Rush - Snakes & Arrows
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Free Music Notes for Snakes & Arrows
Free Music Review: Rush Slings Sophisticated, Streamlined 'Arrows'
Hit: 5 Stars
Rush fans, rejoice. Judging by the numerous other reviews (with the occasional hiccup), most of you already are. Here is a superb new album from a legendary rock band who have managed to maintain freshness, vigor and originality for over 30 years now. This new album is yet another intriguing chapter in a fascinating canon of great, aggressive rock music.
Rush ought to be congratulated by fans worldwide for putting forth such a spirited and focused recording, and they ought to be respected by all up and coming bands with any interest whatsoever in writing and executing sophisticated rock music. Although they have long been the targets of music 'critics', most notably Rolling Stone, this album proves once again that when you ignore your critics and challenge yourself you can achieve genuine artistic integrity and have a good time doing it. This is a fun, hard album that will make you pound your fists and shake your feet.
This is not a perfect record, but for me the five stars is awarded for the aggressive and constantly interesting arrangements, the outstanding production by Nick Raskulinecz, and the obvious spirit and heart these men have put into these songs. What the songs lack in lush tones, vocal prowess, or modern bells & whistles they more than make up for in their tight, crisp musical performances and their nuanced rhythms and structures.
Each song is worth poring over for the music and the overall energy. I won't run them all down. Each musician here shines, and they each show more restraint than may be expected for a Rush record. With his extraordinary bass playing skills you can never blame Geddy Lee for competing equally with Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson, but here he reigns it in just enough to provide an absolutely perfect combination of his aggressive style and superb foundational playing. Neil Peart is an absolutely phenomenal drummer, as we all know, and what I like about his performance here is the precision and mature restraint rather than going overboard. I have never minded when he let it fly either, but you do experience an appreciation for those virtuosos who know exactly how the instruments should be played in the appropriate moments. Neil and Geddy's jamming during the guitar solo for 'The Main Monkey Business' should make all Rush fans exalt. This is what Rush has always done so well for so long. If you can listen to that whole song without playing air-something, you have a great deal of restraint yourself.
Special props are due for Alex Lifeson in my opinion who has delivered a wonderfully colorful performance on the guitar on "Snakes & Arrows". He has always had a unique style but here he has clearly driven many of the compositions and, in my mind, he has re-invented the guitar solo with some of his beautiful gems here. The solo has been a largely dead form for years now and to my ears Alex has reclaimed it as a form and an art. He has not always been my favorite member of Rush but he has done a service to all Rush fans here by envigorating this record and taking a leadership position in their newest material.
Lyrically I do find Neil's quasi-relgisious humanistics to be slightly trite and sometimes almost cliche. This will be a sin to proclaim to many Rush lyrical afficianados, but that's how I feel. Nonetheless I respect his views and I give him credit for attempting to lay them out in these songs. I don't agree with them but I don't begrudge him for them. He's honest and he's cultured, and he's been through a lot. I don't love the lyrics here but they do not take away from the accomplishment of this record, they are simply a matter of taste. His songs have been a big part of my life for years, and I am grateful for them all.
In sum: a superb, spirited album from a great, great rock band that deserves accolades for their longevity and creativity.
Free Music Review: Rush...After 33 years, nothing else even comes close
Hit: 5 Stars
REVIEW
I think this is the finest work that Rush has ever done. The music is complex (as always), interesting, multi-genre, and emotional- but most of all: FUN!
Alex described the Vapor Trails album creation process as "painful." The music reflected the struggle. However, the majority of Snakes & Arrows just makes me want to smile. It really flows well and speaks to me. This album evokes deep-seated emotions, especially the song Faithless, which is an unusual experience for a Rush song- at least for me. The emotion it invokes (at least in the author) is compassion, so it's not a bad thing.
There are slices of R&B, Blues, Country/Western, Metal, Hard Rock, Folk, and Soft Rock sprinkled throughout the disc, and most songs contain sounds from multiple genres. This album is a smorgasbord.
I get the feeling that the songs on this album are the band's attempt to aggregate a melee of varying riffs they've compiled over the years into cohesive songs. While that is the case on every album, it seems like we are being treated to a great many more creations on this album than on any other in the past. That may be partially due to the producer, "Booooge." Regardless, it's rather refreshing to hear such a wide range of sounds within a single song. It is a testament to the band's ability to compose, and a demonstration of the continuing mastery of their instruments. Because of the variety it's rather difficult to get a feeling for the album by listening to sound bites of songs. Fortunately, a measly $11.99 will let you in on the full story.
BACKGROUND
Rush has often been described as "The Musicians' Musicians" because they write such interesting songs. As a musician you may not necessarily like a given song but you can more fully appreciate the effort it took not only to play it but to compose it in the first place. I fully expect to see even more insane time signatures in the measures of the tablature that will be written for this album. Something like 23/7 sounds about right. Of course, Rush rarely writes any song within a single time signature, so that will be one of many odd times in the measures I'm sure.
