Guitar in 80s Rush
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=86991
Printed Date: December 01 2024 at 03:41
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Guitar in 80s Rush
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Subject: Guitar in 80s Rush
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 19:00
|
I was just listening to Grace Under Pressure today, and I got to thinking that the classification of Rush's work from 1982's Signals to 1987's Hold Your Fire as the "synthesizer period" is a real myth. Just about every description you hear of that era describes it as "synthesizer dominated," "drowning in keyboards" or something of the sort, trying to tell us that the guitar was pushed to the background as the keyboards came to define the sound of the music and take the lead in almost every song. This has never made any sense to me. Sure, Alex Lifeson had to share the spotlight with some keyboards, but for the most part, the synthesizers were confined to the rhythm section, playing chords, ostinatos, and atmospheric parts. They emerged into the lead from time to time but Alex still got all the solos and played some brilliant rhythm parts and arpeggios, working with the keys in a masterful way. If anything, this period was his most tasteful, where his parts might have been a little more sparse, but added to the music that much more, not to mention that he shredded on his solos as much as ever. Does anyone else think this? I think the 80's contained some of Lifeson's best guitar work, and some of Rush's best material overall. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Replies:
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 19:23
I agree with this statement. The guitar break in "Afterimage" is subtly sublime. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Ambient Hurricanes wrote:Posted By: smartpatrol
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 19:26
|
I completely agree ------------- http://bit.ly/1kqTR8y" rel="nofollow">  The greatest record label of all time! |
Posted By: Flyingsod
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 19:49
|
Well I think Alex had some masterful work during this period as did they all. I have to agree with the 80's being a synth dominated period though. Sign o the times maybe but it was what it was. The synth work was a beauty eh? and there was tons of it. The synth dominated the rythm section and to me the rythm section makes the feel of the whole song therefor their songs were synth dominated. Let's also not forget that much of the guitar work utilized a heavily synthesized timber. You don't get guitar sound like that simply by turning everything to 11 like on Presto and the next couple albums. I always remember the tourbook for Hold Your Fire ( which is obviously the acme of thier synth driven era) the section for geddy had a little vignette that included a suicide note that simply read " One synth is too much and a thousand arn't enough." Fairly telling as thier next album pretty much dropped all hints of synths.
So in short I disagree that the 80's were not synth dominated but mightly agree the guiatar work was still stellar. ------------- This space intentionally left blank |
Posted By: colorofmoney91
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 20:06
Aye. ------------- http://hanashukketsu.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - Hanashukketsu |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 20:42
But Alex still took up a whole lot of the rhythm section. Listen to Grace Under Pressure; every song (except for Red Lenses) is a guitar showcase. The keys are there for atmosphere on Distant Early Warning, they merely compliment the rhythm guitar on Afterimage, they split the rhythm section with Alex on Red Sector A, guitar dominates the rhythm section on The Enemy Within and Kid Gloves, and on Between the Wheels, the keys get the main chords on the verses and Alex gets the rest of the song. The only synthesizer dominated song is Red Lenses. The other albums have a little bit more synthesizer, but Alex still takes up over half of the rhythm section. I think it's fair to say that Alex had to share some of his space with the keyboards, but not that the period was dominated by synthesizers. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 21:08
Unlike most bands, Rush has almost always been good. I'd say Peart was the weakest in the 80s, while Lee was the strongest. Lifeson has been consistent throughout. But so what. Rush is amazing, whether we are discussing trees or bones. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Sagichim
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 21:27
|
I don't think that period was dominated by synth and alex was pushed aside. They definitely shared the space, alex was not an only child anymore. But to say it was some of his best work? NO NO NO.
Their 80's stuff is good but uncomparable to the 70's.
|
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 21:51
That's what I love about them, almost every other band has at least a few duds, but I can't think of a single Rush song, let along an album, that I don't enjoy. EDIT: There I go, confusing objective and subjective again
 ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:04
If you say Rush is objectively amazing, I will turn my grammar-ridden face aside and fist pump like hell.   Oh, ahem, wrong Rush!  ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:06
|
Incidentally, one of the first songs I learned by Rush was "Show Don't Tell" (both on bass and guitar). Very fun to play even now.
