Rush + Steven Wilson (new Geddy interview)

[keenly]

Is it even a remote possibility of getting real surround mixes for the classic Rush albums? (That would be Fly By Night thru Moving Pictures for me.)

They would basically need to come right out and dismiss the awkward 5.1 releases that came out a few years ago. Are the band even that into their old stuff? I've heard many interviews where they say they consider Moving Pictures to be the birth of what they consider their sound as a band. Not the proggy stuff that some of us are bigger fans of. They may just be aloof and think "Nah, they're fine."

Apparently those of us who thought the 'current' 5.1 remixes were an appalling amateur hour production are in the minority too.
I mean... yeah, sound is coming out of 5 speakers. Too bad that the old stereo vinyl from the '70s has a larger sound stage and higher fidelity!
I kind of expect a modern DVD release to present a LARGER sound stage with a 5.1 mix and for the stereo flat transfer to reveal just how bad that vinyl I thought I liked actually sounded.

Anyway...
I'd buy each and every SW remix if such a thing were to happen. Wilson is a master at mixing drums for one thing. Hearing Peart get that kind of treatment on those albums would just be fantastic!

 

[edisonbaggins]

If a remix could improve the sound of albums like "Hold Your Fire", "Presto", and "Roll the Bones", then I'm all in, but even then, it still wouldn't make up for some of the lackluster material that permeates all of those albums. About half of both "Hold Your Fire" and "Roll the Bones" are great, while I can only think of about 3 good songs on "Presto".

Wha??? We're all gonna have varying opinions, of course. I'm with ya on HYF - right around 50% solid, but I'd bet we like different ones. RtB? Mmmm... Maaaybe 4 or 5 songs, and again, I'd bet we like different ones. Presto? The only tracks I really dislike are Superconductor and Anagram. And I could live without Hand Over Fist. That's a solid 8-song album to me.

 

[rtbluray]

Wha??? We're all gonna have varying opinions, of course. I'm with ya on HYF - right around 50% solid, but I'd bet we like different ones. RtB? Mmmm... Maaaybe 4 or 5 songs, and again, I'd bet we like different ones. Presto? The only tracks I really dislike are Superconductor and Anagram. And I could live without Hand Over Fist. That's a solid 8-song album to me.

From "Hold Your Fire", I like "Force Ten", "Time Stand Still", "Lock & Key", "Mission", and "Turn the Page".
From "Roll the Bones", I like the title track, "Dreamline", "Bravado", "Where's My Thing?", and "Ghost of a Chance".
And finally from "Presto", I like the title track, "Show Don't Tell", and "The Pass". And I'm with you on the serious dislike for "Superconductor", "Anagram", and "Hand Over Fist".

 

[edisonbaggins]

From "Hold Your Fire", I like "Force Ten", "Time Stand Still", "Lock & Key", "Mission", and "Turn the Page".
From "Roll the Bones", I like the title track, "Dreamline", "Bravado", "Where's My Thing?", and "Ghost of a Chance".
And finally from "Presto", I like the title track, "Show Don't Tell", and "The Pass". And I'm with you on the serious dislike for "Superconductor", "Anagram", and "Hand Over Fist".

What da ya know? We have quite similar tastes for those records. From Presto I'd argue that Scars and Available Light are also top tier. From RtB, I'm not crazy about the title track and quite like Face Up and The Big Wheel.
For Hold Your Fire, Lock and Key is not a favorite, but Prime Mover is.

 

[rtbluray]

What da ya know? We have quite similar tastes for those records. From Presto I'd argue that Scars and Available Light are also top tier. From RtB, I'm not crazy about the title track and quite like Face Up and The Big Wheel.
For Hold Your Fire, Lock and Key is not a favorite, but Prime Mover is.

I listened again to some of those other songs you listed, and while I still do not care for "Scars" and "Face Up", "Available Light" is much better than I remember, and "The Big Wheel" has its moments, even though I still wouldn't list it in my favorites. As for "Prime Mover", it is also good, but not quite as good as the others I listed from that album.
Finally, concerning "Roll the Bones" (the title track), I never liked it on the album, but it kicks ass live, and I thought it especially sounds good on R40 with all of those special guest appearances.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I left out Chain Lightning! Not my intent. That is also a fav. I love the 8th note kick figure the song opens with, the trippy, somewhat dissonant, arpeggiated guitar figure, the sentiment of the lyrics and the "that's niiiice" voice at the end (which comes back on the next album...)

 

[IMachine]

What about a 5.1 box with all available multitrack Rush albums remixed by SW like the Genesis and Björk outputs!
I will send a wish to the universe right now! .

It has worked with Tusk! .

 

[GOS]

What about a 5.1 box with all available multitrack Rush albums remixed by SW like the Genesis and Björk outputs!
I will send a wish to the universe right now! .

It has worked with Tusk! .

I'll jump on this band wagon! :banana:

 

[timbre4]

Great interview and I'd really love a 5.1 Power Windows myself. It was one of my very first CDs (#3 maybe) before I even had a CD player of my own. I used it quite effectively (DDD + dynamic range) as a demo disc when I worked at Pacific Stereo. I weathered some time at the Rush fan website before I quickly realized that I am in the minority as liking the middle period with synths. I also feel that when they did strip down after that stretch, they actually got BIGGER! Richer tones and saying even more with "fewer notes". It's all great, bring it.