I was rather surprised to see so many detracting reviews. While of course there are the die hard fanatics like myself, Rush still has what I call a "Budweiser" following. I've seen the same sort of thing with other bands, such as Queensryche. Creative people want to evolve, striving never to repeat prior efforts. I myself am not creative, but I understand this basic principle well as I have interacted with MANY artists over the years, including my little brother. However, not all fans/people evolve, and this often results in dissention. Rush's mission statement has always been to "get better." It never ceases to amaze me that even in their mid 50's they can, indeed, "get better."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I became aware of Rush through my brother's enlightening during the Moving Pictures epoch. I've been a devoted fan ever since. I haven't liked every song on every album, but I always knew enough to appreciate the effort.
I'm a recreational drummer with over 25 years under my belt. I am currently "between drum sets." My last kit was a V-Session Pro, which is the prior generation from Roland. I own a Rickenbacker 4001 bass and I play a little guitar every now and then.
I'm a computer operations loser (i.e. Sys Admin) of over 5 years and have the awful body to prove it.
Free Music Review: This album Bites like a Snake and Pierces like an Arrow ;-)
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, maybe not so literally. Still, the CD cover image, an ancient Indian game about self-knowledge represented by Snakes and Arrows, is apt for the subject matter. The sequence of songs does sound like a kind of spiritual journey through many trials and tribulations.
Snakes and Arrows is a welcome addition to Rush's long line of solid albums. It is sonically and stylistically an evolution from Rush's most recent albums, especially Test for Echo and Vapor Trails. Varied arrangements, captivating melodies, passionate singing and vibrant choruses characterize the songs. Although much of the album has a moderate tempo, the instrumentation does have moments of busyness that are reminiscent of older Rush albums. However, that's not to say you can expect to hear Moving Pictures part II. It's more of a relaxed kind of clutter.
The songs have a lush, "natural" feel because of all the acoustic guitar Alex Lifeson plays on them. He also returned to playing guitar solos, something he mainly took a break from on Vapor Trails.
The lyrics are often gloomy and disturbing and tend to arouse strong emotions. But they come short of wallowing in despair. Themes such as adversity, struggle, hope, faith, and perseverance tie the songs together. A few of the songs cover controversial topics dealing with religious belief and current political events. They make ample use of symbolism based on naturally occurring phenomena.
Among the highlights of the album are the opening track, "Far Cry," which is an upbeat and characteristically Rush-sounding song. "Workin' Them Angels" appears to be based on memoirs of some of Neil Peart's many travels. "Spindrift" begins with eerie sounds that give way to a heavy guitar riff that resembles menacing waves crashing on a shore. "The Main Monkey Business" is the longest of three instrumentals on the album. It has some intense parts and similarities to previous Rush instrumentals, especially "Where's My Thing" and "Limbo."
"The Way The Wind Blows" is my favorite track. It starts off with a marching snare drum, which leads surprisingly to a passionate, bluesy guitar melody. The lyrics are critical of religious fundamentalists in both the east and the west. What's fascinating is the imagery used to describe the situation of people caught between the warring sides. In any case, it's just an awesome tune.
"Faithless" is even more critical of religion, and particularly of what some people do in the name of religion. "Malignant Narcissism" is one of the other instrumentals, on which Geddy Lee plays a rocking bass groove that has an Indian/Middle-Eastern vibe. Finally, "We Hold On" is a kicking album closer.
All in all, I think Snakes and Arrows is a strong album. If you're a hardcore Rush fan, you already own it and probably love it. It's a 9 out of 10 for you.
Having said that, it does take a number of listens for most of the songs to sink in. Some people may be turned off by the battery of negative lyrics. The songs have an almost unrelenting tension that doesn't seem to be satisfactorily "resolved" even in the last track. Although that was probably the intention, it leaves an incomplete feeling to the album. (Maybe there will be a Snakes and Arrows Part II?)
For these reasons, the fairest rating I can give it for everyone else is a 7.5 out of 10.
But beware: the SNAKES and ARROWS will be with you until the bitter end!
Free Music Review: RUSH Pushing Envelope Harder Than Ever
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, it's official: The new RUSH is kickin me right into the dirt.
3 standout tracks so far:
~ The Larger Bowl - "Such a lot of pain on the earth" - Yeah this song is awesome. Killer bass sound, good sense of space in between the music, and Geddy emotes so well.
~The Main Monkey Business - The first instrumental, and it is EPIC. I'd say this is the core of the album, right here (hence the title). It just jams out like they haven't in a long time. This is what I call RUSH in fine form (not like that instrumental from T4E, which was only "OK").
~Bravest Face - Here is a throwback to Golden Era Rush, that is, Permanent Waves/Signals/Grace/Power Windows era, only leaner, meaner, somehow more stripped down in sound while retaining more heft in the delivery of lyrics/vocals. This is the kinda song we all listened to Rush for, back in the day.
