Rush Archives - The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Dec182012 by Chris Holmes1 Comment

Listening Booth — Rush at Stadhalle, Offenbach, Germany (May 28, 1979)

I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner, but it's high time I posted a Rush show on this site for the first time. After all, they finally made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so it only seems right. And so inspired by my friends at Addicted to Vinyl sharing an excellent concert from the band's first album tour, I'm sharing one of favorites. This concert was recorded at the Stadhalle in Offenbach, West Germany on May 28, 1979 -- the second-to-last date on the Hemispheres tour. It goes by several names, but the copy I have is called Black Forest. It's a fantastic soundboard recording and the band is, as usual, on fire. Of note is that the entire "Hemispheres" suite is played, as is all of "2112." Some of the transitions are rather abrupt, but otherwise this is an extreme

Oct212012 by Chris Holmes5 Comments

In Concert: Rush at the Prudential Center, 10/20/12

Music

I'll admit that at this point in my life as a Rush fan, I'm rather spoiled. I've been going to Rush concerts since they came to Madison Square Garden in December 1991 on the Roll the Bones tour, and I've seen them on every album tour since (as well as the 30th anniversary tour). And the thing is, even a mediocre Rush show is better than most bands on their best night. So for me, the sheer visceral thrill of seeing Geddy, Alex, and Neil live isn't what it used to be. But after sitting out the last few tours, I decided to see the band for the first time since the Snakes & Arrows tour in July 2007. I did so for two reasons -- I caught a peek at some of their set lists from the tour, and I was impressed with the first several tracks I heard from the Clockwork Angels album. But before I ...

Jun142012 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Albums From the First Half of 2012 That Are Good

Music

As I've mentioned previously in this here blog space, I've largely gotten out of the album review game. Unless a record really moves or I have something I really need to say, I'm gonna just wait to the customary year-end period to share my thoughts. But if you're impatient, you can always subscribe to my in-progress Spotify playlist. That said, here's a rundown of some records released in 2012 that I've been digging on, either a little or a lot (along with song clips where appropriate). The Beach Boys, That's Why God Made the Radio Django Django, Django Django Air, Le voyage dans la lune Ryan Shaw, Real Love Prong, Carved Into Stone Rush, Clockwork Angels Storm Corrosion, Storm Corrosion Jack White, Blunderbuss Imperial State Electric, Pop War Lambchop, Mr. M The Ex...

Apr182012 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

“Headlong Flight” — NEW RUSH SONG!

Music

Let's just get down to it, people. "Headlong Flight" is the first official track released from the upcoming Rush album Clockwork Angels. And yea, verily, it rocketh quite hard. Behold! "Headlong Flight" via Rolling Stone. Love the fact that Rush brought back Nick Raskulinecz to co-produce, as he did a bang up job on Snakes & Arrows. Geddy, Neil, and Alex all sound as energetic as they have in at least 20 years. Looks like I need to set aside some money to see this tour.

Apr112012 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Here’s Your Rush ‘Clockwork Angels’ Album Cover and Track Listing

Album Cover of the Week, Music

Here's a special Wednesday edition of Album Cover of the Week. It's the cover for Clockwork Angels, the upcoming studio album from Rush. It's their first studio LP since 2007's Snakes & Arrows. Behold! The press release doesn't say who designed the cover, but I'm guessing it was Hugh Syme again. It reminds me of that old internet game Alchemy. And wouldn't you know it, but according to the press release this will be a concept album that "chronicles a young man’s quest across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy as he attempts to follow his dreams. The story features lost cities, pirates, anarchists, an exotic carnival, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life." Well OK then. Sounds like it could be cool, or it could be a mess

Dec82011 by Chris Holmes10 Comments

Does it matter if Rush never makes it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Music

I've been a Rush fan for, oh, just over 20 years I suppose. It's not exactly the most exclusive club in the world, but it's not like being a fan of the Beatles or Bruce Springsteen either. In most circles, when you tell people you're a Rush fan, they give you a sideways look as if to say, "Oh, that's nice. And do you still play Dungeons and Dragons?" Then there are the pot shots taken by fellow music lovers, who stroke their beards, cluck their tongues, and talk about, "What's to be done with this band with their shrill singer, overly complex songs, clinical drummer, and lyrics about dragons and sorcery?" Ninety-nine percent of the time all that drivel rolls right off my back. But for the past dozen or so years, right about this time, I'm reminded of all the insults and all the m...

Oct182011 by Chris Holmes1 Comment

Road Trip! — Ten Songs Inspired by Real Places

Jun202011 by blerd4 Comments

Why the Hell Should I Like… Rush? (The Rebuttal)

Music

“Why the hell should I like… ?” is an experiment of sorts between Popblerd and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. What we’re going to attempt to do is to pick 10 songs from our favorite artists — one for which the other has professed dislike or disinterest — and show them why they’re wrong. So, first of all, I've gotta give props to Mr. Gray Flannel Suit, not only for agreeing to collaborate with me on this series but also for rocking a gray flannel suit in the heat of summer. That's dedication. I don't dislike Rush. I just don't know much about them. Prior to listening to the list of songs that was selected for me, I had exactly ONE Rush song in an iTunes library that just recently crossed the 43,000-song mark -- "Tom Sawyer." No excuses -- I was brought up on Top 40 (and urban)

Jun132011 by Chris Holmes1 Comment

Cross-pollination: 10 reasons to love Rush (on Popblerd)

Blogstuff

Mike at Popblerd (my musical brother from another mother) and I have been knocking our heads together for a few weeks, trying to find a way to get a project going between our sites. Focusing on music was an obvious direction, as we have pretty similar (awesome) tastes in music. What we decided on is a new series called "Why the hell should I like... ?", in which we will take turns trying to make the other see the light, so to speak, with regards to our favorite artists. The first piece in the series -- focusing on Rush -- launched on his site last week. Mike admitted to me that he never tried too hard to get into Rush, so my task was to give him 10 songs that would spur him to try now. He'll take some time to listen to the songs, and then post his response here. After that, he'll wri...