------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:08
|
^^Rush is objectively a great band, and Vapor Trails is objectively a masterpiece, nasal vocals, muddy production, and all. "Sometimes I FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:08
How long did it take to learn the bass solo? ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:10
|
After Hemispheres, I would say Vapor Trails is their second best. "Earthshine" and "Secret Touch" and "The Stars Look Down" and... wowee ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:12
 No album has ever sounded like it, before or since. Looks like this is turning into the new Rush appreciation thread, guys...  ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:12
Well, the bass solo to "Show Don't Tell" is rather easy, I'd say. I picked up the whole song (guitar and bass) in about a week of casual practice (ten years ago...wow where did the time go?). "YYZ" is much more fun to play though. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:14
|
OK, okay Since we are fans, how about this: Worst Rush album? ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:15
Geddy has a knack for making things sound more difficult than they really are, doesn't he? I learned 2112 (the first 2 parts) in about a week or so, I need to brush up on that one because it would be a great cover for my band (if I could sing it...  )------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:16
The debut. Here Again is great, though. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:17
When I was 16 we did "Time Stand Still."  We did all right too!------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:17
Were you singing? ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:17
I'm going to say Power Windows. I just don't like it. Can't get into it. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:19
Yes.  I actually hit the notes, believe it or not. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:20
It's been quite a long time since I've given that a listen. I love Marathon, though. Mystic Rhythms is interesting. Another one for the list, along with the new Affector album, Tales, Amaseffer, yours so I can finally review it... (yes, I listen to it often, but usually while I'm working because I don't have much time during the school year.)
------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:22
I want to hear a high C on your next album. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:22
I am looking forward to your review of Refulgence. That took a long time to make. What is your opinion of Tales from Topographic Oceans, if that is what you mean? ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:24
I don't have much of one, because I have only listened to half of it, which is why it's on my list. What I've heard sounds good, it's 4 20-minute Yes songs, what more could you want? ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:24
I was compared to Steve Walsh on my first album (I agree with that assessment in tone but not in quality). My first album is undergoing a bit of minor surgery, and when it is done, it will be on my bandcamp page for free download. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:25
If I had one album to take with me to the hereafter, it'd be Tales from Topographic Oceans. It is my favorite album ever. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:26
|
Say, have you heard anything from Echolyn?
------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:27
Another one for my list...I'll have to listen to the old version and then the new one, to see what you changed. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:30
About three songs, because I tried to listen to "Suffocating the Bloom" on Youtube but only a few songs had been uploaded  .Maybe it's on grooveshark, I'll try and listen to some of their stuff, too... ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:32
http://grooveshark.com/#%21/album/Mei/543939" rel="nofollow - http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Mei/543939 ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:33
It's just a matter of sound quality and making things sound right, that's all- there is no new recordings. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 19 2012 at 22:46
I'll give it a listen later tonight or tomorrow, as someone else needs to work on my family's computer pretty soon... ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: May 20 2012 at 19:00
I'm with you Mr Skeletor......Earthshine, Secret Touch are some badass songs. I quite enjoy pretty much all of VT. Secret Touch is that roller coaster of a blitzkrieg...... -------------   
|
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: May 20 2012 at 19:04
It used to be Presto... Today I think it is Roll The Bones. -------------
|
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 20 2012 at 20:46
I love Presto, it's one of my favorite Rush albums. The songwriting is mature and superb, they struck a perfect balance between guitar and keys, Geddy's vocals carry almost every song... Really, you could argue that "Scars" is the greatest thing Rush ever did. It's certainly up there with their best songs. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 20 2012 at 20:52
