FEEDBACK

I guess the only thing more odd than hearing Rush do covers in concert is to hear them on CD! This is an extremely interesting collection for Rush fanatics and casual fans. They rock hard on most of the tunes, and Geddy's vocals really make these unique covers. Alex gets a chance to shine on this one as well. After the horrible production values of Vapor Trails, it's a relief to be able to crank this album up and not have your ears hurt. It's hard to rally think of this as a 'Rush' album, but it's a damn fine disk to pop in the car when you're taking a drive.

3.5 stars really. Funny how hane not bought Rush albums since Pistures and Exit and in the last three years I have bought the remaster from 76-79 , the triple Different Stages and now this EP . How gleefull hearing my teenhood heroes doing those sixties classics. I wish they had done a few more actually. Very original versions , they are not but the emotion factor is there and this heals the wounds after the horrible Echo and Vapor albums.

Feedback is a nice diversion for this long tenured band. Some of the songs play a little "watered down". Rush claims in the liner notes that this is music that inspired them in their early days. I can't help but listen to these songs and think that these were some of the only influential tunes that they could get the rights to cover. What about the hard rock roots stuff? Like Zep or even The Beatles? Clearly, Rush was influenced by them. With that said, there are some songs that the band's musical talent shines. I thoroughly enjoyed Neil Young's 'Mr. Soul' remake. Definitely a highlight of the CD. This song makes a great deal of sense on the CD since Neil is also from Canada. The other song that deserves praise is 'Crossroads'. All band members step up during this cover, definitely worth a listen. The only new song is 'Seven and seven is'. Well, it's OK... A friend once told me that new Rush songs are ahead of their time. If you don't like them now, listen to them in a few years, you will like them. I guess that's the definition of Prog Rock, huh? Well, he is right with some songs, I'm just not sure that 7n7 will stand that test of time, seeing as they were channeling back in time. If you're a fan of the period or band pick it up.

just for the record and "djcfuzz"

"seven and seven is " is not a new song, it is a cover by the group LOVE, who's main man was Arthur LEE....on the cd is credited "Lee" , but it is not Geddy !!! Check out their version on their "Da Capo" album, originally released in 1967.

wow it sounds much better than Vapor Trails, and the songs here are classics so it's old school rock and roll and a bit of 90s Rush sound (Test For Echo). Songs Summertime Blues, Heart Full Of Soul and Crossroads are brilliant but Seven & Seven is it's a massacre and total filler, The Seeker is not good choice cos they should have better choose more energetic Who's song but the rest is good or very good.

Very nice album from the Canadian power trio. Serving up some hits that have influenced the band from way back when, the listner is treated to a sonic wave of guitar and excellent interpretations. "7 & 7 Is" just shines and so does "Mr. Soul". "Summertime Blues" gets the Blue Chair treatment and "The Seeker" is powerful. Alex Lifeson gets his due yet again! Great job from one of the best ever...

The best 27 minute Rush album featuring covers of old songs that is out there.Completely and utterly pointless in my opinion.Why didn't they just give it away as a bonus CD with the next studio album? A chance to make a few bucks off the loyal fans who have supported them for so many years may well be the answer.I want new Rush songs not new versions of old songs by other bands that I barely remember.

I gotta say this album is addictive as no one before, maybe it´s not prog at all, but the way they perform this late 60´s classics is amazing. Most of the tracks are better than the originals, only "THE SEEKER" I think is better performed by The Who because Daltrey´s voice is made for this kind of songs.

Everytime I think Rush can´t impress me more, they do impress me double.

For a longtime RUSH fan like myself, the aniticipation of a new album or tour by RUSH is something that does not come often enough! The RUSH R30 tour would have been plenty, but guess what, FEEDBACK, their new cover album exceeds all expectations. After one listen, a good friend who has not been a big RUSH fan popped off with, "hey, surely there is a hit in there somewhere." Summertime Blues, Heart Full of Soul, and Crossroads are the answers to a RUSH fans prayers as they ROCK! These guys are pros and are at the top of the heap. Thanks RUSH!

I'm not an admirer of cover versions. period! And although I have been a passionate RUSH fan for over 20 years, I find this album to be no exception. I can appreciate where the guys are coming from when they thought up this project - but it simply is NOT! Personally, I feel that RUSH have let the side down by bowing to popular music trends of imitation, which is writhe among so many of today's so-called artists/bands. This is a sad chapter in the book of RUSH.

For those who feel disappointed with this album, well, why you guys bother buying it? You know already that THIS IS A COVER ALBUM, PLAYING BY RUSH. Celebrating their 30 years of existence in music, they try to give an appreciation to the bands which had influenced their music at the beginning of their career. I respect what they did. After making their own music for a long time, maybe they think that this is time to make something different. It's a free world, man. And how they cover the songs as simple as the originals appear, it won't bother me. They're just having fun. So, don't take it so seriously. "Feedback" is a birthday gift from RUSH to their idols. If you love it, fine. If you don't, once again, why you bother buying it?

I really feel that Rush is one of the few bands experienced enough to an cover album of this quality. Every tune here is pleasant, and I actually think it's the first Rush cd where Alex is in the driver's seat all the way and he achieves some of the best guitar textures I've ever heard. However, I really think that this cd, like VT is horribly mastered and mixed. Both cds sound muddy and overly compressed. I really think 'The Boys' have to consider getting a new recording crew.

When i first heard that this album consisted of only covers, I wasn't very enthusiastic about it. However, I got the album, and to my surprise, it wasn't have bad. They are fun to listen to live as well. Who would have thought that could be die hard rush fans who would love them playing someone elses tunes? Heh. But crossroads, summertime blues, and the seeker are all truly great songs. Seeing as this one just came out recently and its farely cheap, I say you should grab it. If you are wondering why I gave such a good comment and such a crappy rating, its because, when it comes down to it, it's still not rush's music. How do you rate a RUSH album when it's not their music? See what I mean? Collectors/fans only.

