a limited time")
Grade: A-
Bravado - Really mellow, yet an awesome song... This is currently my favorite
from this album. Fairly simplestic lyrics, yet I like a lot of the wordplay.
I love the mood.
Grade: A+
Roll the Bones - The song with the Rap section, the controversial song it
seems. I think opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one and they all
stink... Personally, I love the song, like the rap section, but don't really
see why the rap section is in the song. I am another one who thinks the
rap does not belong here and it kinda detracts from the song. On it's own,
I actually like the rap section though...
Grade: B+
Face Up - Yuck... Once again, remember everyone has opinions, this is mine...
I just don't like it at all.. Perhaps the first time EVER I have listened to
a Rush song and just plain not liked it...
Grade: D+
Where's my Thing - Too short, too repetitive, but funky and excellent
nonetheless... I love the bass lines. My only real complaint is that it
struck me as rather simplistic musically. I mean, La Villa and YYZ were
exercises in musical talent. This song seems too simple. But I like it...
Grade: B+
The Big Wheel - Kind of plain... I mean, this is a song that even though I
just listened to it, I can't remember it at all.. very disappointing, almost
filler.
Grade: C+ (I don't remember it, but I think it would be that)
Heresy - very mellow, what happened to this being such a rocking album???
So far, almost everything has been very mellow... I like this song though.
I like the lyrics, I like the song, I like the music.. Nuff' said...
Grade: B
Ghost of a Chance - I like this one, but once again... Mellow.. Mellow..
A love song??? By Neil??? Strange concept.. I think he did a great job,
but still it was strange hearing it...
Grade: B-
Neurotica - Not what I expected, and I think it could have been so much better.
I was expecting lyrics much like this, but I was expecting this song to really
kick at some point. Thought it would break into a King Crimson sound or
something.. Something that would just cut loose completely. I was disappointed
that it didn't. Still liked it, but it could have been so much better
Grade: B+
You Bet Your Life - Not bad, not great, but not bad...
Grade: B-
Overall - The album was much, much to mellow for my tastes and expectations.
It also seemed to lack the raw energy that Presto had. Maybe it was the way
the songs were supposed to sound, but they sounded kind of tired in a way.
Not my favorite Rush album, not their worst by far. And, afterall, I have only
listened to it about a dozen times, it could grow on me even more. Overall,
I would give it about ... 7 out of 10 stars, a B average, whatever...
And remember, this is all MHO... So, don't flame me, and for god's sake, don't
try to correct me...
============================================================================
David T. Meeks || "Why are we here? Because we're here.
VMark Software, Inc. || Roll the Bones" - Rush
uvmark!davem@merk.com || "Alive at both ends, but a little dead
>..uunet!merk.com!uvmark!davem || in the middle" - Genesis
============================================================================
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Big Money NSF
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 16:03:49 PDT
From: Dan Dickerman GSY 1-447-4425 <dickermn@hpcugsya.cup.hp.com>
> . . .
> I was watching the video for Big Money the other day and was reminded of a
> question that I haven't noticed on the FAQL...What does NSF stand for on the
> space on the Monopoly board where Free Parking would normally go?
Possibilites: Not Sufficient Funds (in keeping with the Money theme) or
the National Science Foundation (making some analogy to the Free Parking/
free ride given to scientists by the US government), my guess is the former.
--Dan
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 20:21:05 -0400
From: mem10@po.CWRU.Edu (Milton E. Moskowitz)
Subject: NSF?
Just another opinion on the (not so burning) question of what did the NSF on
the Monopoly Board mean. I haven't seen the video for Dist Early Warning, so
I can't say that I've seen it, but from how it was described: NSF could mean
Non Sufficient Funds (i.e. a Bounced Check). Could it be that they're giving
a Distant Early Warning that even Monopoly sets will run out of money to
play with? Most people get $500 when they land on Free Parking. Just a
thought -- I think it's kind-of logical.
