Rush-Hold Your Fire Appreciation Thread!

I've been kinda depressed the past week....anyway...I'd kinda been looking for my HYF CD for like 3 months...anyway...I finally found it under a seat in my car yesterday and cranked it up.

I've always liked the album, but some albums don't really hit you until the right time. From top to bottom, HYF is exactly what I needed to give me all the answers I've been searching for the past little while. Like, every song...."Wow..I get it!"

From a musical standpoint...I never noticed the depth of the record.....HYF has quickly moved into my top five favorite rush albums...in fact..has been all I've listened to for the past day and a half.

Anyway, just thought I'd post that this album rocks!

"700 miles from North Carolina for you Dream Theater. You guys fucking Rock!" Me...in the DT DVD and stuff.

Hold Your Fire and Power Windows are probably my favorite Rush albums. It's funny to me that Rush changed and went back to more of a 3-piece rock band after Hold Your Fire because they said that the keyboards were becoming too much a part of the band and the songwriting. As a huge and die-hard Rush fan, seen them live 20 times, I think albums like HYF and Power Windows as well as Grace Under Pressure is some of their best work and has some of the most feeling of all the Rush albums. Anyways, Hold Your Fire is awesome!!!! One of, if not Rush's best album ever.

OMG You cloned my thread! WTF

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.asp?m=327235&mpage=1&key=hold%2Cfire񏹃

ORIGINAL: PsychoMike

OMG You cloned my thread! WTF

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.asp?m=327235&mpage=1&key=hold%2Cfire񏹃

Sorry...didn't do a search......but then again..if i did a search every time i posted.....I'd never post....the archive goes back for years.....

but sorry again.....and stuff...

"700 miles from North Carolina for you Dream Theater. You guys fucking Rock!" Me...in the DT DVD and stuff.

ORIGINAL: KeithK

ORIGINAL: PsychoMike

OMG You cloned my thread! WTF

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.asp?m=327235&mpage=1&key=hold%2Cfire񏹃

Sorry...didn't do a search......but then again..if i did a search every time i posted.....I'd never post....the archive goes back for years.....

but sorry again.....and stuff...

no need to apologize, i wasn't mad

ORIGINAL: PsychoMike

ORIGINAL: KeithK

ORIGINAL: PsychoMike

OMG You cloned my thread! WTF

http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.asp?m=327235&mpage=1&key=hold%2Cfire񏹃

Sorry...didn't do a search......but then again..if i did a search every time i posted.....I'd never post....the archive goes back for years.....

but sorry again.....and stuff...

no need to apologize, i wasn't mad

WORD!

"700 miles from North Carolina for you Dream Theater. You guys fucking Rock!" Me...in the DT DVD and stuff.

As a huge and die-hard Rush fan, seen them live 20 times, I think albums like HYF and Power Windows as well as Grace Under Pressure is some of their best work and has some of the most feeling of all the Rush albums.

+ 70 million. Only difference is that I have seen them 9 times and not 20.

Mission and Tai Shan are awesome! This is when Rush switched to the "Bass" setting on the Moog Taurus Pedals. You can really hear them in the chorus and outro to Mission. Al's solo shreds! The production of Operation Mindcrime and Hold Your Fire are amazingly similar to me. I know they were both produced by the same producer, but the muffled high end has always bothered me. It's not concise like Presto. Did I mention Open Secrets fucking rules too?

As a huge and die-hard Rush fan, seen them live 20 times, I think albums like HYF and Power Windows as well as Grace Under Pressure is some of their best work and has some of the most feeling of all the Rush albums.

Power Windows has always been my fave and i've seen them 27 times. As for Hold Your Fire, it's amazing, and i hate to even say this, but what if HYF had the same production as PW? Imagine Prime Mover with a 'Territories' sound?

Don't get me wrong, HYF is one of my faves! (Even æ³°å±±)

What an awesome album! It's like a more serious focused version of Power Windows (don't get me wrong, PW is awesome, I love that one too!). HYF is the evolution of all of their work during the keyboard era, and it is definately the high point! Every song is musically and lyrically amazing. The album is pretty diverse yet very very focused. It's also seems to be the closest thing to a pop album that Rush ever did. Presto is a very close second though.

ORIGINAL: Moog

Mission and Tai Shan are awesome!

WOW I thought I was the only one that really liked "Tai Shan". Such an amazing track, both musically and vocally. I've also always been fond of "High Water". Fantastic Album!

 

Second Nature has some of the best lyrics written by Peart. Obviously that is saying alot.

