Project 190: Update 9

 

Weight (2024-02-25)  220.6 lbs

Change since last week: +0.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -2.4 lbs

Blagh.  Another flatlined week.  Also noticing that I do much worse when I eat late.  Need to do a better job staying within my food window.

Also, on a related note, I've started taking a statin for cholerestoral.  Not sure what the side effects will be for me, but my heart history is one more reason I need to do a better job on my weight.

Rush Retrospective: Album 05- A Farewell to Kings

 

Album:  A Farewell to Kings

Year Released:   1977

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass and twelve-string guitar, Minimoog, bass pedal synthesizers
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic six- and twelve-string guitars, classical guitar, bass pedal synthesizers
• Neil Peart – drums, orchestra bells, wind chimes, bell tree, vibraslap, triangle, tubular bells, temple blocks

Overall Thoughts:

After the critical and commercial success of 2112, the band recorded their first live album (All the World's A Stage), then went back to the studio for the fifth album.  

With A Farwell to Kings, Rush expanded their sound- adding several new instruments to their repetoire.  2112 had only a few instruments (by comparison.  A Farewell to Kings also brought in Synthesizers to the group, which would grow (controversially) to be a bigger part of the music over the next several albums.

Rush continued basing the trend of basing their albums around epic themes-  "A Farewell to Kings" and "Closer to the Heart" could bookend each other- the title track showing the dark path that leaders could take, and "Closer to the Heart" singing about an optimistic alternative.  This not subtle- the final line of "A Farewell to Kings" is:

Whoa, can't we raise our eyes

And make a start?

Can't we find the minds

To lead us closer to the heart?

The album ends with "Cygnus X-1 (Book One- The Voyage)".  It seems to continue the theme of the album- "A Farewell to Kings" is about the past, while "Cygnus" is about the future.  It's a ten minute song... and it's the first half.  The second half is on the next album.  

Epic songs are difficult to pull off, and Cygnus lacks something that made 2112 so appealing.  Relatability, maybe?  You can identify with the protagonist on 2112, in a way that is more difficult to do so on Cygnus.  And the epic songs require a commitment- Book One is over ten minutes long (and Book Two is even longer).

Overall, there are good songs on the album, and they blazing a new trail muscially.  It doesn't reach the heights of their previous albums, but it's the first step on their next evolution musically.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. 2112
2. Fly By Night
3. Rush
4. A Farewell to Kings
5. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Working Man", Rush
2. "Closer to the Heart", A Farewell to Kings
3. "2112", 2112
4. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
5. "Making Memories", Fly By Night
6. "A Passage to Bangkok", 2112
7. "A Farewell to Kings", A Farewell to Kings
8. "Here Again", Rush
9. "Finding My Way", Rush
10. "Anthem", Fly By Night

Project 190: Update 8

 

Weight (2024-02-18)  220.2 lbs

Change since last week: 0 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -2.8 lbs

*sigh*  Another flatlined week.  Though I suppose with Valentine's Day, flatline should be acceptable.  

Eventually, the weather will be warmer, I will move more.  I'm relearning some of my healthier habits, but not enough yet to show results.  Very frustrating.  

I keep posting these (even though I don't expect anyone to read them) as a way of forcing myself to look at the results.  Knowing I have to post these publicly might make me pause and reconsider my eating habits.   

Perhaps not.  But it's an experiment worth pursuing.

Rush Retrospective: Album 04- 2112

 

Album:  2112

Year Released:   1976

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass
• Alex Lifeson – guitar
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion

Overall Thoughts:

After disappointing sales from Caress of Steel, the band's label, Mercury Records, considered dropping the band.  They finally decided to give Rush one more record to prove they could be a commercial success.  Given the criticisms that the previous album was too progressive, and the songs too long... the band doubled down, starting their next album with a 20 minute song with themes from Objectivism and Science Fiction.

And it paid off brilliantly.  

The best way I can describe 2112 as an album is to say the band is more comfortable in their skin, and it shows in their songs.  It's a giant step forward in the progression of the band.

"2112"- an epic song about a dystopian future where music is rediscovered- may not be Rush's best song, or their most famous song.  But I would argue it is the song that is the best example of the band.

Think of it this way- "Working Man" is an awesome song.  But there are other bands that could make that song into their style.  ZZTop, the Rolling Stones- hell, the Who could have made an incredible version of that song (not a cover, but taking that song and remaking it into their sound).   And several prog bands like King Crimson or early Genesis could have redone "The Fountains of Lamneth".  

But no other band could have done "2112".  It's too heavy for most progressive bands, too science fiction and too philosophical for rock bands.  It's a song you can't imagine any other band remaking in their image.  

Geddy Lee manages to switch between the hopeful protagonist and the tyrannical Priests in the same song easily, and the song flows well.  With "The Fountains of Lamneth", it felt like everyone was taking turns in the spotlight.  In "2112", all three members have moments to shine, but it feels more natural and less forced.  The ending is confusing, but the first 13 minutes are a work of art.

