Rush: Classic or Dud?

Rush Rock Like No One Ex-Cept May-Be Pla-Ce-Bo Neil Peart, Wow, He's Good.

you and my spacey invade

ers get by on you

"Non. Vous etes Le Chien d'Neige." <------------

"Les pommes frites! Mon dieu!!!"

"Begin the day with a friendly voice/A companion, unobtrusive/ Plays the song that's so elusive/And the magic music makes your morning mood"

Dud for that alone.

x0x0

Are you describing your personal development or that of the band? Because, if anything, the band got less and less showy as the years went on. "Counterparts" (the last one I heard) was even "grunge" influenced, allegedly. Rush was my favorite band all throughout high school.

Guitar mag gruel
Less smart than it wants to be
Pretty harmless now

Hey, gimme a break, I've never written a haiku before.

'Tom Sawyer' plays through art class

Turn that shit off now!

*( I reluctantly but freely admit that both Tom Sawyer and YYZ are both decent songs.)

da BA BA BA BA da-da

BA da BA BA BA...

subdivisions rocks
which counters all that i've been
told about this band

the lyrics are too
obvious but what can you
expect from hosers?

http://www.clevernet.on.ca/pierre_trudeau/images/pic_trudeau_beer.jpg

DUD thereafter

Space-jazz-rock-tronic
If rednecks didn't like them
They'd be Kraftwerk-hip

Geddyvox

Less boy or girl than
Alien; Precise
Enunciation

Great band, I think.

Great nuts and bolts interview with Alex about the making of "Grace Under Pressure:"

https://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19840800guitarplayer.htm

oh nice thank you

That does it — I’m going to finish up this “processed guitar sounds of the 80s” thread idea that’s been sitting unfinished for too long. Specifically I want to talk about Hold Your Fire

I love the HYF tone tbh…not sure if there is an “favorite usage of the clean Tri Chorus guitar sound from 1985 on” thread

In the late 80s, Gallien-Krueger started making guitar amplifiers and their sound got really popular for a few years peaking in 1987 - Lifeson, Brian May, Mick Mars, the Iron Maiden guys all had them. I think even Gilmour had one?

https://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/ilx/alexlifeson-on-gallien-krueger.jpg

I love the way he sounds on Power Windows, but HYF is a big drop off for me, Presto and Roll The Bones even more so.

I had reason for work to go on the website of the Kentucky Secretary of State:

https://www.sos.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

I've never really sought out any Rush studio stories, but you get a few here in this Beato interview with Nick Raskulinecz (starting around 1:10):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQognzPVOIo

The best is when he shows up in Toronto to a seemingly empty studio, finds Neil's set, and just starts rocking out on it like a fanboy until Neil's tech comes in and, not knowing who he is, yells at him.

I like it:

https://variety.com/2025/music/news/rush-reunion-tour-2026-geddy-lee-alex-lifeson-new-drummer-1236540828/

Yet life is full of surprises, and we have been introduced to another remarkable person; an incredible drummer and musician who is adding another chapter to our story while continuing her own fascinating musical journey. Her name is Anika Nilles, and we could not be more excited to introduce her to our loyal and dedicated RUSH fanbase, whom, we know, will give her every chance to live up to that near impossible role. Before we hit the stage, we also hope to add another musician or two to expand our sound a wee bit and free up Alex and I, in order to show off some of our new fancy dance steps.

I don't know how I feel about this. Not the choice of drummer, but just doing it in general.

I read it more as a celebration than anything else. Ten years out and they’ve almost assuredly gained a slew of newer fans who never had the chance — and the money never hurts. Also, I admit I’m glad it wasn’t, I dunno, Mike Portnoy or whoever.

Would have been funnier if they'd said something like, "I mean, it's not like he was a founding member or anything..."

Honestly, I sometimes get a whiff of that from them. I know they loved him, but he was perpetually the new guy who joined their band.

It was a running joke for years! It’s in the original documentary!

I expected Geddy & Alex to do a little reunion tours of Rush jams, they love performing way too much. And Anika is a crazy good drummer, too, so this'll be a lot of fun.

Half of Canada is going to try to get those Toronto tickets. It'll sell out in a heartbeat and resale prices will be astronomical.

Given the state of Geddy's vocals in recent years it'd be nice if they brought a singer along too, not happening though I guess

yeah i attended the last tour and geddy's high end is very much diminished.

also, sadly, in retrospect of what he was going through, but i remember being struck that neil seemed to be - for the first time - really having to work and struggle to get through it.

to his credit, he did it, but the effort was very noticeable

this was my experience as well

Yeah, and he was open about the physical stress and pain that resulted.

I think there's also something else to keep in mind which struck me earlier -- when Peart died, it was January 2020. The band and his family had comments around then that they hoped do some sort of memorial event or thing for him in the near future -- and then we all know what happened two months later. So this really does feel like a delayed salute where things all kinda line up.

