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To be honest ive never done what you are doing. I have heard every Rush album multiple times but i have never done them in order. I am enjoying this with you. Thanks for that!
Alex's solo in No One At The Bridge is just so damned melodic. One of my favorites from him. Great work sitting through this, not many reactors out there would do this. Cheers!
So glad you liked it. Who knows if you ever hear the Necromancer again you may like it more, the narration never bothered me because I was so amazed at the music part of it, the way they had that all out jam and then the guitar outro gives you goosebumps. Many people will argue that each Rush album from the first through Moving Pictures got better and better. In a way I almost agree. I definitely look forward to you reacting to 2112 again and how their music seemed to mature with each album
Imagine it's 1975 and you're a 16 yo girl who only a few short months earlier had discovered Rush. And still imagine buying this album on an 8-track!! Side B ("The Fountain of Lamneth") of COS was split between tracks 3 & 4 so the format of 8-tracks pretty much sucked because lots of songs were what we called "cut," which meant that the songs faded out and in. It was crappy but back then the only portable music for cars was those effen tapes. As far as other live Rush albums that you could do, I'd recommend watching the videos instead of just listening to the albums. Beginning with the "Test For Echo" tour, they decided not to have an opening band, so they'd do a 3-hour show, divided into 2 sets. Additionally, the boys have a good sense of humor, especially beginning with the "Rush in Rio" concert film. Lots of funny stuff when Geddy, Alex and Neil play different parts similar to video comedy shorts as introductions to both sets at their concerts. ✌✌
Yeah, they did that on cassettes for awhile, too. In fact, the first Rush album I ever had was really a copy of someone's cassette version of 2112, and they split it in the middle of "Grand Finale". Fortunately, once cassettes started to outsell vinyl, record companies stopped doing that. The other thing record companies did for cassettes was reorder the songs to make each side more even in length. (As a result of that, I have a weird idea on what is the proper order of the Kansas album "Leftoverture")..
The Fountain of Lamneth is an important song in the history of RUSH as it demonstrated to the band that they were very good songwriters and arrangers. Without The Fountain they would have never been able to write 2112. It's just that simple. You're about to move in to a different phase of RUSH...
No One at the Bridge is my favorite section on this one. I hear a little Pink Floyd influence in the guitar solo. As far as live albums go, do at least the first two. The first one is the 2112 tour, and Exit Stage Left is the Moving Pictures tour. Great reaction! Can’t wait for 2112!
This piece is about one's journey through life. Birth, then rebellious youth, uncertainty in your early adult hood, finding and growing old with the love of your life, old age, then death.
I was one of the very few that understood the album as for what it was meant to be. Probably the only one that would admit I like the album. At that time I had NO idea of what would come after and beyond. It wasn't hard to figure out that they were indeed evolving.
Hey Justin, I've been enjoying your Rush journey...my favorite band! The Fountain Of Lamneth is a great tune and really started sounding more like Rush. I know you said Necromancer was not your favorite, but it does have a call back to By-Tor in the song. "Stealthily attacking By-Tor slays his foe". You mentioned that you don't like to read along with the lyrics, but honestly, Neil was a great lyricist. You may consider reading through the lyrics prior to your listen to give you a little context. Either way, thanks for doing this, its fun to watch!
Justin, I love your reviews because you're not afraid to admit that not every song is a banger. I get frustrated with folks that listen and say every track is better than the next, I've been a fan since 1977 when I was 11 and as much as I love them, they ain't perfect...closer than most...but still every track isn't gold. Thanks for an honest opinion....
Ditto, I agree completely with the previous comment. I love that you give your honest opinion and that you tell us the reasoning behind your opinion as well. Keep up the great work. Take care, GreedyNewt972
Appreciate your take. That said, I think I can count on just ten fingers and maybe one toe the number of Rush tracks over a 40 year career that I can honestly say I don’t like. There are some that are better to me than others, but what’s remarkable is how I can revisit something that I previously thought was meh or average and have it hit me in a completely new way and it somehow elevates for me. It’s like it suddenly clicks in my head and I get what they were going for and it just hits me in a new way. That’s the real magic of Rush. I’ve heard the catalog hundreds of times and I’m still discovering, still hearing new things and still learning how they crafted them.
The next 6 albums are outstanding, arguably the strongest part of the catalog. 2112 changed everything for me musically and showed me the possibilities of what rock and roll could do. Have a great holiday weekend Justin.👍
I know you say you aren't all about the lyrics, but this whole song is a beautiful look at someone's life. It goes thru all phases of one's life in 20+ minutes. I've loved this tune since I bought the album when I was 18 in 1982 (had a job and my own money finally ha ha). This tune was always my favorite from the entire three-album "Archives" set (their first three albums packaged as one). Simply because you got bang for the buck. What a diverse range in "one" song. ;)
I didn't even know this was called "The Fountain of Lamneth" until I got it on CD. The label had switched I Think I'm Going Bald with Didacts and Narpets to even out the sides of my cassette and yeah, I always thought I Think I'm Going Bald was oddly placed. The name of the entire work doesn't appear on the cassette version at all.
YES!!!! ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE!!!!! LOL! BTW, You're going to love "Passage to Bangkok " and "Twilight Zone." Twilight Zone's lyrics are literally from episodes of the tv show! But I can't WAIT for ATWAS!!
Great reaction!! Thanks for the early release!! You are officially part of the #RUSHARMY once you’ve been to “The Fountain”. So glad you enjoyed!! Looking forward to 2112🤟🏻!! Great choice to do “All the Worlds a Stage”, “ESL” and “A Show of Hands”! Be well and God bless… from Texas!!
I couldn’t sleep last night and watched this at 3am! I enjoy this song. With the exception of the Didacts and Narpets section. The song doesn’t really need the mini drum solo and I could do without the “listen” scream. But overall I do enjoy this song. You mentioned about live recordings. Rush certainly put out a ton of live recordings and they are all essential listening. I typically gauge an artist on their ability to re-present the songs live. And Rush doesn’t disappoint. I concur - your reaction to All the World and ESL would be appreciated. Don’t think it’s necessary to react to later live recordings. Starting in the late 90’s they put out a live recording and DVD for every tour. Unfortunately they never performed Fountain of Lamneth live. Would have been nice to hear it live. Of the 173 Rush studio recordings (including covers EP “Feedback”) they played all but 47 songs live.
'Caress of Steel' is a terrific album, my intro to Rush was The Spirit of Radio and the album Permanent Waves, i went from that to Caress of Steel, and I had no problems with it, I was about 14 at the time and Rush opened my ears. I played the shit out of Bastille Day and The Necromancer. The reason that this album got hard knocks was simply because they were stretching and taking bold steps towards progrsssive Rock and Mercury wanted more of those cute short happy tracks like 'In the Mood' and 'Fly by Night'. Also back then it must be noted that hard rock fans were NOT very interested in high-brow concepts and complicated changes or any reason to 'Think' too hard. We did enough thinking and studying at school, our bands were supposed to help us switch off and party. The first two Rush albums were embraced along with Kiss, AC DC, Sabbath and Aerosmith. But this album was leaning into YES and Genesis territory and most mainstream headbangers wouldn't have been willing to follow them down that road. But 2112 would change all of that, even the most stubborn simple rockers were hypnotized by the 'scaryness' of it all, Lol.. But 'Caress' was a crucial necessary step that enabled 2112 to manifest. They would not have been able to make such a leap from Fly by Night or anything within that 'modest classic rock' vein...
