MovieChat Forums > Rush in Rio (2003) Discussion > Why is Rush not more popular?

Why is Rush not more popular?

posted 19 years ago by Avcorleone
88 replies | jump to latest

Why is Rush snubbed by so-called "critics"? I have asked numerous people to name their favorite top ten bands of all time. Notice, I qualified the ? with the use of "of all time". Most responses came back with no inclusion of Rush whatsoever.

This baffles me. I have been a fan of Rush for more than 15 years now and a lot of people I talk to have never heard of Rush. These are the same people that have heard of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and so on.....

Now, I know that Rush is from Canada and their major breakthrough album was released in 81 (Moving Pictures) but they have far surpassed the album sales of most of their peers. If I am not mistaken they are 3rd on the list of the most Gold Records for 1 group. Only behind The Rolling Stones and Kiss.

Why are they not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? They have influenced countless other bands and they have the greatest drummer and the greatest bassist(and the guitar player is pretty damn good himself)in Rock & Roll.

It can't be that the high-tenor voice of Geddy Lee repels that many people; can it?

Please respond and give as as much input as possible.

[–] rob_5 19 years ago

i have to admit i am a new fan of rush because a friend gave me his cds to borrow. i have heard of them before of course, but i guess because im from canada. i have to say, after listening to most of their albums (2112, moving pics, fly bu night farewell to kings permanent waves to name a few) they have such a unique sound. geddy has one of the most infectious vocals of anyone before, and as a bass player i feel he is simply amazing. i agree with you in the fact that they are not widely known and/or respected. they have sold many albums and still you never hear of them. they must be more popular in europe than in the USA i guess. its a shame there not more liked or talked about.

i saw the rush in rio dvd and i was in awe. what a performance they put on. over 50 and still rocking like there 30. simply great.

[–] picure 19 years ago

Mmm, you have to think like someone that has never heard Rush before, go back and think what impacted you the most when listening to them for the first time, i personally loved the elaborate bass lines that Geedy played and being able to sing with such passion at the same time. also the lyrics, i could only embrace songs like Chain Lighting, Presto or The Trees. Neil Peart's metaphores are just beautiful.most people just love hi for his flawless drum tehnique, i also admire him as a poet. Alex's guitar always transformed the band's progressive sound into straight up rock and roll.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 19 years ago

because all you idiots forget about the bands that come out of our country.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] close_to_the_edge44 19 years ago

first of all you queer, daniel-donahue-1 , I believe it's close_to_the_edge44, and I fixed the mistake just to prove to you I can spell. I'd like to add that I'm probably 1000x more knowledgeable than you in regards to Rush.

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[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

no the idoit had 55, and changed it to 44. He was trying to get away with his mistakes.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

yep, love that album.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

no way CTTE is way better than 90125.

[–] rushfan8989 18 years ago

Relayer is their best. Nuff said.

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

Relayer wasn't a Rush album... it was a Yes album.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] gabjam 17 years ago

"Down at the edge, round by the corner, close to the edge, just by the river"

Rush are unknown by today's mainstream audience in the same way that YES are, and it is a great shame because many people my age (17) are missing out on some phenomenal music.

But Rush's new album, Snakes and Arrows, is now number 13 in the mainstream UK charts, just showing how popular they remain.
Why they are still largely unknown by all but fans is beyond me.

[–] ladderrack 18 years ago

It is because to truly appreciate a force like Rush, you have to have a functional brain, which most critics do not. As far as being in the hall of fame, they (Rush) couldn't care less about it. It's all about the music for them. Plus, usually to get into the hall, you need to have a lot of commercial success, and Rush has never been known as a band that is high on the charts.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Lord-of-Delusion 18 years ago

I agree 100% with what has already been said. Watch the interviews with the band on the new R30 DVD (awesome, by the way!), and even as far back as the late 70's and early 80's, the band was aware that they became popular by 2 things:
1. hard work, and a ton of touring
2. word of mouth from their avid fan base

They realized even then that radio play and high praise from critics were never going to happen, and they didn't care then, and still don't care now.

p.s. check out the underhanded swipe Geddy takes at Fleetwood Mac with the English chap interviewing him in '79. Classic.

"Now go away or I should taunt you a second time."

[–] torquemama2002 18 years ago

As a 38 year old American woman, I wish Rush was a more popular group. All through my high school years, the only ones who listened to Rush were the stoners. However, the smarties(like my husband)listened to Rush as well. The closet rockers also listened to Rush. It was considered cool to go to their concerts at the time. However, the last time Rush played in Fresno when I was a teen was when they were promoting "Moving Pictures". They didn't come back until 1992 for "Roll the Bones".

Rush isn't too popular with mainstream critics who think their music is "too brainy". The music grew as the band grew and didn't bow down to the flavor of the week sound. Rush didn't exactly disappear when that fraud of a band Nirvana showed up! Rush didn't conform to the "grunge sound" either. Rush just made their own sound.

Rush never formally broke up or go solo, even though each member has done seperate projects. It's always been a one for all and all for one kind of group.

Respect the music. Respect them. Respect Rush.

"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] torquemama2002 18 years ago

Celine Dion could be American and all of will agree she sucks. Over the last 30 years, Geddy Lee's voice has matured and has become something manageable. I love Niel Peart's drumming and most people who are drummers agree he's a drum god. I never heard of Tragically Hip before except in a Niel Peart interview. I never heard their music before. If it isn't mainstream, flavor of the week music, the entertainment media won't promote it.

