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Subject: 09/04/91 - The National Midnight Star #331
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The National Midnight Star, Number 331
Wednesday, 4 September 1991
Today's Topics:
Administrivia
Yet Another Reviewer Reviewing (YARR?)...
And still another view of the album...
RTB premiere transcription?
A glorious day!
kicking some gluteus max
Re: Mongo
THIS POST 100% "ROLL THE BONES"-CONTENT-FREE! GUARANTEED!
The Mighty have fallen ...
Cover Boy
RTB -- you know you're a ...
Now it's dark
It Goes to Fourth
Another RTB review (kinda)
Roll The Bones
2 dumb things...
I hope Neil isn't reading
RTB Review (Good and Bad)
(none)
Please read this before sending in your reviews of RTB...
An experiment in terror!
Re: ROLL THE RAP
(none)
Re: 09/03/91 - The National Midnight Star #329
Attn: Phil D. Croix
Heretics?
RTB - failed mail to Frank Schaapherder
Roll The Bones & The Elephant Ass
Where's my Thing and Gangsters?
Big Money--The Video
Roll de bonez
Rolling them bones...
just life
Re: 09/03/91 - The National Midnight Star #330
(none)
Re: 329?
Alex rolling his bones
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Administrivia
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 91 12:57:40 -0400
From: RUSH Fans Digest Manager <rush-mgr>
Hi all,
The version of the FAQL that was available via anonymous ftp between
about 15:00 Tuesday until about 12:30 Wed. (EDT) was different from the
version of part 1 that was mailed yesterday. The difference was that
the new album was not mentioned in the ftp archive file. It's been fixed
now.
rush-mgr
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Yet Another Reviewer Reviewing (YARR?)...
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 91 13:22:28 PDT
From: braun@iris.eecs.ucdavis.edu
This is bad timing, I realize, since it is Sept. 3 (finally), and it's
bound to get lost in the rush of reviews (or the reviews of rush, I
guess), but a note or two on Where's My Thing...
Some others have expressed an opinion that it is the same beginning,
middle, and end. I agree, but would phrase it in terms of movement:
YYZ and La Villa S. both pick you up and carry you along on this tide
of music, down twisty and varied paths, and dump you off abruptly at
the end of the ride, happy and exhausted. There is a real sense of
personal movement to those songs. With Thing, I feel like I am
stationary, while it is the music that is doing the moving *around*
me, with the guitar and synths as swirling atmospherics, and Ged's
bass the thrumming substrate. Less of a sense of going places, more
of a sense of variations of the same going on around me.
Not that this is bad! I like the song a lot... (I especially loved
the funk bit the first time I heard it, and the virtuosity (as
usual)). But I think it is fundamentally rather different than the
other two for the above reasons, and is ultimately less effective.
Still a kickin' song though!
Does this make sense?
ron
P.S. I don't know which is weirder, hearing rap in a rush song, or
hearing the principle of parallax described in a rap?! :)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 91 16:43:17 EDT
From: Ian Nathan <EU894C@gwuvm.gwu.edu>
Subject: And still another view of the album...
And I sit here and I listen with delight to ROLL THE BONES.
I will spare everyone what I think about each track and just add to the
comment by saying these guys never cease to amaze me.
So get out there and rock, and roll the bones...
"Now it's dark."
Ian Nathan
The George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
P.S. Now only if we knew who the masked rapper is...
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RTB premiere transcription?
From: Ted_Batey@HyperMail.apple.com
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1991 11:51:02 PST
Could someone out there who heard the RTB premiere transcribe the interview
with Geddy and Alex for a special edition of the NMS perhaps?
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------+
| Ted Batey | e-mail: batey@apple.com |
| Advanced Technology Group | Phone : 408.862.7081 (W) |
| Apple Computer, Inc. | 408.983.5828 (H) |
| 20450 Stevens Creek Blvd., MS: 76-2H | |
| Cupertino, CA 95014 | |
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------+
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 18:33:15 -0400
From: jlang (~ Rush Fanatic ~)
Subject: A glorious day!
Well, here we are, somehow when I was at Tower Records today to buy the new
CD, I imagined hundreds and hundreds 800+ people storming the CD stores
nationwide to grab a copy of Roll The Bones. :-)
It is a nice day indeed. Time to go crank up the volume and bother the
neighbors a bit. heh
-Jimmy
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 19:34:36 -0400
From: "Douglas G Schwabe" <cschwabe@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: kicking some gluteus max
RTB is an incredible album! I thought that after HYF that Rush wasn't
able to produce great music, but RTB proved me otherwise. Alex is just
kicking, how else can you describe him? Geddy's vocals are the best since
HYF. Neil keeps writing some incredible songs (Listen to "Heresy and you'll
know what I mean). I think that the music is more wide open whereas on
"Presto" the songs seem to be more tighter. I guess Rupert decided to let
the boyz play this time around. Granted, some of the songs still have that
"Presto" feel to it and may sound accessable, but remember, Rupert Hine has
produced albums from Tina Turner and the Fixx so his production values maybe
more commercialized. (I was just as surprised as some of you when I heard
that RH produced "Presto", still Presto was a good album and so is RTB
) Let's give Rupert and Stephen Tayler a hand for producing two fantasic
albums. After all, they deserve it.
