JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Like I wrote in the behemoth post, I am rather well-acquainted with Rush, I was actually quite a fan at first, until it crashed and I fell out of love hard. I admit that many of the latter-day albums fuse together, but I'm pretty sure I have heard more or less every album in their discography at least once or twice. The only albums I like for the most part are Farewell, Hemispheres, Clockwork Angels and, for some inexplicable reason, Presto.
Otherwise I find them really spotty, though it's sometimes really hard for me to tell why. Often it's probably just the vibe - for example, Tom Sawyer makes me almost irrationally angry, especially the beginning. I hear the synth buzzing and "mean mean pride" and I literally want to punch Lee in the face.
I guess it's the combination of vocals, the overall atmosphere of the band and how they are revered among some circles that's just inherently offputting. Other than that... dunno, the sound? The melodic choices?
I listen to Grand Designs and Afterimage and I actually quite like the tracks and then I try to listen to the whole albums and I'm dying. They very often annoy me or bore me, though I admit that it's very subjective, kinda personal and to a degree, inexplicable. I mean, there must be a reason why I mostly accept ELP and King Crimson and Dream fucking Theater, but when I hear Jacob's Ladder or Camera Eye, it just feels so pretentious to me I want to strangle someone.
For the record, the songs I could imagine voting for in this cup are Working Man, Limelight, BU2B, Freewill and Red Sector A. Make of that what you will.
P. S. - In fact, I realised something - although I'm into prog and although I can appreciate black and death metal, vocals are really important to me. LedZep used to be my favourite band, the first band I really loved and I still would love to enjoy them, because the rhythm section is just so sweet. But over the years, I've become allergic to Plant and his whiny screechy moaning of babybabybaby and I just can't love the band anymore. It influences even how I hear the songwriting and other stuff. It is ... always there. For that reason I haven't been able to get into other bands I've been recommended so far, like Between the Buried and Me or Muse. The insane vocal stylings are why Spirogyra (the prog band), whom I otherwise like very much, will probably never be my favourite band. I just can't seem to be able to overcome this.
(and yes, I can listen to Dylan. I can even listen to Bolan or Roger Chapman. There's no easy "rule of a thumb" here. The vocals don't have to be "pretty", but they shouldn't be whiny/obnoxious in a specific way. Don't know, I'm thinking aloud, so to speak)
It is, for better or worse, the human face of the band. Geddy Lee is really unfortunate choice, because his very specific vocals combined with the certain pretentiousness of the band in general (and that goes for the lyrics, too) give off this really unpleasant vibe. Lifeson can do some cool stuff and although he's not my favourite, I respect Peart as a drummer. Heck, Lee himself can do some very solid grooves on the base. But the whole is less than the sum of its parts, it seems.
Otherwise I find them really spotty, though it's sometimes really hard for me to tell why. Often it's probably just the vibe - for example, Tom Sawyer makes me almost irrationally angry, especially the beginning. I hear the synth buzzing and "mean mean pride" and I literally want to punch Lee in the face.
I guess it's the combination of vocals, the overall atmosphere of the band and how they are revered among some circles that's just inherently offputting. Other than that... dunno, the sound? The melodic choices?
I listen to Grand Designs and Afterimage and I actually quite like the tracks and then I try to listen to the whole albums and I'm dying. They very often annoy me or bore me, though I admit that it's very subjective, kinda personal and to a degree, inexplicable. I mean, there must be a reason why I mostly accept ELP and King Crimson and Dream fucking Theater, but when I hear Jacob's Ladder or Camera Eye, it just feels so pretentious to me I want to strangle someone.
For the record, the songs I could imagine voting for in this cup are Working Man, Limelight, BU2B, Freewill and Red Sector A. Make of that what you will.
P. S. - In fact, I realised something - although I'm into prog and although I can appreciate black and death metal, vocals are really important to me. LedZep used to be my favourite band, the first band I really loved and I still would love to enjoy them, because the rhythm section is just so sweet. But over the years, I've become allergic to Plant and his whiny screechy moaning of babybabybaby and I just can't love the band anymore. It influences even how I hear the songwriting and other stuff. It is ... always there. For that reason I haven't been able to get into other bands I've been recommended so far, like Between the Buried and Me or Muse. The insane vocal stylings are why Spirogyra (the prog band), whom I otherwise like very much, will probably never be my favourite band. I just can't seem to be able to overcome this.
(and yes, I can listen to Dylan. I can even listen to Bolan or Roger Chapman. There's no easy "rule of a thumb" here. The vocals don't have to be "pretty", but they shouldn't be whiny/obnoxious in a specific way. Don't know, I'm thinking aloud, so to speak)
It is, for better or worse, the human face of the band. Geddy Lee is really unfortunate choice, because his very specific vocals combined with the certain pretentiousness of the band in general (and that goes for the lyrics, too) give off this really unpleasant vibe. Lifeson can do some cool stuff and although he's not my favourite, I respect Peart as a drummer. Heck, Lee himself can do some very solid grooves on the base. But the whole is less than the sum of its parts, it seems.
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