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Subject: 02/27/91 - The National Midnight Star #180
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The National Midnight Star, Number 180
Wednesday, 27 February 1991
Today's Topics:
Administrivia
MP, Tom Sawyer
Vox 'N' Bass
crossword gif
New World Order!
Peart -- Slowing Down?
Re: New World Man, etc.
Signals program
Wal, Rickenbacker, Steinberger
Re: 2112 Ending etc.
Re: 2112 ending
Warm-up bands
The Weapon and Fear in general...
Singles and oddities
Superconductor/Accessability
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Administrivia
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 12:01:29 EST
From: RUSH Fans Digest Manager <rush-mgr>
Yes, I'm aware that the tail of the NMS has been funky for the
issues #178 & #179. I've corrected the problem. Sorry for any
inconvenience.
Editor,
The National Midnight Star
(RUSH fans mailing list)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 13:11:58 -0500
From: koldll@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Laura)
Subject: MP, Tom Sawyer
Hi everyone, I am a fairly new Rush fan (PRESTO tour) and have been trying to
catch up on their older works. I recently bought MP, and can not decipher all
of the lyrics on the albulm. If anyone has them online, especially the lyrics
to Tom Sawyer, I would truly appreciate a copy. Any interpretations would also
be welcome. I really enjoy this group - keep up the good work everyone. Many
thanks.
[ Lyrics are available via both anonymous ftp and mail; see the tail of
any NMS for details on each. :rush-mgr ]
Laura
koldll@expert.cc.purdue.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 13:17:10 EST
From: warsaw@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (Barry A. Warsaw)
Subject: Vox 'N' Bass
>>>>> "Chris" == Chris Schiller <chris@cdc.hp.com> writes:
Chris> Does Geddy have an incredible voice?
Personally, I think so (at least nowadays). Maybe it was a bit
"immature" (:-) in the early years -- but it certainly did not lack
enthusiasm! Now, I think Geddy's voice has matured immensely as a
song such as Available Light proves. I think Ged's voice is richly
textured and he seems to have much more control over it. He is very
adept at evoking emotion and passion with his voice, and at least he
consistently hits the notes both in the studio and live (which can't
be said of every professional rock vocalist :-). As their later music
is less demanding for me personally to play, I find myself
concentrating much more on the vocal message and the song composition
as a whole, than on any specific instrumental performance.
>>>>> "Rob" == neely@antares.mcs.anl.gov writes:
Rob> [...] am I the only one that wishes that Geddy would pull out
Rob> his old Rickenbacker Bass once in a while? [...] The sound
Rob> he gets on Moving Pictures, in particular during the guitar
Rob> solo in _The_Camera_Eye, makes me weep.
Yeah, that Rick has a great sound -- I know I'm not the only bassist
who absolutely *had* to have a Rick after hearing the intro section to
Cygnus X-I! As for MP, I know that Geddy played his Fender Jazz quite a
bit on the album, judging from the Vital Signs video, at least on that
song, but I'm sure there were others (YYZ also?)...
>>>>> "Fred" == <fpeabody@isis.cs.du.edu> writes:
Fred> As for the Chain Lightning 'Hey's, I always thought they
Fred> were keyboards pushing soft chords: 'Wa Wa Wa'.
I've always heard those 4 "Heys" on the little turnaround between the
verses. To me it sounds like they sampled Geddy's voice. There are
other instance where they've done that before (to my ears). A couple
of times on HYF -- but right now, I can't think of what songs...
>>>>> "jason" == <mofo@bucsf.bu.edu> writes:
jason> but can Paul McCartney actually play a good bass?
Why not? If for no other reason that at the time the Beatles were
really happening, McCartney provided enormous inspiration and
creativity in his lines. He showed people what could be done with the
bass in a rock setting, just as Geddy did years later, and other folks
continue to do today. And contrary to what some (certainly not all)
of today's technocrats would have you believe, playing bass ain't
about chops -- its about *attitude*.
