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Subject: 02/15/93 - The National Midnight Star #621
Status: R
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
The National Midnight Star, Number 621
Monday, 15 February 1993
Today's Topics:
Administrivia
Stuff and other things
NMS
Fourth Member of Rush
A Few Questions...
Belch on Camera Eye
Camera Eye "glitch"
Eric and John Dos Passos
Re: Perfect Album Side
Dos Passos and Canadians
rush ramblings
Neil's philosophy (long)
Re: All of you anti-fourth-m
gif picture request
Various things...
stranded in dreamland
Favorite Album Poll
Neil as a percussionist
Best Floor Seats??
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1993
From: rush-mgr <The RUSH Fans Digest Manager>
Subject: Administrivia
Today's digest will be split into two parts (look at all those posts! :)
Each will be about 30K. And the second part will have at the end the
DIFF file for the FAQ (I only send out the FAQ once a month since it's a
three-parter now).
- rush-mgr
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 16:38:24 -0700 (MST)
From: jeffrey r brinkman <brinkmaj@argon.GAS.uug.Arizona.EDU>
Subject: Stuff and other things
Hello boys and girls,
Well, since this newsletter is a wealth of Rush info, I thought I'd ask a
question. I've got some rush stuff, and I wonder exactly how (un)common it
is. First off, I've got a poster from the GUP days. It's the same picture
that's on the inside cover with the three of them sitting together, except
it's blown up to regular poster size, and it's in color. (For those of you
who are wondering, AL is wearing a black leather jacket, NP is donning his
favorite black, blue and red coat/shirt type thing, and GL is wearing an
extremely fashionable and exquisite blue shirt.) Anyway, has anyone ever
seen this. Please don't everyone write me and tell me they have it too,
that it's one of the most common things rush has ever put out!!! The other
thing is a rush picture album. I had never seen one of these before, and
without thinking twice I gobbled it up. It's the hemispheres album with
the picture from the cover on the vinyl. Way cool!! Again, has any one
seen these before?? You can reply however you please. The thing that makes
me ask this is that I got these things cheap. The poster was 5 bucks and
the vinyl was 10. Not bad, I think. BTW stop writing about that damn Dream
Theater, Homey don't play that!.
PS. They're mine and you can't have them!!
Jeff Brinkman
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 12 Feb 1993 16:04:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: SCHMITM@CGSVAX.CLAREMONT.EDU
Subject: NMS
This is my first entry to the NMS, and it is in response to the article
about "female" rush fans. I am a female, and I am as much as a fan as
any male. In fact, I have been a devoted fan since 1977. I am a concert
pianist and rock keyboardist, and I listen to Rush to experience the most
intense and wonderful music I have ever heard. Not because of Fashion. Give
us girls a little more credit! I know more males who hate Rush than girls,
maybe because I live in a college town where everyone is supposedly "open-
minded", but the reasons for the guys' not liking Rush are way more lame
than any girls' I've heard. And girls who like Rush are not interested in
the way Alex, Geddy and Neil look. They provide us with a spiritual and
emotional satisfaction and happines that no man (or woman for that matter!)
could ever give.
There, I'm not really mean, I just wanted to let you know that we
are out there for the same reasons anyone else is!!
P.S. I'm gonna audition for that fourth keyboardist!!!!! Yah!!!!
Missy Schmit, Claremont, California.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 19:36:16 -0500
From: mcmahan@cs.unca.edu (Scott McMahan -- Genesis mailing list owner)
Subject: Fourth Member of Rush
I think a rack of sequencers is a fine fourth member of Rush.
3 man bands shouldn't expand -- it ruins them. Look at the Police and
their backup vocalists on the Synchronicity tour, or the horn section
on the Ghost tour.
Can you imagine Rush with a horn section?!
"We are the priests" -- horn riff -- "of the" -- horn riff "temples of
Syrinx"...
*sigh*
Scott
--
The more we fear, the more we lie, the more we hide. (Yes, 1990)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 12 Feb 1993 19:44:22 -0500 (EST)
From: JASON NUTT <V157UFAJ@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: A Few Questions...
Hi everybody. I'm new to the "Midnight Star" so I'd like to be filled in on
a few things that might have been brought up before.
First of all, what's the deal with the new album? I've heard a lot of
rumors about it: it's a concept album, it's got a medieval theme to it, it'll
have an African slant to the music because of Neil's recent trip, etc. etc.
