Date: Mon, Mar 27, 1995 12:37 PM CST
From: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
Sender: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
Reply-to: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
To: rush_mailing_list@syrinx.umd.edu
Mail Split By Gateway
------- cut here --------
** ____ __ ___ ____ ___ ___ **
** / /_/ /_ /\ / /__/ / / / / /\ / /__/ / **
** / / / /__ / \/ / / / / /__/ / \/ / / /___ **
** **
** __ ___ ____ **
** /\ /\ / / \ /\ / / / _ /__/ / **
** / \/ \ / /___/ / \/ / /___/ / / / **
** **
** ____ ____ ___ ___ **
** /__ / /__/ /__/ **
** ____/ / / / / \ **
List posting/followup: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
Administrative matters: rush-request@syrinx.umd.edu
or
rush-mgr@syrinx.umd.edu
(Administrative postings to the posting address will be ignored!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The National Midnight Star, Number 1077
Monday, 27 March 1995
Today's Topics:
Administrivia
First post...
Every Rush song is a classic to someone
My intro to Rush
Misconceptions of one's own religion.
RIAA Status
RIAA Status++
RIVNDL
Just a thought.....
Re: 03/21/95 - The National Midnight Star #1072
Female Rush fans]
Counterparts video
RE: 03/24/95 - The National Midnight Star #1075
RTB Video
What does that say? Gub?
Re: Cinderalla Man and Rand
Alphabetical Rush
Listening Environments
The Avalanche
Re: 03/24/95 - The National Midnight Star #1075
Another Female Rush Fan
Neil, Tolkien, and "The Necromancer"
thoughts and observations
various snippets of info
Definition: Progressive?
Cinderella Man
The Cross of Holy Fire...
RE: Steve Smith on drums
the chair noise
Yup, you guessed it, another YKYARFW..
Books
YKYAARFW
Rush story
2nd fave band poll/objectivism essay
----------------------------------------------------------
From: rush-mgr@syrinx.umd.edu (The RUSH Fans Digest Manager)
Date: Mon Mar 27 13:01:54 EST 1995
Subject: Administrivia
Almost caught up! We've been getting in some articles I'll be sending out in a
special edition some time very soon, as well as the text to the book "Rush" by
Brian what's-his-name (Finegan?) which is long out-of-print.
And I've resisted doing this for a long time, but what the heck... my friend's
band is out on tour (finally!) going up & down the west coast, mostly playing
colleges. Although they don't sound like Rush (more like Toad if anything),
both the drummer and singer are BIG Rush fans. It's actually how I met the
drummer in the first place, he was selling a bunch of old tourbooks.. :-)
anyways, check them out if you can. Their web page is at
http://www.cerf.net/~mjahnke/
If you don't have web, but want their dates mailed to you, send me email and
I'll forward them to you. If you do see them, listen for some "Neil-like"
parts from the drummer.. :-)
- rush-mgr
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:16:00 -0500
From: BRIL@morgan.com
Subject: First post...
Hi all you fellow RUSHIANS,
I am new to this list, and so far I am extremely impressed at the
contents of these digests. My only problem is I have a limit to
the size mails I get here (at work), so everything after 1000 lines
gets canned. So, no one write below line 1000, ok....just kidding;)
Anyway, I will introduce myself first, then a few comments, and
then I will recede into the wings for a while.
I have been a RUSH fan (as opposed to someone who just likes
their music) since about the P/G album. Since then I have collected
everything I could find (at one point, I even had Bob & Doug Mckenzie's
album, but my vinyl collection is toast). Anyway, I am one of those
fans that has no tolerance for those that do not appreciate the
talent displayed by this band. I hold Neil's Lyrics in the highest
regard (second ONLY to Fish's from Marillion, I believe others here
know what I am speaking about), and the rest of the bands music is
beyond reproach.
A few threads I would like to contribute to/comment on:
ONE: obscure (WELL, not obscure, but ... well, you know..) songs
that should get more air play:
1: Chemistry
2: Something for Nothing
3: Xanadu
4: Entre Nous (actually, this song was getting airplay on LA's KLOS)
5: Face Up
6: Superconductor
7: Turn The Page
8: everything else!!!!!!
I Really do not have an explanation for each one, but a few of these, I
think, display some of the Boys' "Accessible" side, like Superconductor,
and Turn the Page. Xanadu should have been one of those all time great
Rock anthems of our time (up there with Stairway.., and Green Grass & High
Tides (Outlaws)). Chemistry & Entre Nous just have a comfortable quality,
like it can go with anything or anyone.
The other thread is the discussion of the lyrics to the trees:
I had always looked at this song kind of literally (like everyone
else it seems) but one thing I have not seen brought out is the way
the song leaves us; it basically leaves us in the end with hatchet, axe
and saw. This I feel is a comment on the fact we can all argue over
who has what rights with regard to what forum, but in the end, nothing
of the whole dispute matters; something far greater or more powerful
could (and usually does) render the conflict inconsequential. So,
IMHO, this states that do what you can, fight the good fight, but do
not lose sight of what REALLY matters, and what effect your actions might
have in "The BIG picture".
I am interested to hear more about lyrics (since THAT is what I really
get into, as well as the music, of course, but the combination...WOW),
If you post something with reference to this, and you see it on the
bottom of a digest, please send me a (short) copy of the post, I am
interested in this thread.
