It's fun and validating to read how others write. My job restricts me from posting daily, but everyday I "write." However, throughout the week, it's often word vomit. I just try to get what's in my head onto the draft and then add my research as bullet points to return to later.
Without a doubt, my best time to write is early in the morning. Often, on Saturday, I wake at 5am and write until 10am. During this time, I craft my essay, structure it, and then begin mopping things up. On Sundays, I wake a bit later (6/6:30am) with the goal of tidying it up. If I am happy with it and it feels ready to be released, I will format it on Sunday evening to be published on Monday morning. Throughout the week, when I think of how rough my draft is and the daunting job of finding time to pull it together, I panic. By the end of Sunday morning, when I put it down, I feel significantly better. However, when I finally publish and release an article to the world, I definitely feel a weight released.
Now, regarding Rush! The summer between 9th & 10th grade, I had a friend named Burt who was a year older than me. When he bought his first car, he put '2112' into the cassette deck, and it got stuck & wouldn’t eject! We drove all over Cleveland that summer listening to '2112'! I eventually bought it and their S/T album. I must admit that a few years ago, I purged about 100 albums that I hadn't played for years, and Rush's S/T LP was among them. You will be pleased to know that '2112' made my final cut and was put into my “keep” pile. In fact, I just put it on and am listening to it as I type this comment. 🤘🏼😊
I like your writing regimen! I use my early morning time for the word vomit and the evening time for the craft and the revision. To be honest, I tend to revise as I write, which I do not recommend, but it seems to work for me (except for when it doesn't). And I allow myself to follow every random thought and YouTube video portal as sometimes that's what triggers the connection between an earworm and a personal story. It's sort of like I'm a detective and I am tacking every song reference, lyric, memory, idea and wild goose chase onto a giant board and then a day or so later I will stare at this metaphorical board and see where the connections are.
I think my 2112 was always vinyl, but I made cassette copies of most of my albums (on Maxell XLII 90s - one album per side) for the car. I had deja vu reading about the cassette stuck in the car stereo but I can't conjure which tape it was! It'll come to me later.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your writing process!
Another beautiful piece, Steve. Having been a metalist and stoner rocker, I had always preferred the old rush, but Signals was a great gateway into synthesizers and even electronica. Strangely enough though, although I love tracks like Cygnus X-1, it’s the delicate tracks I used to go back to.
Interestingly I have had the same experience whereby even though Rush has been profoundly influential I hadn’t really listened to them for quite a while. It was a delight to dive into a bit of Rush again. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! I was a metalist/stoner myself, and was way more into earlier Rush as a teen, but when Rush started exploring new wave and more electronic sounds, so did I. They more or less turned me onto The Police and Ultravox and so many other early 80's new wave bands. So I particularly loved Signals and Grace Under Pressure (though not the production on that one). Then I sort of moved away from them after Power Windows and only sporadically paid attention to them until the 2000s. I did enjoy their last couple of albums quite a bit, and Clockwork Angels was a fantastic swan song (even if it might not have been conceived as such).
This was beautiful, Steve. You have no idea how much I can relate. If it's any consolation, imposter syndrome and all the other isms and insecurities you mention are regulars around here as well. I know it doesn't fully fix everything, but just keep going. At some point, they will get tired. Or we will stop listening. Don't let them, or anything else, make you lose focus. What you do is great and I'm a huge fan. Always here for you.
Thanks, Andres. Not that I wish you or anyone to struggle with imposter syndrome or anxiety, etc., it does feel less overwhelming when I feel understood. It is wonderful to know that music is such a balm, an antidote, and that it will be there for me, always (in addition to folks like you, of course!)
Absolutely. What’s crazy for me (and only saying it in the hope that it will help further) is that I see guys like you, with your eloquence, experience, all your knowledge… and I sometimes think to myself “man, I wish I had it all figured out like him” (him meaning you!). It’s crazy that you guys also go through stuff like that. If it’s any consolation, it doesn’t show; and for younger writers like me, who are just getting started, writers like you are a huge source of inspiration. And I don’t say this lightly.
All this to say: hold on, keep doing what you’re doing, and yes, thank goodness for the music (and this wonderful community).
I loved this essay so much, and not just because you shouted me out--although thanks for that! I'm beyond glad and grateful my weird little project has resonated with you, especially if it's inspiring such a vulnerable and brilliant piece as this.