To RTB: I started off liking Dreamline, RTB, and Face Up. I was just
so-so on the other songs. Now that I've listened to it just a little bit more,
I can say that I'm really starting to enjoy the other songs more and more.
The Big Wheel and You Bet Your Life are fighting their way up to being in
my favorite list.
To those who thought that Neil was getting rusty with lyrics: just take
a minute, and think about the lines, "Learning that we're only immortal for
a limited time." Talk about meaning -- think about it. I'd place that with
the meanings in FreeWill and Spirit of Radio.
And (unless I'm mistaken), Geddy said (in the radio interviews) that it was
not Neil or Rupert who's the mystery rapper.
That's about it for now. Keep on Rolling those Bones!
--
+------------------------------------------+-----------------------+
|Milton E. Moskowitz (mem10@po.CWRU.edu) | Accept no Substitutes |
| "Even Paranoiods have Enemies" -J. Hale | Insist on 220 Volts |
+------------------------------------------+-----------------------+
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: NSF on Big Money
Date: Thu Sep 05 16:57:19 PDT 1991
From: rpan@microsoft.com
I always thought it was "Non Sufficient Funds", a banking term (like if
your check bounced), which would make sense in terms of thier Monopoly
board motif.
OBRQ: Quiet and pensive
My thoughts apprehensive
The hours drift away
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 20:32:06 -0400
From: dougw@grebyn.com (Doug Worthington)
Hello,
I guess I should know the answer to this but I don't so here
goes.
Presto was brought to you be the letter "D" and
Roll the Bones was brought to you by the letter "B"
Can anyone explain.
[ How about "because" ? :rush-mgr ]
dougw
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 19:30 CDT
From: jws3@engr.uark.edu (6079 Smith J)
Subject: South End of a North-Bound Elephant
I'll bet the elephant is supposed to represent the gluteus _MAX_
that Geddy's gonna kick. An elephant's bum is about as max as
gluteus gets. :)
And no, I don't have the dern album yet.
4-aminobiphenyl, hexachlorobenzene/Dimethyl sulfate, chloromethyl methylether/
2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin, carbon disulfide/Dibromochloropane,
| James W. Smith, University of Arkansas | jws3@engr.uark.edu |
chlorinated benzenes / 2-nitropropane, pentachlorophenol / Benzotrichloride,
strontium chromate/1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane/Watch it run straight down.....
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1991 20:37:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: Barry Lowell Brumitt <bb1v+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Hamilton Show
Query: Does anyone up Toronto way know
1) What day the openning concert in Hamilton will be held?
2) when tix go on sale?
3) What phone number to call to order them by credit card...
>...as I plan to drive up for it.
Barry
"...and borrow for a little more..."
bb1v@andrew.cmu.edu
belboz@cs.cmu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Pop? So what!
From: BMCDOWEL@primea.weeg.uiowa.edu
Date: 05 Sep 91 20:03:11 CDT
I guess I don't really understand why some people are so upset that RTB
sounds more "poplike." So what if it does--it still is darn good music.
It is interesting to listen to, the instrumentation is great (they all
seem to be playing their hearts out), and the lyrics are fantastic. Just
because it happens to resemble (at least moreso than before) a particular
genre of music is no reason to "roll the dogma!"
Down with rock snobbery!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1991 17:31:10 PDT
From: crenshaw.osbu_north@xerox.com
Subject: Misc. RTB
In issue 332, Ian Nathan opines
>P.S. I think the picture of Geddy is rather unflattering.
Y'know, I was thinking the same thing about the picture of Alex. Looks
like he didn't go on his annual diet before the photo session...
Re: the Mystery Rapper...
Is Rupert Hine British? Granted, this is probably a stupid question,
but having a British accent would definitely put him out of the Rapper
race...which also means Broon couldn't be Mr. Rapper since he's British.
Since there's no credit in the credits for this guy, it couldn't be
anyone who's ever recorded for a label, right? Otherwise, they'd have
to have a credit ("So and So appears courtesy of X Records") or the
lawyers would have fits. So that brings us back to the boyz in the
band, and Rupert, who *is* credited with background vocals. So, I
figure it's gotta be either Rupert or Alex.
