Subj: #1(3) 04/03/95 - The National Midnight Star #1081
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The National Midnight Star, Number 1081
Monday, 3 April 1995
Today's Topics:
Lifeson bar? and more
YKYARFW
Rush and touring
Original Rush
Re: Freewill Lyrics
Serling, Dos Passos, Eliot
set lists and scientology
Non-Rush Content
RE: SRO involvement w/ Van Halen
Random interaction...
Bassist/Favorite bass line
Ear Pollution?
Rush and Styx?
Rush wrecks/tickets
I hope Rush gets more airplay
to the friend of the Christian
SRO/Van Halen
get a calander
News Story: Rush, Limbaugh to tour
Rand, Peart, and fascism
Favorite bass lines continued
The Trees...revisited
Wanted: fellow musicians
Album Covers.
Traveling with Rush
Favorite obscure Rush song
Great Guitar Thing
SRO and Van Halen
Alex's solos, etc.
Oops, wrong trees!!!
Re: 03/30/95 - The National Midnight Star #1079
UK covers bands/ The Trees
Recruitment Mix
SRO and Van Halen
meaning of "The Trees"
a vote against covers
bits and pieces...
Re:trees
Hi!
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 12:27:42 +0200
From: Hans.Degrauw@holland.sun.com (Hans de Grauw - Sun Express Europe )
Subject: Lifeson bar? and more
Hi,
In a recent interview in a Dutch rock monthly, Kim Mitchell (of Max Webster
fame and an excellent artist in his own right) mentioned that Alex had just
opened a bar in Toronto. What's the scoop on that one?
Also, is there anyone out there who could supply me with a copy of the second
Jeff Berlin album? It's got a song dedicated to Rush on it and is on Passport
Jazz.
On the opening act discussion the only thing I can say is that when you get Rush
with Eric Johnson or Steve Morse or Primus, you can only be really, really
happy.
As for Alex's guitar work: it is worth listening to the Guitar Player flexi
disc of Beyond Borders. It's an instrumental piece together with Rik Emmett
(another great artist), Liona Boyd and Ed Bickert and features some weird
atmospheric noises generated by our Hero.:-)
Anyway, have a good one
Hans
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 06:10 EST
From: Tony Dormio <TDORMIO+aROCKVILLE%Rockville@mcimail.com>
Subject: YKYARFW
You know your a Rush fan when:
- You're a transvestite bar dancer named SINderella Man.
- You dress up for Halloween as The Spirit of Radio.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 06:18 EST
From: Tony Dormio <TDORMIO+aROCKVILLE%Rockville@mcimail.com>
Subject: Rush and touring
So anyway...
When Rush is touring, how do they travel from
city to city? Do they fly, drive, bike, or hike?
(of course I'm referring to touring North America.
I can't really picture Neil pedalling his bike
across the Atlantic to make a few dates in
London or Frankfurt.) For example: By what
means of travel would they use to play Pittsburgh
on the 24th and Washington D.C. on the 25th?
Anyone know...? anyone care...?
Tony Dormio
----------------------------------------------------------
From: dmccormick@NorthNet.org (dave mccormick)
Subject: Original Rush
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 18:14:14 -0500
Who is Lindy Young?
He is pictured in a gif file from 1969 with Geddy, Alex and John.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 09:22:26 -0500
From: jchiro@peri.com (Joe Chiro)
Subject: Re: Freewill Lyrics
>I'm puzzled by the comment from Neil printed in the FAQ, [from Backstage Club
>Dec. '85] in which he states that the lyric sheet
>is correct. I'm also puzzled by the FAQ-creator's comments --
>"So what?" and "Lighten up!". Neither response gets to the heart
>of the matter which is the vast difference in meaning between what
>is printed and what was recorded.
OK, I kind of hate to say this, but I think Neil is a tad on the arrogant
side. He seems to come across to me as having a "Holier than thou" type
of attitude. Anyway, the point is, one of two things probably happened:
1. The lyrics are correct in the Canadian release. (Anyone know?)
2. Neil has never actually looked at the lyrics (Most likely) that made
it to the CD/Album sleeves.
This also is not the first time Neil has been flat out wrong. I remember one
letter to the Backstage Club asking what the "lyrics" were to La Villa on
Exit...Stage Left. Well, Neil proceded to berate this poor guy in his
response because "The lyrics are described in the album sleeve. So I guess
you didn't actually BUY the album, huh?" (I'm paraphrasing Neil here, but
that's pretty close). However, Neil misses one minor point. Those "lyrics"
are not printed on the cassette tape sleeve.
Does anyone else get the impression (from radio or print interviews) that
Neil is just a little stuck up? I mean, granted, I probably would be too if
I was considered the best drummer in rock, but still...I love the guy as a
musician, but I don't think I'd care for him much in real life.
-Joe
(jchiro@peri.com)
PS: I think Alex and Ged are great guys...so don't kill me here...
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 09:41:56 EST
From: "Scott J. Epstein 212/679-7300 X7274" <SJE@gumby.oup-usa.org>
Subject: Serling, Dos Passos, Eliot
Why is it that everyone, when discussing Neil's literary influences,
fixates only on Rand? What about Rod Serling (Neil dedicated an album to him,
and named a song after one of his television series) or John Dos Passos
(who wrote a book titled _The Grand Design_ and one titled _The Big Money_
and had sections called "The Camera Eye" in his USA series) or T. S. Eliot,
by whom Neil has admitted to being influenced in recent years. Or how about
even Mark Twain?