I admit, "Losing It" is one of the few Rush songs I can't listen to with any frequency. Not because it's bad, but because it's good--a little TOO good, as you point out here. The line, "Sadder still to watch it die/ than never to have known it" destroys me every single time. Because it is. It really is. I can think of few things sadder and more existentially terrifying than watching yourself slip away from genius. "Losing It" was on the set list of R40 and it makes my heart ache every time I think about it.
Anyway, that said, I think you have many, many, MANY great works left in you--and no writing is ever wasted! Sometimes you need to have a pile of half-finished drafts, because you needed to get through the words that didn't work before you could land on the stuff that does, like this piece. Lots of writers have that drawer of unfinished drafts. It's just part of growing as a writer, IMO--the amateurs throw out literally every single phrase they write and think it's gold. (It rarely is.) So maybe you come back to those drafts, or maybe you don't, because ultimately finishing them wasn't the point of you writing them.
Thanks, Lara! I hope you had a great vacation! I'm happy to spread the word about OADR, as I knew that many of my readers are Rush fans. It does feel a relief to get the Rush monkey off my back (The Main Monkey Business, to use a Rush song, and an underrated instrumental....If I remember correctly, Neil incorporated his solo in this song on the Snakes & Arrows tour, unless I'm making that up).
I got a bit obsessed watching YouTubers hear "Losing It" for the first time and be blown away. It's definitely one of their most emotionally heavy songs, and they have plenty. I wish I saw the R40 tour. The last show I saw was the 30 year anniversary of Moving Pictures.
It is true that I often have to write out a bunch of fluff to find the stuff, I am more or less accepting of that, but sometimes the days don't have enough available hours in them to allow for the fluff to stuff process to reach completion. I also think having done this for almost 2 years now (the newsletter), the honeymoon period is more or less over and I'm trying to reframe and rediscover my relationship with EW&SL.
The Time Machine Tour was incredible! I'd say please send over the YouTubers reacting to "Losing It" but I'm not sure my fragile heart could take all that sadness. I'd just sink into the couch cushions like Artax.
I’m a big fan of your writing Steve, and remain in awe of your essay writing. I’m longing to start writing longer form pieces but am meeting myself where I am in my current stage of writing development as well as the amount of time I’m able to commit to it. It will come in time I’m sure.
I, too can be my own harshest critic and I’m continually reminding myself to give myself a break. It’s amazing that you’ve already been writing about a third of the days so far this year! Practice makes progress as they say.
I’ve never been much of a Rush fan. Can’t say I dislike them. I just haven’t really spent any time with them. But I love it when people are passionate about their favorite artists. That passion is so infectious and joyful to witness.
Thanks for continuing to put your writing out into the world! I always look forward to reading whatever comes next from you.
Right back at you, Mark! You have been incorporating personal stories in your pieces lately, I've noticed (not that you hadn't before), which is no small feat. Sometimes I wish I could just do an album review and make a list of top 10 songs about fruit (and I will do that too, of course!), but finding the intersection of song and self and story is what compels me to do this thing.
I get a special sort of glee when I get a response along the lines of "I never much liked that song/artist, but I was compelled to read the entire essay regardless!"
I did not know about Lara's stack but now I do! Thanks.
Signals was the album that got me into Rush but I haven't listened to it for a while. A reminder to dive in. Also a reminder to go through my own draft folder. I will think of a song, make a draft for it, but rarely have I been inspired to finish the post. Like you, I am still trying to figure it all out.
This is a darn good essay and that is a darn good rush song. Had not heard it in a minute so that was a treat. Subdivisions is also my #1 if forced to choose.
There's a video for time stands still with Aimee mann! I know this because I had a vhs tape (I think it was chronicles like the compilation) with a bunch of videos- and that was on it.
Thanks for turning me on to Lara's one a day Rush- very fun and I haven't heard much of anything after test for echo...just worried I'm not gonna like it.
Great work, keep it up, I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on Prince!
Thanks for the darn good feedback! Subdivisions was the song that made me feel seen, living in suburbia in high school, with an unfortunate mullet and wispy mustache. Oh yes, I almost included the link to the Aimee Mann "Time Stand Still" video. But I was at the edge of "this will be cut off in email" length and so left it out.
I'm not the biggest later-era Rush fan, but I will say that their last, Clockwork Angels, was their best since Power Windows, IMO. Though I do appreciate Snakes and Arrows as well.