Time to get off my soapbox. Let's get back to RTB shall we?
Question: Where is Shallow Studio and why wasn't it listed among the
"Recorded February-May 1991, at " credits
There is a Johnny Abdul listed in the Special Thanks section. I wonder if
he is related to Paula :)
Excellent album cover (Hugh outdid himself this time, IMO)
The rap was fantastic: Better run Homeboy, a fact's a fact
This is the first cassette I've purchased that had an "A" side and a "B"
side.
The cassette is a DIGalog cassette. This manufacturing process links state
of the art digital mastering and duplication directly to the finished analog
cassette. The cassette sounds great!!!
Enough yapping for now gotta getback to rolling the bones
Doug
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 20:15:04 EDT
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri
Subject: Re: Mongo
}> I don't know if this question is FAQL material but hey, I'll ask it anyway!
}> Do anybody know if MONGO in the Anagram (for MONGO) songo title is in itself
}> an anagram?
}
}If it is, you can bet a dime to a dollar (whatever that means) that it's
}not intentional. It's a reference to the line "Telegram for Mongo" from
}the movie _Blazing_Saddles_. It's either a Mel Brooks or a
}Frederico Fallini film; I can't remember which...
}
}[ It's Mel Brooks. :rush-mgr ]
Aaargh! Yes, it's Mel Brooks, but the segment is "Candygram for Mongo".
Ratinox
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: THIS POST 100% "ROLL THE BONES"-CONTENT-FREE! GUARANTEED!
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 91 20:24:28 EDT
From: ddl683@csc.albany.edu
Basically, 'cause I haven't listened to it yet. I'm still at my
second job... hopefully I'll enjoy it and my new Bonnie Raitt disc
when I get home.
BUT -- and I am both embarassed and pleased to say this: I have
discovered something new for the Rush trivia-lover! If someone else
has already posted this, I'll just be SO mortified:
At 3.15 into "Turn The Page" (Hold Your Fire, as if you didn't know),
there is the sound of cuckoo clock! Yes (Swiss readers may stand
proud), for some reason there's a very faint "cuckoo!" in the middle
of the instrumental. [All times are approximate, your CD player
timing may vary.]
I will NOT be sending this to the FAQ list, you're welcome.
There. Now I've given you all something to do tonight besides
genre-bash rap and flame Finland, a quite worthy country which is
perhaps a bit on edge just now, while the folks across the border sort
things out...
Derek L.
--
derek@albnyvms.bitnet <> ddl683@sarah.albany.edu
====}=---------------` Fencers love to touch '-----------------={====
"Cinderella man... hang on to your plans..."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 20:21:29 EDT
From: Glenn M. Mason <glenn@welchlab.welch.jhu.edu>
Subject: The Mighty have fallen ...
Well ... I never thought I'd have anything negative to say about
RUSH, but ...
I just finished to the complete _Roll_The_Bones_ release, and I
am disappointed to say the least. It *really* does sound like
RUSH is trying to break into the pop scene. RUSH has changed over
the years, and I have changed with them and have liked mostly
everything that they have done, but my first impression anyway
is that I think they may be losing me at this point. It has taken
some time for some of the previous CDs to grow on me, but somehow
I really don't see that happening with this release.
And I was so excited from all of the good things I heard ...
Oh well.
Glenn
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Chris Schiller <chris@cdc.hp.com>
Subject: Cover Boy
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 17:29:37 PDT
OK- Let's start the speculation: The boy on the cover looks like
Geddy's son (Julian?) from the DEW video, but 7 or so years older.
How old is he now? Shouldn't his nose be getting big at that age?
Chris Schiller
chris@cdc.hp.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RTB -- you know you're a ...
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 91 17:47:27 -0700
From: " Keith A. Marino " <kmarino@net2.ICS.UCI.EDU>
Hello all! I just thought that I would send in a quick post. I have
just read today's NMS and I got what I expected --- THIS ALBUM SHREDS!
I have as of now heard 3 tracks from the album (DL, Thing? and another
I don't remember the name of) and I already know that I don't like one
of them. I think that WMT? is good, but it isn't up to par with RUSH
music per se. I read in todays post someone said that it was too
polished, I agree whole heartedly. I think that the beauty of YYZ is
that it is so polished without sounding polished. I mean it sounds
like Geddy, Alex and Neil mano-a- instrumento. I miss that. I am not
saying that I expect MP II, I don't. MP isn't even close to my
favorite RUSH album, but I like that style more so than the style of
WMT?.
