Lifeson confirms Rush break up, will not reunite again.

[MudShark22]

To these ears, it was always Vital Signs that was the precursor to Signals and beyond

[bondegezou]

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.

I love everything up to Presto. Roll the Bones has some moments. But they lost me at Counterparts. 'Tis bland to my ears, as is nearly all subsequent Rush.

Henry

[Paulrus]

I love everything up to Presto. Roll the Bones has some moments. But they lost me at Counterparts. 'Tis bland to my ears, as is nearly all subsequent Rush.

"Headlong Flight" (Clockwork Angels) came up on my iPod while at the gym the other day. Nothing bland about that one, or most of that album.

[Steve983]

For me they lost their mojo with Roll The Bones. Half was good, the other half very poor and indeed most of Counterparts and Test For Echo continued their slide into mediocrity until they hit rock bottom with a splat when they made the dire Vapor Trails. Luckily Snakes & Arrows showed a marked improvement and they ended on an almost return to form with Clockwork Angels. Thanks Rush.

[JKL2000]

So I listened to Signals yesterday, after reading this thread. I have actually never heard it before

And I get flack because I haven’t listened to Adele! 😄 But it’s cool...

[JKL2000]

For me they lost their mojo with Roll The Bones. Half was good, the other half very poor and indeed most of Counterparts and Test For Echo continued their slide into mediocrity until they hit rock bottom with a splat when they made the dire Vapor Trails. Luckily Snakes & Arrows showed a marked improvement and they ended on an almost return to form with Clockwork Angels. Thanks Rush.

Best track on Snakes & Arrows is the Atheist anthem “Faithless.”

[bondegezou]

Clockwork Angels is a pale imitation of past glories, that flatters by reminding you of what once was.

Henry

[Mister Triscuits]

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

Bassoonists often play in tenor clef, at which point they no longer qualify as a bass players and become just oonists.

Those other instruments all play from the treble clef, which places them beneath contempt.

[Plasmatopia]

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...........

That's cool that you now have a sort of "lost Rush album" to explore. I wouldn't expect too much from the latter-day albums to excite you nearly as much though.

[Rarebird]

Bassoonists often play in tenor clef, at which point they no longer qualify as a bass players and become just oonists.

Those other instruments all play from the treble clef, which places them beneath contempt.

But that is just because they are transposing instruments. The sounds are partly in the low range.

[BravadoNJ]

after Counterparts their music started to get more raw and less technical....

[Mister Triscuits]

But that is just because they are transposing instruments. The sounds are partly in the low range.

Sorry, Renate, I was trying to be funny.

[Rarebird]

Sorry, Renate, I was trying to be funny.

I understood that.

This morning I saw a group with a guy on bassclarinet on television. The guy seemed to play mostly in the upper range and I thought by myself: "Skullhead would say: "this guy is not a bassclarinet-player"".

[dropforge]

For me they lost their mojo with Roll The Bones. Half was good, the other half very poor and indeed most of Counterparts and Test For Echo continued their slide into mediocrity until they hit rock bottom with a splat when they made the dire Vapor Trails. Luckily Snakes & Arrows showed a marked improvement and they ended on an almost return to form with Clockwork Angels. Thanks Rush.

Counterparts is easily a better album than RTB and T4E. Maybe it's time for a revisit. The first two songs are nothing special," but then you hit gold with "Alien Shore" and "Double Agent" and the best of their 'Boats' instrumentals, "Leave That Alone, Armone." T4E has some throwaways songs, but it also has "Driven," which really is one of the best songs in their repertoire (it sounds even better live).

Not sure why you think Vapor Trails is a nadir. The material is overall much better than Snakes & Arrows, which only stays in my collection because of "Far Cry" and the instrumentals.

[dropforge]

Clockwork Angels is a pale imitation of past glories, that flatters by reminding you of what once was.

Henry

Sounds like a new Yes album.

[JKL2000]

The only songs I don’t like on Counterparts are Nobody’s Hero and Everyday Glory. I think Animate and Stick It Out are two terrific songs with which to open the album.

The Wikipedia entry has a weird three-side track listing. Was there a three-sided vinyl release with a different song order?

[dropforge]

Yeah, there was a 2015 2LP remaster/reissue: https://www.discogs.com/Rush-Counter...elease/7684165

[Zappathustra]

I understood that.

This morning I saw a group with a guy on bassclarinet on television. The guy seemed to play mostly in the upper range and I thought by myself: "Skullhead would say: "this guy is not a bassclarinet-player"".

This guy is not a TRUE bassclarinet-player

[Mikhael]

Sounds like a new Yes album.

Nah, they don't even remind me of Yes' past. They're just bland.

[chalkpie]

I think Animate and Stick It Out are two terrific songs with which to open the album.

Those are the only ones that I dig on that album - well the instrumental is OK too. But largely its a bland-fest for me. And all of the ones after that.

[Progatron]

Counterparts has lots of great songs on it to my ears. Double Agent, Cold Fire, Cut To The Chase, Animate... However, I remember buying it the day it came out and not liking Speed Of Love - which I still don't.... and there aren't many Rush songs I don't like.

[JKL2000]

^ At the Speed Of Love is one of the better “Rush songs that kind of goes nowhere.” It’s not great but I can listen to it.

[kid_runningfox]

^ At the Speed Of Love is one of the better “Rush songs that kind of goes nowhere.” It’s not great but I can listen to it.

I think it's lovely - one of the best songs from Counterparts, imho.

[JKL2000]

I think it's lovely - one of the best songs from Counterparts, imho.

Just had a refresher listen to it. I take back saying it goes nowhere - Lifeson plays enough of his raggedy solos to satisfy me. But the song does sort of plod along. Considering the song is about love moving/happening quickly in many different way, it seems like the song ought to be played almost twice as fast as it is. But I like it enough that I don't skip it. I usually don't skip tracks, but I might skip Nobody's Hero or Everyday Glory - they just kind of bore me. Maybe I wouldn't skip Nobody's Hero, but Everyday Glory is a lame closing song, kind of like Countdown to me - I prefer a more dynamic closing song, like Between the Wheels.

[yamishogun]

Considering the song is about love moving/happening quickly in many different way, it seems like the song ought to be played almost twice as fast as it is. But I like it enough that I don't skip it.

Rush songs I skipped after I heard the album five times:

Rivendell - usuaually skipped

Open Secrets - skipped for a long time but has strong points. I think the first time the lyrics didn't fit well since wordy.

The Pass - good lyrics but boring music

Speed of Love - I etched it off of my CD. Interesting idea but...no.

Time and Motion - clunky

The Stars Looked Down - Worst on an amazing album

six songs on Snakes and Arrows

four songs on Clockwork Angles