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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 21, 2011 15:00:38 GMT -5
Hold Your Fire (1987)Back to the countdown... Hold Your Fire is the last album of this 4-album cycle, and it's a decent offering. It doesn't match Power Windows, but it is a nice conclusion to their synth era, and the whole is better than the sum of its parts. What Rush does well on this album is found in the songwriting. The songs are tight, the choruses have hooks, and you can tell they're holding back on their complexity. They're almost tasteful with their playing. Geddy's voice is as melodic and listenable as it ever got. These are straightforward songs that stick with you, with a lyrical depth that will make you pause and reflect. Three or four of the songs here are absolute gems and remain my favorites to this day. Sadly, two or three are also giant turds that I skip every time. If there's a theme on this one, it's found in the title. The pun on the usual meaning is that we need to stick to our convictions and persevere through hard times-- hold on to the fire that burns within. Lyrically, this is their most positive album; it's hard for me to find too many faults with an album that's such a pick-me-up. Still, there are faults to be found. This is their first album ever to have more than 8 songs. While it's nice to have a longer playing record, the truth is that a couple songs are barely B-side quality. The other major criticism is that the overall sound is kinda wimpy. The guts and crunch are gone, replaced with pop and a radio-friendly mix. To many fans, this is a forgettable mistake of weenie rock. I think if you're expecting solid pop-rock from 1987, it accomplishes its goals very well. The songs: "Force Ten" is a fun opener that really cooks. Geddy's bass chords drive the song, while Alex's aggressive rhythm guitar and whammy hits pop through the mix. There are a lot of synths here, but it all works. "Time Stand Still" is a great song about cherishing the special moments in life. The older I get, the more I like this song. Aimee Mann contributes some vocals to the chorus and makes this one sound like a legitimate hit single. One of their best. "Open Secrets" is filler. It's okay filler, but it's one of those songs that I forget about, then I hear it again, then I forget it again. It would have fit as filler on Power Windows, which I suppose is a compliment. "Second Nature" stinks on ice. The less said about this one, the better. Poo. "Prime Mover" is the highlight of the album. Musically, everyone gets featured, but no one overwhelms the song. Lyrically, it's one of Neil's best, and I still find it meaningful when I hear it. The break in the middle is one of my favorite moments in their history. It's amazing to compare this to say, "Xanadu", and notice how they traded in the progressive for the ability to write a tight song with a good melody. "Lock and Key" is an odd duck. Parts of it (the intro & chorus) are as weak as the band ever got. But there's a building jam section after the choruses that is as awesome as anything in their synth era. When I hear this one start, I have to remind myself that half of it is amazing. Half the time I hit the "next" button. "Mission" is the epic theme song of the album. Like the album as a whole, if you go in with the expectation of blistering arena rock, it falls flat. But if you go in with the expectation of tight, melodic songwriting, with empowering lyrics it's a fun listen. The xylophone & bass break is a joy. "Turn the Page" is built around Geddy being awesome. If I had to pick, this would be my favorite song here. I enjoy this one easily as much as any of their '70s progressive output. Very fun. "Tai Shan" is a polarizing song. It's about China, and it sounds very Asian. Lots of fans think it was a dumb idea. I think it was a fun risk and a pretty interesting and emotional song. "High Water" is another hidden winner. Neil's drum pattern is subdued but brilliant. The lyrics are about the power of water on our genetic memory. Seriously. The chords and the arrangement sound just like the way an album closer is supposed to sound. I'd love it if they dusted this one off for their next tour. Hold Your Fire is an anomaly in Rush's catalog. In many ways, it's the natural conclusion to their '80s output, but it doesn't really sound like any of their other albums. It has a unique sound with some very good songs that reward those who listen with the right expectations. ****
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 19, 2011 11:35:03 GMT -5
I'd love to see if Ricketts will be creative and go after someone like Bob Brenly or Steve Stone to replace Hendry. They see every player on every team come through town and they pay attention. Plus, they live on the business end of the team.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 18, 2011 19:36:07 GMT -5