Neil reads alot, and in the same way the band reflects its musical
influences, Neil's literary influences are reflectd in the same way. So
why does everyone fixate only on one?
SJE
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 10:14:19 -0500
From: lee@mcbi-34.med.nyu.edu
Subject: set lists and scientology
> - Something that kind of pisses me off --- Whenever Rush tours - they
>seem to make up a set list at the beginning of the tour and stick with it
>with only a few minor changes until the end. This is pretty boring -
>especially with the amount of material they have amassed. I know they have
>to keep the programming for the lasers and videos and midi and shit constant
>but I'm beginning to think that anyone who sees them more than once onIt's b
>a tour needs to find a new hobby - "Gee - Neil threw his stick in the air
>during the first chorus of the song in Cleveland - but during the second
>chorus in Miluakee (sp?)" - I know you can flame me for telling you
>to get a live
Well, Jim, since you asked, here goes:
First of all, they do sometimes change their set during a tour,
although the changes are minor (on the RTB tour, they dropped Subdivisions
and added the Trees and the Analog Kid, for instance).
Second of all, reasons abound for seeing them twice on one tour. I
did it because they swung back through the NYC area late in the tour, and
because they had not had a good night the first time I saw them on that
tour. Of course, it's just possible that one might see them twice on the
same tour simply because they ENJOY THE MUSIC!!
And lastly, yes, your spelling is atrocious.
>
>Don't mean to start a flame war, but Rush fans as a general rule are much
>too intelligent and diverse to embrace the loony gobbledygook known as
>Scientology. L. Ron Hubbard, so the legend goes, started Scientology as a
>lark. He got the idea from one of his own "future cult" type stories (or,
>more likely, from someone else's story).
>
As far as that goes, it could be argued that any religion is just
loony gobbledygook, depending on your point of view.
-----JDL-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm." -NP
"I like mine with lettuce and tomato." -JB
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: 31 Mar 95 10:18:42 EST
From: Steve Thibert <76330.625@compuserve.com>
Subject: Non-Rush Content
I just wanted to thank the person (forgot their name) from about 8
months ago that suggested listening to Primus. They take a little
getting used to, but now I really like *some* of their songs.
If you like Rush, you will like *some* of Primus's songs. Check out
a live album called *Suck on This* - it starts out with a song called
John the Fisherman, which they play the start of YYZ, and then go
into the actual song.
Get this CD, and you can thank me later!
-Steve
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Erik Habbinga <habbinga@csn.org>
Subject: RE: SRO involvement w/ Van Halen
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 08:26:29 -0700 (MST)
>From: becker@areaplg2.corp.mot.com
>Subject: SRO involvement with Van Halen tour??
>Date: Mon, 27 Mar 95 15:08:09 CST
>
>Last weekend, MTV had a special on the new Van Halen tour. It was mostly
>performance, but also had some interview segments. Anyway, as the credits were
>running at the end, I noticed both Ray Danniels and Kim Garner from SRO listed
>under "Thanks To". Does anyone have any idea how they were involved with this?
>
>John
Ray Danniels is now Van Halen's manager (along w/ Rush (of course) and
King's X (I think)). I also believe I heard on Rockline (the one w/ all
the drummers where Neil phoned in) that Ray is Alex Van Halen's brother
in law. Van Halen's last manager passed away during the last three years
or so, so they needed a new manager.
ERik
----------------------------------------------------------
From: "Colin Wright" <CLW@NERCA.NERC.COM>
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 10:36:06 EST
Subject: Random interaction...
Just a few non-related comments (well, related to RUSH of course):
(*) [ bad character interpretation of 2112 pentagram]...
(*) Anyone else notice how BAD the Hemishpere's CD re-mix is? I'm not
sure if it was AAD or ADD but OUCH! When Alex starts in on LaVilla,
it's like I can picture him playing it in a SNOW STORM (you know,
kinda like the white noise & snow you get when a TV's cable is
unplugged)...
(*) In response to someone in #1077 who asked for favorite bass lines:
Freewill, ren lenses, Turn the Page, ... too many to mention!...
(*) Also in response to someone in #1077 who asked for Rush related
streets & towns - how about BUILDINGS? At Drexel Univ in Philly,
there's the Rush Building. It was kinda mysterious in nature - not a
dorm, no class rooms (at least for the engineering curr.) - kinda
like how the Boys are themselves - we see their public life, but very
little from behind the scenes...
(*) YKYARFW - You have a Rush Party (no, not for a Frat) and you
spend DAYS making cassettes of all their songs in alphabeltical
order. By the time of the Party, you're almost SICK of ... (oops, I
can't say that on this forum - ha ha). One GOOD side effect: After
the party, you've got some REALLY COOL driving tune tapes...
(*) New nickname for the rush mgr: Cygnus, God of Balance - hey, he keeps
the perfect balance of heart and mind in the sphere of NMS (corny,
I know) Thanks for the great job!
[ "he"? : rush-mgr ]
(*) Some folks having been talking about favorite tunes, basslines,
etc. How about favorite Concert Programs: Signals was great (story
behind development of each song, crossword puzzle - at least I think it was
Signals). My collection only dates back to MP. How about some input
from those veteran folks on older tour books.
Roll dem Bones!!!
Clw
P.S. rush-mgr. Any special plans when we get to NMS #2112?
[ Maybe we'll just skip that one.. :-) When we get closer to the
number (like reaching #2000) I'll starting thinking about it. : rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 11:01:36 EST
From: UNCLE FESTER <csaroka@yorkcol.edu>
Subject: Bassist/Favorite bass line
Well,
My _favorite_ is Animate. I know, I know, not much musical genious
went into this one, it's just so damn cool.
