SoundBard » Rush

What They’re Doing: Rush Set to Re-release Self-Titled Debut Album on 200-Gram Vinyl

Mike Mettler — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:02:44 +0000

BY MIKE METTLER

Call them the Re-Working Men.

On April 15, to mark Rush’s 40-year recording career, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will reissue the original Moon Records release of Rush as part of Universal’s reDISCovered vinyl series. Some history: In March 1974, Rush released their self-titled debut through the band’s own indie label, Moon Records, in Canada, and sold out of the initial 3,500-copy pressing. Moon Records would soon morph into Anthem Records, which launched in 1977 and continues to serve as the band’s Canadian record company. In the United States, Rush has been on Mercury, Atlantic, and Roadrunner.

The package looks to be impressive. Housed in a sturdy, custom box with a lift-off top, Rush is pressed on 200-gram, audiophile-grade vinyl. The mix comes from the original 1974 analog stereo masters, cut to copper plates using the Direct Metal Mastering (DMM) process at Abbey Road Studios in London. Rush also features the original Moon Records jacket art, complete with the original MN-100-A/B Matrix etching, and will include a 16×22-inch reproduction of the first Rush promo poster, three 5×7-inch lithographs of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and John Rutsey, a 12×12-inch Rush Family Tree poster, and a digital download card for a free digital copy of this newly remastered release. (Rutsey, who died in 2008, was the band’s original drummer. Neil Peart replaced him before the band went on tour in July 1974 and also became the band’s signature songwriter with 1975′s Fly by Night.)

I’m very much looking forward to putting the needle down on a 200-gram pressing of Rush. I went to the Rush section of my vinyl collection and found that I own three (count ‘em) copies of that album: two on Mercury (both with the of-era blue-sky/green-tree “skyscraper” label), and one on Anthem, the 1977 pressing with the light-blue “fading” label. (If memory serves, I bought the latter during a trip to Toronto.) All three LPs are in fair enough condition, but, at this point, I wouldn’t put the Blackbird cartridge on my PerspeX ‘table down on any of them.

Rush is essentially a straight-up power-trio rock album, with only hints of the more progressive route the band would travel once Peart joined the group. Each side contains four songs, and both end with 7-minute barnburners. Side 1 finishes with the moody “Here Again,” while Side 2 closes with the instant anthem “Working Man,” still a band favorite to this day. “Working Man” is the track that broke Rush in the U.S., thanks mainly to Cleveland program director/DJ Donna Halper, who championed the band with fervor on legendary radio station WMMS. Halper is given “Special Thanks” on the back cover of the original album, in fact.

Finding Their Way: From left, Lifeson, Rutsey, and Lee, at your service.

If you want to hear more classic Rush from that era, seek out ABC 1974 (available on CD and LP), which contains the earliest American broadcasts of the band playing in Cleveland on August 26, 1974, not long after Peart joined the band, plus a few bonus live tracks from 1975.

Other choice Rush cuts like the album opener “Finding My Way” and “In the Mood” have found their way into the band’s live repertoire in recent years. Wishful Thinking Department: I would have so loved it if this package included the band’s very first Moon Records single from 1973, a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away,” with “You Can’t Fight It” on the B-side. Neither song ever saw an official on-album release. But, hey, the hour is getting late, and I’m quite in the mood for a fine 200-gram Rush refresher.

The SoundBard’s Top 25 Albums of 2013

Mike Mettler — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 16:05:25 +0000

Radio Free, You’re Up: Sid and Susie (a.k.a. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs) oh-so-magically dial in the ’80s at #23. Photo by Drew Reynolds.

BY MIKE METTLER

Damn the naysayers — I say the album format lives! With that vital declaration out of the way, it’s high time to cite the records that caught hold of my expert ear over the past 12 months — the full-length discs and/or LPs I consider most worthy of purchase, hi-res download, and/or dropping the needle on! Here, in reverse order, are my favorite 25 albums of 2013. Happy spinning!

This Is His Time: Willie Nile gets it in gear and cruises into sweet #16.