Now I hear that Peter Collins is again producing the band, this time in
Seattle(?!). How true is any of this?
Secondly, has anyone heard anything about A Rush/Primus collaboration?
I know the bands got to be friends, and Primus has a habit of having guest
musicians on their albums, for example Tom Waits and Mike Bordin; with
Primus' new album, "Pork Soda" coming out in April, is there a chance that
someone from Rush will be on it? I don't know, I think it'd be really cool,
not to mention probably perverse.
Finally, does anyone know on what albums Geddy uses his Rickenbacker 4001?
I think he first used it on "Fly By Night", but I'm not sure when he switched
to the Fender Jazz and/or Steinberger. Just curious.
If you can answer any of these questions (or give your opinions regarding
a Rush/Primus collaberation), feel free to either e-mail me or post on the
"Midnight Star". Thanks a lot.
Jason Nutt
V157UFAJ@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDU
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 20:04:04 -0500 (EST)
From: CAREY_MAA@CCSUA.CTSTATEU.EDU (I'M STILL DROWNING)
Subject: Belch on Camera Eye
Hi,
I just want to follow up a bit on the "DT sucks" post a couple days back...
sorry for those I offended, I just don't see the connection to RUSH. Anyways
Jeremy in the last NMS asked about the belch on Camera Eye at the last verse.
I Have been running a Fidonet (BBS) Echo for a couple years called "RUSH_FAN"
similar to NMS but only 20 systems are involved...anyways, this came up as
topic of conversation a few months back....and we all BELIEVE it goes like
this:
Alex Lifeson> "Baaallp" (aka Burp)
Geddy Lee > "Oh Alex!"
Seems to be the most logical explanation (Grin)....they do stick some
strange stuff in once in awhile to keep us guessing I think...sorta like
the Floyd stuff (no backmasking please guys!)..
My biggest all-time question though has to be, "how can that guy play the
drums so hard--so long without losing a limb!?" <grin>
Take care all!
Al.filandro@f885.n141.z1.fidonet.org
To those with modems, call a cool-dude Rush Board today (203-628-9702)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 12 Feb 93 20:20:49 EST
From: Philip.S.Augur@Dartmouth.EDU (Philip S. Augur)
Subject: Camera Eye "glitch"
The "glitch" referred to by Jeremy Strzynski occurs at 8:53--I have
absolutely no clue what it is (belch doesn't seem right, but who knows!).
I agree with the comment about the Twilight Zone "glitch" (don't remember who
said it) that it adds to the eeireness of the song.
I think the comment made about how deeply into Rush Rush-fans get may turn
off women has some validity--however, I'm lucky in that my obsession with
Rush has actually swayed my girlfriend towards liking them a bit--she wants
me to make a mix for her of the "good" songs--of course that means she won't
be getting the "great" songs (seems the truly great Rush definitely only
appeals to Rush fans (IMHO)).
"When a man sits with a pretty girlf for an hour, it seems like a minute. But
let him sit on a hot stove for a minute, and it's longer than any hour--
_that's_ relativity!" -- Albert Einstein
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 21:14:49 EST
From: BJYOUNG@ucs.indiana.edu
Subject: Eric and John Dos Passos
Eric mentioned that Dos Passos writings looked very anti-capitalist.
Back before the New Deal they were. During the 1930s he, like many of
his contemporaries such as John Flynn and Walter Lippman, became
adamant proponents of laissez-faire. They, rightly in my opinion,
equated F.D. Roosevelt's policies with Stalin's and Hitler's. There's
a great book from the 1950s called "Essays on Individualism" in which
Passos writes about the workings of a free society.
Also, it's great to see so many people taking Rand seriously. Living
in PC central, I find it quite a relief.
Laissez-faire, Brad.
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Chintan Amin <cka52397@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Re: Perfect Album Side
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 20:23:29 CST
How about this for a perfect album side:
Bravado, Losing It, Prime Mover, Emotion Detector, Between the
Wheels, and Vital Signs? Sure, there are no examples of quick riffs or
lightening fast drum thingies (I'm not a musician, can't you tell? :-)) but
the songs are SO powerful. One of the best examples of Neil's drumming
can be found in the tail end of Bravado, with 4 limbs beating out 4 distinct
rhythms.