Great post, Steve - and a great reminder of a brilliant song. It's these nuggets that get lost amongst the 'greater' tunes. 'Losing It' is fab - Rush distilled.
I've been a fan since the early 80s - and in college was exposed to their earlier releases, which only increased my interest. But I've always wondered why they've never had the general admiration heaped onto ... U2, for instance. Who are good, but ... well, after The Unforgettable Fire they're no Rush.
Thanks, Bryan! I think Rush were huge enough as it was -- selling out arenas on every tour was pretty dang good for my money (of which they got plenty of, from all the tickets I bought over the years). I can't picture Rush doing a Vegas residency, for example!:)
It's heart-warming to see how many folks (and fellow writers) dig you, Steve! My occasional writing tip: I usually just start free-forming, and writing as if I'm telling a story ('cause I'd like to think I sort of am). Once I've got it started, and am rolling, I'll take time to tighten up and clean up what may, now, seem too loose and/or informal (without losing that valuable element, for the most part).
I appreciate your acknowledgment and kindness to those of us who aren't ardent Rush fans (and, for those like me who maintain that Geddy inhales helium before a show to LOWER his voice). I did as you asked and listened to "Losing It" for my first time.
I think my Prince and Rush are Bowie and Genesis. I know you like both of them, but Bowie and Genesis both hit me emotionally many times, if not most of the time, and while I appreciate the talent of Prince and Rush, they were always only cerebral for me ("Well, I guess that was a good song. Next.").
It helps that I was on both almost from each's Day 1. I hate to sound like I'm bragging ('cause we can't help when we were born), but know I don't take that musical fact lightly, and am immensely happy and proud that I was of an age when these two were just starting their musical treks. Sometimes it helps when our musical journey follows the relative early track of an artist you grow to love and follow (as their career grows).
I was first turned on to Bowie with Ziggy, and it's summer '72 release (I was 17), and went back, quickly, to discover what I had missed, although I had heard some stuff before, and was aware of him thru the rock press. Genesis I first heard when their "Foxtrot" was released, 9/72 (you can see how busy my senior year of high school was becoming)! My lead guitarist played me "Watcher of the Skies" at his house, and I was mesmerized.
I have many music-obsessive friends who do not like Rush, and a few who actively dislike them. We tease each other constantly. I actually sent this piece to one of them 3 times just to make them crazy!
I do try and write in such a way that it's not a requirement to be a fan or familiar with the particular earworm in order to enjoy reading the newsletter. It's a delicate balance and it's one reason I tend to start with the personal stuff. I am amazed at the several female Rush fans I've befriended here on the Stackoverse. That's 3 more than I have known my whole life!
I most definitely know your love of Genesis/Bowie (and a million other artists/bands). And always good to revisit our early collabs! That was a good one- and a great film! By the time I was into Bowie, it was the 80s. It was Scary Monsters, I think that made me a big fan. And his classics of course on classic rock radio (or simply "radio" at the time).
It's been a real challenge for me to read all the amazing music writers here. Many have fallen by the wayside simply because of hours in the day. I always fit in Tune Tag though! I'm hoping to get to the Beatles' piece this weekend...
The dearth of female fans of Genesis has been widely acknowledged and reported, too! Their '80s output, and some of Phil's solo balladry helped to "phil" out that demo! But, always an interesting side note for Rush and Genesis's fanbase over time.........generally.
I haven't focused that much on Bowie and Genesis articles, but see fit to communicate my love for them in drop-ins in various articles (among them, TT...and, of course, our Genesis-focused TT!). My more important desire is sharing the music (and my love of it) of various artists whom I heard (usually by having their promo) over the decades that never got airplay or have managed to find only 3 ears to hear them!
Looking forward to your Beatles' feelings....there again, two camps seem to have emerged....and, can be identified, generally, by those double-album compilations that came out in the '70s....the blue one and the red one. Color me red album-era! Even more granular? The CD box sets of around the turn of the century.....black or white. I was all over the Mono set! I'm gonna guess you're blue LP set, and the stereo mix! Am I close?😊
Am I showing my ignorance when I say that I don't know the red from the blue, the black from the white? I tend to prefer the Revolver and later albums, so whichever comps are more experimental and less "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" are the ones I like better. I don't play favorites, though I think I might be more a Mono Man. Also I like my syllables mono.