"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

OK, mr-blonde-vic-vega, Geddy Lee has great vocals, it's only because there Canadian that there not more popular. In Canada, we love his vocals, it what makes them unique, along with everything else about their music. Maybe idiot Americans like you just rather stick with the mainstream crap.

[–] torquemama2002 18 years ago

Like Celine Dion.

"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens

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[–] jdspock2 17 years ago

So in other words what your trying to say is that most music from the United states, which all sounds the same and there is no (spelling) individuliasm in it. and all the american groups have no original sounds or songs, is better then bands who created there own sound and stuck by there guns. Man then I must be listening to the wrong music, cause Rush is one of my bands and mine, Biggest influences, andmost other bands that I know.

[–] e_mejlme 18 years ago

Why is Rush not more popular? A really good question to ask. Being a hardcore Queen fan since -87 (not that mainstream music either on the other hand) I just could not understand what was so good about Rush, though a friend spoke cordially about them, the drummer's virtuosity and the complex album sleeve designs and so on.
Some time later I decided to give Rush a chance, so I bought "2112" and from that moment on I have adored Rush music and I now own a copy of all Rush studio albums.
There are probably more than one reason for the "impopularity" of Rush. No wish or need to be exposed in the media; in terms of PR Rush is virtually invisible. Too intelligent/odd music and too lengthy songs for critics to handle. Their music is often eccentric in many different ways which makes it quite demanding (but highly enjoyable!) to listen to. If You want simplicity Rush is not for You!
To me these are all reasons to love Rush. To me, not being mainstream is a good thing. I love Lee's one-of-a-kind clear and eccentric voice with its high pitch squeals, Peart's complex drumming and shrewd lyrics, the band's use of odd time signatures etc etc? You really need to be an active listener in order to fully understand and enjoy their music.
But then again, I am not a critic....

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

U2, JIMMIE RODGERS, THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES, THE KINKS, THE WHO, CREAM, ELTON JOHN,BOB MARLEY, ROD STEWART, LED ZEPPELIN, NEILYOUNG, PINK FLOYD, DAVID BOWIE, THE BEE GEES, FLEETWOOD MAC, ERIC CLAPTON, AC/DC, THE CLASH, THE POLICE, GEORGE HARRISON,

I took a few minutes to scan the list of Hall of Fame inductees, and while not all-inclusive, this is a list of some bands or performers who are NOT american and who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I'm not even going to list the ones that I think are less-deserving than Rush to be inducted into the Hall.

I would submit that the bias against Rush is not Nationality-motivated. My guess is that it is because they've never had critical acclaim. The fact that they've never been gotten much radio play probably enters into it.

Long ago, I came to grips with the fact that my favorite band was never going to have critical success or wide spread radio play. And I realized that I shouldn't care... because the band themselves don't care. They are pleased that they've developed such a rabid, fanatical following over the years. I'm proud that my favorite band is one that I didn't have to have the media and radio stations force down my throat (The Strokes and White Stripes come to mind... neither of these bands are anywhere near as good as the media makes them out to be.)

As far as the Hall of Fame goes, I don't give any credence to an organization that has members like AC/DC and the Bee Gees and excludes Rush. At least the Canadian equivalent to the American Hall of Fame had the good sense to put them in.

[–] rushfan8989 18 years ago

Screw the Rock and roll hall of fame. They don't have the attention span to listen to any music longer than 3-4 minutes.

[–] RUSHmusicfan 16 years ago

I am a die - hard RUSH fan and the problem is that being the fact that their lyrics are not your usual top - 40, "I love you" type lyrics (you won't find that mindless Miley Cyrus or Beyonce singing their songs or for that matter, Vanessa Huygens, Carrie Underwood or Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson) and are based on passages by such writers as F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, Ayn Rand, Dorothy Parker, William Burroughs, etc., you won't find many of the younger crowd listening to RUSH. It is not a band that middle of the road, non threatening radio stations would play. As one of the subscribers here noted correctly, RUSH ' s music is very sophisticated with Geddy Lee's complex bass lines and Neil Peart's incomparable drum lines. They do not need the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in Cleveland in order for fans to already know how wonderful RUSH is live and recorded on an album and to justify their greatness. It is a very cerebral band with lyrics and complex music structures which makes, or should I say, forces people to think. Sure, RUSH SHOULD BE IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME IN CLEVELAND, but they are too busy to care whether they are there because they are making music that has integrity for their fans to enjoy. Furthermore, they were the only Canadians that were musicians to ever receive the Honorable Order of Canada Medal of Honor, Canada's equivalent to our Medal of Freedom, and be accepted as Officers of such an honor by then Prime Minister Brian Mulrooney.

[–] bbpolygame 18 years ago

I am a HUGE RUSH FAN. I am 17 years old. I have heard just about every bit of rush there is. There is probly a few songs I have not heard but thats about it. I am a fan of all Rush....early to 80s to 90s to present and they are pretty much all I listen to.

In my opinion one of the main reasons Rush is not as popular as they should be is beacuse of the singing. Whenever I show my friends Rush for the first time they usually like it until Geddy starts singing. It seems like kids these days really dont care much for the "Music" so they really cant apreciate Rush. As soon as the singing hits them they just hate it. They dont care for anything else. I used to be the same way with Rush before I started getting into music a long time ago. I have some friends I got to really enjoy Rush. But there are still many that cant stand them so that Is why I think they are not as popular. They dont have many "Catchy" songs that would usually get played on the radio either. Kids these days really like catchy..and well Rush isnt really catchy.