~ Hope
I am listening to this acoustic 12-string solo instrumental played by Alex, and of course the first thing that comes to mind is: Jimmy Page. Man is it ever beautiful. We are talking, right here, about a post-White Summer ballad that conjures such complexities of reminscense and, yes, hope for the future, its enough to bring a tear to the most weathered eye. If only it weren't so short . . . but alas, isn't that often the way with hope ? The song is utter perfection. The rest of the band stood out for this one, and Let Lerxst shine.
~ ~ ~
Let me just say that this album is dense, alternating between a thoughtful heaviness that never goes over the top, and it is multilayered in such intricate ways as to present a difficult first - listening experience. After hearing the album the first time, I liked it ok, but I wasn't convinced it was better than Vapor Trails. Well luckily I decided to listen to the album on "repeat", because after the 3rd or 4th time, each song began spreading its wings and revealing all manner of glittering scales underneath, with odd gems of beauty here and there. It truly is a remarkable recording, and a close scrutiny of every song, and their sequence, reveals masters at the peak of their craft.
After about 4 listens (and that says something in itself - that I could actually listen to it 4 times in a row) it was quite evident that Snakes & Arrows is a step up from Vapor Trails (which is definitely saying something - as VT is stellar in my opinion, despite other's claims it has "bad production").
All of which is to say, RUSH is simply riding an escalating wave of creativity and inspiration, since T4E was released (arguably the "low" point of their career). With this kind of stunning complexity pulled off with such panache they make it look easy -- I can't imagine them stopping here.
"I like that song about this wonderful world, it's got a sunny point of view, and sometimes I think its true, at least for a few of us. . . " (from Bravest Face, playing now in my headphones) . . . "Though we might have precious little, its still precious" . . . sound corny? Ha, that's one of RUSH's greatest strengths, ain't it though? Put on your bravest face . . . and I defy you to not to smile while hearing this song. It's got an almost funky groove to it, enwrapped with such glimmering hope and steeped in a sorrowful beauty that can only inspire the listener to greater heights.
Let's hope the release & subsequent success of this album will do the same for RUSH.
Free Music Review: Marvelous....simply marvelous.
Hit: 5 Stars
One of the most admirable things about Rush is that they have been creating their own inimitable style of music since the mid-70s and "2112". They have long since been a band that does not conform to pop culture and pressures of the album charts; instead, they march to their own beat, playing the type of music that they like to play.
I gave this CD a top rating because that's what it deserves. The song composition reflects a metamorphosized Rush and a new approach, as the last 3-4 studio releases have. Overall, "Snakes and Arrows" is a testament to the survival of Rush for 30+ years, as if to say "We're still here making music". It is well-written, well-produced, and demonstrates the constant finesse that each band member contributes to the whole.
Upfront, don't expect any commercially-appealing tunes/Billboard-type songs on this album, except maybe "Far Cry". That's no longer what Rush is about and they don't ever have to be. Gone are the exhaustive 6-month periods to record albums, followed by incessant world tours. This release is more about music as art and it's obvious that Rush now takes their time creating it, for the sheer joy of the creative experience and for their fans. The Canadian power-trio of Lee/Lifeson/Peart is not afraid to try new ideas and it is blissfully evident on this CD.
"Snakes and Arrows" requires several listening sessions to get an idea of the "flavor" of it all. One thing is for certain and that's the fact that Rush has worked diligently at keeping this from being boring. Overall, there's a lot more acoustic work by Lifeson and some surprising new endeavors to include a blues-based acoustic power-strummer called "Hope" (performed solo by Lifeson), Zeppelin-esque tinged "Faithless", and a few excellent instrumental segments in "The Main Monkey Business" and "Malignant Narcissism". In addition, there were several new instruments introduced into the mix, e.g. mandolin, mandola by Lifeson and Mellotron by Lee that reflect a refreshing new approach.
It's apparent that this CD was well thought-out; I read Neil Peart's article about the making of it on his website, and it's clear that they are still strong, vibrant and creative musicians, as they will forever be. Personally, I think that 13 songs is VERY generous and many different styles of Rush are represented, always conveying the legendary virtuosity that they each possess.
Some fans may look back in retrospect and wonder, "Why can't there be another "Tom Sawyer"?" or "Where's the next "Subdivisions" on this CD?" The answer to it all is that Rush has successfully evolved from its style on every single previous album and progressed forward; there can be no turning back in the realm of creativity. As a musician, I can definitely see and appreciate that from an insider's perspective that it becomes increasingly more difficult to create material that is "avant-garde", yet true to one's style and identity. The modus operandi in all of this is "basic elemental instinct to survive", to quote from one of Rush's songs....and they have done so, splendidly.
If you are a Rush fan, you would definitely want to have this CD, simply to appreciate their latest artwork and transitory "leap" back into the "driver's seat". If you are a newcomer to the world of Rush or simply looking for well-produced (by none other than Nick "Booujze" Raskulinecz himself) virtuoso musicianship, here's also where to find it.