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Subject: 06/26/91 - The National Midnight Star #273
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The National Midnight Star, Number 273
Wednesday, 26 June 1991
Today's Topics:
Administrivia
You know you're a Rush fan when...
Re: 06/24/91 - The National Midnight Star #271
reviews, tape splits, and solo projects
Solo project and 'creative damage'
Rush, BREAK UP?
Re: 06/19/91 - The National Midnight Star #268
Re: 06/19/91 - The National Midnight Star #268
new album producer, Force Ten
A Myriad of topics...
Re: Neil's miking
Yo! I'm here!
Alex and wierdness
balls and lenses
RUSH / QUEENSRYCHE
Opinions and all
RE: Why _chronicles_
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Administrivia
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 10:57:08 -0400
From: RUSH Fans Digest Manager <rush-mgr>
Hi all,
Sorry about the lag time of the list the last few days, things have
been kind of hectic. I think I finally figured out the problem with the
automatic mailings, and this NMS *should* have a send date of 6/26. As
usual, all standard disclaimers apply ...
If there are problems that crop up with this list, feel free to point
them out to me at the admin. address, but due to work load and a major
transition at work, things will be more 'loose' for the next two weeks.
Please bear with me...
rush-mgr
----------------------------------------------------------
From: bold%astroatc.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu (Jeff Beck)
Subject: You know you're a Rush fan when...
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 16:47:48 CDT
Here's one for y'all.
You know you're a Rush fan when you're downtown at a bar 1/2 hr. before
a scheduled TV interview with the boyz, a *foxy* (read: 11) girl comes up
to you and says she hasn't had sex in a year and she really *wants* you...
>...badly... and the first thing that goes through your head is,
"Damn, now I'm gonna miss that interview" ;-)
P.S. If you go listen to the interview, you're a loony, not a Rush fan ;-) ;-)
(apologies to female subscribers. reverse genders for females...)
--
******************************************************************************
* Jason Bold - Madison,WI= [(rutgers||ames)!uwvax||att!nicmad]!astroatc!bold *
* "A strawberry mind, a body that's built for two" - Michael Hedges *
******************************************************************************
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Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 17:56:54 -0400
From: Ralph R. Miller <rmiller@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu>
Subject: Re: 06/24/91 - The National Midnight Star #271
Please unsubscribe me from this list
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: reviews, tape splits, and solo projects
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 14:18:06 -0700
From: Michael J. Konopik <zzz@erg.sri.com>
Sure, we all have to accept that taste is a personal thing, and that not
everybody will like (or even respect) the work that Rush does. But on the
other hand, I feel it's a magazine's responsibility to ensure that their
reviewers actually do their job. What I've seen from RS regarding Rush has
been totally unfair. Each time I read a Rush review in RS, it seems like the
author has listened to the disc at most once, and maybe even on fast-forward
while skimming through the lyrics sheets. The author invariably chooses
exactly the wrong thematic emphasis; and the review usually complains about
Geddy's shrill voice and Neil's overpowering drums, even though those were
phased out many discs ago. Ever read a movie review and wonder whether the
author had seen the same film that you did? That's how I've felt after every
Rush review I've read (in RS as well as in Playboy).
Regarding the order of songs on cassettes being different - it isn't
surprising. The manufacturers try to get the amount of time on each side of
the tape to be as close as possible, to minimize the amount of wasted tape in
each cassette (hence maximize profits). With LP's, the requirements were a
little less stringent, since the album's size was static. And with CD's it's
even more loose, because there aren't sides at all... 8-track tapes were the
worst, though - sometimes the track would change in the middle of a song!!
I find the solo-project question very interesting - let's hear more opinions!
Seems to me that Rush is well-guarded against problems in this regard, since
they all share pretty equally in the songwriting tasks. If one starts to do
most of the work (like Waters with Floyd and Collins with Genesis), then the
music done by the group will start to sound just like the dominant figure's
solo work. That, IMHO, is a sure way to make a group lose its identity and
disintegrate.
Oh, and BTW - the new VH does indeed have some pretty slick stuff on it!
-Mike
ORQ: You know how that rabbit feels...