Before RUSH released their eponymous debut-LP in '73 they used to play covers from many great rockbands from the late Sixties and early Seventies. As a tribute to these hugh inspiration RUSH decided to release a cover-mini-CD with 8 songs from that era (from The WHO to The YARDBIRDS) entitled "Feedback" (2004). When I first listened to this CD, I got excited about the feeling that RUSH succeeded to blend their typical elements like distorted guitars, distinctive vocals and inventive drumming, with the atmosphere from that era (on their 2004 worldtour this was supported by great 'flower-power' graphics on a big screen). In my opinion "Feedback" is a great effort if you see it as a wonderful musical surprise from RUSH to their super-loyal fans all over the world, nothing less or more. Tip: play it loud and drink it with Moosehead beer, another tasteful product from Canada!

I think this is a funny little EP, not very essential, but not so bad as many seem to claim. After all it's not as expensive as a major release, and I found it interesting to hear some songs which these men were fond of as youngsters. Surely they affected much to the forthcoming career of their band! "Shapes of Things" is a nice highlight from these songs, and the covers are nice in their romantic 60's style!

Rush had to do something to promote their 30th anniversary tour eh? Good damn tour but Feedback, the cd, lacks spice. I s'pose it was a nice nostalgic gesture into their roots. Their own writing is way more better. Rush could have saved half a handful of these songs for the space needed by possibly deleting another tired version of Closer to the Heart off their next live recording. Another live recording? Probably not. It seems like other than the live Rio dvd and Different Stages, Rush's studio recording heyday is over. It would be a shame to see Rush morph into what KISS has become. I love this band dearly allthough it has been some time now. They are still mighty live, but as far as Feedback is concerned...it's fan's only.

I was given this little gem as a present,and i could not believe what i was looking at ,a major rock act of the calibre of Rush, releasing cover versions of popular 60s classics .If any fan of Rush needed convincing that this band are in real trouble then here's your proof.This is without a doubt the most pathetic recording ,Rush have ever released,and shows that they are completly devoid of any new ideas and have been for many years. Maybe Rush could do a follow up and do some covers of ,The Beach Boys, or maybe The Osmonds, if there really desperate.

Of course this one is absolutely not essential (because it's "only" a cover album...EP!) but i think the wonderous canadian trio offers us one of the greatest interpretations of the history of rock music! Just listen to summertime blue and crossroads...absolutely incredible. The powerful interpretation makes this album really enjoyable...long live rock'n'roll!!!

This is Rush having fun playing old songs they like.Pure and simple there is no theme here just good time music.I like this one alot just keep in mind this is about entertainment not some deep concept album.I like that Rush stay true to the songs and dont go over the top with them.Very good production quality as well given the state vapor trails was released in maybe they got a new mixing board.

NOTE: I am reviewing this album SOLELY on its musical value, NOT on basis of new material. I might as well do these seperately because there is no overall flow to the songs.

1.Summertime Blues-4/10-I did not like this song in the first place, I admit I like Rush's version better, only because I believe they are more musically talented.

2.Heart Full Of Soul-7/10-Not a huge Yardbirds fan, but I Rush is able to bring something more to the table with this song than the Yardbirds could. Rush was able to bring out a better mood to the song.

3.For What It's Worth-5/10-This version does not compare to the original, not that I'm a big CSN fan or anything, but the vocals have no expression, the redeeming part is the layered guitars.

4.The Seeker-6/10-This might've been a good rendition-if it weren't for the symbal crashes on what seems to be every beat. The Who just do it better.

5.Mr. Soul-8/10-This is my favorite cover on the album, I haven't heard in a while so I can't compare, but the quality and rhythm of the song makes me like this best.

6.Seven And Seven Is-5/10-This was not the best cover for Rush to choose, it is a good song, but Rush's version seems blurred, the vocals are the only thing i can pick out of this mess.

7.Shapes Of Things-5/10-Again with the Yardbirds.... They start off more modern and clear, but for the guitar solo Liefson uses fuzz distortion-just like the Yardbirds.... My friend played me another version by Jeff Beck solo- it was better than either - oh man he is a great guitarist - so innovative.....

8.Crossroads-8/10-Crossroads is actually a Cream song, but I'm glad they gave the credit to Robert Johnson; Creadm wrote their song from his "Crossroads Blues". Even though I gave this an 8, I don't like it over the original(s). The reason I like this song is because of the great musicianship of Rush: The slap bass, I think, was a great touch; The solo with the wah pedal is awesome, and there was some good drumming by Neil Peart to keep tempo.

LAST WORDS: Although this is NOT prog music at its best -if it's prog at all- If you're looking for a new spin on some old tunes, look into borrowing this one from a friend =P...

Far from the term essential, Feedback is nonetheless a candy wrapped in a 10$ bill. Fans who eager to discover new material will find this album more like an appetizer.

So what?!?

Obviously, they pumped up the VU meter...again. Vapor Trails was indeed a very heavy (and loud) album. Same here. Summertime Blues is h.e.a.v.y. Sounds like Led Zeppelin on a good day. Geddy got some of his vintage voice back, Lifeson is giving his Gibsons one hell of a rough time and Peart is although pretty quiet on this EP.

Songs they liked, songs they played in other bands and songs just for the pleasure to bang your head, dreaming you're in a 'Cuda 74 convertible with the 8-track playing loud.

It's a fair price, it's bombastic and it's vintage value is appreciable.

Lookout for Summertime Blues, the Seeker and Seven and Seven is...ROCK ON!!