The CDs, mono and stereo, were full-catalog releases in 2009. My mono preference, in the format (mono) The Beatles themselves meant for their music to be heard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_in_Mono
For the record (or your music delivery method of choice), "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" IMO, are their combined apex, and the most perfect career transition a band has ever made....from their ground-breaking, catchy, 2-minute song form into their stretched-out, "experimental" phase, those 2 albums gave us the bridge to safely navigate from the tunefully familiar to the challenging that made the latter less jarring.
I'll add to the chorus here that the first part of this was extremely relatable. As a fellow chronic overthinker, it's probably best that I leave any advice for those better equipped to give it, but I can definitely say you're not alone here.
As for Rush? I used to quip that I loved them until Geddy Lee started singing, but that was more of a pushback against the upperclassmen that enjoyed both the band and throwing me into lockers than anything else. Anymore, I don't much mind them. And it's impossible to deny the genius of Neil Peart.
You should say, "I really love Geddy's vocals on YYZ!" What, where you lived, the Rush fans were the bullies? What sort of backwards (backwoods) school did you go to? Are you sure you just didn't get out of the way when they were air drumming to Tom Sawyer and inadvertently were thrown into the lockers?
Happy to hopefully help. I also actively resist outlines in the traditional sense. Think of it more as articulating what you hope to accomplish rather than a detailed outline.
I had an editor who gave me a piece of advice that I still use to this day: “Tell me your story in 30 words. If you can do that, then you know what you need to say.” When I’m struggling, I go back to that.
Enjoyed reading this, and truly identify with the first part. We all get stuck from time to time and the fear of losing the muse compounds on itself. (One of my essays last year, an attempt to break through the block, focused on the theme of "I hate to write. I love to write. I need to write.")
Unsolicited tips: Sometimes reaching out to other writers to talk through story/essay ideas can put you back on the right path. Sometimes reading through the notes you've scribbled down and abandoned can spark additional thoughts and serve as the prompt you need. Or perhaps developing an outline of a miniature production schedule can help you refocus. All of these things at one point or another have done the trick for me.
I really appreciate your kind words and suggestions, Glenn. I definitely want to develop a process that is less time intensive and sleep depriving. I sometimes write an outline but I rarely stick to it as I rebel against structures, even my own. I love the discovery, which I find outlining and planning dilute. I hope to find a happy medium.
Gotta read Steve’s stuff!! I’m not even a Rush fan, but if you’re writing, I’m reading. Sure enough, you did not disappoint!!! Nice job working Aimee Mann, who I’m a total fanboi over, into the other, umm, stuff! Made my morning!
Yes! I try to imagine my Morse code breaths are sending messages to beings of the universe who send me back messages that I interpret as “just chill the fuck down dude!”
"Losing It" is such a lovely song. They performed it on their final tour; I'm pretty sure Ben Mink did it at the show we saw, in Vancouver BC.
Like you, I don't play favorites well either, but for decades now, Rush has been my favorite band. I too find it difficult sometimes to write about their music and how it has affected me over the years; it just goes so deep, both musically and lyrically.
Thank you for introducing me to Lara's Substack! It's going to be difficult to stick to my task list for today, as I want to dive into her archive. To return the favor, you might find The Charismatic Voice's analysis of Rush's music interesting. She's an opera singer who was unfamiliar with a lot of rock and almost all metal prior to launching her YT channel; her observations focus on vocals but extend to the music overall. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+charismatic+voice+rush
Jackie, I thought you already were reading Lara's 'Stack, so I'm glad to turn you on to it, knowing you hadn't been aware of it. I thought of you when I discovered Lara's newsletter.
Love The Charismatic Voice! I watch it all the time. I’m pretty sure I’ve written about Elizabeth a couple times on these pages. Her breakdowns of Rush are so great.
It's fun and validating to read how others write. My job restricts me from posting daily, but everyday I "write." However, throughout the week, it's often word vomit. I just try to get what's in my head onto the draft and then add my research as bullet points to return to later.
Without a doubt, my best time to write is early in the morning. Often, on Saturday, I wake at 5am and write until 10am. During this time, I craft my essay, structure it, and then begin mopping things up. On Sundays, I wake a bit later (6/6:30am) with the goal of tidying it up. If I am happy with it and it feels ready to be released, I will format it on Sunday evening to be published on Monday morning. Throughout the week, when I think of how rough my draft is and the daunting job of finding time to pull it together, I panic. By the end of Sunday morning, when I put it down, I feel significantly better. However, when I finally publish and release an article to the world, I definitely feel a weight released.