I love Presto, but "Scars" is the worst song on that album. "The Pass" is one of their best songs, and I love "Show Don't Tell." ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 20 2012 at 22:07
|
^What's so bad about Scars? I feel like Presto was the album where Rush really mastered the use of keyboards in their music, being in one sense the culmination of an era and in another the shift away from that era. I think it's similar to Permanent Waves in that regard. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 20 2012 at 22:13
They hardly mastered it at Presto. Moving Pictures had good use of them, Signals even more, and it all progressed from there. I personally never think they "overdid" the synth stuff, mostly because the songwriting was fantastic on almost every 80s album. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 20 2012 at 22:21
Agreed (mostly); I do think they were always great at integrating synths into their music, but I still consider Presto to have the most tasteful and effective use of keyboards, especially as they incorporated the piano a little more, which I like. Really, the synths helped so much to define the sound of that era (even though I don't think they "dominated"), and the keyboards and electronics in general were so vital to the shift in the thematic material from fantasy/philosophy and such to commentary on life in the modern world. From the digital, technological focus on Signals to the bleak atmosphere of Grace Under Pressure and finally the uplifting, hopeful vision of the future on Hold Your Fire, the synths helped to create an atmosphere that perfectly matched the era. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 06:21
|
Test for Echo and Roll the Bones are my least favorite Rush albums. NEVER listen to anything on either. They were all fairly strong during the 80's period. Hold Your Fire is my favorite Rush album post-Singals. Has grown on me a lot. Peart's lyrics weren't too consistent but had some incredible highs. Turn the Page is one the lower lyrical points of his during that period, but it's still great. The bass and catchy ending to that song..  ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 06:27
Grace Under Pressure. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 10:14
|
Guitar in 80's Rush.
Did anyone take note of what Alex Lifeson said in 'Beyond the lighted stage'? He felt like he was competing with keyboards and was quite uncomfortable with the bands direction at the time. I think some of those albums, post Signals were too reliant on keyboards and overbright production, but the guitar playing was still there, it was just down in the mix. GUP is actually more of a guitar album than a keyboard album, imo, because of the way the guitar comes screaming to the foreground in the mix. It was a slow grower for me; quite cold sounding, but now, after Moving Picturs and Permenant Waves, I think it was their best 80's album. When they played 'Between the Wheels' on the R30 tour, I was blown away. Hi-light of the night for me. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 10:25
I did hear what Alex said in the movie, but I also heard what Geddy said about Power Windows having the perfect balance between guitar and keyboards (even he thought Hold Your Fire was too keyboard heavy). From Alex's perspective, I'm sure he was uncomfortable because he had dominated the sound of the band previously, and now he had to share space with keyboards. From a listener's perspective, I think the balance was almost perfect, Alex had plenty of his own space, and that he was too focused maintaining his previous role to realize how good the music really was and how much his tasteful guitar playing impacted it. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Sagichim
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 13:33
| I also remember Alex said, before Counterparts if i'm not mistaking, that "This is it, no more keys from now", and the band had to go with him. |
Posted By: spknoevl
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 13:40
|
I actually think that Lifeson's guitar work became far more interesting from Moving Pictures onward. ------------- http://martinwebb.bandcamp.com The notes are just an interesting way to get from one silence to the next - Mick Gooderick |
Posted By: JS19
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 14:52
I second that, but Mystic Rhythms saves it. As does The Pass from Presto, One Little Victory from Vapor Trails, Between The Wheels from Grace Under Pressure, Time Stand Still from Hold Your Fire and Working Man from Rush. In fact, pretty much every single sub-standard Rush album is saved by one or two stand out tracks. Apart from Test For Echo.... Ugh. Even the title track is far, far better on the Different Stages live album! ------------- 
|
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 16:13
|
Agree that the "keyboard period" of Rush contains much of Alex best guitar work. Sure their 70's albums were amazing, rockier, groundbreaking and in some sense proggier, but his guitar work in the 80's became much more sophisticated and unique, and his mastery at using the effects much more developed. In the 70's he was already unique but he was closer to what we could call a standard rock guitarist.