Now ofcourse this is all opinion and should be dealt with
accordingly... but I find it hard not to think to myself, "If this was
a song by band x, would I like it?" I like the music, but I can see
myself getting sick of it too. (Something I don't think will happen
with COS thru PeW especially) The beauty of old RUSH is that the music
never becomes tiresome... The only way to tell this about the new
stuff is to wait 10 to 15 years or so... :-)
All this and some good stuff too...! Now before you sharpen your
keyboards and turn on the heat, let me say this in my own defense... I
like the new material for the most part, just not as much as the old...
BUT THAT MAY CHANGE! I felt the same about PRESTO and that has become
one of my favorites. It grabs me lyrically more than most of the
others.
YOU KNOW YOU'RE A RUSH FAN WHEN you drag your boss to lunch so you can
go to the not-so-local record store just to make sure the new album is
in... Not buying it for two reasons; one because you can't listen to it
until you get off work and just knowing it is in the car would be sheer
hell and two because you promised to buy it from a local store owned by
a friend (local to home, not work).
AND YOU REALLY KNOW YOU'RE A RUSH FAN WHEN you can think and do nothing
all day in anticipation of getting to the store to buy the new album!
Arghhhh I am so frustrated.. knowing it is on the shelf, seeing it at
one store, and knowing it will be in my hands within 2 hours! And I
thought I was tense during last quarters finals! No way!
OBRQ: " " - RUSH Where's My Thing?
In light of my YYZ quote a couple of months back! :-)
Keith
P.S. If all works, my .sig should be real cool... but who knows?
[7;5m
R-U-S-H---------------------------------------------------------------->
Keith Marino | "Reasoning is partly insane
kmarino@bonnie.ics.uci.edu | Image just an eyeless game"
kmarino@net2.ics.uci.edu |
marino%hycad5@hac2arpa.hac.com | - Neil Peart (Rush)
<----------------------------------------------------------------H-S-U-R
[m
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Now it's dark
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 91 17:51:21 -0700
From: dougo@soda.berkeley.edu
Just to comment on the quote at the end of the credits: "Now it's dark" is
from the David Lynch movie "Blue Velvet". Dennis Hopper played this totally
insane guy who said that in a low, ominous voice whenever the lights went
off. (There may have been more significance to it, but I've only seen the
movie once, a while ago.) I have no idea what it's doing in Rush's credits,
however; maybe they got it from something else.
Footnote: Anthrax also has a song called "Now It's Dark", on their album
_State of Euphoria_. The main chorus goes "Now it's dark, I can see/Don't
you fucking look at me", which is another quote of Hopper's character.
Anyone notice the numbers on the dice on the cover? They're mostly 3's, but
in the bottom 5 rows the numbers vary a bit. I'm sure someone has the time
to figure out if there are any secret message or anything in there...
I was very impressed by the artwork as a whole, especially the wishbones on
the back (I'd love to get a full-size poster of this!), and the skull on the
CD itself. They've come a long way from the comic-book graphics from the
album _Rush_, that's for sure!
My impression of the music? I dunno, not quite as energetic as I was
expecting, but I haven't had the chance to listen to it at a loud enough
volume yet... "Neurotica" is probably my favorite song, so far. It reminds
me of "Between the Wheels", only slower. Read that first verse, you guys
from Finland!
- Doug "armchair rocket scientist graffiti existentialist" O.
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: It Goes to Fourth
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1991 22:16:39 +0000
From: Tony "R." Rice <trice@vttcf.cc.vt.edu>
I can't beleive that nobody hasn't mentioned it yet (or maybe they have I
just stopped reading the now infamous Finnish Flame)
Geddy makes a reference to the movie Spinal Tap during the RTB premier.
During the conversation about Gangster of Boats Trilogy Part 4, while the
DJ inanely talks about them breaking new ground with such an effort, Geddy
replies
"It goes to 4th"
I fell down rolling with laughter!
Geddy is referring to the cult classic movie "This is Spinal Tap" where the
lead
guitarist speaks of his guitar amp (which normally is numbered 1 to 10)
"But these go to 11"
Also,
who is the lad on the cover of RTB? Could it be Geddy's son Julian? Any
guesses?
-.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --..
||_) || | ((~ ||_| Tony R. Rice Virginia Tech Department
|| \ ||_| _)) || | (trice@vttcf.cc.vt.edu) of Computer Science and
Sleep Deprivation Studies
-.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --.. -.-- -.-- --..
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 19:57:34 -0700
From: wbarry@cory.berkeley.edu (Bill Barry)
Subject: Another RTB review (kinda)
Hello all and Good Day!
