The National Midnight Star #100

Errors-To: rush@syrinx.umd.edu Reply-To: rush@syrinx.umd.edu Sender: rush@syrinx.umd.edu Precedence: bulk From: rush@syrinx.umd.edu To: rush_mailing_list Subject: 11/13/90 - The National Midnight Star #100
** ____ __ ___ ____ ___ ___ ** ** / /_/ /_ /\ / /__/ / / / / /\ / /__/ / ** ** / / / /__ / \/ / / / / /__/ / \/ / / /___ ** ** ** ** __ ___ ____ ** ** /\ /\ / / \ /\ / / / _ /__/ / ** ** / \/ \ / /___/ / \/ / /___/ / / / ** ** ** ** ____ ____ ___ ___ ** ** /__ / /__/ /__/ ** ** ____/ / / / / \ ** The National Midnight Star, Number 100 Tuesday, 13 November 1990 Today's Topics: Administrivia Worry, Worry, Worry... Early RUSH tour date... opening for T-Rex Opening Acts... Voivod Westwood One presents...not RUSH! Chron. video, planetarium Re: 11/08/90 - The National Midnight Star #97 Anagram (for Mongo) "catch a fish" Karen Post, Rush Goddess Album Covers What Neil Means Anniversary issue and height Japanese CD's Live Rush Just thought I'd say hi Waterloo Rush GIF archive discontinued lyrics request Awareness ---------------------------------------------------------- From: The National Midnight Star Editor <rush-mgr@syrinx.umd.edu> Subject: Administrivia Just a couple of notes before we start: 1) There was NOT DIGEST for Monday, 11/12/90. Sorry folks, I wasn't at work, and didn't have time to log on from home... 2) This is issue # 100 of The National Midnight Star. Whew, we've gotten through the first 100 issues with the new digest software! 3) Yes, part four of Success Under Pressure IS coming - it's just been delayed a bit. Now, on with the festivities! rush-mgr ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 17:21 EDT From: "Engineers do it in the field." <OLIVER_T@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu> Subject: Worry, Worry, Worry... I don't quite understand all of the fuss that has been made lately over the fact that RUSH played the same surfing music at all of their shows... Come on, folks! How do you think that they get all of the lights to move (i.e. the lights over the crowd, the lasers, etc.) at the right time while they are playing? I also saw them twice this tour, once in Albany, NY and again two days later down in Baltimore, MD (I think that these two were next to each other on the itinerary, but I digress), and the two shows were *identical*. At the Albany show, I had crappy seats (I couldn't see the screen but had a *perfect* view of Peart), but I could see all of the amps, computers, and other technical equipment. I believe that they play each show the same because all of the lights (not including the manned spots) are controlled (at least partly) by computer. Therefore, if they play something different, the stage-folk would have to re-configure the lighting scheme after every show (or during the show if the boys wanted to do something impromptu). This could end up being *very* tedious. I hope I have not ruined the experience for anyone out there, but I just wanted to clear things up... By the way, speaking of live shows... I noticed (during the Albany show) that Alex would step on pedals that were hidden from the crowd by his monitor when he stepped up to the mike (and even when he didn't). I finally figured out, with help from a friend who knows quite a bit about music, recording, and the like, that Alex was stepping on these pedals to turn on the backing vocals during each song... I thought that this was interesting, if not wierd. I had figured that the vocals would be on a tape played during the songs, not a sampler. Can anybody refute or confirm this observation? Lastly, I would like to say that I have enjoyed reading most comments and questions in the "Star" over the last month or so. I heard of it from another user here at JHU, and I have enjoyed every minute. Keep up the good work, folks!!! -Todd Oliver "Thunderheads are Rumbling in a Distant Overture" -- Neil Peart, Jacob's Ladder ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 12:38:59 PST From: "An Cat Dubh dtn223-6886 08-Nov-1990 1533" <owen@euclid.enet.dec.com> Subject: Early RUSH tour date... opening for T-Rex I just read that Rush opened for T-Rex at the Worcester Memorial Auditorium, now called The Aud, sometime in 1974. I'll try to get the exact date. (I remember someone here was trying to put together a complete list of gigs Rush has done... let me know if you already knew about this one) Anyway, shortly after T-Rex hit the stage, Mark Bolan got PO'd and left the stage. Apparenly the 'official' excuse was because the acoustics in the place sucked, but the folks who were there said it was because the opening act, Rush, had completely blown away the crowd, and that T-Rex simply couldn't compete. Just a little Rush trivia for you all.... Later... _____ ///______________________________________________________________________ | /// Only _Amiga_ makes it possible! | Music: Anything but slop 40 | |\\\/// Macintosh: pseudo productivity | Beer: Sam Adams Boston Lager | | \XX/ OS/2: half an operating system | Major: Mechanical Engineering | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Steve | owen@euclid.enet.dec.com(Now-Dec)| "Cool your jets man!"