When I heard that Rush was going back into the studio before their 30th Anniversary Tour, I thought that they were going to crank out another top notch studio effort of original songs. Instead, they decided to take it easy and cover some of their influences. What you get here is essentially a Blues/Hard Rock album that features The Who, Cream, The Yardbirds, and Buffalo Springfield, among others.

Summertime Blues opens with some nice feedback (no pun intended), and quickly becomes a very heavy version of the Blue Cheer cover of Eddie Cochran's original. What's lacking from this version is the extra vocal punch right before the chorus, instead covered up with more thunderous guitar. Heart Full of Soul is a very nice version of the Yardbirds original. Lifeson really sounds like Jeff Beck on this track, and it is executed perfectly. The Seeker is an obscure Who single that was released before shortly after Live at Leeds was released. The version that they play here is very similar to the Who version, it only lacks that Roger Daltrey punch. Geddy performs the bass line perfectly while singing the vocals. For What It's Worth is the seminal Buffalo Springfield track. Again, the musicianship is spot on, but it just doesn't have the same feel as it did all those years ago. The last track worth mentioning is Crossroads, which is one of the most recognized songs in Rock and Roll, covered originally by the Supergroup Cream. The version played here is spot on to the original, and this one feels just like the original, only heavier.

Overall, there are some nice tracks on this album. But personally, I don't feel it is necessary to own this album. It seems as if Rush was trying to make a quick buck before their tour. Still, any fan of Rush probably already owns this. I don't recommend it to anyone who is just getting into Rush, though. Definitely for fans only. 2.5/5.

Rush doing a covers record? Three words for ya...ABOUT DAMN TIME! They've always managed to take their influences and make them into a seamless whole, the whole being Rush. They bite CS&N, The Yardbirds, and several others, without ever sounding like parody. That's why I like this record...the songs are given reverential treatment and they stick with the original arrangements, but it never gets slavish.

Rush have been around now for 30 yrs,why on earth would an act that has been around for that long and with the success they have had,produce an album of cover songs. Most acts record cover material at the begining of their careers,Rush have done the opposite.

With an abnormal amount of live albums released in the last decade Rush have to face the fact that they have run dry,this is a release that shows a once great act lost and just totally"money hungry and unwiiling to even attempt to produce an album of original material in fear of being seen for what they are now," insignificant".

I will give this album three stars just for the fact that is it good, but not an essential piece for a prog music collection, but personally it deserves all 5 stars.

For Rush fans is a must have and it is recommended for anyone else who likes to try it. This album marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the first selftitled Rush album in 1974. Feedback is an album with eight cover songs from artists such as Eddie Cochrane, The Yardbirds, Buffalo Springfield, The Who, Love, and Cream. The coolest thing about this album is that the instruments sound like if they were tunned up back in the 70's with the power of the 2000's. Alex's guitar sound is just amazing and so powerful, specially on tracks like: The Seeker, Seven and Seven Is, and Crossroads (with an outstanding guitar solo).

This album is a complete flashback and it brings all those influences the band had during their early days. The only thing I regret from it is the time length (27 minutes with 8 seconds). I would expected a doble album with lots of great covers and even rare material never recorded before, such as Not Fade Away and Can't Fight It.

But still, I enjoy it every time I play it...

The way Rush approaches these (great) songs has nothing to do with prog rock and this banal cover-EP makes me think all the time "where's the other side of the LP?" The only thing changed from the originals is the fact they you can see clearly that in the last 30-40 years and now the possibilities in the studio are others than in the late 50's or early 60's, a period in which the artists hat much more inspiration and vision than techinical support... (even the first Rush album, categorised as "pure 70's rock" is much more full of consistency an creativity than "Feedback") I was sure I'll find on the album "Bad Boys" of the Beatles (I have only a very poor recordering of Rush playing this tune in a time before their first LP) instead of 2 Yarbirds and 2 Buffalo Springfield songs which is too much, and it covers a very small area of "musical influences" I think that they look with too much respect at giains such as "cream" or "the who" instead of having a different attitude... more creative/destructive/ironic/bored/etc Anyway, I secretly expected this kind of beautiful surprise from RUSH, and I think it gives a certain aura of "roundness" to their career, although it's not over i hope!

solid cover album, after a few listens it really starts to grow on you. also excellent if you're in a pinch for time. This isn't progressive at all, but nonetheless a very good rock album. I did expect more as well as others, it was a bit short.

Quality over Quantity.

This might be the only thing that the boys in the band want to comeback to the past. It's not by recalling back their own successful albums but by giving respect to musicians who inspired them in the past when they played the band in the garage, of course before they became successful. The tribute songs represent the rock groups of that era: The Who, Love, Buffalo Springfield, Cream, Blue Cheer, and the Yardbirds. All of them are delivered well by Rush. No major changes from its original arrangement, the songs remain true to their original forms. So for those of you who liked 60s music played exactly the same as it was with newer band called Rush, this CD suits you. But if you think that enjoying from original artist is rewarding and listening to cover version is a waste of time, then don't purchase this CD. For me personally, I was not aware of all songs presented here before I got this Feedback CD so I purchased it from a secondary market. It's good having this CD in a format like LP replica. I really like it. The music? It's fine with me and basically I enjoy Rush music, so I'm fine with this EP.

My appreciation towards this EP grew after I watched the 30 years anniversary concert recorded under R30 DVD set. Keep on proggin' ..!

I think no one would dare suggest that "Feedback" is anything more than a 'divertissement' for Rush, a way to pay homage to those great bands of the late '60s that provided the primary inspiration for the fledgling prog legends. Some fans, however, were almost horrified by their favourite band playing shorter, simpler, less 'progressive' songs than the ones who had made them famous. Anyway, on this EP, released during their massive R30 world tour, Rush display the same energy and enthusiasm that those (like myself) who were so lucky to see them live in 2004 were able to witness on stage.