Like most everybody in the world I picked up my copy of Roll the Bones
today. And like most everybody in the world I am giving a say about it!
So lets get to it!
The cover: Well the dice in the word "rush" follow a definite pattern. The
dice at the bottom are arranged in such a way that if you block out every
one that is not a three then you get a complicated mess that means nothing!
Maybe that's the point!
It also seems we traded the HYF Spheres for Wishbones and Leg Bones.
When I opened the CD case and looked at the CD I thought DAMN! Someone
smeared grease all over it! But to my pleasant surprise the grease was
actually a pseudo-holographic skull! Pretty cool...
Everyone is probably writing about the songs so i'm gonna write about the
whole thing in general!
I know in a past issue that there was a very nasty review of the album. IMHO
I think that people who will agree with this are making a basic fundamental
error. This error is getting great expectations about an upcoming album by
wishing it to be like something already done. Luckily Rush have never done
this! When these people here something not quite what their expectations
promised they get greatly disappointed and hence write nasty reviews. Of
course I try to follow Neil's advice which is "Expect no expectations!"
The best thing about this advice is that if you are an open minded Rush
listener then you can get a lot of exposure to different styles. I remember
when I first heard them 10 years ago that my criteria for a good song was
heavy power chords, screaming vocals, and uncontrolled guitar solos. My
how times have changed.
Now I look for rhythm, pleasantness, philosophy, lyrical word-play,
musicianship, accessability, and stylistic broadness. RTB seems to
fit that definition very well and hence I am very pleased with the release.
A few more odd observations:
Ghost of a Chance kinda sounds like rewrite of Open Secrets.
Doesn't Nuerotica seem to sound like Def Leppard's Hysteria a little?
Apart from these quirks the rest of the album is great! And who is that
"chatting" man?
Bill Barry
"So get out there and rock! Get Busy!"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1991 23:07:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Kevin L. Wolfe" <kw22+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Roll The Bones
Regarding:
>I would challenge all who read this to listen to RTB
>with an open mind, and with the realization that one is hearing a band
>that is not comfortable putting out the same "product" every two years.
>If you are looking for a 2112 part II or a "Permanent Waves
Continued", >then this work very well may disappoint. But, are you the
same person >with the same interests
I couldn't agree more with this post. Their new album is so typical of
RUSH. IT'S beautiful!! A work of art. The lyrics are right at the
amazing level that we expect of Neil Peart. They actually get me to
think (which I generally don't enjoy doing).
"When we are young
Wandering the face of the earth
Wondering what our dreams might be worth
Learning that're only immortal-
For a limited time"
These lines in DREAMLINE are just as thought provoking to me as several
lines in Losing It (Signals) and nearly all the lines in Red Sector-A
(Grace Under Pressure).
Furthermore: regarding some previos posts. Several people seemed to
have complaints about Presto and Hold Your Fire. I would appreciate
some of them writing me (kw22@andrew.cmu.edu) and sharing with me what
about the albums that distressed them (especially HYF).
I suppose that's it. Brevity is something I should practice....
-Kevin
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Why are we here? Because we're here. Roll the bones
//
// Why does it happen? Because it happens. Roll the bones
//
//
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 22:21:27 -0500
From: holtrf@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Russell Holt)
Subject: 2 dumb things...
Howdy all,
One of the inside album pictures has 3, yes, 3 wish bones suspended
above water. Hmm... If you were to look at them from above, you would
notice that they are in the same position as the spheres from HYF...
wow...
Also, as I was listening to "You Bet Your Life", during the lines beginning
with "anarchist reactionary running-dog revisionist..." I couldn't help
saying, "super-califragilisticexpialidocious..." (sp?)
God, it was awful! Almost the same number of syllables... please help me!
On the whole, the album is good. I LIKE IT.
Russell Holt
--------------ORQ: "Do we have to be forgiving at last?"
----------------------------------------------------------
From: erik habbinga <habbinga@tramp.Colorado.EDU>
Subject: I hope Neil isn't reading
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 21:23:20 MDT
You know, the dice on the cover of RTB add up to 2112! :) Actually, I
didn't count them, it just seems like something that would piss Neil off.
Notice that the Boyz all have their hands in their pockets, so we don't
see what time it is? :)
Erik
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 23:50 EDT
From: DEGE@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
Subject: RTB Review (Good and Bad)
Hi all, what ya think? I know most of you will post (have posted), but I had
to ask,.. Anyway, I figured I'd put in my two cents. But first, I almost have
everyone's approval to use my rowhouse as the loc to a RUSH party in Baltimore.
Anyone interested drop me a line at dege@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (all flames there
too). One with the review.