I love them all from Signals to Roll the Bones and it's perplexing that none of them reach a weighted rating of 4, and a brilliant album like Presto barely 3.1.
Weakest albums for me, apart from the debut are Counterparts and Test for Echo.
|
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 16:51
I happen to love Test for Echo; the only track I don't much care for is the instrumental. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 16:55
|
I like Test For Echo too. All of it. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: Biff Tannen
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 18:19
|
The least best albums are easily the debut, Presto, Test for Echo and Vapor Trails. Scars is a good song, but they have probably 70 or 80 songs that are better, no joke. Power Windows is one of their five best albums, and definitely THE album where they perfected the use of keyboards in their music. Alex's playing is always awesome. Roll the Bones is a lot better than many give it credit for. Not a top 10 album, but still pretty darn good. ------------- "What are you looking at, butthead?" |
Posted By: Jbird
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 19:45
|
Grace Under Pressure is maybe my favorite Rush album.
I didn't like it as much as the older stuff when it first came out, as it reminded me of the New Wave scene at the time, especially the guitar rhythms/tone.
Now, it's a toss-up between Moving Pictures, Grace Under Pressure, and Counterparts as to which is my favorite. Depends on my mood that day, I guess
 |
Posted By: Flyingsod
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 21:56
|
I haven't listened to Grace Under Pressure for a few years now despite it being one of my favorites ( like every other Rush album). Im gonna spin it right now though and pay attention to what you said about each song.
Interestingly in my mind Presto Is a keyboard free zone. I admit to never having analyzed it for keyboards before however and as some of you are saying it was a perfect mix of keys and guitars I'm sure theres plenty of keys in it. I do remember it being a breath of fresh air though after the previous synth laden decade. I mean to us it sounded like a huge return to "old Rush"... maybe it wasn't really. I do remember Geddy saying in an interview that it would be silly to totally ditch keys but they had made a conscious effort to not have them be the driving force of the music. I'll go listen to it agian with all this in mind.
I think im seeing more the the OP point now. I think no one can argue that the 80's were not Rush's synth period but perhaps things are more balanced twixt keys and guitar than the zeitgeist would have us belive. ------------- This space intentionally left blank |
Posted By: Flyingsod
Date Posted: May 21 2012 at 22:03
|
Hmm Listening to GUP now and the guitar tones are reawakening my awe. I never thought about it before. Alex was long known for guitar tone extravagance. Perhaps it was just an effort to compete with the lush sounds a synth can produce. If so I'm even more glad for the synths that helped push these awesome guitar tones.
------------- This space intentionally left blank |
Posted By: Biff Tannen
Date Posted: May 22 2012 at 00:23
|
Alex's guitar work in Distant Early Warning is beyond awesome. Listen to his work during the second verse; the way it moves along and builds is creative as hell, and then the solo later in the song is almost an extension of it. Killer stuff. ------------- "What are you looking at, butthead?" |
Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: May 23 2012 at 01:30
Interesting. GUP is one of my favorite Rush albums. T4E still hasn't sunk in the way I want it to... |
Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: May 23 2012 at 04:28
| The guitar sound was push down in the Signals album, but were back again up front with GUP. I agree that the 80's guitar of Liefson was excellent, because he is himself a excellent guitarist. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 23 2012 at 19:00
I agree with the above sentiment. '81-'85 features both great guitar and synth work, and the synth lines on Hold Your Fire are fine, I just think the digital patches haven't aged as well.
