Customer Reviews

Feedback (U.S. Version)

5 star:		(124)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

What a great EP. These guys obviously had a great time recording it, too.

I assume you already know what it is: Rush (Geddy Lee, bass/vocals; Alex Lifeson, guitars; Neil Peart, percussion and -- on their other releases -- lyrics) decided to celebrate their 30th anniversary as a band by recording some of the songs they themselves learned when they were kids in the 1960s. This eight-song collection (which is an 'EP' only by today's standards; it's as long as a typical vinyl LP used to be) is the result.

I'm probably fairly typical of their target audience. I'm just about exactly ten years younger than these guys, so I grew up listening to essentially the same stuff they learned their instruments on. And I'm also a longtime Rush fan. (My take, for reference: I started listening when _2112_ came out; I think _Moving Pictures_ is probably their greatest album to date but _Permanent Waves_ and _Presto_ are darned close; their mid-80s sound isn't my favorite but I think that era represents some of Peart's very best lyrics; I like all their more recent stuff and -- although I might possibly have advised against the rap section on 'Roll the Bones' -- I don't think they've ever put out a _bad_ album or even a bad song.)

And I _really_ like this release. If your musical history is at all close to mine, you probably will too.

Lifeson, one of rock's most protean guitarists, is in particularly fine fettle here. He does an excellent job, for example, channeling the spirit of Neil Young on the Buffalo Springfield's 'Mr. Soul' (a favor I think Young may have some trouble returning). And he burns up the air on 'Crossroads' -- a cut that will no doubt make Robert Johnson purists cringe even more than they did over Clapton's tribute CD (or, for that matter, over Cream's version of this very song forty years ago). He's got that ol' chunky Strat sound, and at first his solos sound like perfectly ordinary 'lectric blooze -- but he doesn't stick to the formula; by the time he's done, the blues have been (as Frank Zappa would have said) _permuted_.

Not that Lee and Peart are exactly goofing off, either. You might not expect Lee to be very credible in vocal parts originally sung by e.g. Roger Daltrey and Stephen Stills, whose voices are quite different from his -- but he does them proud. And neither his bass skills nor Peart's percussion skills need any special comment from me here; if you know who Rush are, you already know what to expect in those departments, and I assure you you'll get it.

Thanks, fellas. This is a blast.

And like the album, a mere 27:11 minutes long, a little is all you get - but with RUSH playing 8 GREAT SONGS from the 60's under a groovy lava lamp trance, SOMEHOW you feel strangely satisfied after its quick end. It does seem almost unforgiveable that something so fun & cool could be so short (with 80 minutes available to really indulge the fans), really downright cruel in fact. Aren't there dozens of perfect possible choices that could have beefed this up? BUT I ACCEPT ... AND I FORGIVE - THIS ROCKS!! Thanks guys, can't wait to hear what you do next ... A NEW DAY IS RISING. Can you feel it?

I didn't know what to expect at first, but when I gave Feedback a listen I was not disappointed. It's interesting; this legendary power trio from Canada has earned a well deserved reputation as one of the most original progressive rock bands in the world and here they are doing covers. What gives?

What gives, is they are paying homage to their roots and those bands that have had an influence on their development as musicians. I think Feedback is just as refreshing as every new Rush offering, and even more so because it gives us a chance to listen to them play regular songs.

The musicianship is impeccable, the mix is right on, and the recording quality is fantastic. This is a job well done. I never thought I'd hear Geddy Lee singing "The Seeker" by The Who, but it sounds excellent. They rock through their renditions of 8 classic songs: Summertime Blues, Heart Full Of Soul, The Seeker, For What It's Worth, Shapes Of Things, Mr. Soul, Crossroads, Seven And Seven Is.

This is a nice interlude to enjoy between original projects. Packaged to resemble the psychedelic album designs of the 60's and 70's, Feedback is not presented in a jewel case but slipped into the end of a mini record album complete with a spread featuring the band standing before a spacescape of lava lamp blobules. The CD even sports a design in the center that resembles the spacer ring used to adapt a 45rpm disc to a regular turntable. Funny.

It's the little things, and I think that's why Rush fans have come to love this band so much. Feedback is a nice sidetrip that the band has taken, most Rush fans will enjoy it I suspect, and it may bring newer listeners into the fold.

