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The Canadian power trio Rush is blowing out 30 candles this year and
we will surely remember that. They don’t only come to the old
continent, for the first time in more than ten years, but they give
us a treat with a surprising set of sixties covers on the EP
“’Feedback”.
In The Columbus Dispatch of June 2nd 2004, front man
Geddy Lee explains of few things: "We always talked about
throwing a cover or two into the encore just for fun. When we put
this 30th anniversary tour together, we realized that we didn't have
enough time to do a proper studio album. A friend of mine suggested,
'Well, maybe you guys should dip into your past. Play some songs you
used to play when you were in your formative years. Just record them
quickly for fun, not overthink it, and just put out a little EP to
celebrate where you were as opposed to where you are.' We thought it
might be a way to juice us before the tour, so that's what we did.
We tried not to get too trendy with it and really go back and play
songs that we really did play in early versions of our band."
The swelling intro of Jimi Hendrix’ Foxy Lady is pulling our
leg for a second, but it really is Summertime Blues (in the
metalversion of Blue Cheer) that opens Feedback. Even
without the raw, heavy noise of the original, Lee, Lifeson and Peart
are really rocking on this one. It is understood that this track,
which has been released as a single, gets a fair amount of airplay
in the States. An appropriate choice.
The final track of Feedback is also a cover of a cover.
Crossroads belongs to the precious inheritance of blues legend
Robert Johnson, but what you get served here is the version of
the other triumvirate Cream. Lifeson and Lee let this track
swing as hell by means of the fattiest groove they ever squeezed out
of their instruments. A pitty, our blonde guitar god looses track at
the end with an ordinary hardrock solo which could make Clapton turn
in his grave. (as a matter of speech, for the time being, of course
;-))
That same Clapton left the Yardbirds because they took a too
commercial turn with For Your Love by Graham “10CC”
Gouldman. Other hits followed, like Heart Full of Soul, again
by Gouldman. In the year 2004, this beautiful, melodic popsong gets
a thorough and exceptional successful update in the hands of Rush.
The sitar imitation by Jeff Beck is replaced by a controlled
rockriff, the background choir is wisely put aside and Peart hits
his drum skins a bit fiercer. This track will get an acoustic
version during their tour. I wonder how that sounds.
“The Seeker” from The Who also made it to the setlist of
the 30th Anniversary Tour, but this studio version isn’t very
promising. Stripped of all subleties (the ooooh’s in the background,
the tinkling piano) and without the typical guitar and the mighty
voices of Townshend and Daltrey in their heydays, it
becomes a banal straight-forward rocktrack.
Further on the Feedback-menu, you’ll find two classics from
Buffalo Springfield. For what it’s worth, the pricewinner by
Stephen Stills, starts of in a well known pastoral atmosphere
but in the distance the thunderclouds of hurricane Alex turn up.
Little by little, Lifeson takes over and burries this still track
under a guitar avalanche and there’s neither rhyme nor reason in it.
On the other hand, ‘Mr. Soul’ is a direct hit. Lifeson richly lards
his inventive licks (with a.o. a piece of Eight Miles High
from The Byrds) upon the wonderful pumping rhythm section and
Lee does the honours for his compatriot Neil Young with style. Neil
Young would, if he ever gets to hear this version, treat it with an
approving mumbling.
With ‘Shapes of Things’, The Yardbirds pass in review once
more. Probably nobody was waiting for another cover of this
bestseller. Besides, Lee & co muddle a very tame and consequently
absolutely superfluous version. Others, as there are Gary Moore or
Jeff Healy have done a better job on this one.
‘Seven and seven’ from Love is the only track of which I
don’t know the original and this probably promotes a positive
criticism. Anyhow, in my opinion, this is the best track of the
album. In a dazzling speed, this wall of sound tumbles all over you
and beats you completely to a jelly after hardly three minutes.
Peart ruffles around like crazy, Lee picks the snares of his bass
guitar till they’re steaming hot and Lifeson tears through the track
as a Testarossa. Majestic!
“The music celebrates a good time in our lives, and we had a good
time celebrating it”, tells Neil Peart in the liner notes, and all
is said in that sentence about this EP.
For what it’s
worth ! |