Without a doubt, the real protagonist of this record is Alex Lifeson with his gutsy, powerful guitar playing - this is guitar-based, classic rock, after all, and what better opportunity for one of rock's most underrated guitarists to show his chops? The songs are all strong and memorable, with the possible exception of Love's muddled, noisy "Seven and Seven Is". Outstanding tracks include Blue Cheer's "Summertime Blues" (originally by Eddie Cochran, but made famous by the seminal American heavy metallers), fellow Canadian Neil Young's "Mr Soul", The Who's "The Seeker" and Robert Johnson's celebrated blues "Crossroads". My personal favourite, however, is the politically-charged "For What It's Worth", with its rousing final chorus and great vocals by the increasingly excellent Geddy Lee.

The colourful, hippie-style cover artwork and the freshness of the band's approach to these classics make this a quite endearing record . It shows quite clearly (in spite of anything the cynics can say) that the band had a lot of fun playing and recording "Feedback". Not essential, perhaps, but very entertaining indeed.

Feedback came as a bit of disappointment after hearing Rush were going back into the studio. Here one of the world's most influential band pays tribute to the bands that inspired them. They turn out a fine collection of blues-rock songs infused with that classic Rush sound.

The covers are all performed very well, and the song selection is quite good. Rush don't stray much from the songs' original content; these are basically photocopies of the originals except with each of the band member's unique tones added. As a collection entirely of cover songs this probably will only appeal to fans of Rush. And their is no prog value to this album so in terms of importance to a prog collection, this album is basically throwaway. However, every Rush fan should be sure to pick this album up because it's full of four star material.

A nice short album of 60s covers. Nothing progressive about it, no thought provoking statements, or mind blowing solos or interesting arrangements. Though, it is genuine entertainment. Some classics are played, and Rush did a great job on making the songs their own. One thing that bothered me was that the case is taller than all my other cds, so in my collection it stands out! Not for perfectionnists.

I love this band and have been a fan for a quarter of a century now. (scary...) However, I am not one of those fans that adores every last thing they've done.

The best I can really say for Feedback is that it is interesting to hear Rush do some covers after all these years. But, to be honest I would have been alot more interested to hear them take liberties with the arrangements and do something really creative. This is more like bar band covers of these tunes. Competently played, of course, but not particularly enthralling.

Get it if you're a fan just to satisfy your curiousity, but otherwise... eh.

Feedback, an eight-song EP of covers of Sixties classic rock tracks, is Rush's homage - and many Rushians' dream come true - to the music of their formative years, songs that Geddy, Alex, and Neil played as teenagers in garage bands in the late Sixties. The songs represent the harder- rocking groups of that era - The Who, Love, Buffalo Springfield, Cream, Blue Cheer, and the Yardbirds - and are faithfully delivered by Rush. All the songs remain true to their original forms, brief and crunchy with minimal embellishment, save the ringing sound of Lifeson's mandola. The sound is a fine mix of My Favorite Headache and Vapor Trails; co-producer David Leonard brings a loose, almost jam-like feel to the near- empathic ensemble playing of Rush that lends an earthy quality - a quality that Rush has sometime lacked - to Feedback's tracks and recalls the coarser sound of the original releases. And the choices themselves, out of a thousand others, are significant because they reveal the foundations upon which Rush built their early sound. Hints of Rush, Fly By Night, Caress Of Steel, and 2112 are everywhere, particularly noticeable in the chunky chord changes of "For What It's Worth" and "The Seeker" and the "Grand Finale"-style ending of "Seven And Seven Is," which itself reminds a lot of Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes' "Journey To The Center Of The Mind." Occasional but nifty surprises add extra fun to the proceedings, most notably the feedback intro from Jimi Hendrix' "Foxy Lady" that opens "Summertime Blues" and the 12-string runs from the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" included in Lifeson's solo for "Mr. Soul".

Fun, refreshing, insightful, but mostly fun, this is one time trip that you really shouldn't miss. So, don't bother covering your ears - pick up on Feedback.

A lot of these tunes were played by these guys before they became RUSH and some were played by RUSH in concerts before Neil joined the band. The enthusiasm is quite evident on this record as they cover some of their favourite songs that they grew up listening to in the sixties. The only song on this album that was a surprise for me was "Seven And Seven Is" by LOVE. I have both "Da Copa" from which this song is from as well as the more popular record of theirs "Forever Changes". If you don't have anything by this band I highly recommend you check them out. RUSH is really faithful to the original songs on this record, I think out of reverence more then anything else. And it's not that the covers that RUSH do here are better then the originals, cause they're not. It's just amazing for me that RUSH finally covered a song for once ! And a whole album's worth had me really excited. It helps I guess that I know all the originals.

"Summertime Blues" was a song that teens loved in the sixties, a great summer song about skipping work for any reason to enjoy the summer. The drums in the intro are classic ! And there is a lot of bass in this powerful and fun song. This song got a lot of play up here when this EP came out. "Heart Full Of Soul" and "Shapes Of Things" are both THE YARDBIRDS songs. And Alex is a huge fan of Jimmy Page who of course along with Jeff Beck played for them. I just read an article that Page and Beck did together for a magazine. And I was surprised to learn they lived up the road from each other when they were young and often played guitar together at each of their parents homes.They both believe that jamming and learning together helped them become better players.They pushed each other. By the way these two songs are my favourite YARDBIRD songs. "The Seeker" is a WHO song that I know the band was influenced by. Geddy dedicated a song in one of their concerts to Mr.Entwhistle when he passed away suddenly while RUSH was on tour. "Crossroads" is probably the best song on the record. I was so impressed by the guitar playing of Alex on this one. An outstanding solo after 2 minutes.This song just rocks ! A CREAM classic.