Now, regarding Rush! The summer between 9th & 10th grade, I had a friend named Burt who was a year older than me. When he bought his first car, he put '2112' into the cassette deck, and it got stuck & wouldn’t eject! We drove all over Cleveland that summer listening to '2112'! I eventually bought it and their S/T album. I must admit that a few years ago, I purged about 100 albums that I hadn't played for years, and Rush's S/T LP was among them. You will be pleased to know that '2112' made my final cut and was put into my “keep” pile. In fact, I just put it on and am listening to it as I type this comment. 🤘🏼😊
I like your writing regimen! I use my early morning time for the word vomit and the evening time for the craft and the revision. To be honest, I tend to revise as I write, which I do not recommend, but it seems to work for me (except for when it doesn't). And I allow myself to follow every random thought and YouTube video portal as sometimes that's what triggers the connection between an earworm and a personal story. It's sort of like I'm a detective and I am tacking every song reference, lyric, memory, idea and wild goose chase onto a giant board and then a day or so later I will stare at this metaphorical board and see where the connections are.
I think my 2112 was always vinyl, but I made cassette copies of most of my albums (on Maxell XLII 90s - one album per side) for the car. I had deja vu reading about the cassette stuck in the car stereo but I can't conjure which tape it was! It'll come to me later.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your writing process!
Another beautiful piece, Steve. Having been a metalist and stoner rocker, I had always preferred the old rush, but Signals was a great gateway into synthesizers and even electronica. Strangely enough though, although I love tracks like Cygnus X-1, it’s the delicate tracks I used to go back to.
Interestingly I have had the same experience whereby even though Rush has been profoundly influential I hadn’t really listened to them for quite a while. It was a delight to dive into a bit of Rush again. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! I was a metalist/stoner myself, and was way more into earlier Rush as a teen, but when Rush started exploring new wave and more electronic sounds, so did I. They more or less turned me onto The Police and Ultravox and so many other early 80's new wave bands. So I particularly loved Signals and Grace Under Pressure (though not the production on that one). Then I sort of moved away from them after Power Windows and only sporadically paid attention to them until the 2000s. I did enjoy their last couple of albums quite a bit, and Clockwork Angels was a fantastic swan song (even if it might not have been conceived as such).
And just echoing @andres comments above. It similarly was a very relatable piece
This was beautiful, Steve. You have no idea how much I can relate. If it's any consolation, imposter syndrome and all the other isms and insecurities you mention are regulars around here as well. I know it doesn't fully fix everything, but just keep going. At some point, they will get tired. Or we will stop listening. Don't let them, or anything else, make you lose focus. What you do is great and I'm a huge fan. Always here for you.
Thanks, Andres. Not that I wish you or anyone to struggle with imposter syndrome or anxiety, etc., it does feel less overwhelming when I feel understood. It is wonderful to know that music is such a balm, an antidote, and that it will be there for me, always (in addition to folks like you, of course!)
Absolutely. What’s crazy for me (and only saying it in the hope that it will help further) is that I see guys like you, with your eloquence, experience, all your knowledge… and I sometimes think to myself “man, I wish I had it all figured out like him” (him meaning you!). It’s crazy that you guys also go through stuff like that. If it’s any consolation, it doesn’t show; and for younger writers like me, who are just getting started, writers like you are a huge source of inspiration. And I don’t say this lightly.
All this to say: hold on, keep doing what you’re doing, and yes, thank goodness for the music (and this wonderful community).
I loved this essay so much, and not just because you shouted me out--although thanks for that! I'm beyond glad and grateful my weird little project has resonated with you, especially if it's inspiring such a vulnerable and brilliant piece as this.
I admit, "Losing It" is one of the few Rush songs I can't listen to with any frequency. Not because it's bad, but because it's good--a little TOO good, as you point out here. The line, "Sadder still to watch it die/ than never to have known it" destroys me every single time. Because it is. It really is. I can think of few things sadder and more existentially terrifying than watching yourself slip away from genius. "Losing It" was on the set list of R40 and it makes my heart ache every time I think about it.
