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Subject: 06/07/91 - The National Midnight Star #256
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The National Midnight Star, Number 256
Friday, 7 June 1991
Today's Topics:
I don't need a drummer!!!
interpreting 2112
Personal to ??
Cygnus X-1
sampling
Could someone *please* help me find "Alien Shores" (on CD)
FAQL
Yet more...
server@ingr.com woes
Didacts and Narpets
Cancel subscription
NMS?
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 91 17:04:14 CDT
From: Craigo Rindosio <MV012791@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: I don't need a drummer!!!
I have a few (witty?) comebacks to the following. I was attempting to
list what we would need for a band at a RUSH party (in TNMS No. 252).
> Hey, what about a drummer???? :rush-mgr
1. I don't believe in rhythm...I never have, I never will.
2. Too many people have been calling Neil "GOD" lately, so I dismissed
the drummer because I'm an atheist. (sp?)
. .
ONE BIG | FOR THOSE TWO!!! i.e., it's not a flame.
\___/
Seriously, thanks for correcting this absence. I had an odd feeling
that I had forgotten something. If you listen to everything, you'd
notice that we couldn't play anything without a Neil-clone.
My humblest apologies (and pies) to all drummers; we don't usually
forget you, we take you for granted. :-) Unless you're in a trio.
I have once again gone off on a {sine/cosine}. Don't worry, the
tumor comes out tomorrow.
Craig Rindy mv012791@ndsuvm1.bitnet
RUSH isn't the only thing in the world, but it's the best!
ORQ: You can make me smile in the end.
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 91 20:19:12 EDT
From: jaeger@buphy.bu.edu (Gregg Jaeger)
Subject: interpreting 2112
I've always thought of 2112 as the piece where the basis of the
Rush philosophy is put forward. That philosophy is fundamentally
individualistic. The band members' individualism of course carries
over into their work as well (``Swimming against the stream/ We
break the surface tension...''), especially in the case of 2112
when the band was under pressure (and graceful too -- heh, heh)
from their record company to produce a particular type of album
(i.e. not a commercially unsuccesful one like COS), one more like
FBN (they were asked to be REgressive!! but ``The point of the
journey/ Is not to return''), instead of following their artistic
desires (holding their fire). The record company's pressure was
generated in turn by the radio station's playlist, which is
both _dictated_ from above and supported by the ignorance and
poor taste of the populace. In one interview Geddy claimed that
the aggressive quality of the album was a reaction to that
pressure.
The story's hero clearly represents the band's
romanticist attitude -- he is sure of the quality and beauty
of his music and wishes only for the priests to appreciate it
and allow it to contribute to the life of his society.
The story is clearly anti-totalitarian (the beautiful music
is silenced because it ``doesn't fit the plan'') and therefore
individualistic (democratic), but can also be seen to be
individualistic in another way: the populace in 2112 is _content_
with the Templevision and Templepaper; it takes the ``elder
race'' to liberate the individual. So while agreeing with the
opinion expressed in the last NMS, I think that 2112 goes
beyond holding the media responsible, it also hold society
responsible for the climate of artistic repression.
(``And what you say about his company/ Is what you say
about society'') Ayn Rand's novella _Anthem_ would give some
insight into the philosophical attitude of the band at that
time, but Neil has expressed reservations in some interviews
(e.g.``The Spirit of Peart'' interviews in ``Kerrang'')
about being seen as a devout Randian.
Another song which has a ``message'' similar to that of 2112,
I think, and is more explicit: ``Grand Designs.'' And
2112 was, no doubt, one of Rush's grand designs. There is
one line of ``Grand Designs'' which is very important for
understanding the philosophy of Rush. That is: ``So much
mind on the matter/ The spirit gets forgotten about''.
These lines have wonderful multiple meanings, the relevant
pair here being first, that people can be (are) so
materialistic (greedy or carnal: capitalistic) that they
forget about matters of principle, and second, that their
thoughts can be so matter-based (Marxist -- the technical
name for Marx's philosophy is `Dialectical Materialism')
that they forget about the (individual) human spirit.