The best, however, I think, is The Big Money. Wow. Then he plays it
live while singing. Wow.
"...gotta keep up the pace
if you want to stay in the race..."
-Some Guy
Chris at York College,
The Suspicious-looking Stranger :Q
csaroka@yorkcol.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Major League Baseball players...please come back!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
From: gpetrosk@cosi.stockton.edu (Gina Petroski)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 10:47:02 EST
Subject: Ear Pollution?
Hi everyone!
I was listening to the new Monster MAgnet Cd with my friend Doug yesterday,
and I was trying to help him review it for our school paper. The whole time
I kept saying things like, "These guys must have heard Rush...." "This
Instrumental sounds a lot like La Villa..." "This drummer sounds like
Neil..." and basically making Doug furious! He's only heard what Rush songs
I make him listen to on the radio, but they haven't been indicative of
Rush's incredible talent and musicianship. He doesn't understand how you can
hear Rush in a song. Maybe they've never heard of Rush, but I tend to hear
Rush in a lot of music. Then again, most of the time its in a band with
four or five members, if not more, so I think we should give the boyz credit
for only having three! (Amen!)
This leads me into another YKYARFW-
You can't hear another band without making sometimes outrageous comparisons
with Rush. (Outrageous AND unfounded!)
Kira
Can't wait to see Gedd in those cute uniforms...
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 07:33 -0800 (PST)
From: cs_lundquist@ccmail.pnl.gov
Subject: Rush and Styx?
While I commend Michael Jund's motivation to play, list, alphabetize,
rank, and talk about Rush, I must say that it appears he has way "too
much time on his hands".
No offense.
Chris
[ And posting this reply to it appears that you have too much time on
your hands... :-) : rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 10:27:42 -0600 (CST)
From: SJR5145@ACS.TAMU.EDU
Subject: Rush wrecks/tickets
Howdy all,
I have 2 stories about Rush "mishaps" while driving -
My friend, whom I recently introduced to Rush, was playing Moving Pictures
on his way to San Antonio one afternoon. Well, Red Barchetta came on, and
he got so involved in the music that, yes, he ended up totalling his car!
He rear-ended a Suburban, which was barely hurt, but his VW was pretty much
toast. For awhile there he didn't like the song anymore, but he's seen the
err of his ways and has come back to earth.
Well, for myself, I was traveling back to College Station from Dallas one
Sunday afternoon, and Red Barchetta comes on the radio! I was so excited,
I turned up the radio full blast, and then found myself going increasingly
faster and faster. Well, the radio was so loud, it drowned out my radar
detector, and I couldn't "hear" the cop waiting for me a little bit down
the road. Of course, when I saw him, I freaked, and looking at my radar
detector revealed all bars were lit up, and I was toast. The verdict:
89 in a 55, and it cost $203 for the ticket. But I still say it was
worth it!
-Steve
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 11:40:41 -0500
From: 3010srao@umbsky.cc.umb.edu (Sid Vicious)
Subject: I hope Rush gets more airplay
Hiya all.:) how goes it?
Well here I am inBoston and it seems like Rush get hardly any airplay.
maybe if I'm lucky one song a day. anyway how bout you guys? or gals?
oh and where is umd anyway? Maryland? I started listening to Rush after
RTB, then I got hooked. I have chronicles so I know a little of their old
stuff...well have a cool day dudes and dudettes.:)
amsu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 12:47:32 -0400 (AST)
From: C_HEALY@HUSKY1.STMARYS.CA
Subject: to the friend of the Christian
James(I think thats your name )
I find that weird that your friend can't have Rush and Religion . I'm a
RC (Roman Cath.) and went to a RC school and I can even remember one of
the younger priests telling me that he listens to Rush . Actully one
of the priet (in-training) once met Geddy Lee when he worked in a music
store in Toronto (this was before FbN was out)
Anyways he had the never
whoops I mean nerve to say that Ged was an asshole , well if he wasn't g
grading my test at the time I could of killed him . That's like having
God come down to talk to you and you later saying that he was a Bore.
Oh well
BYURE
i mean
BYE
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 10:28:35 -0600 (CST)
From: Tim Mulligan <timbob@osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu>
Subject: SRO/Van Halen
>
> Last weekend, MTV had a special on the new Van Halen tour. It was mostly
> performance, but also had some interview segments. Anyway, as the credits were
> running at the end, I noticed both Ray Danniels and Kim Garner from SRO listed
> under "Thanks To". Does anyone have any idea how they were involved with this?
>
> John
Yeah, SRO manages Van Halen. Van Halen's old manager, Ed Leffler,
passed away a year or two ago.
Tim
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 10:36:12 -0600 (CST)
From: Tim Mulligan <timbob@osuunx.ucc.okstate.edu>
Subject: get a calander
To the cool guy who posted the crap about Geddy playing baseball. TODAY IS
MARCH 31ST, NOT APRIL 1ST!!!!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 12:20:42 -0500
From: WilCollier@aol.com
Subject: News Story: Rush, Limbaugh to tour
Hi, y'all. Get a load of this!
Transcribed from the local paper:
RUSH, LIMBAUGH TO TOUR IN '95
(AF) TORONTO-- The Spirit of Radio has joined forces with the master of Talk
Radio. Rush, the venerable Canadian power trio, announced plans today for a
summer tour with co-headliner Rush Limbaugh, the American talk radio
superstar.