Chintan Amin
c-amin1@uiuc.edu
The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 21:50:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Matthew James McDonald <mjm40@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu>
Subject: Dos Passos and Canadians
Greetings,
I'm no expert on John Dos Passos, but an interesting addendum to Eric
Liebman's post: Although Dos Passos is best known as a revolutionary
Leftist writer, in his later days he seems to have changed considerably.
In fact, he was one of the first big names to write for _National Review_,
which is generally considered to be America's leading conservative journal
of opinion. (Founded in 1955, _NR_ also has the highest circulation of
any journal of opinion in the country, c. 165,000 at the moment.)
You might consider taking a strike away from him.
And now for something completely different. As to Brent's wondering why
Canadians seem so distrustful of authority: They don't have any of their own.
:)
Slainte,
Matt McDonald
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Mike Rizzello <mike.rizzello@CANREM.COM>
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1993 19:00:00 -0500
Subject: rush ramblings
Well, to add to all of the rumours that have been floating around here,
I would like to add some truth to this mess.
On March 21, 1993, the Juno Awards will be presented in Toronto (Junos are
similar to the Grammy's), the ceremony will also feature special awards for
commemorating Canada's 125th birthday. Medals will be presented to special
Canadian musicians Tom Cochrane, Celine Dion and the one and only Barnaked
Ladies, not!!!! The Supreme Trio will of course be the third one. Rush
is also rumored to play at the awards. But we'll just wait and see!
The show airs on March 21st on CBC (if you can get it), and for you really
dedicated Canuck music freaks, tickets are $192.60 CDN (tax inc.) and the
phone number is (416) 485-3135, and get 'em FAST!
Mike
"Ohhhh, ya know that we'll be there!" - Geddy Lee in _Tears_Are_Not_Enough_
* OLX 2.1 TD * Tagline? What's a tagline?
--
Canada Remote Systems - Toronto, Ontario
416-629-7000/629-7044
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 20:34:27 -0700
From: miesch@solarz.Colorado.EDU (MIESCH MARK)
Subject: Neil's philosophy (long)
Howdy Folks,
Thanks to P. Bryant (did you not sign your note or did I just carelessly
delete your signature?) for bringing up those Ayn Rand comments. They
were interesting, but I just wanted to say that I don't agree with
some of what you said.
>After reading the entire chapter I certainly agree that EE bites as a
>moral theory. What I found interesting, however, was picturing Neil Peart
>as a thinker of no consequence! It's interesting to see how NP's opinion
>has (apparently) changed since the 2112 days. Then he would acknowledge
>"the genius of Ayn Rand". Now, he quietly shys away from discussing what
>he wrote back then.
>To me, this supports what NP has said about growing and maturing as a
>lyricist. It follows that he has matured as a musician as well.
>Maybe Rush associates their "old style" with their "old philosophy" and
>that is why they have progressed to the RTB style? I personally think
First of all, just because Neil acknowledges that Ayn Rand is worthy of
the highest respect as a writer and a thinker, it doesn't mean that
he subscribes 100% to the doctrine of Ethical Egoism. I personally
don't completely agree with everything Rand says, but I without a doubt
concede that she is one hell of a writer and thinker. I mean, just because
you may not agree with say... Bertrand Russell's philosophical works, you
can't deny that he had a profound influence on 20th century thinking.
And I think the primary reason Neil doesn't talk about his earlier work
as much is because he wants to live in the present. I don't think he is
at all ashamed about what he wrote in the early seventies as you seem to
imply. It's just that he wrote that TWENTY years ago and he would rather
talk about his more recent songs and influences. Sure his writing has matured,
but I don't think his "philosophy" has _fundamentally_ changed. I don't think
Neil has ever followed one doctrine completely - like all of us, his ideas
are influenced by everything he reads; everything he experiences. To catagorize
his thinking in any way would be a discredit to him as a person and as an
independent thinker in his own right. Yes his recent work seems to have replaced
the enthusiasm of youth with the quiet reflection of a more mature lyricist
(e.g. compare Something for Nothing to Time Stand Still). And yes his style has
certainly changed because he has had more time to formulate his own ideas
and more life experience to reflect upon, but I would argue that the
most important elements of his thinking - the central themes of his
'philosophy' have not changed as much as it may seem.
I'll try to keep this relatively short, (sorry - it's probably been too long
already) but I'd just like to offer a few quick examples.