Anyway, that said, I think you have many, many, MANY great works left in you--and no writing is ever wasted! Sometimes you need to have a pile of half-finished drafts, because you needed to get through the words that didn't work before you could land on the stuff that does, like this piece. Lots of writers have that drawer of unfinished drafts. It's just part of growing as a writer, IMO--the amateurs throw out literally every single phrase they write and think it's gold. (It rarely is.) So maybe you come back to those drafts, or maybe you don't, because ultimately finishing them wasn't the point of you writing them.
Thanks, Lara! I hope you had a great vacation! I'm happy to spread the word about OADR, as I knew that many of my readers are Rush fans. It does feel a relief to get the Rush monkey off my back (The Main Monkey Business, to use a Rush song, and an underrated instrumental....If I remember correctly, Neil incorporated his solo in this song on the Snakes & Arrows tour, unless I'm making that up).
I got a bit obsessed watching YouTubers hear "Losing It" for the first time and be blown away. It's definitely one of their most emotionally heavy songs, and they have plenty. I wish I saw the R40 tour. The last show I saw was the 30 year anniversary of Moving Pictures.
It is true that I often have to write out a bunch of fluff to find the stuff, I am more or less accepting of that, but sometimes the days don't have enough available hours in them to allow for the fluff to stuff process to reach completion. I also think having done this for almost 2 years now (the newsletter), the honeymoon period is more or less over and I'm trying to reframe and rediscover my relationship with EW&SL.
The Time Machine Tour was incredible! I'd say please send over the YouTubers reacting to "Losing It" but I'm not sure my fragile heart could take all that sadness. I'd just sink into the couch cushions like Artax.
I’m a big fan of your writing Steve, and remain in awe of your essay writing. I’m longing to start writing longer form pieces but am meeting myself where I am in my current stage of writing development as well as the amount of time I’m able to commit to it. It will come in time I’m sure.
I, too can be my own harshest critic and I’m continually reminding myself to give myself a break. It’s amazing that you’ve already been writing about a third of the days so far this year! Practice makes progress as they say.
I’ve never been much of a Rush fan. Can’t say I dislike them. I just haven’t really spent any time with them. But I love it when people are passionate about their favorite artists. That passion is so infectious and joyful to witness.
Thanks for continuing to put your writing out into the world! I always look forward to reading whatever comes next from you.
Right back at you, Mark! You have been incorporating personal stories in your pieces lately, I've noticed (not that you hadn't before), which is no small feat. Sometimes I wish I could just do an album review and make a list of top 10 songs about fruit (and I will do that too, of course!), but finding the intersection of song and self and story is what compels me to do this thing.
I get a special sort of glee when I get a response along the lines of "I never much liked that song/artist, but I was compelled to read the entire essay regardless!"
The “intersection of song and self and story”. I love it! I’m finding more and more that that’s what it’s really all about.
I did not know about Lara's stack but now I do! Thanks.
Signals was the album that got me into Rush but I haven't listened to it for a while. A reminder to dive in. Also a reminder to go through my own draft folder. I will think of a song, make a draft for it, but rarely have I been inspired to finish the post. Like you, I am still trying to figure it all out.
This is a darn good essay and that is a darn good rush song. Had not heard it in a minute so that was a treat. Subdivisions is also my #1 if forced to choose.
There's a video for time stands still with Aimee mann! I know this because I had a vhs tape (I think it was chronicles like the compilation) with a bunch of videos- and that was on it.
Thanks for turning me on to Lara's one a day Rush- very fun and I haven't heard much of anything after test for echo...just worried I'm not gonna like it.
Great work, keep it up, I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on Prince!
Alright, I'm gonna give clockwork angels a spin.
Seconding Clockwork Angels! It's truly a masterpiece, the culmination of everything they'd ever recorded. I love it beyond measure.
Thanks for the darn good feedback! Subdivisions was the song that made me feel seen, living in suburbia in high school, with an unfortunate mullet and wispy mustache. Oh yes, I almost included the link to the Aimee Mann "Time Stand Still" video. But I was at the edge of "this will be cut off in email" length and so left it out.
I'm not the biggest later-era Rush fan, but I will say that their last, Clockwork Angels, was their best since Power Windows, IMO. Though I do appreciate Snakes and Arrows as well.
Great post, Steve - and a great reminder of a brilliant song. It's these nuggets that get lost amongst the 'greater' tunes. 'Losing It' is fab - Rush distilled.
