So Cal Bassists

[smylex]

Originally posted by feralkid
What do you not like about Vapor Trails? Can you be a little more specific?...Vapor Trails is great.

All of the songs sounded the same to me. The lead off track was the only good thing on the record and even that's not that great, in my opinion.

Even my friends who are die-hard, long time Rush fans don't like the new record that much.

 

[user no more]

:zombie: Michael Manring. Why the hell do I keep forgetting to check out this dude? I've wanted to hear more from him due to the tracks he did with Hedges and have had him recommended to me on a few occasions - and the thought just always drifts from me. I can hardly imagine what his material sounds like and I've been quite curious over the years. Thanks for the link!

Now, if I could just get one of those insane Symphony harp guitars Hedges played. :Smug:

I've seen some outrageous prices for those.

 

[Melisan]

Originally posted by smylex
All of the songs sounded the same to me. The lead off track was the only good thing on the record and even that's not that great, in my opinion.

Even my friends who are die-hard, long time Rush fans don't like the new record that much.

I'd say you are in the minority on that opinion. The reaction on the Rush boards was very strong.

Now the production came under fire. Some people thought it was too loud and raw. Me, I loved it.

Listen to 'The Stars Look Down' again and remember it was written by a man who's wife and daughter were taken from him so terribly, and think about those lyrics.

The capacity crowds at Staples and Verizon Wireless speak to its popularity, too.

 

[feralkid]

Right on, Melisan. Somebody who "knows"!

Indeed, I also love the raw, pared-down, grittier production of VT.

Personally, I believe the next album will be more well-received right off the bat among the majority of Rushfans. It won't be quite as raw, but it will still have an edge. I don't expect to hear anything as flat as some of the songs on T4E, nor anything as gay as "You Bet Your Life" (never, EVER again, hopefully!).

And yes, some people tend to forget what Neil went through, and how VT's themes are of resilience and rejuvenation, and why was everyone so surprised to hear such a loud, heavy record from Rush? It's fantastic. Ten years ago, I never thought I would've heard such from the guys.

 

[Melisan]

It's a reflection of the differences in generations. Neil Peart loses his whole family and still writes an album with optomistic themes, nu metalers like Papa Roach and Staind whine and cry because their old man ignored them.

I realized my visceral reaction to nu metalers made me sound like a grouchy old man (at 35) but man I am sick of their whining at a life that was at best inconvenient.

You do know Neil lives here in L.A. now, right? His new wife is based in SaMo, so after they met, he moved out here to be with her. I heard she's a knockout.

His book is downright painful to read, though, and if you wanna see a scary sight, go to Rush.com and look for the part where it says he reads from the book. The last picture in the Flash animation is him sitting on top of a mountain during his travels on the motorcycle. He looks like absolute hell. I can't imagine what it was like for him.

 

[smylex]

Personally, I didn't think there was anything lacking in the sonics department on Vapor Trails. I just felt the writing was lacking. Maybe I just need to experience the tunes in a live setting. Studio material has never done Rush any justice.

 

[feralkid]

The writing was lacking? "Freeze" and "Earthshine" have to be two of the best songs they've ever written. The same cannot be said regarding anything from their previous studio effort. The title track and "Secret Touch" also crank!

I knew that Neil had remarried, but I didn't know he now resided with the rest of us down here in SoCal.

 

[Mr Toast]

I have to agree with Smylex here!

I've listened to the CD a few times now, and although there are some good tunes on there, overall there isn't anything on the album that really grabs me and makes me want to come back.

But then I'm a fan of 2112 and A Farewell To Kings...

 

[Melisan]

Originally posted by smylex
Personally, I didn't think there was anything lacking in the sonics department on Vapor Trails. I just felt the writing was lacking. Maybe I just need to experience the tunes in a live setting. Studio material has never done Rush any justice.

Heh that strikes me funny. As much as I love Rush, let's face it, they are NOT improvisers. Everything they do on stage is planned and rehearsed extensively. There's no spontaneity with the band.

I think they were just rusty. It had been 5 years since they worked together and Neil was still something of a mess. We'll see how the next project works out.

 

[feralkid]

"But then I'm a fan of 2112 and A Farewell To Kings..."

Then this should be the album for you. It's a return to the unbridled aggression & rawness that defined their sound back then (less so on AFtK, though).

And while I love those albums, too, which is fine 'n' dandy, can we really expect a band to serve up a platter similar to what they delivered over 25 years ago? Look at some of the floaters (read: turds) Iron Maiden recorded post- AND pre-Bruce (sorry, I'm not a fan of the PD era). And as much as Maiden fans may have embraced Brave New World, there are still NO new ideas to be found on that album. It's rehash city. They're sticking to the same old "tired" and true formula.

Rush boast a lot of impressive traits, some of which are exclusive, such as consistent quality in music for close to thirty years now, the number of studio albums recorded in a specified time period (1974-2002), and most importantly, the same lineup for about as many years.

"As much as I love Rush, let's face it, they are NOT improvisers. Everything they do on stage is planned and rehearsed extensively. There's no spontaneity with the band."

