Better Canadian: Geddy Lee or Bryan Adams?
Tom Sawyer vs. Cuts Like a Knife?
Prog-rock yelping vs. soft-pop overemoting?
Geddy Lee vs. Bryan Adams!!!!
While contemplating your crucial vote, please enjoy the following review of the new Rush album, irrelevant to some, raison d'etre to most of Tampa Bay.
By the way, Rush plays Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa on June 16. That sucker's gonna sell out -- 20,000 dudes air drumming their asses off!!!
Rush
Album: Snakes & Arrows (Atlantic)
In stores: Now
Why we care: Five years after its last album — and 30 years after its artistic height — Rush sees its new disc debut at No. 3 on the Billboard charts. Crazy, huh? Of all the ’70s prog-rockers, Rush was the most accessible, three dudes with high-concept dreams and school-bus hooks. Neil Peart is a folk legend, like Paul Bunyan with drumsticks.
Why we like it: Peart, the band’s lyricist, has gone through hell, losing a wife and a child. As a result, the songs, both political and personal, are angry and self-indulgent, complex and brutally simple. The playing remains over-the-top as always: singer Geddy Lee’s vocal is still elastic, Alex Lifeson’s guitar is still prickly, Peart’s pounding is still spellbinding.
Reminds us of: Air drumming to Tom Sawyer in 6th grade
Download these: Far Cry and The Larger Bowl
Grade: B-
Sean Daly is the pop music critic for the St. Petersburg Times. His CD collection -- from Journey to Dylan, Prince to U2, Public Enemy to Stan Getz -- is much bigger and better than yours.
I love the new Rush album. I haven't bought one of their albums since Roll The Bones, but I thought Far Cry was great. I listened to all the soundbites on i-tunes, and decided I had to get it. My favorites are Far Cry, Spindrift, and Good News First.
Posted by: bassnote | May 14, 2007 at 03:13 PM
As to Adams or Lee, they are both great Canucks, though different, to be sure. But, when was Bryan Adams' last #3 album, huh?
Rush fans may want to check out Marillion's newest CD, "Somewhere Else". More poppish prog as opposed to harder stuff, but definitely worth checking out. They've been around since 1982.
Posted by: Greg Jones | May 15, 2007 at 08:38 AM
For anyone into Rush, the local band The Reverse Engineers is a sure pleaser, too. They have their own sound, but the Rush influence is undeniable (and self-professed). Check them out at
TheReverseEngineers.com.
"Sunshine with the Shade" is my personal fave, but its all great.
Posted by: Heath | May 15, 2007 at 02:57 PM
I have to throw my two cents in here an cast a vote for Bryan as I have never been a big Rush fan but the word about their new CD has gotten me curious.
Posted by: 80sfan | May 17, 2007 at 07:59 PM