Re: the kid on the front...
If I were to guess the poster boy's age, I'd say he's nine or ten. The
only other thing I can judge Julian's age from is the picture of him in
Visions, where he looks about one (and judging from the length of
Geddy's hair, I'd say this was in the Signals era...so that means Julian
was born in 1981 or so). So the Roll The Bones kid could be Julian...
or it could be a model Hugh Syme picked up from an agency...It's funny,
we never speculate whether the people on the cover of Permanent Waves
are somehow related to the band, do we?
[ Not quite; that's Julian in the video for "Distant Early Warning", and
he looks around 6 or so then. That would make him about 12-13 now, and
the kid on RTB isn't that old. Then again, it *is* a painting ... there
is such a thing as artistic freedom. :-) :rush-mgr ]
Cheryl
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Many things
From: wilkinso@darkside.com (Sean Flanegan)
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 91 17:00:27 PDT
Yeah wasn't it Alex who said "they go to fourth" . That was
great and I love that movie. "Hello Cleveland"!!! " But if keep
folding"!!!
Well I really don't think that Neils bass drums sound bad PERIOD.
They sound fantastic. I play drums and as adrummer
I KNOW THEY SOUND GOOD!!! Do you play drums?
Just wondering why you have your opinion. Email me if you want.
sean
wilkinso@darkside.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 91 22:12:45 EDT
From: Ian Nathan <EU894C@gwuvm.gwu.edu>
Subject: Cygnus X-1 Book 1 - The Voyage
Just as a change of pace, I thought I'd bring us back a few years, with a
special ORQ:
"Spinning, whirling,
Still descending
Like a spiral sea,
Unending
Sound and Fury
Drowns my heart
Every nerve
Is torn apart..."
borrowed from Cygnus X-1 (of course)
I just didn't want us to forget that there were other albums...
[ ... and if anyone has a GOOD copy of this live, contact me!!!!! :rush-mgr ]
Ian Nathan
The George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 20:18:26 PDT
From: "Computers are useless, They can only give answers"
<vaghini@scoman.enet.dec.com>
Subject: ROLL THE BONES-LTIS
IMHO
'COOL'
JOHN
----------------------------------------------------------
From: atz@clmqt.marquette.MI.US (dweezilbub)
Subject: RTB
Date: 5 Sep 91 23:26:18 EDT (Thu)
It seems that alot of you folks are expecting that 2112 beginning
or that Moving Picture rawness... I think someone already
mentioned that it should take time to really like an album. I
have found that most songs by ANYONE that I have really liked
right from the first time I have heard it, had later began to
think there was something wrong with it, and it faded fast for me.
I hated GUP and HYF the first time I listened to them... I
remember thoughts flowing thru my mind like 'they are to popish
now' or 'they are too mellow. But funny, after a few weeks, I know
all the words and singing and playing air drums and guitar right
and all that jazz...
I think a couple songs will make it big on the radio, just like
the Scorpions tune Wind of Change, which at first I thought was
probably the worst Scorps tune they could do... Now I crank it up
cause it is an excellent tune.
It takes time folks... One thing I will say though, I really
digged the vocals in the title track, and I dont know if that is
good or bad... Just remember that the talent is still there and
better than ever.
--
\_._____._____._____. ==== ==== ===== .____._____.___.___/
\__The Enterprise BBS == == == ,===~ This space for rent!__/
__-__________-__ ==~~== == ===== ____-_____-___-__
\ \ \atz@clmqt.marquette.mi.us/ / / /
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 01:39:25 CDT
From: Robert Clark <rex@buhub.bradley.edu>
Subject: Misc. RTB & Other Stuff
Well, everyone is giving their opinion on the tunes and the cover
of RTB. So I thought I'd give my review of the Liner Notes..
In a single word: beautiful.