Or first impression. I just bought it, my friends and I drove for three hours
trying to find a place that had it, but you don't want to hear about that. I've
listened to it twice through, plus what I've heard from the radio. When I
listen to a album I first get a feel for it. Just listen, not think. No real
analysis, just a feeling.
I like it, more then the previous albums. Just to warn you, I also like
Metallica, The Who, Styx, and **LOVE** ZEP. Like my roomate said, "Like Mp,
but
more refined." I agree in ways.
It is more like MP then the previous albums. A bit more upbeat, and more
emotion, in the playing and lyrics. I think, though, that they are taking a
chance in trying to "make" more main stream music with a RUSH flare. Does that
make sense? They have gone through alot of other "ROCK style" eras, but not
yet
anything approaching (dare I say) Top40 stuff. I think (I reserve the right to
change my opinion upon further listening) they are taking a chance at making
Top40 stuff sound good.
I mean let's face it, Top40 is a "style" of music (as opposed to Metal, Rap,
Soft, Pop, etc.).
Well, this is getting long, and may not make sense. I've been pounding since
the middle of the second listen. It's the fourth, or is it the fifth? Anyway,
I still like. And don't forget about the BALT/DC RUSH party. SEEYA's
Rio
OBRQ: "Everybody need reverse polarity
Everybody got mixed feelings
About the function and the from
Everybody got to elevate
----------------------------------------------------------
From: the!
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 91 21:34 MST
From: IANBJOR@ccit.arizona.edu
Subject: Please read this before sending in your reviews of RTB...
I was studying for one of my classes, and something I read really seemed
appropriate in light of the major discussions about to take place
regarding Roll The Bones. I have (unlawfully) reproduced the following
passage:
"The attentive listener develops a broad perspective in musical
taste and has little concern about "liking" or "disliking" a
composition or judgin whether the work id "good" or "bad." Rather
it is more important that the music is valid and can be understood.
It is rarely possible to determine this validity after hearing a
piece only once or twice, no matter whether the music is old or new.
Appreciation comes from listening several times and realizing that
music does not need to be beautiful, relaxing or even inoffensive.
It does not need to convey a message..."
(From _The Listening Experience_, by James P. O'Brien)
It is very necessary to give the new music a chance before condemning
it, or, for that matter, praising it unduly. It is just as easy to to have
a prejudice towards a certain type of music as it is to have a predisposition
to another.
I am just asking all of you, even Tero Valkonen, to give ALL music
a chance. Just because something doesn't grab a hold of you from the first
hearing doesn't mean that "it just isn't 2112" or whatever. Like someone
already said, Roll The Bones should be known for its UNIQUE style and not for
its likeness to another album.
Enough said. Keep an open mind.
Ian
IANBJOR is Ian D. Bjorhovde.
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 00:46:41 EDT
From: Glenn M. Mason <glenn@welchlab.welch.jhu.edu>
Subject: An experiment in terror!
Well ... I just finished listening to RTB for the third time.
"Now it's dark."
And I think I am going to have nightmares.
I think there could have been a more appropriate quote to conclude
the credits for this release ... like ...
"An experiment in terror!" ;^)
Glenn
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 11:14:27 BST
From: ano@csres.cs.reading.ac.uk (Adrian N Ogden)
Subject: Re: ROLL THE RAP
Neil Prasad <MCS@carleton.ca> writes:
>The fact that RUSH has effectively utilized rap on their
>latest release makes you wonder that by doing so, they are
>"legitimizing" rap as a form of music.
Legitimizing Rap? The use of rapping in songs pre-dates today's entire
Rap genre by about 8 years. The first hit single to feature a rap was
"Rapture" by Blondie, in what, 1980? Since then Frank Zappa has used
it, ("Dumb All Over" from the '82 album "You Are What You Is"); Sting's
live album "Bring On The Night" features a rap by Branford Marsalis;
And Anthrax and Faith No More (among others) have mixed Rap and HM with
great success.
Rap doesn't need legitimizing by Rush or anyone else. It's here because
someone saw it as a means of expression, and if enough people are open
to that expression it legitimizes itself by sheer weight of acceptance.
As for my own $0.02, with only one or two exceptions rap doesn't work
for me unless it's done by rock musicians. They tend to write songs
which incorporate rap, and thus have some structure to them, rather
than just talking continuously over a single tuneless rhythm.
RTB? I like it. The song reminds me of a funked-up "Show Don't Tell",
with "Presto" style acoustic choruses. And I think the rap section
works just fine. (I have a sneaking feeling that the rapper is Alex.
It sounds a bit low for him, but the fact that there are drums and
keyboards in that section but no guitars suggests to me that they
wanted him to be free to take the microphone if they play it live.
Although how they'd manage the electric/acoustic guitar changes I
don't know.)
