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I haven't been around quite as long as some, but I've been around a good bit longer than many others. I feel pretty well qualified to write this review in terms of tenure. My first Rush show was in 1986. (And there have been many since then.) Man, that was a long time ago. Let's put it this way. Alex, Neil & Geddy were a good bit younger that night in 1986 than I am now. The point is that I've been around these guys for quite a while. I'm not new on the scene and I'm intimately familiar with everything they've ever done. Pretty clearly, I love this band. I love & respect their work on multiple levels, for numerous reasons. I own everything they've ever released. Studio albums, live albums, solo records, video releases, literary offerings, you name it. I have to say, right out of the gate though, that this record is different & special.
First, let's put this album into the proper perspective. These guys have been writing, recording & performing for well over 35 years. That feat alone leaves most would-be competitors in the dust. Consider, though, the following two additional factors. First, with only one very old, nearly insignificant, and very asterisked exception, this band has never undergone any significant changes in membership. On top of that, they've managed to survive a series of personal tragedies the likes of which have reduced the careers of many other artists to piles of fiery rubble.
And remember, this is their 20th studio effort. No small feat by any measure. Suffice it to say that, in reality, they've really got nothing left to prove. In a sense, they've done it all already. The ground-breaking early works, the continuing explorations into new & uncharted territory, the numerous live records showcasing the different eras, the reinventions of the band's sound, and the eventual returning to roots. They've amassed one hell of a catalog. And they've made a lot of very, very good records. In point of fact, I absolutely love the lion's share of their works.
Having said that, make no mistake. I'm no fanboy. They've made musical mistakes, and I've never been afraid to call them out for what I perceived as disappointing efforts. Truth be told, they've released exactly two studio records which I thought, after a number of critical listens, were fit for one place alone - the garbage can. Yes, I actually cast each of those cd's into the trash. And I stand firmly behind those editorial judgments to this day. (If you must know, they were "Roll The Bones" & "Counterparts". Just dreadful records, the both of them.) The point is that I'm perfectly capable and willing to be objective and critical when it comes to reviewing a given studio album, even when it's released by three guys I've idolized for decades.
Their two most recent efforts? "Vapor Trails" and "Snakes & Arrows." Both of these records are good, even very good. They each even offer moments of majesty, but considered as complete works, I don't believe that either one is necessarily "great." Such labels and terminology are subjective and relative, to be sure, however. I must be completely honest though, and say that I very much wanted to like "Clockwork Angels" much more than I wound up liking either one of those releases. Those two records though, for good or ill, had a lot to do with the preparation and adjustment of my expectations for this newest album. I was optimistic, but at first, perhaps cautiously so. As time went on, however, and I began to hear more of the rumors and speculation surrounding the forthcoming record, I began to get a very good & funny feeling about it in my gut. Simply on an intuitive level, based upon rumor and conjecture, as well as a number of insightful & revealing comments on the writing & recording of the album from the guys themselves. My gut ended up telling that me that this was going to be one for the books, so to speak. I had a feeling for a long time that it was going to be special, and now I believe that I was very much correct.
And without sounding like a complete & total sycophantic fanboy, I'd like to say that this newest album, this landmark 20th studio recording, is quite simply phenomenal. It really is a fantastic record. Quite possibly a 5-out-of-5. Full marks, as it were. It's this good on multiple levels, for a variety of reasons. I'll start by saying that the scale & scope of this album is grander than, and quite unlike anything they've done before. Ever. Yes, they've dabbled in the concept album genre before, yielding boundary-pushing and genre-defining efforts such as "2112" and "Hemispheres". (Both of which, by the way, I absolutely love.) But all their concept efforts have heretofore been relegated to just one side of a two-sided record. A 50% proposition at best, if you will. Not so with this new monster.
This record is a continuous, contiguous, coherent concept piece from top to bottom, beginning to end. And, truth be told, it's not simply a concept piece, it's a story. Which makes it all the more wonderfully accessible and meaningful, because while not everyone will identify with a given concept, everyone can pick up on a story. And it's not just a story, but a biography, a life's journey, if you will. It's a tale to which I immediately began to relate on a personal, intellectual, philosophical, emotional & spiritual level. And, while I've never gallivanted across an alchemical, steampunk fantasy land, I've absolutely been down the roads this guy's traveling, and I've experienced many of the things he's relating & expressing. Yes, I've always made connections to much of the music I've grown to love, but once again, this one is different & special. Certainly I love "Tommy" and "The Wall", but I don't connect or identify with either of them on such a personal and emotional level. But I've made that connection with this guy, on this record. And it happened nearly immediately. I must say that, for me, this is one of the most unique & remarkable aspects of this amazing album.
Next on the list is the musicianship & technical proficiency they bring to the table. I don't wish to belabor a subject that's been hammered home so many times, by so many other people, in so many other reviews. So I'm not going to make a big fuss over musicianship & performance levels here. As was said earlier, albeit in a different context, these guys have nothing left to prove. Suffice it to say that each of them is generally regarded as a virtuoso in his own right, and rightly so. From a technical standpoint, they've always brought the heat, and they sure don't disappoint in this case. But this is nearly a given before we begin. With these guys, ability & proficiency are never at issue. I knew I didn't have to worry about these elements, as critical & fundamental as they are to the musical foundation necessary for a successful record of any kind. I, on the other hand, was much more concerned with lyrical & thematic content, the caliber of songwriting, production value, and finally spontaneity, or the x-factor as we'll discuss much more later.