Light in the Darkest Corner: Cy Curnin (NOT pictured above!) sinks his teeth into #11.

Illumination Theorists: Dream Theater go forth and immersify, embracing the circle at #7.

The Holy Levitator: Surround-sound guru Steven Wilson easily soared to #1. Photo by Naki.

25. Jim James: Regions of Light and Sound of God. Mind-/soul-/ear-expanding. Amen, J-man.

24. Kings of Leon: Mechanical Bull. Cojones-shaking rawk.

23. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs: Under the Covers, Vol. 3. Sid and Susie give the ’80s a deep, loving soul kiss. Read my interview with Sid and Susie here.

22. The Rides: Can’t Get Enough. Super Session, Millennial Style: Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Barry Goldberg burn on down the crossroads.

21. Ed Kowalczyk: The Flood and the Mercy. Ex-Live frontman does what he does best — and he does it more earnest, more intense, and more direct than ever.

20. Bob Dylan: Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) — The Bootleg Series Vol. 10. When Bob painted a better masterpiece, on wax canvas.

19. Billy Talbot Band: On the Road to Spearfish. Crazy Horse bassman jams on, casting his lifeline ever deeper.

18. Devon Allman: Turquoise. Son of Gregg churns out heaps of hot blues, rock, and soul chops for days.

17. Richard X. Heyman: X. Underground roots rockin’ cauldron of pure pop perfection. D’oh boy! Read my interview with RXH here.

16. Willie Nile: American Ride. Supersongwriter drives hard ’n true right outta the garage.

15. Eric Clapton: Old Sock. The ax-master at work and at play, and best heard on 180-gram vinyl.

14. Atoms for Peace: Amok. Thom Yorke and friends continue pushing soundscape boundaries.

13. The Flaming Lips: The Terror. Underrated, unwavering exploration of strange and raw emotional chords.

12. Nektar: Time Machine. Unsung ’70s prog veterans keep on ticking forward.

11. Cy Curnin: The Horse’s Mouth. Always prescient Fixx-man spreads his wings and reaps sweet aural karma, Mama.

10. Boston: Life, Love & Hope. Smokin’ guitar and heavenly harmonies as only Tom Scholz can do.

9. Levin Minnemann Rudess: Levin Minnemann Rudess. Push-pull beyond-prog experimentation of the highest order.

8. John Fogerty: Wrote a Song for Everyone. As long as JCF can see the light beyond the Mystic Highway, our ears remain eternally blessed by his songwriting acumen. Best shared moments come with Kid Rock, Bob Seger, and My Morning Jacket.

7. Dream Theater: Dream Theater. Continually adventurous post-prog-metal giants hit new benchmark, best experienced via Richard Chycki’s expansive 5.1 surround-sound mix.

6. Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour. Power-prog trio at their live peak; hearing (and seeing) them do “Manhattan Project,” one of my all-time favorite Rush tracks, with a live string section is a continual treasure. “Imagine a time when it all began…”

5. Sound City: Real to Reel Soundtrack. Dave Grohl’s auditory love letter to an amazing recording studio, with ace collaborations galore.

4. The Band: Live at the Academy of Music 1971. Standard-setting live act carries the weight of an epic residency. If you want to be a beyond-great live band, listen and learn.

3. Steve Hackett: Genesis Revisited – Live at Hammersmith. Ace prog guitarist dances on the volcano of his stellar ’70s legacy and proffers many musical boxfuls of rewarding, top-drawer rearrangements.

2. Tedeschi Trucks Band: Made Up Mind. A supreme blend of improv interplay prowess and gutbucket roots rock, best interwoven on vinyl.

1. Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories). Wholly original, envelope-pushing, mind-blowing, mind-expanding music realized to perfection in the 96/24 LPCM Blu-ray 5.1 mix. The breadth and scope of Raven represent Steven Wilson at the height of his creative powers, where surround-sound music and mixing has reached a heretofore unheard aural apex. My full album evaluation is posted here in High Resolution Reviews.