-Bart takes | |Owen | sowen@lynx.northeastern.edu(Jan+)| Heat Transfer and Fluid Dynamics | -------------------------All normal disclaimers apply-------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 19:47:19 -0500 From: Michael S Savett <savvy@brahms.udel.edu> Subject: Opening Acts... Just a quick note - I understand a group called the Rainmakers opened for Rush (I think during HYF tour) Does anyone know about them? savvy@brahms.udel.edu P.S. Vote for La Villa #1!!!!!!!! ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 21:08:34 est From: "Dan Schwarz" <dan@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu> Subject: Voivod A lot of the folks on TNMS have been discussing the band Voivod - one usual comment about the band is that they are a cross between Floyd and Rush. Since Rush and Floyd are two of my favorite bands, I decided to purchase one of their albums ("Nothingface"). Here are my impressions... I'd say the Rush-meets-Floyd comparison is mistaken. The band is lacking the spacey/melodic Floyd sound, and the lyrics don't hold a candle to Peart's work. A better comparison may be "Syd Barrett meets King Crimson" - their cover of "Astronomy Domine" is excellent, and several songs seem to draw their influence heavily from "Larks Tongues in Aspic." Anyway, I was really disappointed with the album. Maybe it's the vocals - I just don't like the lead singer's voice. Is "Nothingface" typical of their albums, or are there any others I should try before I write off this band? ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 22:40:01 hst From: bigtuna!uugetty@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu Subject: Westwood One presents...not RUSH! Good day, and welcome to the FIRST ANNIVERSARY!!! First off, congrats to everyone for getting this wonderful digest to its first year (and the crowd goes wild!)! Well...someone mentioned Westwood One doing something with RUSH. Ihave been listening/watching for anything--nothing so far as I know. I did miss listening in for awhile after Presto came out, so I may have missed them, assuming an interview was done with them at that time. I doubt they'll be planning on doing any RUSH stuff soon, but I'm keeping my ears open! Good day, eh! Puanani Akaka ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 9 Nov 90 01:38:58 -0800 From: Ted Ives <tedi@apple.com> Subject: Chron. video, planetarium Hi folks, I bought the Chronicles video today. In a nutshell, the the production quality was good, the video quality was lousy. I'm sure this isn't the first review so I'll be brief. There are 12 tracks including Closer, Trees, Mystic Rhythms, Time Stand Still and Lock & Key. They didn't include the Fly by Night promo films, or the 4 other pre-Hemispheres promos. Yes, these exist. The delay on the video was no doubt caused by the band trying to keep those from being released. The video had a professional style to it, like Through the Camere Eye did. The quality, however, was crappy. My copy has major problems with the hi-fi tracking. I have a high-end VCR but still couldn't get rid of the nasty buzz caused by a bad hi-fi track. It was also pretty hissy, and the early promos weren't in stereo. The video was noisy and Red Barchetta, (live, from Exit..), seemed to have really bad color problems. Overall, not too impressive. I'm sure the video disk will be much better. I would still highly recommend this for any fan and $19.95 is a great buy! Also, the number again for the Morrison Planetarium is 415 750-7138. The Rush Laserium show should play for a few months, depending on it's success. It's located at the Calif. Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA. You can buy tickets through Ticketron or at the door for about $6. Did anyone out there see the 1984 laser show??! Take care, - Chris Michael ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 9 Nov 90 08:25 EST From: THOMPS00%SNYBUFVA.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu Subject: Re: 11/08/90 - The National Midnight Star #97 From: THe Analog Man. In the NTM, someone mentioned that Geddy Lee liked YES. I saw the same interview, and yes, je does like the group YES. They do have a song called "The Fish" which is just a jam between The five band members. It was released in 1972 on the _FRAGILE_ album. "All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers tend to steer by the stars" RUSH-->The Pass. The Analog Kid. ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Nov 90 00:42:02 EST From: vanth!jms@rutgers.edu (Jim Shaffer) Subject: Anagram (for Mongo) There's something bothering me about Anagram, although it took me a long time to realize it. Consider this: Rush/Anagram: "There is no safe seat at the feast / Take your best stab at the beast." The Eagles/Hotel California: "In the master's chambers / They gather for the feast / They stab it with their steely knives / But they just can't kill the beast." Is it possible that Rush could've borrowed (unconsciously or otherwise) from "Hotel California?" Also, as to the theory that "Anagram" is another stab at religion, certain lines struck me as having that meaning. Possibly as many as 1/3 of the verses in fact. But the remainder of the song doesn't seem to be related to that theme (although I could really stretch a few verses to make them fit.) -- paper : James Shaffer Jr., 37 Brook Street, Montgomery, PA 17752 uucp : uunet!cbmvax!amix!vanth!jms (or) rutgers!cbmvax!amix!vanth!jms domain: jms%vanth@amix.commodore.com CompuServe: 72750,2335 ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION: WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL ---------------------------------------------------------- From: jmhaas@balance.cs.mtu.edu (Jeff Haas) Subject: "catch a fish" Date: Fri, 9 Nov 90 1:02:18 EDT Just a side line on catch a fish.. What is the title of the song? Tom Sawyer. Why wouldn't catch a fish fit in with that name? I seem to recall (never read the story myself) that one of the favorite past- times of TS and HF was fishing. Whaddya think? -- Elezar | jmhaas@balance.cs.mtu.edu "Those who know "Coming events cast their shadows before what's best for us, the wintry wind, the eye of the storm. Must rise and save Witness the Past, the Future holds more. Us from ourselves." Prelude to Ruin." -- Rush -- Fates Warning. ---------------------------------------------------------- From: evanh@sco.COM (Evan A.C. Hunt) Date: Fri, 9 Nov 90 15:25:41 PST Subject: Karen Post, Rush Goddess I don't know what happened to her either. The last thing I remember of her was about two years ago; she posted something about Rush which was very slightly wrong--she'd transposed the order of two songs on an album or something. So I followed up the message, correcting her, and informing her facetiously that she'd let us all down, and that I was totally disillusioned, my faith in the Rush Goddess shattered. I can't recall ever seeing another message from her. I hope she didn't evaporate or something, like Apollo in that Star Trek episode... :) eh ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 10 Nov 90 11:30:30 -0500 From: supriya (Supriya Goyal) Subject: Album Covers Greetings RUSHians, Wow! This is issue 100!!!! Well anyway someone asked about album covers done by Hugh Syme other than RUSH, Styx, and Whitesnake. Well, I noticed that the cover for the new album by Heavy Metal group Slaughter was done by Glen Wexler & Hugh Syme. The album is called Stick It To Ya. Pretty cool, huh? That's all for now. Supriya Z. Goyal "Quiet Rebellion leads to open War" ---------------------------------------------------------- From: wolf@xenitec.on.ca (Dave Wolf) Date: Sat, 10 Nov 1990 11:49:34 EST Subject: What Neil Means This was taken from the recent Blue Spotlight featuring Rush on MuchMusic. It is a short clip with Neil talking about his lyrics, recorded in Jan 90 that they showed in between videos. I thought it would fit in here, with all the talk about different meanings behind different songs lately. NEIL: A lot of people don't care about lyrics and they don't have to. Again, I don't think that's important. The important thing is that they're affected by the music and if they like it that's fine, need never pay any attention to the lyrics except as sounds, and I have to think of that too when I'm writing lyrics; they are sounds that have to be sung and I think of them just in a purely euphonious way. It just has to be a nice sounding series of syllables and then if I can get an interrelation of rhythm in there that satisfies me as a craftsman and if I can get some other symbolism in there that might be even just personal that will just make me happier with it, so nothing's lost, you know, nobody suffers. But when somebody takes that vagueness and all that big collection of images and possible interpretations and takes it in such a diametrically opposed way, to anything I'd ever even *thought* of, let alone intended, it's a little scary but you have to say well that's good you know, they were able to take what they wanted out of it. Dave Wolf xensoft!wolf@xenitec.on.ca ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 10 Nov 90 15:30 CST From: By-tor <UCSKRT@ucs.UWPLATT.EDU> Subject: Anniversary issue and height Yo Rushheads, Thanks much for the anniversary issue to all involved; twas rather informative and interesting! Secondly, to Meg's question about the boyz heights. I don't know actual numbers, but you can get a good estimate (at least in relation to one another and their wives) from a picture of the six of them standing in _Visions_. I don't know the exact page number, but it's early in the book, I think. About Geddy's basses-- I'm very particular to that Rick/Jazz sound he got prior to, I think, _Grace Under Pressure_. The Steinberger is a little sterile to me, although very light and compact, and the Wal's top end is great, but really lacking bottom, at least from what I've heard of him playing it. It could all be a matter of Geddy's EQ'ing, though. He claims to have a 5-string Wal model, and I'd REALLY like to heard some B string action on the new album. Does anyone know exactly what Ged was going through for such songs as YYZ and the solo in Vital Signs? Sounds like chorus or flanging of some sort. Looks like I may be sitting in with a local band to do YYZ tonight (exercising plucking fingers as I type). Should be a helluva good time. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Kevin Tipple, aka Blue Steel, By-tor University of Wisconsin - Platteville Bitnet: UCSKRT@UWPLATT.BITNET Platteville, Wisconsin USA Internet: UCSKRT@UCS.UWPLATT.EDU ================================================================================ No, my name is *spelled* Raymond Luxury Yacht, but it's pronounced "Throat Wobbler Mangrove." - Monty Python ================================================================================ ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 10 Nov 90 14:53:24 PST From: larrys@dbase.A-T.COM (Larry Stein) Subject: Japanese CD's Well, I sent a fax down to the company selling the Japanese Rush CD's asking for song titles and record dates. They called me a couple of days later and told me that there was nothing special about the CD's. They are not live recordings. The discs are simple the Japanese versions of the American CD's. The reason that the titles were different is that they have been translated into Japanese and then back into English. Larry larrys@dbase.a-t.com ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 10 Nov 90 22:24:06 -0500 From: Patrick.Quairoli@cyber.widener.edu Subject: Live Rush I don't ever put the boyz down but... i have to admit i was not thrilled with the sound quality at the show in philly. sure it was loud but geddy's bass wasn't disernable...and alex's guitar was distorted.... sorry! pq quairoli@cs.widener.edu patrick.quairoli@cyber.widener.edu ---------------------------------------------------------- From: atz@clmqt.marquette.Mi.US (dweezilbub) Subject: Just thought I'd say hi Date: 11 Nov 90 19:48:45 EST (Sun) I realize I dont post alot here. Sure like reading it all though. The last few issues have been real good. The 3 of 4 parts of Success under pressure, and the anniversary issues. I remember reading a few posts about people seeing RUSH at Alpine Valley, WI. I saw the Presto show there this summer. Had crappy seats, but never a dull moment. I was at the first of two shows there, got rained on for about an hour, but right before the show opened, it stopped. Every time lightning struck, the whole place went ballistic. I guess I say we had crappy seats cause we were sitting right under one of the loud speakers, and I guess the sound coming from that, and the slightly delayed sound coming from the stage (because of the distance) didn't mix too well. Anyways, it was kinda neat (to me) when during YYZ, Alex broke a string and we got to hear about 10 seconds of the song with just drums and bass... Definitely not record material, but I got off on it. [ Yep, I heard a tape where Alex broke a string during "Red Barchetta", and Geddy & Neil had to continue. He did an amazingly fast switch, and picked back up in about 7 seconds! (GUP tour) :rush-mgr ] I wished I coulda stayed overnight there to see the next days show, but living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan made it about a 300 plus mile trip, and the clock for the babysitter was running! It turned out to be expensive, but most worth it. I had to buy 2 T-shirts at that one... -- \____________________ /// ////// ///// _____________________/ \__ The Enterprise __/ // // // ,.