Later,
Brian
OBLIGATORY SONG QUOTE: "The hopeful depend on a world without end,
whatever the hopeless may say"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 95 10:44 PST
From: sbirce@netshop.net (Steve & Sharon Birce)
Subject: Every Rush song is a classic to someone
To use the word "fillers" with regards to Rush songs is, I believe, an
insult in itself. To say that you prefer some songs over others would be
more constructive. I take great pride in being a Rush fan, and try to
listen to each song for what it is, and figure out why they did it this way
or that way. But they are all Rush songs, and so I accept each one the way
it is-I don't wish they had done them any differently. The FAQ even
references "fillers" directly (read the answer to "Are there any extra Rush
songs that have been recorded and not used on any album?"). After reading
that, I don't know how anyone can think that Rush would even think of
writing a song just to finish off an album! (The idea had never occured to
me). It isn't even a part of their musical philosophy-and I'm sure that's
how it is with many bands. Why bother putting out an album at all if it's
not the best you can do at that time?
BTW-This is my first post, and it's great just to be a part of this great
group.
Now that I've started, though, you may not be able to shut me up!
Steve Birce
Kamloops, BC, Canada
sbirce@netshop.net
"I don't believe in the stars or the planets *** * * *** *
Or angels watching from above * * * * *
but I believe there's a ghost of a chance * * * *** ***
we can find someone to love * * * * * *
and make it last" * *** *** * *
Neil Peart-"Ghost Of A Chance" (Roll The Bones)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 95 10:44 PST
From: sbirce@netshop.net (Steve & Sharon Birce)
Subject: My intro to Rush
I have been a Rush fan since I was about 15 (am 27 now). Oddly enough,
although I knew who they were and knew some of their songs, I really only
started listening to a lot of Rush when I moved to the US from Canada in
1983. One of my first good friends in high school asked me what kind of
music I like to listen to, so I started naming off all of my favourites.
Then he asked me what are some famous Canadian bands-well, I just re-listed
a bunch of the bands I had just mentioned! He was amazed-he never knew that
a lot of these bands were Canadian (not that it made that much of a
difference-but it made me more proud of them). So, he started buying Rush
CD's (we had both bought CD players that year-I still have mine!), and he'd
be playing Rush every time I came over to hang out. Well, it didn't take
long for me to realize what I had been missing all those years, when I could
have (and should have) been listening to Rush! I started compiling a Rush
CD library of my own and was well on my way. The first CD I bought was
Moving Pictures and it is still my favourite.
Steve
Kamloops, BC
sbirce@netshop.net
My way of determining my favourite album & song:
Imagine you are stranded on a desert island and only have one album to
listen to forever! What would it be? For me-Moving Pictures
One song? La Villa Strangiato
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Moffitt_Barak/corp_admin@qad.com
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 95 10:37:32 -0800
Subject: Misconceptions of one's own religion.
This is a response to James' post in TNMS #1073, where he discusses his
friend who no longer listens to Rush because of a religious conversion
to some form of "born again" Christianity.
It grieves me to hear stories like this for a number of reasons, but
here, I will only discuss two, in the interest of time. Primarily,
this kind of conversion attitude is disturbing because it brutalizes
Christianity in the eyes of the public; it confers untrue beliefs and
fearful positions upon the religion itself so that people, in disgust,
confuse the believer with the belief. I think that taking positions
like refusing to listen to Rush because of 'evil' content and conduct
are some of the most counterproductive activities in which a Christian
can engage. It shows fear and wilfull condemnation of things that are
challenging to the faith, when, to the contrary, things that challenge
the faith are those which deserve more concentrated attention because
they can promote a higher understanding of belief and a more rational
faith. People who exhibit the kind of belief that condemns Rush simply
show their lack of understanding and their misconceptions of their own
faith. A good understanding of scripture would show quite some
congruency between it's own theology and the philosophy of Rush. Rush
is a highly valuable commodity because it reveals much of the
incongruency between believer and belief (Fear trilogy, for example).
Truth exists to some degree in all walks of life; Rush happens to
convey a lot of truth.
Secondly, I think that a proper understanding of Christianity
emphasizes the importance of a high aesthetic sensitivity. A strong
spirituality requires a deciphering ear and a soul that is moved by a
high aesthetic. Christianity has an important focus on worship, which
relies on aesthetics. Bad aesthetics would seem to reflect bad
religion, or bad worship to say the least. There is no doubt that Rush
portrays a level of aesthetic superiority that is rivaled by very few
other performers. So the conclusion of what I am saying seems to be
this: a proper understading of Christianity requires an appreciation
for Rush, not a rejection of it.
Thanks for reading,
Barak Moffitt
(bnm@qad.com)
----------------------------------------------------------
From: terrywo@microsoft.com
Subject: RIAA Status
Date: Fri, Mar 24, 1995 11:21 AM
The official list of February RIAA certifications include:
Platinum
Rush - Chronicles, their 13th
Gold
Rush - Rush, their 19th
And I think I mentioned from January:
Multiplatinum
Rush - Moving Pictures, 4 million
-terry
----------------------------------------------------------
From: terrywo@microsoft.com
Subject: RIAA Status++
Date: Fri, Mar 24, 1995 11:28 AM
Don't you hate that. You send off an email and then remember that
you forgot something. Also included in February RIAA certifications:
Gold
Rush - Archives, their 20th
BTW, given the amount of DT traffic here, some may be interested that
Images and Words also went gold last month.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 14:11:14 -0500
From: p_norwoo@oz.plymouth.edu (Peter C. Norwood)
Subject: RIVNDL
Saw this on a NH highway the other day:
RIVNDL
whaddya think?
I could only think of one thing...oh yea there was a Greenpeace sticker..too
Pete
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 15:56:29 -0500
From: Jeffrey339@aol.com
Subject: Just a thought.....