The "Rush Squared" tour came about as an effort to cut down on confusion with
the rock band's upcoming 30th anniversary tour and Limbaugh's annual "Rush To
Excellence" lecture series. Geddy Lee, the singer-bassist-keyboardist for
the band, said in a prepared statement, "We just felt that this was a good
way to give people value for their money, and to avoid selling the wrong
tickets. And besides, Rush [Limbaugh] only has a couple of roadies, and we
won't have to change the stage before the band goes on."
In a statement from his New York office, Limbaugh said, "I'm looking forward
to it. I love their music, especially 'Big Money' and 'Something For
Nothing.' This should be a great opportunity to give the youth of North
America some exposure to my incontrovertable ideas, and give them a great
show in the process." Limbaugh denied that he and Rush drummer-lyracist Neil
Peart would perform a percussion duet onstage. "I wouldn't dream of
interrupting Neil's solo," Limbaugh said, "but I wouldn't mind sitting in on
vocals for a tune or two."
Peart, currently recuperating from injuries suffered in a bicycle tour of
Antarctica, was unavailable for comment, but former Rush drummer John Rutsey,
when contacted by reporters, said, "WHAT??"
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson said of the tour, "I thing it'll be great to get
our audience and his [Limbaugh's] audience together. I'll finally have a
chance to play my favorite country songs to an appreciative crowd. And
besides, I hear he has an outstanding bar in his contract rider."
The "Rush Squared" tour will open in Yankee Stadium in New York City on June
31, and will run through October, playing in major-league baseball stadiums
throughout. According to Lee, "It's the only way I'll get into the ballparks
with the strike on, so what the hell."
Spokesmen for both camps denied rumors that David Lee Roth would open the
shows, and that facilities for chemistry labs would be available in the
stadium dugouts.
--Get your tickets today!
--Will Collier
WilCollier@aol.com
[ Ah, too bad I didn't have the time or energy this year to organize an
"april fool's" issue, that's a *great* post.. : rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 13:26:18 EST
From: Steven Horwitz <SHOR@vm.stlawu.edu>
Subject: Rand, Peart, and fascism
MarkYYZ (NMS 3/30) raises a good question about why journalists would
see Neil's lyrics, particularly those influenced by Rand, as fascist,
when they seem to be at such odds with dictionary definitions of
fascism. Let me take a shot at answering this mystery, with apologies
for length...
1) Journalists (esp. rock journalists) have no patience for complex
ideas.
2) Neil is smarter than most journalists and almost all rock jour-
nalists.
The problem is that Neil's individualism doesn't fit the traditional
political spectrum of liberal-conservative or Left-Right or Democrat-
Republican. It's hard to believe that anyone could think the man who
wrote "Free Will," "Witch Hunt" or "Something for Nothing" is a fascist,
but those songs (and others like "The Trees" or "Anthem") don't fit
the traditionally liberal mode that artists are supposed to write in.
Simple-minded journalists then say "okay, if he's not a liberal like
everyone else, he must be a conservative." Then they see the harder-
core defenses of the individual and make the Rand connection and see
him as *very* "conservative." To the simple-minded, if you go con-
servative enough, you get to fascist. How that happens, I'm not sure,
but people make that leap.
Neil's individualism doesn't fit the traditional categories. For
example, Republicans favor individual rights on economic issues, but not
when it comes to what you can read, watch, ingest, or have sex with.
Democrats are individualistic on these issues, but deny the individual's
right to her own property and income ("What you own is your own king-
dom"). If you're a true individualist, what do you do? (For the
benefit of other libertarians on NMS: "become a libertarian!")
Of course most individualists are inherently skeptical about the power
of government to do good. If you really believe in the individual you
Subj: #2(3) 04/03/95 - The National Midnight Star #1081
Date: Tue, Apr 4, 1995 3:25 PM CST
From: rush@syrinx.umd.edu
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are more likely to think individuals can solve their own problems their
own ways and rigid institutions like gov'ts can't. How one gets from
there to a fascist worship of the state is an intellectual mystery! It
is true that fascists like Hitler and Mussolini hated people on the
political left (socialists), thus some people think anyone who sounds
like they hate collectivism/socialism, must be a fascist. The only
problem with that is that the fascists hated old-fashioned liberalism
just as much, and that "classical" liberalism was very individualistic.
(There's an interesting story in this regard about the film version
of Rand's *We the Living*, but that's for another time).
What could be more anti-individual than Naziism? (BTW, don't forget
that Nazi stood for "National Socialist German Workers' Party").
The best example of this problem is the variety of views of members of
NMS on Rush Limbaugh. In the month or so I've been following it, there
is quite an array of views on him - from love to hate. Why do people
who generally agree on the philosophical ideas in Neil's lyrics dis-
agree on Limbaugh? Answer: because Limbaugh's a conservative and on
some issues he does seem to echo the individualism in Rand and Peart,
and on others he doesn't. (For example: Rand was pro-choice on abor-
tion and a staunch defender of the First Amendment, as, presumably, is
Neil). Limbaugh is rather suspect on these issues, as well as those
related to gender and sexuality.
These are complex issues and most journalists are not bright enough to
work their way through them. Rand was also called a fascist in her
lifetime because she actually believed that people should be entitled
to keep the money they earn! Can you believe anyone would think that?
:) Until people begin to see politics in ways more sophisticated than
the old categories, and until the media stop assuming everyone who
isn't a liberal is a nasty, greedy, fascist-in-training, we have to
deal with this. Anyway, this has turned into a lecture (as I am wont
to do!). The best response is Neil's:
"The knowledge that they fear / is a weapon to be used against them."
or similarly (to borrow my brother's ORQ):
"Ignorance and fear and prejudice walk hand in hand."
