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Subject: 04/19/91 - The National Midnight Star #219
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The National Midnight Star, Number 219
Friday, 19 April 1991
Today's Topics:
Trees, Canadians and Opening Songs
(none)
Re: PROGRESSIVE stuff
Rush posers
Witch Hunt
quit
SUN audio files
(none)
Rand and 2112
literary interpretations
Re: 04/18/91 - The National Midnight Star #218
Marillion
2112 and Trees and a few other things
Opening bands getting booed off stage
Neil on Witch Hunt
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From: amy@arla.austin.mcd.mot.com (Amy Moseley)
Subject: Trees, Canadians and Opening Songs
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 14:12:05 CDT
Ok. Regarding the Trees:
Here's an obligatory Jack Secret paraphase. My brother, his friends
and I met him before the Hold Your Fire tour in Austin, Texas.
Jack says that everybody reads way too much into every song. One
thing people seem to miss is the incredible influence Rush's
nationality, Canadian, has on their outlook. He says Rush
admires America and especially baseball and the space shuttle
("'Countdown'" was a tribute to America") but all Canadians
at one time feel slighted by their huge neighbo(u)r, who doesn't
seem to notice Canada's existence. The Maples obviously
are Canadians and the Oaks, Americans. Canada has tried often
to cut Americans down to Canadian size, through the enforcement
of Canadian Content laws (at least 30% of all music played on
Canadian radio _must_ be Canadian in origin, although the
qualifications for CanCon are slight (i. e. producer Canadian)).
Also Canada has been torn internally between two different
groups, the French and English speng peoples.
More obvious Canadianisms:
* Territories--Canadians are not big flag wavers; in fact
they didn't have their own distinctive maple flag until the
last 20 years or so. They are understated and dislike excess.
I realize I am stereotyping a nation but I'm trying to outline
some differences. In the last few years there has been a rise
in Canadian nationalism, which many Canadians abhor. See soc.
culture.canada. Canadians do not favour the excess of
Americans but at the same time they feel trapped because
they are so ignored by the rest of North America. If you
want to please Rush and all Canadians read soc.culture.canada.
*Lakeside Park--everybody gathers on the twenty-fourth of May
to celebrate Victoria Day, a Canadian holiday. It's the first
holiday of the summer season and children especially like it
because in older times it was the first day they could safely
put away winter underwear!
Finally, about the Rush openers: my brother and friends got
this one. Rush always opened the live shows with the first
song off the _third_ album of the four that made up a live album.
So, Bastille Day for ATWAS, Spirit of Radio for ESL, and finally,
The Big Money for ASOH. My brother predicted The Big Money
would be the opener before it actually was.
--
Amy J. Moseley
Motorola Computer Group
(512) 891-2426 :)
amy@austin.mcd.mot.com or
uunet!cs.utexas.edu!oakhill!arla!amy
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 18 Apr 91 16:28:00 EDT
From: "MAPLE::SPECTRE" <spectre%maple.decnet@pine.circa.ufl.edu>
Please remove me from the mailing list. As much as I love Rush and enjoy
the NMS, the mailings are filling up my disk quota before i can even read
them. Thanx,
Jerry
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 16:23:26 EDT
From: Macon N. Pegram <csc8mnp@cabell.vcu.edu>
Subject: Re: PROGRESSIVE stuff
Hmmmmm.....I don't know what recent incident has sparked this unexpected
response, or if all of you were merely sleeping for the past month. I
certainly thank you all for your interest in such a list, but that announce-
ment was made at least a month ago, and since then, it has come to light
that there already existed such a mailing list, so I abandoned the one
I was working on and joined that one instead, as well as telling everyone who
had posted to me at that point to do the same. This list is very thurough
one, ranging from discussing King Crimson and IQ to more obscure bands such
as Eloy and Starcastle... I suggest all of you join it, if you are still
interested in being on such a list. It's addr is -
gibraltar-request@gong.mitre.org <---- admin. addr
write Micheal and he'll do the rest.
thanks
the grinch
[ The reason was that the Prog. group announcement was sent to me, and
asked it be forwarded to the list. Because of work backups and list
problems, the announcement was delayed. Apparently in that time, the
list was dissolved, but nobody told me. I sent the announcement out
as a special edition of the NMS, that's why you're getting responses.
