Always thought it was never going to be reacted by anymore as it’s an underrated song by Rush and everyone tends to go to the most popular ones rather than this song
@@JustJP If you want "Deep Cuts" of Rush I would suggest their 3rd album, Caress of Steel. It almost ended their musical career because it was misunderstood and didnt have any short, "Radio Friendly" songs. But true Rush fans know that some of their best work is on that album. Pretty much that whole album is a "Deep Cut" From Fly By Night: By-Tor and the Snow Dog From Caress of Steel : The Necromancer (By Tor returns, only as a good guy), The Fountain of Lamneth, Bastille Day From their hit album, 2112: A Passage to Bangkok, Lessons (get the lyric video)
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally some later Rush! I knew you would love this album, I'm so happy you decided to go with the opening track! It's such an energetic piece. I put this video on right after I woke up, and it jolted me awake the second Neil's drumming started. Please keep going with this album I know you're going to love it just as much as you loved this song. Counterparts was Rush's "Alt Rock" album. It had a bit of a heavier sound at times, but the softer moments I guarantee will move you. Please make this one your next album listen!!
Like others, I think that this is Rush's best album from the 90s. Almost every track is a banger and it saw Rush ditch the electronic sounds of the 80s and a return to playing good old fashioned rock music that shows off Alex's guitar skills. I always felt, and so did Alex, that the 80s albums reduced Alex to a bit part player (and I don't mean to detract from Alex's contributions on those albums) because the synths and electronics came to the fore and pushed the guitar to the back. This album totally fipped that concept. Great reaction and a great sound. Thank you.
Not entirely accurate though. Presto and Roll the Bones came out just before this album (Why do people always forget about those 2??) and that was the return of Alex to the forefront. Dreamline, Ghost of a Chance, Bravado, Show Don't Tell, The Pass, etc. are very NOT synth driven songs that feature equal parts from every member.
@@surfeit5910 Thanks for reminding me about those two albums. You are right. There are some great tracks on these two albums. Ghost of a Chance is a favourite of mine. I guess what i was trying to say (inaccurately) was that it was the first album i personally felt saw a return to the old Rush. Counterparts, for me, trumps both Presto and Roll the Bones as well as Test for Echo and Vapour Trails, two albums that had some great tracks but had a lot of "fillers", as one of the previous commenters said. Counterparts had no such tracks. But thanks again for putting me straight on my discography timeline.
I must say that this wasn't one of my favorite songs of theirs. That's until I saw them perform it live! Geddy with his flamenco style on the bass. It was a jaw dropper, because I don't recall seeing a bassist playing with that technique. I'll always be a drum homer, but to see Geddy Lee live is a mind blower. The dude does it all. Take care ✌
First of all, the sound is much improved! YAY!!! You really did a great job there! NICE!!!! This is an excellent tune! The beat, tempo, groove and guitar riff, is, in places, very "Pearl Jammy". Not surprising, actually, considering the time it was made/released. And just after having said that, I went and checked out Wiki's page on the album, and find that "The group agreed that rock band Primus, who opened for them on the Roll the Bones Tour, and Pearl Jam influenced them to tweak their sound further." I totally agree with you about the amazing break, and I think this is some of Alex's best guitar work, especially the solo! It's NOT typical "Alex". And, of course, Neil's amazing lyrics, insightful and thought-provoking, as always! Great analysis, as usual, Jason! You are pretty damn amazing! ;)
JP, another great Rush reaction. I love that you are diving into Rush's deep tracks. No one else on the internet does that. I really appreciate your insights into my favorite band. If you want a good deep track from the 80s, I'd recommend you react to Digital Man from their 1982 release, Signals.
One of my favorite Rush songs from the 90's. This is a powerhouse song. Great way to kick off a very good album from Rush. This song sounds great live. Very cool reaction!