Any continuation of this thread with me privately or publically is
more than welcome!
The Professor
"Wheels within wheels in a spiral array
A pattern so grand and complex
Time after time we lose sight of the way
Our causes can't see their effects"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 13:57:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: CONLEYW@bcvms.bc.edu
Subject: Favorite bass lines continued
WEll, as a budding Geddy lee (trust me....I have a LONG LONG way to go!)
I felt that it would be intersting for me to go through some of the
songs and decide what my favorite bass lines are...
1) Cygnus X-1 book II/Hemispheres
2) A Farewell to Kings
3) Prime Mover
4) Middletown Dreams
5) Cygnus X-1
I would have to say that those are my top five in no particular order,
although im quite sure that if someone asked me about a particular
song, i would think about it and have to reformulate the entire list.
chat with you later,
Bill
"ahhh...If only I could play like Geddy"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 31 Mar 95 13:53:05 EST
From: <Travis_L._Hayden.ANDERSEN_WO.ANDERSEN_NET@notes.compuserve.com>
Subject: The Trees...revisited
All of this talk about the song....I felt compelled to respond. :-) Well
I have looked at both sides of the arguments, ie the axe being a good or
bad event for the trees in the forrest. I think the best approach to
view the song is from a rational approach: that being, to what extent
will the trees be cut. Now if the trees were cut to the roots, that is
not good..but if they were just trimmed and groomed to a certain length
then there is nothing wrong with that, to quote Natural Science "science
like nature, must also be tamed". Cutting the trees to an appropriate
length, a length such that all trees benefit from the Sun, and also not
affecting the tree's "health", is a way of taming nature (pretty much the
Cygnus concept of balance in essence). The same way you cut grass. So
during the concert, when the trees were shown cut down to their roots,
that was a way of showing "taming" in the *extreme* sense. Hmm and that
notion can be applied in other areas: in business, in the case of
restricting monoplies to form, in ploitics with term limits, etc. BTW,
hard to believe, only one response from my Counterparts post.
Travis hayden
Arthur Andersen & C0, SC
work email: Travis.L.Lhayden@aa.compuserve.com
home email: Fearno1@mcs.com
----------------------------------------------------------
From: "BRENT J. DUERSCH" <DUERSCH@jake.dorms.udayton.edu>
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 14:08:06 EST
Subject: Wanted: fellow musicians
Hi, my name is Brent, and although this is my first post I'll keep this
short and sweet. I live in the Dayton/Cincinnati area and go to college at
the university of Dayton. I've been playing guitar for over 5 years now
and synthesizer for maybe 3 years, and I've been trying to get a band
together to play some Rush covers and maybe even some original tunes. If
there's any drummers or bassists in the area that would be interested,
reply to me on E-mail. Although nothing is ever definate, songs that I
really like playing include:
In the Mood Before and After The Spirit of Radio Limelight
Dreamline 2112 (from ATWAS) Lessons The Trees Red Sector A
New World Man Closer to the Heart Double Agent YYZ
La Villa Strangiato (hey... I'll willing to learn anything)
Brent Duersch
"And the words of the prophets were written on the studio wall..."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 10:30:48 EST
From: "Ryan Tweedie" <ryant@ilx.com>
Subject: Album Covers.
Hello all!
Just a quick question... If I remember correctly, Hugh Syme is the
artist for quite a few of the album covers. I was wondering if anyone
knows if he has any other work and if it is readily available? Thanks
ahead of time...
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 13:51:26 -0600 (CST)
From: DRFULLER@ualr.edu
Subject: Traveling with Rush
Howdy, Fellow Rush Nuts!
Dino here again. Just wanted to pass on a little anecdote about my
recent travel to Indiana. Last Saturday (March 25) I was making the long drive
from Indianapolis to Little Rock (640 miles) after working with colleagues at
Purdue University the past week. I always listen to Q95 radio in Indianapolis
on my way home, until the station fades. When it finally started to fade, I was
just outside Louisville. Being in a cruising mode, I needed something to get me
going. I had about 30 CDs with me, so I simply reached over to the passenger
seat and grabbed one without looking. It happened to be Hemispheres. Well, to
say the least I was quite pleased, so I flipped it into the CD player and
headed off to Aural Heaven. Just as the first few notes began, I starting
merging with heavier traffic. To make a long story short, my choice of CD could
not have been any better. I had that baby cranked; there was nothing better to
cruise to! The music just seemed to fit hand-in-hand with the merging, shifting,
and zipping of the traffic through Louisville. I was air drumming like a bat
outta hell. You should have seen the looks I was getting from other drivers
around me! I bet many of them thought I was a lunatic! The music was so perfect
that the skin on my head contracted (anyone else ever get that sensation where
your head feels like it's shrinking?). Well... I couldn't stop there, so I
passed the remainder of my time in Kentucky following up Hemispheres with A
Farewell to Kings, Signals, Moving Pictures, and 2112. The time passed by very
quickly!
To add to the YKYARFW thread:
YKYARFW you can't help but make a reference to Rush in a college
textbook you're writing with colleagues, even though the book
has absolutely nothing to do with Rush, or music for that
matter! (My colleagues haven't a clue!)
Keep the faith, dear Rush comrades!
Dino
"Each of us, a cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends with uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet."
GO HOGS GO !!!
BACK 2 BACK (PLEASE !!!)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 12:11:00 PST
From: "Jund, Michael" <mjund@stdntmail.lmu.edu>
Subject: Favorite obscure Rush song
First of all, what makes an obscure Rush song? One that did not get
much radio airplay? For us, there really are no obscure Rush songs.