First of all, they come first. Is this one of the few records out
there where the Liner Notes come first? Hmmm...
Also, the printing over the elephant's ass adds a touch. Maybe it
implies that the Liner Notes are at the end... End of what? A very
smart album indeed. But that reflects the music. And that is another
story.
Recorded from February to May 1991. An average studio time for Rush
these days. Also came during and after the Gulf War. So did they
watch CNN and Wolf Blitzer like the rest of the world? Of course.
That's stated in the "Special thanks to those who keep us 'rolling'."
Section.
Speaking of that section, it is full of the usual inside jokes we
all know and love and sometimes wonder about. But who in the hell
is Pippa? And why does he/she get a belated thanks? Was there a death?
The letter B. B for Bones? Badasses? Boron?
"Now it's dark." - My only con. How the hell can you read black
print on a gray background? Who knows.
On another section.. Did The Omega Concern make MTV's Music Video
Awards? I think so. Strange how Chris DeGarmo's acoustic guitar
stood up by itself during Queensryche's Silent Lucidity.
Well, enough of that. Good Listening.
-Rob Clark
rex@buhub.bradley.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
From: atz@clmqt.marquette.MI.US (dweezilbub)
Subject: RTB
Date: 6 Sep 91 02:38:03 EDT (Fri)
They are still the greatest, but maybe it's time to get rid of
Rupert, eh?
P.S. anybody want more GIF's? I'm still collaborating the last
list cause I was on vacation for 5 WEEKS...
Anybody that I WAS sending GIF's to, should have got 20 GIF's
unless they told me they had access to the ftp thing...
I only have two more that might not be on the ftp thing-a-mah-jig
there must be a better name for that? Lay it on me
[ Do you mean "available via anonymous ftp from syrinx.umd.edu" ? :rush-mgr ]
--
\_._____._____._____. ==== ==== ===== .____._____.___.___/
\__The Enterprise BBS == == == ,===~ This space for rent!__/
__-__________-__ ==~~== == ===== ____-_____-___-__
\ \ \atz@clmqt.marquette.mi.us/ / / /
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 91 21:29:56 HST
From: hinano@ahi.pbrc.Hawaii.Edu (Hinano Akaka)
Subject: RTB pictures
Good day!
um, about those pics. Someone mentioned they were from the same photo
session as Rush Profiled!? Are you sure? the reason i ask is because
if you look at Alex (more on that in a minute), on the Profiled! CD,
he's in his "upper weight" stage. In the RTB picture he's obviously
lost weight (compared to the Profiled! pic) and his hair is quite
different. It's hard to tell with Neil and Geddy, but the two pics of
Alex were definitely NOT from the same session.
And speaking of Alex. I apologize in advance for writing this, but I
must get this off my chest. I'm asserting my 'womaness' ("what the
hell is *that* supposed to mean?!") here, and if anyone is bothering
to read this, you're welcome to debate this, but Jesus Christ... when
I took one look at that picture my heart stopped. I have never seen
Alex look so good... Now i am not the "OH MY GOD IT'S ALEX!! AHHHHHH!"
type who goes screaming after him like a mindless bimbo to blink my
eyelashes at him, but GOD! he looks... he looks... (sigh) hallelujah,
there is a god...
DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK SO??
(please, don't anybody show this to him...)
[ Too late, it's in the mail to Thornhill, Ontario ... :-) :rush-mgr ]
puanani
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 10:17:52 BST
From: "A.G.Gibb" <agg@ukc.ac.uk>
Subject: Some thoughts on RTB
New album, eh? Got it Monday (2nd Sept) but have left it until now to
pass any serious judgement, although a friend of mine (who hasn't posted to the
NMS yet -- get yer finger out Iain!) did rather get the wrong end of my first
impressions. Now I feel I've been a bit hasty. The first time I listened to it
I thought 'Oh.' -- nothing really caught my attention except Dreamline and the
title song (which I'd heard previously anyway). I'd agree with much of what
has been said in the last few issues of the NMS (both the positive and negative
comments) regarding the album. Now I've had a chance to listen to it a few more
times (it's growing on me -- fast) I thought I'd add my 1.176p's worth (at
current exchange rates).
