Rush

Top 5 Rush Albums/Next Band


  • Total voters
    76
The HD Remaster is the best way to experience this album. Original mix, but all the crackling and brickwalling is gone.
I’ll have a look for the download. Thanks!

I’m listening to the album now. It’s just scratching an itch at the moment. ‘How It Is’ has such a lush pre-chorus and chorus as well.

It’s quite a heavy album. Was it in response to Neil’s double tragedy?
 
It’s quite a heavy album. Was it in response to Neil’s double tragedy?
Yes it was. One Little Victory, Ghost Rider and Vapor Trail in particular.

"Silence all the songbirds, stilled by the killing frost. Forests turn to ashes, everything is lost."

I think Vapor Trail wasn't ever performed, because that song was about Neil's darkest time and he needed to pour that out. I somehow remember that he simply could not perform it live.
 
I’ll have a look for the download. Thanks!
I bought mine from 7digital (be sure to pick 24-bit/96KHz FLAC), though @MindRuler noted that Qobuz also had it for a buck cheaper at the time (though now it looks like it’s a little more expensive there).

I can’t say for sure that the Qobuz tracks are the actual HD remaster rather than HD files of the original master, but the 7digital tracks are definitely the right edition (or at least they were when I bought them).
 
I've heard Geddy express regret around Presto a few times, it seems like a sticking point for him. Personally I think the songwriting is at the level or better than a lot of the 80s albums but the production really drags the energy down. I think the whole idea with that album was to bring Rush back to their pure rock sound of the 70s but it doesn't really come off. I would love to hear it with the Counterparts production.
 
I've heard Geddy express regret around Presto a few times, it seems like a sticking point for him. Personally I think the songwriting is at the level or better than a lot of the 80s albums but the production really drags the energy down. I think the whole idea with that album was to bring Rush back to their pure rock sound of the 70s but it doesn't really come off. I would love to hear it with the Counterparts production.
It's also the instrument choices. Alex was still playing those Signature guitars with active single-coils (basically the genesis of the EMGs), Geddy was playing his Wal and Neil was still knee deep in the electronic drums. With Presto, they made a trio record with the same sound as was used on Hold Your Fire, but without the wash of synths. That said, some songs, or parts of them, like Show Don't Tell riff were recorded with humbuckers with the Limelight Strat. But that guitar drops out for the chorus and is replaced by a Signature which results in the song losing power.

Counterparts sound was also the result of Kevin urging Alex to use humbuckers and Geddy to use the 72 Jazz (although some reports say that he played a passive Peavey bass) and not production alone.
 
I can appreciate that but I think a dryer drum mix and even more of a present vocal sound (less reverb basically) would go a long way here. I agree the guitars are kinda what they are and not much you can do about that.
 
I can appreciate that but I think a dryer drum mix and even more of a present vocal sound (less reverb basically) would go a long way here. I agree the guitars are kinda what they are and not much you can do about that.
I think they tried to cover the lack of ambient keyboards with massive reverbs. But I might be wrong.
 
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