Holiday Gift Guide Special: 108 Rock Star Guitars to Riff & Roll on Your Coffee Table

Mike Mettler — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 21:04:48 +0000

BY MIKE METTLER

“Nothing moves me like the sound of a guitar.” It’s the opening sentence to author Lisa S. Johnson’s passionate introduction to 108 Rock Star Guitars (Glitterati Incorporated), her lavishly photographed and beautifully bound ode to a score of axes ‘n planks that have created some of the most indelible sounds in our lifetime, and I swear I could have written that line myself. I was enamored with guitars even before I learned how to form the chords that open Yes’ “Roundabout” on a no-name acoustic in a junior high school guitar class, and to this day my attention is rapt whenever I hear certain riffs or see guitar wizards both budding and seasoned practicing their own special brands of fretboard magic live.

108 Rock Star Guitars captures many of those jamtastic fretboard-induced feelings between its covers, so if you’re looking for an extra-special tome for the music lover on your holiday shopping list, then you’ve come to the right place.

“Living guitar art” is a phrase used to describe the photos Johnson took over the course of the 15 years needed to compile this book, and it’s quite apt. The angles are dramatic and the luthiers’ detail work well evident in each guitar shown within. It’s not easy to choose favorites — especially since I continue to comb through the book like it’s a lost rune, and I could probably cite them all — but, ok, fine, I will list some of them here nonetheless: Jack White’s crackled early-’60s Airline. Eric Clapton’s 1956 Fender Stratocaster, a.k.a. “Brownie.” (Yes, that’s the one he used to record “Layla.”) Geddy Lee’s 1972 Fender Jazz bass. (Natural wood, people!) Rick Nielsen’s checkerboard Hamer “Enola.” Phil Collen’s 1985 Jackson Custom Shop “Crackle.” Brian Setzer’s 1959 Gretsch 6120 “Stray Cat.” Jimmy Page’s 1968 Gibson EDS 1275 SG double neck. Bonnie Raitt’s “Brownie” Stratocaster. Lou Reed’s Bolin NS with customized silver skull control knob. Tommy Shaw’s Fender Electric XII and 1998 Gibson Les Paul. James “JY” Young’s 2001 Fender Stratocaster and JY Custom “Cerberuscaster” — and yes, the look of the mythical three-headed creature on the latter axe is as cool as you think. And as I recently discovered, I happened to be in the house and backstage when the two Styx men’s guitars were being photographed on August 2, 2011 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. “Tommy and JY play off of each other so well — they’re two pros who are a joy to watch,” Johnson told me recently about her experience at that show, and I have to agree.

Naturally, I also asked Johnson a few SoundBard-ian Qs, and herewith is our exchange on those weighty topics.

Mike Mettler: What was the first album you bought with your own money, and what do you remember about how it sounded to you?

Lisa S. Johnson: My first album was Kiss: Hotter Than Hell [1980]. I loved their costumes and the album cover art. I played it over and over on my very cheap turntable. I clearly remember the sound of the needle dropping on that record. I was 11 years old and so impressed with the hard-rock sound and sexy lyrics, but my ear was not trained yet to hear for anything specific; I just knew that I loved it. Until then, I had pretty much grown up on a lot of country classics, so it was quite a revelation.

Mettler: Do you still own that record?

Johnson: I still own the LP, yes. It’s stored up in Canada at my mother’s house.

Mettler: What’s your favorite guitar-oriented album, and why?

Johnson: Led Zeppelin [1969] is a real favorite. Jimmy Page is such an innovative guitar player. Everything he did was new to my ears, so I love the originality of this material — and I especially love “Dazed and Confused.” Jimmy playing his guitar with a bow is incredibly moving, and it takes me out of my body.

Mettler: Is vinyl still the best way to listen to music?

Johnson: I don’t own a turntable anymore, but I’m seriously thinking I’d better get one again. [Please do!—Your LP Lovin' SoundBard] Vinyl is back in a serious way, despite that digital is here to stay. Vinyl just offers a deeper, more luscious listening experience that adds an organic feeling to the sounds you are hearing.