-Barry
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: crossword gif
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 9:33:55 CST
From: ingr!dragon!keith@uunet.UU.NET (Keith Ford)
neely@antares.mcs.anl.gov asked about getting a crossword puzzle
in the Signals tour program converted into a GIF format. If any
one has a hard copy of this, you can send it to the email server
and I will convert it and make it available. (I'll also send a
copy to Rush Mgr for ftp) Send to server@ingr.com with a subject
line of NOTE.
[ You could also just mail it to both of us at the same time! :-)
(Sorry Keith, couldn't resist.) Remember, if you wish to send
any GIFs, or any other large or special files, use the admin.
address when sending to Syrinx, please. :rush-mgr ]
--
| fordke@ingr.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 14:02:16 -0500
From: Michael S Savett <savvy@chopin.udel.edu>
Subject: New World Order!
Greetings - does anyone think George Bush might have been listening
to 'New World Man' when he envisioned his policy of a 'new world
order'? :) Or maybe HE is the new world man...just curious...:)
Savvy
----------------------------------------------------------
From: tribe!kenney@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Peart -- Slowing Down?
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 12:56:28 CST
There seems to be a lot of discussion of Neil's drumming as of late, and
whether or not he is as good as ever. I know little technically about
drumming, but would like to make a few observations. Neil is what, about
38 years old? By about that age most professional athletes have "hung up
their spikes" because they can no longer compete at the level they were
once able to. I'd say that drumming is also a very demanding physical
activity. While Neil can still be learning new things, and still may be the
best drummer in the world, there's no reason to expect him to physically
be able to do some things at age 38 that he could at age 27.
-- Ohio State Basketball -- All The Way in '91! --
ME: COMPUTER:
David Kenney tribe
M/S IW1511 34b2.08-00-36-cc-dc-00
Intergraph Corporation 129.135.217.108
Huntsville, AL 35894 USA uunet!ingr!b15!tribe!kenney
205 730 7029 kenney@tribe.b15.ingr.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 1991 11:30:04 PST
From: crenshaw.osbu_north@xerox.com
Subject: Re: New World Man, etc.
Ted Peterson remarks:
>...viewing the "New World Man" as the United States yields a very
>interesting reading of the lyrics IMO. Any comments on this idea?
That's how I've always seen it. I never thought of the New World Man
as an individual, but as a symbol for the countries of the New World,
especially the U.S., maybe Canada, too? I enjoy hearing other people's
interpretations, though...I certainly don't have a line into Neil's
head telling me what The Correct Interpretation is!
One quick note regarding Sinead O'Connor and Rush (darnit, I told
myself I wasn't going to get involved in this!): I think her talents
lie especially in singing and interpreting songs, but I think her
songwriting talents aren't too shabby, either (for those who don't
like her music and don't listen to it, she wrote 90% of the songs on
both her albums). I think she has gotten caught up in "being famous"
and the euphoria and pain that comes with that, and isn't mature enough
yet to deal with it, whereas in Rush's case (you knew I had to get to
them eventually, didn't you?), fame didn't leap on them overnight, it
crept up slowly, so by the time it caught up, they were old enough to
deal with it maturely (and I think it's probably a difference in culture
and personality, too). I don't listen to Sinead O'Connor because of
her politics, but I don't listen to Rush because of their's, either.
Sinead puts her life in her songs and sings about very personal things,
and puts her philosophy into her life; Rush keeps their personal lives
very separate from their music and works from a much more objective
view (ok, maybe excluding _The Pass_ ;-).
hmm...maybe that wasn't as short as I meant it to be...
Cheryl
crenshaw.osbu_north@xerox.com
(just curious...how many people on this list listen to Sinead, too?
Send me a note and I'll reply with the total if you're interested. I
won't post it to the list unless people want me to.)
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Jonathan Sturges <sturges@xanth.cs.odu.edu>
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 16:01:47 EST
Subject: Signals program
Hi...