-'~ \___space for rent ___/ \___-____BBS___-- //~~// // ////// --_____-___-____/ \ \ \/ atz@clmqt.marquette.mi.us \/ / / ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 12 Nov 90 10:35:00 EST From: Robyn Landers <rblanders@watmath.waterloo.edu> Subject: Waterloo Rush GIF archive discontinued I've been in touch with the administrator of the machine commonly advertised here as a ftp site at University of Waterloo for Rush gifs. This service has been discontinued indefinitely, so please strike it from your lists of goodies. Robyn rblanders@watmath.waterloo.edu "I'm just doing my rock'n'roll duty."--Dubois ---------------------------------------------------------- From: yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca Date: 12 Nov 90 12:46 -0600 Subject: lyrics request >X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.0.4 1/31/90) Last week someone@somewhere requested lyrics for either "Anthem" or "Beneath, Between, Behind" (I forget which). At the risk of boring those who know them, here they are, reprinted from the lyric sheet where they're neatly lettered in Neil Peart's hand. Anthem Know that your place in life Is where you want it to be Don't let them tell you that You owe it all to me Keep on looking forward There's no use in looking round Carry your head above the crowd And they won't bring you down (chorus) Anthem of the heart and mind A funeral dirge for eyes gone blind We marvel after those who sought New wonders in the world they wrought Live for yourself, there's no one More worth living for Begging hands and bleeding hearts Will only cry for more 'Though I know they've always Told you selfishness is wrong Yet it was for me not you I came to write this song Beneath, Between, & Behind Ten score years ago Defeat the kingly foe A wondrous dream came into being Tame the trackless waste No virgin land left chaste All shining eyes and never seeing (chorus) Beneath the noble bird Between the proudest words Behind the beauty, cracks appear Once with heads held high They sang out to the sky Why do their shadows bow in fear Watch the cities rise Another ship arrives Earth's melting pot, and ever growing Fantastic dreams come true Inventing something new The greatest minds, but never knowing The guns replace the plow Facades are tarnished now The principles have been betrayed The dreams gone stale But still let hope prevail Hope that history's debt won't be repaid Somewhat similar themes, no? Perhaps we see an earlier version of the attitude that prevails in "Territories". Can anyone venture an opinion as to what "history's debt" might be? I'd like to relate it to the founding of the USA, but it's difficult for me. Perhaps someone with a better grasp of the issue can elaborate? I see "Anthem" as a much more personal piece regarding independence, while "BB&B" is more institutional. By the way, are we just a bunch of computer-oriented stereotypical physical scince techno geeks :-) on the NMS list, or do we have some, say, historians, social scientists, or literature specialists with us? Or am I the only science nerd here? Kerry -- Kerry Yackoboski <yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca> The Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Laboratory in the Cellar U of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 12 Nov 90 15:44:54 WET From: john9@pooky.cs.mun.ca (John Palfrey) Subject: Awareness Hello fellow RUSHians, I would like to congratulate our exteem manager for a job well done in the first 100 issues of the The National Midnight Star. And I eagerly await perhaps countless hundreds to come. The TNMS has given me greater insight into my favorite group and has educated me on items I did not know about RUSH. And I look forward in furthing my education with this mailing list. I have have looked (not in the right places) for the lyrics of all their albums from their self-titled to Presto and in one week-end, our manager has given me all of them. A tip of the hat to him. Thanks. I feel that much complete having all of the lyrics. I have stated in the TNMS at issue 65 and I am in the process of get all of the back issues. And I would like to tip the same hat to Helan Todd for her help. Thanks. I have gotten interested in the group ever since they came to St. John's Nfld. I saw them once and I was hooked. the concert was the "Hold Your Fire" tour in October of 1987. I became hooked on that group ever since. I thoroughly enjoy the master of lyrics, the professor himself. Anyhow, keep up the great work and I look forward in getting more of the TNMS. John. ----------------------------------------------------------
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