"For What It's Worth" and "Mr.Soul" are both BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD songs. The connection is of course fellow Canadian Neil Young. I have told people for years that the best musical exports our country has ever produced are Neil Young and RUSH. And I have to tell the story Geddy told about the song a bunch of Canadian musicians did for famine relief back in the eighties for Ethiopia. This was started in the UK by Bob Geldof who got a number of bands together to raise money through a song , and the USA bands did the same , and we followed suit in Canada. David Foster was the producer and Geddy sang a line with much passion. Anyway when Neil Young sang his line Mr.Foster told him he wanted him to do it over. Well Neil said "That's my style man" and got up and left the room. Geddy said he just swelled inside with pride to see Neil do that. He basically in a polite way told this high priced successful producer F#%$k you, take it or leave it. Oh, yes, that's rock and roll folks. Neil's style is to play and record a song once, and that's it, mistakes and all. No wonder he was adopted by the Grunge movement as the "Father" of Grunge, and collaberated with PEARL JAM and is mentioned by many others as a major influence. I actually laughed out loud when I heard Alex's guitar solo on "Mr.Soul" as he copied Neil's unique style so well. Priceless. Alex also gives a nod to THE BYRDS during "Mr.Soul" as he rips into a melody of "Eight Miles High". Nice.

Well I guess it's pretty obvious that I really like this record. 4 stars.

Very fun for those of us who love Rush as the brainy, artistic rockers who have carved out their unique style in a world of made-for-radio lameness, but "Feedback" remains somewhat an oddball in their catalogue.

The quality of recording and playing is actually exceptionally high, and although they're covers, they are done so with a cerain Rush flair which distinguishes them from their originals-- but the song writing and lyrics are very not what we now know as Rush.

For this reason, I give it two starts: it's a blast for dedicated fans (perhaps of the original bands, too) who get to hear their favorite band do something unexpected, but it doesn't contribute much to the group's epic library of excellance.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 2 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

For a covers album, this is quite good. Rush pay homage to their classic rock heroes The Who, Blue Cheer, Cream, The Yardbirds, Buffalo Springfield, and more.

Highlights: "Summertime Blues" captures the acid rock heaviness of Blue Cheer's version of Eddie Cochran oft-covered classic. "The Seeker" is performed quite admirably by Lee, who hits all of Roger's high notes. "For What It's Worth" is also covered nicely. "Heart Full of Soul" finds Alex mimicking Jeff Beck quite well. The last true joy is "Crossroads," the blues standard made famous by Cream.

This isn't an important release, but it's a fun ride for Rush fans.

Grade: C-

I think all of us have some good covers by well-established bands in our collections, or at least have checked some out on YouTube. I actually went through a phase in the mid-eighties of collecting these (mostly as b-sides to vinyl singles). Some favorites over the years have included Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”; Jason & the Scorchers doing “19th Nervous Breakdown”; the Fugees reverent remake of Roberta Flack’s “Killing me Softly”; Camper van Beethoven redoing the entire Fleetwood Mac album ‘Tusk’; and the screaming unspoken messages wrapped up in Sid Vicious covering Frank Sinatra’s signature song “My Way”.

Sometimes covers are done as jokes. Me First & the Gimme Gimmes nailed a hilarious version of Coven’s “One Tin Soldier”; in fact, they’ve built their career on irreverent covers. Other times I think the artistic challenge is the stimulus, such as when Luther Wright remade Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ or Camper van Beethoven’s take on ‘Tusk’. In some cases a band is simply trying to use something that’s already popular to boost their own careers – UB40 and Chrissie Hynde’s 12” Sonny & Cher single “I Got You Babe” comes to mind. And sometimes you just don’t know what the ‘artist’ was thinking: Celine Dion embarrassing herself with AC/ DC’s “You Shook me all Night Long” is hands-down the all-time worst cover in the history of music.

But Rush have managed to find a new twist for a music concept that by-definition has already been done before. This collection of mostly sixties tunes is one of the things they released to mark thirty years of making music. The other is the R30 live DVD package, which my kids love but for me doesn’t offer much new except the chance to hear what Rush sounds like live after the crowd’s input has been mostly erased.

This collection, as the band points out in the very brief liner notes, represents some of the songs they grew up learning to play in their early years. As young musician wannabe’s they would have memorized every note, tempo change, and nuance, and that kind of familiarity with the material is evident here.

But Peart makes another interesting comment in the liner notes; namely, that the band was actually first exposed to many of these songs being performed as covers themselves. Cream’s version of the Robert Johnson standard “Crossroads” and Blue Cheer’s take on Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” for example are probably the versions most of us know best as well. So in some ways these represent a twice-removed representation of the classics. This also helps explain things like why the overdubbed response vocals are missing from “Summertime Blues” – Cochran had them in the original but Blue Cheer did not. Or why the harmonies of “For What it’s Worth” have been dumbed down from the original Buffalo Springfield cut - pretty much everybody but Buffalo Springfield who’ve done this tune skimp on the backing vocals.

But not too far removed really, since the band is pretty faithful to whatever version of each song they are representing. As a result there is very little innovation or musically progressive expression here, and that is clearly by-design. The band was simply looking for a clever way celebrate a thirty year career by showcasing some of the old music that inspired and got them started. If I were in a similar situation the songs would be a few years newer (early seventies instead of mid-sixties), and probably a little wider variety than just heavy blues and hippy psych.

But that’s okay, this is a fun little disc to play and sing along to. Most music fans will know these tunes and probably even the lyrics. The other tracks besides those already mentioned are the Yardbird’s “Heart Full of Soul” and “Shapes of Things”; Who’s “The Seeker”; Buffalo Springfield’s Neil Young tune “Mr. Soul”; and Love’s “Seven and Seven Is” (which is probably the least well- known of the bunch).