Presto has suffered through the years. Songs like "The Pass," "Anagram (For Mongo)" and "Hand Over Fist" don't do it for me, though I did like them when they were new. The next album, Roll The Bones, is slightly more consistent but I think "Neurotica" and "You Bet Your Life" could together form the nadir for Rush when compared to the bucketloads of exciting music they've recorded for decades. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: AlexDOM
Date Posted: May 23 2012 at 20:59
I love Grace Under Pressure too!
|
Posted By: Eria Tarka
Date Posted: June 25 2012 at 01:18
This
|
Posted By: wjohnd
Date Posted: June 25 2012 at 15:45
|
I've just read through this thread and been struck by the best/worst in their catalogue debate. It shows the breadth of styles that Rush have managed to pull off in the last 40 years. Evolving over time but always identifiably themselves. For me the while 80s albums aren't my favourites it's the 90s ones i find as their low point though that might change as i am currently listening to counterpoints and had forgotten how many good tracks are on it. Roll the Bones is a bit uneven - though it has some fine tracks on it like Dreamline and Ghost of a Chance The one I struggle most with is Test For Echo - which i just never got in to. Of the 80s albums, after Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves I think Power Windows is the strongest (though it has dated a bit) and I eventually grew to love Hold your Fire. Where HYF falls down is in some sense because it is very even/consistent and maybe a bit too radio friendly but the songs each stand up well alone. I loved Presto when it came out but don't return to it very often now: none the less it contains some cracking songs. Signals is half of a fantastic album but i'm not so convinced about the faux reggae segments. As for Grace under Pressure if find I like all of the songs, but find the arrangements or production is just too 'light' in some way. As for the debut ..I listen to it reasonably often. Sure its straight up rock and to some extent a journeyman piece with less complexity than their later work but it is more enjoyable than caress of steel and don't suffer from the 'lightness' of their 80s/90s output. I'm minded to rank the albums for my own interest . I genuinely think it will be a struggle given how different they are over the years. ------------- 
|
Posted By: King Lerxst
Date Posted: July 19 2013 at 21:54
|
I think the 80's gets called the "synth era" with Rush not because Alex isn't in the mix, but because his tone is so different from their earlier albums. There is no over-driven distortion (ala ATWAS) and he often isn't leading the melody but taking a counterpoint approach (influence from Andy Summers ala The Police).
Gear-wise Alex continued to change his effects and amps (using tons of chorus), but is most noted for the Floyd-Rose equipped Fender Strats and then around the time of Presto adopting models from the Signature Guitar Company. The Signature guitars (check out the A Show of Fan video) and to a lesser degree the Strats are known for their thin, chimey tone rahter than the full-bodied sound of the Gibson ES-355 or Hentor Sportscaster.
|
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: July 19 2013 at 22:41
Good point. It's easy to think that the synths are more prevalent than they are when the effects on the guitar make it sound slightly similar to the keyboards! Top 5 Rush Albums: 1. Vapor Trails 2. Grace Under Pressure 3. Hemispheres 4. Moving Pictures 5. Presto ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: Neo-Romantic
Date Posted: July 20 2013 at 00:58
Excellent points. I always thought a contributing factor was also the fact that for Grace Under Pressure through Roll the Bones he was using solid-state amps instead of tube amps. Tube amps always have a much warmer, more organic and full-bodied tone (in the days before Ax FX super computer modelers, which he now uses with tube amps from what my guitarist has told me). Since the amp is the largest factor in shaping the sound, this is why he had a more stark, wiry tone for those 5 albums. Not a bad one, just one that was more processed, presumably to compliment the character of the 80s synth sounds. You'll notice that he switched back to Marshall tubes for Counterparts by the sheer amount of body and warmth that comes through. Plus, he's jacked up in the mix more, as the keys have been noticeably reduced and the engineering of the album is much more pristine than most of their others. Compare the tones you hear between this album and its predecessors. You'll notice an unmistakable night-and-day difference. He has always been big on chord and arpeggio-oriented parts. The biggest difference between this and, say, 2112 is the tone. Plus, the shorter song structures probably affected how many and how lengthy his big solo moments were. Of course, the quality of his playing didn't suffer at all. He just played parts with a tone that has the listener think of the guitar as more of a structural instrument than a lead one. |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: July 20 2013 at 01:39