2112 seems best understood as an expression of this
point of view in Rush's 1976 style. This attitude puts
a little distance between Rush and Ayn Rand.
-----------------------------------
Gregg Jaeger (jaeger@buphy.bu.edu) ``Dedicated to the investigation of the
Dept. of Physics philosophical problems of quantum theory
Boston University, Boston MA 02215 and the promotion of individualism.''
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: Thu, 6 Jun 91 21:16 EDT
From: Erin Sasaki <USAGI@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu>
Subject: Personal to ??
Hi there --
Sorry to post this to the digest, but this was the only way I could
think of resolving this problem. Someone, yesterday, sent me a request for
the RUSH fortune script file. However, "reply" does not seem to be working
(I keep getting an unknown host mail bounce) and I *would* like to be able
to pass the file along.
So, if you are disgruntled by my lack of response, and your account
is:
root@iunet.ann-arbor.mi.us
please e-mail me with an alternate address (even another form of this
address would be helpful) so I can get the fortune to you.
Thanks!
Erin (usagi@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 91 23:26:53 EDT
From: vanth!jms@amix.commodore.com (Jim Shaffer)
Subject: Cygnus X-1
To whoever said in Wednesday's NMS that Cygnus X-1 is orbiting Epsilon
Eridani: Huh? Cygnus and Eridanus are just about as far apart as you can
get, if I remember rightly. Is it orbiting Epsilon Cygni perhaps? I don't
have the faintest idea, because I don't have any books handy.
* From the disk of: | jms@vanth.uucp | "You know I never knew
Jim Shaffer, Jr. | amix.commodore.com!vanth!jms | that it could be so
37 Brook Street | uunet!cbmvax!amix!vanth!jms | strange..."
Montgomery, PA 17752 | 72750.2335@compuserve.com | (R.E.M.)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 1991 01:52:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: Gregory C Best <gbest@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
Subject: sampling
Hey! I just remembered something--
jhs4h@uva mentioned in the last NMS that Geddy sampled and triggered the
"That's nice" in concert. Did anyone else notice that Geddy was
sampling his own vocals and retriggering them in *real time*? Usually
on the chorus to give a "scratch" effect-
"Scars of pleasure, Scars of pain pa-pa-pain pain pain"
If anyone out there hasn't caught on to bringing binoculars to the
concert-- DO SO. It's quite impressive.
-Greg
"Dig me... but don't... bury me"
-King Crimson
----------------------------------------------------------
From: jaellis@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Jeremy Ellis)
Subject: Could someone *please* help me find "Alien Shores" (on CD)
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 91 3:39:04 CDT
Hi,
I be Jeremy, and I am *desparately* looking for
the "Alien Shores" album by Platinum Blonde. I will
try to make my story brief as it has nothing (directly)
to do with Rush.
Ever since I heard that album in 1985 I have loved
it, I taped it off a friend from Canada that I have
not seen in years, and photocopied the cassette jacket.
I heard one of their other tapes and was not so impressed
by it, so it must be Lerxt's influence (thus the connection).
Now, after massive playing at first, and intermittent playing -
since I discovered Rush (that's right I heard PB first,
besides possibly an old copy of Moving Pictures - which
I now have on disk) - the tape is very old and almost dead.
I have always wanted to get the actual tape, so I figured
that when my copy died, I would write to the company on the
insheets - BUT I can no longer read it! I tried once
to find it in a music store's catalog but couldn't, so
I thought all was lost. BUT reading the album being mentioned
in the FAQL, I have once again regained FAITH. I know now
the following info. Columbia PCC - 80105. Great! But, I
am hoping that some Canadian (PB was #1 there for a while, weren't
they?) can tell me more about it, can it still be found,
could it possibly (I daren't hope) be found on CD? Sorry,
about this everyone, I am actually a big Rush fan with a small
but growing collection, but it was my one shot with the Alien
Shores album.
Please e-mail me with any info...