Good musicianship, decent production, fun to sing (or even play) along to. Nothing progressive or even original here, but I can’t imagine that most middle-aged music fans won’t at least enjoy the trip down memory lane. Good enough for three stars.

peace

This album is great. Even if it is just covers they haven't released anything better since. I love the covers. They do them well and change them just enough to give them a Rush feel without ruining the song. I really did think this album is good but its non essential. Better than Snakes and Arrows by far.

Many people who I know that like Rush don't seem to like this album. They say it is not Rush because they are not playing their own creative music. However, the music on Feedback is what got them into playing music and creating their own. The album opens with Summertime Blues, Blue Cheer style, and it is a hard rocker. Ged and Neil's fills in it are impressive. Another excellent tune is their cover of Steven Stills' For What It's Worth. You can hear the boys improvisations over the original tune, and it creates a magical song. Other highlights include Neil Youngs' Mr. Soul, and Robert johnson's Crossroads, the latter of which was exceptionally recreated live on the R30 tour. While this may be some excellent music, it is in no sense Prog music. It's just a bunch of different tunes of different artists on one short EP. Still an excellent disc to get your rock onto though, with Geddy sounding better than before Counterparts, Alex laying down some soulful solos, and Pratt as always playing his best, with creative fills.

Quite impotent and uninteresting - they really should have known better.

An album full of hard rock tributes, a nod to their early influences, unfortunately RUSH just aren't the right band to be able to pull something like this off - at least not in this era of their career (that being the commercial era). Geddy's voice just doesn't suit any of the songs, many of the fans of the bands involved would be aghast (my friend described the cover of THE WHO's 'The Seeker' as a butchering). Everything is way too polished and overproduced which is especially damning, these songs are meant to be heard with analog crust.

A very poorly thought out and executed idea, only for hardcore RUSH fans.

This is an EP of covers that Rush put together so that they would have new material to play during their 30th anniversary tour. I absolutely love this EP. These are fun songs to listen to and to hear Rush's interpretation of. Unlike many music fans, I tend to like cover songs and hearing a band apply their style to well-known music. And of course, I am a huge Rush fan, although there are many huge Rush fans who don't like this covers album. These songs are all songs that they used to play when they were playing hole in the wall bars. I like their interpretation of all of the songs on this EP, however, their version of Summertime Blues is especially good. In the parts of the original version where the vocalist would sing in a deep bass voice, Rush inserts drum fills and bass lines instead. On MikeEnRegalia's ratingfreak website, I gave this album a 9.0 rating for being an excellent album, because I really, really enjoy it. However, I will reel in my fanboyism on PA, and rate it accordingly as a 2 star album because it is for collectors/fans only. I think it is an album that all classic rock fans can enjoy, especially those that don't mind cover versions.

For a while I thought Feedback was an actual Rush album since I saw it on the shelves pretty much every time I looked in the music store to see what prog they had, but once I finally listened to it I realized the truth: it's a remake album of the classic rock songs that inspired the band, and not a bad remake at that. I rate this a two on the grounds that the songs are remade well, with a good Rush hard rock flavor without losing the original songs, much at all. Only a few songs really caught my interest much though, notably Summertime Blues, the Seeker, and Crossroads, but other than that the songs themselves, IMO, weren't really that good to start with, but I guess that's my own musical taste. There are scarcely any progressive moments, nor was I expecting any, of course. It seems like the band did this album for their own enjoyment, for it is composed of the songs that got them going in the first place, which is somewhat significant in itself. I still wouldn't really call it much of an album, but it works for fans of Rush, such as me, for certain.

Back in time...

Mostly fuel for the fire, the Feedback EP was released mostly as a reason to hit the road on their R30 tour. The EP reflects on a day when the Toronto boys were young and learning their instruments back before they were considered masters. The track listing is interesting, as the boys decided to use the lesser known (these days, anyway) material that they were influenced by. There's no doubt that this EP would have more interest in it if Geddy had decided to put his spin on, say Roundabout, being the admitted YesFan that he is. While Rush fans will definately enjoy this outing, it's not really for the average prog-head.

The performances are good, if short, but Rush never disappoints in musicianship. Standouts include the excellent covers of FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH and SHAPES OF THINGS. No low points here, but no really great prog to speak of either. So in the end this EP gets 2 stars for appealing to only the fans. Anyone looking to get into Rush best no start here, and anyone looking to find classic Rush after 1982 should just rewind to Counterparts or skip on over to Snakes & Arrows.

Simply put Feedback is Rush having fun, a stark contrast to the brooding heaviness of Vapor Trails. Listening to this covers EP you can't help but feel good for Geddy, Alex and Neil and while some may miss the Rocket Science-like musicianship on songs such as Heart Full Of Soul or The Seeker (Originally by The Who) few can argue with the band's brilliant chemistry that lingers heavy in the air. Its a shame Rush weren't more adventurous in what they chose to include on Feedback, some real Prog-Rock would have been ideal, but even fans of the original songs would have to be pretty convincing to make a case that the magic isn't captured on Summertime Blues, For What It's Worth or the Cream-styled version of Crossroads. Admittedly at times Feedback sounds confined compared with Rush's original music and the temptation to put a real Rush album on can creep up. Faithful fans will enjoy this as an interesting novelty collection once in a while if for nothing more than to hear their favourite power trio having a blast!

'Feedback' - Rush (4/10)

This is very much a transitional piece for Rush. Perhaps they were bored, or temporarily lacking creative inspiration, but the release of this album, while it's very listenable and enjoyable, isn't really a release that's going to be appreciated by anyone who isn't already a fan of Rush and their music.