Such fascinating insight you provided in your feedback! All Rush fans understand this album. They were 3 young musicians trying to hone their craft, simple as that! I was hooked on Rush the first time I heard All the Worlds a stage many years ago!! It is still amazing to this day! Some songs (Lakeside Park, Working Man etc) take on a whole life on this album and their playing progressed so much! Thank you for your insight 🇨🇦
Pleasant surprise getting this early 😀 This song to me is a man's life and his goal to accomplish (the mountain of Lamneth) He is on a journey and finds love for a short time but his goal in life is at the forefront and he does reach it at the end but he is exhausted from the journey. That is Rush and Neil's lyrics even when they do sing about love and sex (which is rare) it is poetic and tasteful. Cheers
Rush issued live albums in a pattern at first. 4 studio albums, then a live album. They kept this up for their first 16 studio albums. Once we get into the 2000's they basically did a live album/DVD after each studio album.
Listening back to FoL now after many decades, and with a much more mature ear, the song sounds like an extensive intro showcasing a multitude of Rush's musical themes to come. You can hear rhythms, themes, techniques, and chord progressions that grow and evolve into future Rush pieces. You can hear the seeds and impressions of 2112, Hemispheres, and even some of their 80s sound, in Fountains. Even Neil's drum solo section contains elements that are included in the decades long evolution of his stand-alone solos. It's almost like this song is a prediction of what Rush was going to bring us over the length of their career, and an invitation to us to join them on their journey. As has been explained, the fans accepted that invitation, but the short-sighted record company did not. Is it any wonder that Rush has penned many a diss track about the music industry over the years.
My favorite track of this album. It is starting to sound like Rush! As for live albums, My suggestion (it is your channel, so do what feels right for you!) is to do All the worlds a stage, Exit Stage Left, A Show of Hands, and Different Stages. I suppose R40 or R30 wouldnt be a bad idea either as they were anniversary tours, and were pretty good.
Fans generally like or love this album. After Fly By Night & the successful touring as a result, COS was sales dissapointment. Record label was not happy, & the tours they got were w/much smaller acts & venues, the called it the down the tubes tour. It was an emotional low point. As the 2nd of a 3 album deal they knew similar results from #3 could mean it was back to day jobs in Canada. The band themselves often comment negatively on the album, whether due to seemingly overindulgent writing, drug use during recording or its bad memories they often seem genuinely surprised when interviewers or fans comment so positively on it. I've never know a fan who doesn't rank this in the top third or higher of their studio albums.
I'm guessing that there are a number of reasons why the band doesn't really like it. For one thing, the cover was screwed up--it was supposed to be "steel" colored rather than "brass" colored (I don't know whether or not the background was supposed to be green). I can't imagine how disappointing that must have been. Then, of course, the disappointing reception and the tour, which had to leave a big negative impression. However, I have to believe that they all hear every single flaw of the composition and production. While I think that all of the songs are good, "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth" just feel unfinished--like they need to be remixed, re-recorded, or even re-worked.
Of course I was a big fan when the 3rd album came out so I was prepared for something a little progressive. They still gave us many decent metal rock tracks.. I definitely rank it among their best especially because after MOVING PICTURES it started to slide considerably. RUSH is one those distinguished rock bands that nothing coming after will ever top.
@@markr.devereux3385 this was easy their best album, it started to slip downhill with 2112, because only overture is interesting in that song , after that it just drags on and on Fountain of Lamneth and Caress of Steel is interesting from beginning to end. Let's just say it's better than Dark Side of the Moon, Zeppelin 4, and Sgt Pepper's.
@drmidnight680-kz2le yeah I can appreciate the progressive elements in those early years.especially when the records have some classic metal rock tracks. I could see the label being less than happy with the releases . I was nervous myself but RUSH continued to enter their peak and everyone made out and make rock history. They all were in my age group and I'm a proud fan
When Caress of Steel is referred to as the Black Sheep they are talking about how the album did commercially upon release and the record company's response to it. They are not referring to the content.
I'm so happy to hear someone else say that about the necromancer it's not a terrible song don't get me wrong I mean it's not Tai San, but it's a little creepy with Neil talking in the beginning with the distorted voice lol! Personally, I love I'm going bald! It's so freaking funny it makes me smile every time.
I'd love to spend the time watching you react to the documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage. Great work so far. You're the ONLY channel working your way through the entire discography...something I really appreciate! (I had a feeling you'd come around on Geddy's voice :) )
It is Rush. This album is very much them working and defining their sound. As a a musician you certainly can appreciate it, but as a record exec or A&R guy whose trying to get their artist on the radio, any radio, this was a nightmare; a crushing blow. A band completely unmarketable No sex symbol front man. No radio friendly tracks. Geddy’s distinct vocal stylings. Rush, in so many ways, were better, tighter and outplayed nearly all their contemporaries, but always marginalized for the aforementioned reasons.
Everyone thought it sucked...I love it... first got it on8-track.,.songs out of order...didcets and nareps...side-one....think I'm going bald...both were the second track... amazed when I got the album...one of the best...
If you are going to narrow it down to three or even two live albums, please please do not skip Different Stages. It has the best mastering and production of any of them, Geddys voice is still great,and the best versions of most of the songs on there. I don't know why people overlook this because in my opinion it's their best live album. The last few live albums they did were good musically, but Geddy's voice almost made them unlistenable.
Yes, the black sheep, in the context that the record label was displeased with Caress of Steel, and warned them that if the next one wasn't commercial, they would be dropped. Their anger propelled them to defiantly make the record that they wanted to make and go down with the ship, rather than sacrifice their artistic integrity... and 2112 was born. They wrote it knowing full well that it would be their last, but fate had a different plan... and that's the real Black Sheep theme behind the story, but also because the record sold poorly. Caress of Steele sparked the defiance that should have ended their career. The whole 2112 song lyrics are about the anger, oppression, and frustration they felt toward the record label, but written metaphorically and desguised as a fantasy piece. This is truly a real life under dog story with a happy ending. Also, I really like the groove of Think I'm Going Bald, but always thought the title was goofy. It probably would have resonated better if it had been titled; I Think I'm Getting Old, since the lyrical theme is about maturing in attitude, taste and sophistication. Anyways... I'm enjoying your reviews! Good fun 👍
YYZed live in Rio, Is such an epic video because the crowd goes bananas and actually sings along with the instrumental! The video is indeed one of a kind and a beautiful thing to watch! Enjoy the rabbit hole Justin.
From what I understand the reason this album is the black sheep is the band did not go they way the record company wanted them to go. More commercial and straight forward Bad Company rock and roll according to the band. They said the Caress of Steel tour was called the down the tubes tour. They said they did small venues and were struggling. So they said to each other if we are going down we will go down our way, as Neil puts it, No we are not doing that and No you cant tell us what to do, thus 2112 comes around. I liked this album very much, it took a little bit but it grew on me a lot. Now that you already heard 2112 and the music, do us a favor and yourself a favor, pay attention to the lyrics and the meaning of the story. Totalitarians ruling the world and they fight back. It really is fascinating. Also if you (well maybe not you may be to young) remember the TV show the Twilight Zone, you will get the meaning of that song. With all sincerity, great job on the reactions. This is not easy but its an amazing journey into their music and life experiences through their songs. Until we meet again, you keep slappen that bass....
"Oh God now we got the drum solo... narpets." Your tone and the expression on your face when you said that was hilarious. I am now going to say "narpets" when I want to say "Aw crap!" 🤣
It's pronounced YY Zee in the US, Canadian's and UK say YY-Zed. No big deal, it's a country pronunciation thing, no right or wrong way to say it. Some people also get butt hurt that Rush pronounced their song "Red Barchetta" (Chetta) but it should be as Italians would say it, Bar-Ketta. Sorry, Geddy sang the song in English, not Italian.
Digging your videos.. I love how real you are and respect that you keep it real. Even though this is my favorite Rush album and The Necromancer is one of my favorite songs of all their stuff I respect that it's not yours and because you keep it real and aren't looking for attaboys, I'm going to check out and follow you on your Rush Discography. Keep up the Good Work.
