It had more to do with your unreasonable "needling" of Impman over his assessment of the album rather than simply accepting it as his opinion. I don't for a second believe you were "just asking, because [you hadn't] encountered many strongly negative criticisms of this album over the years apart from that the listener found it boring/flat/undistinguished." The language you use is usually clear, but your reasons for saying it usually hint at an inscrutable intention to goad. AKA, I suppose, "troll," as everyone is always saying.
Roll the Bones was always a hard album for me as a Rush fan. On the one hand, it opens really strongly with "Dreamline" and "Bravado," but after that it goes downhill. There are moments here and there, but to me it's one of their weaker albums.
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You completely misread this. And let's face it - that's happened several times before.
There wasn't any "needling." T4E is an album that I've heard a particular kind of criticism about over the years, but not generally the kind that I usually find associated with other albums that people dislike. So, I was genuinely wondering exactly what it was that he disliked about it. T4E is so monotonous and samey that I was curious what it was about it that generated strong reactions of dislike. That's all there was to it. No trolling, no needling, no goading intent.
I come to this thread late and haven't read it all. I got into Rush (and indeed prog) through Hold Your Fire and Power Windows (and 90125), then explored the back catalogue. When Presto came out, I was a bit uncertain about it, but warmed to it. And then the same with Roll the Bones: bit uncertain, but warmed to it. I don't think it's as strong as the proceeding albums for me, but it's still in my "good Rush" pile, whereas for me it's Counterparts and subsequent where things go wrong.
Henry
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Rush in their complacent, somnambulant phase, when they'd forgotten what made them interesting as a band and decided to concentrate on being 'mature songwriters.' Sadly, it turned out they weren't very good at it. The rap section on this album is unspeakably embarrassing, even more so now than then. Along with Presto the nadir of the band's back-catalogue.
Looks like I'm in the minority along with kid_running fox, oilersfan and a few others - I sum up this album as, "okay, who are these imposters and what have you done with the real Rush?" Unlistenable to me...
You say Mega Ultra Deluxe Special Limited Edition Extended Autographed 5-LP, 3-CD, 4-DVD, 2-BlueRay, 4-Cassette, five 8-Track, MP4 Download plus Demos, Outtakes, Booklet, T-Shirt and Guitar Pick Gold-Leafed Box Set Version like it's a bad thing...
I had already checked out by the time this was released. Presto was the end for me, and that one pretty much sits on the shelf these days. With the possible exception of Power Windows and CA, every Rush album after Signals was a disappointment for me in varying levels. Regarding the "rap" - I had a bad feeling they might do something like that. Having heard them go from the Zep influence, to Genesis, to the Police, I thought "Oh god, they better not bring rap into it". First time I heard it on the radio I didn't know if I should laugh or cry! I know it was tongue-in-cheek, but some things are better left on funny home recordings.
Speaking of Great Dividers, maybe we should start a thread on Different Stages and Rush's abandoning of the clinical production of live CDs for a more raw sound?
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
I like "A Show of Hands" but it's still polished to a sheen
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
This one was another dud for me: with the exception of Resist and the title track I recall that every other song has what seems like exactly the same tempo and rhythmic feel. One of Rush's least inspiring albums for that very reason, imho, and a significant step down after the largely excellent Counterparts.
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