I have access to both color and B&W hand scanners, and could turn the
Signals program into a GIF or other format if someone sent me a copy (or
something) of it. Mail me...
-Jon
sturges@xanth.cs.odu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Wal, Rickenbacker, Steinberger
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 16:29:36 EST
From: mjkobb@media-lab.media.mit.edu
I tend to agree with Rob Neely's sentiments on Geddy's basses. His Wal has
great tone, and sounds super for the newer songs. It has a very crisp attack
which really lets him do some nice fast runs (see his brief solo in Closer to
the Heart on ASOH).
However, I, too, miss the sound of the old Rick through overdriven tube amps.
Especially for songs like Tom Sawyer and YYZ. The old pickups really
contribute a growl that you can't get out of most of the modern pickups
around these days.
Finally, regarding the Steinberger. I'd say that the Steinberger is probably
my least favorite bass sound Geddy has had to date. Don't get me wrong -- I
like Steinbergers. I PLAY a Steinberger. However, I just really don't like
the tone that Geddy was using from his. It sounds, for lack of a better word,
almost "nasal". I play mine with a tube preamp, and with a little tone
control and apropriate boost and gain, you can get a nice rumble out of it
which is probably as close to the Rickenbacker as you can get with active
pickups. Whenever I play Rush stuff, that's how I play it.
I can only assume that Geddy's tastes have changed, and he likes the crisper
sound from the Steinberger and Wal active pickups. Still, the older songs
were written with the Rick, and we all heard them that way first, so it sounds
a bit more natural for those songs to be played with one. Oh, well.
--Mike
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 17:42 CST
From: jws3@engr.uark.edu (6079 Smith J)
Subject: Re: 2112 Ending etc.
Greetings to the group. This is my first post, so pardon
any seeming naivete vis-a-vis Rushfandom.
I always thought that 2112 ended on a terribly depressing
note, commenting on the usual triumph of power-hungry tyrants
over thinking, feeling, individual humans. I've been hearing
the metallic voice, which says "Attention all planets of the
Solar Federation -- We Have Assumed Control", as the voice of
the Elder Race returning to its birthplace. But that voice is
so unquestionably EVIL! "Control." No hero of Peart's would
"assume control" over the planets. The Elder Race has come
back -- and is no different from the priests. The guitar-
playing protagonist of 2112 was misled by beautiful architecture
and flowing robes, just as he was before by hallowed halls and
priestly vestments. He's Joe Average, who's been railroaded
all his life and is eventually driven to suicide by it.
Bleah. Even more depressing than Rand's books; at least her
rebels often triumph. But the music is great.
I'm anxiously awaiting my copies of Presto, Signals, PoW, GuP,
ASOH etc....sure is a pain being a poor student! I want my
Rush records! Donations are welcome. *grin*
Oh yeah, for the person who's counting musicians: I'm primarily
a bassist and secondarily a keyboardist. And I worship fretless
Rickenbackers. Personally, I play a fretless P-bass, but the Rick
is the Goddess of Basses....
6079 Smith J
jws3@engr.uark.edu
Quote for the Day: "Its surface splintered into sorry hemispheres."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 91 02:12:52 EST
From: corrie@fiu.edu (vaalpens)
Subject: Re: 2112 ending
> From: djabson@UCSD.EDU (The God of Balance)
> Subject: 2112 ending
>
> I had always pictured this huge battle taking
> place (during the "Grand FInale") and the "lost brotherhood of man" reclaiming
> "the home where they belong".
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> From: David Arnold <davida@umd5.UMD.EDU>
>
> Well, I've interpreted it to be the Elder Race returning, as foreshadowed
> in "Oracle: The Dream":
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings & Salutations:
[from the syrinx lyrics archives]
--------
"...My last hope is that with my death I may pass into the world of my dream..."
---
Just think of what my life might be
In a world like I have seen
...
My spirits are low in the depths of despair
My lifeblood spills over..