You definitely have to do a show of hands I actually think it's better than all the world's a stage but I'm a big fan of the '80s sound. The other one you have to do in it's entirety is the time machine tour you will laugh your butt off it's a little comic segments they do between songs
There are quite a few really nice musical ideas in this. A drum solo, the harmonies, the melodies.... there are very nice ideas here. I do think it sounds a little rough though, like they could have spent a bit more time polishing it so it flows a bit better and feels more seamless. Lyrically, it's very dense and feels like it presses down on you. Overall, it's.... pretty good. This one feels like a learning experience to me, both musically and lyrically. Alex actually said "Panacea" was one of the two songs they recorded that he felt were pure stinkers. I like to think that this gave them the experience and drive to create 2112. What a world of difference. 2112 is almost without flaw and is considered a rock classic, while this has great ideas but just isn't quite there yet. As for the black sheep.... to me it sounds like it needs more polishing. Like they got comfortable with their growing fame and had some great ideas and put them down and didn't really think them through fully. With the exception of the first album, which I think almost like "pre--Rush", it's my least-listened to Rush album. "All the World's a Stage"... what a freaking great album! Can't wait to see you hear that. All these songs you just listened to sound so much.... extra!
It's only a black sheep (if that) of the albums featuring Peart. The first album is just an outlier. Peart's 70s lyrics are generally dated, but to be fair they just sound like someone in his early 20s who was reading a lot. Props for not trying to be too cool for school. Rush for me are about the music more than the lyrics, though their best songs check both boxes. They were overflowing with good musical ideas, chord progressions, melodies, etc. and Peart was a huge boost musically. I'm with you on caring about that stuff more, and it's why Rush is considered a musician's band. 2112 side 1 is good, again for the musical ideas above all -- the story was cool for a kid living in the 70s and hating disco. Then again, dystopian fiction has a timeless appeal and these are dystopian times.... Side 2 is forgettable. Farewell to Kings is their first all-around good album imo.
This is one of those albums that wouldn't necessarily appeal to the average listener expecting to hear the latest hits of the day. It takes a few listens to pull out the golden nuggets within. There is a lot of interesting playing going on it just a little disjointed at times but certainly allowed Rush to take their music further and it shows up more concisely on their next album 2112.
This song is interesting from start to finish unlike 2112. 2112 is only a great beginning (overture) after that the whole song is boring. The albums after 2112 get worse and worse. Finally in the 80s, they turned into a poor man's Duran Duran and the Police.
Another great reaction!. I really enjoy hearing your song and album break downs. What you liked and didn't like and why. I am very glad that you will be including "All The Worlds A Stage" and "Exit Stage Left" in your reviews. I personally think that those are both essential Rush albums. Growing up I had older siblings and was casually introduced to a lot of great bands and songs which included my initial introduction to Rush. However, my Senior year in high school (1988) I started working at a grocery store and after work I would hang out with some of my work friends. This is when I first saw "Exit Stage Left" at my friends apartment and was completely blown away. After that I was hooked, Rush was and still is my favorite band. There are many other bands that I love as well but Rush will always be #1 for me. Fortunately I got to see them three times in concert but with the passing of Neil I am kicking myself for not making it a priority to see them more live when I had the chance. Take care, GreedyNewt972
"Rush in rio" was a crucial concert part of their overall Vapor trails album tour.(and a personal favorite) Especially with the events surrounding and leading up to it. If you're interested, The documentary "The boys in brazil" covers a lot of the story. But specific events are detailed in a video "Tragic details about rush." But yeah Vapor trails was a come back album/tour after shit hit the fan
@@SnowDogisVictorious Oh yeah his books are also good for people who really wanna go that deep. Retrospect of Rush they really do have a solid story line of a career. "Test for echo" markes the end before tragedy hits. So going in with that type of hindsight is cool.
@@SnowDogisVictorious As a drummer I also got Neil's "A work in progress" test for echo Drum DVD. At the end of the credits is a pic of him sitting with his wife and daughter. It was my intro to Neil peart and Rush. So to see that after the fact then read up on them was like oh holy Shit 😳 I believe It was 2003/2004 I was introduced to them and after "a work in progress" I got their Rush in Rio dvd with that back story in mind.
Good decision on listening to All the Worlds a Stage. This was my go-to Rush album at the time. And I actually saw that tour. It shows what they could do live and they did it really well.
I can’t wait until you get to “ A farwell to kings”. My favorite album and song. I have a question for you would you have liked the necromancer without the narrated parts? I’m enjoying your reactions.
@@JustinPanariello yeah it’s kind of a moot point. I’m not sure it was needed as he kind of repeats it singing. I think perhaps they thought it gave it a more foreboding tone to the song. I think it does but it is a little off putting. Thanks for the reply.
It’s funny actually, as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to appreciate this album more. My cousin is Canadian and they pronounce Z as Zed, as he has reminded me hundreds of times. So as polite as Canadians are, if you really want to get them mad pronounce Zed as Z🤣
This is the 'black sheep' because what you have coming is 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures. Fly By Night has more catchy tunes and a brighter sound and then you hit Caress of Steel which is dark and brooding, almost country sounding (to me,) and so is kind of a hiccup in their early catalog to 1981 and thus gets the moniker "the black sheep." It's just different. Yes, please review All the World's a Stage so you can understand their real sound for this early period and maybe get an idea of how these earliest studio albums probably should've sounded...heavier, more aggressive, and you can skip all the other live albums. Hemispheres was my fav as a kid but I don't think it's a love-it after just one listen. BTW, I'm 56 and was a fan during Rush's heyday. It just gets to me how young these guys are and how short a turn-around time they have to write these songs in the back of a station wagon (literally) and then record them and back onto the road. Can't wait until you hear Cygnus Book 1 at the end of Kings if you didn't like Necromancer. :)
Justin sou um fã realmente muito suspeito para comentar sobre este álbum, muito subestimado até pelo Rush, mas que em minha opinião é muito bom e climático. Os problemas que surgiram logo após as gravações foram algo inevitável para a época: muitos excelentes álbuns de outras bandas de rock progressivo também foram lançados no mesmo período. Caress Of Steel é um álbum denso e muito viajante. O público não entendeu a proposta por que o Rush estava muito além e também era uma banda do Canadá, com idéias fervilhantes na cabeça. Eu AMO esse terceiro álbum e adoraria se eles tivessem finalmente tocado integralmente cada faixa em algum show posterior. Infelizmente eles não o fizeram. Um abraço e desculpe pelo tamanho do meu comentário. Paz. ✌🏻 🇧🇷
They can set a mood that most musicians can't achieve. Most just want the wailing shit to go on pointlessly.. 100 years from now, a good copy of this recording would sell for billions at auction.
I think if you remove yourself from the constant playing of the 5-6 Rush hits on FM for decades, and look at the overarching universe of Rush, it's almost like the other great bands, Zeppelin or take your pic. Possibly more so for prog rock bands. They veered in a variety of directions so as to not get stagnant as time went by. And I think Rush did as much/ more than any other band to constantly improve. E.G. Neil Peart taking lessons from great drummers such as Freddy Gruber and Peter Erskine all throughout Rush.
For the time period, "A Show Of Hands" was really good. The mixing and production is really bad on "Exit Stage Left" in my opinion. But they perfected it for "A Show of Hands."
Rush isn't the type of band that would be considered, for everyone...They were never considered to be "cool" if you will.. This was definitely NOT the type of album that would be used to bring "commercial " sales and or success. This is the type of album that would be made for those Rush fans that "understood" the band.. I personally think this is the epitome of who Rush really was..
I think if you were to watch “Beyond the Lighted Stage,” which is the greatest RUSH documentary, it would be clearer why this album is the black sheep. I am going to officially request a reaction watch along of that documentary.