I've been a fan since the early 80s - and in college was exposed to their earlier releases, which only increased my interest. But I've always wondered why they've never had the general admiration heaped onto ... U2, for instance. Who are good, but ... well, after The Unforgettable Fire they're no Rush.
Thanks, Bryan! I think Rush were huge enough as it was -- selling out arenas on every tour was pretty dang good for my money (of which they got plenty of, from all the tickets I bought over the years). I can't picture Rush doing a Vegas residency, for example!:)
It's heart-warming to see how many folks (and fellow writers) dig you, Steve! My occasional writing tip: I usually just start free-forming, and writing as if I'm telling a story ('cause I'd like to think I sort of am). Once I've got it started, and am rolling, I'll take time to tighten up and clean up what may, now, seem too loose and/or informal (without losing that valuable element, for the most part).
I appreciate your acknowledgment and kindness to those of us who aren't ardent Rush fans (and, for those like me who maintain that Geddy inhales helium before a show to LOWER his voice). I did as you asked and listened to "Losing It" for my first time.
I think my Prince and Rush are Bowie and Genesis. I know you like both of them, but Bowie and Genesis both hit me emotionally many times, if not most of the time, and while I appreciate the talent of Prince and Rush, they were always only cerebral for me ("Well, I guess that was a good song. Next.").
It helps that I was on both almost from each's Day 1. I hate to sound like I'm bragging ('cause we can't help when we were born), but know I don't take that musical fact lightly, and am immensely happy and proud that I was of an age when these two were just starting their musical treks. Sometimes it helps when our musical journey follows the relative early track of an artist you grow to love and follow (as their career grows).
I was first turned on to Bowie with Ziggy, and it's summer '72 release (I was 17), and went back, quickly, to discover what I had missed, although I had heard some stuff before, and was aware of him thru the rock press. Genesis I first heard when their "Foxtrot" was released, 9/72 (you can see how busy my senior year of high school was becoming)! My lead guitarist played me "Watcher of the Skies" at his house, and I was mesmerized.
Hey, remember when we did this, a year-and-a-half ago? https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/brett-morgens-moonage-daydream-a I got in, early, on the beginning of another artist with talent, didn't I?😉👍
I have many music-obsessive friends who do not like Rush, and a few who actively dislike them. We tease each other constantly. I actually sent this piece to one of them 3 times just to make them crazy!
I do try and write in such a way that it's not a requirement to be a fan or familiar with the particular earworm in order to enjoy reading the newsletter. It's a delicate balance and it's one reason I tend to start with the personal stuff. I am amazed at the several female Rush fans I've befriended here on the Stackoverse. That's 3 more than I have known my whole life!
I most definitely know your love of Genesis/Bowie (and a million other artists/bands). And always good to revisit our early collabs! That was a good one- and a great film! By the time I was into Bowie, it was the 80s. It was Scary Monsters, I think that made me a big fan. And his classics of course on classic rock radio (or simply "radio" at the time).
It's been a real challenge for me to read all the amazing music writers here. Many have fallen by the wayside simply because of hours in the day. I always fit in Tune Tag though! I'm hoping to get to the Beatles' piece this weekend...
I have the same problem! I am so behind on everyone's stacks!
The dearth of female fans of Genesis has been widely acknowledged and reported, too! Their '80s output, and some of Phil's solo balladry helped to "phil" out that demo! But, always an interesting side note for Rush and Genesis's fanbase over time.........generally.
I haven't focused that much on Bowie and Genesis articles, but see fit to communicate my love for them in drop-ins in various articles (among them, TT...and, of course, our Genesis-focused TT!). My more important desire is sharing the music (and my love of it) of various artists whom I heard (usually by having their promo) over the decades that never got airplay or have managed to find only 3 ears to hear them!
Looking forward to your Beatles' feelings....there again, two camps seem to have emerged....and, can be identified, generally, by those double-album compilations that came out in the '70s....the blue one and the red one. Color me red album-era! Even more granular? The CD box sets of around the turn of the century.....black or white. I was all over the Mono set! I'm gonna guess you're blue LP set, and the stereo mix! Am I close?😊
Am I showing my ignorance when I say that I don't know the red from the blue, the black from the white? I tend to prefer the Revolver and later albums, so whichever comps are more experimental and less "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" are the ones I like better. I don't play favorites, though I think I might be more a Mono Man. Also I like my syllables mono.
