Rush is a band that I've always just sort of liked. I never went through a hard core obsession phase with them that I periodically have with other bands like Sabbath and BOC. I can't really call myself a fan. Been to their shows, have quite a few of their albums, but wouldn't go so far as to call myself a fan. I think they did some quality albums from about 2112 through Signals. Most of their stuff before and after leaves me cold. (Although, I think Presto is a nice album.)T. Foster wrote:I don't like Geddy Lee's nasally voice and I don't like the lyrics that seem to strive too hard for profundity (especially the Ayn Rand-influenced ones). Add to that, the aforementioned really fucking annoying college roommate who used to listen to them incessantly and go on and on about how genius they were, which created a really bad association. If I gave them another chance I could probably learn to like at least some of their stuff -- the same way it look me awhile to grok The Who and The Kinks and Genesis and Pink Floyd and Radiohead and a few others -- but at least up to now I've never been willing to give them that chance, not least because I've got plenty of other music to listen to that I know I like without having to work at it (I've actually declared Zero Population Growth for my music collection because I've run out of room -- at least theoretically for every new thing I buy I try to get rid of something old that I no longer like, or at least no longer listen to).
FWIW, as an illustration of what I like, here's the CDs (yeah, I still listen to CDs) that I brought with me to work today:
I kind of feel the same way about those two other great geek bands, Iron Maiden and Jethro Tull. I'm one of those heretics who think that Maiden was better, or at least a lot funner, when DiAnno was the singer and their songs were more about fighting and f___ing than Alexander the Great and Heinlein novels.
But, when it comes right down to it, I'm way too much of a punk to admit that I'm a prog rock fan. Prog rock to me is that secret vice I keep in my closet. Yeah, I bring out Court of the Crimson King, Piper, and Fragile every once in a while (actually on a huge pre-Dark Side Floyd kick right now), but I'm not really proud of it.
Of course, some of my favorite bands out right now are firmly entrenched in the prog tradition, whether originally coming from the Death Scene (Opeth), the hardcore punk scene (The Mars Volta) or the stoner rock scene (Isis). So, who am I kidding?
I'll go pay my penance now by listening to five straight hours of the Ramones.
Both in my regular rotation.