Agree on Necromancer, for some reason Fountains never caught me as much as 2112 or Cygnus. Can't say why, just never did, good but not great. Glad to hear you are doing All The Worlds a Stage, early Rush at its powerful best. The YYZed thing is just a weird pride thing we Canadians have, say it however you want. It's like pronouncing Neil's last name, 95% of people get it wrong, but it doesn't matter if you appreciate the music.
Well, now you made it through the "black sheep" Rush album :-) To me, this album has some nice ideas, but other than Bastille Day and Lakeside Park, it felt kind of unfinished--almost like an unfinished album that was released after a band broke up or someone died. From the point of view of "Rush proper", I really only consider this as a second album, so I guess it would be the sophomore slump. (Let's be honest, the first album was really just the result of an ambitious bar band that got studio time--they had probably been playing some of those songs since they were teenagers). So compared to Fly by Night, with songs that really sounded "finished", with the promise of a lot of future potential, Caress of Steel seemed like a lot of ambition that fell short. Given all that (i.e. how Caress of Steel turned out), you can just imagine how much pressure Rush was under to produce something different than what 2112 turned out to be. If they had bowed to the demands of the record company, I can't see how Rush would have stuck around for the long haul, even if they had had more success in the short term. Instead, they basically went all-in on 2112 and essentially had a do-over of Caress of Steel (and toured like mad to support it). Good that you're going to do a listen to "All the World's a Stage", because I think it gives a good idea of how Rush built their popularity based on their live shows, with the raw energy, hunger, and drive.In terms of other live albums, I'd suggest "A Show of Hands", and maybe ""Different Stages" (which is really two live albums from different periods).
There are some real gems on the albums you mentioned about not listening to. Even if you didn't do reaction videos, I think it's well worth diving into their whole catalogue.
Hi! You must be new to my channel. Im currently in the middle of going through Rush’s ENTIRE discography from beginning to end (all studio albums and a few Live albums).
Caress of Steel was a way way under appreciated album which nearly ended their career’s, it is the album that first got me listening to Rush and one of my favorites
IMO the songwriting on FoL is a BIG step up from side 1, which perhaps was the mistake. Rather than loading their best writing into a side-long epic maybe they should have spread everything out across the entire album. Plus, side 1 seems to be dominated by the hard-rocking stuff, whereas side 2 has a much more introspective vibe overall. I guess for whatever reason Rush were a bit too quick on the draw attempting something on the scale of "2112" and "Hemispheres" in 1975. People back then just weren't ready for them to start imitating Yes and Genesis (but by 1978 they definitely were!) In some respects they were also ahead of their time. For example, the idea of an acoustic prelude that is reprised for the coda was copied by Pink Floyd on the Animals album two years later. Rush seemed to know they were onto something good, but that they just needed to make some tweaks. After this they were told by the label to "come up with a hit or else", and instead they repeat the format of CoS, but with the side long epic on side 1! How's that for a "F*ck you very much, Mercury Records!" 😂 BTW, is there any evidence FoL was every played live? I was sort of hoping they'd dust at least parts of it off for the Clockwork Angels tour, where I thought it would have meshed well with those songs.
After exit stage left , as far as live performances, maybe just do the live video tours. Personally I didn't like the sound quality of exit stage left. But I had the album might be different now
I know that the sound quality of "Exit Stage Left" is not the best but for me as a high school drummer watching the video blew me away and had me hooked forever. Actually seeing as well as hearing the musicianship and the ability to perform songs like "Xanadu" live with just three guys was and remains amazing to me. Take care, GreedyNewt972
In the USA it is YYZee, in Canada the Z is apparantly pronounced Zed. I've never heard of Zed until I started watching videos on TH-cam...lol. every Rush fan I know are American and says Zee. Bottomline, who gives a shit?lol
I highly recommend skipping Exit Stage Left and listening to Live in YYZ. Both were recorded only a few days apart in March 1981, but ESL is barely half the setlist and had poor production. Live in YYZ was just released for the first time in 2022 and is the entire 2 hour setlist with good production. Lots of fans, including me, now consider it to be the definitive live Rush album.
I have not heard Live in YYZ, I will have to check it out. I love reading all of these comments because I keep learning new things about my favorite band. Take care, GreedyNewt972
This album did not do good at all for Rush. Their follow up tour was dubbed the "down the tubes" tour. They were given one last chance by their record company, and they were told that they needed to do basic 3 minute radio friendly pop songs. The result was 2112, which was basically them telling the record company to go pound sand. The rest was history.
2112 was one of the greatest "all-in" gambles in music history. If the album hadn't done well (and it wasn't an immediate smash, it took a lot of touring support and even "All the World's a Stage" to really make it a "big" success), that would have been the end of Rush. OTOH, if they had submitted to the label's demands, they might have been successful, but they would have always been under the label's thumb and "Rush" the ground-breaking prog-metal band probably never would have happened either (and they almost certainly would not have been together for 40 years).
I am fine if you call it Y-Y-Zee. How are you to know? Same with people who get all upset about pronouncing Neil's name as "Pert" or something other than "Peert" - again how are you supposed to know. I called him "Pert" for 20 years, as a big fan. But I didn't have a thousand people on the internet to correct me.
I don't think you will like Cygnus X1 Book 1. It has naration. Personally I enjoy them adding unexpected things like naration. Rush isn't just music you listen to. Their performances are experiences. Would you dislike a movie because of naration? It's just a part of the story. I first heard it when I was a teenager. Being young I had an open mind and I accepted the narration as just another part of the story. I suppose it helps that my first exposure wasn't after I started getting old. All my buddies had wide open eyes when first hearing that. Something different that no one else was doing. The music in The Necromancer is second to none in the Rush catalgue. Alex really makes his instrument sing. So, usually I check out your channel through VR. Unfortunately I don't think I can do that anymore. There were three ads right in the middle and this stupid headset has no ad blockers. If I return, it will be on my PC where I can listen withour interruption.
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To be honest ive never done what you are doing. I have heard every Rush album multiple times but i have never done them in order. I am enjoying this with you. Thanks for that!
Alex's solo in No One At The Bridge is just so damned melodic. One of my favorites from him. Great work sitting through this, not many reactors out there would do this. Cheers!
Yeah, it’s one of my favorite songs (top 10 or 20) of theirs.
The best is yet to come !!!
So glad you liked it. Who knows if you ever hear the Necromancer again you may like it more, the narration never bothered me because I was so amazed at the music part of it, the way they had that all out jam and then the guitar outro gives you goosebumps. Many people will argue that each Rush album from the first through Moving Pictures got better and better. In a way I almost agree. I definitely look forward to you reacting to 2112 again and how their music seemed to mature with each album
Hey, early release! Yay!!
Now the fun begins! 2112 and beyond!
Imagine it's 1975 and you're a 16 yo girl who only a few short months earlier had discovered Rush. And still imagine buying this album on an 8-track!! Side B ("The Fountain of Lamneth") of COS was split between tracks 3 & 4 so the format of 8-tracks pretty much sucked because lots of songs were what we called "cut," which meant that the songs faded out and in. It was crappy but back then the only portable music for cars was those effen tapes.
As far as other live Rush albums that you could do, I'd recommend watching the videos instead of just listening to the albums. Beginning with the "Test For Echo" tour, they decided not to have an opening band, so they'd do a 3-hour show, divided into 2 sets. Additionally, the boys have a good sense of humor, especially beginning with the "Rush in Rio" concert film. Lots of funny stuff when Geddy, Alex and Neil play different parts similar to video comedy shorts as introductions to both sets at their concerts. ✌✌
Yeah, they did that on cassettes for awhile, too. In fact, the first Rush album I ever had was really a copy of someone's cassette version of 2112, and they split it in the middle of "Grand Finale". Fortunately, once cassettes started to outsell vinyl, record companies stopped doing that. The other thing record companies did for cassettes was reorder the songs to make each side more even in length. (As a result of that, I have a weird idea on what is the proper order of the Kansas album "Leftoverture")..