Today is different
and tomorrow the same
It's hard to take the world
the way that it came
Too many rapids
keep us sweeping along
Too many captains
keep on steering us wrong
it's hard to take the heat-
it's hard to lay blame
to fight the fire-
while we're feeding the flames

And all the science I don't understand
It's just my job 5 days a week

Hold Your Fire is actually the album that got me into Rush back in the 80's. But until recently, it was in my middle tier of rush albums. I had always thought it lacked that extra kick that PW had and I felt the instumentalism was not as strong and at the forefront as other Rush albums.

I've listened to the album like a illion times over the years, but not until the past couple of days has the album really hit me. I guess I grew into it...or it was sortof waiting for me and stuff.

One of the things I never noticed was how awesome and intense Alex' playing is on "Tai Shan". Lyrically, one thing I never relaly took note of is that it is a rare Peart album in that the lyrics are written in the first person.

Anyway, I dunno, I've gained a new appreciation for HYF. I'll probably be on a HYF kick for a little while now. And yeah, "Open Secrets" fucking says it all, man.....Word Up!

"700 miles from North Carolina for you Dream Theater. You guys fucking Rock!" Me...in the DT DVD and stuff.

I was thinking about starting a thread like this today when I got home. Too funny.

HYF is one of my personal favorites and I'd even go so far as to say that it's the last really great album that they did. I like the 90s and beyond quite a bit, but this is the last album by the band that I listen to without skipping tracks.

Geddy is just a fucking beast on this album. Almost every song has got a completely awesome bass part, and his signature "slapping without slapping" lends a really great kick to songs like High Water and Open Secrets.

Amd how about Neil's fills at the end of Lock and Key?

This album also contains one of my all-time favorite songs, Prime Mover. I just love how the song builds and builds until the end when all the prevailing melodies are molded together, hung together by Geddy's beautiful bass part. Genius. I don't understand how they come up with this stuff.

There's too much great music on this unheralded album:

Geddy's bass part in Turn the Page
The reprise of Bacchus Plateau in High Water
The solo at the end of Mission
The bass part under the solo in Open Secrets
The wonderful arrangement at the end of Second Nature

It just goes on and on. I can't get enough of this album.

"You're the vulgarian, you fuck!"
-Otto

Not trying to stray from the album topic at hand here, but I have been on a HUGE Rush binge for the past 2 weeks. I recently (in these 2 past weeks) picked up Presto, Roll the Bones, Counterparts, Grace Under Pressure, and the Toronto Rocks SARS DVD. Fucking awesome.

I'm actually somewhat divided on this album. Time Stand Still, Prime Mover, Force 10, and Mission are all transcendant and brilliant. On the other hand, High Water and Open Secrets are both half-assed. Turn the Page is a turn for the worst. It's impossible to apologize for complete cheese, especially when it has no other redeeming values. The song is pointless and cliche. Second Nature is even more mundane. The fuggin' thing sounds like a public service announcement, and shows exactly why Neil doesnt' need to write ALL the lyrics. Worst line Rush penned in the '80s?

It's got to be second nature
at least that's what I feel

Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.

ORIGINAL: DoctorX
Worst line Rush penned in the '80s?

It's got to be second nature
at least that's what I feel

I have to respectfully disagree. Worst Rush line of the 80s comes from Countdown:

"Excitement so thick, you can cut it with a knife"

*vomit*

"You're the vulgarian, you fuck!"
-Otto

The prosecution would like to add that its finds Lock and Key and Tai shan quite embarassing. There's not much worse than Rush trying to write a dance number, except maybe watching Rush fans try to dance.

Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.

ORIGINAL: DoctorX

There's not much worse than Rush trying to write a dance number, except maybe watching Rush fans try to dance.

Well, that's because Rush fans are all white boys.

I DO understand some of the criticism of Hold Your Fire, but to me, the good outshines the bad. There are some trite lyrics, but the music is so wonderful, that I overlook some of the lyrical gaffes.

Whenever I listen to Turn the Page, for example, I am constantly amazed at the bass part, not because of its "non-ostinato-ness," to coin a term, but because of the creativity inherent in composing such an amazing thing. Can anyone imagine a different/better bass part?

Or, to use your example of Tai Shan, Alex, ostensibly in absentia, neverthless plays some textural stuff that I don't see ANY other guitar player playing or composing that is quite so wondefully complemtary.