Counterparts is probably my favourite Rush album of the 90s, instead of the others there's no filler tracks. The only one I feel a little weak is Alien Shore personally. In any case my new suggestion for you is a song by the folk rock band Fairport Convention, probably the biggest English folk rock band of all time. I choose the song Angel Delight, it's not so popular as the most famous songs of the band are the ones from the previous period, when Sandy Danny was the lead singer, but I love it and it's really fun to hear so...yes, just listen to it 😆 P.s. I think the sound is better
Man, that guitar tone when Alex gets into the solo is just rapturous. He really found a voice for these bluesy rock solos bubbling up in this song and others in this era.. Similar to Ghost of a Chance which has another great slow-down transition bridge that Rush is so good at. Good to hear a deeper (and more modern) cut. There are a of great songs from the second half of their discography which don't get much play..
Great reaction to a great Rush song. This song may not be the cats pajamas to most Rush fans but I love it. Still waiting for a reaction to "Digital Man". It would also be cool if you reacted to the 4 parts of fear by Rush, which consist of 4 separate song.
Love this song and album. This album was when Rush transitioned back into their harder grittier sound, that was most known in the 70’s. And then later with Test For Echo, Vapor Trails, Snakes And Arrows, & Clockwork Angels, are more harder grittier albums.
New World Man got me liking Geddy’s voice more going forward and listening deeper going backward, music-wise. He did sound more relaxed. 2 coffee Justin sounds borderline sometimes, 3 coffee Justin would be scary... jk. No I’m not. Take care, over caffeination can be unhealthy. Moderation. I love coffee btw. Rest is better. Love my naps after work :)
When I first heard this song I too felt it was pretty commercial. After repeated playings the complexities began to emerge. What I had mistaken for a pop tune resolved into a complex work wherein the lads deploy their musical firepower with a greater degree of subtlety.
@@JustJP I gave up trying to classify their music decades ago and just enjoyed the ride. I should also add that I am greatly enjoying your well constructed and meaningful reviews. Especially when reacting to old tunes I'm familiar with. ;-)
Rush's return to rock, although I'd begun to lose interest in the band at this time and Counterparts was the first Rush album I didn't go out and buy in its week of release. Instead I picked it up a few years later, just out of curiosity, and this was the track that immediately made a great impression. One of Neil Peart's best drum tracks, I think, and a song that came across well in the live arena. If I was to recommend more obscure Rush tracks that deserve more attention, I would pick Middletown Dreams, Bravado, Far Cry and Between the Wheels.
Oh man. Good choices of songs to pick! Middletown Dreams is VERY underrated. I'd like to include Territories alongside it. My jaw dropped during the Clockwork Angels tour when they started playing those songs. With the very first notes, I recognized them, dropped jaw, and practically squealed in excitement as they're my two favorite songs from that album. Far Cry is awesome! I fell in love with that song the moment I started playing it. I'd also like to add in "Dreamline", but not from the studio album. That's nice, but they amped it up in live performances and I think the definitive version is now the one from their "Different Stages" album. In comparison, the studio version sounds like a practice run. Such incredible energy, and the sound is soooo good! That's a great concert song.
@@bobcarn Territories is a great song. I was at the concert that was filmed for the A Show of Hands video, and that one came across really strongly, especially with the visuals. Marathon was another that surprised me with how powerful it sounded live. Dreamline I put alongside Animate, they kind of do the same job in a live set, so I picked Bravado instead from that era. I love the version n the Rio DVD. That, and Different Stages reminded me what a great live band Rush was, because they didn't visit the UK for twelve years, which is why they dropped off my radar a bit. When the R30 tour, and then Snakes & Arrows, came around I was blown away.
After years of being an avid Rush fan, I had lost interest by 88-89, when my interests ran towards more contemporary sounds (Jane's, Pixies, NIN, Killing Joke) and I was surprised how "contemporary" Counterparts sounded when it came out. It sort of reminded me of how Queen responded to punk with News of the World. Rush responded to grunge with this album. Rush had done it before. The difference between Hemispheres and Permanent Waves was the influence of The Police and Talking Heads.
