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Text File | 1993-02-05 | 22KB | 503 lines

** ____ __ ___ ____ ___ ___ ** ** / /_/ /_ /\ / /__/ / / / / /\ / /__/ / ** ** / / / /__ / \/ / / / / /__/ / \/ / / /___ ** ** ** ** __ ___ ____ ** ** /\ /\ / / \ /\ / / / _ /__/ / ** ** / \/ \ / /___/ / \/ / /___/ / / / ** ** ** ** ____ ____ ___ ___ ** ** /__ / /__/ /__/ ** ** ____/ / / / / \ ** List posting/followup: rush@syrinx.umd.edu Administrative matters: rush-request@syrinx.umd.edu or rush-mgr@syrinx.umd.edu (Administrative postings to the posting address will be ignored!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The National Midnight Star, Number 597 Friday, 15 January 1993 Today's Topics: Administrivia Buhl Planetarium and GK guitar amps Post Card from Neil! Buhl is bull... bootleg stuff Xanadu pitch More on the NMS cd Houston Chronicle article ---------------------------------------------------------- From: rush-mgr Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1993 Subject: Administrivia I included a *long* article at the end of the digest today, because it was a short digest. - rush-mgr ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1993 19:40 EST From: "Greg J. Musi" <MUSI@vms.cis.pitt.edu> Subject: Buhl Planetarium and GK guitar amps Hello fellow Rushians, Just thought I would answer the question >Any of you Pittsburgh people know if Buhl Planetarium still does the >Laserush show occasionally? That one and Laserock Gold were pretty good. I do believe that they still do the laser show with Rush music (among others) I hear about periodically, but unfortunately have not gone to see it. Also..... >And since I'm rambling here, just an interesting fact that has no meaning >whatsoever: Those GK amps/speakers/whatever that Alex used, at least in the >later part of the tour, are made by my second cousin (the K stands for Kruger, >which is him -- don't remember the G person). Just a little tidbit, the other person is "Gallien" for "Gallien/Kruger Amplifiers" not mention high quality amps just a little bit of info Later all, Greg Musi -- *************************************************************************** ** Greg J. Musi ==> University of Pittsburgh ** ** Computing Lab Operator Forbes Quad Lab ** ** BITNET : MUSI@PITTVMS or GJMST14@PITTVMS ** ** INTERNET: MUSI@VMS.CIS.PITT.EDU or GJMST14@VMS.CIS.PITT.EDU ** *************************************************************************** ** "Distributor of pain, your loss becomes my gain" .... ** ** James Hetfield, Metallica ** *************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- From: pittmanc@ucs.orst.edu (Chris Pittman) Subject: Post Card from Neil! Date: Thu, 14 Jan 93 21:40:31 PST Hi Im back in the scene on thr NMS after three monthe of traveling in New Zealand and Fiji. Anyway, I just thought I would tell everyone what I had waiting in the mail for me when I got home. A personal post card from Neil Peart. I thought it was really neat. I did write him via the Modern Drummer while I was in New Zealand and got this reply in a matter of two months. Im anxious to see all the new gossip on the NMS since Iv'e been away for so long. Peace Chris Pittman ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 15 Jan 93 00:12:09 -0600 From: Joshua Hyatt Weiss <jhweiss@lime.wustl.edu> Subject: Buhl is bull... For those wondering about the rush laser show in Pittsburgh... This was a featured performance in the old Buhl Science center's laserium and it sounds like the same show that was described in Cincinnatti and that other western city (sorry I forgot the name). It was a very well put together show and along with a state-of-the-art sound system, provided for a very enjoy- able tour of the trio's material. However, this show left Pittsburgh around 2 summers ago. I remeber this since I recall that I had seen the penultimate presentation of it. If this opportunity arises in your town, don't hesitate to see it. It does them justice Bring popcorn. Anyway, on a different note, I still don't understand the association of Dream Theater with Rush. To me they sound more like Queensryche but natheless they would make a good opening act for our boys from up North (magnetic North, that is). "You've got to question the facts, determine what is right from wrong. When those houselights go down you better be singing your own song" --Tweed Sneakers --Josh Weiss jhweiss@lime.wustl.edu ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 Jan 1993 02:33:04 -0600 (CST) From: ST1S1@Jetson.UH.EDU Subject: bootleg stuff G'day all you Rushians! First let me say how cool it is to have discovered TNMS! I look foward to every issue, and I hope that everyone will continue to contribute new and exciting information that might benifit us RUSH fans who are just getting started with their bootleg collection! Anyway, I have a few bootlegs, and I was wondering if anyone could tell me if they are rare, or if everyone already has them. They were given to me by a friend at Harvard, so he deserves the credit! I have: 1. Rush Rarities - I believe this features the first singles Rush cut. It has "Not fade away", and "You Can't Fight It". The quality is decent. 