While the choice of songs to cover is very good and representative of their early pre-LP years (when they were playing covers at high schools and in front of friends) it still doesn't compare to actual original Rush material. However, this should certainly appeal to fans of both Rush and the bands they are covering.

'Feedback' is obviously not an inspired effort by any measure, but it shows group of talented, experienced musicians simply enjoying the work they do. It's a nice feeling, but still, a covers album (unless it's fantastic) usually can't get more than two stars from me.

Let these hard-working Canadians have their fun. This is not an EP of new music; rather, it's a chance for the trio to pay tribute to songs that heavily influenced them, mostly popular songs of the 1960s. They've earned it.

"Summertime Blues" A spunky take on a classic Eddie Cochran song, this is a version that's full of energy and full of the Rush sound. Each of the verses ends with a short, funky little solo from the three band members in turn.

"Heart Full of Soul" This version captures the spirit of the original, but kicks things up a notch with a fuller sound.

"For What It's Worth" This Stephen Stills protest song from 1967 is given a surge of power (conviction even), but despite Alex Lifeson's gritty (and hard-panned soloing), Rush allows it to retain its soft texture, which works well against the darker lyrics.

"The Seeker" The band would be remiss without including something from The Who, and they do so in fine style. Geddy Lee's vocals are stupendous.

"Mr. Soul" Lifeson carries a great variety of tones throughout this rendition of one of Neil Young's greatest works. The other members are certainly solid in their respective roles, but this is Lifeson's gig.

"Seven and Seven Is" Whereas Lifeson and Lee stood out on earlier tracks, Neil Peart gets things rocking with rapid snare work. The band does a great job bringing new life to this "proto-punk" song by Arthur Lee.

"Shapes of Things" This classic is given a gritty makeover, and to my ears, this sounds like it came right off Lee's solo album.

"Crossroads" The band leaves the soulful blues of Robert Johnson's original in favor of Cream's grittier and more upbeat version. Lee's bass cuts through for once, even when it's Lifeson's screeching guitar in the fore.

Pointless........

I got the feeling the band needed a record to promote at the R30 gigs when they released this cover album. They did some of the songs on this album on the R30 tour and I guess my point was proven. Which in my view was a travesty because there is a lot of hidden gems in the Rush discography they could had played instead.

OK, I can understand that Rush want to pay tribute and pay back their heroes from the past. Maybe I am doing it myself when I am reviewing Rush albums. I could had done something more useful. Ironing my shirts for example and studying to an exam. But for the same reasons as Rush is paying homage to their heroes, I am paying homage to Rush. Well, maybe not in this review.

Music wise, the songs are OK. The "For What's It's Worth" does not work. I think CS&N has done this far better themselves. "The Seeker" is a damp squid. The rest is OK. It is always nice to listen to Rush so I do not have any major complaints. But this is for me a pointless album although I am sure Rush loved recording it. But for everyone else; this album is pointless.

2 points

The story behind this release is well known. For their 30th birthday, Rush wanted to record a couple of covers as a tribute to bands that inspired them in their early days.

It was meant as a treat for the fans but looking at the ratings here it isn't much appreciated at all. 2.79 at the moment of typing these words. I'm stunned, really. This album contains some of the best rock tunes of the 60's and Rush's renditions are excellent all the way. So, do I have to conclude that many prog fans aren't into blues and psychedelic rock?

I wouldn't want to go in a debate arguing whether any of these covers is better or worse then the originals. The originals had that unique time-stamp and charm of their time, the days when white boys were doing their psychedelic blues and truly loving it. The circumstances here are entirely different, but I still do hear three white boys loving the blues and paying their respects to it in a most genuine and truthful way.

Nicest surprise of all is that everything sounds so entirely Rush. Without changing the songs or arrangements much, these musicians have such a recognizable and unique way of playing that you can identify them from miles away. Especially Geddy Lee sounds amazing, he's sure very much at easy with this material.

Hard to compare this to any Rush album other then the debut. So I'll go for 3 stars, but I love both of these albums a lot more actually. Too bad they didn't include anything from Zeppelin. Good Times Bad Times would have fitted in just perfectly!

Sure, this is a novelty album. And it's certainly not progressive. But it is fun to listen to.

Before embarking on their thirtieth anniversary tour, Rush went into the recording studio and pumped out this set of songs that inspired them in their early years. So what we have is a disk of eight classic rock tunes, played Rush style. Nothing spectacular, just some well known tracks, played by Rush in a heavy, crunchy style.

None of the tracks are bad. the standouts to me are Summertime Blues, played in a similar arrangement as The Who used on "Live At Leeds", and Mr. Soul, that I think is better than Neil Young's original version.

When this came out i thought it was a neat idea hearing Rush playing some covers and having a little fun while doing it. But after listening to it a few times, it is not the greatest cover album in history. It is kinda just plain and forgettable except for 2 songs. The two songs that always stand out are Summertime Blues and The Seeker. Summertime Blues was i think released as a single and was pretty popular for the time and is a great song. It starts out with feedback (get it?) and does rock out for that almost 4 mins. Every member is holding their end up and is a great cover of a song by Blue Cheer. The Seeker is a Who classic for all you Who fans and Rush does another good job covering this one and i listen to it probably the most of all the covers on this. Overall, not a bad album but not a great album, i think Rush was having some fun with this because it was their 30th anniversary and were probably celebrating that in the studio as they would on the road as well. 3 stars. Highlights: Summertime Blues and The Seeker.

RUSH took a break from their routine to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of their debut album and to commemorate this achievement the band decided to release an EP of nothing but covers of songs that influenced them in their early days. Although I am rarely thrilled by cover albums unless they significantly deviate from the original sound, I have to say that RUSH does a good job in covering these 8 tracks and it actually makes me think of what they would sound like if they were a 60s band. Unfortunately they do these tracks very well and remind us that they still sound good and point to the fact that they have become weak in the songwriting department in recent releases. This is a decent album but not one that I will be revisiting on a regular basis.