Cheers to another 30 years of the greatest band ever....Rush.

-Rob

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

bbpolygame, wow you obviously dont know rush, if all you heard is early 80s to now, you have definetly missed out on some of their greatest work in the 70s such as Farewell to Kings ,hemispheres, 2112, etc. Without hearing that stuff you are falsely implying that you are a huge Rush fan.

PS Canada all the way to gold in hockey at Olympics, US sucks

"That's a good play by Tangs"-Joel Quennville

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

I don't think it is necessary to run him down like that. One can be a fan of a band without having heard all of their stuff. It's not a requirement. It's snobs like you that give the rest of the Rush fans (generally considered to be a friendly, not snobby bunch) a bad name among some folks. Did you know about ALL their music before you called yourself a fan? I don't think so, and you're lying if you say yes.

Instead of taking the rude approach you did, you should have said something like:

Wow.. it's great to see younger people appreciate the musical genius that is Rush. Some people, myself included, think that their best stuff was in that period in the 80s... starting with Permanent Waves, and going all the way up through Power Windows. My particular favorite era starts with the 2nd half of Moving Pictures (Camera Eye, Vital Signs, Witch Hunt) and the next 2 albums, Signals and Grace Under Pressure. But you are missing out on some great stuff before then... most hardcore Rush fans think that the 70s stuff is their best. And there is a lot to be said for that body of work. It's a totally different sound... not as tech-y. And there is some blistering music taking place there - 2112, Cygnus X1, Hemispheres, La Villa Strangiato, The Necromancer, Xanadu... these are some epic length songs that tell good stories and have great music. Also from that time are standard Rush staples like The Trees, Working Man, Bastile Day, Fly By Night, Passage to Bangkok (although the live version of this song is better than the studio version,) and Closer to the Heart. It's definitely worth checking out the first few albums.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

buck flicks how can I say its great to see younger people appreciate Rush when Im only 16. And I guess your right about the fan thing, I didnt know all their music but to call yourself a huge Rush fan without hearing everything is wrong. Oh yeah, the era your talking about is great, but why do you stop at power windows, hold your fire was good, presto was okay, but then theres roll the bones, counterparts, test for echo and vapor trails all being really good.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

You misunderstand my point... I became a huge rush fan the very instant the first time I heard their music when I was 11 years old when Moving Pictures came out. I didn't need to hear the rest of their music. The more I heard, the more I appreciated their prowess. But I certainly didn't need knowledge of the entire catalog to be a fan. I think it's wrong of you to tell someone they can't be a fan because they haven't heard all the music.

The era I was talking about definitely ended with Grace Under Pressure... not for the greatness of the music, but for the tone .. both musically and lyrically it was dark and heavy.. a sound I loved. I equally loved the tone and sound of Power Windows.... which is one of their strongest albums (from beginning to end, every song is solid or better)... but beginning with Power Windows, the next several albums had a much less fearful outlook (not coincidentally, about the time that it became clear that the communists and capitalists would not destroy the world with nuclear war.)

Hold your Fire was passable, I was disappointed with Presto though it still had some really good stuff on it, and Roll the Bones is in my top 5 favorite Rush albums. Counterparts was great, Test for Echo was passable, and I really enjoyed Vapor Trails. I'm not saying that the early - mid 80s was their best era, or their only great era. It just happens to be my favorite.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

I still don' agree with you about being a fan, you can be a fan hearing just some of their music, but to be called a huge fan, you would have to hear a really good bulk of their music.

You should really give Hold Your Fire another chance, it took me a couple of listens to get into, but now I think it's great. I agree with you on Presto; Roll the Bones and Counterparts were great; Test for Echo is a little better than passable and Vapor Trails is good. In my opinion, the best era is from the late 70's to mid 80's(Power Windows included, great album).

What are your favourite Rush studio albums in order?

Mine:

1. Hemispheres
2. Moving Pictures
3. A Farewell to Kings
4. Permanent Waves
5. Power Windows
6. 2112
7. Signals
8. Roll The Bones
9. Grace Under Pressure
10. Counterparts
11. Fly By Night
12. Rush
13. Hold Your Fire
14. Test For Echo
15. Vapor Trails
16. Caress of Steel
17. Presto

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

Well... we'll just have to agree to disagree on that point, eh?

There are several songs on Hold Your Fire that are very good... and are even better live. Rush got slammed by several critics for A Show of Hands for it sounding exactly like the studio versions of the songs included... but I thought the Hold Your Fire songs in particular were much better live than on the studio album... they were so energetic and passionate... you could tell it was stuff that was very important to the band.

1. Hemispheres
2. Grace Under Pressure
3. Signals
4. Roll the Bones
5. Moving Pictures
6. 2112
7. Power Windows
8. Farewell to Kings
9. Permanent Waves
10. Vapor Trails
11. Counterparts
12. Caress of Steel
13. Test for Echo
14. Hold Your Fire
15. Fly By Night
16. Presto
17. Rush

Really... #1-11 are all so excellent that there is very little difference from 1 to 11.

Keep in mind, when I say passable, that's passable by Rush's standards.. not the music industry in general. Passable by Rush standards would be an outstanding, carreer-making effort for any other band.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

Oh, i see what you mean by passable, but i still think that Hold Your Fire is still better than passable, its their best underrated album.

I cant believe Hemispheres is your favourite album too, I thought you would have chosen something form the 80's. Anyway, whats your favourite song. Mine is Hemispheres, the whole 18 minutes is so amazing.