2. Rush 'N' Roulette - there's a bunch of cool stuff on this one, but I'm not sure where it was recorded or when; maybe someone could help me out! 3. Electric Ladyland - It sounds like it was recorded with 20 or so people in the studio. It includes: Finding My Way Best I can In the Mood Anthem Need some Love Fly By Night Bad Boy ( an old Beatle's tune) Working Man I don't know the date on this one, but it is before the release of "Fly By Night". The sound quality is pretty good. 4. Manchester, UK June 2, 1977 - sound quality isn't so great, but it includes: Bastille Day Anthem Lakeside Park 2112 Xanadu By-Tor and the Snow Dog The Necromancer Working Man/Finding my Way/Drum Solo Fly By Night/In the Mood What You're Doing Also, if anyone cares, I have a recording of the first ever live performance of "Fly By Night". That's all for now. I have some other things to mention, but I'll save them for another time. SEE YA!!! Dan P.S. I heard on the radio that Van Halen's new one that comes out this month is live. Any truth to it???? RUSH ON! ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 15 Jan 93 10:41:43 EST From: Floyd Foltz <USUG4%UCONNVM.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu> Subject: Xanadu pitch Has anyone ever noticed that Xanadu on the Hemispheres CD is recorded slightly above regular concert pitch (somewhere between E and F). I noticed this when I was trying to play along with the CD - I had to raise the pitch of each string slightly. On ESL, the pitch is normal. I didn't see anything about this in the FAQS file. Is it the same way on Hemispheres LP and Tape? Just Wondering - Floyd F. ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 15 Jan 93 18:14:30 -0500 From: meg (******* Meg *******) Subject: More on the NMS cd I'm starting to get my act together here and locate songs, got some great ideas (thanx Skip!). Now I could use any concert pictures you or a friend might have for the booklet... we also need to come up with a name for this thing! Anyone have suggestions? I thought a kind of 'obscure' name would be cool, like "Atmospheric" or something. I know that one's already taken, but perhaps something along those lines? And how about something on the cover? I thought of trying to render a 3-d circle & star, tilted at an angle towards you. I say 'trying' because I'm not that good with computer graphics. I also could use information on some of the songs, anything you know about them; I'm going to put each song in the booklet with a short blurb about it, but some songs I don't know anything about (I could always use more info in any rate!). Here's some I need stuff on: Battlescar, Not Fade Away/You Can't Fight It, Take Off, Garden Road, Bad Boy, Fancy Dancer. I'm also looking for ANYONE that has the 6/3/92 Irvine (1st night!) show on tape, I *need* it. One more thing; I know that the 12/9/82 show has Geddy singing "the freedom of baseball" but does anyone know WHY he chose that show and that location? Baseball was kinda in the off-season at the time... just curious. -Meg <-- mail me for NMS shirt info, Rush CD boot list, or boot meg@syrinx.umd.edu mail order list (please tell me *which* list you want!) ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 4 Dec 92 18:36:38 -0500 From: Ethan Evan Prater <prater-ethan@yale.edu> Subject: Houston Chronicle article Taken without permission from the Sunday 16 February 1992 issue of the Houston Chronicle, by Ethan Prater. <prater-ethan@yale.edu> -- Do It: Rush Progresses to Anger -- - by Marty Racine - While most pop is aimed below the belt in the hard-hitting world of marketing, three thinking gents from Toronto remind us that there is still room for brainpower in rock. Rush formed in the art-rock climate of the early '70s and has seldom strayed from a progressive curve. The central question, students, is: At what point is conscious thought a detriment to the spirit of rock 'n' roll? The class is divided, often passionately. We have a show of hands from those who view Rush as great conceptualists. But there are those who feel their complexity is so much hokum. Regardless, this is one band that does most of its creative work in the preparation of an album. By the time it reaches the touring stage, all puzzle pieces are in place. "It's the division between creative and interpretive art," said drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, one of the more articulate rockers of this or any era. "Playing live is very much interpretive because the creative work has been done." - Wrong questions - Rush -- also vocalist/bassist/synthesizer player Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson -- will perform Tuesday at The Summit. The concept of the band's new _Roll the Bones_ album begins in the eternal tug-of-war between fate and free will that each of us interprets by our own disciplines, be they spiritual, philosophical or physical. "It's the wild card aspect of life," Peart said, "that however well-planned things are, however secure the future seems, however hard you've worked or however talented or beautiful you are, there are these wild cards that life throws at us. Sometimes they're happy ones, sometimes tragic ones. You could be discovered by Hollywood tomorrow, you could be hit by a bus tomorrow. "It's also circumstance, the elements of chance. I started by considering the ill fortune of somebody being born in Ethiopia, or being born with AIDS. These kinds of tragedies are wrenching to me, and there's no other way to describe them in my system of belief other than to say, 'Well, it's very bad luck.' The questions that I felt compelled to ask from that are the ultimate existential questions: Why are we here? Why do these things happen?" But, he said, "Those are the wrong questions. It's pointless to sit around stargazing. It's more than just luck. The point is, what can I do about it? It's the practical side I'm interested in. I've gone from compassion to anger. So Roll the Bones also means, 'Do it!'" And so Rush has. They donated the entire proceeds (several hundred thousand dollars) from their Jan. 30 Oakland Coliseum concert to the American Foundation for AIDS Research, a non-profit group founded in 1985. "It's something we feel very strongly about," Peart said. "We normally do these things privately -- for example, our Christmas presents to one another tend to be donations to charitable organizations -- but we thought there was a message here. We thought that being in a rock band, which is a world of homophobia and misogyny, it might be good that this is publicized, that we're very moved by the AIDS tragedy and want to contribute." - Pushing the performance - With _Roll the Bones_, Peart says, the band has dared some onstage spontaneity. "That's one area we set out to change. For a long time it's been enough of an ambition for us to play the song as well live as it is on the record, because the record is a superhuman, flawless representation. We always thought if we could approximate that onstage, we were really doing something. "We have reached the point where that is more attainable, so we started messing with the arrangements in tour rehearsal, extending instrumental bits, adding on improvisational bits." Peart's own role is a microcosm of the fascinating Rush recording process and its evolution. "There are no real rules, but the basic mechanism is I work on the lyrics and the other two work on the music," he said. "But since I'm not there to be their drummer, they're working on a drum machine that I program. That way we all have a rhythmic touchstone to work from. "But to get to a satisfactory level, a lot of changes can go into it. Sometimes I rewrite the lyrics to make it work better musically or reframe the arrangement to set off the dynamics better." All this is the "pre-production" prior to the actual recording process. In the early days, Peart said, the band had no such luxury. "We'd be on tour for 10 months and go straight into the studio and be expected to come up with a record. There wouldn't be the luxury of time. "Later on, we had to forge new work habits, so we'd get half the record sort of arranged and then dive into the studio and finish it there. That was a lot of pressure." But success has its perks. For _Roll the Bones_, Peart said, he spent the last two weeks before recording rehearsing his drum parts and working on transitions. "I was free as I could be, because I wasn't wasting anyone's time but my own, wasn't beating up anyone's hands but my own." At the same time, over-rehearsing can turn a piece stale. "But I tricked that, too," Peart said. "I rehearsed every song until I knew every note; then all that was left were certain fills and transitions that I wouldn't let myself figure out. "That way, every time I come to those parts (in concert), I'll close my eyes and go. Hopefully, that gives me a better chance of coming out with that magical moment, to where the audience will sense that, within the architecture of the song, there is this 'pull' that has never been played before." - Rock 'n' roll drummer - Peart's technique was influenced mostly by jazz. "Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa were my first inspirations," he said. "Certainly the movie _The Gene Krupa Story_ was the spark-to-tinder for me. "My drum teacher played one of those famous drum battles between Rich and Krupa, and he said, 'OK, here's where we're going.' Then he showed me how to hold the sticks and said, 'And here's how we'll get there.' That was a beautiful foundation. It was a high set of values to aspire to." Peart believes rock drummers of his generation can be divided into those who saw Ringo Starr