@@nickavenoso7851 Very much on Signals, which I still don't remember to fondly. Less so on Grace Under Pressure, which is one of my favourite Rush albums.
Good, very good. A very good lyrics reflection. The idea of balancing man's need to be strong but find ways to balance it with grace, strength with a gentle touch when needed.
the wonder of Rush is that this, their 14th studio album with still just three musicians, can sound so fresh even today. Animate is a great opener for the album with that wall of sound typical of Rush. 3 coffees and a Rush album, now that's an explosive combination!
It's so awesome you got to hear this! You're right. It's not a song you play for people when you want to get them into Rush, but it's a great song to play for people who are already getting into them. The early stuff is awesome, but there's also some great sounds and techniques they learned that show up in the later albums like this one. Alex is much more experienced at laying down layers with his guitar and creating a fuller sound, Neil is even more imaginative in how he fills in spaces with percussion effects, and Geddy's bass is even more driving and richer. I especially like the lyrics to this song, as it looks at the duality present in people, talking about how men are expected to embrace seemingly-opposing traits. It's not considered one of their classics by people not well-versed with Rush, but it's recognized by their fans as a definitive song for that period in their career. As a side note.... it's one of Neil's favorites. He said he always felt it was one of the best songs they did and loved it. Again, I'm so glad you got to hear it. Listening to the old classics is awesome, and it's great to switch it up and hear how they evolved! I love your discussions afterward and how you delve into the different aspects of the songs. Your channel is one of my favs!
You dialed it in JP, best sound by a lot in my book. Thanks to you and the listeners for introducing me to this song, not a huge Rush fan but I really appreciate their musicianship and this song is a great example.
@@JustJP yes I have been a Rush fan Most my life Rush/Deep Purple/Scorpions my 3 go to bands and early Journey before Steve Perry after Rolie left his 1st co founded band Santana him and Carlos. The 1st 3 Journey albums still had that Santana feel. Self titled Journey is my favorite it's 7 songs about 37 minutes.A Total Jam Session.
Rush started out as a Hard Rock power trio! This song was a bit of a hybrid, hard rocking slightly progressive power pop rock. IMHO of course...Java up’d Justin is on fire 🔥
Great reaction JP ! Have you listened to Counterparts album ? Great songs,,, different tempos of songs....great atmosphere. Check out Animate in concert ....especially from the r30 DVD. Rock on 🎵🎶😃
Is this a banger? Well it sure was fun to see/hear it live. You did an excellent job analyzing the lyrics, btw. I really appreciate the fact that you react to the less obvious Rush songs (I am pretty sure I've seen you do Marathon and The Pass.) Don't get me wrong, I am thankful people are discovering Rush and are keeping the music alive. I just wish more folks would look beyond YYZ, Limelight, Tom Sawyer, 2112, and Xanadu. At any rate, I second the suggestion for Digital Man off of Signals. It's one of those criminally underrated Rush songs. I'd also recommend Driven, Ghost of a Chance, Red Sector A, Secret Touch, and Grand Designs.
This was Rush's "mic drop" during the Alternative/Grunge era. Like, "Fuck you, we can do it better. There." You also got the lyrics right - the entire album is a theme - male vs. female gender roles. Another awesome song off of this is "Cold Fire". And one of my favorite, underrated, powerful song of of this same album is the last track "Everyday Glory".
Album after album gettin better. One day neil was interviewing and they asking him which album was the best one he answer the last album we re doin is always my best album because we workin so hard To deliver a better album after an other one some people like much 70s one thats ok but we got to go in defferent style exploring new soundin... I loved hearing that answer at that time.
Forbidden Colours? Really? That’s an incredible song! Buoy off of Mick Karn’s solo album (Sylvian’s bass player) is lovely. You can also find it on Sylvian’s album “All Of This And Nothing.”
Sub'd for the in depth analysis of this song. It's one my favs, if not #1. I would like to recommend "Leave That Thing Alone" from the same album. They would play it at pretty much every concert since the Counterparts tour.