This is definitely an album for the lyric-lovers -- boy, are they
going to have a good time! -- and I agree; the lyrics are excellent. They are
on a much more personal level, with the common thread of luck and chance (well,
I *did* want a concept album!:-). A bit too soppy in places -- I've never
thought that love songs were the sort of thing that would suit Rush and it was
nice to have a collection of music that *didn't* sing about love (for a change).
Favourite songs of the moment are Dreamline, RTB, Where's My Thing? and Face Up.
Ghost of a Chance starts off well but dies at the chorus. Most pleasing aspect
was that they finished on a bright and lively song (You Bet Your Life, as if
I really needed to say it!); it too reminded me of REM's 'Shiny happy people'!
Most depressing aspect -- as ever, *too many* songs fade out!!! Ghost... (like
Mystic Rhythms on PoW) actually finishes, but they still fade it out!! How
annoying!
Anyway, I seem to have said a lot, but said nothing. I guess it's still
too early to really judge properly and I think that we're all probably still
"all mixed up inside" 'cos this is different. I can sum up my opinions on a few
of the songs with the statement that if it wasn't Rush, I'm not so sure I'd
like it. But the artwork is GREAT! I must admit I thought someone had puked on
my CD as well when I got it but now I've seen the reason (thanks to some keen
eyed NMSer). I'll stop there before I send you all to sleep.
Keep 'em comin'; and get out there and rock...and roll the bones.
Andy.
666 6 6 666 6
5 5 5 5 5
4 4 4 444 444 "Fate is just the weight of circumstances"
3 3 3 3 3 3
2 222 222 2 2 (Well, I tried!!)
(Now, are we going to see more 'Rush and Satanism' since they have 666 across
the top of the 'r' and 's'?! :-) Mind you, I've just read the most recent NMS
and someone beat me to this observation!)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 07:48 EDT
From: <ERL%CRNLNS.bitnet@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: RTB overdubs / Roch. Presto show
Well, since I've only listened to RTB about 20 times, I'm
not going to give a full review (do I hear applause?). I will say
that I considered Presto a serious "step back" towards the classic
Rush sound that I fell in love with; and while I had hopes that
RTB would be another step in that direction, I don't think it was.
My opinion of it is quite good though (proof positive that none of
my ancestors weren't Finnish? ;-). I love the "chat" in RTB -- it's
certainly a surprise and questionably "not Rush" but it is FUN; and
isn't that what it's all about??
Couple of things... While I can appreciate that work that
went into the production; I'm really wondering how that Boyz will
pull off the tunes live. Nearly all the songs have Geddy harmonizing
with himself (which I like!) or obvious vocal overdubs. They've
amazed me with what they've pulled off live in that 5 shows I've
seen, but how do you harmonize with yourself live? Serious Sequencing?
I've even picked out a percussion overdub; but then again Neil seems to
have 4 hands anyway -- pop quiz; who else has caught it?
Maybe the RTB tour will be like that Presto show was in
Rochester -- (BTW - I was in the 3rd row in front of Ged!) -- they
only played *TWO* new songs! What a show!!! I think they were
"paying us back" for rescheduling the show due to Ged's cold.
Was anyone else there? Enuf for now.....
#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#
Ed Lovell \ ERL@CRNLNS.BITNET
Laboratory of Nuclear Studies / ERL%CRNLNS.BITNET@CORNELLC.CIT.CORNELL.EDU
Cornell University \ EL8@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU
#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#
----------------------------------------------------------
From: stedmant@LONEX.RL.AF.MIL (Terrance A. Stedman)
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 10:41:30 EDT
Subject: lady dark (oops)
A recent post of mine mentioned a non-existent "lady dark." I'm
not sure where I got that from now that I think about it. Maybe it
was from the beta version of the RTB lyrics which I no longer have a copy
of to check. Sorry for the confusion.