on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and aspired to be him, and those who saw Krupa and wanted to be him. "You can hear it in their playing. Ringo bragged about never having learned anything, about never practicing -- and I think his playing shows it. There's no desire to push it forward. "I'm not knocking simplicity. A great drummer can restrain himself to play simply. There's a mastery, like a great painter with one simple brush stroke. (The Rolling Stones') Charlie Watts is a great example of that. He's absolutely right." - "Our work is uneven" - Rush's 1974 self-titled album was followed by 1975's more successful _Fly By Night_. Despite their tendency toward meticulous planning, they released an album on a virtually annual basis for 17 years, compiling a body of work that is among the most dissected in rock. "We're the first to admit that some of our experiments succeed and some of them fail," Peart said. "Some ideas have grown on from song to song, and others have been dead-end tangents. It's the nature of doing it that way; consequently, our work is uneven. "But I think that's OK; I read a great quote in an art book that an artist deserves to be judged by his best work." In the process, Rush has survived every major pop trend since the wilting of flower power. It was difficult. As rookies, the band's first three albums heeded commercial restraints. But 1976's _2112_ changed all that. "We felt we were getting so much pressure from the record company and from everybody around us on the business side to compromise, change and seek that lowest common denominator," Peart said. "It was a serious crisis. We had to decide whether to stake our artistic lives on this or play it safe. We decided not to play it safe. _2112_ was the statement of that, of anger and passion against that, of the individual against the masses. The sub-theme of that record was basically, 'We're not giving up.'" That rebellion, Peart feels, "helped it communicate to an audience that lifted us high enough in popularity to where we could finally be in control." - Work of a trio - Rush's longevity is due to both interpersonal communication and technological advances. "Technology has freed us up so much," Peart said. "There were times in our early days when we began to feel stultified by the limitations of a trio. We would think about adding a fourth member, at least onstage, a keyboard player and/or background vocalist. "At that point synthesizers came along, and soon after, sequencers. They blew the doors open. One of our points of honor is that we don't use tapes or pre-programs. Everything onstage has to be triggered by us." That, said Peart, amounts to "a real balancing act" in concert. In other areas, however, a trio format means freedom, Peart believes. "On a personal and creative level it is most satisfying dealing with only three people. You have fewer disagreements and no danger of dividing into factions, the way bands of four or five members do." That has allowed Peart, Lifeson and Lee to achieve individual fulfillment within the collective. "We finally faced up to it, that all we need to satisfy everything that we want to do as musicians and songwriters can be achieved within the foundation of Rush. It's a freeing kind of thing. There's no longer the thought that, 'Maybe I need to be in another band,' or, 'Maybe I need to make a solo record.' If we want to make movie soundtracks, we can do it as the three of us. If we want to make weird music or have Nigerian drumming for me or classical guitar for Alex or -- as we did in the mid-'80s -- if we want to do electronic dance music or hip-hop, anything will fit into Rush." ---------------------------------------------------------- To submit material to The National Midnight Star, send mail to: rush@syrinx.umd.edu For administrative matters (subscription, unsubscription, changes, and questions), send mail to: rush-request@syrinx.umd.edu or rush-mgr@syrinx.umd.edu There is now anonymous ftp access available on Syrinx. The network address to ftp to is: syrinx.umd.edu or 128.8.2.114 When you've connected, userid is "anonymous", password is <your userid>. Once you've successfully logged on, change directory (cd) to 'rush'. There is also a mail server available (for those unable or unwilling to ftp). For more info, send email with the subject line of HELP to: server@ingr.com These requests are processed nightly. Use a subject line of MESSAGE to send a note to the server keeper or to deposit a file into the archive. The contents of The National Midnight Star are solely the opinions and comments of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the authors' management, or the mailing list management. Copyright The Rush Fans Mailing List, 1992. Editor, The National Midnight Star (Rush Fans Mailing List) ******************************************** End of The National Midnight Star Number 597 ********************************************