[jakepunk]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_&_Arrows

I was a big Rush fan in college, and I have most of their albums.  I think they peaked on Hold Your Fire.  I got off the Rush train in the early nineties.  Presto was too confectionary, and Roll the Bones was so bad I returned it to the store when it first came out.  They should have culled the good songs from Counterparts and Test for Echo and released one album instead.  Vapor Trails, although a return to a "harder" sound, was purposely plagued with digital distortion and compression, rendering it unlistenable:


Vapor Trails



Snakes & Arrows


You'll notice that Vapor Trails has no discernible peaks, it's just a flat slab of white noise.  With Snakes & Arrows, you can see there are jagged edges indicating that the engineer didn't clip every waveform.  They learned their lesson from the outcry of fans.

This album deals mainly with religion and the angst of current events.  I don't think the lyrics are that great... "We can only grow the way the wind blows."  Huh?  Overall, I like the music more than the lyrics on this album.  There are 3 instrumentals, and they are all really good.

I figured out what I don't like about the "modern" Rush sound: the harmonized vocals.  I like Geddy's voice without the over-dubbing or auto-harmonizer or whatever they use.  I'd like an unadulterated vocal, please.

Overall, a decent effort from Rush.

[DARTH AUDIO]

The first 3 songs are weak!! The rest of the album was pretty darn good. Maybe Alex and the boys should be hanging around Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree a little more?? Alex did a guest solo on the new PT CD.

Speaking of Porcupine Tree. I'm going to their show tonight @ the Park West in Chicago. Same place they shot their DVD. Should be killer?? 

[woodsyi]

Let me know how it goes.  I am going June 23.  I haven't seen these guys live since '81.  I think it was 81-- they were promoting Moving Pictures. 

[zybar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_&_Arrows

I was a big Rush fan in college, and I have most of their albums.  I think they peaked on Hold Your Fire. 

You think they peaked with Hold Your Fire?   

Go listen to Moving Pictures, 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Signals, Permanent Waves, etc...  you might decide that their peak wasn't Hold Your Fire after all.

George

[jakepunk]

All the albums you listed came before Hold Your Fire.  Are you implying they peaked earlier?  I don't understand what you are implying.

[Antman27]

I have my Ticket to see rush at the Jones Beach and cant wait !
I think this is the best CD they have put together since Siginals
It does not get better than Rush,2112,Fly By Night ,Caress,Kings,Hemispheres ,
This is just my thoughts but there are some great bands with a great Guitar player Or a great drummer,or bass player BUT RUSH has 3 of the most talented musicans in one band . To watch them live is great cant believe only 3 guys on stage sounds like a 6 piece band .All 3 work so well together and can be playing 3 diffrent riffs and sound great
 

[ctviggen]

I wonder if they'd consider getting together with Rick Ruben?  For some reason, that guy is able to get musicians to really open up and get back to their roots.  I was a Rush fan a while ago, but I thought they got too "pop" (for lack of a better word) for me. 

[mr_bill]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_&_Arrows

I was a big Rush fan in college, and I have most of their albums.  I think they peaked on Hold Your Fire.  I got off the Rush train in the early nineties.  Presto was too confectionary, and Roll the Bones was so bad I returned it to the store when it first came out.  They should have culled the good songs from Counterparts and Test for Echo and released one album instead.  Vapor Trails, although a return to a "harder" sound, was purposely plagued with digital distortion and compression, rendering it unlistenable:


Vapor Trails



Snakes & Arrows


You'll notice that Vapor Trails has no discernible peaks, it's just a flat slab of white noise.  With Snakes & Arrows, you can see there are jagged edges indicating that the engineer didn't clip every waveform.  They learned their lesson from the outcry of fans.

This album deals mainly with religion and the angst of current events.  I don't think the lyrics are that great... "We can only grow the way the wind blows."  Huh?  Overall, I like the music more than the lyrics on this album.  There are 3 instrumentals, and they are all really good.