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 19:42:05 EST
From: bigal@wpi.WPI.EDU (Nathan Charles Crowell)
Subject: Solo project and 'creative damage'
I don't see how solo projects could damage Rush in
any way. Granted the members of Rush haven't gone out and
done any albums as "Geddy Lee", "Alex Lifeson Plays 100
Favorite Polkas", or "Neil Peart Shows Charlie Watts A Things
Or Two" (copious quantities of :)'s), but I don't it would hurt.
I admit I wasn't impressed with Larry Gowan's album,
just Alex's playing, but that was because I don't care for
his songwriting style. In general any Rush performance on
another person's album has been good, but they're talented
and experienced, and this always helps!
Personally, I would like to see a true "solo" project
from one of the guys (I refuse to say B--y- !). I think it
would be an incredible thing to hear one of them show how
THEIR songwriting talents would sound outside of Rush! And,
I think they would return to Rush as eager as ever to continue
their career together.
Big Al
You know your a Rush fan when....
...every night at 9:12 you observe a moment of silence!
...you think Paula Abdul should be nailed to a wall for
using the name Rush!
...you name everything you do in a computer game after
something Rush related (I don't know how many flight
game pilots I have named 'Geddy'!).
OBRQ: "This is a song about a car, this is called Red Barchetta." -Ged
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 20:33:03 -0400
From: "Douglas G Schwabe" <cschwabe@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: Rush, BREAK UP?
Not in a kagillion years, folks. Over the last decade Rush has taken many
chances to grow musically and so far it has paid dividends. In order to
have any kind of longevity in the music business you have to take some risks
else your music will be stagnant. I think that the boyz will continue to
follow this trend thru 2001 and beyond. They're still relatively young
(None of them has reached 40) so there is no reason that they can't go another
22 years.
To Chuck Nichols <cn0p+@andrew.cmu.edu>:
I checked the "names" file in the Rush directory at Syrinx and their are
13 Pitt students (including John Connelly, the Laser Rush man. JC, how long
is the Laser Rush show run through?) and 16 students from Carnegie Mellon
University (CMU). Looks like we have the makings of a monster party, eh?
Also, I been wanting to mention this but haven't had time:
For those who are interested in the origins of TNMS in the /rush/special
directory at Syrinx is a file called "anniv.1". This file is explains the
many phases of NMS, from the early days as a mail deflector to it's current
digest format. This is an interesting article for those who wanted to know
how the NMS got started. I think you'll enjoy it.
Doug
Hi Ken!!
"Every action has an equal and opposite satisfaction" - David Addison
Moonlighting
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 18:30:33 PDT
From: senator@cobalt.cco.caltech.edu (Bill Bradley (D NJ))
Subject: Re: 06/19/91 - The National Midnight Star #268
Please remove me from the list for the summer
Bill
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 18:57:06 PDT
From: senator@cobalt.cco.caltech.edu (Bill Bradley (D NJ))
Subject: Re: 06/19/91 - The National Midnight Star #268
please remove me from the mailing list for the summer
Bill
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 09:24:13 BST
From: ano@csres.cs.reading.ac.uk (Adrian N Ogden)
Subject: new album producer, Force Ten
I don't know if this is common knowledge yet or not, but I
read in a magazine the other day that the producer of the
new album is definitely Rupert Hine.
So no surprises there. And on another note...
UK04071@ukpr.uky.edu (Vijay Lele) writes:
>Also on "Force Ten" why doesn't Geddy sing the lyrics:
>'Rising falling at force ten we twist the world and ride the
>wind'? Just wondering?
Ged does sing those lines, but they're not up front. They can be
heard as backing vocals behind the last two lines of the second
chorus, just before the solo.
<< Adrian Ogden _ . _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ . . ano@uk.ac.rdg.cs.csres >>
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 02:26 MST
From: "Pat E. Perez" <PATEP@ccit.arizona.edu>
Subject: A Myriad of topics...
Hello again!! A few snidbits of something here:
Maples in AZ: nope, only cacti & a few palms. My guess is that maples
have leaves like the one on the Canadian flag...dunno what to
do about them oaks, though ;-)
I saw an old sweatshirt recently that gave a listing of the performers
at the 10th Anniversary (celebration I suppose) of the Alpine Valley
Music Theatre & you-know-who were supposedly there. Does anybody know
when this was & where that theatre is? The shirt gave no such
information...I was just curious...