Sorry to interrupt the RUSH talk, but if, apart from Genesis and Rush, what other prog rock stuff do you like? Does Yes fall in the "good stuff"? I like some Yes, but a little Jon Anderson goes a long way with me. Surprisingly, I'm actually not a huge fan of prog rock in general. I think of most prog rock like I think of jazz-- I appreciate the musicianship and respect the playing, but I don't want to listen to it if there's no groove or guts. Genesis and Rush stand out to me because they were able to write good songs. Does Pink Floyd count as prog rock? I like them when they're spacey and bluesy, not so much when Waters gets preachy and whiney. I would consider Iron Maiden progressive metal, and they're awesome. There's a band out there called Believer who play progressive thrash. Their new album is called Transhuman, and it's all about the nature of sentient life and the implications of bioethics in a robotic age. Very cool stuff.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 18, 2011 11:46:21 GMT -5
I've got my copy of Good Omens all ready to roll.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 17, 2011 16:29:00 GMT -5
Power Windows (1985)Goodbye objectivity, hello unvarnished fanaticism. If you're anything like me (and I know I am), you love good musicians playing well-crafted songs with impressive technique and creativity. Bonus points when the individual members complement each other, playing with and against each other, like a finely-tuned basketball team. Extra bonus points when there's '80s synths. On Power Windows, Rush is the Harlem Globetrotters of music...with '80s synths. Power Windows is not Rush's best album and it's definitely not their most famous; but it's my favorite and it's not close. To me, it's like season 4 of MST. Is it perfect from top to bottom? No. Is it every fan's favorite? No. Is there any real objective way to compare it to other albums/seasons? No. But the cumulative effect and overall feel of it puts it head and shoulders above all the rest. On Power Windows, Rush finally mastered the digital era of the '80s without compromising their magisterial musical proficiency. In the Rolling Stone review, it is noted that Alex's solos are "demon strokes dissolving into feedback howls and strangled vibrato, while Peart and Lee subdivide the beat into frenzied algebra." It later sums up the album by saying, "This is not a case of old Seventies arena-rock dogs fudging new tricks. Rush remains faithful to vintage progressive aesthetics but has accepted the challenge of the postpunk upheaval and made notable adjustments." In other words, my favorite musicians mastered my favorite era of music. I can't sum it up better than what it says in that review: "They tightened up their sidelong suites and rhythmic abstractions into balled-up song fists, art-pop blasts of angular, slashing guitar, spatial keyboards and hyperpercussion, all resolved with forthright melodic sense." On this album, the theme is power, specifically mankind's obsession with and abuse of it. As usual, there isn't a note out of place, the arrangements are tight, the mixture of sounds is perfect, and the lyrics are brilliant. This album has 3 songs in my top 10, and when you consider that they have made 18 studio albums to date, it's an impressive percentage. Not every song is a classic, but the filler songs still embody a style and feel that I love. There are two things that stand out to me. 1) Geddy's bass lines are back in full force. In recent albums, he's been more concerned with keyboard accents than jaw-dropping bass moves. Not here. Even though there are still tons of keyboards, his bass steals almost every song. That is, except for Alex's solos (2). There are some fans who think that the '80s albums were marked with the non-existence of Alex Lifeson. Those fans need to go back to this album and listen to his solos. Oh yeah, Neil is still pretty good at drumming, too. The songs: "The Big Money" is my favorite song Rush ever did with vocals. It's a clinic on lyric writing and on musical arranging. There's an instrumental break that is my favorite moment in the band's history. It starts with guitar harmonics and synth pads over a "four-on-the-floor" drum groove. Neil adds percussion and builds the tension into the solo section, where Geddy moves to the bass and Alex lights the song on fire. While Alex is being transcendant, Geddy & Neil take the art of "playing under a solo" and put it on another planet. Every time I've seen them play this live, I'm struck again by how disgustingly talented these three guys are. "Grand Designs" is a perfect '80s song that no one ever heard. The lyrics are awesome, the up-tempo off-beat groove and new wave keyboard hits are just too much fun. There's also an inexplicable super-fast piano break that I can't get enough of. A great song. "Manhattan Project" is all about the atomic bomb. It's another top 10 song for me, and the best song ever written about Oppenheimer and that fateful August day in 1945. Musically, it's cinematic and beautifully composed. They played this song live in the '80s, then seemed to forget about it. I hope they bring it back because hearing it was one of my all-time favorite concert experiences. "Marathon" is right up there with "The Big Money" for me as an all-time favorite. The first thing you notice in the music is Geddy's bass line-- it's all syncopated