The second half of the album is five shorter songs that aren't related to the epic title track.  "A Passage to Bangkok" is a fun drug-addled jaunt, which is a sharp contrast to the philosophical 2112.  "TheTwilight Zone" is a dreamy homage to the TV show.  "Lessons" is a short, sweet song about finding your passion and following it.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. 2112
2. Fly By Night
3. Rush
4. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Working Man", Rush
2. "2112", 2112
3. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
4. "Making Memories", Fly By Night
5. "A Passage to Bangkok", 2112
6. "Here Again", Rush
7. "Finding My Way", Rush
8. "Anthem", Fly By Night
9. "Bastille Day", Caress of Steel
10. "Lessons", 2112

Project 190: Update 7

 

Weight (2024-02-04)  220.2 lbs

Change since last week: +1.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -2.8 lbs

Frustrating.  I'm following the rules that I used last time, but I seem to have plateau'd right around 220.

I've seen this before- when I lost weight, I would often plateau for a few weeks- then suddenly have a week where the weight dropped, without (to me) changing what I was doing.

My mantra is to keep following the plan, not let myself down when either I slip up or the results aren't evident.  This is a marathon, not a sprint (ironically, I despise both marathons and sprints... and really, running in general).  

Rush Retrospective: Album 03- Caress of Steel

 

Album:  Caress of Steel

Year Released:   1975

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass guitar
• Alex Lifeson – 6 and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, steel guitar
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion, lyrics, spoken word on "The Necromancer"

Overall Thoughts:

The third album was not a charm for Rush.

With Caress of Steel, the band fully embraced the mixture of harder rock with progressive rock they had started with Fly By Night- and it was a commercial disappointment.  

There are only five songs on the album- "The Necromancer" clocks in at 12 and a half minutes, and the entire second side of the album is one song:  "The Fountain of Lamenth", which is just short of 20 minutes in duration.  Both songs are epic in length, but neither is friendly to radio, and during this time radio play could make or break a band.  

The "Fountains of Lamenth" sounds, in retrospect, like a first pass of the band writing an epic.  It's not bad, and there are moments that work- but it's not cohesive.  Instead of the band working together, it seems like everyone is taking turns in the spotlight.  With their later albums, the teamwork seems more natural.

The other three songs- "Bastille Day", "Lakeside Park", "I Think I'm Going Bald"- were shorter in length.  The first two songs were released on radio, but neither were a huge hit.  

This is the band experimenting- while none of the songs on the album are considered classics, they laid the groundwork for their future hits.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Fly By Night
2. Rush
3. Caress of Steel

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Working Man", Rush
2. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
3. "Making Memories", Fly By Night
4. "Here Again", Rush
5. "Finding My Way", Rush
6. "Anthem", Fly By Night
7. "Bastille Day", Caress of Steel
8. "Rivendell", Fly By Night
9. "By-tor & the Snow Dog", Fly By Night
10. "The Necromancer", Caress of Steel

Project 190: Update 6

 

Weight (2024-02-04)  218.8 lbs

Change since last week:  -2.4 lbs

Change since January 1st:  -4.2 lbs

Back to where I was 2 weeks before.  Now to get better.  I know the rules I need to follow- just got to follow them.  

Rush Retrospective: Album 02- Fly By Night

Album:  Fly By Night

Year Released:   1975

Lineup:  

• Geddy Lee – bass guitars, classical guitar, vocals
• Alex Lifeson – electric guitars, 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars
• Neil Peart – drums, percussion, lyrics

Overall Thoughts:

Rush replaced their drummer, and it has a bit of an impact on the band...

John Rutsey left the band for both health and music reasons, and the band picked up Neil Peart to replace him.  This is the musical equivalent of replacing Wally Pipp with Lou Gehrig.

The difference is obvious right from the start- Peart's drums are more complex, and it adds an extra dimension to the group musically.  The group also divided the song responsibilities- Peart generally wrote the lyrics, while Lifeson and Lee wrote the music.  

The group definitely moves in a more prog rock direction.  Some of the songs (like the opener, "Anthem") is more of the basic rock sound of their first album.  But by the fourth song ("By-tor the Snow Dog"), you can definitely see the difference

This album is full of different styles- "Rivendell" is a soft ballard, "Fly By Night" is an energetic rock song, "Making Memories" is an acoustic jaunt.  The album shows Rush going in different directions as they find their sound.

Ranking of Rush Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Fly By Night
2. Rush

Top 10 Rush Songs (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Working Man", Rush
2. "Fly By Night", Fly By Night
3. "Making Memories", Fly By Night
4. "Here Again", Rush
5. "Finding My Way", Rush
6. "Anthem", Fly By Night
7. "Rivendell", Fly By Night
8. "By-tor & the Snow Dog", Fly By Night
9. "In the End", Fly By Night
10. "Before and After", Rush