I used to do this with a friend I essentially lost to booze and drugs.

Somebody here, Brianl I think, mentioned the RUSH "Presto" album as one of their better works. Had a nasty long drive today, so I took my copy along. I'm not sure as an album I agree, but one track "Superconductor" is among the groups best. I had nearly forgotten this piece, so thanks!

Now I'm gonna ramble a bit, for context. Growing up around music people, we had a lot of discussions about music in general. Form, style, etc... A 6th grade teacher, put some of this into context for me and I've always appreciated this simple tool on form.

Most pop music has the form ABAB C AB, etc.... Sometimes they mix it up, sometimes they don't. Each distinctive theme, where a theme is a regular combination of elements that carry for more than one measure, gets a letter assigned to it. Be careful not to break it down too far, or the utility of the tool is lost. The 'C' above is the bridge common to nearly all tunes.

Many of the RUSH tunes are distinctive in that they often will push the envelope on form. This track is one of their best efforts in this regard.

I've linked a crappy Utube copy here, for those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o23BWIrbubw

it will do for matters of form.

Two things really stand out on this particular track: One is they use a fair number of different forms (A through D, if they are enumerated with the letters) and great transitions that fall in line with the stanzas in the lyrics, along with a lot of use of the different forms. Extremely well done.

So, if you listen to this track, you get the forms:

ABCABCDABBCCCE (Going from memory today, as I'm where I currently cannot listen.)

Each one is as distinctive as different pictures on a moving slide show, yet carry common musical elements throughout. I like this when done well.

There is a nice tickle in the piece where we reach the second repetition of ABC, and we get D and we get just a bit more of it than the others. It repeats three times, not two or four like the others. This then becomes the real bridge where the listener is expecting C to be that bridge. --Nice.

Following the release and beauty of D, we get a very short A, followed by normal length B and C forms that repeat to fade at the end. Another nice touch as a form itself becomes a transition between other forms. Complex and interesting in that it brings some texture to the end of what otherwise would be a very repetitive piece.

All in all a great piece of music. Anyone up for this kind of discussion on other pieces? Care to compare / contrast impressions on this one? Should I just STFU?

Wow, it's too early in the morning to think this analytically KSKD. WAYYYY too early.

Thus is is the brilliance in Peart's writing and the ability of the group to brilliantly put the music to the words. So much of their work, especially everything from Permanent Waves forward (one of my favorite tracks from them is the final track on that album, Natural Science) invokes so much thought in their work ... it isn't the same three power chords, no seguing, 4/4 time schlep that most rock music is. The music itself is repetitive in their message but how they deliver it without it being so repetitive ... I hear from people how Geddy's voice grates on them (a valid argument), I tell them to listen to the music itself, especially Neil's sheer brilliance in his music and his songwriting ... more often than not, they are converted.

Yep, his voice is an aquired taste for sure. For me, it's a non issue as I like interesting voices. He is an athlete though. His range is excellent and the variety of expression is often quite high as well.

Furthering the art of music: I met Neil and Geddy back in '74/75 when I was doing the all nighter in Allentown (Neil even did an ID for us on our production studio upright -- didn't know he plays it do ya?) -- and recognized them as in the category of up and coming. Very good people they were to talk to and hear play in our 550 seat venue.

Drawing on the ever increasing library of rock, blues and jazz cliches available is part of norm. It's not just the 1-4-5 progressions, but when and where you invoke the 7th and 5th and 9th and whether you are in a minor or major key. Let's all face it, sometimes you can hear things others have done, but I haven't worked on any of their songs over these years I've played around on guitar, probably because I barely can figure out easier stuff.

I'm tempted to at least figure out the beginning of
Closer To The Heart ... it makes me feel pretty cool albeit old to remember playing that and other songs by Rush on the radio in the early 70's when mainstream programming wouldn't go anywhere near a band like that.

They are a great band, period. Add it up ... the music, the lyrics, the tightness ... even with Geddy's voice being an "acquired taste."

Great band --absolutely. IMHO, they are unmatched in their genre.

"It's not just the 1-4-5 progressions, but when and where you invoke the 7th and 5th and 9th and whether you are in a minor or major key."

Yep. Lots of great structure there. This all combined with a romantic concept of theme and story, found in bands like RUSH make for an addictive experience with depth.

Another thing that just totally makes it for me, is they can do this LIVE.

Looking at the sampled and looped music of today, I wonder what's gonna come next. Seems to me, it's been more than long enough for some new ideas to hit the scene, yet they haven't really --or I'm really outta the loop.

(hoping it's the latter, anyone care to share?)

I've played some great stuff for the kids and they just don't grok it. There seems to me to be some disconnect that is deeper than that of past generations.

When I was their age, of course I related closely to the music of my time. However, it was not that much of a stretch to consider that of other times as well.

Yes, it helped to have music aware people around, but I don't think that's the whole story.

"Looking at the sampled and looped music of today, I wonder what's gonna come next. Seems to me, it's been more than long enough for some new ideas to hit the scene, yet they haven't really --or I'm really outta the loop."

BINGO.

**THAT** is why I feel the new rock out is nothing but a waste of good airspace.