I'm not a a Rush fan AT ALL...I only looked at this album a second time because over the years I have very much enjoyed interviews with the members of Rush, even without knowing their music. They seem like intelligent, down-to-earth, accomplished musicians. Still, when I've dabbled with their music, I've always been disappointed. I gave this a THIRD look because of the songs they chose to cover...

And you know what? This is a lot of fun! Their versions are faithful enough to be 'faithful', but imaginative enough to be worthwhile. "Summertime Blues" manages to give props to Eddie Cochran, Blue Cheer, AND The Who. The Yardbirds tracks keep the fuzztones, but have much better mixes than the originals, and in these especially, but really all of the tracks here, you can hear the acoustic guitars in among the electrics. Pretty savvy for a power trio, I think. Nice quote from "Eight Miles High" in among the sequential lead guitar "trades" in "Mr. Soul." If these guys WERE brave enough to tackle backing vocals, I would've loved to have heard them actually DO "Eight Miles High". Of course, an album like this gets you thinking about all the OTHER covers they should've and could've done here...

Finally, let me emphatically suggest that if you get this--and you really should...it's so much fun--LISTEN TO IT OVER SOME GOOD HEADPHONES. You'll be amazed. It's pure ear candy!

This album was definitely unexpected from Rush, but it was also a clever and fun way to celebrate their 30th anniversary. I think this is further proof that the members of Rush DON'T take themselves as seriously as a lot of their critics over the years have charged.

I am a huge fan of the original versions of "Heart Full of Soul" and "Crossroads", and I think these two songs are the highlight of this album (also "The Seeker" and "For What it's Worth" are very good), particularly the great guitar work of Alex Lifeson on "Crossroads".

If you're a Rush fan, or a fan of any of the originals (or covers of the originals) on this album, then you should buy this, as you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did.

Feedback, released on June 29, 2004, is Rush's first EP.

After their very successful Vapor Trails tour, Rush headed back to the studio. But this time it wasn't for a brand new studio album, it was for an EP. As a tribute to their 30th Anniversary, they recorded songs that inspired them to become Rush. These songs include:

1. Blue Cheer's and The Who's version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues"
2. The Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul"
3. Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth"
4. The Who's "The Seeker"
5. Buffalo Springfield's "Mr. Soul"
6. Love's "Seven And Seven Is"
7. The Yardbirds' "Shapes Of Things"
8. Cream's version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads"

Now that's quite a track listing! Here are the highlights of Feedback:

The first song (Summertime Blues), is just one of those songs that is covered by everyone, it's just a classic song. Rush covers the song perfectly, leaving out the end lines to each verse (Example: there's no "I'd like to help you son; But you're to young to vote".) You can find a live version of "Summertime Blues" on the R30 DVD.

The second song on Feedback is the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul". Again, Rush does an excellent job covering the song, with the guitar standing out the most. An acoustical performance of "Heart Full of Soul" can be found on the R30 DVD.

The fourth song is a cover of The Who's "The Seeker". This, in my opinion, was an excellent choice by Rush. We all know how many bands The Who influenced, so it's great that Rush paid tribute to them. A live version of "The Seeker" can be found once again on the R30 DVD.

Ending the CD are The Yardbirds' "Shapes Of Things" and Cream's take on Robert Johnson's "Crossroads". "Shapes Of Things" was definitely one of the Yardbirds biggest hits, and no exception for Robert Johnson. Rush's cover of "Shapes Of Things" is awesome, and they also do a good job on "Crossroads". A live performance of "Crossroads" can be found in the R30 DVD.

Rush recorded Feedback in about 3 weeks, and they had fun doing it. That's half the reason it sounds so good, you do a better job when you're having fun. After the recording of Feedback, Rush set out on their three and a half month, 30th Anniversary Tour.

The CD comes in a cardboard case (very much like Different Stages, the Rush In Rio CDs, and the R30 CDs), and it contains a little writing by Neil Peart on the inside cover.

In the end, you get Rush covering 8 classics songs for a total of 27 minutes. That may not sound like much, but believe me, once you listen to it, you'll be happy you bought it.

