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All rights reserved.Roll the Bones - Rush (CD 1991)
Their best album since Signals.Review created: 08/05/03
by: matzaballman -- a member of Epinions
Pros:
Bravado, Where's My Thing?, and Ghost of a Chance.
Bravado, Where's My Thing?, and Ghost of a Chance.
Cons:
A few weak songs and a horrible production.
A few weak songs and a horrible production.
"Honey, when you're done with that chicken, can you roll them bones?". This was said by guitarist Alex Lifeson in a radio interview to promote the album Roll The Bones that I had the pleasure of listening to the day before the album came out. Geddy and Alex were in a very relaxed and funny mood and seemed very excited about the album. After listening to it, I can understand why...it is easily their most enjoyable album since 1982's Signals.
There is a sense of looseness and playfulness about the album, though it has it's share of serious songs also. Rush really seemed to enjoy themselves on this album!
Bad points first....
Before I sing this album's many praises, I'm going to point out it's weaknesses. First, it sports a very thin and tinny production...Peart sounds like he's banging on garbage can lids and the synthesizers sound very thin and ugly, Lifeson was still toying with a million guitar effects, etc....
There are also a few weak songs here, the worst being Neurotica. The low point of this song and the entire album is the "oh's" that Geddy sings during the refrain. I cover my ears during that part of the song, when I dare to listen to it! Face Up is also kind of weak, though it's one of the more straight forward hard rock songs on the album. The guitars should have been more loud and crunchy on this....that applies to all the other songs, too.
Speaking of Alex Lifeson....
Even though Lifeson's guitar isn't as loud and crunchy as I would like, he seems to be much more involved on this album. He gets in some very emotional and inspired guitar solos this time, especially on Bravado, Ghost of a Chance, and the album's closing song You Bet Your Life. He also comes up with some very memorable and catchy guitar riffs throughout the album.
Geddy Lee sings an awful lot on this album, but not as much as he did on Presto and all the albums to come after this.He sounds a bit silly on a few songs, like on Face Up and Neurotica and during parts of You Bet Your Life, but he gets in one of his best vocal performances ever on Bravado.( Geddy Lee loves this song!). This song also has some of Peart's best lyrics (the key line to this is "We will pay the price, but we will not count the cost") and contains some superb drumming from him....listen to all those untimed drum fills he throws in during the second half of the song. This is my favorite song on the album and was one of many highlights for me when I saw them live on the Roll the Bones tour.
We get a well needed break from Geddy's singing on the album's slightly funky instrumental Where's My Thing?, which they jokingly refer to as "Part four of the 'Gangster of Boats Trilogy'"! In the interview for this album, Geddy said "Well, most people don't write a 4th part of a trilogy, but we did!", after which Alex said, " Yeah, it goes to four!"!@%. This was the first instrumental on a Rush studio album since YYZ from 1981's Moving Pictures. It's an exciting tune, with all three band members giving ample room to show off. It's a shame it's the shortest song on the album!
Lyrical themes running through the album include chance, fate, fortune, failure, etc.. Peart suggests that there is a very slim possibility of finding that right person to love on Ghost of a Chance, talks about learning that we're only immortal, for a limited time in Dreamline, the deconstruction of the Eastern Bloc in Heresy, etc... It's one of Rush's less scientific and more down to earth albums.....there is a warmth here lacking on some of their other albums.
Other highlights of the album are:
Roll The Bones- Rush really seemed to enjoy themselves on this upbeat and unusual song, which combines funk with rock, folk guitar....and RAP! Geddy Lee does the rap...at one point, they were thinking of having John Cleese do it. That would have been interesting!
The Big Wheel- This song has a monster guitar riff that given a louder and more aggressive production would have made Malcolm Young of AC/DC proud. It also has a terrific refrain, which is very well sung by Geddy.
Heresy- This song has an Irish-U2 feel to it. Once again, Geddy sings very well on this. Nice drumming from Peart.