Thanks,
Jeremy A. Ellis
jaellis@casbah.acns.nwu.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: FAQL
From: MGOODWIN@maine.maine.edu (J. MICHAEL GOODWIN)
Date: Fri, 07 Jun 91 08:45:30 EDT
/begin whiney-mode
The FAQL is great, but a little lengthy, as other's have noted. My
question: Couldn't the Question about the Red Barchetta end at-
"Well, it's a car, a race car, BTW"? Engine specs and all are better
left for Car And Driver, doncha think?
Sorry, it's been a rough week and I need somethin to whine about.
/end whiney-mode
___________________________________________________________________________
"DO YOU MIND IF I SMOKE?"
"NO, DO YOU MIND IF I FART? IT'S A HABIT OF MINE. THEY'VE GOT A
SPECIAL SECTION FOR ME ON AIRPLANES NOW. I TRIED TO QUIT ONCE, BUT
I GAINED A LOT OF WEIGHT. YOU KNOW, AFTER SEX I REALLY HAVE THE
URGE TO LIGHT ONE UP" STEVE MARTIN, CIRCA LATE 70'S.
MIKE GOODWIN
MGOODWIN@MAINE.MAINE.EDU MGOODWIN@MAINE.BITNET
____________________________________________________________________________
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 91 06:13:05 PDT
From: mjahnke@UCSD.EDU (******* Meg *******)
Subject: Yet more...
You know you're a Rush fan when...
you spend two hours in a rock garden rearranging the stones to say '2112'
[ You didn't!? :rush-mgr ]
you sit around all day during the summer hand-sewing a shirt of "Rush"
you type in the entire Success Under Pressure book for fun!
[ She did!! (for #2 and #3) :rush-mgr ]
catch ya later...
-Meg
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Subject: server@ingr.com woes
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 91 10:30:01 CDT
From: tj@alpine.b17a.ingr.com (T.J. Higgins)
Because I got a new workstation on Tuesday, June 4, the server@ingr.com
system hasn't been working properly. This was due to mail transport
problems internally within Intergraph. Any requests that were sent
between June 4 at 8:00am CDT and June 7 at 10:30am CDT were lost
(note: CDT is GMT - 5). These problems have now been resolved.
The server is up and running fine now. Sorry for any inconvenience.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
T.J. Higgins 205-730-7922 | higgins@ingr.com (Internet)
Mapping Sciences Division | uunet!ingr!higgins (uucp)
Intergraph Corp. M/S IW17A4 | b17a!tj (Intergraph internal)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.A.
"Mars is essentially in the same orbit. Mars is somewhat the
same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We
have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and
water. If there is water, there is oxygen. If oxygen, that
means we can breathe." -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 07-Aug-89
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 91 10:50:26 CDT
From: mitchell@master.med.ge.com (Jim Mitchell 4-6805)
Subject: Didacts and Narpets
On Fri, 24 May 91 13:22:52 BST, CP_PWM%CMS.BRISTOL.AC.UK@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU wrote:
a) Does anyone out there know what a Didact or Narpet is...from The
Fountain of Lamneth on Caress of Steel?
Well, a friend of mine (also a big Rush fan) suggested to me that the
words may be anagrams for Addicts and Parents. Anyone know if this is
true?
Also, I noticed in the FAQ list that the word "Listen!" (shouted by Ged and
the Deep voice (Neil?)) at the end of the song is ommitted.
"Sunlight on chrome, the blur of the landscape, every nerve aware..."
-Jim
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 91 10:55:16 -0500
From: Thomas A Dalcher <dalcher@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>
Subject: Cancel subscription
I'd like to cancel my subscription to your newsletter.
dalcher@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 91 12:29:36 EDT
From: dans@theopolis.orl.mmc.com (dan sullivan)
Subject: NMS?
Here's one that probably should be in the FAQ. I'm a new subscriber,
and I've been trying to figure out the meaning of "National Midnight
Star." Have I missed some obvious Rushism?
1001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001
Daniel J. Sullivan (407) 356-7216
dans@iplmail.orl.mmc.com
Martin Marietta Electronic Systems
MP 1160, Orlando, FL USA
1001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001001
----------------------------------------------------------
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Copyright The Rush Fans Mailing List, 1991.
Editor, The National Midnight Star
(Rush Fans Mailing List)
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End of The National Midnight Star Number 256
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