[7;5m
Isn't blinking text hard to read?
[m
Terry Stedman Internet: stedmant@lonex.rl.af.mil
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I ) I I <~ I_I "It is my will which chooses, and the choice of my will
I \ I_I _> I I is the only edict I must respect." - Rand from _Anthem_
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 11:07 EDT
From: Lewis A Bernstein <V087N562@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: Rush on the cover.....
I think that the 'rush' on the cover is really all
lower case letters and not RUSh as all of you are
thinking. It looks more like those old line printers
that printed p's,g's,y's, and similar letter up a half
line so that the printer didn't have to repeat over it
All of the letters look lower case, the r looks like
the lower case r, and not R. The u and the s would
look about the same and the h would have to be altered
in order to fit it in the title line.....
So I make a move that either it is rUSh or it is rush and
it is definately NOT RUSh.
another thing, why is it that I can make out the reflection
of the skull in the water, but I can't see the reflection
of the kid (julian? about 6 or 7 for DEW, and would be about
13 or 14 now.... probably not the age of the kid in the cover
photo.....) or the reflection of the wall for that matter...
Any comments on this?
Lew
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 08:42:53 PDT
From: matthew@wavefront.wti.com (Matthew Coohill)
Subject: The Big Money Video and the NSF Question
I replied personally to what I thought was
the correct answer, but I guess I should have sent
my answer to TNMS... so here it goes!
NSF on the Monopoly-style board in the video
for "The Big Money" stands for...
NON-SUFFICIENT FUNDS.
Hopefully most of the Rush fans out there
haven't seen or heard this banking term (it is usually
printed on the back of checks that bounce). The phrase
can also be used in similar circumstances (as in "Why
was the program cancelled?" "Non-sufficient funding.")
In regards to RTB, at the very least, it can
be said that each new release from "the boyz" makes one
re-analyze all of their work to date. Whether you
enjoy RTB or not, it is the latest in a sequence of
albums from Rush and it's differences and similarities
to previous albums shows us where the band has come
musically, reflects where they've been and may give
us some insight as to where they are headed in the
future. Just keep listening!
Matt Coohill
"Hey, ten bucks is ten bucks." - Geddy Lee (from intro to
_The_Great_White_North)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 12:15:24 EDT
From: Glenn M. Mason <glenn@corndog.welch.jhu.edu>
Subject: this 'n that 'n the other ...
> From: wilkinso@darkside.com (Sean Flanegan)
>
> Many people have been posting saying the Wheres My Thing? doesn't
> really go anywhere. I understand what you are saying but where else
> could it go? There are great time changes and a real feel of excitment.
> I don't think Rush want to make another La Villa... or YYzed. They want
> to make a Wheres My Thing? that is different and fresh and I think that
> they succeeded!!!!!
I have to admit that I didn't like the instrumental much either, and I
liked it even less after listening to YYZ. But I have been listening to
it over and over, and it's starting to grow on me ... funny how that
happens! I really like the "whining" guitar that stays in the background
near the end of the song. Some of those other tunes though ... I'm still
skeptical ... but I am still listening!
> From: amy@arla.austin.mcd.mot.com (Amy Moseley)
>
> Now I haven't figured out what the disintegration at the bottom of
> the cover pic means. Has anyone counted the rows to see if they
> correlate to # of songs on album or # of albums? Maybe Rush is thinking
> of adding more (or less (shudder)) members? Just a thought.
No ... but I noticed that if you add up all the numbers shown on the white
dice and divide by the total of all the numbers from the black dice (that
make up "rush") and mutiple this number by Alex's birthday (represented
as number of seconds since Jan. 1, 00:00, Greenwich Mean Time), and
take the result represented in octal, guess what? The bit string spells
out, "Get a life!" (Sorry ... I couldn't help that one;^)
Really though ... I examined the artwork very closely, and I formulated
my very own technically sophisticated conclusion: "I really like it!"