True, for the most part. I liked some of the tweaks they gave certain songs live, like "New World Man" and the reggae inflections circa Signals. Rush are composers and rehearsers, not improvisers. Still, their album history illustrates that they're anything but predictable, and the same can't be said about Iron Maiden.

 

[Mr Toast]

Originally posted by feralkid
"But then I'm a fan of 2112 and A Farewell To Kings..."

Then this should be the album for you. It's a return to the unbridled aggression & rawness that defined their sound back then (less so on AFtK, though).

And while I love those albums, too, which is fine 'n' dandy, can we really expect a band to serve up a platter similar to what they delivered over 25 years ago? Look at some of the floaters (read: turds) Iron Maiden recorded post- AND pre-Bruce (sorry, I'm not a fan of the PD era). And as much as Maiden fans may have embraced Brave New World, there are still NO new ideas to be found on that album. It's rehash city. They're sticking to the same old "tired" and true formula.

Rush boast a lot of impressive traits, some of which are exclusive, such as consistent quality in music for close to thirty years now, the number of studio albums recorded in a specified time period (1974-2002), and most importantly, the same lineup for about as many years.

Well, although VP is in my CD rotation, it isn't one I go for immediately. I tried it, and it just doesn't grab me.

But that is why it's called musical taste! Just because one person really likes a CD doesn't mean another person will. I have several CDs that I speak highly of that several people here have never heard or simply did not like all that much. I don't hold it against them.

As for Iron Maiden (seeing we discuss Maiden here), they too have 'matured'. But it sure was nice to see Bruce go off and do a few albums in the '90s... I love each and every one of his solo albums and play them regularly!

I'm kind of intrigued by the solo work the other Maiden-ites did too - but I already have a large number of artists I am following so it may be a while before I hear their stuff.

It would be nice to have Iron Maiden truly wow us with their next album... I'm skeptical but anything is possible!

I heard another bassist that was mentioned earlier in this thread today (one of the jazzy kind of guys), but his name eludes me at the moment (not Jaco). As much as I like Jazz, you think I would own some Jazz albums...

 

[smylex]

Originally posted by Melisan
Heh that strikes me funny. As much as I love Rush, let's face it, they are NOT improvisers. Everything they do on stage is planned and rehearsed extensively. There's no spontaneity with the band.

True, but usually in a live context, there is a little bit more oomph (energy) added to the material that can usually liven it up. I've seen Rush twice live. The band's live performances leave their studio material in the dust simply because of the energy they put into the show. Having spent enough time in a studio myself, I can tell you that it is incredibly BORING. It also causes you to nitpick everything to death if you allow yourself to. Further, there's really nothing that exciting about being in a studio. The equipment is fun to play with, but that's about it. My only inclination is to get the fuck out of there as soon as possible. (Probably why it only took me about 90 minutes to do all my parts on 4 songs!)

Rush don't improvise nor do about 90% of the bands that are out there. An unknown (to me) musician once said that the hardest part about playing live was making it all seem fresh. Most bands usually do the same act throughout the entire tour and some acts keep the same act throughout their careers, just adding in the new material along the way.

 

[feralkid]

"Most bands usually do the same act throughout the entire tour and some acts keep the same act throughout their careers, just adding in the new material along the way."

And some acts, like Boston, keep the same act and re-record the same album over and over again (and take seven years to do it, too!).

 

[smylex]

Same with AC/DC.

 

[feralkid]

Since when has AC/DC ever taken that long to record an album? At least they don't try to hide the fact they're just recording a rock record. We all know how Tom Scholz is, though....

P.S. I'm a fan of AC/DC, up through For Those About To Rock. They have some decent tunes since then, here and there, and they're still active, but their heyday with Bon Scott was the shit!

 

[user no more]

Agreed on the AC/DC bit. But we could sit here forever and debate over bands and/or artists and what their material has become over the years - whether it be brilliant, unique, lame, sold out, or simply just the same old shit. Maiden, Rush, AC/DC...

If this whole section is gonna go into that, hell, I remember this one band - I think they were called METALLICA.

"Yea heeyaah, Yoaah hoo whoaah!"

Sorry. No thank you, Bob Rock. A tight production and just a handful of good songs came out of them in your era of it. Anyone who doesn't agree with me, well shit, I'm glad you see something positive in something that I don't enjoy.

Opinions are opinions. No need to try to make attempts in proving FACT out of them. Like what you like. There's nothing wrong with leaving it at that.

 

[feralkid]

<"Yea heeyaah, Yoaah hoo whoaah!">

Whuzzat, eBonics?

 

[Mr Toast]

I can see that this forum might be going downhill fast without the girls around...


Quick, Mel, distract them!!!

 

[feralkid]

"I can see that this forum will be going downhill fast without the girls around..."

I haven't noticed anyone trying to bar you from posting your Photoshop handiwork - so what's the problem? We're discussing music, and last I checked, this IS a music forum.

Btw: smoochie smooch smooch...haha....

 

[Mr Toast]

I was thinking downhill in another sense... seeing Snausages is having an identity crisis at the moment.

I am actually working on hills (in Photoshop) at the moment too!!!