Just reissues over the decades: Here's your blue album: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967%E2%80%931970
And, here's the red I favor (both 2-LP compilations were issued in '73): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962%E2%80%931966
The CDs, mono and stereo, were full-catalog releases in 2009. My mono preference, in the format (mono) The Beatles themselves meant for their music to be heard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_in_Mono
and, stereo, really, just remastered: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_(The_Original_Studio_Recordings)
For the record (or your music delivery method of choice), "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" IMO, are their combined apex, and the most perfect career transition a band has ever made....from their ground-breaking, catchy, 2-minute song form into their stretched-out, "experimental" phase, those 2 albums gave us the bridge to safely navigate from the tunefully familiar to the challenging that made the latter less jarring.
I'll add to the chorus here that the first part of this was extremely relatable. As a fellow chronic overthinker, it's probably best that I leave any advice for those better equipped to give it, but I can definitely say you're not alone here.
As for Rush? I used to quip that I loved them until Geddy Lee started singing, but that was more of a pushback against the upperclassmen that enjoyed both the band and throwing me into lockers than anything else. Anymore, I don't much mind them. And it's impossible to deny the genius of Neil Peart.
You should say, "I really love Geddy's vocals on YYZ!" What, where you lived, the Rush fans were the bullies? What sort of backwards (backwoods) school did you go to? Are you sure you just didn't get out of the way when they were air drumming to Tom Sawyer and inadvertently were thrown into the lockers?
Three master musicians who made it last 40 years. I still have the guitar riff from "Spirit of Radio" in my ears now. (Earworm!)
That's a great earworm to have! Excellent guitar line!
Happy to hopefully help. I also actively resist outlines in the traditional sense. Think of it more as articulating what you hope to accomplish rather than a detailed outline.
I had an editor who gave me a piece of advice that I still use to this day: “Tell me your story in 30 words. If you can do that, then you know what you need to say.” When I’m struggling, I go back to that.
Enjoyed reading this, and truly identify with the first part. We all get stuck from time to time and the fear of losing the muse compounds on itself. (One of my essays last year, an attempt to break through the block, focused on the theme of "I hate to write. I love to write. I need to write.")
Unsolicited tips: Sometimes reaching out to other writers to talk through story/essay ideas can put you back on the right path. Sometimes reading through the notes you've scribbled down and abandoned can spark additional thoughts and serve as the prompt you need. Or perhaps developing an outline of a miniature production schedule can help you refocus. All of these things at one point or another have done the trick for me.
Take care and keep writing! I enjoy your work.
I really appreciate your kind words and suggestions, Glenn. I definitely want to develop a process that is less time intensive and sleep depriving. I sometimes write an outline but I rarely stick to it as I rebel against structures, even my own. I love the discovery, which I find outlining and planning dilute. I hope to find a happy medium.
Gotta read Steve’s stuff!! I’m not even a Rush fan, but if you’re writing, I’m reading. Sure enough, you did not disappoint!!! Nice job working Aimee Mann, who I’m a total fanboi over, into the other, umm, stuff! Made my morning!
Thanks, Michael! I did think of you when I added the Aimee Mann part!🤓
Do you too nervously exhale to the rhythm of YYZ when you have a lot on you mind, because I do!!
Yes! I try to imagine my Morse code breaths are sending messages to beings of the universe who send me back messages that I interpret as “just chill the fuck down dude!”
"Losing It" is such a lovely song. They performed it on their final tour; I'm pretty sure Ben Mink did it at the show we saw, in Vancouver BC.
Like you, I don't play favorites well either, but for decades now, Rush has been my favorite band. I too find it difficult sometimes to write about their music and how it has affected me over the years; it just goes so deep, both musically and lyrically.
Thank you for introducing me to Lara's Substack! It's going to be difficult to stick to my task list for today, as I want to dive into her archive. To return the favor, you might find The Charismatic Voice's analysis of Rush's music interesting. She's an opera singer who was unfamiliar with a lot of rock and almost all metal prior to launching her YT channel; her observations focus on vocals but extend to the music overall. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+charismatic+voice+rush
Jackie, I thought you already were reading Lara's 'Stack, so I'm glad to turn you on to it, knowing you hadn't been aware of it. I thought of you when I discovered Lara's newsletter.
Love The Charismatic Voice! I watch it all the time. I’m pretty sure I’ve written about Elizabeth a couple times on these pages. Her breakdowns of Rush are so great.