From a strict songwriting standpoint, I don't believe we've seen anything nearly this strong from these guys in quite a number of years. I'll admit that, about two weeks into it now, there's still one track about which I'm not entirely sure, but for the most part, this record is about as strong a body of songwriting as they've ever offered. And I know. That's saying a hell of a lot. Trust me, it's that good. The desired riffs & hooks are all there in this case. The songs are relatively accessible even upon the first listen, but are obviously multifaceted and filled with everlasting value.
Next subject on the report card is production value. And God dammit, not enough emphasis is placed on this area in today's world. With all the wonders digital technology continues to give us, it seems as though we might actually be regressing in terms of musical production value lately. Most things these days sound as though they've been recorded to sound as processed & artificial as possible. As if that sort of sonic quality is actually the goal. You know exactly what I'm talking about. The loudness war. The songs have no headroom, there's no air space, no breathing room between the notes. All the sounds are pressed up against each other, resulting in a sound that's as dynamic & and organic as latex or formica. I don't know about you, but that stuff is enough to give me a headache. And you know what? Ironically, there's a relatively recent Rush record that strikes me as being a particularly nasty offender. "Vapor Trails." Metallica's "Death Magnetic" is another infamous example of this total lack of sonic integrity. I'm not a musical engineer, so I admit that I am not in command of the proper terminology or nomenclature, but there are moments on those records that make me feel as though I can't breathe, and that my ears are cracking up. Sounds become needlessly distorted at high levels resulting in an insufferable hiss. It's just intolerable. And while I expect it from the next nu-metal Johnny-come-lately, I most certainly do not expect it, or accept it, from these three guys. There's just no excuse.
They know better, and with "Clockwork Angels", they DID better. God help me, I'm not exactly sure of what happened, but I believe it's got something to do with the producer they first worked with on "Snakes & Arrows", and ultimately retained for this record. Suffice it to say that this guy knows what the hell he's doing in a studio with regard to sound quality & sonic integrity. Because this record absolutely shines. It gleams. It literally leaps out of my Klipsch towers and Sony studio monitor headphones. There's a crystal clarity, a shimmering brightness and an almost golden quality to this entire record that must be experienced to be appreciated. It simply sounds wonderful, even at blistering levels.
And now we get down to the really subjective, hard-to-define qualities that make the record the real gem that it is. For perhaps the very first time, these guys let themselves go just a little bit. They've finally loosened the reins, ever so slightly, in terms of their approach to their instruments and the musical dynamic existing between the three of them. They're normally bound by rigid musical structure, and sometimes it can come off as sounding starched & stiff. Almost too polished. This time they allow improvisation and feel to cast their magical shadows over everything that's going on. And the resulting sound, produced by the three who become one, is simply phenomenal. So organic, so natural, so relaxed, so comfortable. And perhaps somewhat paradoxically, so incredibly powerful. These three have actually got a mean groove going on here. They're actually copping a jam, and it sounds incredible. It's obvious that they had fun recording & performing this material. To be sure, this is something that's quite difficult to capture here in prose, but when you hear it, it's immediately evident & unmistakable.
Finally, there's an openness, an honesty, a sincerity that just exudes from this record that's quite hard to describe, but once again, immediately evident & audible on the semiconscious level. It has something to do with what I mentioned earlier in terms of the connection with the lyrical & thematic content. This material is coming straight from the heart. That was readily apparent to me upon the first listen, the maiden voyage. Again, another amorphous & ethereal quality that came across the bandwidth without any effort whatsoever. Hopefully, you understand what it is that I'm driving at here. If not, I'm sure the fog will lift during your first listen. Have no fear.
All these last subjective & magical qualities converge into a gigantic x-factor that's very hard to put a finger on verbally, and as such I may not have done it any justice here, unfortunately. But ultimately, it's these elusive, ethereal qualities that help to elevate this new album high above not just the works of other would-be imitators & competitors, but above even much of their own work up to this point. They've outdone themselves. After 35 years, 19 other studio records, and God knows how many shows, they've managed to create a record that is, without question, one of their finest efforts, ever. Some are saying that they believe it will also be their last. Sadly, I must admit that my gut has suggested the very same thing to me, though I don't wish to believe it. Let's all hope we're wrong.
Judging from the quality of "Clockwork Angels", it's painfully obvious that these guys are a very long way from running out of fuel. Amazingly, it seems as if they're actually becoming better on each & every level as they're getting older. Simply incredible, gentlemen. Congratulations. You've really outdone yourselves with this one. Can't wait to see you again soon and experience some of this magic in person...
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2012
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flego giulianoReviewed in Italy on September 25, 2015
DA NON CREDERCI , CHE GIUNTI AL VENTESIMO ALBUM IN STUDIO , I RUSH SIANO IN GRADO DI INCIDERE UN SIMILE CAPOLAVORO
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Rosemberg OliveiraReviewed in Brazil on December 9, 2024
Informo que Já recebi o disco, embora esteja constante como "entrega em atraso". Obrigado!