Thanks for this reaction! I love this song. The bass and the drums are amazing. My suggestion now is a little different... How about some Eurodance from the 90's? Try Culture Beat - Mr. Vain. Cheers!
Pretty cool. It's like very straightforward Rush. Far from my favorite of Rush, but sometimes you just want that right to the point rock and roll; it's almost classy, like super talented prog musicians who don't always need to be flashy. Geddy's vocals in that breakdown part are definitely nice. Sounds like you did a good job interpreting his lyrics too.
Ooooh yes. This was good. I am a little in doubt with the singing and the melodic line. Perhaps I'd rather like this track as an instrumental. But I am very enthusiastic about this piece. The first three seconds, with those drums ! Thank you. So, to you, staying up until 9:45 is insomnia ?
Perusing RUclips, I got notified that JP is reacting to a Rush song - DROP EVERYTHING! 😁 Great reaction to a great song. I’d like to recommend a ‘deep cut’ of Rush: “Totem”, off of their 1997 “Test for Echo” record. Look forward to it! 👍🏻
If you want to complete your journey through Rush, I think that you have to react to something from the album Test for Echo, when Rush became "heavy" again. My suggestions: "Driven" "Dog Years" and "Totem", but all tracks are great.
Fantastic!! I love everything you get from this song. To me Rush is the greatest band and a lot of that is because of their ability to create great prog music for the general public that aren't well versed in music theory. When first getting into Rush, I loved this whole album. I'm sure the same will be true for you...AND, since this was track one of the Counterparts album, you might as well react to the rest of it like you did with GG's Octopus. Sound quality is back to a top notch rating. And please, always do more Rush. It will better your life. If you don't react to the whole album, feel free to try out Rush's song, Faithless, from their 2007 album, Snakes and Arrows. It hits all the sweet spots. You Justin, are a million cups of coffee.
@@JustJP Wonderful! I believe Beehive was very influential in the development of what Talk Talk turned into with their last two records. In case this is unfamiliar to you, check Spirit of Eden, although I think you've already gone down that rabbit hole. Dude, I'm not being patronizing, it just feels so good to hear that someone else out there appreciates Sylvian.
@@Azabaxe80 no worries man! I could listen to Sylvian aaaaaall day . Havent really listened to much of Talk Talk, though I have listened to Mark Hollis solo
@@JustJP The Hollis record was a continuation from "Spirit of Eden" and "Laughing Stock". Interestingly enough, I was never able to appreciate Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" until I had learned to love later-period Talk Talk. Being as you are into Sylvian, those two records (and the Van Morrison, of course) will be very easy to appreciate. BTW, Animate is a fine song. By the time it came out, however, Rush was no longer a concern for me. Talk Talk, Catherine Wheel (there's a connection between those two bands, if you care to look for it) and Alice in Chains were.
If you like this and it sounds like you do you might be like a lot of us that liked the newer Rush more than the older rush now before anyone gets to become a hater on me I love all rush but I prefer the newer Rush maybe that's because I became a fan during the presto tour but you've got to check out more of counterparts and roll the bones too and then see if that's your taste
This is a positive song. The musicianship is there, its the guys that I love. As musicians they did develop all through their career. There is an elephant in the room. There is a difference between divine and very good. For I have dined on honey dew, and drunk the milk of paradise. By the way, sounds are very good.
Writing the lyrics for this album, Peart had revisioned his manhood, the way he used to see feminility, including his own feminine side. Also reprogramming his view to homossexuality, in the beautiful song "Nobody's Hero". Comparing Geddy's vocals to the early years of Rush, he improved his technique along the years, avoiding those critical high notes. That's why you noticed he singing more comfortably and tuned. I guess his vocal chords thanks a lot! I used to play "Animate" with one of my bands. Not hard as other Rush songs, but still, a little demanding in drumming technique. Well, it's Peart, right? Why it had to be easy? LOL Animate is a great song! But, from Counterparts album, I still prefer "Stick it out".
