Customer Reviews

Subdivisions: A Tribute to Rush

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I really want to believe that this album was produced with the best of intentions. I truly want to believe that they are (for the most part) all Rush fans who are just trying to show they're appreciation for Rush's music and the influence it had on their own careers as musicians. I really REALLY don't want to believe that this was just a quickly slapped together piece of "tribute bait" to lure in Rush fans.

Here are my main beefs with this album:
- The Mix: Oh, man! I see that Terry Brown did the "pre-mix" of this album (whatever that means). Did he intentionally sabotage the mix of this album just to make his previous work with Rush sound that much better? Seriously...they've got one of my favorite drummers (Mike Mangini) and his drums sound like garbage...often like the mics were set up about 10 feet away from his kit. Also...they had the privilege of having the great Stu Hamm do the bass on the entire album...but the keys and GUITARS are so dominant in the mix that you can barely tell that ANYONE is playing bass. What a waste!!!
- Which guitar solo are you playing?: So, in several songs ("Red Sector A" seems to be the worst), the guitar solo often seems to be meant for some other completely different song. Since the guitars are so high in the mix, it's like you're listening to two completely different songs simultaneously.
- Mandatory keyboards: So, is it Trent Gardner who mandated that there be excessive, unnecessary, out-of-place "keyboard doodles" at the beginning and end of nearly every track on this album? I'm all for changing the song from the original, but throwing in some random bits of keyboard junk here and there just screams "Look at me! Here I am! I can play keyboards!"
- Randy Jackson: Did we really need three tracks with Randy Jackson on vocals? Did we really need even one track with Randy Jackson on vocals?

What I liked about this album:
- "Different Strings": Wow! What an excellent interpretation of this great Rush song. Their interpretation of the chorus is especially good. A couple more tracks like this and this album would be worth buying.
- Kip Winger, Jani Lane, Sebastian Bach: I'm probably going to Heavy Metal hell for saying this, but I thought that Kip Winger, Sebastian Bach, and Jani Lane really did a good job with the vocals. Their meaty, straight ahead delivery was a welcome change from some prog rock singer trying to pull off these songs like he's singing an aria.
- Hugh Syme!!!! Yeah, I'm a big fan of Hugh Syme's artwork. The work he's done for Rush, Megadeth, and Queensryche (to name a few) has been as much a part of the album that it represents as the music. Too bad the music on this album doesn't match the caliber of Hugh's artwork. The work he did here deserves to be on a REAL Rush album.

So, all in all, this is a pretty weak record. More importantly, it was a huge waste of potential, considering the really talented musicians who were involved. Next time (and you know Magna Carta will milk this at least one more time), how about they keep the musicians to four guys: Sebastian Bach, George Lynch, Stu Hamm, and Mike Mangini? If not that, then at least no Trent Gardner, and no Randy Jackson.

trib·ute
n. A gift, payment, declaration, or other acknowledgment of gratitude, respect, or admiration. I'm sure Rush's response to the "gift" would be "a..gee...thanks guys....you shouldn't have...no, really you shouldn't have!". If the arrangements weren't just so terrible, I would be less critical. A variation on the original arrangement, or even one personalized to reflect the spirit of the "artist" paying tribute would be acceptable, maybe even interesting. Instead, these arrangements a hodgepodge of faithful reproductions (ie. during the vocals) and inappropriate trilling and synth (trust me, they're inserted at every available instance) that completely break the coherentness of the song.

To comment on the artists performances - Jani Lane tore it up on Bastille Day, Stu Hamm (bass) and Mike Magini (drums) stay true to the originals, but are unfortunately smothered by speed guitar (you know, in the spirit of Rush).

As for Magna Carte, they're brilliant. They know that the devout Rush fans will buy anything to do with Rush, even if we only listen to it once, and then bury it with the rest of our collection of failed Rush tributes.

The musicianship was great and the vocals were good. I am a Rush fan and thought these guys a great job. Some other people said Randy Jackson sounded like a robot on the album, but I though he did a good job (I've been a Zebra fan for years). I like when musicians do a tribute to other bands, they put their own sound into the music and usually the musicians are top notch

... I found that this was not something that I as a Rush fan enjoyed as much as I expected I would. This seemed to be more hard rock than Rush is. It seemed like there was too much of the individuals playing and not enough of those they are paying tribute to. Short of the words, this _IS NOT_ Rush. I honestly felt like I was listining to a CD that was recorded in some local club.

I will make this short and sweet. I have been a die hard fan since I saw the "Signals" tour back in the fogged up 80's. I love Rush for their staying power and even though alot have said that they have lost it.....I beg to differ. Anyway onto the review.