"Who the *beep* trades Dennis Savard"

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

Hemispheres is my favorite Rush song, that's why it's also my favorite album. I think that's the best example of their entire catalog where music and lyrics both being at their best. They were definitely firing on all cylinders on that song. If it weren't for Hemispheres (the song) then P/G would be my favorite album.

I'll agree with you that Hold Your Fire is their best underrated album, though I listened to Caress of Steel last night and I might put it up there at the top of the list with HYF.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

You are the only other person that I've talked too that likes Hemispheres the best. A lot of people I know like Limelight the best. Do you have any information on the new Rush album? I can't wait.

Rock On Rush!!

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

All I've heard so far was that the band is going to start working to record a new album this year... there's no telling how long it will take - in the past they used to write and record their albums in a week or two... I think Vapor Trails took 14 months... it'll probably fall somewhere in between. No word on weather they will tour or not... I have to assume they will. At least I have to hope they will.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

They better tour; I've only seen them once in Toronto for the 30th anniversary tour, it was amazing. I bet you've seen tons of their tours, where are you from?

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

I live in the Dallas area (but I don't really like it here... it's not cold enough and there aren't any mountains.)

The first concert I went to was the Power windows show in 85. I've been to every one since then, except for the Vapor Trails show, which I missed because I was on a mountain climbing trip in BC (near Whistler.) I still have a red balloon they dropped from the ceiling at the Hold your Fire show... and after the show, one of the local radio stations was handing out lighters so you could 'hold your fire.' ... which I thought was pretty clever. I still have that too.

I think my favorite show by far was R30... but close behind it was the Test for Echo tour - they played 2112 in its entirety, which was the first time I had seen that live, plus Natural Science which is one of my favorite songs they do, also the first time I had seen that live. Next was the Power Windows, because I had watied for 4 years to go (I missed the signals and P/G tours because my parents wouldn't let an 11-13 year old go to a concert alone.)... but the Roll the Bones was awesome too... because I had been somewhat disappointed with the last two albums, I was excited about the new music they'd play, instead of being disappointed when they played the new music on the last two tours. PLUS... Primus was the opening act, and I loves me some Primus. But they still played a lot of Presto and HOld your Fire stuff, at the expense of their old stuff which I would have preferred.

I was very upset that I missed that show - it had been 5 years since their last tour, and I was afraid it might have been their last. I was quite pleased when they released Rush in Rio, so I could see what I missed, and it looks like I missed a hell of a show.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

I didn't know people from Dallas are huge Rush fanatics, I know they tour there, but i didnt think people were huge fans, like up here in Canada, I know some pretty crazy fans. I live in Niagara Falls which is 10 minutes away from where Neil Peart grew up in St. Catherines, and I know some people that go to his high school. I know some other connections to them also. I have every single album on Cd, and my Dad still has all his Rush records on vinyl. I agree that R30 was awesome, but instead of those cover tunes (did you like them?) I wish they would have played the whole Hemispheres, or 2112 or some other older stuff like a farewell to kings, closer to the heart, I don't even think they played Distant Early Warning which is exceptional.

PS. I also didn't know people in Dallas liked mountain climbing or just the cold for that matter. Do you like the Stars? (its a guess because you enjoy the cold, you might enjoy hockey).

"...And they wonder why the maples can't be happy in their shade"

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

I actually did like the covers... especially the acoustic Heart Full of Soul. And I loved The Seeker. I could have done without Crossroads. Every time they tour, there's a petition online to plead with the band to play this song or that song... every year, I beg for Hemispheres. I guess they think it's not really a good song for concerts. Which I can understand... for those who aren't a fan of the song, it bogs down 20 minutes of the show.

Rush does have a pretty fanatical following in Dallas. Not a huge number like you've got in Canada... but very loyal. A lot of people I know will go to the Dallas show, then drive to Austin or San Antonio to see them again. I've never done that, but if they tour for this next album, I might do it because it could be their last tour.

Because of our conversation, I went back and listened to Hold Your Fire for the last couple days. It is better than I rememered. But I realized why I wasn't a big fan of HYF and Presto... I don't like the electronic harpsichord sound that was prevalent on those two albums. I was pleased when Roll the Bones started to move back to the power trio sound, then Counterparts pretty much went all the way back to it.

I've always been a mountain/cold weather junkie. My grandmother lived in the Rockies in Colorado when I was growing up, I spent my summers there, esacping the heat of Dallas. Ever since then, I've been taking my vacations to the mountains. I particularly like Canada... I've been to Vancouver, Whistler, Ottawa, and Montreal (liked all the others more than Montreal... too French. But the city itself was nice). I'm going to go to the olympics in 2010 when it's in Vancouver... but I'll probably be mostly in Whistler watching the skiing and snowboarding.

I am a big Stars fan... hockey is my 2nd favorite sport after football. Unfortunately, I haven't paid as much attention the last couple years because I've been working the evening shift and don't get to watch games except on weekends.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

Well their doing really good, second in the West and first in their division, better than my Leafs, who can't win a game and are fighting for a playoff spot.

I really like Hold Your Fire because of the synthesizers they use, its the album with the most synthesizers and I think they complete the songs on there; Presto has way less and I generally think its just okay, like I really like Show Don't Tell and The Pass, but the rest are about average. I agree with you on Roll the Bones, I'm glad they went back to that sound because Roll the Bones and Counterparts were both excellent albums.