Did Rush run out of ideas and lose their musical direction, or are they acknowledging their musical roots? Maybe it's a little of both, and they're just having fun playing some of their favorite songs. Rush's cover of "Summertime Blues" starts with Blue Cheer's version (with the Hendrix riffs at the beginning and end of the track), and then copies the Who's "Live At Leeds" version in the middle. "Crossroads" is the only disappointing track, where Alex attempts to improve a perfect Eric Clapton solo. I'm glad they didn't cover "Stairway to Heaven".

To commemorate their 30th anniversary together with their ongoing world tour, Rush did something for the first time in their 30-year career that no one expected them to do: make an entire EP filled with cover songs. Anyone who listens to the Canadian trio knows that they're not one to do cover tunes, even though they did a cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" in their earlier days, but that's it (and that was before Neil Peart joined). But as shown on their last album, the vastly underrated VAPOR TRAILS, and the follow-up live album RUSH IN RIO, Rush were a band reborn, and that energy shines through again on FEEDBACK, consisting of just 8 songs from different artists in the 1960s that influenced them when the trio was starting out. At a mere 27 minutes, Rush blazes through these classic '60s rock tunes with power and vigor and makes even some of the more familiar songs ("For What It's Worth," "The Seeker," etc.) sound fresh again.

They kick into high gear with a raw, powerful rendition of Blue Cheer's arrangement of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues." This is the heaviest the band has sounded in years, particularly Alex Lifeson, who sounds like he's in his early 20s instead of his early 50s. Great guitar work, and cool energy. Next up is a cover of the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul," which is surprisingly more emotional than the original. Nice blend of raw feedback with gentle acoustic strumming, and Geddy Lee's vocals on this track prove how much, yet again (there goes the word...again!), that he has improved.

The Buffalo Springfield classic "For What It's Worth" gets a faithful read, while The Who's "The Seeker" rocks hard. The second Buffalo Springfield cover called "Mr. Soul" is my favorite on here, as it features a tight groove fron Neil and some seriously catchy vocal hooks and guitar riffs. Very nicely done. Cream's version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" is also excellent. Lifeson puts Eric Clapton to shame by perfectly mimicking and even outdoing his original solos. My only complaint, and the reason why I gave the EP 4 stars, is that the cover of Love's "Seven and Seven Is" and the second Yardbirds tune "Shapes of Things" are the least memorable of the bunch. It would've been cool to see the trio cover a '70s prog tune -- something by Genesis or Yes, since those bands influenced Rush later on. Oh well. Can't have everything.

Overall, FEEDBACK is a very fun and energetic disc and shows what bands led to the creation of Rush and led them to where they are now. A nice little treasure from the trio.

First, as a fan of rush for a quarter century I can honestly say I cringed when I found out about this release. Man, was I surprised! Inspired and passionate. One of the best "cover" albums I've ever heard!

I have to correct a customer review I read. They are not covering The Who's version of "Summertime Blues." They are covering Blue Cheer's lesser known, but incredible version from their album "Vincebus Eruptum." Blue Cheer also re-recorded the song in the early 90's.

Rush's version sounds about right in the middle of the 2 Blue Cheer versions.

I agree with other reviewers that this is not a CD to start learning about Rush, but more for hardcore fans of the band and musicians with a similar past. I'm kind of inspired to record something similar with my band!

At one point or another in my life as an avid music listener, I wondered how one of my favorite tunes would sound if performed by another completely different band. My brothers and I would somehow guess how a song let's say, Purple Haze, would sound with the guitar of Jimmy Page. I must confess that to this day, the most entertaining part of my music collection is composed of cover songs, from the most bizarre and improbable, to the glorious ones that deserved to belong to another artist instead of the original. This CD is an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. Rush covering a song by The Yardbirds? Come on. But as odd as it seems, IT HAPPENED. When I first saw the front cover illustration of the CD I thought I was wrong and not by any chance that band was supposed to be my favorite Canadian rock band. BUT IT WAS. I am still amazed to the point of delirium to hear the superb guitar work of Alex in Crossroads and the voice of Geddy in an unthinkable "Summertime Blues". What to say of the performance of Neil, drum maestro, on every track? Should we expect a second release or the inclusion of some of these jewels at a future concert?