Did anybody besides me get a sudden urge to listen to 'Force Ten'
after finishing Peter David's ST:TNG novel _Vendetta_??? I hate it
when that happens... 8-)
'til next time -
Pat
++================================++========================================++
||Patricia E. Perez || "The more we think we know about ||
|| <U of Az Linguistics Circle/ || The greater the unknown ||
|| Coyote Papers> || We suspend our disbelief ||
|| patep@ccit.arizona.edu || And we are not alone." ||
++================================++========================================++
----------------------------------------------------------
From: atz@clmqt.marquette.MI.US (dweezilbub)
Subject: Re: Neil's miking
Date: 25 Jun 91 22:50:33 EDT (Tue)
Kenneth D. Renard (COOP) <kdrenard@BRL.MIL> writes:
> Has anyone out there been bothered by the fact that Neil's set has
> been miked differently on the past few albums? With the invention of
> the multi-disc player it has become more evident. On Exit...Stage Left
> and earlier albums, Neil's set is miked to give the effect of watching
> the band on a stage, while later albums have the mikes turned 180
> degrees as if you were sitting in Neil's seat.
Yes, I have noticed this and it use to bother me alot, especially when
playing air-drums (hahaha) and I would go one way and the music the
other.
I dont know if head phones would bother me... That is a good question
though, why he would change it.
--
\_._____._____._____. ==== ==== ===== .____._____.___.___/
\__The Enterprise BBS == == == ,===~ This space for rent!__/
__-__________-__ ==~~== == ===== ____-_____-___-__
\ \ \atz@clmqt.marquette.mi.us/ / / /
----------------------------------------------------------
From: "Reidar Bjorhovde " <bjorh1@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: Yo! I'm here!
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 8:31:49 EDT
I, too live in Pittsburgh.
I have a couple of non-subscribing friends, also!
Rush Party? OK.
ObTLQ: "Let's do it"
Ian D. Bjorhovde
University of Pittsburgh
bjorh1@unix.cis.pitt.edu
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 09:03 EDT
Subject: Alex and wierdness
From: gtv@cblph.att.com!
Fellow TNMS Readers:
After reading some fo the antics that Alex has done, I
recalled something a little humorous in a show here in
Columbus, Ohio.
The show was from the p/g tour. About 30 minutes into the
show, something went haywire with one of Alex's amps. His
soudn went way down and extremely distorted. He had this
wierd loook on his face, went over to the amps and kicked one
a few times, then shrugged his shoulders and looked at a
one of the road crew, by the end of the song (can't remeber
which one) his sound was back to normal.
Another thing happend at that show too. I recall of one the
crew walking on the lighting above the stage.. Alex saw
things moving, looked up with this really scared look, and
kind of walked just off stage very carefully, sat on one of
the speakers and continued playing...
All in all it was a great show... And kind of humorous...
Gary V.
gtv@cblph.att.com
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Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 11:18:23 EDT
From: jaeger@buphy.bu.edu (Gregg Jaeger)
Subject: balls and lenses
Hi Everyone,
In the last NMS, Phil Simon claimed that Ayn Rand was the inspiration
for the three balls on _HYF_; how so? Phil? Anyone?
Thanks to Mike Kobb for straightening me out on the Miles Copeland
statement in _Bring On The Night_ -- I heard `rushes' and had an
enthusiasm overload, apparently...
I thought I'd have a go at interpreting ``Red Lenses'' as, lyrically
speaking, it's one of my favorite songs. The only nearly full
interpretation I've seen in the NMS is Lance Neustaeter's in #212,
with which I largely agree.
Neil says in an interview (Guitar, Oct. 1986), ``the color red is the
theme of it,'' and that he used that theme as something through which
to bring together a number of ideas, each of which is stated as
inexplicitly as possible. He was making use of the style of T.S. Eliot
in that respect.
``i see red
it hurts my head
i guess it must be something
that i read''
-During the writing of _P/G_ Neil was reading the newspaper every
morning and he was affected psychologically by that. The song seems
to be, in its broadest meaning an expression of Neil's reactions
while reading the newspaper, projected onto the song's persona.