That's funny. I remember 8-tracks and them doing that to songs!
The first cassette I had of a farewell to kings closer to the heart was split.
The Fountain of Lamneth is an important song in the history of RUSH as it demonstrated to the band that they were very good songwriters and arrangers. Without The Fountain they would have never been able to write 2112. It's just that simple.
You're about to move in to a different phase of RUSH...
Such a BEAUTIFUL song! My favorite of all Rush tunes! EPIC!!
No One at the Bridge is my favorite section on this one. I hear a little Pink Floyd influence in the guitar solo. As far as live albums go, do at least the first two. The first one is the 2112 tour, and Exit Stage Left is the Moving Pictures tour. Great reaction! Can’t wait for 2112!
This piece is about one's journey through life. Birth, then rebellious youth, uncertainty in your early adult hood, finding and growing old with the love of your life, old age, then death.
I was one of the very few that understood the album as for what it was meant to be. Probably the only one that would admit I like the album. At that time I had NO idea of what would come after and beyond. It wasn't hard to figure out that they were indeed evolving.
They were only 20 and 21 years old when they recorded this. Amazing.
Hey Justin, I've been enjoying your Rush journey...my favorite band! The Fountain Of Lamneth is a great tune and really started sounding more like Rush. I know you said Necromancer was not your favorite, but it does have a call back to By-Tor in the song. "Stealthily attacking By-Tor slays his foe". You mentioned that you don't like to read along with the lyrics, but honestly, Neil was a great lyricist. You may consider reading through the lyrics prior to your listen to give you a little context. Either way, thanks for doing this, its fun to watch!
Beautiful
Justin, I love your reviews because you're not afraid to admit that not every song is a banger. I get frustrated with folks that listen and say every track is better than the next, I've been a fan since 1977 when I was 11 and as much as I love them, they ain't perfect...closer than most...but still every track isn't gold. Thanks for an honest opinion....
Ditto, I agree completely with the previous comment. I love that you give your honest opinion and that you tell us the reasoning behind your opinion as well. Keep up the great work.
Take care,
GreedyNewt972
Appreciate your take. That said, I think I can count on just ten fingers and maybe one toe the number of Rush tracks over a 40 year career that I can honestly say I don’t like. There are some that are better to me than others, but what’s remarkable is how I can revisit something that I previously thought was meh or average and have it hit me in a completely new way and it somehow elevates for me. It’s like it suddenly clicks in my head and I get what they were going for and it just hits me in a new way. That’s the real magic of Rush. I’ve heard the catalog hundreds of times and I’m still discovering, still hearing new things and still learning how they crafted them.
My fav by them Geddy sings his ass off in this one
The next 6 albums are outstanding, arguably the strongest part of the catalog. 2112 changed everything for me musically and showed me the possibilities of what rock and roll could do. Have a great holiday weekend Justin.👍
For sure the next 6 albums are probably the best run of 6 albums that any artist has ever had.
I know you say you aren't all about the lyrics, but this whole song is a beautiful look at someone's life. It goes thru all phases of one's life in 20+ minutes. I've loved this tune since I bought the album when I was 18 in 1982 (had a job and my own money finally ha ha).
This tune was always my favorite from the entire three-album "Archives" set (their first three albums packaged as one). Simply because you got bang for the buck. What a diverse range in "one" song. ;)
Very much enjoying this journey. Thank-you.
One of my fav from Power Trio
Masterpiece
I didn't even know this was called "The Fountain of Lamneth" until I got it on CD. The label had switched I Think I'm Going Bald with Didacts and Narpets to even out the sides of my cassette and yeah, I always thought I Think I'm Going Bald was oddly placed. The name of the entire work doesn't appear on the cassette version at all.
YES!!!! ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE!!!!! LOL! BTW, You're going to love "Passage to Bangkok " and "Twilight Zone." Twilight Zone's lyrics are literally from episodes of the tv show! But I can't WAIT for ATWAS!!
Great reaction!! Thanks for the early release!! You are officially part of the #RUSHARMY once you’ve been to “The Fountain”. So glad you enjoyed!! Looking forward to 2112🤟🏻!! Great choice to do “All the Worlds a Stage”, “ESL” and “A Show of Hands”! Be well and God bless… from Texas!!
I couldn’t sleep last night and watched this at 3am! I enjoy this song. With the exception of the Didacts and Narpets section. The song doesn’t really need the mini drum solo and I could do without the “listen” scream. But overall I do enjoy this song. You mentioned about live recordings. Rush certainly put out a ton of live recordings and they are all essential listening. I typically gauge an artist on their ability to re-present the songs live. And Rush doesn’t disappoint. I concur - your reaction to All the World and ESL would be appreciated. Don’t think it’s necessary to react to later live recordings. Starting in the late 90’s they put out a live recording and DVD for every tour. Unfortunately they never performed Fountain of Lamneth live. Would have been nice to hear it live. Of the 173 Rush studio recordings (including covers EP “Feedback”) they played all but 47 songs live.
Didacts and Narpets does fit in context with the theme of this piece. It denotes a period of change in one's life front youth into adulthood
After Exit Stage Left I believe the next live album was A Show Of Hands.
'Caress of Steel' is a terrific album, my intro to Rush was The Spirit of Radio and the album Permanent Waves, i went from that to Caress of Steel, and I had no problems with it, I was about 14 at the time and Rush opened my ears. I played the shit out of Bastille Day and The Necromancer. The reason that this album got hard knocks was simply because they were stretching and taking bold steps towards progrsssive Rock and Mercury wanted more of those cute short happy tracks like
'In the Mood' and 'Fly by Night'.
Also back then it must be noted that hard rock fans were NOT very interested in high-brow concepts and complicated changes or any reason to 'Think' too hard. We did enough thinking and studying at school, our bands were supposed to help us switch off and party. The first two Rush albums were embraced along with Kiss, AC DC, Sabbath and Aerosmith. But this album was leaning into YES and Genesis territory and most mainstream headbangers wouldn't have been willing to follow them down that road. But 2112 would change all of that, even the most stubborn simple rockers were hypnotized by the 'scaryness' of it all, Lol.. But 'Caress' was a crucial necessary step that enabled 2112 to manifest. They would not have been able to make such a leap from Fly by Night or anything within that 'modest classic rock' vein...
Glad you liked this.. my favourite track.. lifes journey from birth to death.. read the lyrics carefully..
Such fascinating insight you provided in your feedback! All Rush fans understand this album. They were 3 young musicians trying to hone their craft, simple as that! I was hooked on Rush the first time I heard All the Worlds a stage many years ago!! It is still amazing to this day! Some songs (Lakeside Park, Working Man etc) take on a whole life on this album and their playing progressed so much! Thank you for your insight 🇨🇦
Thank you Brother for looking onto ATWAS! That was my first intro to Rush in '79 when I started drumming at 15. Keep up the great journey!
It hasn't ever been the black sheep for me... Glad you enjoyed it and didn't think it was a waste of time.
Pleasant surprise getting this early 😀 This song to me is a man's life and his goal to accomplish (the mountain of Lamneth) He is on a journey and finds love for a short time but his goal in life is at the forefront and he does reach it at the end but he is exhausted from the journey. That is Rush and Neil's lyrics even when they do sing about love and sex (which is rare) it is poetic and tasteful.
Cheers
Rush issued live albums in a pattern at first.
4 studio albums, then a live album.
They kept this up for their first 16 studio albums.
Once we get into the 2000's they basically did a live album/DVD after each studio album.