While doing some work at the computor here today, I threw on FBN, which I
haven`t listened to in a long time; and here`s just a thought from an aging
Rush fan: Rivendell has got to be one of the most beautiful songs I`ve ever
heard in my life.
You Know You`re a Real Rush Fan when....
...you not only like Rivendell, but Tears,Madrigal,Different Strings,
and I think I`m Going Bald !!!!!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 16:21:43 -0500 (EST)
From: "Eric J. Mcclanahan" <ejmcclan@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: Re: 03/21/95 - The National Midnight Star #1072
I have an even better place (my opinion) than the Rushburg, or
Rushtown from the #1072. Rushville, NY. It is about 30 miles south-east
of Rochester, NY which is a very Rush-philic place (probly cause it is
about 60 miles right across Lake Ontario to Mecca...uh I mean Toronto:)
I think we ought to look for all of the rush related names of
anyones local burg, town or ville, just to see if they get anymore
interesting.
[ Ok, we have a Rushville St. in downtown La Jolla! Now if I could only
figure out how to get that sign down... : rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:43:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Kyriel <kyriel@netcom.com>
Subject:
Yeah, so I haven't posted for a .really. long time. :)
Jim Heuser writes:
>The Melvins also opened the Feb 12, 1994 show in San Jose. They were
>horrible there too. When the last awful chord was played, the crowd
>erupted in a spontaneous "Boooooo." Those jeers turned into delighted
>applause when the house lights came on, which meant no more Melvins. They
>were really, really bad.
I was there! It had to be the worst thing. :P Actually, the sad
part was, when I plugged my ears, I could -almost- understand what they
were saying. And after the first song, when everyone booed them, they
played the rest, straight through.
[ I was there as well, and had seen them the night before at the Cow
Palace. I busied myself with attempting to locate the Rush fan with the
oldest concert shirt (I *think* I found a 2112 shirt) : rush-mgr ]
Lynette
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 13:56:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Kyriel <kyriel@netcom.com>
Subject: Female Rush fans]
Guess I could have included this in my other letter. :)
Yes, there really are female Rush fans out there. I, and some of my
friends are amongst the group. Well, Ok, so I'm not quite single anymore.
But I thought that I ought to share this little story.
For those of you 'net folks unfamiliar with MUSHing, it's a game
online involving roleplaying. My particular vice is PernMUSH. Anyway,
there's a list called WHO that shows who's online at any given time, and
what they're doing (@do),if they've chosen to post something. Over a
period of a couple of weeks, I saw a person who had odd stuff in their
@do, but I was too nervous to ask him about it. For about three weeks
this went on, until one afternoon, I saw a Rush lyric in his @do. 'Ah
ha!' I thought. 'Something I know!' So I paged him, with the next line
from the song. That was all the opening we needed. :) It was the
beginning of a number of conversations about the boyz, I got him reading
TNMS, and now, just over a year later, he's my fiance. :) What more could
a girl ask for?
Lynette, aka
Jehrina, Leilanth's opinion dump, Sr. Weyrwoman / Benden Weyr
Kyriel, Sr. Journeyman Starsmith / Ista Weyr
"Experience to extremes" - Neil Peart
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 95 12:57:46 HST
From: puanani@wana.pbrc.Hawaii.Edu (Puanani Akaka)
Subject: Counterparts video
Yo.
I know someone already wrote in about this bogus Cp concert video.
But if no one believes him, the PRICE of the video alone should
tell you it's crap.
Rush would *never* allow a concert tape of theirs to be sold for $40.
Never.
puanani
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 19:05:04 -0600 (CST)
From: SJR5145@ACS.TAMU.EDU
Subject: RE: 03/24/95 - The National Midnight Star #1075
To Richard O. Rouse III
CINDERELLA MAN WAS WRITTEN BY GEDDY _NOT_ NEIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So why not quit all the boring analysis and concentrate on the music?!?!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 20:18 EST
From: 191547620@UCIS.VILL.EDU (Stefan T. Rau)
Subject: RTB Video
Hello, everyone!!
Some people have been asking about a RTB live video, so I thought I'd shed
what light I can upon the matter....
I happen to possess a copy of a video called "Row The Boats," which I
stumbled upon by chance in a music store in Pittsburgh a few months ago.
So, I'll offer a quick review of it for those who might be interested:
GOOD POINTS:
--over 2 hours of live Rush material....it seems to be most of a single show
(there is one spot where the person recording it got the first measure of
"Superconductor" before cutting away).
--pretty good sound quality....about as good as most bootleg CD's I've heard.
--fairly rare, from the look of it....the front cover is the RTB album cover,
and the back cover has a picture of the boys, and a handwritten list of
songs....other info written there includes "Recorded live at Knickerbocker
Arena, Albany, NY, 12-12-91" and, "For Fan Club Use Only." (?????????)
BAD POINTS:
--pretty bad video quality....it was recorded using a hand-held camcorder,
and so the image keeps shaking.....and whoever recorded it threw in some
cheesy slo-mo special effects....and most of the shots are just close-ups
of Geddy.
--of questionable legality....it's pretty obvious that it's a bootleg, and
while I know that doesn't bother me, it might make a difference to others.
Anyway.....that's the only RTB video I know of......if anyone wants any
more info on it (track listing, etc.), feel free to mail me....and if
anyone should want a copy, I might be able to make a few (if I can find
a VCR to borrow), if you have anything good to trade....:-)
--Sven 191547620@ucis.vill.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 22:13:54 -0500
From: Brigge@aol.com
Subject: What does that say? Gub?