Maybe we should retitle the segment to "Favorite Ignored Rush songs"
or "Favorite neglected Rush songs"
Here are my "Favorite Neglected Rush songs"
1. The Enemy Within - "P..P..P pounding in your temples"
2. Marathon - "First you need endurance" ASOH convinced me of the
greatness of this song.
3. Face Up - Many people think this a filler song but I simply just
love the lyrics and the free style that the song is played
like New World Man and The Analog Kid
4. Finding My Way - good tune to start the band's history
5. Jacob's Ladder - ESL version is great.
6. Mission - Another ASOH induced song
7. Mystic Rhythms - I was sad when they played this on the Cp tour. I
myself "Of all the songs they could have played
from Power Windows why did they choose this one?"
A year later this song is one of may faves. The
video is cool too.
8. Turn the Page - Thanks to ASOH.
9. Superconductor - I like the songs Alex sings on...Subdivisions,
Cold Fire.
10. Where's My Thing...The Big Wheel...this sequence on RTB is perfect
Michael Jund
mjund@stdntmail.lmu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 11:05 -0800 (PST)
From: cs_lundquist@ccmail.pnl.gov
Subject: Great Guitar Thing
Those of you who saw the Roll the Bones tour may remember Alex playing
an extended solo on Where's My Thing and also on Bravado, I believe.
It was cool to hear in concert because it was different and sort of
caught you pleasantly off-guard. Then recently I got a tape of that
tour (Rush 'n Roulette '92), and there it is! Where's My Thing has a
very tasteful extended intro, and a really nice, all-out guitar burn
for a few measures before the "real" solo kicks in. VERY COOL, and
one of the most tasteful/skillful/emotional solos on any of Rush's
songs!
Chris
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Brian Costanza <briancos@freenet.scri.fsu.edu>
Subject: SRO and Van Halen
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 15:43:08 536913400
In regards to the question about Ray Danniels and Kim Garner of SRO
management..they are the new managers of Van Halen after Ed Leffler
passed away from cancer...their previous manager... --
BRIAN COSTANZA
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"I'm not going to butcher my music just so I can be the flavor of the month."
-Eddie Van Halen on doing MTV Unplugged
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 12:51:11 -0800 (PST)
From: spod@u.washington.edu
Subject: Alex's solos, etc.
Well, Alex has done a multitude of beautiful solos, but some of his
best are: No One at the Bridge, A Lerxst in Wonderland, Freewill (this
solo section is unbelievably intricate), Afterimage, Mission, Bravado,
Kid Gloves, Ghost of a Chance. This last is probably the best, I can't
see him topping it (though I thought the same about Kid Gloves).
Worst Rush song? Nobody's Hero (I know a lot of people love this song,
but the lyrics are LAME and the music is LAME, IMHO.)
On the topic of misunderstood lyrics, I always thought that the chorus
of Circumstances went: "All the same we take our chances/Like apple
pie/Tricked by Circumstances." It actually does sound like this
when you have a copy of the tape and no lyric sheet.
Bravo to the man who acknowledges that Geddy is not the best bassist.
As a drummer, I'd like to add that there are drummers who can destroy
Neil: Vinnie Colaiuta, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Steve Gadd, and a bunch
of others. Most drummers (myself included) would likely say that
Neil is their favorite because of his style and musicality within
the context of Rush. Yes, Neil does some remarkable playing (Tom Sawyer,
the end of Bravado) but these parts are playable by any versatile drummer.
The brilliance of these pieces lies not within their structural
complexity, but the fact that he can construct busy drum parts that still
are effective within the song. The end to Bravado is my personal
favorite because it fits perfectly behind the repeated vocal.
Well, enough rambling. Until later...
Rahul
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 16:36:29 -0500 (EST)
From: "Eric J. Mcclanahan" <ejmcclan@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: Oops, wrong trees!!!
Okay, this is something I have been wanting to tell everybody for
the last couple of months. I don't mean to offend (again) but Neil has
the trees in the song alittle mixed up in an ecological context (of
course he may have known this).
If any one gets mad about this just consult your nearest
Dendrology text. Oaks are less shade tolerant than Maples (of course
there are many species of both) and they don't commonly associate in the
north-eastern hardwood forests together. However, if they did associate,
the Maples(sugar in particular, Acer saccharum) would be more shade
toloerant than any species of oak, and they are longer lived and would
out compete the oaks and prevail without a noble law.
I just had put in this 2-lincoln worth, because I have seen all
the hubbub about that song and I have alittle background in Dendro and
ecology.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 16:37:27 -0500 (EST)
From: Michael Gilbert <mgilbert@ios.com>
Subject: Re: 03/30/95 - The National Midnight Star #1079
> Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 14:31:06 -0500
> From: deca@morgan.com (Gerard Decatrel)
> Subject: Re: 03/24/95 - The National Midnight Star #1075
>
> > From: Sabina Becker - JOUD/F94 <sbecker@acs.ryerson.ca>
> > Subject: Hatchet, ax and saw
> >
> > Somebody said that the "powerless" are the "oppressors" in The Trees; I
> > see it differently. For me, that song is about the necessity of facing
> > pain in the name of fair play. You may not like being kept equal by what
> > seems like arbitrary and ruthless means, but were you any better when you
> > hogged the light like the oaks did to the maples? A forest becomes a
> > dark and gloomy place if only one species of tree is allowed to
> > flourish. It also becomes one-sided and ecologically unbalanced. A wise
> > forester knows when to do some trimming. Just a thought.