--------
I myself also see the Announcer at the end of 2112 as that of The Elder Race,
but what I find interesting & difficult to determine is:
Is the voice REAL, or in the protagonist's DREAM as he slips
"into the world of [his] dream," and eternal sleep.
Corrie
RQ: "All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 23:23:07 -0800
From: Ted Ives <tedi@apple.com>
Subject: Warm-up bands
Hi,
I recently came across this old posting which lists all the Rush dates in
the California Bay Area. I believe it came from a list of Bill Grahm's 24
years of concert promotions in the area. Of course, credit must go to Jake
for originalling posting it! By the way, I remember seeing "The Jon
Butcher Axis" warm up for Rush in Hartford, CT on the Signals Tour. Also,
someone I know say "Nazareth" warm up for the boys on that tour.
"Wishbone Ash" opened for them in Germany, 1988.
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 90 19:21:08 PDT
From: essl@sim.Berkeley.EDU (Jake Essl)
Subject: Opening Bands
Ok after a little research here come the information I was able to find.
This is a list of all of the shows that Rush played in that Bill Grahm
produced. Limited of course especially considering the Signals and
Hold Your Fire shows weren't even put on in the Bay Area due to personal
conflicts between the band and Grahm.
6/1/75 at the Winterland : Kiss, The Tubes, & Rush
11/24/76 at Sacramento Memorial Auditoruim : Ted Nugent, Be-Bop Deluxe, & Rush
11/26/76 at the Winterland : Same Show
11/27/76 at the Winterland : Same Show
9/24/77 at the Winterland : Rush, Ufo, Hush, & Max Webster
11/16/78 at the Oakland Colisuem : Rush & Pat Travers
3/13/80 Sacramento (Cancelled :-( ) : Rush
3/14/80 at the Cow Palace : Rush & .38 Special
3/15/80 at the Cow Palace : Same Show
6/ 5/81 at the Oakland Coliseum : Rush & FM
6/ 7/81 in Fresno : Rush
5/12/84 at Lawler Events Center, Reno : Rush & Gary Moore
5/25/84 at the Cow Palace : Same Show
5/26/84 at the Cow Palace : Same Show
1/30/86 at the Cow Palace : Rush & Steve Morse
1/31/86 at the Cow Palace : Same Show
5/24/86 at Cal Expo : Rush & The Fabulous Thunderbirds
3/28/90 at Arco Arena : Rush & Mr. Big
3/30/90 at the Oakland Colisuem : Same Show
3/31/90 at the Oakalnd Coliseum : Same Show
Plus the recent dates that I'm not so sure of.
Anyone interested in trying to throw together a list of all the shows they
have\ever played. Just for Curiosity's sake. I can add the following:
8/20/77 The Music Hall Houston
3/16/80 St. Louis (?)
and
5/21/83 Wembeley Arena, London
Jake
---------------------------------------------------------------
Well, take care all!
- Chris Michael
PS: Any word on that mysterious "new Rush song"? C'mon, don't be bashful
if you made a silly mistake! We's just gots to know!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 20:25:52 EST
From: UK01778@ukpr.uky.edu
Subject: The Weapon and Fear in general...
Someone once explained Fear to me (his HO only of course!) and I liked
the way it all came out...
The Enemy Within -- The Fear of yourself. The gnawing feeling in your
gut that makes you afraid. Insecurities, inner problems
that grow to build fear within you.
The Weapon -- The Fear of Fear. The song itself says that. But I believe
it goes a little deeper. Fear IS a weapon. Think about it
If someone wants to get the better of someone else, finding
that person's weaknesses (ie. Fears) is a quick way to
accomplish it, right?
Witch Hunt -- The Fear of Society. Rather, the fear Society has of
something foreign or "non-traditional" anything that
deviates from the norm (but that's the next song :) )
I was pretty satisfied with the person's definition. It makes sense to
me. However, I'm sure scads of alternate views exist. Bring em' on!