This was argued by Lance (though in the context of television):
``...stop on any current news story it usually accomplishes nothing
but getting you annoyed, flustered and frustrated with the world--
so that you just stop listening to avoid the blood pressure.''
`To see red' is an expression meaning `to be upset and angry'
as a result of some experience or learning of some fact, and
less conventionally to feel alarmed, as in `red alert.'
``it's the color of your heartbeat
a rising summer sun
the battle lost -- or won
the flash to fashion
the pulse to passion --
feels red
inside my head
and truth is often bitter --
left unsaid
said red red
thinking about the overhead --
the underfed
couldn't we talk about something else instead?''
-`the flash to fashion' Lance sees as society's preoccupation with
glamour and superficiality; `the pulse to passion' as its preoccupation
with sex. Again I largely agree, though `the pulse to passion' can
be more broadly interpreted to mean any sort of emotional reaction,
any animalistic urge. Neil invokes the image of blood at the outset
`the colour of your heartbeat' and of `the battle lost -- or won,'
and heats it up with `the rising summer sun.' `thinking about the
overhead' can be understood as a reference to economic decline,
while `the underfed' are no doubt those suffering in the Third World
(and the 1st and 2nd world, for that matter) from a decaying
infrastructure. `couldn't we talk about something else instead' just
expresses the discomfort the persona feels in light of these depressing
realities.
``we've got mars on the horizon
says the national midnight star
(it's true)
what you believe is what you are
a pair of dancing shoes --
the soviets are the blues --
the reds
under your bed
lying --
in the darkness
dead ahead''
-`we've got mars on the horizon/says the national midnight star' it
was suggested by Lance that this is a sarcastic expression of ``
annoyance with tabloids in general.'' While this is clearly true
of the last line, the first line might also be a headline which
might appear such a tabloid and which is a way of saying `war is
imminent' (as was pointed out by Robert Pitas in NMS#182, Mars is
the god of war). This is a typical rally cry of the McCarthy-era's
`red scare', the fear of communist expansionism (a la Krushchev's
`We will bury you'), which was recalled by President Reagan's
`Evil Empire' (ca. 1984, the year of the album) characterization
of the Soviet Union, which can be viewed as ``free-world'' propaganda.
`the soviets are the blues -- the reds' is further evidence for
this interpretation. `what you believe is what you are/ a pair of
dancing shoes --' is Neil's put-down of the people who read tabloids
or propaganda and say, `it's true' -- he sees these people as puppets
of anti-soviet propaganda. `under your bed/lying --/in the darkness/
dead ahead' is poking fun at this paranoid (`under your bed')
psychology which eliminates one's trust in the words of the soviets
(`lying --') because they are the leaders of a dark (i.e. evil) empire.
``and the mercury is rising
the barometer starts to fall
you know it gets to us all
the pain that is learning
and the rain that is burning --
feel red
still -- go ahead
you see black and white --
and i see red
(not blue)''
-`the mercury is rising/the barometer starts to fall' can be interpreted
to mean events are ``heating up'' and the ``atmosphere is becoming
unsettled.'' This is really nice as Mercury, like Mars, is also a
member of the pantheon, and mercury is (as we all know) one of the
liquids used in thermometers (which, like barometers, monitor weather
conditions). As for `you see black and white -- and `i see red/(not blue)',
`see[ing] black and white' means believing that the truth of the matter
is simple -- the way the paranoid feel that the existence of conspiracies
is clear -- and `i see red' is probably Neil's reaction to this
simplistic psychology (which could get us all killed!). The `(not blue)',
I think, is an expression of the feeling that the future isn't so
clear and bright (with blue sky) as many conservatives think
but rather is quite uncertain (clouds, a falling barometer).
-As for the title `Red Lenses,' red lenses are things through which
one ``sees red;'' and ``seeing red'' can be contrasted directly
with ``seeing rose,'' i.e. ``seeing through rose-colored glasses,''
which is to say seeing things in an overly optomistic way, much
like ``seeing blue [skies].''
At least that's the _I_ see it...