<< Adrian Ogden _ . _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ . . ano@uk.ac.rdg.cs.csres >>
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 91 12:34:07 BST
From: CP_PWM%CMS.BRISTOL.AC.UK@VTVM2.CC.VT.EDU
Hi,
I won't give my detailed opinions of RTB yet until I've heard it
about 20 more times. First impressions are that it's far better than
Presto. The only annoying thing about it I find is the number of times
they repeat the choruses...7 times in the 5-minute-long title track
is a bit much...
Point of trivia: On studying the album cover a friend pointed out
that the number 3 crops up regularly (to symbolise the 3 members of
Rush I presume). The dice are mostly positioned at the 3 position,
as are the ones around the window in the inner sleeve. There are
also 3 wishbones. However there are not 3 elephants backsides...
they probably thought one was enough :-). Also on the front cover
the dice on the wall start off ordered at the top of the picture
(as 3s) and gradually become disordered near the bottom. Entropy
in action??
Two more trivial points...What does "Now it is dark" refer to or
mean? And is that a snail on the front cover, just in front of the
boy's foot? I can't tell on my small CD picture, but those of you
who bought the LP might be able to tell.
"swimming against the stream"
Paul May, University of Bristol, UK.
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Atthe Tossavainen <d37690r@kaira.hut.fi>
Subject: Re: 09/03/91 - The National Midnight Star #329
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 16:11:28 EET DST
To Pat Quairoli:
It's not that "Rush somngs take time to be understood". It's that these one
don't. All their relative finesse can be grabbed in one take.
To Sean:
It's not a matter of playing fast (re: alex vs. kirk hammett or Neil vs.
Lars Ulrich); Neil's bass drums DO sound bad, they don't have any "space"
(can't describe sound engineering terms too well in English, I'm afraid)
and Alex' soloes haven't usually been that FAST, but they do go "out"
(if you know the jazz guitar term) fairly often, and that's the point;
now they're neither.
Face it guys, the album does suck big time, they've decided to be just
another rock band. There's no need to stick the Rush label on this one,
it might just as well be AC/DC or Rolling Stones or Guns'n'Roses or any
three-chord band.
atthe
PS. Jimmy Jazz, you can go home to learn practicing what you preach, until
that, wank off. Thank you.
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Atthe Tossavainen <d37690r@kaira.hut.fi>
Subject: Attn: Phil D. Croix
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 16:33:51 EET DST
Matt asks me whether I ever noticed Rush has other songs than Tom Sawyer
and Spirit of Radio.
Definitely did. I have 14 of their albums on CD, the first three on LP
and some miscellaneous singles and maxis. Two songs, huh? I can even
play most of the songs on guitar and bass. So I think it's reasonable
to say I know their music.
Face it, RTB is bad.
atthe
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Atthe Tossavainen <d37690r@kaira.hut.fi>
Subject: Heretics?
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 16:38:27 EET DST
Gregg claims I and Tero are heretic.
Thank you, you just confirmed my suspicions, you aren't really a Rush
fan, Rush is your religion.
atthe
----------------------------------------------------------
From: bold%astroatc.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu (Jeff Beck)
Subject: RTB - failed mail to Frank Schaapherder
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 10:07:57 CDT
Well, can I add my name to the list of people that have heard Dreamline now?
(There's another 75 bytes for the heck of it ;-)
I thought the song was pretty good. I liked it better than anything I
heard from Presto. I wish I had heard it earlier. Too bad that person I
know THAT HAD THE CD TWO WEEKS AGO didn't send me a copy!! ;-) ;-)
But *I* certainly wouldn't say who that person is, *would* I? Even though
this person IS part of TNMS.... (go ahead keep on guessing...)
So, who said "only white boys would get disgusted by rap"? Must've been
someone who appreciates rap. I can say for sure that is false. I know at
least one white person that is really into rap, and at least one black person
that doesn't like it. ;-) ;-) Anyway, on to the next topic.
Frank,
About those tabs...I *still* can't get through to you. I tried replying
to all your messages, but they don't work anymore. They used to.
I use the elm mailer and save messages to folders. It used to look like
this:
Save message to: =schaaphe
but now it looks like this:
Save message to: =
I sent you a mail message that bounced. In it, I asked for a list of tabs
that you have and which ones still need to be completed. I have some that
I would like to send you if I can ever get this @#$%%$^$ mailer to work.
Dear Rush-mgr,
Do you think that once these tabs get organized, it might be possible to
send them out in a special edition, like the FAQL? I know that *I* can't
get at ftp sites and I certainly would like access to ALL of the tabs.
Thanks much!
Keep on Rollin' the Bones!!!!!