I was so dissapointed with the R30 DVD, cutting out 8 songs almost ruined the entire show for me, but whatever is there is really good. I prefer Rush in Rio though, the whole show is amazing.

What are you're hopes for the new album? Do you hope its like Vapor Trails?

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

I was more a fan of the synth sounds of Moving Pictures and Signals and P/G (as you might have assumed.)

I can't believe the Stars lost to the Blues yesterday. That was VERY disappointing, especially after they had won 6 in a row, including one over the Red Wings, who they can never seem to beat. Now that football is over, I'll be focusing my sports energy on Hockey (after the olympics.)

I was pretty disppointed they cut a lot of songs from the R30 DVD too. I figured they could have fit it all on there... but they did film it in High Def, and it's in 5.1 sound, which takes up a lot more space on the disc... and they would have had to make the DVD 2 discs and the CD 3 discs. I still would have paid for it. I was especially disappointed that La Villa didn't make it.., that's one of my favorite songs they do, and it's always a lot better live.

New album... hmmm... I just hope it's good. They've all been pretty good since Roll the Bones... I think as long as they maintain that standard, I'll be pleased. I hope there's a good instrumental on it... and I'd love to have another epic... maybe not a Hemispheres sized one.. but more like a Natural Science.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

ya that was sad losing to the Blues, nevertheless they are still better than the Leafs. Who's your favourite player on Dallas? Even though I'm not a Dallas fan, mine is probably Morrow, really good player.

Anyway, I don't think there will be an instrumental on the new album (I don't think there was one on Vapor Trails), but I'm hoping for one too. Where's My Thing and Leave That Thing Alone are incredible, and Limbo is average. An epic would be great, but more realistically I think they will put out another album like Vapor Trails, average 5:00 songs. Do you think they will use keyboards?, because they didn't of Vapor Trails, it was a little disappointing.

Sadly, I just visted 2112.net and they had a quote from Neil saynig that they are way more likely to tour next year and not this year.

I think the synths more during the period you are talking about also, but they are way more prevalent on Hold Your Fire.

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

That doesn't surprise me about the tour being next year... if they don't get started writing the album until later on this year, it's pretty likely that they won't finish it until the end of this year or the beginning of next year... which would put the tour around that time. I'm ok with that... I'd rather them take their time and write a good album.

I think the chances for an instrumental are not too bad ... We need more 'Things' and another part of the incomplete Gangster of Boats trilogy. We went a long time with no instrumental... Subdivisions, P/G, Power Windows, Hold Your fire, and Presto... none of them had instrumentals... I don't think there's really any rhyme or reason. I suspect a lot of it has to do with whether or not Neil has a lot to say lyrically... and after 5 years and a lot of tragedy, hardship and soul searching, he had a lot to say for Vapor Trails.

I like Brendan Morrow.. he plays hard and gets results. I also like Bill Guerin, even though he's having a bad year. He's a good guy. Being a soccer goalkeeper in my youth, I like good goalie play... so I really like Turco. He's also not having the best year compared to previous years, but he's still solid - and if the Stars get to a shootout, you might as well call the game, because he's like a brick wall against penalty shots. The Stars haven't lost a shootout yet this year.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

I guess I agree with you, I want this album to be really good, if it is there last one. Do you think it'll be their last one? There is one way to figure out during their next tour, after every tour Geddy says We hope to see you soon,(its what he said when I saw them, and my dad says thats what he said after every concert he saw, which was a lot). So if Geddy says that I'm hoping they will do another album or a least a farewell tour.

I think Neil has all different ideas lyrically running through his mind, they could make 20 more albums and Neil will still have fresh ideas. He has one of the most creative minds of any musician or writer for that matter.

Bill Guerin is having a really terrible season. Turco, though struggling lately, has been been pretty steller for most of the season, hey he was named to the Canadian Olympic team. I have never liked the shootout, not only because Toronto loses mostly all of them, but I just think it is a cheap way to win. Do you like the shootout? I also think goalies should be allowed to handle the puck within that special area, what do you think? Another thing is too much obstruction, I play defence and that would mean less checking for the opposing forwards to go by.

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

Geddy has been saying that at least for the last 3 tours... the first time I recall seeing it was at the Test for Echo tour, he said it at both of the Dallas shows that I went to. I don't remember if he's said it before that... he probably has and I just don't remember. The whole band is pretty creative... they're all still at the top of their craft. I imagine they'll continue to keep doing albums. But what I worry about is that they may stop touring because it's so exhausting. Living in Toronto, you'll still get to go to their shows if they do limited small tours with new albums... But I suspect that Dallas may get cut out of the mix if that happens.

I learned several years ago to not choose a favorite star, because that meant that they would be leaving soon: Russ Courtnall, Shane Churla, Mark Tinordi, Kevin Hatcher, Joe Nieuwenyk (my alltime favorite Star), Jamie Langenbrunner, Brett Hull (one of my two alltime favorite hockey players - the other being Eric Lindros),Darryl Sydor, Derrian Hatcher... the list goes on and on

Now, I just go with several favorites... Guerin, Turco, Lethinen, Morrow, Modano... I figure they can't trade the whole team.

Personally, I like the shootout. I hate it when a game ends in a tie... it defeats the entire purpose of playing. Also, getting points for ties creates a very boring overtime period because once they get into overtime, they play not to lose, instead of playing to win. Which I hate. Plus, I think it's exciting. I love it in world cup elimination play when they end overtime in a tie and have to go to penalty shots... I don't think I've ever been so gut-wrenched by a sporting event as I was at the world cup final in 94 when Italy and Brazil were doing a shootout.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

I actually live in Niagara Falls, but it is still close to Toronto. More albums without tours would be good nevertheless.