JustJP People don’t have to try to monetize on RUclips to get in trouble, and you cannot monetize because you’re using copyrighted content in your videos. We can’t even monetize our own original music on RUclips without getting the proper licenses first! I’ve tried. It’s expensive to get the proper licenses. I’ve had two friends get warnings from RUclips when they downloaded live concert videos they shot, because certain artists canvass RUclips (or they have bots doing it) and notify RUclips that a user is violating their copyright. RUclips then removes these videos and sends warnings that the third time this happens, the entire RUclips contents of the channel and the channel will be deleted! Ouch! The Eagles are one band I know of that does this. I don’t know any others offhand but one of my friends who has gotten over 5 million hits on his live videos (and never tried to monetize) has had two warnings. The same is true with my other friend but I can’t remember which artists objected to her live videos. Both took high quality videos. Videos don’t have to be live for copyright holders to object and ask for them to be removed, but whenever possible, it’s a good idea to try to get permission. Of course at a big arena show this is usually not possible. Big kudos to the artists who allow videos to be posted on RUclips. They’re free promotional tools for concerts. In artists’ defense, I can understand why some may not want their shows recorded with poor sound and video quality and want to control how their music is presented. I guess you’ve most likely encountered some notifications that your videos were violating copyrights since you’ve had to cut up videos a few time to get them to play.
Nando Some artists have restrictions on their copyrights and don’t allow uploaded videos. Most do not have restrictions. One way to find out is to do a search of an artist’s videos and if you see a lot of them from different RUclips channels (and they’re not all official), it’s a safe bet the artist allows them.
Bruh Dream Theatre is basically a Rush cover band lol. Not in the literal sense obviously but they are heavily influenced by Rush and in fact they play several Rush covers in every concert they perform. To me saying Rush sounds like DT is like saying I look like my younger brother...
![Ice On My Teeth - ATEEZ エイティーズ 에이티즈 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 241115](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c-n92OgbbwA/mqdefault.jpg)
Always thought it was never going to be reacted by anymore as it’s an underrated song by Rush and everyone tends to go to the most popular ones rather than this song
Underrated is my middle name. (Well, ok it's not. But underrated songs are what I prefer)
@@JustJP If you want "Deep Cuts" of Rush I would suggest their 3rd album, Caress of Steel. It almost ended their musical career because it was misunderstood and didnt have any short, "Radio Friendly" songs. But true Rush fans know that some of their best work is on that album. Pretty much that whole album is a "Deep Cut"
From Fly By Night: By-Tor and the Snow Dog
From Caress of Steel : The Necromancer (By Tor returns, only as a good guy), The Fountain of Lamneth, Bastille Day
From their hit album, 2112: A Passage to Bangkok, Lessons (get the lyric video)
One of my favorite Rush tracks, the drum intro sets the song up nicely. Thanks for covering this tune.
@@keithrouse2815 of course; its was really enjoyable
Peart commented in interviews that he was pleased with this track, both lyrically and instrumentally.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally some later Rush! I knew you would love this album, I'm so happy you decided to go with the opening track! It's such an energetic piece. I put this video on right after I woke up, and it jolted me awake the second Neil's drumming started. Please keep going with this album I know you're going to love it just as much as you loved this song. Counterparts was Rush's "Alt Rock" album. It had a bit of a heavier sound at times, but the softer moments I guarantee will move you. Please make this one your next album listen!!
Haha awesome!!! Thanks so much Rich :) If the other songs are just as good, I'll probably enjoy it a lot
Like others, I think that this is Rush's best album from the 90s. Almost every track is a banger and it saw Rush ditch the electronic sounds of the 80s and a return to playing good old fashioned rock music that shows off Alex's guitar skills. I always felt, and so did Alex, that the 80s albums reduced Alex to a bit part player (and I don't mean to detract from Alex's contributions on those albums) because the synths and electronics came to the fore and pushed the guitar to the back. This album totally fipped that concept. Great reaction and a great sound. Thank you.