--
******************************************************************************
* Jason Bold - Madison,WI= [(rutgers||ames)!uwvax||att!nicmad]!astroatc!bold *
* Absolute, absolute, yeah - Geddy ordering a drink in Milwaukee ;-) *
******************************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 12:00:48 EST
From: bigal@wpi.WPI.EDU (Nathan Charles Crowell)
Subject: Roll The Bones & The Elephant Ass
It looks like Alex found the elephant that sat on
his Gibson double-neck. Pretty funny pic for a band with
no sense of humor, CREEM! The band is lookin' pretty cool
these days, judging from the album portraits. I like Neil's
black turtleneck look, very artsy.
I'm not gonna do a blow-by-blow review of RTB, but
I do have some observations. First of all my favorites thus
far are Roll The Bones (that psuedo-rap is very cool, along with
the overall feel of the song), Where's My Thing?, and The Big
Wheel. The only song I'm having trouble getting into right now
is You Bet Your Life. I don't know why, but it just doesn't grab
me. I always have one song on a new album that takes me longer
to assimilate, like Warpaint (Presto), High Water (HYF), Emo-
tion Detector (PoW), Red Lenses (P/G), etc. It'll happen, it'll
just happen slower.
I have to say the guitar work in Ghost Of A Chance is
incredible. That solo is so expressive and well-executed, I
was completely impressed with one listen! Even though, the song
has kind of a dark opening riff, the chorus is beautiful.
Geddy's voice is really hot on Face Up and The Big Wheel.
Alex's playing is excellent overall, and Neil is just Neil! The
bass work is great, but a little restrained. Geddy's opening to
Neurotica is really awesome.
My vote for the "rapper" in Roll The Bones is Alex, a la
the "That's Nice" from Chain Lightning. He certainly has the
rhythm for it (like any of them don't, right? :)).
Also, does anyone else think the "Now It's Dark." at the
end of the liner notes (right under The Omega Concern) is a
reference to the Anthrax song? I'm not convinced, but it was
an idea that came to mind....
Au resevoir...
Big Al (aka Nate)
OBRQ: "PLAYING FOR TIME/Don't want to wait for heaven
LOOKING FOR LOVE/For an angel to forgive my sins
PLAYING WITH FIRE/Chasing something new to believe in
LOOKING FOR LOVE/The way the big wheel spins" - The Big Wheel
----------------------------------------------------------
From: The Beaner <bean@spot.Colorado.EDU>
Subject: Where's my Thing and Gangsters?
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 10:11:00 MDT
Wow. I bought Roll the Bones yesterday and haven't stopped listening to
it yet. Not even to sleep! Yeah, yeah! Wow.
I notice that, on the sleeve, Where's my Thing is subtitled as part IV
of the 'Gangster of Boats' trilogy. Forgive me if I blew that - I'm
at work and can't check my CD to see if it's right, but you get the idea.
Have the previous three parts already come out and I blindly missed them
(which is very possible) or are the guys doing the same thing to us that
they did with the 'fear' trilogy? Anybody know?
BTW, The skull on the face of the CD is IMHO the GREATEST thing I've seen
in a long while. Way to go, guys!
--
________________________________________________________________________
Greg Bean! bean@spot.Colorado.EDU
"armchair rocket scientist graffiti existentialist..."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 4 Sep 91 11:02:00 CDT
From: "SAEIS1::FQUINTANILLA" <fquintanilla%saeis1.decnet@jupter.AMD.COM>
Subject: Big Money--The Video
I hate to jump into the past with all of this RTB talk going on, but:
I was watching the video for Big Money the other day and was reminded of a
question that I haven't noticed on the FAQL...What does NSF stand for on the
space on the Monopoly board where Free Parking would normally go?
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 12:30:20 edt
From: Marshall_Robin@CEO_SWD.ceo.dg.com
Subject: Roll de bonez
OK, I just picked this sucker up yesterday, and boy is it....
[the content of the raving review is left as an exercise to
the reader]
Anyways, I was wondering if anyone heard any explanations for things
depicted in the album's artwork. More specifically, the dice on the
cover. While the letters are made up of dice in descending
value (65432, and 1 for the roll the bones title line), and the
remaining space-filler dice are 3's (obviously for the three members,
as are the 3 bones and three wishbones found elsewhere in the album)
the dice below the row of threes just below the title are seemingly
random. Could this be a code, a la the morse code on the cover of
Radio Kaos? (My guess is that it spells out the identity of the
mystery rapper :-)
Other things: anyone have a clue who the kid is? (one of their kids??
Howard Jones?? :-) ) How about the significance of the elephant's
rear quarters on the first 2 pages of the book? (probably means "I
dont give an elephant's ass what you think the dice on the front
cover are supposed to mean :-) :-) )
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 13:42:38 EDT
From: USERGJ4R@MTS.RPI.EDU
Subject: Rolling them bones...
Hello all. Just a few of my comments on the new album. I agree with the
fact that one shouldn't review an album until it's been given a fair chance
for a period of time, so I will hold off on any. Here's just a few tidbits
of things I'd like to say...