Why do you like Lindros? I used to hate Lindros when he was a Flyer especially on the Legion of Doom; I have friends who like the Flyers who constantly brag when the Flyers beat the Leafs. Thats why I hate the Flyers. But now I like Lindros because he's on the Leafs, so it evens out.

I really like Dougie Gilmour, amazing player. Why don't you have Belfour on that list, he won the cup for them in 2000, although maybe that game winner shouldn't have counted because Hull's foot was in the crease.

I think the shootout's are exicting too, but I'd rather watch them when Toronto's not in them, because I know Toronto will probably end up losing.

So your favourite sport is football, eh. I remember one night watching The Score(Canadian sports highlight station), the Stars were playing the Canucks the same night of the Rose Bowl I think. (I don't follow college sports). Anyway, after they finished showing the highlights the guys were like at the beginnig of the season this game was sold out, but only about half the people showed up tonight because everyone was watching the Rose Bowl. And then they said even the owner of the Dallas Stars was at the Rose Bowl, which I found pretty funny.

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

I liked Belfour... I actually liked his back up (Roman Turek) better. I was very disappointed when they traded to the Blues him what seemed like hours after they won the Cup. But Belfour was unbelievable that year.

Tom Hicks is the owner of the STars, he also owns the Tex. Rangers... and he's a University of Texas graduate, and longtime booster of their football program. It didn's surprise anyone around here that he went to the rose bowl (once in a lifetime for most colleges to play for the national championship, as opposed to one of 82 regular season games for one of two pro sports teams he's owned for several years.)

I can tell you the exact moment that Lindros became one of my favorite players. Unfortunately, I don't remember what team they were playing, but in about a 4 minute span, he took out the two most valuable players for whatever team they were playing with unbelievable (clean) hits. It was awesome. I like tough guys who have other skills. Too bad I hate the Flyers (or any pro team from philadelphia... and it's not the teams so much as it is that sports fans in Philly are the biggest jackasses in the sports world.)

I don't think that game winner against Buffalo should have counted either - and you won't hear that from many Stars fans, even the ones who claim to be hockey experts. But, I think that everyone figured it was a foregone conclusion that Dallas was going to win that series. Personally, I would have liked to see a game 6 and 7. I was sorry to see the season end, even though it was on a high note.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] Anscules 18 years ago

hi. i've been a serious fan of rush since 1986. i live in the dallas area. saw them on the counterparts tour here. missed five other tours for increasingly ridiculous and infuriating reasons.

they have a rabid following in dallas. i saw one dude at that concert with a hemispheres vintage conert t-shirt on - and the spot that used to have the man in star logo had been cut out, revealing this dude's tattoo of the same image in the same size (so it filled the hole perfectly).

dude has been my image of the ultimate rush fan ever since.

i knew of "tom sawyer" and the hits since that one (aka "the big money," "time stand still," "under lock & key" etc.), but in 1986 i accidentally heard "passage to bangkok" and it completely kicked me in the face. a few days later, i went to a local record shop and bought 5 or 6 of their albums and was forever sucked in.

why are they not more popular? i think they are as popular as they could be, while still eschewing top 40 hits. they have a fan base that will out-live them (any of them could be my father), and we will probably stick with them to the end. (although, that "test for echo" album was a kick in the nuts...)

"Rampart: Squad 51."

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

I'm not the biggest fan of the Test for Echo album... I think I referred to it as 'passable' in a previous post... and that's a relative term... passable means I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. Oddly, two of my favorite Rush songs are on TfE, Driven, and Resist - though I like both of them much better live than on the album... Driven on Rush in Rio has the best bass solo I've ever heard... and Resist accoustic is amazing.

and I think you hit the nail on the head... they don't write top 40 songs. Even if they did, they would probably still not get a lot of airplay, as the typical top 40 station's demographic is not your typical Rush fan.

I thought about getting the Star Man artwork as a tattoo once, but it would have been much smaller, and on my arm.

I saw a lot of vintage Rush T shirts at the R30 tour, and I was amazed that they had lasted so long... then I went to Rush.com and saw that you can still buy most of the tour T shirts on the website there.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] thekman-1 18 years ago

I have been a diehard Rush fan since 1991. I am 32 years old and have seen them eight times in concert. Each time was tremendous. They are easily my favorite band ever and I do not see how any band will surpass them. Ever.

Ranking the Rush studio albums in order is rather tough since I absolutely love 13 of the 17 and the other four are all good, too, just not great. Here we go:

1. Permanent Waves
2. Hemispheres
3. Moving Pictures
4. Counterparts
5. A Farewell to Kings
6. 2112
7. Power Windows
8. Grace Under Pressure
9. Roll the Bones
10. Signals
11. Hold Your Fire
12. Caress of Steel
13. Fly by Night
14. Vapor Trails
15. Rush
16. Presto
17. Test for Echo

How about favorite Rush songs? I will try and stick with just 25.