:rush-mgr ]
----------------------------------------------------------
From: cfabrams@eos.ncsu.edu
Subject: Rush posers
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 17:44:50 EDT
A note to ponder:
I, like many college students, live in a dorm, where I am exposed to many
different people and opinions, especially on music. My ex-roommate had
tastes that ran from Terence Trent Darby and James Taylor to Too $hort and
Slayer. Most guys on the hall listen to wimpy bullcrap music like Top
Forty. Some like Led Zeppelin, but for all the wrong reasons (so they can
get laid). They listen to music for one sole reason--to impress other
people. Not that this is a bad reason, we all are like that to some extent,
but they exclude they quality of "music" as an art form. There's this one
guy who said he liked Rush. "Well, what's your favorite song?" I asked him,
hoping to start an interesting discussion. "Tom Sawyer, man," he said. I
guess he really didn't understand why I rolled my eyes. Are there any
"hardcore" rush fans who think Tom Sawyer is the best Rush song ever? I
admit the keyboard is catchy, and that's probably what many people think of
when they think of Rush. It's the Zeppelin equivalent to saying "Yeah, man,
I love Led Zep--Stairway to Heaven rules!!" Give me a break! Next time
someone says they like Rush because of Tom Sawyer, ask him/her which album
it's on. You may, like me, get an answer like, "You mean it's not on Presto?"
cAm "Invisible to telescopic eye....."
cfabrams@eos.ncsu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Witch Hunt
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 17:55:19 EDT
From: mjkobb@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Greetings,
In the last issue, Rob Simmon writes:
> On an interview two years or so ago (the series about important albums with
>Red whoever) they discussed moving pictures, and described the recording of
>witchunt. Apparently, they went out into the environs of Le Studio and got a
>little drunk, and recorded twleve tracks of neil ranting and raving & the rest
>of the band plus the stiudio staff carrying along with neil. they translation
>is rather difficult: i.e. impossible.then mixed the tracks specifically to
>hide what was said. From experience,translation is rather difficult: i.e.
>impossible.
I agree that it's very difficult to understand what is said there, and in
fact, most of it is totally impossible. However, I'd swear I can make out the
words "We've got to protect our children!" in there somewhere. I'll have to
check the CD when I get home to find the specific time. Other than that
phrase, I can't understand any of it...
--Mike
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Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 17:34:54 -0500
From: koldll@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Laura)
Subject: quit
Although i have enjoyed this newsletter, there are only two more weeks of
school and i am suffering from severe time constraints. please remove my
name from the list.
Thank you,
Laura
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Jonathan Sturges <sturges@xanth.cs.odu.edu>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 21:46:19 EDT
Subject: SUN audio files
'tanks to Keith at ingr.com. The Tom Sawyer synth file is cool, but
annoyingly too short!! (it tends to tease... not to please! my brain
wants to here the rest of the song, too!!!!)
Anyway, I wanted to point out (because I did not know) that when you get
the file from the server in the mail, it is in ASCII form and must be put
into binary. First, save the letter as a file. Then, edit out the
header; make it so the very first line of the file is the one that says
'begin 777 tsawyer_synth.aud' or something like that. Save the file like
that. Finally, type 'uudecode <filename>' and it will make the sound file.
To play it (at least, on ODU's system), you can use the Play program
found in the /usr/demo/SOUND directory, or use SoundTool.
Keith: question for ya. Do you know which pins in the 8-pin mini-DIN
Audio Input/Output jack on the Suns are for audio input? I am planning
to build my own cable, but could not find this hook-up info in the
SPARCstation-1 manuals. Mail me at: sturges@xanth.cs.odu.edu if you
know!
Lata...