Listening back to FoL now after many decades, and with a much more mature ear, the song sounds like an extensive intro showcasing a multitude of Rush's musical themes to come. You can hear rhythms, themes, techniques, and chord progressions that grow and evolve into future Rush pieces. You can hear the seeds and impressions of 2112, Hemispheres, and even some of their 80s sound, in Fountains. Even Neil's drum solo section contains elements that are included in the decades long evolution of his stand-alone solos. It's almost like this song is a prediction of what Rush was going to bring us over the length of their career, and an invitation to us to join them on their journey. As has been explained, the fans accepted that invitation, but the short-sighted record company did not. Is it any wonder that Rush has penned many a diss track about the music industry over the years.
Unfortunately they were never able to do anything as good or even close to this song.
I am sure this has been mentioned, when this album dropped, critics hated this which led to 2112. Great to see a FRESH perspective!
Good song.
Man, Alex does some great work on this album.
For a live album,Exit stage left 1981,unbelievable.they were so tight this show (as usual)
My favorite track of this album. It is starting to sound like Rush! As for live albums, My suggestion (it is your channel, so do what feels right for you!) is to do All the worlds a stage, Exit Stage Left, A Show of Hands, and Different Stages. I suppose R40 or R30 wouldnt be a bad idea either as they were anniversary tours, and were pretty good.
When you do Exit Stage Left do the album not the video. Better set list. Never understood why the video release wasn't the same list.
My favorite part of the fountain is definitely Bacchus Plateau.
Outside of hardcore fans, not many know that RUSH could write some nice folk songs.
Fans generally like or love this album.
After Fly By Night & the successful touring as a result, COS was sales dissapointment. Record label was not happy, & the tours they got were w/much smaller acts & venues, the called it the down the tubes tour.
It was an emotional low point. As the 2nd of a 3 album deal they knew similar results from #3 could mean it was back to day jobs in Canada.
The band themselves often comment negatively on the album, whether due to seemingly overindulgent writing, drug use during recording or its bad memories they often seem genuinely surprised when interviewers or fans comment so positively on it.
I've never know a fan who doesn't rank this in the top third or higher of their studio albums.
I'm guessing that there are a number of reasons why the band doesn't really like it. For one thing, the cover was screwed up--it was supposed to be "steel" colored rather than "brass" colored (I don't know whether or not the background was supposed to be green). I can't imagine how disappointing that must have been. Then, of course, the disappointing reception and the tour, which had to leave a big negative impression. However, I have to believe that they all hear every single flaw of the composition and production. While I think that all of the songs are good, "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth" just feel unfinished--like they need to be remixed, re-recorded, or even re-worked.
Of course I was a big fan when the 3rd album came out so I was prepared for something a little progressive. They still gave us many decent metal rock tracks.. I definitely rank it among their best especially because after MOVING PICTURES it started to slide considerably. RUSH is one those distinguished rock bands that nothing coming after will ever top.
@@markr.devereux3385 this was easy their best album, it started to slip downhill with 2112, because only overture is interesting in that song , after that it just drags on and on
Fountain of Lamneth and Caress of Steel is interesting from beginning to end.
Let's just say it's better than Dark Side of the Moon, Zeppelin 4, and Sgt Pepper's.
@drmidnight680-kz2le yeah I can appreciate the progressive elements in those early years.especially when the records have some classic metal rock tracks. I could see the label being less than happy with the releases . I was nervous myself but RUSH continued to enter their peak and everyone made out and make rock history. They all were in my age group and I'm a proud fan
Remains one of my favorites. One of those where it is best to listen to the whole album straight through. Flows so well.
When Caress of Steel is referred to as the Black Sheep they are talking about how the album did commercially upon release and the record company's response to it. They are not referring to the content.
This has grown on me over the years until it is one of my favorites from Rush.
I'm so happy to hear someone else say that about the necromancer it's not a terrible song don't get me wrong I mean it's not Tai San, but it's a little creepy with Neil talking in the beginning with the distorted voice lol!
Personally, I love I'm going bald! It's so freaking funny it makes me smile every time.
I'd love to spend the time watching you react to the documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage. Great work so far. You're the ONLY channel working your way through the entire discography...something I really appreciate! (I had a feeling you'd come around on Geddy's voice :) )
It is Rush. This album is very much them working and defining their sound. As a a musician you certainly can appreciate it, but as a record exec or A&R guy whose trying to get their artist on the radio, any radio, this was a nightmare; a crushing blow. A band completely unmarketable No sex symbol front man. No radio friendly tracks. Geddy’s distinct vocal stylings. Rush, in so many ways, were better, tighter and outplayed nearly all their contemporaries, but always marginalized for the aforementioned reasons.
Everyone thought it sucked...I love it... first got it on8-track.,.songs out of order...didcets and nareps...side-one....think I'm going bald...both were the second track... amazed when I got the album...one of the best...
If you are going to narrow it down to three or even two live albums, please please do not skip Different Stages. It has the best mastering and production of any of them, Geddys voice is still great,and the best versions of most of the songs on there. I don't know why people overlook this because in my opinion it's their best live album. The last few live albums they did were good musically, but Geddy's voice almost made them unlistenable.
Yes, ditto
Truth
Yes, the black sheep, in the context that the record label was displeased with Caress of Steel, and warned them that if the next one wasn't commercial, they would be dropped.
Their anger propelled them to defiantly make the record that they wanted to make and go down with the ship, rather than sacrifice their artistic integrity... and 2112 was born. They wrote it knowing full well that it would be their last, but fate had a different plan... and that's the real Black Sheep theme behind the story, but also because the record sold poorly.
Caress of Steele sparked the defiance that should have ended their career.
The whole 2112 song lyrics are about the anger, oppression, and frustration they felt toward the record label, but written metaphorically and desguised as a fantasy piece. This is truly a real life under dog story with a happy ending.
Also, I really like the groove of Think I'm Going Bald, but always thought the title was goofy. It probably would have resonated better if it had been titled; I Think I'm Getting Old, since the lyrical theme is about maturing in attitude, taste and sophistication.
Anyways... I'm enjoying your reviews! Good fun 👍
YYZed live in Rio, Is such an epic video because the crowd goes bananas and actually sings along with the instrumental! The video is indeed one of a kind and a beautiful thing to watch! Enjoy the rabbit hole Justin.
From what I understand the reason this album is the black sheep is the band did not go they way the record company wanted them to go. More commercial and straight forward Bad Company rock and roll according to the band. They said the Caress of Steel tour was called the down the tubes tour. They said they did small venues and were struggling. So they said to each other if we are going down we will go down our way, as Neil puts it, No we are not doing that and No you cant tell us what to do, thus 2112 comes around. I liked this album very much, it took a little bit but it grew on me a lot. Now that you already heard 2112 and the music, do us a favor and yourself a favor, pay attention to the lyrics and the meaning of the story. Totalitarians ruling the world and they fight back. It really is fascinating. Also if you (well maybe not you may be to young) remember the TV show the Twilight Zone, you will get the meaning of that song. With all sincerity, great job on the reactions. This is not easy but its an amazing journey into their music and life experiences through their songs. Until we meet again, you keep slappen that bass....
"Oh God now we got the drum solo... narpets." Your tone and the expression on your face when you said that was hilarious. I am now going to say "narpets" when I want to say "Aw crap!" 🤣
It's pronounced YY Zee in the US, Canadian's and UK say YY-Zed. No big deal, it's a country pronunciation thing, no right or wrong way to say it. Some people also get butt hurt that Rush pronounced their song "Red Barchetta" (Chetta) but it should be as Italians would say it, Bar-Ketta. Sorry, Geddy sang the song in English, not Italian.
I'm Canadian and in all honesty we use both. I personally use Zee but know Zed is the same thing so I don't much care which way people pronounce it.
