Rush - Feedback

One of the little things I love in life is when I come across CDs that are dirt cheap, and totally intrigue me. I had been just browsing the music department of the store I worked in one day, like I regularly did at the time, and stumbled across a Rush CD I didn't recognize. I don't remember how much it was, I want to say $12.99. I thought it was maybe a cheap compilation, because it seemed a few more of those than I would like were coming out.

When I picked up the little cardboard single sleeve I noticed right away this was not just another Best of... package. I saw Summertime Blues, Seven And Seven Is, The Seeker and Crossroads on the song list and discovered I was holding a Rush cover album.

When I got home I tore into the packaging and threw the CD into the player. As I read Neal Peart's liner notes I learned the how's and why of the song selection on this CD. Granted by the time I listened to the disc once it didn't matter how or why. This album is a piece of beauty, even if it is really short. The longest song is 3:51.

Let me start with Summertime Blues. I know this song best from a version I have from The Who. It's a classic song, and Rush plays it to the tee. However instead of having the various voices that present the obsticles, we are treated to various little drum fills.

The next song I didn't think i knew, at least by name. However, before the verses started I was ready to sing. Heart Full Of Soul is one of those classic Hippy songs from the 1960's.

For What It's Worth may be one of the best Anti-Government/Anti-Revolution songs I've ever heard and I didn't know the name of it. Like every other song on this album this one sounds just like the original, except for it's Rush playing it, and no one plays like Rush. This is also my favourite song on Feedback.

Another song I originally know from The Who is on this album too. The Seeker, one of the most classis Who songs. Now, to start with it was never one of my favourite Who songs, and Geddy is no Roger Daltrey, so this is the only song that I do prefer the original. Only for the vocals though, aside from that the song is perfect.

Mr. Soul was the only other song on hear I didn't know by name. It was also the only song that I only kind of sort of knew. I remember the chorus from somewhere, probably a movie or something, but the rest of the song I really don't know at all. I would like to say that it's awesome, heavy, thick, delicate, fuzzy, chrunchy and stylish. It's a damn good Rush song, eventhough it isn't.

The first time I ever heard Seven And Seven Is was Alice Cooper's Special Forces. Let me start with I couldn't stand that version, so I never bothered to check out the original. That was almost a decade before I heard the Rush version, which sounded pretty much the same. Which means I really just don't like the song. I can see why some artist like the song, but it's way to 80's New Wave for me. Which is interesting for a song from the 60's.

Shapes Of Things is a great song. I'm pretty sure I mainly know this one from a commercial, but I know that 94.7 WCSK use to play it too. I think Rush changed up the styling a little bit, or it could be a production thing, so it does sound slightly different from what I remember of the original. This song is probably my second favourite song on the album, or it's tied with the last one.

Crossroads finishes off the album. I know this song best from the Cream version, although there's was a cover too of Robert Johnson's Cross Road Blues. Listening to a Power Trio play a Power Trio Supergroup's song is cool on it's own. Listening to Rush outplay Cream is spectacular. Everyone knows Neil Peart is the man on drums, and only people he says are better than him are better than him. He may even say that Ginger Baker is better, but this song says different. Jack Bruce was one of the best bassists of the 60's maybe even still one of the best today, but Geddy just runs circles around him in this song. Which brings me to Eric Clapton and Alex Lifeson. I'm not even going to go there, because it's just too crazy. The guitar isn't better, it's just as distinctly unique as the version I know.

This may be one of the best cover albums I have ever heard. It's the type of album I live for, because there is just something about bands seriously paying tribute to the influences that gets me off. And this album really gets me off.

8/10 - content

9/10 - production

10/10 - personal bias