Rat
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Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 22:03:51 -0400
From: snarkboy@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Snarkboy!)
I definitely have to get some more Rush so I can quit talking about 2112.
Towards the end, we indeed have a great tragedy. Ron Rader, you injected
the point that perhaps "We have assumed control..." is spoken by the
Priests or "collectivism by force." You present a plausible idea, but
still we must look at the meaning of 'assume.' _Assume_ can, of course,
be an assumption (no definition needed, I assume.) or it can also be
an acquisition, a taking over of control.
The Priests of the Temples of Syrinx already ruled the land,
suppressed the people, and tried to make a supreme Utopia -- the were
in command. When we hear the line about taking over the control of this
land and all of the universe, we can only see (my own narrow-mind) that
it must be by an outside force. Since we (I, and maybe you?) have now
assumed it not to be the Priests, we can ASSUME that it was the once-
leaders, the Elder Race of Man.
"Frankie say, 'No more.'"
--Snark!
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Kenneth Mark Maxham <max@owlnet.rice.edu>
Subject: Rand and 2112
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 21:37:02 CDT
(I posted this a while back, but it seems appropriate again.)
My friend Rich and I were playing 2112 for a mutual friend who was
curious about Rush. After the line "... spills over", Rich said,
"Of course, what he *should* be doing is dynamiting the temples ..."
I got a good laugh out of that.
I don't know if Rand would have disapproved, exactly; obviously that
character would not have been a Rand hero, but obviously not everyone
in her books was a hero.
max
| Mark Maxham | No, his mind is not for rent, to any god or government |
| max@rice.edu | ... he knows changes aren't permanent. But change is. |
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Robert B Simmon <presto@rpi.edu>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 22:46:27 EDT
Subject: literary interpretations
I'd have to agree with your English teacher for the most psrt, SNARK!
As somone who has written a (very small) bit of fivction, I put A LOT of neat
little things in my stories. I can only assume that a real, (paid) author
(of any quality whatsoever, romances, action novels, and, unfortunately some
pulp sci-fifi (oops) seem to be marketed to the lowest common denominator)
would put A LOT more meaning into his or her work. This is especially
true (IMHO) of poetry, with its much shorter length. I would disagree
with your teacherthat there was ONE "correct" interpretation, with all
art, the viewere/listener/reader brings his or hewr own experiences to
teh piece. there isn't a single interpretation.
-rob or redline or cinnamonhead
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 91 22:51:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Nicholas G. Alexander" <na0u+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: 04/18/91 - The National Midnight Star #218
I am a bit trashed, and listening to Oingo-Boingo, so I felt that it
would be a wonderful time to post to the Rush board...
Let's go for the stream of conciousness effect (Spelling optional...)
Rush is an awesome band. "Singer/Screamer" Geddy Lee deserves far
more credit from folks than he gets. So his voice can be compared to
the squeals of a toutured squirl. Some of us LIKE tortured squirls. In
a metaphysical sense, of course. Speaking of squirls, has anyone
noticed how much geddy looks like one on the, um, Hold your Fire tape
jacket?
Alex rocks. Period. The classical bit at the begining of La Villa
Strangiato is just one showcase of his great talent. And his fashion
sense through the years.. manufique!
Neil! What the hell can you say about Neil? Ann Raynd is quite
possibly one of the best people I can think of to be influenced by. But
look at how his lyrics have changed over the years, from a direct
interpretation to a display of how he incorperates her thoughts into his
own system of values. (Pretty deep for drunken rambling, 'eh?) And the
man can play drums, too. What more could we ask for.
Anyway...
um,
I enjoy reading this board. I seldom agree with the posters. My
interpretations of the music are oft quite different than those posted.
But it is good to see how people interpret. Let's you pull the
Neil/Raynd type thing.
By the way, those of you who listen to nothing but Rush are missing
out on a lot of good music. Take it from someone who did the same thing
all the way through High School. Beavercreek high school. What a lousy
name. Anyway, there is a lot of music out there that is not the same as
Rush that is JUST AS GOOD. not the same. not a replacement. But GREAT
STUFF. Take Oingo Boingo (i see the flames now) "Life would be soo
boring without Nasty Habits" How can one not respect a line like that.
