Rush - TD Garden, Boston, MA - October 25, 2012

(Rush, not in Boston, from a few years ago, just hanging out.)

So yes, I'm back with my records!  I've been working so hard at not neglecting records that I've actually been neglecting this blog.  Tonight, I'm breaking from the usual Neglected Records format - but for good reason.

Last night, I saw Rush in Boston.  This was a momentous occasion for a few reasons: 1) It was my first show at the Gaahhhhhden (which is downright puny compared to the United Center) 2) It marked my 5th time seeing Rush (not including the times I saw them playing at the Charter Bank Pavilion, where I just sat on the beach listening to them for free.)

Let me start with the short version - the show was great.  Now read on...

Somehow, Rush is "cool" now.  When I saw them in 1996 at the New World Amphitheater, Rush was not "cool."  When I saw them again in 2002 at the Tweeter Center (same venue as before, different name), it was their first tour since the one in 1996, and they still weren't cool.  Now, I imagine that most of you have noticed the past few years how Rush has gotten a lot of recognition lately.  There was the various Grammy nominations, their appearance on the Colbert Report, the documentary (Beyond the Lighted Stage), their scenes/major plot line in I Love You, Man, and their recent release, Clockwork Angels.  Rush has accomplished more in the past 5 years in terms of popularity more than they had in their entire career.  Honestly, there simply isn't a better time than now to release a new Rush album and tour behind it, which Rush has done/is doing as we speak.

(Rush in the early 90's. Not very cool looking.)

What makes this tour special is that, for the first time since their resurgence in the past few years, Rush is pushing themselves musically in ways they haven't done for quite a while.  As much as I enjoyed the previous tours and albums, it always seemed that they were playing to a certain crowd - people who were only "kind of" Rush fans.  Sure, they might've broken out "Circumstances" during the "Snakes and Arrows" tour, but honestly, the "Moving Pictures" tour seemed more like a cash-in than anything else they had ever done in their whole career.  Granted, I loved hearing "The Camera Eye" live, but realistically, that show was meant to bring in the "fair weather" Rush fan - the guys who were way more into Deep Purple or Zep and made the transisiton to Jimmy Buffet, but still had one or two Rush albums - to a concert and buy a $35 t-shirt.

All the while, Rush was apparently recording a new album.  For months, people speculated what it would sound like and all that garbage.  Honestly, what did it matter?  If you liked Rush before, you'd like them again.  The only information we could gather came in the form of two new songs played on the "Time Machine" tour (that's when they played Moving Pictures.)  Those songs were OK - not great, but good.  I found things to like and things to dislike.  As time progressed, it seemed as if this album would never be completed - honestly, an album doesn't take 5 years to make - and all we had was just these two songs.

All of a sudden, the information is dropped - there's an album.  It has a terrible title.  It's a concept album.  There's strings on it.  Then there's the tour - it's happening.  There's a string section.

Jesus H. Christ, this is going to be weird.

For the first time in their ENTIRE career, there would be an additional musician on stage during the show.  Well, actually, it was an additional NINE musicians, all string players.  Naturally, I got nervous.  Remember when Metallica played with the SFSO in that mistake that was S&M?  Luckily, Rush did it right - the strings nailed the parts as they were on the album, and when they played on three songs after the Clockwork Angels material, it sounded great.  Honestly, to hear "Dreamline"'s brassy sounding keyboards replaced with strings was awesome.

(God, this album SUCKED.)

Here I am rambling, and I haven't even talked about the first set.  Basically, it seemed like Rush realized that the last few tours, they pretty much ignored most of what they did from 1983 to 1992 or so.  With this tour, it's like someone told them "HEY GUYS, REMEMBER ALL THAT STUFF YOU DID AFTER MOVING PICTURES? MOST OF IT WAS PRETTY GOOD!" and being the nice Canadians they are, they agreed and followed course.  I mean, there was a whopping 4 songs from Power Windows!  And that album DOES kick ass!  Seriously, let's fight if you disagree.  I've seen Rush plenty of times, but this was one of the first where they seemed to actively challenge themselves and their audience.