1. 2112
2. La Villa Strangiato
3. Xanadu
4. Natural Science
5. Hemispheres
6. Jacob's Ladder
7. YYZ
8. Leave That Thing Alone
9. The Spirit of Radio
10. Red Barchetta
11. The Trees
12. Freewill
13. Marathon
14. By-tor and the Snow Dog
15. Cold Fire
16. Limelight
17. Ghost of a Chance
18. Everyday Glory
19. Red Sector 'A' (live version from A Show of Hands is the best version)
20. The Necromancer
21. Cygnus X-1
22. Double Agent
23. The Pass (live version from Rush in Rio is much better than the studio version)
24. Tom Sawyer
25. Dreamline

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

Hmmm... my top 25 favorite songs. That's a tough one.

1. Hemispheres
2. La Villa Strangiato (preferably live, particularly Rush in Rio)
3. 2112
4. Red Sector A
5. Subdivisions
6. Witch Hunt
7. Between the Wheels
8. The Camera Eye
9. The Enemy Within
10. The Weapon
11. Natural Science
12. Xanadu (live)
13. Passage to Bangkok (live... the studio version isn't worth mentioning)
14. Roll the Bones
15. Dreamline
16. Leave that Thing Alone (live)
17. Driven (Especially Rush in Rio)
18. Cygnus X-1
19. Earthshine
20. Resist (acoustic)
21. Mission (live)
22. The Necromancer
23. Double Agent
24. Red Barchetta
25. R30 Overture

Notable absences... anything from Presto, Rush, and Fly by Night.

Honorable Mentions: (in chronological order)

Working Man
A Farewell to Kings
Entre Nous
YYZ
Vital Signs
New World Man
The Analog Kid
Digital Man
Losing It
(All of Power Windows)
Force Ten
Turn the Page (live)
The Pass
Bravado
Where's My Thing
Ghost of a Chance
Nobody's Hero (live)
Cold Fire
Test for Echo
Dog Years
Limbo
One Little Victory
Ghost Rider
Freeze
The Seeker
For What it's Worth
The Shapes of Things
Heart Full of Soul

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] BasqueNYC 18 years ago

Ah my fav band Rush I saw them from every tour since Hold Your ire and loved every single one.I loved the last 2 nites on the 30th Anniv tour I live in NYC so I just could not miss them playing at the Radio City Music Hall.Both nites sold out very fast1 but i got great tickets for both and Alex's rants about Paris Hilton were very funny! during "La Villa Strangiato".But nite 2 was quite possibly the best Rush concert so far!.Here is to a new album in '06' and tour in '07'!!!!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

While I can't disagree with your point of semantics, I don't think it turned out to be a waste of time... it's resulted in a spirited, fun discussion and I feel like I've made a new friend as a result of it.

Maybe the waste of time was you, replying to a post from 5 months ago, and hasn't been addressed since that first week afterward.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] neilisGOD2112 18 years ago

cursed Rush fans & their unparalleled loyalty (j/k). Rush is the greatest group ever & they deserve their place in the hall of fame!!!

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

Man... I'd love to hear each Lerxst rant from La Villa over the last two tours... it's supposedly different every night... especially since La Villa is one of my top 3 favorite Rush songs. I don't care if it IS an exercise in self-indulgence. It's freakin' brilliant.

At the Dallas show for the R30 tour, he went on about Baseball, and the Rangers, and how all they do is hit home runs (they're not hitting much of anything now, save for air molecules.)

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

The Rangers haha, GO JAYS!!!!!!!!

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

How about those Leafs? How do you like their playoff chances? Oh... wait a minute....

Baahhhhh hahah!!

I laugh. Actually, I'm not much of a baseball fan anymore... lost interest after the strike in 94, and whatever was left after steriods ruined what was left of the purity of the game over the last several years.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

Stars are taking a beating eh, just lost in OT last night. I'm actually going for the Stars because I am now going for the Oilers and Flames and if they both win, the only way they wouldn't play each other in the second round is if Dallas wins. So GO STARS!!!

New Rush DVD June 13th eh, should be sweet.

"We could fall from rockets red glare"

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

yeah.. the Stars are killing me. Every game is like a steel toed kick to the sack. I doubt they will win tonight. If they do, I find it unlikely that they'll win 4 in a row.. the Avs are playing amazingly right now, and the Stars look old and slow.

I like the Flames too... to me, they look like the team to bet.

I can't wait for Replay x 3... I've been waiting a LONG time to see the Grace Under Pressure concert on DVD. On any format, actually. I saw it about 20 years ago on VHS, loved it, and over the last 10 years, I've been scouring sources to find a copy, and have been unable to.... eventually I gave up in hopes that the band would soon release it on DVD. I'm glad they have embraced DVD as much as they have. I would be pleased if they released a DVD of every tour they did from now on (though it's a good possibility that they will only do one more.)

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] close_to_the_edge44 18 years ago

I've seen both the Grace under Pressure concert and A Show of Hands concert on VHS not too long ago (I borrowed them from a friend), and they are really sweet, I also can't wait for this DVD, I really want to see Exit..Stage Left, and listen to that new Grace soundtrack, should be good.

Stars won last night, 4-1, they played good that whole game, just 3 more now, it can be done.

[–] BuckFlicks 18 years ago

I'm officially calling for Turco's head. I don't care if he's a brick wall 90% of the time... the rest of the time, he's constantly out of position, or laying flat on his back or stomach... and lets too many late period goals through... and his goals allowed in the playoffs is miserable. I saw we dust off Belfour and bring him out of retirement for next year.

Half the world tries to be the other half.