And Queensryche's new album.. That album rocks out. And sinead
skinhead oconner, with her, to me, objectional politics and beautiful,
incredible voice and lyrics. Broaden your horizens! Live! Go out and
buy a Front 242 album and force yourself to listen to it 4500 times.
ARRRRGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
I think I'll.... DONT FORGET AC/DC!!!!!!
I think I'll have another beer/
Blearily yours,
Nick
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 08:46:00 EST
Subject: Marillion
From: DSchmidt.311@postman.gsfc.nasa.gov!
I see there are a few serious Marillion fans out there! I think the
reason that they were booed off the stage at the Rush Radio City Music
Hall Shows was simply because they were unknown. Also, their music,
like Rush's, may not be appreciated the first time it is heard. Non-pop
type music may not catch your ear the first time through.
I have to admit, I didn't like it at the time. But I have heard a
few tunes since then, and I would like to hear more!
BTW: That was my first Rush concert, and it was amazing! A few years
later, I got a hold of a bootleg of that concert, and it happened to be
taped the same night I was there!
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Nathan Sidwell <nathan@inmos.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 17:08:23 BST
Subject: 2112 and Trees and a few other things
Recent NMS's seem to be piling up bits that niggle me, so here goes
for a set of comments.
Ron Rader (lr@bbt.com) discusses 2112, saying that the "We have
assumed control" bit at the end doesn't sound like a benevolent Elder
Race returning, but the priests re-asserting their control. (Which is
contrary to how most of the previous postings have seen it.) I always
read this as be a flash back to how the whole society started, with a
dictator assuming control, and the staying there. I don't think that the
protagonist created any disturbance in the society that would be near
revolutionary, and thus requiring the priest's reassertion. Any way if so,
they would have said "We have RESUMED control". The menacing tone of the
voice does not at all sound like a Good Thing, and, as Ron says, external
control goes against Neil's writing (obvious example being Freewill).
The trees, (which is one of my favourites), is rather similar,
come to think of it. External control has been used to even things out.
It always seemed to me to be saying that that isn't a solution. The
problem being misunderstanding of the other's point of view, and
arrogance of ones own. Though, I must admit to some disquiet about the
solution, because it seems that only the Oaks suffered, may be the Maples
get sunstroke later :-) It never occured to me to be about Canada and
Britain.
BTW The repatriation of the Canadian constitution in 1982 could
have become a big deal. Prior to that, (I'm sure someone will correct me
if I'm wrong here), the Canadian government was appointed by a governor
who was responsible to Britain (not sure if that's the Crown, or the UK
Government of the day, probably a fishy area anyway). The governor had
the power to dismiss the government. This meant that, if required,
Britain could impose it's will on Canada. If you think this isn't a big
deal, find out about the Australian debacle a few years back (Australia
still has a governor), where the (Labour I think) Government was about
to resign, and hold a general election, but before it did the govornor
dismissed it. Caused a "constitutional crisis" and moved many Aussies
to want full independence a la Canada. That's enough of a politico
flamefest, this isn't the place to carry on. Didn't Canada get a new
flag too?
Finally I've always pronouced YYZ as wie wie zee, inspite of
being British, 'cos it rolls off the tongue better. Kind of blends
into the instrumental itself. (YYZ would be Yankee Yankee Zulu in ham
speak.)
Nathan
Nathan M Sidwell, INMOS Ltd, UK JANET: nathan@uk.co.inmos
Generic disclaimer applies INTERNET: nathan@inmos.co.uk
This space unintentionally filled Get real -- this is 1978!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 10:54:29 PDT
From: Mark Lent <lent@stat.washington.edu>
Subject: Opening bands getting booed off stage
Someone mentioned that Marillion got booed off stage opening for Rush.