(there are more, and I think this is an interesting subject so if anyone
wants to talk more at length about it off the NMS let me know.)
I would argue that early songs like Anthem and the Fountain of Lamneth
say essentially the same thing as later songs such as Mission and
Bravado, but in a different way. All of them are trying to get across that
the point of life is to do what your nature drives you to do, regardless of
what anyone else says or thinks. Don't give up on your dreams; if you
lose everything else in your life, don't lose the most important thing -
your integrity; 'Hold your Fire'.
"Anthem of the heart and Anthem of the mind,
a funeral dirge for eyes gone blind"
If you lose that integrity; if you lose that dream; if you lose that
impetus that drives you (your anthem); you have lost sight of what is
important in life; and your life has lost its meaning ('a funeral dirge
for eyes gone blind'). Stick to what you believe: don't let anyone or
anything control your life.
Compare that to the message of Mission:
'Hold your fire, keep it burning bright
Hold the flame 'till the dream ignites.
A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission.'
I won't try to argue it right here, but I am convinced that Neil uses
the word 'mission' in this song as equivalent in meaning to 'purpose'.
Sure, you can take the easy way out - you can give up your integrity,
but when you sell out, you have lost your very essence (your 'anthem').
You have sacrificed your reason to live ('a funeral dirge') when you have
forsaken your dream; when you abandoned that sublime 'vision' ('for eyes
gone blind'). It's 'cold comfort' to the 'ones without' a defining anthem,
to know that those who didn't sell out had a tough time following their
dream, but note the adjective 'cold' and especially note the last line of
the song:"BUT a spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission." i.e. a
purpose.
This is getting really long, so I'll just close with a little evidence from
'the Fountain of Lamneth' and 'Bravado'.
"Many journeys end here, but the secret's still the same:
Life is just a candle, and the dream must give it flame"
"If we burn our wings
flying too close to the sun;
If the moment of glory is over
before it's begun;
if the dream is won,
though everything is lost,
we will pay the price,
but we will not count the cost."
Neil is Neil. Rush is Rush. There is no 'new' and 'old'.
Aloha,
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
/- Mark Miesch /-
/- miesch@mhd.colorado.edu /-
/- "Whosoever loveth wisdom is righteous, but he that /-
/- keepeth company with fowl is weird" - Woody Allen /-
/- "The crux of the biscuit is the Apostrophe" - Zappa /-
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 12 Feb 1993 21:20:32 -0700 (MST)
From: Jerry_Jahnke@tikal.biosci.arizona.edu (Jerry Jahnke)
Subject: Re: All of you anti-fourth-m
>They know what sounds good, and they like to
>experiment. I can't believe how many of these no-life worshippers want to keep
>a threesome! Talking about "disrupting the chemistry" is cheese. Who are we
>to decide what would disrupt any "chemistry?" And why make such a big deal
>out of a retarded issue?
I am more in the middle of the road. I don't think they need a fourth, I
think that a fourth will make them sound different. I don't think that it is
a bad idea. I did not think that chemistry consisted of triads. I always
thought the beauty of chemistry was that you could take something and with
the addition of something really small make somthing totally different.
>I still am praying for a fourth to get rid of the staleness.
>Go ahead, flame me for the stale reference; many are afraid to admit it.
I think you are wrong about staleness. The music is not stale. It may no
longer be to your tastes as it has changed a bit over the years. I would be
intersted in why you think it is stale, however.
Anyway, as long as I enjoy the music I will listen to it. I have all of
their work on CD as well as the work of bands that have long ago bit the
dust. So I won't miss them, but I think it might be interesting to hear how
they change with a fourth. After all life is change. It may suck, but it may
be much better, or it may not change at all. And you won't know until you
try, and unless you try you will always wonder. I think the fans may be more
stale than the music.
Finally as a person who got to see them in front of small crowds ( < 200
people ) I have to say I liked it better when they were free to roam the
stage and concentrate on ONE instrument. There was a bit more spontinaity in
the live concerts. Although I think that many concert goers anymore go not
to see the musicains play but hear a record live (as evidenced by all the
lip syncers in pop music), which kinda stifles creativity a on stage a bit.
>Scott s116193@umrvma.umr.edu
Jer,
----
Jerome Jahnke
Biology Learning Center
University of Arizona
jahnke@biosci.arizona.edu or +1 (602) 621-3820
----------------------------------------------------------
From: swim@leland.stanford.edu
Subject: gif picture request
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 21:05:41 PST
If there is anyone out there who could send me some of the pictures, I would
really appreciate that.
