Roll the Bones - Rush (CD 1991)

Roll the Bones

Rush moves into comfortable territory, consolidating a style they ve cultivated for at least three albums. The band has found its niche and plans to stick to it with only minor adjustments to their sound. And it is a worthy sound, rich with catchy guitar licks and creative rhythms, topped by Peart s thoughtful lyrics. The band has made it their goal to break pop clich s with their innovative musical twists.

What is best about this album? The keyboards have been put back in their proper place, as a backup instrument to emphasize the mood. Don t get me wrong, I have nothing against keyboards, but Rush s music was at its most powerful when Alex s Gibson was at the forefront, expertly enhanced by Geddy s apt synthesizer accompaniment. When the strings were sent to the background, the sound became thin and their songs lost much of their emotional punch. Let s face it; nothing beats a crunching chord progression to a heavy drumbeat when you have a powerful statement to proclaim.

What is worst about this album? The songwriting and musical composition ideas are beginning to waver. I know, lots of you hard, hard, hard core Rush guys are swearing at me now, but come on, can you really say that the northern trio s message and style is as awe inspiring in Bones as it was in Waves? No, they ve mined their best stuff at this point but still have great chops and are willing to write music with mature lyrics in an industry that seems to reward only ooh, ooh, baby, baby . So Rush s worst amounts to a much higher score than, say, (name major pop star) s best.

Let s do a quick rundown of the tracks:

Dreamline
At least they started off the album on a high note. This song is a pop gem with a good beat, a message about following your dreams while you can. The intro itself is quite attention getting. I remember hearing this song on the radio a few times when the album was first released and thought how fresh their sound was compared to the typical lot of music represented on the radio. The guitar licks play an important role even if they aren t in the crunching style of old Rush. Alex s solo is short but nice.

Bravado
And the album takes a dive. Although the message in this song is worthwhile and emotional (about putting your all into your dreams no matter what the personal cost), the delivery is just too flat. There s no discernible melody here. Geddy just carries the tune along, crooning the lyrics (good as they are) to some muddled background music. Alex s solo breaks the monotony for a few moments but even a solo of this low key variety seems out of place in this dull song.

Roll the bones
I ll go on record saying I love this song even if it isn t their best. It s a polarizing song, and one of the few for this band since Tom Sawyer. Many fans hated to hear a rap song from this band, while others applauded their use of the format as a multi-layered device for such a tune. First, the song s message is fantastic and inspiring: that the world is out there for the taking and only those who give it a try get the spoils, so stop complaining about things and do something. Ok, so Neil isn t the best rapper in existence and this song probably doesn t even register in the rap universe, but that s not really the point. The use of such a different style is consistent with Rush s tradition of experimentation. Furthermore, the theme of the tune conjures up images of kids on the street considering just following the crowd as opposed to trying something different. This song may be a call to them to reject their culture of violence and see what life serves up if they follow a different beat.

Face Up
By far my favorite song on the album, predominantly because of the message although the musical composition is equally enticing. I m a sucker for optimism and this song is nothing short of a rallying call for optimists. If I could only reach that dial inside, and turn it up. This turns out to be the most up-tempo song on the disk, which is right up my ally as well. Keeping with the overall gambling theme of the disk, this song talks about facing-up the cards or just turning them in and folding. Never quit. Turn up that dial. This song is great for inspiration.

Where s my thing?
Part IV of the Gangster of boats trilogy proves once again that Rush has the best sense of humor in the music industry. This is my favorite Rush instrumental since YYZ, mainly because it is the first since YYZ. It s mysterious in a way their previous instrumentals never were. Unlike 2112, this instrumental doesn t really lead you anywhere or build to something larger. It is what it is, a textured song of elegant melodies and carefully crafted dynamics. And it avoids the repetition of YYZ, developing into a song that speaks to you even without a human voice.

The Big Wheel
A finely crafted tune with ample dynamics, rock licks and pop appeal. Nothing to write home about but certainly a solid tune. Playing with fire, chasing something new to believe in, looking for love, the way the big wheel spins. Could the big wheel at the end of the tunnel be a roulette? I wasn t impressed much by the no-guitar solo featuring Geddy s humming.

Heresy
I m sorry, but boring is the most descriptive word I can conjure for this one. Yes, the song is about the tragedy of a half century of communist control in eastern Europe but the music just doesn t rise to the occasion. Perhaps it was intended to reflect the melancholy mood so many people must have endured. Slow and plodding with little melody, it barely rises to ballad status. One positive for the song; it quite vividly describes the living conditions of those forced to suffer the extremes of the Soviets. I thoroughly understood Rush s message here and their desire to produce this song. It was a thought-provoking, honorable attempt to musically capture the frustration of those people. Just isn t very entertaining.

Ghost of a Chance
Nice guitar lick to open the tune, used throughout the song. About the debate between whether destiny rules our fate or things just happen at the whim of probability. The song isn t sure which philosophy is right, but there s a ghost of a chance we can find someone to love and make it last. Yeah, it s an interesting message for those inclined to debate the issue and the song is just good enough keep me from hitting the skip button.

Neurotica
This song is a nice shot in the arm at this position on the disk. The album is fading fast, but this tune rescues it from oblivion. The tune is catchy and up-tempo with some decent guitar licks and well timed synthesizer backup. The message is that life is Neurotica, exotica, hypnotica, chaotica crazy and you just can t let it get to you. Nice. I need that kind of a reminder once in a while.

You bet your life
Wow, just when I thought this album would die it comes back to life, ending with a bang similar to the beginning track. Upbeat, spry and full of pop sensitivity, this tune makes you want to move your body. Although the tempo shifts are a little jerky, they do come together well enough to form an interesting tune. And the lyrics are just too well crafted to be true. Just another loser, like a cat in the rain. Neil was really on with this tune. From the bridge: anarchist reactionary running-dog revisionist Are you kidding me?

Conclusion:

So Rush produced a good album here, not a great one, though still better than Presto. The references to the overall theme of gambling are littered throughout the collection and are a pleasure to find while listening to the songs. I won t give them all away and deprive you, but many were a little too easy to find as compared to previous albums.