But, that's Rush, right? We all seem to love or hate their songs for one reason or another. But I think we can all agree that, whether or not we end up liking the song, they have specific goals for everything that they write, and the end result is a matter of personal taste rather than lazy songwriting. I suppose, when someone doesn't like a song, that it can be called "lazy writing," but given their dedication over the years to meticulous craftsmanshp, I think it really comes down to personal taste about the results.

EDITS: Drunk typing...

"You're the vulgarian, you fuck!"
-Otto

It's got to be second nature
at least that's what I feel

WTF? What's wrong with that? I mean, it's not like it's amazing or anything, but I cannot understand why it would bother you so much. LOL. Just strange that you would pick something like THAT to be offended by. The "excitement so thick you can cut it with a knife" line I can see, but this? It's like saying "DUDE, I FUCKING ABSOLUTELY HATE THE "Today is different" line. UGH!! MAN IT SUCKS!!!!!!!" LOL

Oh, and nice way to come and shit on this positive thread. May I suggest journaling your frustrations? Or therapy perhaps?

1.) That's a horribly hackneyed, sloppy, and horribly forced lyric. It says nothing, and accomplishes less. At least Countdown tells a story and delivers a message (even if it is trite and generic).

2.) Cool it, spazmoid.

Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.

Get help brother before it's too late.

Uuuhhmm Crookshanks from where I am sitting you're the one threadpissing dude, way to go overboard on the comments there.

And BTFW, since when is writing a song about witnessing a space shuttle lift-off TRITE AND GENERIC??? LOL. Yeah, it's as trite as a fucking love song.

I think your points say nothing and accomplish only your need to disagree for the sake of arguing and trying to sound original in your criticism. Unfortunately, your criticisms here make no sense. Ever think about becoming a music critic? You'd fit it perfectly as a Rolling Stone intern.

Matika:

I'm sitting here reading all these really great postive takes on a bands music and then I come across a post that is full of inflammatory crap and ruins it for me. That's my point of view. Sorry.

Anyway, carry on.

It is an opinion dude, bad or good it is an opinion, no need for you to go off and suggest therapy for an opinion.

Maybe the anger you hold inside you that is bursting out because of an opinion needs to be talked about

Been listening to Rush solid for several months in asvance of the gigs, now passed

I now need to dust off the albums and listen propoerly as I have been focusing on the bootleg of this tour

Although I'm a sword and scorery era fan myself

Ebay listings http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/thefunkygibbons/
Silver bootleg and other sales www.thefunkygibbons.net

Dude, what the hell?

Here is an opinion: "I personally don't care for this because I feel this and that"
Here is a negative, useless flame for the sake of being a dick: "It sucks, it's fucking trite and shit. Gayest thing ever"

See the difference? There are ways to get your opinion across w/o sounding like a jerk. Besides, in a positive thread there is no reason to say anything negative at all. All you do is make others feel bad for their opinions. The thread isn't called "lets debate the good and bad of HYF", it's called "Rush-Hold Your Fire Appreciation Thread!". GET IT? APPRECIATE, NOT DENIGRATE.

oh

I think Tai Shan and High Water are probably the best things on the album...aside from Prime Mover and Time Stand Still, that is.

www.billdrums.com

ORIGINAL: Crookshanks

Dude, what the hell?

Here is an opinion: "I personally don't care for this because I feel this and that"
Here is a negative, useless flame for the sake of being a dick: "It sucks, it's fucking trite and shit. Gayest thing ever"

See the difference? There are ways to get your opinion across w/o sounding like a jerk. Besides, in a positive thread there is no reason to say anything negative at all. All you do is make others feel bad for their opinions. The thread isn't called "lets debate the good and bad of HYF", it's called "Rush-Hold Your Fire Appreciation Thread!". GET IT? APPRECIATE, NOT DENIGRATE.

Pot......kettle......black

Are you not trying to make him feel bad about his opinion now? in a way that can only be discribed as "being a jerk"?

And as far as the appreciate/denigrate thing goes, I missed that rule that said "Only post about what the title says", this whole forum and every thread in it has this off topic conversation and discussion.

Find me one appreciation thread where not one person has gone, "meh, not my cup of tea" or "yeah, cheesy".
How boring would it be if we all walked in a straight line and all said the same thing.

I'm done now.

Watch it, he's a feisty one. Fanboys can be dangerous, when not properly sedated in the Neil Peart Playpen. ®

Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.

ORIGINAL: DoctorX

and shows exactly why Neil doesnt' need to write ALL the lyrics.