I figured out what I don't like about the "modern" Rush sound: the harmonized vocals.  I like Geddy's voice without the over-dubbing or auto-harmonizer or whatever they use.  I'd like an unadulterated vocal, please.

Overall, a decent effort from Rush.

I completely agree with you!!  I thought I was the only person thinking this. I don't like the way that Geddy's vocal tracks are done and wish that they would be simpler and purer, without so many harmonies.  This really changes the sound in a way I don't like.
I would agree with Hold Your Fire being my last favorite album too and then I fell off the wagon and didn't like Presto and Vapor Trails and on.
I do like the new album so far.  BTW Far Cry is one of my current favs'.
Bill

[SatoriGFX]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_&_Arrows

I was a big Rush fan in college, and I have most of their albums.  I think they peaked on Hold Your Fire. 

You think they peaked with Hold Your Fire?   

Go listen to Moving Pictures, 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Signals, Permanent Waves, etc...  you might decide that their peak wasn't Hold Your Fire after all.

George

Have to agree with you there.  Rush lost their edge.  No surprise.  They are getting old.  Their stuff has strayed too far from the prog rock it once was .  The boys still have skills, they just don't display them like they used to.  I'm amazed that people still buy their new records (and if the stories are true, so are they).

Adam.

[zybar]

All the albums you listed came before Hold Your Fire.  Are you implying they peaked earlier?  I don't understand what you are implying.

Yes I am saying they peaked earlier (probably with Moving Pictures or Signals).  Albums after that while good (or even very good), were not at the same level as the previous ones.

George

[Airborn]

I have to agree with the general direction of this thread, which is that RUSH peaked decades ago.  RUSH was my favourite band in high school and I have every album through Signals and Power Windows.  After that I couldn't listen to them anymore.  For a while I thought I outgrew their sound, but I realized I still liked the earlier stuff, like 2112 and Moving Pictures.  To me they just lost it and never recovered.

[Housteau]

I don't know guys.  I liked this new recording from the very first listen and I can be pretty harsh on new Rush material.  It is a decent production and that was noticed first off.  I find the writing and music top notch.  I was expecting the worst in sound quality after the Vapor Trails fiasco.  That one remains a benchmark of how not to master a CD release.  But, S&A isn't bad.

My first Rush concert was the 2112 tour, so I have been a fan and listening for a while now.  I find this new release directly connected to their past efforts.  Rush has never been about sex, drugs and the rock n' roll.  Their music has always been on a higher level than that.  It has mostly been about the human condition, and if we could shake free from various religious divisiveness, just maybe we could work together and get something positive done.  The theme of this new recording reflects the frightening world we live in and the intolerance of the few that would wish a theocracy upon us.

[Brad]

Signals is where Rush peaked for me, but I'm willing to give this one a listen.
I did a paper in high school on Peart's lyrics.

Rockford, by Cheap Trick, last year, is the first album of theirs I've liked a LOT since Standing on the Edge.

[Kim S.]

I'm a big Rush fan, but at times a find some of their songs a little weak.  I always thought that if they canibalized their songbook and just took the strong parts they make some truely super hits.  They are fantastic musicians.  Listen to "Feedback" which is a collection of covers they did.  Its a little damming, but I like the covers better than their original material.

I too like Cheap Tricks "Rockford" but I thought the previous CD "Special One" was excellent also.

[The_KiD]

I picked up Snakes & Arrows and find it average at best after a couple of listens. I mean the instrumental songs are definitely what carries the album. I do think it is better than Vapor Trails but that really isn't saying too much.

KiD

[woodsyi]

I heard them live Saturday.  These three old dudes can still play.  Geddy Lee can still sing with the high strung pitch like he was in the twenties.    The new stuff from Snakes and Arrows were actually pretty good, especially the instrumental.  I also agree it's more retro (back to the Tom Sawyer days) than the previous ones. 

[Housteau]

I am glad you had a good show.  I don't think I will be able to catch this tour at all.  It has been many years since I was last able to do that.