and full of snap and pop. Almost like a funky rubber band. Then, the swelling choruses start to get you, especially towards the end when the choir effect kicks in. It sounds empowering and epic, which it is. Because the lyrics are profound and encouraging: "You can do a lot in a lifetime if you don't burn out too fast. You can make the most of the distance, but first you need endurance, first you've gotta last." It's the opposite of the "live fast, die young" phony rock & roll crap. It's a "live smart, finish well" song. Love it, love it, love it. "Territories" is Neil's critique of jingoism and oppression in the name of patriotism. It's another piece of astonishing musicianship, layered with tribal percussion, creative rhythms, dramatic guitar accents, and a bass line to drool at. A tremendous piece of art. "Middletown Dreams" is another of Neil's reflective story songs about people who feel stuck in suburbia. It's heavy on the keyboards, but still has an edge to it and is a fun listen. It's probably the most straightforward song on the album, and it's mighty good filler. "Emotion Detector" isn't as good as the last song, but it's still decent filler. It's probably got too much synth, but it's saved by another amazing guitar solo full of Alex's patented chorus-y bends. "Mystic Rhythms" was a moderate hit, but it's my least favorite song here. It's a slow-burn song that doesn't really catch fire. Neil plays an interesting pattern on his electronic kit, accented throughout with African drums & moody synth strings. Alex noodles with gusto, but the song drags. But does that deter me from loving this album? No sirree, Jim! Power Windows is not a perfect album, but it is the top of my list and the perfect cross section of incredible musicians with a nostalgic time in music history. It also has some incredible songs. You all should listen to this album today. *****
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 16, 2011 18:13:16 GMT -5
I'm in.
As long as we can do The Third Policeman at some point.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 16, 2011 10:15:29 GMT -5
*waits for anual Mr. Atari lecture* You know, I was just thinking yesterday that this might be the year I get back into football. My baseball teams are all DOA, and I just can't work up any interest for the Phillies or Red Sox anymore. So I'll spare you the "wait until the World Series is over" spiel this time. If the Broncos start Orton all year, they'll probably win more games than if they start Tebow. But we're talking 6-10 instead of 4-12. So give the guy a chance. He's sloppy, but he makes things happen, and would be a blast to watch every week.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 13, 2011 17:54:41 GMT -5
I had a conversation with Mary Jo about this once, and she said something to the effect that they rarely remember one episode from another. Since this is the second most frequently asked question they get*, they'd often just pull a title out of thin air just to keep the interview going.
However, she has mentioned her hatred for "Overdrawn" on multiple occasions. So I think that's legit.
*the question she said they got the most was, "Where did you get the movies?"
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 13, 2011 17:50:44 GMT -5
Under Special Skills on her résumé: "Can Drive a Hearse & 5 speed. Read Teleprompters."
I can just imagine her sitting at her computer, trying to think of something to polish off her résumé:
"Hmm...well there was that one time I drove that hearse. Maybe that'll come in handy for that King Lear audition...Oh, and I can read when I have to."
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 12, 2011 0:12:51 GMT -5
I can't stand 3D for a variety of reasons. I agree that 3D "moments" are a huge distraction from the film itself. I also agree with Ebert that the technology and projection completely ruin the brightness of the image, making the non-3D tricks look washed out.
But the main reason is because I like to watch movies for their cinematography. Good directors & their cinematographers frame shots with a purpose. They subtly draw the viewer's eye to specific parts of the frame using creativity and skill. 3D movies have no subtlety and the directors can cheat instead of frame. They don't respect the viewer's ability to decide what to look at.
Also, the false visual dimension gives me a headache. Mrs. Atari is a vision therapist and works with people who have depth perception problems. They can't recognize where the fixed point is, so all of the peripheral cues are disorienting, often leading to headaches and nausea. She said the best way to identify with these poor people is to go see a 3D movie.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 11, 2011 17:13:29 GMT -5
I thought the first two-thirds of the movie was very interesting. Good performances all around, and a clever setup. Then it turned into a by-the-numbers kill-the-aliens movie, and it fell apart. As a western, it was great. As an alien movie, it was nothing special.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 11, 2011 16:53:27 GMT -5
Mr. B Natural, is that you?
