Why I Hate Rush

Well, I can't remember who said it in the movie, but the Rolling Stones have overly explained. Led Zepplin have been overly explained. Aerosmith have been overly explained. We know what motivated their music and what inspired them to make the same music year after year. Nothing has ever been said about Rush. The guy behind the movie "I Love You, Man" is a huge Rush fan and he was given a forum to explain HIS love of the band through Jason Segal's character.

I wasn't a Rush fan in high school until I hooked up with my boyfriend(now husband)in 1985. I now wish I can go to one of their concerts again and take our son.

You have one person's opinion and I hope you receive others.

The New York Rangers suck. And Sidney Crosby is a cry baby!

Play it on an instrument. Then, you just might get it.

Playing Stones, U2, or Wilco songs would never make the audition in the bands I've played in. La Villa Strangiato did, and still does. Show me - don't tell me.

I play some very complex music, Yes, Genesis, Rush, etc. Bands that take years to really play well. Strumming out a G-C-D chord progression for the billionth time just doesn't sound new to me, anymore. And Rush music is absolutely full of influences BUT - musicians tend to pick up the cues, more than non-musicians. And that may be the real reason why some people don't like them - they don't play, themselves.

And for as much damning press as Rolling Stone has given Rush, I was FLOORED to see David Fricke actually give them praise. Maybe the dinosaurs are finally dying out, there. Even Genesis finally got Clevelanded...

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Haters Gonna Hate

You like U2 or Wilco, do you honestly think your opinion matters? Maybe if all of Rush's songs sounded exactly the same and were rip-offs of other artists you'd like them, because you don't seem to like bands with "no outside influences" (otherwise known as originality).

'Soul-less robots'?? I don't get it. How can you hear a newer song like 'Far Cry' or an older song, say, 'I Think I'm Going Bald', and call that 'soul-less'?? When I hear U2, I hear FM radio schmaltz. But when I hear Rush, I hear music made by people with a passion for playing.

I'm not going to try to convert you or judge your assessment of the band, but I am really curious what role knowing or hearing the influences of a particular band plays in your appreciation of their music.

Don't take this the wrong way because I am not trying to insult you, but I get the impression that you have limited knowledge of the musical landscape from the late 60s to mid-70s - if you do not pick up on RUSH's influences. Or else, you don't have much experience listening to RUSH.

Sure, I find them to be pretty original in their sound - but I can tell where they came from (and from where they continue to be influenced throughout their discography) Heck, those first albums have Led Zep influence written all over. The Yes influence is major on their heavy prog period (especially for Lifeson). I hear The Who in a lot of that early stuff as well. Listen to how Lifeson's style changes from the 70s to the 80s, he adopted a lot of popular guitar techniques of the time. And when Alternative Rock became big in the early 90s, Rush ditched the synths and started making music appropriate for the landscape ('Roll the Bones' has a rap section in the middle, which was clearly a 'sign of the times').

I could go on and on about their obvious influences but, like I said, I'm really only replying to find out how knowing or hearing the influences of a particular band will affect your thoughts and feelings about that band's music.

An interesting aside: Of all the bands you listed, the one I hear the least obvious influence in their sound is U2. They have a pretty unique sound - especially early on. Maybe that is just from my limited experience with their music. But I find The Edge's sound to be pretty unemotional, actually, because most of what you are hearing is processed to the point where you can't even hear what he is actually playing. Have you seen 'It Might Get Loud'? The documentary with Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White? There is a part where Edge plays a recognizable U2 song and then turns all the delays and stuff off and you hear what he is actually playing - it only barely resembles (if you have a good ear) the part you hear during the song. Processing your parts into oblivion sounds very robotic to me (effects processors are electronic machines that perform a function and/or process information and manipulate it in the manner in which they are programmed - very similar to robots). Although I appreciate The Edge as an artist and a musician.

It's simply a matter of what touches your heart. It can be invisible to most, but it's still intensley real for you. No music, past or present, has come close to reaching the depth of MY soul and heart that Rush's music has. Especially songs like Subdivisions (live from "A show of hands"), Middletown dreams, The pass or Marathon (also the live version from ASOH). I don't argue with people who have had similar experiences with bands like U2, MUSE or even The Police. To have a religious experience with music - to hear the angels sing, so to speak - is a rare and precious thing. Rush provoke such feelings in almost everyone who really gets into the band.

A good thread this, rsr26 is one of the more respectful trolls I've ever come across, nice job.

I want to appoligize on behalf of my fellow rush fans calling you out for not having any musical knowledge. It is indeed riduculous - but what they mean, but probably do not posses the means to communicate, is that with Rush; knowledge about music will give you a very much deeper apreciation for the music.

On the bass, it took me one evening to learn 6 songs by the police and Money with Pink Floyd. Rush is different; Red Barchetta took me 2 weeks, and still; I can not nail that sucker. Circumstances almost made me cry it was so hard; and geddy is singing while playing that.

When you go through something like that, there is nothing left TO do but give up a measure of respect for the creators and performers of music like that.


I hope this helps shed some light on the issue; now perhaps you could help me?

Why on earth do you want to start a thread like this? It makes no sense to me, at all.