In ish 1074 Alex Lifeson <TRMD@grove.iup.edu> writes:
>So I will try this again. First of all, does anyone
>KNOW what a 'gub' is? It's mentioned a few
>times in the tour books, I think in signals,
>power windows or Moving Pictures. I can't recall.
Take the Money and Run (1969)
Virgil Starkwell (Woody Allen) is a socially retarded
geek who takes to robbing banks in order to pay for
his cello lessons. During one of his attempts (sixteen
banks, sixteen convictions) Virgil hands the teller a
hold-up note. They argue, along with other employees
and customers, whether the word says 'Gun' or 'Gub.'
A line starts to form behind Virgil and he is subsequently
arrested. One of Allen's funniest flicks!
-Jackman
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 20:36:13 -0700 (MST)
From: Craig Kulesa <ckulesa@as.arizona.edu>
Subject: Re: Cinderalla Man and Rand
Richard O. Rouse III writes:
[excellent analysis deleted]
> Well, that was awfully long winded, but I hope all you Randists get
> the point. Perhaps Neil is a Rand-supporter, but it sure is not possible
> to say he is using "Cinderella Man" for your support. Personally,
> I'm happy to conclude that Neil, along with myself, is a Capraist.
Unfortunately, I'm about to throw a spanner into the works... :-7
Neil didn't write Cinderella Man. According to the AFTK liner notes,
Geddy is responsible for the lyrics. So maybe Geddy is a Capraist... :)
I agree however that although songs like Anthem and 2112 are strongly
Rand-influenced, most of his later works do not lean in this direction.
As we live our lives we are influenced by different people -- so
it's not at all surprising to see that Neil's influences in 1984 or 1995
aren't what they were in 1975...
'Nuff said. Get busy!
Craig Kulesa
ckulesa@as.arizona.edu
http://as.arizona.edu/~ckulesa/ckulesa.html
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 95 21:54:12 PST
From: "Jund, Michael" <mjund@stdntmail.lmu.edu>
Subject: Alphabetical Rush
Fellow RUSHers,
Here is the list of all of Rush's songs in alphabetical order that
was played on my radio show at Loyola Marymount University from
October 1994 to December 1994. I am also the guy that printed the
Ultimate Countdown a few weeks ago. Well, here it is. ENJOY!
Song Album
Afterimage GUP
Alien Shore CP
Anagram (for Mongo) PRESTO
The Analog Kid SIG
Animate CP
Anthem FBN
Available Light PRESTO
Bastille Day COS
Before and After RUSH
Beneath, Between and Behind FBN
Best I Can FBN
Between Sun & Moon CP
Between the Wheels GUP
The Big Money POW WIN
The Big Wheel RTB
The Body Electric GUP
Bravado RTB
By-Tor and the Snow Dog FBN
The Camera Eye MP
Chain Lightning PRESTO
Chemistry SIG
Cinderella Man AFTK
Circumstances HEM
Closer to the Heart AFTK
Cold Fire CP
Countdown SIG
Cut to the Chase CP
Cygnus X-1 AFTK
Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres HEM
Different Strings PER WAV
Digital Man SIG
Distant Early Warning GUP
Double Agent CP
Dreamline RTB
Emotion Detector POW WIN
The Enemy Within GUP
Entre Nous PER WAV
Everyday Glory CP
Face Up RTB
A Farewell to Kings AFTK
Finding My Way RUSH
Fly By Night FBN
Force Ten HYF
The Fountain of Lamneth COS
Freewill PER WAV
Subj: #2(3) 03/27/95 - The National Midnight Star #1077
Date: Mon, Mar 27, 1995 12:37 PM CST
From: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
Sender: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
Reply-to: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
To: rush_mailing_list@syrinx.umd.edu
Mail Split By Gateway
------- cut here --------
Ghost of a Chance RTB
Grand Designs POW WIN
Hand Over Fist PRESTO
Here Again RUSH
Heresy RTB
High Water HYF
I Think I'm Going Bald COS
In the End FBN
In the Mood RUSH
Jacob's Ladder PER WAV
Kid Gloves GUP
La Villa Strangiatio HEM
Lakeside Park COS
Leave That Thing Alone CP
Lessons 2112
Limelight MP
Lock and Key HYF
Losing It SIG
Madrigal AFTK
Making Memories FBN
Manhattan Project POW WIN
Marathon POW WIN
Middletown Dreams POW WIN
Mission HYF
Mystic Rhythms POW WIN
Natural Science PER WAV
The Necromancer COS
Need Some Love RUSH
Neurotica RTB
New World Man SIG
Nobody's Hero CP
Open Secrets HYF
The Pass PRESTO
A Passage to Bangkok 2112
Presto PRESTO
Prime Mover HYF
Red Barchetta MP
Red Lenses GUP
Red Sector A GUP
Red Tide PRESTO
Rivendell FBN
Roll the Bones RTB
Scars PRESTO
Second Nature HYF
Show Don't Tell PRESTO
Something For Nothing 2112
The Speed of Love CP
The Spirit of Radio PER WAV
Stick It Out CP
Subdivisions SIG
Superconductor PRESTO
Tai Shan HYF
Take a Friend RUSH
Tears 2112
Territories POW WIN
Time Stand Still HYF
Tom Sawyer MP
The Trees HEM
Turn the Page HYF
Twenty-one Twelve 2112
The Twilight Zone 2112
Vital Signs MP
War Paint PRESTO
The Weapon SIG
What You're Doing RUSH
Where's my Thing? RTB
Witch Hunt MP
Xanadu AFTK
You Bet Your Life RTB
YYZ MP
There it is. Thanks for your time. Are there any Rush/Midnight Oil
fans out there. Just curious. I like Midnight Oil. Pretty cool
lyrics but Peart is the poet. Check you later (I love hockey too).