> From: vinnie@darkside.com (Vindicator)
>
> I would first off like to ask all of those who believe that this is
> commercial garbage, the album that is, what would you have liked to hear?
> Which album did you want them to repeat or redo.
>
> I think that this is the key. This album still sounds like RUSh, but
> different enough to be a new album. No two albums are going to sound the
> same, thank goodness, and I really find it hard to track your
> disappointment.
>
> Guess what everyone, the album sounds new and different!!! Is it such a
> shock. If you are so homesick for the past, please put your copy of MP
> or PoW in your RTB CD case and live with it.
>
> This is not intenede as a flame, nut I feel that is you dislike this
> album for those reasons, then you liked RUSh for all the wrong reasons in
> the first place. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I agree with everything you said until the last sentence. People listen
to a groups music for all different kinds of reasons: they like some of
the hits the band produced, they like the bands sound, they like the bands
drummer, etc., etc. Hell, I even know a co-worker who listens to a certain
type of music because he knows that only a minority of people like it - and
he can show everyone how different he is by listening to it. Some people
want to hear RUSH move backwards in time, others want them not to move at
all. The point is that you cannot project your ideals onto others and tell
them why they like or dislike something for whatever reasons. You are an
individual ... don't tell others that they do not have the same right to
be an individual, unique to like something for their own reasons.
I think the work is more different than anything they have produced to
this point. This may be good or bad, but the only thing I can say is that
I am having a hard time with it, but I am still listening to it as I have
learned from the past that RUSH tends to grow on me given time. I have
liked the way they have changed, but at the same time I would like to hear
a new CD that paralleled the work from MP. I feel many different ways about
their music, and I am entitled to without others projecting onto me "what
I should and should not like and for what reasons."
> Yeah I hope they come out with the poster of the wishbones also, they
> look great.
I agree! I think that really looks COOL!
> From: CRenshaw.OSBU_North@xerox.com
>
> I'm listening to (what else?) Roll The Bones and thinking about all
> the comments about the "rap" section in the title track. I'm not
> vehemently for or against rap; I don't listen to it myself, but I'm
> not going to condemn it as "anti-music" or anything, either. Anyway,
> what the Roll The Bones bit reminds me of is Blondie's Rapture song.
> Both songs use rhythmic speech as vocals, backed by original, unaltered
> (not scratched or repeated, but "live") music. Not to mention the
> humour inherent in both... :-)
I'm not really against rap either, and I really liked the Rapture tune
by Blondie ... but the rap on RTB really doesn't work for me. Somehow it
just doesn't fit into the song. I think I may feel differently if the
rap voices were the voices of Neil, Geddy and Alex, unmodified, each of
them throwing out a line in turn. I think it would have been cool to hear
their voices in a "rap session" that way.
'nuf said for now ...
Glenn
#include <std.signature>
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Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 14:57:00 -0400
From: jtkung@caf.MIT.EDU (Joseph Kung)
Subject: RTB production and style
_Roll_The_Bones_ represents a style that I think Rush started with
_Presto_ :
[1] shorter, more concise songs that focus on vocal melodies.
[2] a crystal-clear and crisp production, but lacking that fat, wall-of-sound
production evident on earlier recordings.
[3] songwriting using vocal harmonies similar to techniques used in
"pop" music.
Individually, I see Geddy concentrating more on vocals and less on
bass. Alex is still great on guitar, but his sound has thinned. It
lacks that great tone he had on _Moving_Pictures_. Of course, his
equipment now is totally different. Neil is the only one I really
can't complain about. His drumming is superb. He still adds great
fills and uses weird rhythms, and the recording on RTB highlights him.
I believe that the band has reached a point where the songwriting
stage is the most satisfying, so the songs certainly reflect that.
There's less self-indulgence and soloing, and more emphasis on
writing good songs. I really like the melodies and ideas on RTB, but I
do miss the Terry Brown production and the individual heroics on
earlier albums. I guess it's better if they explore areas I'm not
familiar with rather than crank out another 10 _Moving_Pictures_ ...
