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Rush - Snake and Arrows

post #1 of 21
3/5/07 at 4:35am
Thread Starter 
So RUSH is finally releasing their 18th studio album on May 1st after the 5 year wait since Vapor Trails. They are incredibly enthusiastic about it and a tour will follow this summer. Word from their new producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters) is that he has reportedly pushed the band's talent to the limit by suggesting complex bass and drum lines. Also, he made use of vintage microphones for the drums along with the studio acoustics. Raskulinecz claims the album will have a similar feel and sound to Rush's albums of the late 70s, such as 2112, A Farewell to Kings, and Hemispheres.

I know there might not be a huge response to this thread, but after the excellent and dare I say it ... underrated Vapor Trails, I can't wait to hear this thing. RUSH has almost never sucked.
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post #2 of 21
3/5/07 at 5:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Collins
Word from their new producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters) is that he has reportedly pushed the band's talent to the limit by suggesting complex bass and drum lines.
We're still talking about Rush, right?

In all seriousness, this is good news. I'm always interested in checking out a new Rush album. Great musicians. Was Vapor Trails before the tragedies with Peart's family? I imagine he's got a lot of personal lyrics stacked up for the new album.
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post #3 of 21
3/5/07 at 9:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Burning Son
We're still talking about Rush, right?

In all seriousness, this is good news. I'm always interested in checking out a new Rush album. Great musicians. Was Vapor Trails before the tragedies with Peart's family? I imagine he's got a lot of personal lyrics stacked up for the new album.
No, Peart's family tragedies (lost his daughter and wife) happened after the Test For Echo album came out in the 90's.

I heard Geddy Lee say something about going for simpler arrangements for this new one, which sounds very different from what the producer said and makes me wonder if I was even reading Lee's comments right at all.

I'm all for 70's-era Rush, so a move towards that will always make me more interested.
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post #4 of 21
3/5/07 at 9:58am
One of my favorite bands. I eagerly await this cd (and subsequent tour) as well. My hope is that this cd has a better mix to it than 'Vapor Trails' did...I enjoy 'Vapor Trails', but it sounds like dogshit next to the rest of their catalog. The mix is TOO LOUD and distorted in the high and low ends.

If they go back to their '70s sound and prog-ier roots, I'll be a happy man. Let's get another 20 minute epic, guys!
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post #5 of 21
3/5/07 at 10:01am
VAPOR TRAILS is probably my fave Rush album. Melody and musicianship have never collided so seamlessly on a Rush disc before, so I'm definitely anticipating the new one.
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post #6 of 21
3/5/07 at 10:25am
Been awhile since I listened to Vapor Trails - gotta give it a spin, soon!

Timing for the new album is great (just before my birthday!); far too long of a wait since the last album, but if they hold true to form, the wait'll be worth it. Absolutely love Geddy, Alex and Neil, and I am NOT missing the tour!!!
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post #7 of 21
3/5/07 at 2:06pm
Thread Starter 
From REVOLVER Magazine:

Quote:
"It's hard to describe," said Lee. "It's big, it's bold, and I think it's some of the best work we've done in years. I'm really pleased with the quality of the songs, and there's lots of playing on it."
The upcoming CD promises to be the most organic-sounding RUSH effort in decades, having been influenced by their experience of making "Feedback", the band's 2004 EP of classic-rock covers.

"Playing those songs that we loved and grew up on, I think it helped us remember how sometimes it's the simplicity or the directness of an arrangement that really makes a great song," said Lee. "And the other thing is, we played all together in the studio for a lot of the 'Feedback' stuff. That's something that a lot of producers had been pushing us to do for a while but which we hadn't done in years. It was great to turn off the click and just play - you know, not worry so much about being so, quote, metronomic - and that definitely carried over into this record."

"... We wanted the bed tracks to have that sort of live attitude to them, and that totally went with Nick's thinking, as well".
In Rasculinecz, the band found not only an enthusiastic collaborator but also a serious taskmaster who wasn't at all intimidated by the musician's formidable chops. "Nick really pushed us-he was constantly saying things like, 'Make it more complicated!' Lee laughs.

"There's no point in hiring a producer who's not going to speak his mind, but it's a tall order to find someone who can hear Neil's playing, amazing as it is, and still say, 'Maybe you should try going in this direction...' It was a pleasure to be challenged. That's really what a band like us needs."

Rush and Rasulinecz are currently mixing the new album at L.A.'s Ocean Way Studios, but most of the tracking was done at Allaire Studios in New York's Catskill Mountains.
"It's an old manor house that was originally built by the Pitcairn family, who owned the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company," Lee explains. "It's on the top of this mountain with just breathtaking views of the Hudson Valley. Our original intention was only to spend about 12 days there, doing drums. But it's so beautiful there, and the rooms sounded so great, and they didn't have anyone coming in after us, so Nick was like, 'Hey, let's keep goin'!'"

Though Rush recorded at a number of residential studios during the Seventies and Eighties, these were the first "sleepover sessions" for the band in nearly two decades, and Lee admits he initially wasn't entirely keen on the idea. In fact, "I approached it with great trepidation," he laughs. "I love those guys dearly, but 24 hours a day with anybody is a bit much. But to be honest, we had a blast. We got so much accomplished in our five and a half weeks there, and I have to say that I can't remember a recording session that's been as enjoyable and as refreshingly creative as these sessions. There was just a vibe with this record were everyone wanted to be there all the time."
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post #8 of 21
3/12/07 at 4:38pm
Thread Starter 
I just noticed I spelled the title of the album wrong in this thread title.
I must've been tired when I started it.

anyway,
The new single is streaming at Rush.com
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post #9 of 21
3/13/07 at 12:19am
The first single ('Far Cry') is a grower. It sounds like a long-lost cut from their late '70s period, but with a modern sheen and sensibility. And I don't care what anyone says, Geddy Lee's vocal range has actually improved over the last two decades, though I've never had an issue with his early high-pitched "chipmunked" era.
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post #10 of 21
3/13/07 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 
I agree that it's a grower, and a really good song.
But to me it sounds basically like Vapor Trails meets Counterparts...aka: still sounds like new Rush. Which is fine by me, I like all their albums.

