Lifeson confirms Rush break up, will not reunite again.

[zeprogmeister]

Lee is working on a book about basses (from the Dan Rather interview)

[bondegezou]

And Lifeson was on 3 tracks of Marco Minnemann's 2017 release Borrego and is on Fu Manchu's Clone of the Universe (2018).

Henry

[Nearfest2]

Lee is working on a book about basses (from the Dan Rather interview)

https://www.rushisaband.com/blog/201...-for-pre-order

[Skullhead]

https://www.rushisaband.com/blog/201...-for-pre-order

Geddy Lee, in all reality was playing rhythm guitar lines on a 4 string bass. He made that work by splitting the signal to two amps, the second
amp with a cut around 100 hz.

I don't think of him as a bassist.

A true bassist should be playing bass, and working the low frequencies, not competing in the mid range at all. That is not bass playing.

John Paul Jones was a bassist.

[yamishogun]

Geddy Lee, in all reality was playing rhythm guitar lines on a 4 string bass. He made that work by splitting the signal to two amps, the second
amp with a cut around 100 hz.

I don't think of him as a bassist.

Good point. For a different reason, Chris Squire wasn't a bassist either, but I didn't realize that until more recently.

More puzzling is Les Paul. Was he really a guitarist?

[Rarebird]

So I suppose Stanley Clarke isn't a bassist either?

Silly me, thinking that a bassist was someone who played on a bass. But appearantly he should also only play in the low range.

How about other instruments?
Is it allowed to play melody on a bassoon, a bass saxophone, a baritone saxophone or a bass clarinet?

And what roles are other instruments allowed to play?
Can a violin play rhythmic parts?
And is it allowed to limit the pianist to play as part of the rhythm-section?

[progholio]

Now Playing: Spirit of the Airwaves - Live at the Keil Auditorium

I just acquired that, my wife was at that show and i was at home listening to the live broadcast at the time.
Plan on doing some porch drinking this weekend and giving it a thorough listen.

[moecurlythanu]

More puzzling is Les Paul. Was he really a guitarist?

I saw footage of Les playing an electrified 2 x 4, so maybe he was a carpenter.

[zeprogmeister]

Geddy Lee, in all reality was playing rhythm guitar lines on a 4 string bass. He made that work by splitting the signal to two amps, the second
amp with a cut around 100 hz.

I don't think of him as a bassist.

A true bassist should be playing bass, and working the low frequencies, not competing in the mid range at all. That is not bass playing.

John Paul Jones was a bassist.

[polmico]

And Lifeson was on 3 tracks of Marco Minnemann's 2017 release Borrego and is on Fu Manchu's Clone of the Universe (2018).

Henry

Unless there is something else he's got cooking, these two projects (both completed) hardly sound like "busy with other projects." Anything else you know of that he's got going on?

[Jerjo]

At this point I am sure that the links are open around Toronto and Alex is feeding his addiction to the little white dimpled ball. Sorta like Lino.

[kid_runningfox]

Geddy Lee, in all reality was playing rhythm guitar lines on a 4 string bass. He made that work by splitting the signal to two amps, the second
amp with a cut around 100 hz.

I don't think of him as a bassist.

A true bassist should be playing bass, and working the low frequencies, not competing in the mid range at all. That is not bass playing.

John Paul Jones was a bassist.

This is quite possibly the stupidest thing you've posted yet. By these criteria, virtually every single bass player in prog, and pretty much every funk bassist who uses a bright sound to cut through, isn't a 'bassist' either. I'm sure the likes of Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Mark King, Larry Graham, Stanley Clarke, Phil Lesh, Mike Rutherford, Klaus-Peter-Matziol, Chris Squire, and Dave Schools, to name but a few, would (or would have) been thrilled to learn that they are not, in fact, 'bassists.'

[kid_runningfox]

At this point I am sure that the links are open around Toronto and Alex is feeding his addiction to the little white dimpled ball. Sorta like Lino.

He also has a live music club in downtown Toronto (The Orbit Room), IIRC, where he's been known to sit in with the house band on occasion. I'm sure he's keeping himself busy - not that he has to keep himself busy after such a stellar musical career.

[3LockBox]

This is quite possibly the stupidest thing you've posted yet. By these criteria, virtually every single bass player in prog, and pretty much every funk bassist who uses a bright sound to cut through, isn't a 'bassist' either. I'm sure the likes of Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Mark King, Larry Graham, Stanley Clarke, Phil Lesh, Mike Rutherford, Klaus-Peter-Matziol, Chris Squire, and Dave Schools, to name but a few, would (or would have) been thrilled to learn that they are not, in fact, 'bassists.'

I think maybe he was making a joke

[kid_runningfox]

I think maybe he was making a joke

On past posting history I doubt it.

[Painter]

I think maybe he was making a joke

No. He wasn't. With his "A true bassist should be playing bass, and working the low frequencies, not competing in the mid range at all. That is not bass playing." line, he once again, feels that he is the sole arbiter of The Truth and, as such, can render his pathetically-uninformed opinion as if it is an uncontested Statement Of Fact.