Michael Jund
mjund@stdntmail.lmu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 09:06:58 -0500
From: QuickLad@aol.com
Subject: Listening Environments
Hello all,
To continue the thread...
When I first started getting into loud music (not counting Tommy twice a day
all summer when I was four) I found that a darkened room, with me centered
between a pair of speakers cranked up is almost always the best.
I just got a big pair of Polks to go with my housemate's 250w/ch amp... It's
great to actually *feel* the music... not too often though out of deference
to the neighbors (and my poor, overworked ears).
Almost any music that I *listen* to, as opposed to dance to, is improved by
sort of creating an "isolation tank". Try it with Genesis, Yes and of course
the Fella's. It doesn't seem the same when I put on my English Beat
though...
Eric
PS- Make that Play/Musical into a movie and you've got a Director of
Photography!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 11:23:30 -0500 (EST)
From: "Lisa R. Weinberg" <lrw1820@is2.NYU.EDU>
Subject: The Avalanche
"How're y'all doing tonight?"
Time: December 2, 1982 about 9:30 AM
Place: Typing Class in junior high school
Players: Gary, a school friend and I
Gary: BTW, Derek, I'm seeing Rush tonight at the [Madison Square] Garden.
Me: You Are!! Holy shit!
Gary: Yeah. Do you want me to get you a concert shirt?
Me: Sure. [I'd never been to a concert and only knew about concert
shirts based on the ones junior high schoolers wore after seeing a show]
Gary: Anything else?
ME: What else is there?
Gary: A tourbook?
Me: Sure. Why not.
So I handed him a $20.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hitherto, Rush was a band that I knew had MP, ESL, and Signals. I had
Signals on cassette, clueless of their lyrics. I bought this album when
it was released (9/82) because I had already heard three songs
from the album (Chemistry, Digital Man, and NWM). I determined whether
I wanted to buy an album based on how many of its songs I heard on the
radio. And three songs were enough for me.
Signals was one of my favorite albums (of the few that I owned) to play
on my Walkman. I loved how the jet in the beginning of Countdown would
soar from my right ear to left.
When I got the tourbook, something happened. I opened it up and read
about how the album evolved. As a result, the seeds of a Rush fan, via
Signals, started to evolve in me. I felt the beginnings of an avalanche
sensation when I read how human they are, their senses of humor,
adventures and frustrations. Neil wrote in a language that kindled what I
call passion in me. The passion to learn, grow, experience and live.
After this tourbook, the avalanche in me started to feel like an
avalanche after I taped a radio show (WBAB) that played over ninety
minutes of Rush commercial free and then I got the lyrics to Signals.
With the combination of these three elements, I realized:
RUSH IS THE BEST
Chasing something new to believe in
Rock the (Gangster of) boats,
Derek Barker
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 12:23:58 -0600 (CST)
From: Filthy McNasty <BIRCHN@Meena.CC.URegina.CA>
Subject: Re: 03/24/95 - The National Midnight Star #1075
Re: Cinderella Man and the Rand influence..
You seem to forget that Cinderella Man was penned by Geddy, not Neil. At
least I know the lyrics were. This comes from the B-man's VISIONS.
See ya
NR Birch
/ \/>
[=#===========::} <\/ \
\_/\> {::===========#=] "I've been called worse
</\_/ things by better people."
- Pierre Trudeau
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 10:50:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Krista Kokko <kokko@clark.edu>
Subject: Another Female Rush Fan
Well, I finally decided that it is time to refute the oft-made
claim that there are just not that many gals who are into Rush, and to
introduce myself.
I have been into Rush ever since I got the chance to see them in
Portland for the Moving Pictures tour, and I love the music for what they
have to say (It is there for the understanding should you only stop to
think and listen), not for any physical attraction. If anything else, I
welcome the chance to observe the world and our society through their
eyes...
I have all the albums, but it has been a long time since I have
had the pleasure of listening to them. All my albums except RTB and CP
(on tape) are on the old LP's and I have not had a working turntable (did
you know that you can't buy one anymore?!), nor would I risk them on the
ones my friends have. My finances are such that I can only keep up with the
new releases, but I can still remember most of the songs. I had such a
wonderfull feeling when I discovered TNMS and started to read, it meant that
I belong to a strong community of people. I am back in school after many long
years and this is how I have the opportunity to be a part of this.
"Closer to the heart..."
kokko@clark.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 14:17:38 -0500
From: WilCollier@aol.com
Subject: Neil, Tolkien, and "The Necromancer"
(This started out as a short little post and took on a life of its own. I
should say right off the bat that that song I'm discussing here is far from
one of my favorites, rather the opposite, but once I got into this, I got
more interested, and I hope you enjoy it. It's hard to imagine a song that
reflects today's Rush music _less_ than this one, but I had fun playing with
it.)
It's been stated in the FAQ that the "three travelers" in "The Necromancer"
are Frodo, Sam, and Gollum from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord Of The Rings"
(LOTR). Dan, the mighty keeper of the FAQ, adds that additional references
would be appreciated. As something of a Tolkien student, I've taken it upon
myself to look into this a little more deeply.
First off, I have to take issue with the idea that the three travelers are
the aforementioned hobbits. I'd say that Neil borrows pretty freely from
several different Tolkien sources in this one, while throwing in many themes
of his own. The actual name "The Necromancer" is not from LOTR at all, but
from it's predecessor, "The Hobbit." The Necromancer, in that book, was an
evil wizard living in the south of Mirkwood, a very large, dark, and
dangerous forest in Middle-Earth. It was revealed later, in "The Fellowship
Of The Ring," that the Necromancer was actually Sauron, the dark lord, who
was thought to have been destroyed centuries ago. Sauron is referred to as
"the Necromancer" in LOTR only once or twice.