>
> absolutely not!!!!!!
>
>I was not sure if this song was pro- or anti- socialist until I went to a RUSH
>concert and during the "trees were all kept equal . . . " part, they showed a
>clear-cut forest. The trees were all equal because they were all reduced to
>dead little stumps. zero equals zero. (maybe at the concerts in Canada the
>thought police forced them to replace the stumps with idyllic perfectly pruned
>hedgerows)
>
>The song is *not* about taking a little pain for the sake of equality. It's
>about what happens when a group tries to attain equality by destructive and
>coercive means. Especially when they attempts to subvert nature. GOD made the
>oaks taller than the maples and who are we to take away from the oaks what GOD
>gave them in this world.
>
>This is probably stretching the analogy, but it's something to think about:
> The maples could have occupied a different part of the forest that they would
>own outright and where they would not have to compete with oaks for light. Too
> bad that doesn't jive with the modern fallacy of "unity" in all things.
I agree with you that the song is *not* about taking a little pain for
the sake of equality.
However, I think that the odds of this song being against "subverting
nature" or god's will are not very high. (Also, please don't
write your god's name in all caps - he might think you are
yelling at him)
The maples and oaks both wanted sunlight. The oaks grew taller
to reach it. The maples wanted to get the same amount of sunlight
without actually having to work for it. Whether they actually were
capable of such growth doesn't seem to matter. From each according
to his means, to each according to his needs, as the saying goes.
It's not nature that is being subverted - it's the right of someone (thing?)
to keep the fruits of his/her/its labour, and not to be forced to
give them to others for no reason other than their "need." Remember,
the line is "...the maples *want* more sunlight..." (emphasis mine).
Mike
PS - Maples can't easily move to a different location in the forest. ;)
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Mr Darren I Lacey <ps11dl@surrey.ac.uk>
Subject: UK covers bands/ The Trees
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 23:28:09 BST
Hello, Hello Hello: Hello!
I've heard a lot about US/Canadian tribute/covers bands, but are there any
such RUSH covers bands here in the UK, that any of my fellow Rushians
know of? Come to think of it, are there any other UK Rush fans *ON* this
list (or am I the only one?)
BTW, my take on 'The Trees', was that it was a criticism of the extremes
of communism, and, the extremes of *any* political system. Especially if one
reads the essay criticising communism in 'The Virtue of Selfishness' by
Rand.
Darren Lacey (I have no Rush related sig, as I don't know how to get this
darn elm to do one for me!)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 17:39:02 -0500 (EST)
From: "Lisa R. Weinberg" <lrw1820@is2.NYU.EDU>
Subject: Recruitment Mix
Hi Gang
I've been a Rush fan for quite a while and I never was able to make
anyone into a Rush fan until I met my girlfriend (her name is in the From
heading). I made a mix for her in October of 1993 and she still listens
to it more than anything else in her walkman. She tells me she feels
obsessed with it and does not understand why (because it's Rush and
because we're here).
Perhaps there is someone out there who will gravitate over the same mix.
The Lineup
Side A Side B
Xanadu Between The Wheels
The Trees Marathon (Live)
The Camera Eye Time Stand Still
Subdivisions Prime Mover
The Analog Kid The Pass
Losing It Bravado
AfterImage The Big Wheel
Ghost of a Chance
Animate
Chasing something new to believe in
Rock the boats,
Derek J. Barker
lrw1820@is2.nyu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 12:43:02 HST
From: puanani@wana.pbrc.Hawaii.Edu (Puanani Akaka)
Subject: SRO and Van Halen
(whoa! let's try this again...stupid modem...)
Hey gang --
>From: becker@areaplg2.corp.mot.com
>Subject: SRO involvement with Van Halen tour??
>
>Last weekend, MTV had a special on the new Van Halen tour. It was mostly
>performance, but also had some interview segments. Anyway, as the credits were
>running at the end, I noticed both Ray Danniels and Kim Garner from SRO listed
>under "Thanks To". Does anyone have any idea how they were involved with this?
Okay, this is what I know...which ain't much. I called Anthem last week
to try and get a hold of Kim Garner (for an unrelated topic) and ended up
talking to her assistant, Trisha. All of Anthem was going nuts because
of the Juno Awards...but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, Trisha
said that Kim was dealing with Van Halen now (about a year ago, Bob
Roper -- who has since left Anthem -- had mentioned that SRO was now
managing Van Halen). Ok, fine. However, it was only later did I
realize that it might mean Kim is working with VH *exclusively* now!
So, it's possible "we"/Rush have lost a *very* nice person to "that
other band". (RUDE!, imo) In a slightly angled view, Van Halen, of
course, is now on tour. When I called the first time, Trisha told me
Kim was talking long-distance to Ray (I found it amusing she said 'Ray',
not Mr. Danniels. Made me feel like I was some record exec. person!
"Yes, uh, tell Ray I can make our lunch appointment next week..." :-).
So I guess Ray is on tour with VH, right now. ???
That's all I know about their involvement. I'm sure the rush-mgr or
someone else *much* more in the know than I am may have more details...
Ho-hoo!
puanani
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 14:52:47 PST
From: pevans@sanjuan.uvic.ca (Patricia Evans)
Subject: meaning of "The Trees"
Ok, here we go again.....
Actually it's been a while since the last big discussion about "The Trees",
so I suppose it's time to dust off my opinion. I won't quote the discussion
so far since it's too long.
I disagree with all the viewpoints so far except the one about keeping
the big picture in mind. I don't consider either the maples or the oaks
to be in the right, instead to me the song speaks of the value of compromise
and cooperation.