Thank you.
My Address: swim@leland.stanford.edu
Kevin C. Henderson
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1993 00:29:02 -0600
From: Brian E. Saunders <saunders@luther.che.wisc.edu>
Subject: Various things...
1rst of all, how's this for a Rush block that I just heard on the radio:
The Camera Eye, Subdivisions, YYZ.
The middle one didn't surprise me, and I here YYZ once in a while, but
when the DJ said "Here's Camera Eye.", I did a triple-take. A welcome
block to a poor graduate student stuck in his office on a Friday night.
About the fourth member: no way. I just don't think you mess with
something that has worked this long. If it were earlier in Rush's
lifetime, perhaps it would have been worth experimenting. But now,
I don't think so. Perhaps they could write with a few other people
(though I don't know why), or they even could have a studio musician
come in (once again, I wouldn't know why), but they should never, never
officially add a fourth member. With respect to concerts, I think they
can go to more computerized stuff for the guys to trigger, or they could
even hide a keyboardist under the stage or something, but they shouldn't
have somebody out there with them.
About the new album's producer: I guess it is Peter Collins, but I have
an idea for their last *planned* album - go back to Terry Brown for the
hell of it. :^)
Brian E. Saunders saunders@luther.che.wisc.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
From: pslvax!larson!matt@UCSD.EDU (Matt Wilkinson)
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1993 23:32:04 -0800
Subject: stranded in dreamland
Hello all ... good to be back ...
I've been away on business, so I'm just now reading this week's NMSs and
was surprised to see Puanani's post from Monday.
/ On Mon, 8 Feb 93 00:59:50 HST, Puanani Akaka wrote:
|
| ...
| A couple of weeks ago, on a Sunday night, I had a dream about Rush.
| ...
| Weird, eh? Anyway, I just thought I'd share that. Anyone else get
| bizarre things like that happen to them?
Well, since you asked, I too had a weird dream about Rush.
My dream wasn't very detailed... just strange. I was standing on a
walkway and it was very overcast out. It seemed like I was on a college
campus or something like that. Three guys walk right past me and they
were Geddy, Alex, and Neil. But they had long sideburns and lots of
hair, though it was neatly combed -- kindof the Greg Brady look from the
Brady Bunch. Neil was quite tall, and walked in the middle of the three,
was gripping the straps of a bookbag slung over his shoulders with each
of his hands, and wore those black, horn-rimmed glasses. Alex and Geddy
were just walking along beside him.
That's it. Like I said, it wasn't very detailed, just weird. Perhaps
one of you in a psych department somewhere can confirm that I'm loosing
my mind.
/ On Tue, 9 Feb 93 08:12:32 PST,brent@ufo.llnl.gov (Kevin B. Fournier) writes:
|
| ... Geddy looks just like Morpheus in Vertigo's Sandman (at least
| some of the older issues such as during the Seasons... story line).
hmm, and does anyone agree with me that he looks just like Ross Perot
on page 19 of the RTB tour book (top photo)?
[] ----------+---------------------------------------------+-------------- []
[] matt | "in the unlikely event of a system crash, | systems []
[] wilkinson | your PC may be used as a floatation device" | administrator []
[] ----------+---------------------------------------------+-------------- []
[] Larson Technology, Inc., Burbank, CA []
[] UUCP: ...ucsd!pslvax!larson!matt INET: pslvax!mattw@ucsd.edu []
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 13 Feb 1993 02:56:28 -0600 (CST)
From: ST1S1@Jetson.UH.EDU
Subject: Favorite Album Poll
Well kids, the results are flying in at a fast pace. BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH!!
I'm extending the results. Tuesday will be the last day to vote! So,
email me at ST1S1@JETSON.UH.EDU asap!!!
Just in case you're curious, there are two albums that are tied......
you wanna know what they are? Ok, they are ............HA HA!!
yeah right, like I was really gonna spoil it for you. No, seriously,
the results are amazing. Thank's to all of you who voted. I'm sure
ALL the members of TNMS will get just as big of a kick out of this as
I do.
Email me!!!
Dan Zivijinovich Ross
P.S. Seriously, could you imagine Subdivisions without keyboards????