[infandous]

So I listened to Signals yesterday, after reading this thread. I have actually never heard it before (that I can recall, anyway), though I knew a couple of the songs quite well already. I thought it was a fantastic album and can't believe I let people convince me way back in the day that it wasn't any good and not worth hearing. It's strange, because I did end up listening to GUP, PW, and HYF back then, and I found I loved the first two but wasn't crazy about the third. I'm going to go back and listen to all three again this weekend as it's been years. Thanks to most of the commenters on this thread for reminding me how great Rush still was during the 80's. I remember being disappointed with Presto (though I've always loved Show Don't Tell), and when I heard the song Roll The Bones I decided I was done with Rush. May have to give a listen to some of those later albums now as well...........

[Paulrus]

So I listened to Signals yesterday, after reading this thread. I have actually never heard it before (that I can recall, anyway), though I knew a couple of the songs quite well already. I thought it was a fantastic album and can't believe I let people convince me way back in the day that it wasn't any good and not worth hearing.

You know how people can be. "It's not like [fill in the blank with any older album]? It SUCKS!"

But Signals has been one of my all-time favorite Rush albums since I first heard it when it came out. At times it's my all time favorite (being a bass player might help -- Terry Brown gave Geddy some suh-WEET love in the production department on that album.)

[Steve983]

Its funny, I loved 70's Rush music but I love Signals just as much. The same cannot be said of the equivalent situations with Yes & Genesis...
Rush managed to evolve and kept their musical integrity intact.

[Crawford Glissadevil]

I'm not offended. I'm not a musician, I delight in learning something new. Although I will go my grave counting Lee and Squire as bass players, I find it interesting to note they competed in the mid range.

[marblesmike]

So I listened to Signals yesterday, after reading this thread. I have actually never heard it before (that I can recall, anyway), though I knew a couple of the songs quite well already. I thought it was a fantastic album and can't believe I let people convince me way back in the day that it wasn't any good and not worth hearing. It's strange, because I did end up listening to GUP, PW, and HYF back then, and I found I loved the first two but wasn't crazy about the third. I'm going to go back and listen to all three again this weekend as it's been years. Thanks to most of the commenters on this thread for reminding me how great Rush still was during the 80's. I remember being disappointed with Presto (though I've always loved Show Don't Tell), and when I heard the song Roll The Bones I decided I was done with Rush. May have to give a listen to some of those later albums now as well...........

Signals is my favorite Rush album. Perfect mix of old and new sounds for Rush. Excellent, creative drum parts from NP throughout. Tasteful guitar playing with some great solos, and your typical awesome GL bass playing. Signals and P/G are two peas in a pod with PoW and HYF being similar to each other too. Presto is a weird release and I revisited it recently after scoring the new vinyl reissue for like $6 on Amazon. It was better than I remembered it with a few standout tracks, but definitely one of their weakest efforts.

RTB is one of those albums where I think all of the best songs are wayyyyyy better represented on the many subsequent live releases, so I rarely listen to it.

Signals>P/G>>PoW>>HYF>>>>>RTB>>>>>>>Presto

Also, you mentioned quitting after RTB, but you might want to give Counterparts a go. It's an excellent release and easily one of their best post-80s releases.

[ronmac]

While I don't consider "Signal" Rush's best album, I do think it's where their maturity peaked as artists.

[Koreabruce]

While I don't consider "Signal" Rush's best album, I do think it's where their maturity peaked as artists.

This is exactly how I've long felt about Signals. It's not their absolute best work (imho), but it does represent a coming-to-fruition of all the elements that went into making the Rush sound up to that point. Subsequent releases, to me, seemed to be taking somewhat less-than-effective stabs at branching off from this peak. What Signals represents is a combination of relatively short songs (for Rush, that is) that blend more lush-sounding keys; lively bass; thick, full guitar chords with lots of suspensions; emotive soloing; energetic, precisely composed drumming; and lyrical content that deals more with the current technological/political state of affairs rather than fantasy or myths. They were already mostly there with this on Moving Pictures, where the one track that lyrically gives the nod to their past (i.e. 2112) is Red Barchetta, which deals with aesthetic elements of a former time that have been obliterated and made illegal.

[moecurlythanu]

I never considered Signals to be Rush' best or most mature work, just the one where they decided to go all in with making keyboards a major part of their sound, rather than futz around the edges with them. It's a good album, but far from their best, imo.

[ronmac]

This is exactly how I've long felt about Signals. It's not their absolute best work (imho), but it does represent a coming-to-fruition of all the elements that went into making the Rush sound up to that point. Subsequent releases, to me, seemed to be taking somewhat less-than-effective stabs at branching off from this peak. What Signals represents is a combination of relatively short songs (for Rush, that is) that blend more lush-sounding keys; lively bass; thick, full guitar chords with lots of suspensions; emotive soloing; energetic, precisely composed drumming; and lyrical content that deals more with the current technological/political state of affairs rather than fantasy or myths. They were already mostly there with this on Moving Pictures, where the one track that lyrically gives the nod to their past (i.e. 2112) is Red Barchetta, which deals with aesthetic elements of a former time that have been obliterated and made illegal.

Very well-put. I totally agree. Your comment about MP made me immediately think of "The Camera Eye," which would have fit well on "Signals."