This disc is a great chance to hear some of the 80's top voices do their turn with some of Rush's best tunes, and they do it well. Kip Winger doin vocals on "Limelight" and "Spirit of the Radio" is awesome. I wasn't big into him back in the day, but his pipes are perfect for this project. The only vocalist that I really thought they could have done without was Randy Jackson. Don't get me wrong, Zebra was and still is one of my favorites from that era, but it seems he was trying too hard to get Geddys voice pegged and he annunciates just a little too hard and makes the lyrics a little "pointed" for lack of a better term. Without this minor flaw, 5 stars for sure. I am a critical guy, so sue me!

Overall this is an outstanding effort by some great names. I haven't listened to "Working Man", so my views weren't tainted as were some of the others. I will get it regardless of the reviews because without a doubt Rush is the best band ever, and any of their tunes in any form are a treat for the ears. Except maybe Devin Townsend doing "Natural Science".....that might leave a mark.

I wouldn't read the previous reviewer and think there is any intelligence there... If you haven't actually heard of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Alex Skolnick, Stu Hamm, et al. Get a lesson in history and realize half the riffs you are hearing from today's artists are likely ripped off from these GIANTS. Collectively the artists on this album make up some of the best rock players of any time...period.

That being said, the disc is very good. Much like the sister disc Working Man(some of the same players)... Very enjoyable, worth the buy.

First, I'll start by saying I am the biggest Rush fan. I have been since I was 8 years old. Over the years, I've always found it interesting when covers of Rush songs come out. This album definately outshines the previous Working Man Tribute album, which just copied the originals note for note. This album is different in that the songs arent just mimicing the originals note for note, but they add unique and, sometimes successful, additions or alterations. I really like this version of Different Strings with the spanish-style guitar solo and the harmonies in the chorus. Distant Early Warning is a little weak in that it just sounds like the original with an extra lead guitar wailing throughout. However, there are some cool guitar solos on the album and some of them really shine.
For some reason, the vocals on almost every Rush cover song seem like they are sung by someone who just isn't really that good of a singer. Often the singer will sound as though he has a mediocre voice. I'm not sure if it's because no other voice besides Geddy Lee's can really successfully complement a Rush song, or if the singers just find it difficult to try to match up with Lee's voice. Despite this, I really like the somewhat poweful vocals on this version of Temples of Syrinx, and, as I said, Different Strings as well. It's cool stuff.
Other songs that are done pretty well are Lakeside Park, Tom Sawyer, and Subdivisions.
Anyhow, I highly recommend this album to every true Rush fan. To those who don't know about Rush but are interested, don't get this album; get the real thing!!

I like this CD primarily cause I love Rush. I also like the people who are performing on this album; Winger, Bach, etc.

Overall it is a well produced album that sounds good, but honestly, I would have rather seen these guys doing their own stuff, because that's basically all it is. I never felt the Rush vibe at all. It is more like a really good bar band doing covers in a really good recording studio.

I have all of the other Rush tribute albums and my personal favorite is the new one on Vitamin Records; The String Quartet Tribute To Rush's 2112. Working Man sucks and Exit Stage Right is pretty good. There's another one called Chamber Made, The Baroque Tribute To Rush and it sucks, too.

I would suggest this album be added to your collection if you like good musicians and Rush.

I became physically ill listening to this. Magna Carta loves to cash in on the decent music their label lacks by disguising this type of garbage as a "tribute". I would rather listen to night ranger in a Florida trailer park.

This is a follow up to their first tribute. With the difference being the artists and the songs they chose . This one does it.
Editing provided by Terry Brown and cover artwork done by Hugh Syme. They were true pioneers with exceptional talents and abilities whose unprecedented influences have inspired and spawned many musicians. The musicians on this tribute album all share one thing in their diverse musical backgrounds. Rush has touched their lives in one way or another.

The featured artists performing on this disc are: Sebastian Bach (Skid Row); Robert Berry ( "3" Ambrosia); Dave Brooks (Slammin' Gladys); Dominic Cifarelli (Pulse Ultra); Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai); Daniel J. (Solo artist, Jordan Rudess); Randy Jackson (Zebra); Andreas Kisser (Sepultura); Jani Lane (Warrant); Mike Mangini (Extreme, Steve Vai); Vinnie Moore (Solo Artist, UFO); Alex Skolnick (Solo Artist, Testament, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Attention deficit); Jeff Stinco (Simple Plan); and Kip Winger (Winger).

This is just a handful of musicians they have influenced in their career who now gather on this incredible disc to pay homage to their long time heros; Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart. If you liked the originals, you are in for a real treat with this one. Great guitar parts, keyboards, and vocals, all blended with the original Rush art form. It's a great record.