|
I think it's fair to say in 80s Rush the keyboards defined the tone and chordal structure of a lot of the songs. You can trace how the songs filled out from the 70s to the 80s, and how the guitar had less work to do in filling the melodic and harmonic aspects of the music. It's not entirely clear cut but all the way through Hold Your Fire, the guitar became less and less present "all the time" and began taking in a texture, fill, solo kind of vibe. It's still there, but you can't clearly call it the center of attention anymore. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: King Lerxst
Date Posted: July 20 2013 at 08:20
| Funnily enough when Alex finally abandoned the Signature guitars he didn't go back to Fender Strats but chose PRS instead. IMO the PRS guitars gave him much more fullness to work with (on Roll The Bones) while still offering some of the chimey-ness of the earlier guitars. This lead the way to getting back to the Cream-like trio sound that so many people like on Counterparts. |
Posted By: CKnoxW
Date Posted: July 22 2013 at 20:10
|
Ah, not understanding everyone's love of Vapor Trails. I do love some of the songs on it, but it ends up sounding like one long idea to me and not 13 small ones like it's labeled. Worst Rush album? Counterparts in my opinion. Definitely one of the best sounding (because of The Caveman) but apart from Animate, Between the Sun and Moon, and Leave that Thing Alone, the rest of it is weak. But the actual forum topic! Signals is the only Rush album where the guitar is drowned out by the keyboards, which is funny because compared to the next few albums, its is very sparse synthwise. Lifeson's solos from the 80's era are definitely his most unorthodox (Turn the Page) but that doesn't make them bad. In fact, I love them! |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: July 22 2013 at 23:07
^ Chemistry includes my all time favourite Alex solo ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Encoder314
Date Posted: August 17 2013 at 20:26
|
For me, Power Windows is my absolute favorite Rush album. It blends the guitars and keyboards masterfully and has an atmosphere to it (especially Mystic Rhythms) that for me, none of their other albums have. My least favorite album of theirs is probably the debut. -Top 5 Rush Albums (Today)- 1. Power Windows 2. Hold Your Fire 3. Signals 4. Moving Pictures 5. Presto My favorite '70s album of theirs is Caress of Steel. The Necromancer and The Fountain of Lamneth make the album great. The Fountain of Lamneth is my favorite "epic" of theirs.
|
Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: August 17 2013 at 21:09
In the liner notes to the Benefit remaster, Ian Anderson comments on how the arrival of John Evan on keyboards allowed Martin Barre to stretch out and be more creative, not having to worry so much about banging out chords in the rhythm section. I think it's fair to say that a similar thing happened with Lifeson in the 80s. Although their 70s albums are still my favorites, I've always felt Rush's 80s material is unfairly maligned. With the exception of Hold Your Fire, which I have not been able to get into, every album from that period is great. ------------- 
|
Posted By: CKnoxW
Date Posted: August 17 2013 at 23:48
Hold Your Fire has some real stinkers, but I think Turn The Page is a complete gem. |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: August 17 2013 at 23:57
| The whole album is great. One of Rush's best. |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: August 18 2013 at 00:00
|
Yeah, I don't think there's a bad song in the bunch. Second Nature and Tai Shan are a bit weaker imo, but still good songs.
------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: August 18 2013 at 00:02
I'll have to give it another listen, then. :) -------------
|
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: August 18 2013 at 00:11
Yeah, it's an uneven album but not "bad" by any means. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: King Lerxst
Date Posted: August 21 2013 at 13:15
| So called "uneven" Rush albums would include Counterparts and Test For Echo. However Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, Grace Under Pressure and Presto are some of their best...at least to me. Vapor Trails though...nice try but misses the mark. |
Posted By: CKnoxW
Date Posted: August 22 2013 at 00:26
| ^ Yes! Someone agrees with me about Counterparts! Happy day |
Posted By: King Lerxst
Date Posted: April 09 2014 at 18:05
Bite your tongue, every song on HYF is excellent.
|
Posted By: CKnoxW
Date Posted: April 10 2014 at 09:38
"And China sang to meeeeeeeee" We can agree to disagree.
 |