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 11, 2011 12:24:06 GMT -5
Grace Under Pressure (1984)When I first got into Rush as a freshman in high school, Grace Under Pressure was my favorite album. Something about it stood out as interesting and different. Even now, it's an album I like more than most, and one I think gets passed over by fans-- and even the band itself. Grace Under Pressure (p/g) is a continuation of the band's experimentation with synths and electronic instruments. On a few songs, Neil busts out midi-trigger electric drums that sound like crap, and Geddy plays the Casio more than his bass, which is sad. The good news is that Alex is back in the mix after disappearing on the last album. He's added a lot of effects to his sound, creating an original guitar tone that I consider to be the "classic Lifeson sound": lots of arpeggios and tasteful jazzy chords, with a beautiful crunchy strat tone and a lot of whammy bar effects. As much as I enjoyed the 20 minute epic songs, I enjoy even more these albums where Neil pics up a lyrical theme over 8 unrelated songs. It's less of a rock opera and more of an anthology of ideas on a concept. With Signals it was how relationships adapt to technology. On p/g, it's how we handle trials and difficult situations. From fears of nuclear war to the holocaust to our own internal insecurity. What does it take to have grace under pressure? The songs: "Distant Early Warning" is a fan favorite, still played live today. It's a great opener with nice atmosphere. Both Alex and Geddy noodle around the chords in a fun and interesting way, and Neil lets the horses out of the barn towards the end with some amazing fills. "Afterimage" is a personal favorite about the loss of a loved one. Instead of making it reflective and sad, however, it's full of passion and energy. Alex shines on this with a variety of tricks, starting with a driving eighth-note pattern, a beautiful riff in the chorus, melodic arpeggiating, and my favorite solo he ever played. It's not technically impressive, but it's overflowing with emotional resonance. Neil's lyrics on this one might be my favorite he ever wrote, as well. "Red Sector A" is another Rush standard. I believe they've included it on every tour since 1984. It's a haunting story of someone in a concentration camp wondering about the outside world. Geddy's parents were both holocaust survivors, and he sings it with something extra in his voice. If it wasn't for Neil's electronic drums, this would be a top-10 for me. "The Enemy Within" is the third song in Neil's "Fear Trilogy" (with "Witch Hunt" and "The Weapon" from the previous two albums), and it's by far the best of the three. It's got a reggae vibe, but it sounds reggae like Rush would do reggae. Not reggae like Rush trying to sound like the Police. Lots of noodling and busy playing, but still incredibly polished and tight, with an instrumental break as good as anything from their progressive '70s era. "The Body Electric" is the weak link on this album. It's a very robotic sounding song, which makes sense, since it's a song about a robot going through an existential crisis. But that makes it sound cooler than it actually is. Neil plays a marching band groove, the chords are staccato and uninteresting, and the chorus lyrics are, "1001001 S.O.S. 1001001 in distress 100100!" Maybe that was cool in 1984, but it doesn't work now. "Kid Gloves" reminds me of "Analog Kid" from the last album. It's a fun up-tempo rocker that never gets mentioned by the band or fans, but I love it. It's a cool riff in 5/4, which was my very first exposure to odd time signatures. This is the one song on the album that sounds like a legitimate hit single. Why it didn't get more attention (then or now) boggles my mind. I am boggled. "Red Lenses" is an interesting song that feels like some weird spy movie. Geddy's got a cool bass line throughout that steals the show, Neil's syncopated accents are all over the place, and Alex's atmospheric chords are like lightning flashes of sound. The lyrics are pretty dumb, using cliches and color puns to talk about communism fears. The synths are very prevalent, but I think they're effective on this one. "Between the Wheels" is a great album closer. Alex has some shrill and affecting chords over a cookin' ride-cymbal groove. The lyrics are awesome: "You know how that rabbit feels, going under your speeding wheels. Bright images flashing by, like windshields towards the fly. Frozen in that fatal climb, but the wheels of time just pass you by." Grace Under Pressure has a lot in common with Signals in terms of sound and overall musical direction. However, it improves on Signals with better songs, more focused arrangements, and more guitar in the mix. In short, they sound more like themselves on this one. ****
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 10, 2011 20:09:18 GMT -5
Jim "the long haired jerk" from Zombie Nightmare. Man I hated that guy's character, which means He was a pretty good actor! He deserved to be in a good movie. He went on to bigger things.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Aug 8, 2011 0:00:45 GMT -5
Just got around to reading this, Mod. I have a good friend who has a couple machines in his basement, including an old Centipede game. I played it religiously at the 7-11 as a kid, and now I can go to his house and relive the magic.
Nice work!
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