Neil's "Necromancer" contains plot elements from both LOTR and "The Hobbit."
As far as invading the Necromancer's territory and driving him out of his
fortress, Tolkien tells us "off stage" that the good wizards, at the instance
of Gandalf, drove the Necromancer out of his fortress at Dol Guldir (in
Mirkwood) just prior to the end of "The Hobbit." Sauron proceeded to return
to his real home of Mordor, setting the stage for the larger epic in LOTR
(not a dissimilar situation to the end of Neil's "Return of the Prince").
Frodo and Sam weren't even born at this point, and Gollum was still lurking
in his cave under the Misty Mountains. As far as the Necromancer in "The
Hobbit" is concerned, there was no such event as a "prince . . . stealthily
attacking" anybody. There is no "Willow Dale" in Tolkien's world, but rather
a city named simply "Dale" at the foot of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain (in
"The Hobbit.") Similarly, there is no River Dawn in Middle-Earth.
On the other hand, Tolkien describes a palatable "shadow of malice" generated
by Sauron, poisoning the very air of Mirkwood and Mordor, that Neil hits
squarely on target in the first two parts of "The Necromancer." Neil's
description of the endlessly watching "prism eyes" of the Necromancer is
obviously Tolkien-influenced. In LOTR, Sauron's "lidless eye" is often
referred to (but the word "prism" is unused), and "brooding in his
tower/watching o'er his land" is a dead-on reference to the Sauron described
by Tolkien. Neil's lines "ultimately, they will become mindless spectres,
stripped of will and soul..." are remarkably similar to Gandalf's description
of the Ringwraiths, men enslaved by Sauron's lesser rings of power.
A case could be made to the effect that the three travelers are not actually
going through Mirkwood at the start of the song, but rather the forest of
Ithilen, just west of the land of Mordor. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum do indeed
travel through this forest in "The Two Towers," on their way to Mordor, but
they never directly confront Sauron, much less get sent to his dungeons--that
would have brought the story to a swift and nasty end (with a whole volume
still to go!).
I'd have to argue that Neil's three travelers are mostly his own invention,
and that he just took a few basic themes from Tolkien (most obviously the
presence and effects of the Necromancer in Mirkwood, and Gandalf's attack on
him towards the end of "The Hobbit") and ran with it. Needless to say, the
name "By-Tor" makes no appearance in any of Tolkien's works, but the prince
in "The Necromancer" does bear a family resemblance to Aragorn/Strider from
LOTR.
Of course, Neil wasn't the first (or the last) lyricist to cop a few ideas
from Tolkien. Robert Plant used Tolkien themes more than once in the early
days of Led Zeppelin (see "Ramble On" and "The Battle Of Evermore" and "No
Quarter"), and any number of heavy metal bozos have written ponderous lyrics
that owe a considerable debt to the scholar from Oxford. As far as songs
directly taken from Tolkien's ideas with a minimum of added commentary or
themes go, Neil's "Rivendell" is certainly the best of the lot.
For the "Obscure Rush Trivia" file, here's an interesting tidbit. Tolkien
was a professor of philology--the study of languages--at Oxford, and
translated many texts into our modern English. One of his most acclaimed
translations was none other than "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," which is
a very old poem from (if memory serves) Old English (I could be off on
this--it might have been Middle English). It would be interesting to find
out if Neil was using Tolkien's translation when he made an effort at
adapting "Sir Gawain" in 1980. For the _really_ interested, Tolkien's "Sir
Gawain" was published in paperback by Ballantine Books several years ago, and
you should be able to find a copy with a little rooting around. It's far too
long to post, though.
Hope that wasn't too much detail for everybody. Added commentary is
welcome, but let's keep the flames and non-Rush Tolkien comments to e-mail,
OK?
--Will Collier
WilCollier@aol.com
"You have what traditional therapists call 'anger,' but what we *Scottish*
therapists call: 'ANGERRRRR!!!'" --Phil McCraken, Scottish Therapist
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 25 Mar 95 14:45:28 EST
From: "Peter R. Stewart" <71744.2362@compuserve.com>
Subject: thoughts and observations
Hello Fellow Rush Fans,
I thought I'd offer my thoughts on a few topics I've seen in recent editions of
TMNS.
1) Opening bands -- I have seen Rush at least twice on each tour since HYF. I
have yet to enjoy an opening act. This is partly due to my eagerness for the
Rush set to begin, however, the openers have not been all that good. It was
truly painful to sit through Mr. Big. In fact I ended up walking around the
perimeter of the Meadowlands Arena for most of their sets. Unfortunately I
could still hear them all too well.
Some wanna be guitar hero whose name escapes me (Vinny something I think) opened
on the RTB tour (MSG 12/6, 12/7 1991) Once again less than enjoyable. I finally
learned my lesson and showed up at a quater to nine for the CP tour.
Rush should consider doing a tour similar to Yes. No opener just three solid
hours of Rush. This would allow for some of the less well known material to be
played and really give the fans their money's worth.
2) Rush Listening Settings -- My favorite place to play the boys is in my car.
If I'm taking a road trip I'll load my six disc changer and program my fantasy
concert. On a recent trip from NY to Boston this was my play list :
Spirit of Radio
Freewill
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Broon's Bane
The Trees (ESL)
Xanadu (ESL)
Natural Science
Available Light
Show Don't Tell
The Pass
Double Agent
Leave that Thing Alone
Cold Fire
A Passage to Bangkok (ESL).