- Joe
p.s. anybody who says that all Rush albums sound the same haven't
listened to R.E.M. records! :-)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 13:49:27 PDT
From: ronz@imager3 (Ron Zasadzinski)
Subject: This and That
I count 18 rows of dice on the album cover (on the cardboard cd
packaging anyway), and if you count Chronicles, this is their 18th album.
I put my vote in for the "entropy" theory as to the meaning of the
increasing randomness of the dice as you move lower on the wall. The
damage to the last few rows of dice fits in with that too.
I believe that the skull in the water (is this visible on the CD itself?
I only have the cardboard packaging with me at my computer) is just a
reflection of the one the boy is kicking. There are hints of the boy's
reflection as well, but that is more difficult to make out partly because
his clothes are dark colored.
There _is_ guitar during the "chat" section of RTB. It is very faint,
but Alex plays some pretty cool licks on an electric guitar. Of course
that doesn't rule him out as the mystery rapper.
The question I am most curious about is Why the picture of the elephant
but? (gluteus max? :) I asked my girlfriend what her opinion was and
she thought it was because dice are (sometimes) made of ivory. Maybe,
but I don't know. Any takers on that theory? If so, then what is the
intended message, if any?
Reading through the cd booklet my girlfriend exclaimed "Oh! Rupert Hine
produced this album. No wonder why it sounds so good! They finally
got a brain!" (My girlfriend is not a Rush fan. In fact, this is the
first album that she has responded positively to as a whole.)
-Ron Z
My favorite tracks so far are Bravado (the emotion in Geddy's vocals
really moves me) and The Big Wheel (I love the sound of Alex's guitar
during the verses- really bouncy).
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 91 13:49:32 -0400
From: eric@ovl.osc.edu
Subject: Very Canadian!!!
I recorded RTB last week off of the radio when WLVQ played the entire thing
one hour BEFORE the other stations played the so-called premier.I listened to
the songs one after another, and only a couple really grabbed me
the way most Rush tunes do. I think that Thing will quickly become one of my
all-time favorites. As for the Rap section, I found it a little annoying, but
I must admit, I'm pretty closed-minded about rap songs anyway. Maybe the boyz
have me beat on that note....of course, maybe they're a couple years ahead of
what will happen to a lot of groups (again), and I'll learn to like it.
As for the dispute about why the Europeans tend to enjoy this album less than
those of on the Western side of the Big Waters, I have a theory.
You see, it's simply.....well....Canadian.
As many of us have had a little trouble knowing what to think of Canada's
people, because as red blooded U S Americans we're taught to stereotype
everye, we must remember who the Canadians are. They're a lot like us, so
it seems
because they're thrown together from everywhere, but they're mostly
just European. In the past, much of Rush's mateerial has been like the hard-
edge American rock-n-roll, and the rest of it has sounded very European and
technical. For example, the early days before Neal began writing the lyrical
masterpeices he's doing now, they were doing a lot of very american-sounding
music. Anyway, What they did on RTB is very American. This sounds like the guys
just want to jam, and after all, they are a rock band aren't they?
The Rolling Stones aren't putting out songs with the content they used to
anymore, they want to put on great concerts, and they're doing that. Why
can't our boyz be allowed to just have fun? They still have more content
than 99.9% of the bands in the world, even on this album.
Anyway, RTB is a great album, and about 1,000,000,000 times better than
anything the likes of Metallica or any of the other pathetic bands you tried
to compare Rush to are doing.
Relax Europe, the boyz will put out another european-sounding album before
the year 2000.
The spirit of James Brown and the genius of RUSH, It's almost too much!
____________________________________________________________
_ __
- --More--
_ __
_ Capture our hearts,
_ Carry them away... __
_ __
_ Mystic Rythms __
_ __
____________________________________________________________
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End of The National Midnight Star Number 334
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