[–] BasqueNYC 18 years ago

These guys are great role models I am 29yrs old I remember Rush being big in HS when "Roll the Bones" came out.Everone went gaga! lol.As years gone by I have seen them on every tour more than once each time.But since I live in NYC there killer performance came at the end of their 30th anniv tour by playing 2 sold out nites at the Radio City Hall I went to both just 2 nites of amazing music and the crowd was goinbg ape just like the rio crowd.Those 2 dates were the last 2 nites on the US tour so it was extra special

as for why there not popular well it isn't cool to like Rush most like themn they just don't admit it too true

and please don't give me the vocal arguement there is nothing wrong with his vocals.Rush are just different sounding they do their own thing I respect that

speaking of which I think other Rock stars should take a cue from them no drugs,no violence(except alex scuffle thing but he won!) they should be any young musicians guide on how to live life they are great people I got to meet all 3 once at the NYC Radio City shows and were super nice (Neil was alittle shy) I have met them 2 other times as well but it was very quick the NYC show I actually got to say hello and BS with them for like 5mins with a few other people too but still fun

GO RUSH NEW ALBUM '07'? Well there in the studio now so it got to be soon just make it a summer tour!
I NEED MY RUSH FIX

[–] Hyman_Flomax 18 years ago

They have quickly become my favorite band over the last year, and if I had become familiar with them a year earlier, I would have seen them live in Montreal when someone asked me to go. I've never heard anyone deny the fact that they are talented musicians (except one degenerate punk-drummer friend of mine who calls Peart overrated and obviously is unfamiliar with the majority of his work). But most people I've talked to seem to tell me they would listen to Rush more if it wasn't for Geddy's high-pitched vocals. I'm afraid that is the major factor contributing to their public antipathy, from my experience at least.

Versatile Member Of The Third Man Marketing Team™©

[–] beorngiedda 17 years ago

Rush is, hands down, an amazing band...their instrumental virtuosity, complex song-writing, and poetic, philosophical subject-matter have attracted me since first I heard them. Why, then, aren't they more popular? Geddy's vocals could be a reason...while I personally think he is a great singer, his shrill, high--pitched voice probably turns some people off. Also, many people may be repelled by their intellectual themes, which some perceive of as pretentious. And Rolling Stone's (the magazine) apparent dislike for Rush has probably hurt their chances of entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are respected far and wide for their talent, and their record sales are generally high, but for some reason, many critics have never been too fond of them, and they have never quite caught on with many people.

Another thing, the nationality of a band or performer has nothing to do with the quality of their music...only short-sighted fools avoid Canadian (or American) music just because of the country of origin. Also, mainstream music does not equal bad music...there is plenty of good mainstream music. I never understood people who avoided mainstream music just because it's successful and leaned toward more obscure music just because most people have never heard of it. I listen to what I like...if that happens to be mainstream, or not, I don't care. Also, Nirvana is a great band.

That's all for now...toodles.

[–] jdspock2 17 years ago

The reason why Rush isn't as popular as there peers is because of the fact that they (like another shamefully and painfully underrated band King's X) refuse to bow down to industry standards. They record and release what they like and want to. and to the fact that in many of they're songs People have to think, which is why many critics don't want music to make you do. Hell proof enough. Rolling stone magazine would rather give the backstreet boys or P-diddy a ***** rating and leave Rush with a ** rating. What is up with that.

[–] jldmp1 17 years ago

I wouldn't say they're doing so badly...
Audio and DVD sales, lifetime, are approaching 40 million.
They are third in all-time gold records behind the Beatles and Kiss.
They've played thousands of shows in front of millions of paying attendees.

They were, at first, shunned by rock radio...in Alex's words: 'we were labelled as too heavy, with a singer with a crazy voice'...

Ironically, AOR radio came to them in the 1980s.

The 'Hall of Fame' is a farce; they are too good for the place...the sad irony is that a Cleveland radio station was the first outlet to give them airwaves early in their career.

It's actually cool that they are not 'inducted' (and if they are approached by the people who own that business, they should at least refuse to appear); it's also cool they've never gotten a break from Rolling Stone or offered the cover shot.

We fans are tribe unto ourselves...think of all the other bands from the mid 70s that are now playing state fairs for beer money, if they're even doing that...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] diezman 17 years ago

Rolling Stone Magazine is a rag! Nothing but corporate suck-ups to the current trend.

[–] BasqueNYC 17 years ago

I love Rush I have been a die hard fan I first heard them in them id 80's when my older bro and sis were listening to them.The problem is that well..Rush are not "cool" enough in todays standards and the fact that they stay out of the "lime;light".But after recent years ever since Neil Pearts Tradgies Rush have become sometwhat cool again to listen too.Most rockers like from bands Rage Aganist The Machine,Soundgarden,Living Colour,Tool,Primus,Mars Volta,Coheed And Cambria,Muse,Dream Theater,opeth,goes on and on have cited them as huge influences and when younger fans hear that it makes them curious to hear what they may sound like that molded their fav band.

Who knows if Rush will ever get back their glory days "Moving Pictures" but the new album "snakes and Arrows" hit number 2 on the billboard 200 so they still sell recs and still sell out venues where ever they go.So that means something

but it doesn't matter really if they get popular again only matters if they rock to you!.....they do to me and thats what I care about!

[–] jsmasik 17 years ago

I agree,Gene Simmons said being criticized by "aging hippies" is not high on his list of worries.Bottom line,Rush is not more popular because most of the public want to listen to the most intellectually void music with the same bass line over and over again.I used to get frustrated,but then i realized,Rush is just for the few who appreciate and understand their music,and actually,i'd rather have it that way.It gives us something just for ourselves.