Amazing news. I sort of suspected this was happening; someone in the know told me the name of at least one great drummer that was in the running. It would have been cool to have a different drummer at every stop/stand, though!

Have Animal be the drummer at one spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiX_Wspatw

A little shocked that they're not doing a drummer audition video series.

Also, I admit I’m glad it wasn’t, I dunno, Mike Portnoy or whoever.

More like Mike Peart-no, glad to see Geddy and Alex are doing this anyway. They're both 72 which isn't ancient these days so why not.

yeah life is short, i'm glad they'e permitting themselves a chance to play these songs some more while they'e able.

I absolutely support them doing that, I just have no desire to pay money to hear it.

This may be petty but I kinda wish they’d called this “Lifeson Lee” or something rather than Rush. But who knows, maybe the new drummer writes lyrics and travels by motorbike.

Honestly, every time they've played with another drummer it's been a lot of fun. In that video they say there's a chance of adding another musician on stage, too.

if I can get tickets for this I may well go, Rush being one of the important formative bands for me that I never got to see live

I saw them in 2011 and 2013 (the tour with a string section) and that was enough. Some of the vocals on Time Machine 2011, a live album recorded on the tour I saw, were rough enough that I was surprised they released it.

Saw them three times (1984, 1989, and 1993) and am happy for other folks to see them now.

I think the idea of evolving the tunes arrangement is a good thing and I hope they go that way. With the right people, it could be really good.

I don't know how I feel about this. Not the choice of drummer, but just doing it in general.

kinda agree but . . . also there is no group i would trust more to pay proper tribute to their late bandmate than these guys

might feel better if they toured as RUS tho

I think the reason it's so fun to watch other people play Peart's parts is that they are so precise and specific. There's not a ton of room to add your own personal touches, the joy of achievement is in replication. So whether you're Taylor Hawkins or Danny Carey, the challenge of getting it right is as much about memory, discipline and efficiency as skill, which is the tribute Peart deserves. I, too, trust they'll at least try and get it right. I like that it's a relatively limited tour. Did they mention venues

I'll give Portnoy this much, he posted an enthusiastic message about the reunion and called Nilles awesome.

Why are we assuming bad things about Portnoy, seems like a really nice guy in interviews

Also this so called sexist backlash from the comments, honestly much more supportive of the move and trusting in Alex and Geddy's judgment than I think people are assuming

I can't help but think about poor Tim Alexander who mastered all these parts when Primus did the Farewell to Kings tribute tour and then promptly retired from drumming

xxpost My deep-seated musical disdain for Dream Theater and all its subsequent works is...deep. But it's not like he's a fucking MAGA dolt like Petrucci, I grant.

And your other point is sound, I've seen more comments around *about* the perceived ills of the fanbase than actually ills from the fanbase, and said comments are coming from a misunderstanding about who actually likes Rush that's pretty profound. Hell, the event Sunday night where they revealed the news was introduced by Donna Halper, she's the key reason why the band broke out big, pretty much!

Geddy no longer being able to sing the high parts is maybe an improvement, and not a detriment

Portnoy seems like a decent dude, happy to help out other acts etc. I hate his style of drumming though (imagine Lars with jazz chops and still no swing) and think it would have been awful for Rush, he seems like he might have been an obvious choice too so bullet dodged. Phew!

I've seen more comments around *about* the perceived ills of the fanbase than actually ills from the fanbase, and said comments are coming from a misunderstanding about who actually likes Rush that's pretty profound.

very otm

Mike Mangini was a much better drummer for Dream Theater than Mike Portnoy, while still being a Dream Theater drummer.

The Drumeo channel on YouTube has a series of challenges where a drummer makes up a drum part to a song they've never heard before - only the drum tracks have been removed. Most of these are great: Kenny Aronoff hears Yes for the first time, Stewart Copeland hears Limp Bizkit for the first time, Mars Volta drummer Philo Tsoungui hears Rush's 'Limelight' for the first time...

But one of the best is Mike Portnoy hears Taylor Swift for the first time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHl_gsd0OR0

kind of like what he did with taylor's bridge tbh

I don't like Dream Theater at all but Portnoy seems like a good dude. fwiw I thought Steve Vai was the wrong guy for BEAT but that wound up working quite well, maybe Portnoy would be interesting here

I was considering trying for tickets, but you know what? Fuck that, they're going to be soooooo expensive, and I've got nine months to see if any better options pop up.

lol, saw this exchange on the Rush reddit:

Pizzahut600
MSG Aug 3rd lower bowl 101 row 12, $500
Ticket in account already, transfers today

rsquared1987
6m ago
Oh shit, your plans changed that quickly, and now you can't go? I'm sorry to hear that

Pizzahut600
OP
5m ago
No, just trying to make a flip tbh. Paid $390

Raichu4u
•
2m ago
Eat a bag of dicks