Grand Designs

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.