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Snakes and Arrows
Rush
Anthem Entertainment
"Some things can never be changed
Some reasons will never come clear
It's somehow so badly arranged
If we're so much the same, like I always hear"
The Larger Bowl, Rush, 2007
I am a Canadian, and as such Rush is somewhat of a
national treasure.
About 30 years of buzzing power chords, thumping bass,
and crashing drums have made for some great recordings.
Alas, Snakes and Arrows, is not one of those great ones.
Not that it is rubbish or anything, it's just that it is not all
that much more than mediocre.
I've listened to it several times straight through, waiting
for something to jump out at me-well, it does have snakes
in the title-but nothing through 13 tracks and a little over
60 minutes really does.
The albums opener, Far Cry, starts off well with traditional
Rush-like drums and guitar, but then seems to go nowhere.
No hooks, no melodies that you might get stuck in your
head.
And what's up with 3 (!) instrumentals?
One is called Malignant Narcissism. An inside joke?
Kind of strange for a band 5 years between LPs and 3
songs end up with no lyrics? Filler to pad the album?
Not like the music is lousy or anything. Again, just not
anything that is gonna make me reach for it anytime soon.
The package is nice, however, with great artwork and pix
and booklet, but I'd rather have a killer record, and a blank
white sheet, rather than vice the verse.
Produced by Nick Raskulinecz-Foo Fighters- and Rush, it
sounds more like a strictly Rush production to me.
But there is some better news about Snakes and Arrows.
In June, the band plans to re-release the LP in a special
audio/video package, which will feature a 5.1 mix of the
album.
Perhaps it will all sound better in 6 channels.
Rush
Anthem Entertainment
"Some things can never be changed
Some reasons will never come clear
It's somehow so badly arranged
If we're so much the same, like I always hear"
The Larger Bowl, Rush, 2007
I am a Canadian, and as such Rush is somewhat of a
national treasure.
About 30 years of buzzing power chords, thumping bass,
and crashing drums have made for some great recordings.
Alas, Snakes and Arrows, is not one of those great ones.
Not that it is rubbish or anything, it's just that it is not all
that much more than mediocre.
I've listened to it several times straight through, waiting
for something to jump out at me-well, it does have snakes
in the title-but nothing through 13 tracks and a little over
60 minutes really does.
The albums opener, Far Cry, starts off well with traditional
Rush-like drums and guitar, but then seems to go nowhere.
No hooks, no melodies that you might get stuck in your
head.
And what's up with 3 (!) instrumentals?
One is called Malignant Narcissism. An inside joke?
Kind of strange for a band 5 years between LPs and 3
songs end up with no lyrics? Filler to pad the album?
Not like the music is lousy or anything. Again, just not
anything that is gonna make me reach for it anytime soon.
The package is nice, however, with great artwork and pix
and booklet, but I'd rather have a killer record, and a blank
white sheet, rather than vice the verse.
Produced by Nick Raskulinecz-Foo Fighters- and Rush, it
sounds more like a strictly Rush production to me.
But there is some better news about Snakes and Arrows.
In June, the band plans to re-release the LP in a special
audio/video package, which will feature a 5.1 mix of the
album.
Perhaps it will all sound better in 6 channels.