Rush Fans- I'm not Embracing Clockwork Angels

[Jimbo]

Let me start with I'm a big Rush fan and I've seen Rush every tour since "Moving Pictures" in 1983. I just haven't embraced "Clockwork Angles". It's good but it sounds a lot like "Vapor Trails" mixed with "Caress of Steel" to me. I really liked "Snakes and Arrows" and "Feedback". The "Vapor trails" show was incredible (I was close to crying throughout the opening number, "Tom Sayer". I think that was due to the hiatus; the album seems to have too much low end sound to me.
Anyway, most everybody is crowing about the album and "The Garden" in particular. It's a good song but I just don't hear the beaming reviews that I've read.
I'm going to see them Friday night and I've been listening to the CD since it came out but it just isn't grabbing me.
What am I doing wrong? Is it because I'm just not into this Steam Punk thing? Do I need to smoke some of the sweet maryjane or something? The Guitar does sounds incredible!
I'm sitting up close to Luxar and plan to enjoy the sound but I just don't think the hype rises to the occasion.
Any input from people who have seen the tour?
Love Rush!

 

[AACJ]

Love Rush too, however only up until 1981 Rush, ending at Moving Pictures. Nothing past then is of interest to me. Maybe it's the synthesizer period I'm not interested in but it seems like after Moving Pictures they lost something. I'd still pay to see them in concert again, in fact, I saw them a few years ago when I went to a concert by myself.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Every Rush song sounds like every other Rush song, IMO. Led Zeppelin wannabes.

 

[KipNoxzema]

I like Rush up through Moving Pictures. I must confess I haven't heard their latest so I can't judge. Rock fans are like that. If the album stays to their original style, they love it. If the style strays into a more pop sound, they hate it. "They sold out." I saw them during 2112 tour and was amazed three guys could get that sound. You can't compare them to Zeppelin; apples and oranges.

 

[Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt]

Well let me start by saying that I am an unabashed fanboi, hence the username. Moving Pictures was a life changing musical event for me in middle school and I've seen every tour since Signals, multiple shows, including opening night of this one.

I'm not going to give a dissertation on if you don't like Rush you just don't "get it". I hate people like that. I respect that they are an acquired taste. Though for me it was easily acquired. I really like the new album. Is it the most awesome thing since MP? Not to me. I really liked the Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure period. Well constructed songs and absolutely perfect technical production (Power Windows). That said, I think it's very good, the best of their newer albums since Neil came back from his multiple tragedies. The Garden is a good song, not my favorite of the album. Be your own judge.

I see you are in Texas so you probably saw them last night or are going to the closing show on Sunday. Anyone who likes them even a little bit owes it to themselves to see them live, even still. They can flat out play. The level of musicianship is up in the rarefied air. Bands like them don't really come around anymore. They are probably coming back to tour the U.S again next fall. Keep an eye out.

 

[ouch]

All I know is that I love that new commercial-

I was at a Star Trek convention and a Rush concert broke out.

 

[maxman]

The biggest Rush fan I know doesn't like it.
That's enough for me not to bother.

 

[buffdaddy]

I'm a Rush fan as well. I got into them when I was just starting to discover music in the mid 80's and loved their stuff from the 70's, even some of the 80's stuff was OK (Power Windows was one of the first albums I ever bought). I saw them on 1990 at Alpine Valley, in Wisconsin. Presto was the last Rush album I bought.

They're still a great band but I think during the 90's and 2000's they've kind of stumbled a bit in terms songwriting or finding that "younger" fan base. Plus in the 80's and 90's my musical tastes was steered more in the direction of Punk, Alternative/Indie and Electronic type music where they have mostly stayed.

I know this may seem like a strange comparison but Rush reminds me a lot of Radiohead. A band that started out as more or less as a guitar oriented band and had some hits off the first 2 albums. They then decided to "roll to bones" and construct a masterpiece IMO in Ok Computer. Not everyone liked it but it established them as a serious band and least from a critics pov. From there they again took a chance and delved into electronic beats and Crafted Kid A and Amensiac.

They've continued to dapple and experiment with different sounds and some of it has worked other times it hasn't. I think with Rush they've continued to dapple in different genres of music to keep it interesting throughout their storied career but it really never has translated to something all that palatable to the average listener. At least the albums from the 90's onward...

But I respect bands that continue to evolve and try new things.

 

[Rushman2112]

Cards on table time: I am a Rush fanboi. Have been since 1980 and my favourite album is MP. Nothing before or since has come close. But. CA is a bloody good effort and I think it stacks up pretty well against any of their previous works. I think "The Garden" is a great song, and I have "The Wreckers" as my standard ring tone so I get to hear it quite a bit(!)

I'd agree with buffdaddy - they experiment and play around and do what they feel like. Sometimes you like it and buy the album, sometimes you don't. I actually like that. Every time there is a new Rush album it's a surprise which is a great feeling.