Red Barchetta
Witch Hunt
Closer to the Heart (ESL)
2112 ...
and as a finale I ended the COS classic I Think I'm Going Bald (Cassette) and a
few others as the mood struck me.
Great songs, high volume and high speed make for an enjoyable driving
experience.
3) Lastly -- At the risk of sounding caustic--enough already with the periodic
table!
--Peter
Where would you rather be?
Anywhere but here
When will the time be right?
Anytime but now
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 16:04:50 -0500 (EST)
From: "Stephen J. Falken" <sam@keene.edu>
Subject: various snippets of info
Hello fellow Rushians!
Haven't posted in a while (too much sun in Daytona Beach, FL), so here's
my catch up post.
First let me start off by saying that I am a bassist that would like to
start a thread for all the bassists out there--- your favorite Rush bassline!
Mine is 'Turn the Page' (followed closely by the chord line in 'the
Pass' and the instrumental section of 'ByTor')
Secondly, I'd like to put my two cents in about 'Everyday Glory'. Quick
trivia question, do you know why CP doesn't have one of those digital
mixing codes (AAD, ADD, DDD)? Give up-? The answer (according to an
interview with Geddy in Bass Player magazine released in Nov. or Dec.
1993) is that 'Everyday Glory' was recorded analog to preserve the
midrange sound that often gets cut from digital recordings. The rest of
the album was recorded and mixed digitally. I also think that 'Everyday
Glory was an excellent choice for the last song on the album because
(IMHO) it leaves the listener with an upbeat, powerful feeling and makes
the album stronger. 'Available Light' IMHO also did this on Presto.
Kudos to Brian Thomson's YKYARFW about 'Subdivisions' Keyboard line.
A music major (and Rush fan)here at Keene State just taught me how to
play it!
YKYARFW your friend plays classical guitar for you and you say "Hey,
that's 'Broons Bane!'" and then you teach him 'Rivendell'
Steve Maturo
sam@monadnock.keene.edu
"you know how that rabbit feels... going under speeding wheels..."
-The Professor ('Between the Wheels')
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 16:21:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Alex Lifeson <TRMD@grove.iup.edu>
Subject: Definition: Progressive?
I sthink this might have been discussed earlier, but can anyone out
there give me a good definition of progressive rock? It seems like it can be
described in many ways, but I can't think of a definate, concise form to put it
in. Any help???? thanks. . . . . briaN M eichorN
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Cinderella Man
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 16:28:42 -0500 (EST)
From: "Adam Paul Loch" <lochadam@student.msu.edu>
Cinderella Man is one of my favorite songs, and I'm glad there has been some
analyzation of the lyrics. It is kind of bothering me that no one seems to know
that Geddy wrote the lyrics to that song, not Neil(unless the AFTK liner notes
are wrong). Who knows, maybe Neil gave one of his Ayn Rand books to Ged or
something. This is not meant as a flame in any way/shape/form, just a
correction. I had no idea until I bought AFTK on CD, my tape copy had no liner
notes. Anyhow, later...
******************************************************************************
Adam Loch Computer Engineering
Michigan State University
*************************
* lochadam@egr.msu.edu * GO
* lochadam@cps.msu.edu * SPARTANS!
*************************
"Hope is a letter that never arrives delivered by the postman of my fear"
- +Live+
******************************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 13:55:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Niki Leboeuf <vortexae@u.washington.edu>
Subject: The Cross of Holy Fire...
My take on it is pretty simplistic. On the one hand, you have organized
religion / too much structure taking over your life and making you live
by their rules but at least you don't have to make anymore decisions.
<bigbreath> ok, and on the other hand you have chaos, not enough
structure, everything sliding down the drain.
You gotta find a balance of your own between the two.
ps. Is the T-shirt sale / memorable quotes thing still going on, or is it
over? I've lost my copy of the note about it from some months ago. (I
mean, the 20th anniversary thing.) SOmeone remind me what's going on...
--Niki
Candlebox lousy? I didn't much care for
PRIMUS live either... at least I could hear the
vocals this time around...
vortexae@u.washington.edu / host machine "saul"
generally, the people who tell you "that's the way it is"
are the people who like it that way.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 18:07:24 -0600 (CST)
From: SJR5145@ACS.TAMU.EDU
Subject: RE: Steve Smith on drums
I don't know whether or not Steve Smith played drums for Montrose, but
he didn't start playing for Journey until their 2nd album with Steve Perry,
called "Evolution" I believe it was 1978 or 1979. Previously, Journey had
a different drummer, can't recall his name at the moment. So it is entirely
possible that after Denny Carmassi left Montrose, Steve Smith played with
them for a bit before moving on to Journey.
OBLIGATORY RUSH CONTENT:
I am a big fan of the keyboard-era of Rush as well (being a keyboard player
I suppose this makes sense). I totally agree that Rush's keyboard era
was a most important one in their history, and most of my favorites are
from this era (Afterimage, Subdivisions, The Camera Eye, etc).
Steve
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 18:33:49 -0600 (CST)
From: "I've upped my standards...UP YOURS!!!" <0217762@ACAD.NWMISSOURI.EDU>
Subject: the chair noise
Someone asked if the chrash in YYZ was a board on a chair. That makes sence
because of two thing:
1) On the linear notes he is quoted as playing plywood.