An EP recorded and released in 2004 just to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the relase of their first album in 1974, doing covers of songs that they liked and bands that influenced them. It sounds well. They sound like having a lot of fun recording these songs. I was a bit surprised that the band recorded two songs which were originally recorded by BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD ("For What is Worth" and "Mr. Soul") as the musical style of that band ( Folk Rock with some protest songs) I think that it was very far from the musical style that RUSH developed years later. More surprises come with the recording of two songs which were originally recorded by THE YARDBIRDS ("Heart Full of Soul" and "Shapes of Things"), whose style was more Blues and Pop Rock from the sixties oriented than RUSH`s music in later years. The musical styles of the rest of the songs are really more expected to have inlfuenced RUSH as band: two songs originally recorded by THE WHO ("Summertime Blues" and "The Seeker"); one song originally recorded by LOVE ("Seven and Seven Is") and a last one which was originally covered by CREAM ("Crossroads"). All the songs are very well arranged and played, and it is interesting to listen to RUSH playing them in their own style without any Prog Rock arrangements, just having some fun in the recording studio. It was a bit strange that the band did not record any songs from LED ZEPPELIN or BLACK SABBATH, being these two bands very influential in the songs and sound that RUSH recorded in their first album, but maybe they did not record any songs from these two bands to avoid the usual comparisons of their early sound with the sounds of those two very influential bands.

A bit similar to JOHN LENNON (with his "Rock and Roll" album from 1975, which also was recorded like a deal with a person who sued him of alleged plagiarism of one song, but that is another history), PAUL McCARTNEY (with his "Run Devil Run" album from 1999) and other artists who have recorded albums with covers from songs which were previously composed and / or recorded by other artists, this EP from RUSH was done more for fun than for anything else. I don`t have anything against the idea of doing that. So, if someone is in the mood to listen to an album like this, just have fun and enjoy it.

30 years after releasing their first album, instead of releasing an overly expensive box set, Rush releases an inexpensive EP full of covers that were influences on their music that you could almost imagine them singing and playing in their pre album days. Rush doesn't try to make any of these songs progressive and don't try to upstage any of the songs either. But, they are presented quite hard which is what you would expect from Rush. What they ended up with is a nice collection of songs that the band shows their utmost respect for.

I was afraid when I first saw this album and thought surely Rush has not slipped to the same level as other mature bands that can only make it off of covers nowadays. But, thankfully that wasn't the case. Curiosity made me buy this one, but enjoyment of the covers made me keep it around. No there is not anything spectacular here, and that is quite okay because it is enough just to hear their treatment of these classics. The best covers here are "Summertime Blues" which actually gives the song the kick it always asked for, "Mr. Soul" which actually does make an old favorite of mine even better (and the riff is so much better pronounced in their cover), "Seven and Seven is" is so much better modernized in this version and of course "Crossroads" is made into a great Rush song and is probably the closest thing to Rush's debut album than anything they have done since.

Nope, there is no prog rock here. Just great covers of songs that have been given all the respect they deserve. I'm glad this on is only 27 minutes, it is the perfect time for a cover album of this type. No it's not essential, but it is a lot of fun anyway. 3 stars.

A "cover album" or "tribute album" are interesting for studying certain things about what inspired the band that makes it. In the case of Rush, one of the first Canadian bands to try to codify Prog Metal in the 70s, we have an Ep, "Feedback", which presents us very well who inspired them and made them musicians. When "Feedback" came out, I couldn't not buy it. First of all because, having read the track list, I was amazed by the songs contained in it (for me all masterpieces) and because, then, I was curious to hear how they would cover them. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart are three excellent musicians who have always exercised a high charm in my person. Logic wanted me not even to cross my mind to have doubts about what to expect from "Feedback". And, in fact, Eddie Cochran hits zero (if not as an author) in "Summertime Blues" which, in fact, is the version of the Blue Cheer. And it is rendered beautifully. The rest of the album is a tribute to the covered bands and songs. In fact they are rendered in a very / too faithful way to the original. Only "Heart Full Of Soul" has a simplified drum part. So it seems to be a piece with a Flamenco aftertaste to which, unfortunately, this element is removed. That said ... Nothing surprising since I expected similar songs, from similar groups as Rush's non-Progressive youth inspiration (only "Seven and Seven Is seemed "strange" to me as a source of inspiration). Also because I think that an album with songs by Yes, King Crimson and other bands from the Prog and English Hard Rock from the 70's would have had the effect of not being understood. But having said that, how do I rate "Feedback"? Not a bad cover / tribute album, of course. Indeed, in this sense I find it all too excellent. With my only doubt that Dream Theater could have dubbed it exactly the same. But these are the Rush, prog masters and among the coders of Prog Metal. And here it makes sense. This is the beginning of the whole world of Rush.

Rush's Feedback EP was a little something they put out to celebrate their 30th anniversary. There's not much that's very proggy about it, and that's intentional - they're just doing cover versions of songs which influenced them when they were starting up, and that means bluesy hard rock is more or less the order of the day, with some doses of psychedelia and garage rock on the side.

That said, the Rush of now isn't the Rush who put out their debut album - Neil Peart wasn't in the band at that point, for one thing. For another, Rush on the debut album were largely ripping off Led Zeppelin, whereas they're able to capture the spirit of a wider variety of acts here. They don't try to mess with what works, but they don't try to mimic the originals slavishly - it very much sounds like a well-honed group of musicians doing great covers of fantastic 1960s songs. Don't go in expecting any prog epics and you won't be disappointed; take it on its own terms and it's 27 minutes of pure fun.