Digging your videos.. I love how real you are and respect that you keep it real. Even though this is my favorite Rush album and The Necromancer is one of my favorite songs of all their stuff I respect that it's not yours and because you keep it real and aren't looking for attaboys, I'm going to check out and follow you on your Rush Discography. Keep up the Good Work.
Didacts and Narpets; best drum rolls in recorded history. The Professor =🐐
You definitely have to do a show of hands I actually think it's better than all the world's a stage but I'm a big fan of the '80s sound. The other one you have to do in it's entirety is the time machine tour you will laugh your butt off it's a little comic segments they do between songs
There are quite a few really nice musical ideas in this. A drum solo, the harmonies, the melodies.... there are very nice ideas here. I do think it sounds a little rough though, like they could have spent a bit more time polishing it so it flows a bit better and feels more seamless. Lyrically, it's very dense and feels like it presses down on you. Overall, it's.... pretty good. This one feels like a learning experience to me, both musically and lyrically. Alex actually said "Panacea" was one of the two songs they recorded that he felt were pure stinkers. I like to think that this gave them the experience and drive to create 2112. What a world of difference. 2112 is almost without flaw and is considered a rock classic, while this has great ideas but just isn't quite there yet. As for the black sheep.... to me it sounds like it needs more polishing. Like they got comfortable with their growing fame and had some great ideas and put them down and didn't really think them through fully. With the exception of the first album, which I think almost like "pre--Rush", it's my least-listened to Rush album. "All the World's a Stage"... what a freaking great album! Can't wait to see you hear that. All these songs you just listened to sound so much.... extra!
Do UFO,...Strangers in the Night!!!,one of the best live albums ever made
It's only a black sheep (if that) of the albums featuring Peart. The first album is just an outlier. Peart's 70s lyrics are generally dated, but to be fair they just sound like someone in his early 20s who was reading a lot. Props for not trying to be too cool for school. Rush for me are about the music more than the lyrics, though their best songs check both boxes. They were overflowing with good musical ideas, chord progressions, melodies, etc. and Peart was a huge boost musically. I'm with you on caring about that stuff more, and it's why Rush is considered a musician's band.
2112 side 1 is good, again for the musical ideas above all -- the story was cool for a kid living in the 70s and hating disco. Then again, dystopian fiction has a timeless appeal and these are dystopian times.... Side 2 is forgettable. Farewell to Kings is their first all-around good album imo.
This is one of those albums that wouldn't necessarily appeal to the average listener expecting to hear the latest hits of the day. It takes a few listens to pull out the golden nuggets within. There is a lot of interesting playing going on it just a little disjointed at times but certainly allowed Rush to take their music further and it shows up more concisely on their next album 2112.
This song is interesting from start to finish unlike 2112.
2112 is only a great beginning (overture) after that the whole song is boring.
The albums after 2112 get worse and worse.
Finally in the 80s, they turned into a poor man's Duran Duran and the Police.
A great interview is Alex talking about his time and friendship with Rory Gallagher the guitarist, it’s on TH-cam,
I'm a Rush head. I still call it YYZEE.🐷
Another great reaction!. I really enjoy hearing your song and album break downs. What you liked and didn't like and why. I am very glad that you will be including "All The Worlds A Stage" and "Exit Stage Left" in your reviews. I personally think that those are both essential Rush albums. Growing up I had older siblings and was casually introduced to a lot of great bands and songs which included my initial introduction to Rush. However, my Senior year in high school (1988) I started working at a grocery store and after work I would hang out with some of my work friends. This is when I first saw "Exit Stage Left" at my friends apartment and was completely blown away. After that I was hooked, Rush was and still is my favorite band. There are many other bands that I love as well but Rush will always be #1 for me. Fortunately I got to see them three times in concert but with the passing of Neil I am kicking myself for not making it a priority to see them more live when I had the chance.
Take care,
GreedyNewt972
"Rush in rio" was a crucial concert part of their overall Vapor trails album tour.(and a personal favorite) Especially with the events surrounding and leading up to it. If you're interested, The documentary "The boys in brazil" covers a lot of the story. But specific events are detailed in a video "Tragic details about rush." But yeah Vapor trails was a come back album/tour after shit hit the fan
@@SnowDogisVictorious Oh yeah his books are also good for people who really wanna go that deep. Retrospect of Rush they really do have a solid story line of a career. "Test for echo" markes the end before tragedy hits. So going in with that type of hindsight is cool.
@@SnowDogisVictorious As a drummer I also got Neil's "A work in progress" test for echo Drum DVD. At the end of the credits is a pic of him sitting with his wife and daughter. It was my intro to Neil peart and Rush. So to see that after the fact then read up on them was like oh holy Shit 😳
I believe It was 2003/2004 I was introduced to them and after "a work in progress" I got their Rush in Rio dvd with that back story in mind.
Good decision on listening to All the Worlds a Stage. This was my go-to Rush album at the time. And I actually saw that tour. It shows what they could do live and they did it really well.
I can’t wait until you get to “ A farwell to kings”. My favorite album and song.
I have a question for you would you have liked the necromancer without the narrated parts? I’m enjoying your reactions.
Im not sure 🤔 maybe will have to check it out again to see. Buuuttt yeah idk. Its on there soooo 🤷♂️
@@JustinPanariello yeah it’s kind of a moot point. I’m not sure it was needed as he kind of repeats it singing. I think perhaps they thought it gave it a more foreboding tone to the song. I think it does but it is a little off putting. Thanks for the reply.
It’s funny actually, as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to appreciate this album more. My cousin is Canadian and they pronounce Z as Zed, as he has reminded me hundreds of times. So as polite as Canadians are, if you really want to get them mad pronounce Zed as Z🤣
This is the 'black sheep' because what you have coming is 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures. Fly By Night has more catchy tunes and a brighter sound and then you hit Caress of Steel which is dark and brooding, almost country sounding (to me,) and so is kind of a hiccup in their early catalog to 1981 and thus gets the moniker "the black sheep." It's just different. Yes, please review All the World's a Stage so you can understand their real sound for this early period and maybe get an idea of how these earliest studio albums probably should've sounded...heavier, more aggressive, and you can skip all the other live albums. Hemispheres was my fav as a kid but I don't think it's a love-it after just one listen. BTW, I'm 56 and was a fan during Rush's heyday. It just gets to me how young these guys are and how short a turn-around time they have to write these songs in the back of a station wagon (literally) and then record them and back onto the road. Can't wait until you hear Cygnus Book 1 at the end of Kings if you didn't like Necromancer. :)
Justin sou um fã realmente muito suspeito para comentar sobre este álbum, muito subestimado até pelo Rush, mas que em minha opinião é muito bom e climático. Os problemas que surgiram logo após as gravações foram algo inevitável para a época: muitos excelentes álbuns de outras bandas de rock progressivo também foram lançados no mesmo período. Caress Of Steel é um álbum denso e muito viajante. O público não entendeu a proposta por que o Rush estava muito além e também era uma banda do Canadá, com idéias fervilhantes na cabeça. Eu AMO esse terceiro álbum e adoraria se eles tivessem finalmente tocado integralmente cada faixa em algum show posterior. Infelizmente eles não o fizeram. Um abraço e desculpe pelo tamanho do meu comentário. Paz. ✌🏻 🇧🇷
I think you should definitely do some later live stuff. Snakes and Arrows, Time Machine, Clockwork Angels and their last tour R40.
Z in the alphabet in Canada, the British isles, Australia, probably British Commonwealth Countries it's pronounced Zed so it's YYZed
They can set a mood that most musicians can't achieve. Most just want the wailing shit to go on pointlessly.. 100 years from now, a good copy of this recording would sell for billions at auction.
I think if you remove yourself from the constant playing of the 5-6 Rush hits on FM for decades, and look at the overarching universe of Rush, it's almost like the other great bands, Zeppelin or take your pic. Possibly more so for prog rock bands. They veered in a variety of directions so as to not get stagnant as time went by. And I think Rush did as much/ more than any other band to constantly improve. E.G. Neil Peart taking lessons from great drummers such as Freddy Gruber and Peter Erskine all throughout Rush.