I had nightmares about that last night!
bye!
******************************************************************************
I'm just not gonna ask you again.........WHY ARE WE HERE???????
******************************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 13 Feb 93 04:57:17 EST
From: Steven.G.White@Dartmouth.EDU (Steven G. White)
Subject: Neil as a percussionist
I don't post often, but being a drummer, I find it imperative to respond to
some of the material that's been written about Neil's drumming. First of
all, I mostly agree with Muffy's (?) view toward Neil's drumline on "The
Weapon". It's pretty easy to play. But it is original (or at least I've
never heard that rhythm) - that's where its merit lies and that's what Muffy
does not mention. Secondly, I have some problems with Joe Meza's comments on
Neil as a percussionist. Neil's rudiments are very good - I don't think
that's questionable. But he is by no means "the master of rudimental
percussion". The problem is that you compare him against a backdrop of
drummers like Tommy Lee (or, even worse, Poison's drummer); compared to the
average rock drummer, Neil does stand out. But compared to the rest of the
international drumming community (people such as Manu Katche, Dave Weckl,
Marvin Smith, and Vinnie Colaiuta) Neil's drumming is not quite as
illustrious. While Neil does have a strong control of the rudiments, I
could say the same of any snare drummer who's been playing for a few years.
Mr. Peart is way beyond the level of a callow marching band snare drummer,
but he is not quite at the level of the top drummers in the world, I think.
Just check out tape 3 of the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert videos - his
performance is noticeably below par compared to the other performers, Marvin
Smith and Steve Smith. I concede that Neil could well have played below
potential because that was during the production of 'Presto', but I don't
think he could ever match either of the other two. Lastly, it is
narrow-minded and usually wrong to rank "mop-haired freaks" as inferior
musicians, as "drummers" instead of "percussionists". Why is Neil a
percussionist while Tommy Lee is a drummer? Because Neil knows his rudiments
and Tommy doesn't? I have a tape of Tommy Lee at a drum competition and I
can guarantee you that he knows his rudiments (though I would agree with you,
for other reasons, that Neil is a better drummer). Is Neil a percussionist
because he plays the bell-tree, temple blocks, and crotales? That is what it
means to be a percussionist, but it doesn't mean a whole lot more than
drummer for rock music. None of Neil's percussion lines are difficult, it's
just stuff in addition to trap set material. Hell, Tommy Lee could easily
play a lick on octobans and then he'd be a percussionist too - it's as easy
as that. I think that in making this distinction between "drummer" and
"percussionist" you underestimate a good deal of the rock drummers out there.
Looks are often deceiving as are the drum tracks of popular rock tunes. And
the "long-haired freak" who plays fairly simple stuff on an album does
oftentimes turn out to be quite a good drummer. For an example you need look
no further than Steve Smith who played fairly basic stuff with Journey but
who is an absolutely awesome drummer. In the end I don't mean to diminish
Neil as a great rock drummer, I just mean to place him in the proper context.
One should not claim that he is the best drummer in the world because he is
better than Tommy Lee. He should rather be compared to the body of drummers
on the international drumming scene. Most readers cannot do this simply
because they don't wish to spend that much time on drumming. My opinion is
that on this scale Neil is around the nineteeth percentile of drummers. If
any other drummers have differing opinions, I'd like to hear them. Thanks.
Changes aren't permanent BECAUSE change is.
Steve
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Date: 13 Feb 1993 11:40:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: IRONY CAN BE PRETTY IRONIC <MORETT44%SNYBUFVA.bitnet@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Best Floor Seats??
Hello All,
Well I'm just throwing a question out to yous concerning best seats
on the floor at a RUSH experience. I had a dream last night that tix went on
sale for a concert of their's. Then I woke wonderng if I were to camp out
REAL early for tix where would the best place to see the band from the floor.
I mean sure having 1st row is awesome, I know from seeing other bands, but I
like to watch Neil play, not just see arms flying around behind the kit.
But I want to get as close as possible...any comments here or E-mail
would be greatly appreciated!!
Maybe see you at the convention.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obscure Bills Joke - Hear the Bills are opening a chain of bakeries?
Their specialty will be turnovers!!
(Boy I'm glad I can laugh about it now!) There's always next year! (GOD NO!)
Tony Moretta -- morett44@snybufva.cs.snybuf.edu
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End of The National Midnight Star Number 621
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