And Now for Something Completely Different
17 July 2008 by BobWhile you’re pondering the nature of the freedoms you’ve just lost (if you’ve ever had them at all) it looks like Rush just gave a TV performance — and it’s been 33 years since the last one. So, like, cool beans…
17 July 2008, on 7:21 pm
Dude, Jeebus lived for only 33 years, which is why Rush has waited exactly that long to reappear on American television- and why Neil Peart has precisely 33 more drums than a two-armed drummer has any business having(and 40 more than the guy from Def Leppard needs). Still Tom Sawyer rocks, though I wish it had been “Spirit of Radio” or “Free Will” .
I wonder if they’ve gotten over their infantile infatuation with Ayn Rand?
okbobthxbai!
17 July 2008, on 8:31 pm
Rush is my all time favorite. Saw them live in 89. WoooooT!!
Of course I intended to watch last night but forgot.
17 July 2008, on 9:05 pm
You may not like their music, but you’ve got to admit that these boys are some damn fine musicians. Fortunately for me, I love their music!
18 July 2008, on 8:16 am
“You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path thats clear
I will choose free will”
18 July 2008, on 9:16 am
Is it just me or does Neil Peart look like that creepy Uncle of yours who’s “never having married” seems to stop conversations at the reunion? You know, Uncle Scoutmaster?
Seriously, I saw Rush, shit, six or seven times- my long disintegrated t-shirt collection would have told the tale fully. Since “Moving Pictures”, however, I haven’t really enjoyed any of the subsequent new material.
There is a smoking instrumental on the band’s website, though:
http://www.rush.com/v4.html
18 July 2008, on 1:08 pm
Actually, Neil has been married twice. His first wife died of cancer (in 1997, I believe) a few months after his daughter died in a car accident. Obviously it devastated him. Lost his entire family. The band went on hiatus for about 4 years after those events. Not too long ago he remarried. But, yeah, I get your point. He’s a little awkward socially. But, shit, what do I know. It’s not every day you see the guy interviewed on TV.
The instrumental on their web site is Malignant Narcissism off their latest release, Snakes & Arrows. It’s an awesome album. My favorite track off it is Faithless. It’s pretty much about being an Atheist.
I don’t have faith in faith
I don’t believe in belief
You can call me faithless
But I still cling to hope
And I believe in love
And that’s faith enough for me
Great song. Even has that trademark Geddy bass line running around during the guitar solo, ala Freewill and Tom Sawyer.
18 July 2008, on 2:38 pm
Drums + Suck = Rush
18 July 2008, on 6:51 pm
A trend I noticed while I played professionally was that every beginning or newly-minted drummer I encountered had a man-crush on Neil Peart. Almost to a man, later on in their careers, the good ones had dropped that infatuation like a bad habit and were far more influenced by John Bonham, Levon Helm, Uriel Jones, or Clyde “Funky Drummer” Stubblefield. The difference seems to lie in the judicious use of restraint to go along with shit hot chops- listen to Bonzo’s uber-restrained performance on “Kashmir” as an example. I still dig Rush but when I want prog, I tend to prefer the krautrock of Can, Amon Duul II, Faust, or Neu.
And Can’s Holgar Czukay is a lot creepier than Neil.