Taking Sides: Rush's "Subdivisions" versus Genesis' "Turn It on Again"

("Your Wildest Dreams" is better, but Moody Blues have been permanently demerited in my book because I stupidly accepted free tickets to see them playing with an orchestra about 10 years ago and fled after about 6 songs.)

HS

"Any excuse might help to smooth the unattractive truth/but the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of Youth".

this is fun to say in a sylvester the cat voice.

Great lyrics, and the band rocks the shit out of the changes. With the chorus in 6/8 time to boot! (and the intro in 7/4?)

"no where is the dreamer, or the misfit so alone"

"turn it on again" is just kinda nice. not even the best pop-genesis moment.

Try it in a Sean Connery voice for maximum laughs.

Alex, you're not just reading that as a weird shout-out to Killing Joke, are you?

Life itself is a weird shout-out to Killling Joke.

If this were "subdivisions" vs "abacab" it would be tougher for me to choose.

Hell Yeah. I thought this WAS the choice at first.

about who says "subdivisions" i found this yesterday: http://www.cygnals.com/rush/subdivisions.html

a bit more about the video, i think it perfectly reflects my inklings of whats 80s suburban toronto was like. also, the kids plays tempest at the arcade.

Bahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Is'nt "Turn It On Again" about Phil Collins persistantly masturbating over some bird he's seen on the T.V...probably Sue Lawley given the time period...

Great T/S between two songs that express, in the richest possible way, simple insights you think are deep when you're in high school (resp, "social world of HS is kind of fascistic", "your whole life could be mediated through the screen and that's depressing.") But "Subdivisions" hammers it home so intently that even in high school it was to be giggled at. Whereas "Turn It On Again," like "Abacab" (you can give your song a nonsense word for a name to show it's about the failure to communicate, maaaaaaan!) totally worked for me. Plus there's not a moment in "Subdivisions" to equal the opening keyboard majesty of "Turn It On Again." Genesis wins.

CONFORM OR BE CAST OUT

Eighties Genesis hasn't aged a bit....I'll have to re-visit Rush, I only hear them on classic rock radio. I like them but they are really LOUD.

I'll take "The Analog Kid" over both of them.

Is'nt "Turn It On Again" about Phil Collins persistantly masturbating over some bird he's seen on the T.V...probably Sue Lawley given the time period...

WTF?!?

like "Abacab" (you can give your song a nonsense word for a name to show it's about the failure to communicate, maaaaaaan!)

in my high school, "ABACAB" became the multiple-choice test-taking strategy when you didn't study the night before. which had nothing to do w/ the intent of the song, i think.

also, i think that genesis's "abacab" vs. the who's "who are you" would be a pretty good T/S thread topic. 2 proggy dinosaurs discover new-wavish synth textures and make 5-minute plus pop songs.

... which must be an NJ thing, since apparently Artie Lange did the same thing (w/ roughly the same rate of success that i had using that method).

also, i think that genesis's "abacab" vs. the who's "who are you" would be a pretty good T/S thread topic. 2 proggy dinosaurs discover new-wavish synth textures and make 5-minute plus pop songs.

Genesis always kinda had that in their background though not as deliberately motorik. Replace "Abacab's" nonsense lyrics with something about medieval critters and it could fit in into Wind And Wuthering or something.

The T/S I'd go for is "Who Are You" vs. Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good" - actually I'll start that thread.

I like "Subdivisions" for its endearingly clumsy attempt at warmth (for Rush); it's the PhD thesis of the detached observer whereas, say, Quadrophenia is the kid interviewed for said thesis.

2 proggy dinosaurs discover new-wavish synth textures and make 5-minute plus pop songs.

"Who Are You" certainly seemed new-wave-influenced when it was released in 1978, but its synth textures were first recorded in 1976 (as part of Townshend's demo that later made it to the final recording).

like "Abacab" (you can give your song a nonsense word for a name to show it's about the failure to communicate, maaaaaaan!)

Abacab isn't a nonsense title though. It is a description of the song's form. ABACAB

haha, read comment upthread, was like "wow, that is totally OTM and well-phrased besides," then realized it was my own

I love the low "SUBDIVISIONS" between the basement bars and backs of cars and shopping malls

i just saw the video the other day.

most heartbreaking footage of these horrible (assuming) canadian row home, all i could think is that the area was probably a slum by now.

Nice to see Ned repping for Rush back in the day.

The Subdivisions video is also cool for prominenly featuring Tempest, one of my all time favorite video games. Plus it demonstrates that in Canadian high schools and bars everyone apparently wears Rush t-shirts and carries around copies of Signals.

last bit is true in my experience