For the time period, "A Show Of Hands" was really good. The mixing and production is really bad on "Exit Stage Left" in my opinion. But they perfected it for "A Show of Hands."
Rush isn't the type of band that would be considered, for everyone...They were never considered to be "cool" if you will..
This was definitely NOT the type of album that would be used to bring "commercial " sales and or success. This is the type of album that would be made for those Rush fans that "understood" the band.. I personally think this is the epitome of who Rush really was..
I think if you were to watch “Beyond the Lighted Stage,” which is the greatest RUSH documentary, it would be clearer why this album is the black sheep. I am going to officially request a reaction watch along of that documentary.
At some point yes I will... full discography first.
@@JustinPanariello works for me
Bite your tongue about Necromancer that song is amazing.
A show of hands are a really good live album too. Definately worth checking out.
Seconded.
Agree on Necromancer, for some reason Fountains never caught me as much as 2112 or Cygnus. Can't say why, just never did, good but not great. Glad to hear you are doing All The Worlds a Stage, early Rush at its powerful best. The YYZed thing is just a weird pride thing we Canadians have, say it however you want. It's like pronouncing Neil's last name, 95% of people get it wrong, but it doesn't matter if you appreciate the music.
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Lakeside Park (ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE) out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/iGwxr8gxxXs/w-d-xo.html
Well, now you made it through the "black sheep" Rush album :-)
To me, this album has some nice ideas, but other than Bastille Day and Lakeside Park, it felt kind of unfinished--almost like an unfinished album that was released after a band broke up or someone died. From the point of view of "Rush proper", I really only consider this as a second album, so I guess it would be the sophomore slump. (Let's be honest, the first album was really just the result of an ambitious bar band that got studio time--they had probably been playing some of those songs since they were teenagers). So compared to Fly by Night, with songs that really sounded "finished", with the promise of a lot of future potential, Caress of Steel seemed like a lot of ambition that fell short.
Given all that (i.e. how Caress of Steel turned out), you can just imagine how much pressure Rush was under to produce something different than what 2112 turned out to be. If they had bowed to the demands of the record company, I can't see how Rush would have stuck around for the long haul, even if they had had more success in the short term. Instead, they basically went all-in on 2112 and essentially had a do-over of Caress of Steel (and toured like mad to support it).
Good that you're going to do a listen to "All the World's a Stage", because I think it gives a good idea of how Rush built their popularity based on their live shows, with the raw energy, hunger, and drive.In terms of other live albums, I'd suggest "A Show of Hands", and maybe ""Different Stages" (which is really two live albums from different periods).
Love the part No one at the Bridge. Never liked Necromancer. Like your work, keep at it! Are you doing live albums too?
I will be doing some of them yes
There are some real gems on the albums you mentioned about not listening to. Even if you didn't do reaction videos, I think it's well worth diving into their whole catalogue.
Hi! You must be new to my channel. Im currently in the middle of going through Rush’s ENTIRE discography from beginning to end (all studio albums and a few Live albums).
Here is my RUSH Update Album Overview 2112 Preview out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/tlRuTDN1D3s/w-d-xo.html
Caress of Steel was a way way under appreciated album which nearly ended their career’s, it is the album that first got me listening to Rush and one of my favorites
IMO the songwriting on FoL is a BIG step up from side 1, which perhaps was the mistake. Rather than loading their best writing into a side-long epic maybe they should have spread everything out across the entire album. Plus, side 1 seems to be dominated by the hard-rocking stuff, whereas side 2 has a much more introspective vibe overall. I guess for whatever reason Rush were a bit too quick on the draw attempting something on the scale of "2112" and "Hemispheres" in 1975. People back then just weren't ready for them to start imitating Yes and Genesis (but by 1978 they definitely were!) In some respects they were also ahead of their time. For example, the idea of an acoustic prelude that is reprised for the coda was copied by Pink Floyd on the Animals album two years later. Rush seemed to know they were onto something good, but that they just needed to make some tweaks. After this they were told by the label to "come up with a hit or else", and instead they repeat the format of CoS, but with the side long epic on side 1! How's that for a "F*ck you very much, Mercury Records!" 😂 BTW, is there any evidence FoL was every played live? I was sort of hoping they'd dust at least parts of it off for the Clockwork Angels tour, where I thought it would have meshed well with those songs.
After exit stage left , as far as live performances, maybe just do the live video tours. Personally I didn't like the sound quality of exit stage left. But I had the album might be different now
I know that the sound quality of "Exit Stage Left" is not the best but for me as a high school drummer watching the video blew me away and had me hooked forever. Actually seeing as well as hearing the musicianship and the ability to perform songs like "Xanadu" live with just three guys was and remains amazing to me.
Take care,
GreedyNewt972
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Something For Nothing (ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE) out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/IIyhul39ykU/w-d-xo.html
In the USA it is YYZee, in Canada the Z is apparantly pronounced Zed. I've never heard of Zed until I started watching videos on TH-cam...lol. every Rush fan I know are American and says Zee. Bottomline, who gives a shit?lol
I always say yyz I never say yyz because I am American.
I highly recommend skipping Exit Stage Left and listening to Live in YYZ. Both were recorded only a few days apart in March 1981, but ESL is barely half the setlist and had poor production. Live in YYZ was just released for the first time in 2022 and is the entire 2 hour setlist with good production. Lots of fans, including me, now consider it to be the definitive live Rush album.
I have not heard Live in YYZ, I will have to check it out. I love reading all of these comments because I keep learning new things about my favorite band.
Take care,
GreedyNewt972
This album did not do good at all for Rush. Their follow up tour was dubbed the "down the tubes" tour. They were given one last chance by their record company, and they were told that they needed to do basic 3 minute radio friendly pop songs. The result was 2112, which was basically them telling the record company to go pound sand. The rest was history.
2112 was one of the greatest "all-in" gambles in music history. If the album hadn't done well (and it wasn't an immediate smash, it took a lot of touring support and even "All the World's a Stage" to really make it a "big" success), that would have been the end of Rush. OTOH, if they had submitted to the label's demands, they might have been successful, but they would have always been under the label's thumb and "Rush" the ground-breaking prog-metal band probably never would have happened either (and they almost certainly would not have been together for 40 years).
In Canada, the letter Z is pronounced zed. But so what? Either way you say it is fine.
also they admitted they were high as a kite when they recorded this album
I am fine if you call it Y-Y-Zee. How are you to know? Same with people who get all upset about pronouncing Neil's name as "Pert" or something other than "Peert" - again how are you supposed to know. I called him "Pert" for 20 years, as a big fan. But I didn't have a thousand people on the internet to correct me.
People who still say 'Pert' all these years later deserve a good slap. Sorry, but there's no excuse!
Here is my Reaction to RUSH La Villa Strangiato (Hemispheres Studio Version) out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/4KdOUjfvXyY/w-d-xo.html
I don't think you will like Cygnus X1 Book 1. It has naration.
Personally I enjoy them adding unexpected things like naration. Rush isn't just music you listen to. Their performances are experiences. Would you dislike a movie because of naration? It's just a part of the story.
I first heard it when I was a teenager. Being young I had an open mind and I accepted the narration as just another part of the story. I suppose it helps that my first exposure wasn't after I started getting old. All my buddies had wide open eyes when first hearing that. Something different that no one else was doing. The music in The Necromancer is second to none in the Rush catalgue. Alex really makes his instrument sing.
So, usually I check out your channel through VR. Unfortunately I don't think I can do that anymore. There were three ads right in the middle and this stupid headset has no ad blockers. If I return, it will be on my PC where I can listen withour interruption.