Make your own Rush album!

Fischman wrote: patrickq wrote: BaldJean wrote: I consider Rush to be epigones, and they definitely don't hit a nerve with me. I personally think that the Randian views of Neil Peart reflect in the music of Rush. but I respect your opinion. if you like Rush, fine with me. but I equally have the right not to like them Peart definitely toned down the Objectivism over time. But the libertarian streak was still there at least through the 1990s. I disagree with those who characterize the earlier Peart lyrics as fascist, but I also disagree with the apologists who insist that any political stance in his lyrics is (incorrectly) inferred by critics. I see Peart’s mid-1970s lyrics as reflecting a very intelligent but impressionable young man. By the mid-1980s he was more of a skeptic. But I always felt like he was stating or explaining his (or Rand’s) opinions rather than preaching them. So literally, his lyrics are often pedantic, and often clumsy. 2112 is as anti-fascist as it gets. Even one who finds it clumsy or pedantic must admit it's a serious rebellion against a centrally controlled, oppressive regime. I've heard a lot of negative criticism if Peart's lyrics through the years, but I never heard it called fascist.

This is an interesting read (good old Quora): https://www.quora.com/Are-Rushs-lyrics-fascist

And see: https://rushvault.com/2011/08/29/excerpt-may-5-1979-nme-interview-with-neil/

And https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/13/rush-nme-interview-1978-rocks-backpages

From the Guardian article:

They are actually very nice guys. They don’t sit there in jackboots pulling the wings off flies. They are polite, charming even, naïve – roaming the concert circuits preaching what to me seems like proto-fascism like a leper without a bell.

I dislike Rand personally, and I have found various Peart lyrics off-putting. that said, I quite like the band and will try a list later.

patrickq wrote: BaldJean wrote: I consider Rush to be epigones, and they definitely don't hit a nerve with me. I personally think that the Randian views of Neil Peart reflect in the music of Rush. but I respect your opinion. if you like Rush, fine with me. but I equally have the right not to like them Peart definitely toned down the Objectivism over time. But the libertarian streak was still there at least through the 1990s. I disagree with those who characterize the earlier Peart lyrics as fascist, but I also disagree with the apologists who insist that any political stance in his lyrics is (incorrectly) inferred by critics. I see Peart’s mid-1970s lyrics as reflecting a very intelligent but impressionable young man. By the mid-1980s he was more of a skeptic. But I always felt like he was stating or explaining his (or Rand’s) opinions rather than preaching them. So literally, his lyrics are often pedantic, and often clumsy.

I agree, there's nothing fascistic in Rush's lyrical content. I also agree that Peart was obviously an intelligent but impressionable young man. When blending politics with music, one has to be careful as your political views can change over time, and can come back to haunt you. When we're young, we all think we're completely correct about everything. Part of growing up is admitting to yourself that you're not. It takes a bit of wisdom to to understand that there is no definitive political solution to the 'human condition' If there was, it would have been implemented. It also takes some guts to admit that you were wrong.

As much a I love Rush, I can take or leave most of Peart's lyrics.

BaldJean wrote: I did not say Rush's lyrics are fascistic; I did not even refer to the lyrics at all. the "Randian" comment was solely about the music

I know you didn't. I was responding to patrickq, who said he disagreed with those who say Peart's lyrics were fascistic, as do I. It wasn't in response to anything you said.

Jeffro wrote: TenYearsAfter wrote: If you want attention on the Forum, just nail an acclaimed band, I notice that this still works, more than posting a serious subject. Walking into a thread and taking a gigantic dump on the subject of the thread is a douchbag move. Doesn't matter who the poster is, doesn't matter what the subject is, it's still a crappy thing to do. There are plenty of threads on these boards about bands/artists whose music doesn't do anything for me. You know what I do in those cases? I avoid the thread. I don't take a huge sh*t all over it.

Not sure who’s the offender here, but if I’m the one responsible for going negative, I apologize!

when someone resorts to an argumentum ad hominem I ignore him or her on principle

I think every band is an imitator at first to some extent, and as with any band, it took time for Rush to develop a unique sound. They developed an interesting way of using suspended chords, chord inversions, and added tones on chords. And, I think their use of odd time signatures fit the music like a glove and doesn't sound forced.

I think Jean's comment has been misunderstood. It is no secret at all on this site that we two don't like Rush. Her comment was rather self-ironic, like "expect the Baldies to throw a spanner in the works".

^ I do like Rush, but I wouldn't say I love them. I got all their albums more out of luck than design (I expected to get from 2112 up to Moving Pictures, but once I got them, they got some good priced box sets with the rest of their albums, so I ended up with them all).

Rush like every band on the planet(including the Beatles)were hit or miss. Some bands are more hit and less miss but it's impossible for any band to have every song be perfect. That said I believe Rush had a better track record than most and I would even dare say they had a better track record than any band I like(which includes Yes, Genesis, KC, PF, etc). The only band they might not beat is the aforementioned Beatles. Aside from that taste is subjective and everyone has a different taste in music. I got into Rush at around the same time I started to get into Yes, Genesis etc. My brother's best friend was into them and I already was familiar with them having been a big radio listener but also already had "signals" on cassette. Music is something you relate to. I related to them on a deeper level and found their music intriguing(lyrically and musically)and still do. Not many rock bands(and not even all prog bands)strive to be more and give something beyond what others give to their audience. In the case of Rush it was a combination of power, bombast and intelligence that somehow worked. No other bands really did what they did they way they did it. A few kind of come close in some ways(Boston, Styx, Uriah Heep and Led Zeppelin)but non were really doing it in such a cerebral and emotional way at the same time imo.

Not trying to be dismissive, but I have never found Rush that cerebral (but perhaps I'm just not enough of an intellectual to get it).