Gregg
-----------------------------------
Gregg Jaeger (jaeger@buphy.bu.edu) ``Truth is after all a moving target''
Dept(s). of Physics (and Philosophy)
Boston University, Boston MA 02215 ->>READ DOS PASSOS!(his books, i.e.)<<-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 12:55:04 EST
From: UK04071@ukpr.uky.edu
Subject: RUSH / QUEENSRYCHE
How y'all doin',
I too would like to say that Queensryche is similar to Rush in
musical content and lyrical meaningfulness. Although I'm not as
knowledgable on the subject as Craig Rindy, after I bought the "Empire"
CD I could immediately see the similarities. I've also heard their
previous album "Operation:Mindcrime" and IMO I think it is very similar
to "2112" in the theme of the album, that is some higher authority
controlling what we do, think, say, etc. As a matter of fact they went
one step beyond Rush, in that the whole album is a concept album, and not
just one side. Also I think lyrics are very Rush-esque, in that they
do not deal with teenie-bopper crap that so many other 'pop-metal' bands
these days sing about. Instead they are very ingenious, and very carefully
thought out, much like Neil's. They talk about the homeless, oppression,
hope for the handicapped, and one other subject that Rush hasn't dealt with
much: Love. Although issues like politics, the economy, the environment, and
war are important themes to be discussed, I think that love is equally
important. I wish that Rush would write more songs about love (and no, I
don't mean Bon Jovi or Nelson or Richard Marx mushy-gushy love songs, I mean
_real_ songs about _real_ love) because I think that is one topic they have
not fully addressed. (Madrigal and Entre Nous are two of my favorite Rush
songs) But anyway, the way this relates back to Queensryche is that they do
a very good job treating this subject on "Empire" in songs like "Hand o
Heart" and "One and Only".
Also I've heard a lot about Rush being like Genesis. I'm only
familiar with "Duke" onward. Could someone tell me some indicative albums
by Genesis which I should consider buying.
Vijay Lele
ORQ: "In vain to search for order,
And in vain to search for truth,
But these things can still be given,
Your love has shown me proof."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 14:21 EDT
From: DEGE@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
Subject: Opinions and all
Yo guys, relax! Maybe I'm reading Greg and TV's posts the wrong way, but
can't ya guys cool it.
I admit everyone is entitled to opinions, but I don't think TNMS is a place
to bicker about opinions. Like Mike, we can just state them, our reasons,
and be done with it. Personally I like MP more then HYF, simply because I
like heavier music (I also like Metallica if that states the reason better).
I just want to say that I don't want this to start into another flame. I
like TNMS because of it's varied opinions and interpretations, but not the
other garbage of "mine is right cause... and yours is wrong cause..."
Anyway, enough of my opinion on things. Back to work before the boss yells.
Rio
p.s. I can't believe it, my sister wants to buy P/G and maybe some other
RUSH albums. She finally listened to them herself, instead of listening
to friends opinions. SEEYA!!
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Why _chronicles_
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 15:09:12 EDT
From: David.Spencer@samba.acs.unc.edu!
Well, I picked up Chronicles before I had all the albums, and
the only reason I can think of to have it is...well, a few, actually.
a: Some of us just like to have Rush material :)
b: Support the band financially (at 30$, even.) :)
[ ... but I wonder if the band sees any of that; they're on a different
label now. They should get royalties for the songs, though, right?
:rush-mgr ]
c: The jacket gabs about Rush a bit, although it's not stuff you
wouldn't know if you were a *real* fan. A good brief history, though,
which was stuff *i* didn't know when I bought it.
So it's not a total waste of space and money to buy it.
ORQ: Home to tear the temples down, home to change....
OBSQ: Never talking, just keeps walking...
OIMQ: You take my life, but I'll take yours too
ODSQ: This is getting ridiculous, don't you think?
OBBQ: How would you like that done?
----------------------------------------------------------
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Once you've successfully logged on, change directory (cd) to 'rush'.
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The contents of The National Midnight Star are solely the opinions and
comments of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the authors' management, or the mailing list management.
Copyright The Rush Fans Mailing List, 1991.
Editor, The National Midnight Star
(Rush Fans Mailing List)
********************************************
End of The National Midnight Star Number 273
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