Ghost Of A Chance- A love song of sorts, I like how this song slows down and changes mood going into the chorus. Lifeson gets in a slightly bluesy guitar solo on it. Very nice song!
I'm also quite fond of the last song on the album You Bet Your Life, an uptempo number which sounds a tad like The Police and U2 and ends with a great guitar solo by Lifeson on the fade-out.
This is one of my favorite Rush albums!
There is a sense of looseness and playfulness about the album, though it has it's share of serious songs also. Rush really seemed to enjoy themselves on this album!
Bad points first....
Before I sing this album's many praises, I'm going to point out it's weaknesses. First, it sports a very thin and tinny production...Peart sounds like he's banging on garbage can lids and the synthesizers sound very thin and ugly, Lifeson was still toying with a million guitar effects, etc....
There are also a few weak songs here, the worst being Neurotica. The low point of this song and the entire album is the "oh's" that Geddy sings during the refrain. I cover my ears during that part of the song, when I dare to listen to it! Face Up is also kind of weak, though it's one of the more straight forward hard rock songs on the album. The guitars should have been more loud and crunchy on this....that applies to all the other songs, too.
Speaking of Alex Lifeson....
Even though Lifeson's guitar isn't as loud and crunchy as I would like, he seems to be much more involved on this album. He gets in some very emotional and inspired guitar solos this time, especially on Bravado, Ghost of a Chance, and the album's closing song You Bet Your Life. He also comes up with some very memorable and catchy guitar riffs throughout the album.
Geddy Lee sings an awful lot on this album, but not as much as he did on Presto and all the albums to come after this.He sounds a bit silly on a few songs, like on Face Up and Neurotica and during parts of You Bet Your Life, but he gets in one of his best vocal performances ever on Bravado.( Geddy Lee loves this song!). This song also has some of Peart's best lyrics (the key line to this is "We will pay the price, but we will not count the cost") and contains some superb drumming from him....listen to all those untimed drum fills he throws in during the second half of the song. This is my favorite song on the album and was one of many highlights for me when I saw them live on the Roll the Bones tour.
We get a well needed break from Geddy's singing on the album's slightly funky instrumental Where's My Thing?, which they jokingly refer to as "Part four of the 'Gangster of Boats Trilogy'"! In the interview for this album, Geddy said "Well, most people don't write a 4th part of a trilogy, but we did!", after which Alex said, " Yeah, it goes to four!"!@%. This was the first instrumental on a Rush studio album since YYZ from 1981's Moving Pictures. It's an exciting tune, with all three band members giving ample room to show off. It's a shame it's the shortest song on the album!
Lyrical themes running through the album include chance, fate, fortune, failure, etc.. Peart suggests that there is a very slim possibility of finding that right person to love on Ghost of a Chance, talks about learning that we're only immortal, for a limited time in Dreamline, the deconstruction of the Eastern Bloc in Heresy, etc... It's one of Rush's less scientific and more down to earth albums.....there is a warmth here lacking on some of their other albums.
Other highlights of the album are:
Roll The Bones- Rush really seemed to enjoy themselves on this upbeat and unusual song, which combines funk with rock, folk guitar....and RAP! Geddy Lee does the rap...at one point, they were thinking of having John Cleese do it. That would have been interesting!
The Big Wheel- This song has a monster guitar riff that given a louder and more aggressive production would have made Malcolm Young of AC/DC proud. It also has a terrific refrain, which is very well sung by Geddy.
Heresy- This song has an Irish-U2 feel to it. Once again, Geddy sings very well on this. Nice drumming from Peart.
Ghost Of A Chance- A love song of sorts, I like how this song slows down and changes mood going into the chorus. Lifeson gets in a slightly bluesy guitar solo on it. Very nice song!
I'm also quite fond of the last song on the album You Bet Your Life, an uptempo number which sounds a tad like The Police and U2 and ends with a great guitar solo by Lifeson on the fade-out.
This is one of my favorite Rush albums!
Review ID: 10000000000232355
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