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

Great interview and I'd really love a 5.1 Power Windows myself. It was one of my very first CDs (#3 maybe) before I even had a CD player of my own. I used it quite effectively (DDD + dynamic range) as a demo disc when I worked at Pacific Stereo. I weathered some time at the Rush fan website before I quickly realized that I am in the minority as liking the middle period with synths. I also feel that when they did strip down after that stretch, they actually got BIGGER! Richer tones and saying even more with "fewer notes". It's all great, bring it.

I agree about how great Power Windows is. Although Hemispheres & AFTK are my favs, there is something I think is misunderstood about Power Windows. Folks hear all the synths & sequences & samples but don't realize that RUSH reproduced most of the music live in the show!

I saw the Power Windows tour in L.A. and sat right on top of Geddy to the right and I was absolutely floored over all the things he was doing, going from bass, bass pedals, keys and of course lead vocals! When I saw the Permanent Waves tour what impressed me about Rush was their orchestral nature. All three guys, each like a one-man-band. The musical output was indeed orchestral. Having seen Permanent Waves tour, Moving Pictures (twice), Grace Under Pressure and the Power windows tours, I can say that the Power Windows tour was the most performance demanding of Geddy. He even commented after the tour about it being too much for him to do and that they need to simplify. And that is what they did.

Now... Alex's crappy, cheesy, tinny tone on subsequent records, that is another story.


Power Windows would be incredible mixed discretely in 5.1, a la Steven Wilson. :music

 

[Clint Eastwood]

I agree about how great Power Windows is. Although Hemispheres & AFTK are my favs, there is something I think is misunderstood about Power Windows. Folks hear all the synths & sequences & samples but don't realize that RUSH reproduced most of the music live in the show!

I saw the Power Windows tour in L.A. and sat right on top of Geddy to the right and I was absolutely floored over all the things he was doing, going from bass, bass pedals, keys and of course lead vocals! When I saw the Permanent Waves tour what impressed me about Rush was their orchestral nature. All three guys, each like a one-man-band. The musical output was indeed orchestral. Having seen Permanent Waves tour, Moving Pictures (twice), Grace Under Pressure and the Power windows tours, I can say that the Power Windows tour was the most performance demanding of Geddy. He even commented after the tour about it being too much for him to do and that they need to simplify. And that is what they did.

Now... Alex's crappy, cheesy, tinny tone on subsequent records, that is another story.


Power Windows would be incredible mixed discretely in 5.1, a la Steven Wilson. :music

Do I smell a Power Windows surround petition thread in the future...which reminds me that I love the smell of napalm in the morning:nuke

 

[timbre4]

I also saw the Power Windows tour in San Diego (Steve Morse Band opening) and they lost AC power TWICE. Geddy was quite the busy guy no doubt and this continued thru the Hold Your Fire tour I saw in the same place two years later. I guess I've seen them 7 times all told. Yeah Power Windows 5.1 now or soon!

 

[edisonbaggins]

I'd really love a 5.1 Power Windows myself.

It's not just yourself! PoW is tied with PeW as my favorite Rush record!

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

Do I smell a Power Windows surround petition thread in the future

Actually, of the many crazy things I am, I'm not a big petition guy. In general, those in power don't give a shite about people like us, so its pointless. As far as my recent Tales crusade...

That's personal. Tales is life, Tales is Peace, Tales calms the savage breast. Plus I am so sick of waiting for Tales, I NEED it now! So my little Tales post was more like a one-of-a-kind. Kinda a collector's item. You might want to print my OP, if you mail it to me me I might even autograph it for ya!

Getting back to Power Windows.... its great that Geddy Lee & Steven Wilson are seeming to get connected. Seems to me that ALL of Steven Wilson's 5.1 projects have originated from the artist reaching out. Sounds like Geddy just reached out a little, yes???

 

[Philip Spinner]

It's not just yourself! PoW is tied with PeW as my favorite Rush record!

For me, Pew always comes after Pow.

 

[edisonbaggins]

For me, Pew always comes after Pow.

You're hard core!!! The albums are just so different, I can't say I like one over the other. It's more like PeW is my favorite classic Rush record, PoW is my favorite "keyboard" album and VT Remixed is my favorite Nu Rush.

 

[Philip Spinner]

You're hard core!!! The albums are just so different, I can't say I like one over the other. It's more like PeW is my favorite classic Rush record, PoW is my favorite "keyboard" album and VT Remixed is my favorite Nu Rush.

I think you misunderstood my comment. I tried to add a smiling face next to my comment but it ended up in the wrong place. I was just being silly.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I think you misunderstood my comment. I tried to add a smiling face next to my comment but it ended up in the wrong place. I was just being silly.

Smilie or not, I don't get it!

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

...Power Windows would be incredible mixed discretely in 5.1, a la Steven Wilson. :music

I really like the Power Windows era of Rush music too. There are some great tunes on that album - The Big Money, The Manhattan Project, Mystic Rhythms... A Show Of Hands, filmed & recorded during that period, is one of my top 5 favorite live albums. And not for nuthin, but the DVD does have a 5.1 DTS track...

-- Jim

 

[edisonbaggins]

I really like the Power Windows era of Rush music too. There are some great tunes on that album - The Big Money, The Manhattan Project, Mystic Rhythms... A Show Of Hands, filmed & recorded during that period, is one of my top 5 favorite live albums. And not for nuthin, but the DVD does have a 5.1 DTS track...

-- Jim

It's my favorite Rush concert. I do recall the 5.1 being pretty darn good for E...SL, ASoH and GuP (P/G). It's been a while since I've seen them, which I'll have to correct soon!
I have the DVDs. I wonder if they've come out on BD and if the resolution received an upgrade?