Counterparts - Rush (CD 1993)

I don't enjoy this album as much as Roll The Bones, which is my favorite album that Rush did after Signals, but Counterparts does have it's share of great songs. It also has it's share of duds. When the album works, it works amazingly well and when it doesn't, it falls flat on it's face!

Rush got back to their roots a bit on Counterparts by cutting back on the keyboards and synthesizers and bringing the bass guitar back up in the mix. Alex Lifeson started playing his crunch guitar a bit more and cut back on some(but not all) of those guitar effects that he started toying with in the 80's. The drums, too, are louder in the mix...on Roll the Bones, it sounded like Peart was banging on a garbage can lid most of the time!

My main problem with the album is Peart's lyrics. In talking about love, sex and relationships, Peart sounds too scientific and uses too many big and fancy words..and there are times when Geddy Lee (who once sang about how horny he felt on In The Mood) sounds mighty uncomfortable SINGING these lyrics. This is a man that is used to singing about scientific experiments...and Peart writes like he's trying to write a science paper or lab report.. or teaching a class the mathematical formula for sex and love on a chalkboard. This is most apparent on my least favorite track on the album Nobody's Hero ....which I will discuss later in more detail!

Back on a more positive note, Rush really rock their buns off on this album and they sound like they are enjoying themselves again, like they did on their previous album. A track by track analysis and/or lab report follows:

Animate- "One, two, three, four..one, two"(drums) ba da, badadada, badadada...and Counterparts is well underway with this enjoyable and catchy song that has a very prominent bass line and has an ORGAN on it, a sign that Rush were going back to their "organic" roots! Very nice vocal from Geddy during the refrain. My only complaint about this song is that it feels like it's longer than it's six minutes.

Stick It Out- Lifeson's heavy and grungy guitar riff starts this song off, another sign that Rush had become a hard rock band again. Rush fans ate this song up.While I appreciate the guitar riff and the heaviness of the song, I'm not too crazy about the lyrics and the vocals.It just doesn't grab me by the yarbles, man!Doesn't Geddy sound dangerous when he sings PENDULUM SWING!?

Cut To The Chase-Another hard rocker, with a faster tempo than Stick It Out! Tis a good, rockin' song with some great bass playing and drumming, but it's not a favorite of mine!

Nobody's Hero- This is where Rush lovers will probably get out their I HATE MATZABALLMAN t-shirts, for I really do not like this song!!The song gets off to a terrible start and it never really recovers! I don't have a problem with the subject matter..I think it's brave of them to tackle the subject of AIDS(though the song isn't solely about AIDS). My problem with the song lies with the lyrics and the lame vocal melody that they are sung to. The song starts out:
I knew he was different in his sexuality,
I went to his parties as a straight minority,
It never seemed a threat to my masculinity..
Peart uses some big rhyming words, when a more simple, direct lyric writing style would have been more appropriate. To top it off, Geddy has one of his corniest vocal melodies to go along with it. It's supposed to sound beautiful and melodic, but it ends up sounding like something that Bill Murray's character Nick the Lounge Singer(from the original Saturday Night Live)would jokingly croon to his audience while snapping his fingers! The nicest part of the song is probably the bridge. This song gets a B+ for effort, but it's one of my least favorite songs on the album, even though I have not been able to get this tune out of my head this past week!

Between Sun And Moon- Aah, yes..to yes..to AAH, YES! This is my favorite song on the album!! Another lyrical colloboration with Pye Dubois( ex-Max Webster), this song has a very rockin' Rolling Stones-like guitar riff and some of Geddy's finest singing, particularly on the weird lines...Ahh yes to yes to ahh ahh to yes, why the sun, why the sun! It doesn't make a bit of sense(like the majority of Pye's lyrics), but it sure does sound neat! Lifeson throws in one of his crunchiest guitar solos, making a quick reference to his solo on In The Mood.A GREAT SONG!!

Alien Shore- Back to scientific mode, as Geddy uncomfortably sings Peart's lyrics..You and I, we are strangers by one chromosome. This song rocks out a bit, but Geddy once again talks/sings the words, an annoying habit he got into starting with Grace Under Pressure.Not a bad song by any means and a good song by just a FEW means..did that sound mean?( I'm on a roll today!)

The Speed Of Love- A love song that actually works, due to a very nice vocal melody from Geddy and some very sweet lyrics from Peart..At the speed of love, my heart goes out to you. I really like the way Lifeson's guitar comes in on the off beat during the refrain. My only complaint about this song lies with Geddy's bass playing...he plays too many notes, when a more simple bass line would have worked better!It's a laid back song and one of the quieter tracks on the album.

Double Agent- YES! YIPPEE! GREAT SONG! This song shows Rush in a very playful mood, both musically AND lyrically. Supposedly, it was the last song written for the album. Geddy Lee said something like "They were losing their minds when they wrote this!". If that's the case, they should have "lost their minds" more often! At about 30 seconds into the song, Rush launch into a very heavy and complicated, mock dangerous guitar and bass riff that would not have sounded out of place on A Farewell To Kings or Hemispheres and will get old Rush fans saying, "YEAH!" Over this riff, Geddy recites the lyrics in a very tired and deep voice. Peart also goes wild on his drum kit. Lifeson gets in a very speedy guitar solo that's not loud enough in the mix, but that is my only criticism of this wonderful song!

Leave That Thing Alone- On Roll The Bones, Rush asked the question "Where's My Thing?". Now that they've found it, they want you to leave it alone! This is the album's sole instrumental piece and the third great song in a row! All three Rush men get a chance to show off, but this is more laid back than Where's My Thing? and more melodic and Lifeson gets in a middle-eastern/snake charmer-like guitar riff. A great song!

Cold Fire- A country/western flavored song that just doesn't grab me! Lifeson starts the song off with a crunchy guitar riff, but the song gets soggy very quickly, without the aid of milk! Lifeson's guitar solo is one of his weirdest ever and I think one of his worst! There's a tambourine on this song! NEAT!

Everyday Glory- A laid back and slightly mellow song that tries to rap the album up on a nice note. The song has some slightly corny lyrics, which I will not bother quoting. I'm not too fond of this song, though there is nothing really offensive about it and Geddy gets in some strong singing.

This album actually gets a 3.60 star rating and if this was a paper I was correcting, I would give it a B or B+, for there are some terrific songs here!And some of the weaker tracks are not as bad as I stated.

The cover shows a bolt about ready to have some fun with a nut! OH THOSE NASTY BOYS!