(Still from "The Big Money" music video.  Very 80's, very terrible haircuts.)

So why am posting about a Rush concert I saw on this blog? Well, because it looks like Rush attempted to do what I attempt to do with this blog - dig through some old albums you haven't heard in awhile, find something good on them, and then share them with some friends.  


Here's the setlist:

Set 1:

Subdivisions
The Big Money
Force Ten
Grand Designs
Middletown Dreams
Territories
The Analog Kid
The Pass
Where's My Thing? (w/ drum solo)
Far Cry

Set 2:
Caravan*
Clockwork Angels*
The Anarchist*
Carnies*
Halo Effect*
Seven Cities Of Gold*
The Wreckers*
Headlong Flight* (w/ drum solo)
The Garden*
Dreamline* (followed by weird, dubby-sounding drum solo)
Red Sector "A"*
YYZ*
The Spirit Of Radio

Encore:
Tom Sawyer
2112 (Overture/Temples of Syrinx/Grand Finale)

*=with string section

(Another Power Windows promo pic, because why the hell not?)

Record No. 6: The Fugs - The Fugs

All of the records, ready to be neglected...


It should go without saying that Neglected Records as a blog will go neglected for some amount of time. As I'm moving back to the midwest for the summer, I'm going to be leaving my records on the east coast in an undisclosed basement as I don't know if the heat in my non-air conditioned apartment would get to be too much. But before they're all packed up, I figured I should write one last post before the fall.

The Fugs second, self-titled album came out in 1966. It's my understanding that the Fugs were some sort of group of beatnik types that had a maraca player, along with writing some lyrics that were "edgy." Songs like "Kill For Peace" have a low level of political correctness, but it's reminiscent of the Dead Kennedys (AMG might say that same exact thing...) However, the Fugs "hit", "Nothing", is not on this album, but the first one. While the album is quite enjoyable, it's still not the best album of 1966 (that is still the Monks Black Monk Time.)

Let's see, where did I find this LP? Ah yes.

It was in the fall or early winter of 2011 when NEC's Spaulding Library was doing one of their big sales. I found this and Elvis Costello's Get Happy!, for only a quarter each. YEP! ONE QUARTER EACH. How could I refuse? Well, life happened, finals happened, etc., and this is the first time I'm listening to it, and it's about time!

So folks, that's it for now and quite a while, but have no fear, these records will be neglected no more come late August.


Until then...

Thoughts on Looney Tunes...

Breaking from the typical posts, here's some words about a record store that I've bought a few Neglected Records from...


Photo from the Looney Tunes MySpace page.

With a heavy heart, I’m sorry to say that by the time this article is published, record store Looney Tunes will no longer be residing on Boylston St. Looney Tunes held its Boylston St. location for about 30 years, its first couple of years being spent closer to BU, and now, they will be moving to Allston, where currently, the awesome Store 54 resides (which will relocate in a few months.)

The story is a confusing one but try to follow along. Some weeks ago, you might have noticed the JP Licks on Newbury St. had closed down. In its windows was a lengthy message explaining how landlords were raising the rent to simply drive them out to put in a third American Apparel or an even larger Converse store. Flash forward to today, when I learn Looney Tunes is moving – and what is going in its place? You guessed it, a JP Licks, completing a strip of overpriced restaurants and expensive apartments. Now, I sure love my local ice creamery, and I frequent the Centre St. location often, but when you remove a record store, well, that’s another story.

So why does this matter? Well, it matters because, as musicians, it is our job to always be listening to music; to always discover something new. The fact that the Back Bay area is now missing its finest record store will strike a blow to the entire music community. And for what, ice cream?

Before I moved to Boston, when I was 16 I came to visit for a few days as I participated in the Berklee Percussion Camp. One of the first things I noticed on the cab ride from the airport (other than the absurd fare) was a record store. Two and a half years later, when searching for my first apartment, I picked one that was near a record store. There was also a time I saw the drummer from Mission of Burma in a record store. The record store in all of these examples, of course, is Looney Tunes.

