I:
Rush @ Target Center, Minneapolis, MN, 2012.09.24
On this tour, Rush presented a different kind of setlist, (to the disappointment of the narrow-minded 70s fans) that included a lot of mid-80s tracks along with nine tracks off the new album Clockwork Angels. I would have liked a little more late-80s material (which was rotated on an alternating setlist), and I think there was still too much old material. The addition of the orchestra added more than I though it would, particularly on Manhattan Project, and it was interesting to the members integrate into the band and the rock-show.
+ : Subdivisions, Force Ten, Manhattan Project, Bravado
- : 2112, omissions of The Pass, Dreamline
View from the front row:
Part II:
As for Clockwork Angels, I haven't been able to get a handle on it for a couple of reasons. First is the brickwalled sound. Production-wise, this is Vapor Trails III, with each sequel getting heavier. I find it incredibly fatiguing to listen to. Additionally, so many of the tracks are so similar in tempo and structure that it sounds like one long song. At most I can only listen to half of the album. The Garden stands out a little bit, but there really isn't much variety. Furthermore, the triple-tracking pattern for the guitars and bass that they have adopted over the last three albums is just too much. Lyrically, its a bit too progressive in my opinion. It's far too dense and sci-fi-ish. This would almost work better as a book (oh, wait. It is). There have been criticisms on how thin the lyrics were on Presto (and in a few lines this is true, although it became far worse on the insipid and shallow Test for Echo). But here the density of the story put into verse is just too much, especially when combined with the density of the music. It also includes the worst, most vacuous phrase in English "it is what it is." I'll give it a little more time, but I'm hoping for a change of sound for the next album.
This year's airshow was very scaled back. There was no Air Force or Navy support (The F-16 demo team came to fly a few passes in the heritage flight - the gas, pilots and airframes were paid for - so if anybody can explain the AF's demo team stand-down to me, I can't figure it out), and the 148th didn't even fly, being mostly deployed to Afghanistan. That left the Marine's AV-8 demo, F-4, and the Canadian snowbirds. Statics were very light including the F-16, EF-18G, F-18, T-38, C-130 and the impressive C-5A. Weather was 37 degrees with high wind and rain, making quite a contrast to this summer.
"People change and they turn strange and so will I"
After the longest pause in output in Marillion's career, album 17 - Sounds That Can't Be Made has finally been finished. (Thanks to Marillion for providing me with the Mp3 album while my CD makes a transatlantic journey). Not being the biggest fan of the 2008 release Happiness is the Road, I have not committed as much time to absorbing the latest Marillion works, although I think 2007's Somewhere Else is an amazing record and is holding up as some classic Marillion work. There were difficulties with writers block as it seems that H has already said a lot of what he has to say, although it would seem unfortunate circumstances in his personal life have given him more to say. Even though there are many thematic repeats in his writing career, I think H is good at expressing the same stories in different ways. Some of the problems with making this record, I think, involve the 20 songs put onto Happiness is the Road. I would rather see single disc releases like this that take time than a massive and quick output. To begin with, Sounds has a title that is in my opinion is a bit awkward. I would have preferred something with a little more mystique, something simple like "Rain" would have been nice (there can't be enough Marillion songs about death and water.)
"Nothing's ever simple - that's for sure
There are grieving mothers on both sides of the wire" "With the love of our family we can rise above anything
Someday surely someone must help us"
The standout track seems to be the opener Gaza - musically heavier and jarring, although somewhat disjointed. However I think this track is Marillion in top form, I can't get enough of it. From the orchestral beginnings, to the distorted guitars to the ethereal vocals this song is a dramatic story. Lyrically, this song has already produced heated controversy. People want to see it as anti-Isreal/Pro-Palestine/pro-terrorist. But I think this is to add a political/historic narrative that isn't present. This is rock music. This is art. This is revolution. It's about an oppressed population living in a war zone, particularly from a more innocent viewpoint. Really the controversy can only come from the title. Without a location name, it could be about any war. The meaning is not far from the Police's Invisible Sun, a song that only generated controversy from the British government. It is surely less ideological than Roger Water's anti-war songs like Leaving Beirut. H comes from a culture that is the dominant in a violent political conflict. Likewise, I, and many offended listeners from America, live in the dominant culture of a conflict. I don't want to see the US lose the "war on terror" and I don't think H wants the IRA blowing up London. But I think that we can look at reasons why these conflicts continue and understand that there are losers on both sides.
"Love had died but love is gonna live again"
Lyrically, the album as a whole is fairly simple and straightforward without much complex metaphor. Power is a strong track and was a welcome addition to the 2012 US tour, although I feel like some of the lyric/vocal transitions are a bit awkward. Pour My Love is a very nice track, a sad theme but presented in a positive and calm manner. It reminds me a bit of Prince (without any funk). Sounds That Can't Be Made , Montreal, Invisible Ink, and Lucky Man are perhaps less memorable lyrically but musically strong. The Sky Above the Rain presents another simple tale of lost love,
it's not as epic or moving as I was led to believe, but it is well
crafted and has great bluesy guitar work by Rothery.
There is in fact a lot of classic Rothery guitar sounds throughout the record. After their releases in the early 2000s I was beginning to worry that this had become history, but it is back in force. In all instrumental respects this album is musically intriguing and of sound quality. Musical phrases on this album leave me thinking about songs like Out of This World, The Space, Fantastic Place, This Strange Engine, Quartz and much of the Brave album. Although there are only eight songs, the album is 70 minutes long. There are a lot of musical bits, many of which I would like to see explored in longer sections. To be fair, I should give this album a few more weeks of listening before making judgements. But as I can't stop listening to it, I think that's good sign that this album will make its mark and overturn any disinterest I was beginning to feel with the last release. I can't wait for the next one.
After reading these two articles, I got to wondering about the importance of finishing books. I try to read only one at once so that I can finish it without being promiscuous, but occasionally I don't finish one and this leaves me with great feelings of guilt and failure. But, should that be so? The information age has reorganized information into discreet units and changed these units at the fundamental level. It has shown us, for example, that the album does not have to be the proper unit of music, the track itself can now stand on its own. When a work is cognitized and placed into our mental warehouse of information is the linear nature of beginning, middle, and end a necessary part of that experience and of that information? After watching a movie, the significant elements might just be a scene or two, or even a line of dialogue. Perhaps just he visuals of the cinematography are important. Unless a story centers on beginnings or endings, the start and end can seem a bit arbitrary anyway, especially in the era of ongoing sequels. And, in the postmodern age, non-linearity becomes more interesting, as re-juxtaposing scenes in a "random shuffle" fashion becomes a more significant element of form. When viewing a painting it doesn't always seem necessary to understand the entire story and context. Just seeing a depiction of a particular world is sometimes enough. It seems plausible that this can be transposed to the world of text and just comprehending the world created might be enough.
Of course, non-fiction works present more problems. Hopefully the author develops a progression of propositions that lead to a conclusion. However, it is rare that most works follow that form, even in modern philosophy. The thought process is often obscured and not as organized as it should be. Perhaps, if done correctly, each chapter can stand as discrete element of discourse. Furthermore, just by reading a significant insight found within a book, a useful conception might be formed in one's database.
I don't think I can change my practice of finishing works. But, in a universe formed by an ever-expanding plurality of perspectives, it seems that the future of information may involve reduction to significant and discreet points.
Twitter feed is currently broken because Elon is Grade A+ dumbass. He's such as man-child, like the kid who sits there and fucks with everything until it's broken,for no reason. He only cares about being a cult leader.
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