When I first saw the cover it grabbed my attention right away. Very
powerful. I'm still trying to figure out why the die are in the pattern
they are. It's pretty obvious that the die showing three represent the
trio, but I'm not sure about the others. The ones at the bottom seem to
be in some random pattern. I wonder what Mr. Syme was up to? :)
I found it kind of ironic that "throwing stones", a lyric in the title track,
was in itself rumoured to be the title of the new album earlier around May
(actually it was thought to be "Throwing the Stones"). Kind of
interesting, I thought.
Still trying to figure out where Alex is singing. Perhaps I am not
listening close enough.
Gee, Neil plays cymbals too? He must be pretty good! :)
How the hell can you have Part IV of a TRILOGY??? Sounds like
another good rockline question to me!
For that guy who bought 2112 on tape cassette, you got pretty
reamed, pal. I bought my copy about 2 1/2 years ago. It has
Dolby NR and "2112" is complete on the first side...none of that
fade out bull shit. However, I do have a copy of Caress of Steel
that sticks "I Think I'm Going Bald" in the middle of "The
Fountain of Lamneth", and puts 'Didacts and Narpets' on the first
side. That kinda pissed me off.
Oh well, later folks!
William MacDonald, RPI
"Gonna kick some gluteus max"
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 14:17 EDT
From: Eric Thies <ETHIES%UNCG.BITNET@ncsuvm.cc.ncsu.edu>
Subject: just life
Funny how some albums take getting used to; they get better with each playing
as you notice different things (there's a dog-bark sounding echoing drum in
dreamline, right after 'far away from her hometown' i think). I wonder how many
folks read novels over and over to get a feel for them?
Cute (and not really rush related, but maybe rush mailing list related) quotes
from a book I'm reading:
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."
- Pablo Picasso
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your
temper or your self-confidence."
- Robert Frost
-eric
---
Eric Thies University of North Carolina at Greensboro
ethies@steffi.acc.uncg.edu (internet) ethies@uncg (bitnet)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1991 14:28:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jason James Haas <jh72+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: 09/03/91 - The National Midnight Star #330
Where, how, and why did the original three come up with the band's name "Rush?"
A pondering Rush fan
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 11:46:05 PDT
From: donehoo@olivee.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Doyle W. Donehoo)
My first impression of RTB?
It sounds like a continuation of Presto, but not as good.
Well, hey, it took a while for Presto to grow on me (I still
think Available Light was the best thing there), so maybe this
one will too. Ghost of a Chance seems the most accessable,
but will probably be the first one I tire of.
I dunno... These last two outings seem...simple...austere...
lacking in complexity. Peart does nothing above average,
as well as the rest of the band, from a band we expect above
average things from. They are beginning to sound like those
"Modern Rock" bands: twangy guitars, simple beats, obtuse lyrics,
short songs, lots of repetition. Maybe they should go back and
listen to Losing It.
Well, I like to see Rush progress (from a progressive fan) and
change, and they seem to do that every three LPs. So one more
like this one, and maybe they will evolve again.
My 12 year old daughter said it best. She has heard a LOT of RUSH
(how could she help not to? ;-), and she said:
"It just sounds like the same old RUSH. Nothing different."
Oh well. New Rush is better than no Rush! I am not (too) disappointed:
just not overwhelmed in the way of some of their past efforts.
(Bring back Peter Collins!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ORQ: I don't believe in destiny
or the guiding hand of fate,
I don't believe in forever
or love as a mystical state,
But I believe I'll have another beer. ;-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 04 Sep 91 16:20:26 EDT
From: Greg Lovette <76004.614@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Re: 329?
Could you please send me #329? I seemed to have missed it.
Thanks and keep up the good work,
--Greg
----------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Alex rolling his bones
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 15:29:45 CDT
From: mark@duke.b23b.ingr.com (Mark Brubaker)
I was going to keep my mouth shut about RTB due to all the activity
in TNMS lately but...
IMHO the bluesy/jazz guitar sound that Alex has in 'Ghost of a Chance'
and the solo 3:50 into that song made my entire wait for RTB worthwile!
I don't think I've ever heard that same sound from him before, and in
my opinion, he really shines on this album. The song in general intrigues
me. The contrast between the minor chord progressions (I think that's what
they are) in the verses and the bright, clean guitar sound in the chorus
and solo parts is refreshing. Of course this song should be played at
maximum volume for full effect!
Well that's just my opinion... Personally I'm just glad Rush is still
around after all this time to continue to suprise and intrigue me.
"Stop throwing stones...get out there and rock, and roll the bones"
- mark brubaker
----------------------------------------------------------
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The contents of The National Midnight Star are solely the opinions and
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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 331
********************************************