Also, to the guy that didn't like the Fountainhead. I'm starting her
first book "We the Living" (I'm one of these guys that likes to start at
the beginning of things :) ). So far, I've enjoyed it. It involves a
young Russian girl, right after the Revolution, who longs to be an engineer
but not for the State, for herself. I've heard different views on The Founta
inhead...I guess I'llo to believe. Somehow I don't think
Neil's going to condemn you for not liking Ayn Rand. Then again, he might!
(joke!)
Al
ORQ: "You know how that rabbit feels...running under your speeding wheels"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 91 16:29:54 EST
From: Master of Calculus <porochnE%moravian.edu@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Singles and oddities
I was wondering if there were any Rush imports or other specialty
items available (such as "Rush: Profiled) on CD. I know bands such as
the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith have legitimate imports out there with
plenty of unreleased tracks and alternative versions (the Stones'
"Another Side of Steel Wheels" and Aerosmith's "Make It" and "Vacation
Club" are just examples that come to mind). Also, are any of the Rush
12" singles available on CD for purchase?
Gene Porochniak
Moravian College
Bethlehem, PA
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 26 Feb 91 23:39:51 EST
From: Brad Armstrong <71161.1313@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Superconductor/Accessability
Ed Federmeyer comments that Superconductor is his fav. off of Presto,
due to its accessability, and then dives for cover. He needn't dive
for cover from me. I don't think accessability is a valid argument for
the value of a song, but it is certainly true that the ultimate aim of
any art is communication. Much of what I listen to is so inaccessable
that most humans wouldn't describe it as music, but that doesn't make
it the best artwork. The best art is clearly that which is
uncompromising and yet universal in its communication.
Also he asks about the lines and pushpins on the Signals blueprint. I
think that they simply delineate the preliminary survey of the proposed
site for the subdivision. The lines connect survey points and are
marked in the key as the K-9 survey (K-9 was a dog, not a date, btw).
His third comment is about the ending to 2112. That is the Elder Race
returning, making his death ironic. It's a tragedy after all.
medrcw!bob@uunet.uu.net writes:
> Belief in Christ does not doom one to an ignoble fate, and
> Christianity does not damn its own communicants. Rather,
> Christianity holds the promise of personal salvation, eternal life
> in the Presence of God, and peace.
Stating this kind of OPINION as a fact is immoral, in my view. It's
also exactly the sort statement that gives me a bad impression of
organized religions the world over.
He also writes:
> It is obvious that "Prime Mover" is not conversant with the tenets
> of Christianity; may I politely suggest that Ayn Rand is perhaps not
> the best source of information about that particular faith, since
> she was an atheist. I might also suggest that until "Prime Mover"
> rises from his/her ignorance, that he/she might follow the old
> adage: "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to
> speak and remove all doubt."
I think bob ought to follow his own advice about remaining silent and
at least give Prime Mover the courtesy of reading his response more
carefully. It seems obvious that Prime Mover's interpretion (clearly
marked as opinion, by the way) was simply that Neil was trying to say
that religious belief dooms one to an ignoble fate. Notice the use of
the word 'seems' in my sentence which marks my statement as opinion,
something bob _seems_ want to do. I find bob's 'suggestion' anything
but polite. That's putting it politely, to say the least. (I speak,
removing all doubt as to my foolishness. :) )
Magician.
/Nondisclaimer: The opinions expressed above necessarily represent\
\ the opinions of the management of the Lion's Den, as I am it. /
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Brad Armstrong 71161.1313@compuserve.COM
The Lion's Den ...uunet!compuserve.com!71161.1313
Rochester, NY THIS SPACE FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
"... everybody got to elevate from the norm." - N. Peart
---------------------------------------------------------------------$
----------------------------------------------------------
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The contents of The National Midnight Star are solely the opinions and
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Copyright The Rush Fans Mailing List, 1991.
Editor, The National Midnight Star
(Rush Fans Mailing List)
********************************************
End of The National Midnight Star Number 180
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