2) This crash noise is not played live. Neil rarely likes to deviate from his
recorded drum parts, so this would suggest that whatever he did is something
he cannot recreate on stage with his equipment.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 16:55:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Kyriel <kyriel@netcom.com>
Subject: Yup, you guessed it, another YKYARFW..
When you're working in the middle of a big store, and a Rush song
comes over the speakers and you sing out loud along with it, and refuse
to be embarrassed. Through three songs in a row.
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Zee-Bee@207.sasbbs.com (Zee-Bee)
Date: 24 Mar 95 10:07:27 -0800
Subject: Books
I'm assuming this message didn't make it through before. I came across
some books while searching through some on-line libraries, and I was
wondering if anyone knew anything about them. The titles are "Serious
Rock: Bruce Springsteen, Rush, and Pink Floyd" and "Mystic Rhythms: the
Philosophical Vision of Rush." This last one is very recent, published
just this year. If anyone has any ideas as to where I might find these,
please let me know. I'm very interested in reading these.
Alissa
--
|Fidonet: Zee-Bee 1:103/207
|Internet: Zee-Bee@207.sasbbs.com
|
| Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Zee-Bee@207.sasbbs.com (Zee-Bee)
Date: 24 Mar 95 10:07:05 -0800
Subject: YKYAARFW
YKYAARFW:
1. You recognize all the albums' (and even song titles') initial
abbreviations without having to think about it.
2. You look for these abbreviations in the letter section of license
plates.
3. When you watch ice skating on TV, you think about what Rush songs
you would skate to if you were a skater.
4. While reading T.S. Eliot, you look for sentences that Neil may have
used in various songs.
5. You always have to look up Rush in those Rock and Roll Encyclopedia
type books, even though you know everything about them, just so you
can see if the publishers got it all right.
Subj: #3(3) 03/27/95 - The National Midnight Star #1077
Date: Mon, Mar 27, 1995 12:37 PM CST
From: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
Sender: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
Reply-to: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
To: rush_mailing_list@syrinx.umd.edu
Mail Split By Gateway
------- cut here --------
6. You become outraged anyytime someone pronounces Neil's name "pert."
7. When you play that game "Encore" the only lyrics you can think of
are those to Rush songs.
8. Half of your vocabulary was learned through Rush lyrics.
9. When listening to a Rush song, you have to have complete silence and
cannot be interrupted until it's over, and you're always compelled to
sing along.
10. Your dream English class assignment is to write a 20 page paper on
your favorite lyricist.
Alissa
--
|Fidonet: Zee-Bee 1:103/207
|Internet: Zee-Bee@207.sasbbs.com
|
| Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 21:07:09 CST
From: Thomas Beaudoin <tbeaudoin@CCTR.UMKC.EDU>
Subject: Rush story
A short Rush story from today:
While driving down Route 128 outside of Boston, I almost ran off
the road while playing steering-wheel drums to Red Barchetta cranked
entirely too loud for the health of my eardrums. I have seriously almost
gotten in wrecks while listening to Rush music in my car. Any other
similar tales?
Tom
tbeaudoin@cctr.umkc.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 20:57:24 -0600 (CST)
From: Tim Mulligan <timbob@osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu>
Subject: 2nd fave band poll/objectivism essay
> Also, I didn't get to vote on my 2nd favorite band/artist behind Rush,
> but I noticed that John Mellencamp received 5% of the votes. I couldn't
> believe it! Exactly how many votes did that 5% make up?
Unless there were some amazing statistical coincidences in the
results of this poll, there were 20 people who responded. (Every
band recieved 5%, except for a couple that got 10% or 15%.). That means
that Mellencamp got one vote. I thought that it would have been much cooler
to do a poll of the top 10 or 20 favorite bands. This ISN'T a call for
one, as i don't have time to tally the results. I dig Mellencamp,
too. Very different from Rush, though, except for good drumming and
good lyrics. He would be somewhere in the bottom half of my top 10.
To whoever wrote the 50 page essay "proving" that Neil isn't an
objectivist, using the lyrics from "Cinderella Man". --- You would have had
a damn good point, except that Neil didn't write the lyrics to "Cinderella
Man"!!! It seems like this has been said at least 7 or 8 times in the
last 5 issues of TNMS. I sure as _hell_ hope that we're not all going to
start analyzing *Geddy's* lyrics. (Let's see.....what does "Hey baby, it's
a quarter to 8" mean in the large-scale, socio-political sense?) :)
Tim
----------------------------------------------------------
To submit material to The National Midnight Star, send mail to:
rush@syrinx.umd.edu
For administrative matters (subscription, unsubscription, changes, and
questions), send mail to:
rush-request@syrinx.umd.edu or
rush-mgr@syrinx.umd.edu
There is now anonymous ftp access available on Syrinx. The network
address to ftp to is:
syrinx.umd.edu or 129.2.8.114
When you've connected, userid is "anonymous", password is <your userid>.
Once you've successfully logged on, change directory (cd) to 'rush'.
There is also a mail server available (for those unable or unwilling to
ftp). For more info, send email with the subject line of HELP to:
server@ingr.com
These requests are processed nightly. Use a subject line of MESSAGE to
send a note to the server keeper or to deposit a file into the archive.
Gopher access is now available on syrinx!
Use this command to access the gopher:
gopher syrinx.umd.edu 2112
For those of you on the World Wide Web, there is now a Rush home page at:
http://syrinx.umd.edu/rush.html
The contents of The National Midnight Star are solely the opinions and
comments of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the authors' management, or the mailing list management.
Copyright (C) 1995 by The Rush Fans Mailing List
Editor, The National Midnight Star
(Rush Fans Mailing List)
*********************************************
End of The National Midnight Star Number 1077
*********************************************