Of course, I’ll still visit the Allston location when I get the time – and I know it’s going to be the same staff and the same great selection. I guess we’re lucky considering Looney Tunes isn’t shutting down, but gone are the days of spending hours between classes and work and rehearsal in the dusty record store, searching for Tar LPs you spotted two weeks previous, or heading over in February and walking out with a stack of half-off CDs and DVDs. I have countless Looney Tunes stories, but these are the ones that stick out to me now.

Ironically, this news comes just in the wake of Record Store Day, a day in which us music lovers are to do our best to support independent music retailers. It’s times like this where we should remember that Record Store Day should be every day. So please, in your month left here, go to record stores! Go to Planet Records, go to Weirdo Records, go to Store 54, go to Orpheus, go to Nuggets, go to In Your Ear, heck, even go to Newbury Comics. Just spend your money on something that matters.

Ted Reichman said that Looney Tunes was probably the best record store in the area, and he’s probably right. I look forward to seeing them in Allston when I come back after the break – it’ll be nice to see how DJ Nitetrain and the rest of the crew are doing.

Record No. 5: Sparks - "Kimono My House"

Now this is just embarrassing. This is for sure one of the finest albums that I have had the pleasure of buying recently, and the fact that I've only listened to it ONCE is unacceptable. Let me explain...

Last year, I got really into Sparks. Like, super into Sparks. Like "every morning I'm going to listen to "Number 1 in Heaven." So imagine my delight when I saw there was a repressing that was 25% off at Newbury Comics in the space between Winter Finals (2011 Edition) and flying home for the holidays (fitting that this LP contains the holiday favorite "Thank God It's Not Christmas".)

So after a delicious dinner at Teriyaki House and some music at the Lily Pad, I came home and instead put on the Bitch Magnet set I also bought that day. Before I knew it, it was 2 days later and I had to fly home, so this was the album I listened to while I packed hours before my flight.

Returning from the Midwest with more LPs, this one just got kind of put on the shelf, which is totally unacceptable. And it's not that I don't know the album - I've been listening to it on the iTunes for some time now, but in terms of the whole "vinyl experience" (which is why we're here, right?,) I was certainly denying myself hours of enjoyment with this album - even if it's covered in weird slivers of paper from the sleeve...

Also, those dudes lighting firecrackers on my street right now should probably stop. I don't want anyone to catch on fire or go blind on my watch.

Record #4: Throwing Muses - "The Fat Skier"

Neglected Record #4 takes us to the mysterious land of Jamaica Plain, MA. Before I lived here full time, I was spending about 80% of my time on campus or in my swanky (ie; not swanky and quite crappy) apartment in the Back Bay area. However, it wouldn't be strange to find me on a Saturday or Sunday morning wandering around Centre Street, digging the scene and spending a long time inside the Goodwill or Boomerangs looking for LPs, books, and alarm clocks.

It was at the JP Boomerangs I found a NM copy of "The Fat Skier." The Throwing Muses were always a band I knew the name of - also, wasn't one of the Breeders in this band? I thought so...Anyways, imagine my surprise when I found this LP (actually, EP) in the vinyl section there for only $1. Excited? Of course I was.

So as I rushed home (meaning I rode the 39 as fast as it could go!,) I put this on the turntable and heard some wacky music of the "college rock" variety, including the b-side which is just one track, but has some backwards talking and a baby mumbling interspersed with some grooves thrown in, kind of like Vampire Weekend (which I totally forgot about until I just listened to it.)

Listening to it a year after I bought it, you'd be hard pressed to say that anything from Massachusetts in 1986 sounded better (ehh, except that other band with someone who was in the Breeders...)

Record #3: Wings - Wings At the Speed of Sound

Sometimes you buy records. Other times you get them as gifts. Other other times, you get them from relatives and friends who are getting rid of their records. This one comes from the third category. I mean, who am I to turn down a free Wings record? Did I ever tell you that I really like Wings? Well now I have.