And Geddy's voice has always improved, much like Peart's lyrics. Better with age. Not that either is especially showcased on this track - but I am obviously excited regardless.
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post #11 of 21
3/20/07 at 10:58pm
'Far Cry' isn't very interesting. Oh well. They've been hit and miss since Counterparts.
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post #12 of 21
3/25/07 at 8:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seabass Inna Bun
'Far Cry' isn't very interesting. Oh well. They've been hit and miss since Counterparts.
It's nearly as interesting as One Little Victory (the first single from Vapor Trails), and much better than the songs Test For Echo or Stick It Out (the other two "first singles" in the last few albums. There's a lot of stuff going on in the song that comes out after 10 or 12 listens. The acoustic in the background, the odd spacey "solo" and a general confident vibe. I have heard it quoted that Far Cry sounds a bit different than the rest of the record, so that might be good news for you, but also - the only Hit and Miss that's happened since Counterparts is the Test For Echo album.
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post #13 of 21
3/25/07 at 10:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Collins
It's nearly as interesting as One Little Victory (the first single from Vapor Trails), and much better than the songs Test For Echo or Stick It Out (the other two "first singles" in the last few albums.
I LOVE 'Stick It Out'. It fit the "grunge" sound of the time, but made good use of the trademark Rush tempo-time changes. Peart's drumming and Lifeson's solo are perfection. That chorus is one of the best they've ever conjured up.
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post #14 of 21
3/26/07 at 2:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Collins
It's nearly as interesting as One Little Victory (the first single from Vapor Trails), and much better than the songs Test For Echo or Stick It Out (the other two "first singles" in the last few albums. There's a lot of stuff going on in the song that comes out after 10 or 12 listens. The acoustic in the background, the odd spacey "solo" and a general confident vibe. I have heard it quoted that Far Cry sounds a bit different than the rest of the record, so that might be good news for you, but also - the only Hit and Miss that's happened since Counterparts is the Test For Echo album.
Taste is subjective. They don't sound like a progressive rock band to me anymore, just a highly talented rock band. Stuff like Permanent Waves and Signals and Grace Under Pressure are more my thing.
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post #15 of 21
3/26/07 at 1:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seabass Inna Bun
Taste is subjective. They don't sound like a progressive rock band to me anymore, just a highly talented rock band. Stuff like Permanent Waves and Signals and Grace Under Pressure are more my thing.
Well I can understand what you're saying, but Vapor Trails is slathered in prog. It doesn't sound like those old albums of course, but listen to the songs Freeze, Secret Touch, or Earthshine...those songs are fucked up. In a good way. Layers upon layers. Plus more importantly, they sound energetic and wholly unlike any other band, something they were struggling with in the 90's.
The new album is rumoured to be full of interesting things, like I said the single might be the dullest track on there, who knows.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Abed
I LOVE 'Stick It Out'. It fit the "grunge" sound of the time, but made good use of the trademark Rush tempo-time changes. Peart's drumming and Lifeson's solo are perfection. That chorus is one of the best they've ever conjured up.
Yeah, it's OK. Not the worst song on Counterparts, but the only song that sounds remotely grungey on that record, making it 'stick out' a bit awkwardly. They have gone on record as actually not liking that song at all.


Tour Dates were announced this morning, btw
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post #16 of 21
3/26/07 at 3:16pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.getreadytorock.com/reviews2007/rush.htm
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post #17 of 21
4/20/07 at 4:35pm
Thread Starter 
This album has leaked onto Torrent sites.

I haven't heard it yet, but there's a lot of disappointment. People are saying it's really acoustic, folkish, mellow, like the songs all sound the same, and the dreaded "it sounds like adult contemporary/christian music" (yikes!)

Of course there's also a lot of people commenting about how great it is with very strong songs. Music is always subjective and since Rush albums always take a while to sink in, I suppose I will reserve judgement and temper my too-high expectations.
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post #18 of 21
7/30/07 at 10:23am
I stand completely corrected on this album. It's easily Rush's best since 'Presto'. It's not completely solid, but there are at least five songs that stand out in the crowd. If 'The Main Monkey Business' doesn't make you drive fast enough to get arrested, you need either better taste in music or a faster car.

And it's interesting that the same lyricist who wrote 'The Trees' 25 or so years ago wrote 'Far Cry' last year.
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post #19 of 21
6/12/08 at 9:42pm
And the concert in Edmonton was something else too. Geddy Lee sounded 20 years younger and Neil Peart is a machine. Wow.

I've waited 20 years to see that show. Bad weather kept me from seeing the Presto tour and a splenectomy kept me from seeing the Vapor Trails tour. I'm lucky war didn't break out this time.
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post #20 of 21
6/13/08 at 6:53pm
Saw them for the first time ever last September in St. Paul. Peart has always been an amazing drumer, having watched him on DVD and to finally see them live was worth the very long wait. Loved that mini "South Park" skit that played before "Tom Sawyer".
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post #21 of 21
6/20/08 at 7:23am
Would it be foolhardy of me to say that Counterparts is actually my all-time fave Rush album?

Dunno why, exactly - just is.
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