It's got to be second nature
at least that's what I feel

And this shows why Neil does need to write all the lyrics:

"Hey now baby.
I said I like your style
Won't you come and sit with me
For a little while.
You're driving me crazy
They way you roll your eyes
Won't you come and sit with me
I'll tell you all my lies.
Hey baby it's a quarter to eight
I feel I'm in the mood.
Hey baby, the hour is late
I feel I've got to move."

"700 miles from North Carolina for you Dream Theater. You guys fucking Rock!" Me...in the DT DVD and stuff.

Very first Rush CD I bought, shortly after it came out. I liked it so much that I went out and got everything before it not too long afterward. Finally saw them live in Phoenix in July.

HEMISPHERES AND SIGNUS ALL THE WAY AS EPICS

"O my God Brian. There's a message in my alphabits. It says OOOOOO"
"Peter those are cheerios"

I was ironically listening to this album the day this thread was posted.

It is definitely a strong album, one I would describe similarly to how Mr. T (the forumer, not the gold chain-wearing black dude) described it. It's a "mature Power Windows." I feel kind of a "playful" vibe coming off of Power Windows; it's something you can hear in Geddy's voice, and the overall "pep" that the songs have (particularly The Big Money and Grand Designs).

Poison Godmachine listed some great moments on the album, and I definitely agree with all of them, especially the outro solo to Mission. And now, PG, you have sent me on a mission, because I have never noticed a link between Bacchus Plateau and High Water, but that's probably because I only listen to Caress of Steel twice a year (I know, I know, shame on me).

Open Secrets, one of the most underrated Rush songs ever, also features one of my favorite fills by Neil. It's the one leading out of the guitar solo section, and it has a ton of flams in it -- very cool sounding, and very fun to play!

I also find it interesting that Force Ten is so much fun to play on the drums considering the fact that there's only one tom fill (where he uses just two toms) in the whole song (leading into the bass breakdown).

Music

I also find it interesting that Force Ten is so much fun to play on the drums considering the fact that there's only one tom fill (where he uses just two toms) in the whole song (leading into the bass breakdown).

What about the snare fills in the verses? Or are those not considered fills?

One tom fill, like I said before.

Music

Oops, sorry, my oversight.

Sorry to resurect a thread

Wait, no I'm not

This album is AMAZING! It just hit me this past week.
I first listened to this CD when I got it for my 14th birthday. I said "Eh, it's synth pop crap" and threw it in the pile with GuP, PoW, and Presto. In the 4+ years since then GuP has grown on me, I love that album, but I've yet to really give Power Windows or Presto a fair listen. I'm not ready yet as I'm completely infatuated with HYF right now.

I was just moping around my room when the snare drum/bass/marimba unison run from Mission popped into my head. It sort of reminded me of LTE, atleast the way I remembered it in my head. I decided to go pop the CD in and I got sucked in. This is just what I needed to listen to.

Neil's lyrics are in top form and his drumming is insanely solid.
I like how Geddy and Alex sort of reverse the roles of bass and guitar. Whereas in other music, the guitar will play a repeating line and the bass denotes what the chord and root note are, Geddy will play a repeating bass line and Alex' guitar chords (with keyboard backing :P) determine the chord changes.

Lots of good stuff on this album

http://www.myspace.com/elusivesolution
"Prog-rock is all about geeks writing computer programs to settle the Neil Peart vs. Mike Portnoy debate."
- Dr. David Thorpe

ORIGINAL: elusivesolution
I like how Geddy and Alex sort of reverse the roles of bass and guitar.

And in addition to the way you mention, I always think they reversed their roles (especially around the time of this album) in the way Geddy is doing all the interesting stuff over the top of Alex who is playing the simple parts that make the song work. Another reason why Alex is probably my favourite guitarist.

I have a special place for HYF because 1986-7 was when I got into Rush (after my Dad played me Exit...Stage Left) and HYF was not only the first Rush album I got, it was the first album by anyone that I bought with my own money. Great album.

I also have a special place for Roll The Bones because I bunked off school the day it was released so I could buy it and then I spent all day on a loooong bike ride listening to it over and over. RTB was also the very first CD I ever bought. Ah, the memories!

www.14ten.co.uk - my band's website
www.myspace.com/14ten - our Myspace
www.myspace.com/bri14ten - my own Myspace for drums + other stuff

Lock and Key is my Favorite on the album although the entire album kicks ass as well as one of my all time faves as well

Nothing more memorable than one your favorite bands coming to your God-forsaken hometown on tour. Rush came to Utica, NY in 1987 during the Hold Your Fire tour. Aside from the first two songs on the album (maybe a little to commercially overt), I really enjoy everything else. Favorite songs: Open Secrets, Lock and Key, Mission, Turn The Page.