Then someone else replied they couldn't understand why an intelligent
audience could dare do something like that. Well, I just wanted to say
that at the one Rush concert I have ever attended (sad, I wish it were
more), the opening act on May 21, 1986 in the Seattle Coliseum was the
Fabulous T-Birds and did they ever get booed off of the stage! People
were throwing things on stage continuously as the poor guys were trying
to show just how Tuff Enough they could be on stage. I had to agree,
the T-Birds just didn't hit the right spot. My perception is that Rush
is better off without an opener. I doubt anybody would complain to hear
another hour of Rush, but I suppose that is expecting too much.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Lent "Oh yeah, well mine goes up to TWELVE!"
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Neil on Witch Hunt
Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 13:38:01 CDT
From: mark@duke.b23b.ingr.com (Mark Brubaker)
Just a few comments... First, since this is my first post, I feel I should
tell you where I'm coming from with regards to Rush. I first got interested
in the band in 1980 just before PeW was released. My first album was
Hemispheres, and needless to say, I was hooked.
In High School, I had plenty of friends who liked the band, and we listened
very intently to every part of every album. The day of a concert, I would
listen to every song in order on every album before the show. (Very time
consuming now!) At the shows, we all knew every song by the first few notes.
I was very into the band.
In college however, I didn't have any friends that were Rush fans. I still
bought every album and listened to them myself, but without other people to
talk to about it, it just wasn't the same.
Now, I'm getting blown away by Rush once again. I started reading the NMS
recently, and it has caused me to start to *really* listen to the band again.
(It's also cost me a good bit of money -- going back and buying old stuff on
CD, and buying videos etc...) I've found stuff in some of the more recent
albums that I never knew was there!
OK, so on to my subject for this post. Because of the recent discussion
of "Witch hunt" on MP, I went out and bought it on CD. (By the way, this was
probably my favorite album when I was in High School, but I never bought the
album for myself until last night. I always had a tape of a friends copy)
In High School, we had tried to figure out what is said at the beginning of
"Witch hunt", but with little success. It's much easier now with a good CD
player.
In NMS #215, dangerous dave writes:
>and now, i have a question:
>what is said at the vvery beginning of "Witch Hunt"?
>there is some murmuring, and it sounds kinda like:
>"[can't figure it out].... Rush in Ft. Lauderdale"
>am i close?
The part that you think is 'Ft. Lauderdale' is the main part I couldn't
figure out. If I stick 'Ft. Lauderdale' into what I think is said, here's
what I get:
"It's time for us to stand up to Ft. Lauderdale.
We've got to protect our children!"
After that, I can't figure anything out. I know no one can be sure what
is said here, but I can't help but laugh thinking of a drunken Neil late at
night in a studio ranting and raving about college students on spring break
etc... Listen to the part yourself and see if you don't think that's what
is said here. The part starts about 24 seconds into the song.
(OK, I know this is getting long, but...) Another purchase last night was
the ASOH video. There has been some talk recently about things Alex said
during "La Villa" that were censored out and the 'Catch a Fish' quote.
It brings back memories of a show I saw at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena back
in (I think) 1984 during the P/G tour. I was lucky enough to be in the
second row (actually this just meant that I had a body smashed between me
and the security wall) and I was directly in front of Geddy. The thing that
was interesting, was that he never shut up during the whole show. He sang
through just about everything. To the rest of the audience, this would not
have been noticable because he was moving around and his mic was off (except
for the 'real' lyrics of course). He was singing all sorts of weird stuff.
There are parts in the ASOH video where you can see him doing some of this.
I remember being able to clearly hear Geddy singing really wild stuff.
It amazed me that he could sing this stuff and still play bass and keyboards
and everything else he has his hands on during a show. I wish I could
remember better some of the things he sang, but it certainly doesn't surprise
me that Geddy says "Catch a fish!"
-Mark Brubaker
ORQ: "the cosmic is largely comic"
ORQ #2: "All of us do time in the gutter, Dreamers turn to look at the cars"
----------------------------------------------------------
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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 219
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