Wings at the Speed of Sound is a rare Macca record in that it isn't very good. It pains me to say this, but it's true. First off, Macca only sings six of the songs here, with one sung by Linda, and the other four sung by these other guys, and call me crazy, they aren't very good. It's kind of like when Fogerty decided CCR needed to be more "democratic" and let the other guys sing songs on Mardi Gras and it sucked.

Seeing as how I was stuck in the world of Band on the Run, I never thought about listening to this album and subsequently forgot I had it. It wasn't until about a week ago I was thinking "Hmmm, what album is "Silly Love Songs" on? Why isn't it on my computer?" and then realizing it was stuck between Wilco and Wire, just hanging out. Whoops...but now that's been rectified!

Now, if this album was better, I might enjoy listening to it more, but hey, I can listen to "Let 'Em In" and "Silly Love Songs" as much as I want - probably just like everyone that bought the record when it came out.

Record #2: Black Oak Arkansas - High on the Hog

Just let that cover sink in for awhile.

OK, now that you've done that, you've figured out what this album sounds like. Essentially, it's some feel good southern rock with an emphasis on the southern. Featuring the hit single "Jim Dandy" (featuring Miss Ruby Starr, who would sing Macca's "Maybe I'm Amazed" with BOA during live shows), this would arguably be BOA's most popular album, but that's not why we're here today.

So how did this wind up with my records, sandwiched between Bitch Magnet and Black Tambourine? Well, BOA became a thing with the guys in Canadian Pavers and after I showed them this video:

Feel free to skip to 8:30 and see what I'm talking about - 3 guitarists, a bassist, and a dude with a washboard just rocking out - sounds ideal, doesn't it?

Well, flash forward to September when I was at the ICA in Boston while the "Record" exhibit was closing. Walking through the gift shop, I noticed there were a bunch of records for sale, so naturally I spent 15 minutes going through them and I pulled out this gem. I then plunked down the $6 and went on my way. Flash forward to this blog, where I realize that I never actually listened to this album. Well, that changed today.

I have to say, I wish I did it sooner as this is totally a record I could play at parties and clear out rooms with (Kiss Alive is also good for this.) If you're still interested, just search "Black Oak Arkansas" on YouTube and bask in the glory that is Jim Dandy.

Record #1: Rush - "A Show of Hands"

This was one picked up on one of those aforementioned Reckless runs when I was...15? Growing up, my dad listened to very little other than Rush. As such, whenever I'd be in a record store and see a Rush LP, I'd have to pick it up, so long as it was under $12 or so. Imagine my surprise when I'd find a "new" copy of "A Show of Hands" for only $4.99! Total steal!

For those unaware, "A Show of Hands" is a double live album that came out in 1989 - the tours it features are Rush at their synthy-height and keyboards are all throughout the thing. But who am I to disregard a Rush album for $4.99? Furthermore, I love some of these songs here, dated keyboards and all.

I remember bringing it home and showing my folks and putting it on my record player at the time. Back then, my record player was a belt-drive Crosley thing you buy at Target that had this weird tic of playing at 37 RPM. While my dad was quick to remark that his CD version played at the right speed, I knew that at some point, I'd have a properly functioning turntable and this would sound great.

Flash forward 5 years to today. It's February 9th, 2012, and I'm now just listening to this album for the first time since then and it sounds fantastic. And yes, my record player (a trusty Technics direct drive) does play at the correct speed.

Intro

As anyone (my folks, girlfriend, roommates past and present, etc.) could tell you, most of my money doesn't go towards food or cigarettes or silly things like that. Rather, it goes towards records. This started some years ago where I would squirrel away my lunch money and save up for monthly excursions to Reckless Records in Chicago and would easily drop $60 on anything.

Upon arriving in Boston, I found myself much closer to a whole variety of record stores and realizing that with a part-time job, I was now allowed to RUN FREE and BUY EVERYTHING. While it wasn't that bad, I realized that I would go and say, buy 2 or 3 albums, and totally not listen to one of them as I'd be super absorbed in another one.

This blog is an attempt to right that wrong and make sure that no record is left behind.