The maples are certainly upsetting the natural order of things; however, the
oaks are quite patronizing in return. I sincerely doubt that Neil was trying
to get across that people should be content with their lot in life, and what
they have; such an attitude is so laissez-faire that there's no point in
trying to better yourself, you are what you are, be content with what you
have.
Both sides are extremists; the maples insist on their rights, while the oaks
won't give up anything. The result? Everybody loses.
It reminds me a lot of siblings squabbling, about who gets the larger piece
of cake or why the other one won't share their toys; without some compromise,
there's usually enough trouble for the parents to step in and take away the
object of the dispute. Now nobody has it. And however much you may blame the
other for this loss, next time you're more likely to try to cooperate.
Now it's possible that I see this message at least partially because it's
an important part of my philosophy; I've seen *so* many disputes caused by
people adopting an extreme attitude, winner take all. There's enough
ambiguity in the song that you could probably get anything from it if you
really wanted to, but I think my interpretation is valid, especially
considering the song in question is from _Hemispheres_. It's another
aspect of the battle fought in the title song.
Patricia Evans
pevans@sanjuan.uvic.ca
ORQ: "They battled through the ages, but still neither force would yield."
"We can walk our road together if our goals are all the same."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 18:20:02 -0500
From: lee@mcbi-34.med.nyu.edu
Subject: a vote against covers
Perhaps we can start a list of
>songs we'd like to see Rush cover live. Here's a few to start:
>
>"The Real Me" (The Who)
>"Fool in the Rain" (Led Zeppelin)
>"No Reply at All" (Genesis)
>"Hearts" (Yes)
>"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (Elton John)
>
>Obviously these reflect some personal musical tastes, but I'd be
>interested to hear what others would like to hear.
>
I'm sorry, but I just don't think this leads anywhere. I consider
the music of Rush to be the best rock n' roll I know, in terms of its
musical complexity, emotional content, lyrical intracacy, and basic overall
impact. These guys are virtuosos, and if you asked me what songs I'd like
to hear them play, my answer has to be, *their own material*. I'm not
saying every Rush song is better than *any* song by someone else, but if I
had to list my ten favorite rock songs, at least six and possibly as many
as eight of them would be by Rush.
Subj: #3(3) 04/03/95 - The National Midnight Star #1081
Date: Tue, Apr 4, 1995 3:25 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 --------
I just don't see the point of them playing other music, and I don't
think it's the Boys' style to do what's done before when the opportunity
exists to create something new.
I welcome any flaming rebuttals that are most likely being angrily
composed even now (if anyone actually agrees with me, I wouldn't mind
hearing that too!)
-----JDL-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm." -NP
"I like mine with lettuce and tomato." -JB
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
From: DGC <dgc@livedata.com>
Subject: bits and pieces...
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 18:28:00 EST
(spring) cleaning the mind...
1) To Shane, who was using Witch Hunt in class: how about Red Sector A?
It's about the holocaust. It doesn't bring any historical insight but it
does display some powerfull emotions.
2) On the ending of 2112: how can a suicide be a happy ending? No matter
how you interpret the story (eg. "We have assumed control" is the priests or
the protagonist), the suicide (which is how I interpret "my life blood
spills over...") is a bummer of an ending. Not that this makes it bad (my
disclaimer to head off flames of "how can you say Rush has bad..."), but
just a bummer.
3) To Mr. Rouse: Thanks very much for your analysis on Cinderella Man.
More than anything I enjoy the NMS for the intelligent discussions on
lyrics and such. It's amazing how many different interpretations there are
for a "simple" song like The Trees. It makes me think of an anecdote
involving the poet Rober Frost (I don't remember all of the details, so if I
butcher it I apologize in advance): At a poetry reading which Frost
attended, people were discussing one of Frost's poem (I forget the title)
and analyzing (sp?) the repeated lines "...And miles to go before I sleep".
Eventually an argument broke out between different factions, so they asked
Frost the meaning of the lines. He responded by saying "I don't know...it
sounded nice".
4) Somebody asked for ideas behind the title "Caress of Steel". My idea (I
make no claims about it being correct) is that it's an allegory for playing
the guitar ie. playing (caressing) the (steel) strings.
Thanks for reading
D.G.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 18:38:23 -0500
From: super295@service1.uky.edu (Robert G. Buice, Jr.)
Subject: Re:trees
>Keith Smerak describes "The Trees" as a parable about the stronger
>oppressing the weaker
I think most people are missing the point of the trees. IMHO the trees is
about how groups or individuals can blow up there own little pesky problems
into major conflicts while ingoring the truly imoprtant problems. In the
trees, the trees are bickering among themselves while at the time the
problem of humans cutting them down was being ignored. This song seems to
be about misplaced priorities. The trees' problems were made moot by a
bigger problem which they ignored.
Robert G. Buice, Jr email: super295@pop.uky.edu
Analytical Spectroscopy Group http://kerouac.pharm.uky.edu/rgbuice.html
College of Pharmacy
University of Kentucky (606) 257-2570
PGP Key: http://kerouac.pharm.uky.edu/pgpkeys.html
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 17:46:33 -0600 (CST)
From: PLUONG@axpvms.cc.utexas.edu
Subject: Hi!
Hi! I am new to the mailing list.... just want to say hi to all you
fellow rush fans!
Phu Luong
Rush fan!
Who do you think you are? You think you are a star?
- Geddy Lee
----------------------------------------------------------
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*********************************************
End of The National Midnight Star Number 1081
*********************************************