An worthy thread!

HYF and AFK were the first Rush records I bought, and they have stayed with me. HYF inspired me lyrically more than anything, and it really motivated me to take my writing seriously. Strange, isn't it? Reason why is because Rush was the first band I really "got into." So, HYF was not only the first major keyboard album I encountered (thus prepping me for the ensuing adventure ahead), but it was the first album where I actually read the lyrics and thought about it. (As stupid as that sounds.)

In short, great record. One of the most overlooked albums in the Rush catalog, probably.

I have a special place for HYF because 1986-7 was when I got into Rush (after my Dad played me Exit...Stage Left) and HYF was not only the first Rush album I got, it was the first album by anyone that I bought with my own money. Great album.

Hey hey!

Someone PLEASE help me out here.

Was Aimee Mann not on Open Secrets?..

I could swear she does one vocal part right at the end of the bridge after Geddy says "If you could try to understand me, I could try to understand you" just singing.."whoaaaa...ohhhhhh" rising up at the end.

some clown on another forum who claims to be a Rush savant is certain her only work with Rush in TSS and I at 1st years ago thought that was the only track she sang on, but either in the Visions book or on the newsgroup back in '95 or somewhere else read that she also does that little part on Open Secrets. Yet I isee no reference to it online.

Reminds me of the JLB work on Fates Warning's Paralells..I always thought he was on We Only Say Goodbye doing harmony vox, yet I guess he's on Life In Still Water.

Kyle

As far as I know, Aimee Mann did sing only on TSS. I've never noticed her on Open Secrets but I'll listen with headphones.

Aimee Mann is actually on 3 tracks.

Time Stand Still (obviously)
Open Secrets - Backing OOOHHHSS and AAAHHSS
Force 10 - The giggle at the beginning.

listening on the iPod right now. Kyle, you may be right!

Edit: Speeding Wheels already mentioned it. And stupid me, I should have known the giggle that opens the album was her!

This whole album is good. Tai Shan was the song I listened to all the time when I got this. This was the album in which Neil switched to Ludwig drums also. And sadly...just like Signals...the bay area got NO SHOW on the 87-88 tour. Aimee Mann is still good friends with the band I think. In Ghost Rider, Neil wrote that she contacted him to see how he was doing.

TOOL - Arco Arena July 13 ... AWESOME SHOW!!!!! 
www.arf.net - helping homeless animals http://www.myspace.com/28drums

ORIGINAL: Speeding Wheels

Aimee Mann is actually on 3 tracks.

Time Stand Still (obviously)
Open Secrets - Backing OOOHHHSS and AAAHHSS
Force 10 - The giggle at the beginning.

hey you wouldn't happen to know a link where I could find the other songs referenced would you?

thanks

Kyle

HYF is great, probably my 3rd fav Rush album, it's cool to see others with the same opinions :) Listen to the kickass solo in Open Secrets :)

It's nice to see HYF get some positive press here. I think it's one of their best albums and maybe Neil's pinnacle of drum playing. Put on some good headphones and just listen to The Perfessor and you will be humbled by his mastery of the art of percussion.

I've been on a huge PW-HYF-Presto binge lately. I was inspired after reading Neil's Traveling Music. I got into Rush when Presto came out, plus I had a bootleg copy of the A Show of Hands video (not sure if I still have it), so I was really big on all the 80s era Rush stuff. I just recently went out and got Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, and Presto on CD, and I forgot how much I loved that era of Rush. I've discovered a new appreciation for how awesome Neil's playing is on these albums. Not to mention, the genius of his bandmates, especially Geddy Lee. I would dare say his only musical parallel is Tony Levin.

BTW, I've noticed this quite a bit lately, but I think every drummer goes through a Neil Peart phase at some point in their development. I'm currently entering my second phase.

Rolling Stone loves the Lord almost as much as they love the Strokes. -Stephen Colbert

www.myspace.com/adangerousfiction
http://web.me.com/aaronrom/ADF/Home.html

"Hold Your Fire" is some of their best work. Maybe the best. Perfect album.

"Bon Jovi rocks...on occasion."

Hold your Fire is one of my favorites....I listen to it more often than the others....However, I am into Counterparts and Signals as well as favorites!!

Keep pushing for Rush into Hall of Fame!!! :)

Hadn't pulled this out (heh) in quite a while - thanks for the reminder! Open Secrets is one of my favorite Rush tunes!