ForeverAutumn
07-05-2004, 07:19 PM
I picked up the new Rush album Feedback over the weekend. After a few spins I give it a big thumbs up. But it took me a few listens to get there.
This is more like an EP. Its eight songs come in at about a half hour total. The album is made up of eight cover songs that Rush played or were influenced by 30 years ago.
Drummer Neil Peart, in the album’s liner notes, explains, "It was April of 2004, but Geddy, Alex, and I were channeling back to 1966 and 1967, when we were thirteen- and fourteen-year-old beginners. We thought it would be a fitting symbol to commemorate our thirty years together if we returned to our roots and paid tribute to those we had learned from and were inspired by. We thought we might record some of the songs we used to listen to, the ones we painstakingly learned the chords, notes, and drum parts for, and even played in our earliest bands. The tracks on this collection are songs we liked from the era that we thought we could ‘cover’ effectively (meaning not too many backing vocals), and have some fun with. The music celebrates a good time in our lives, and we had a good time celebrating it."
The covers include songs by The Yardbirds, Cream, and The Who. They stay pretty true to the original songs, but put their own Rush spin on things too. There is no mistaking who is playing the song.
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this album on first listen. It certainly isn't Rush like we've heard them in the past, and it was kind of strange to hear them playing stuff like Summertime Blues and For What It's Worth. But once I got over the initial shock, the album took off for me and I'm liking it a lot. The one thing that I will say...if you don't like Geddy Lee's voice, stay far away from this one.
If you're a Rush fan, it's interesting to see a side of the band that hasn't been seen before.
This is more like an EP. Its eight songs come in at about a half hour total. The album is made up of eight cover songs that Rush played or were influenced by 30 years ago.
Drummer Neil Peart, in the album’s liner notes, explains, "It was April of 2004, but Geddy, Alex, and I were channeling back to 1966 and 1967, when we were thirteen- and fourteen-year-old beginners. We thought it would be a fitting symbol to commemorate our thirty years together if we returned to our roots and paid tribute to those we had learned from and were inspired by. We thought we might record some of the songs we used to listen to, the ones we painstakingly learned the chords, notes, and drum parts for, and even played in our earliest bands. The tracks on this collection are songs we liked from the era that we thought we could ‘cover’ effectively (meaning not too many backing vocals), and have some fun with. The music celebrates a good time in our lives, and we had a good time celebrating it."
The covers include songs by The Yardbirds, Cream, and The Who. They stay pretty true to the original songs, but put their own Rush spin on things too. There is no mistaking who is playing the song.
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this album on first listen. It certainly isn't Rush like we've heard them in the past, and it was kind of strange to hear them playing stuff like Summertime Blues and For What It's Worth. But once I got over the initial shock, the album took off for me and I'm liking it a lot. The one thing that I will say...if you don't like Geddy Lee's voice, stay far away from this one.
If you're a Rush fan, it's interesting to see a side of the band that hasn't been seen before.