Totally understand that; this was a nice return to form for them it seems. Ty Geddy
Not entirely accurate though. Presto and Roll the Bones came out just before this album (Why do people always forget about those 2??) and that was the return of Alex to the forefront. Dreamline, Ghost of a Chance, Bravado, Show Don't Tell, The Pass, etc. are very NOT synth driven songs that feature equal parts from every member.
@@surfeit5910 Thanks for reminding me about those two albums. You are right. There are some great tracks on these two albums. Ghost of a Chance is a favourite of mine. I guess what i was trying to say (inaccurately) was that it was the first album i personally felt saw a return to the old Rush. Counterparts, for me, trumps both Presto and Roll the Bones as well as Test for Echo and Vapour Trails, two albums that had some great tracks but had a lot of "fillers", as one of the previous commenters said. Counterparts had no such tracks. But thanks again for putting me straight on my discography timeline.
Honestly; this has always been my favorite song of theirs.
Is my favorite too ❤️
One of my favorites... That break in the middle is magical and when I first saw and heard this live I was transported away.
I must say that this wasn't one of my favorite songs of theirs. That's until I saw them perform it live! Geddy with his flamenco style on the bass. It was a jaw dropper, because I don't recall seeing a bassist playing with that technique. I'll always be a drum homer, but to see Geddy Lee live is a mind blower. The dude does it all.
Take care ✌
First of all, the sound is much improved! YAY!!! You really did a great job there! NICE!!!!
This is an excellent tune! The beat, tempo, groove and guitar riff, is, in places, very "Pearl Jammy". Not surprising, actually, considering the time it was made/released.
And just after having said that, I went and checked out Wiki's page on the album, and find that "The group agreed that rock band Primus, who opened for them on the Roll the Bones Tour, and Pearl Jam influenced them to tweak their sound further."
I totally agree with you about the amazing break, and I think this is some of Alex's best guitar work, especially the solo! It's NOT typical "Alex".
And, of course, Neil's amazing lyrics, insightful and thought-provoking, as always!
Great analysis, as usual, Jason! You are pretty damn amazing!
;)
JP, another great Rush reaction. I love that you are diving into Rush's deep tracks. No one else on the internet does that. I really appreciate your insights into my favorite band. If you want a good deep track from the 80s, I'd recommend you react to Digital Man from their 1982 release, Signals.
Ty Fred. I prefer lesser-known; you'll usually find the good stuff that sticks for a long time
One of my favorite Rush songs from the 90's. This is a powerhouse song. Great way to kick off a very good album from Rush. This song sounds great live. Very cool reaction!
Thanks Kings! This one is great
Counterparts is probably my favourite Rush album of the 90s, instead of the others there's no filler tracks. The only one I feel a little weak is Alien Shore personally.
In any case my new suggestion for you is a song by the folk rock band Fairport Convention, probably the biggest English folk rock band of all time. I choose the song Angel Delight, it's not so popular as the most famous songs of the band are the ones from the previous period, when Sandy Danny was the lead singer, but I love it and it's really fun to hear so...yes, just listen to it 😆
P.s. I think the sound is better
Ty Sam! 🙃
nice pic sam. Lightbulb Sun is probably my fav porcupine tree album beside stupid dream :)
@@Tintop My favourites are Lightbulb and Fear of a Blank Planet. Stupid Dream also is a great album
This is a great song! I didn't think it would ever make it to the reaction stage. Great request tres amigos!
The stage is open for all takers🙃
My favorite song from my go to Rush album!
Man, that guitar tone when Alex gets into the solo is just rapturous. He really found a voice for these bluesy rock solos bubbling up in this song and others in this era.. Similar to Ghost of a Chance which has another great slow-down transition bridge that Rush is so good at. Good to hear a deeper (and more modern) cut. There are a of great songs from the second half of their discography which don't get much play..
Thanks Michael! This was a great one, happy to explore more
The sound was perfect, JP
Some bass notes change my blood pressure. I love this song!
Yes!
This was a return to a more muscular sound from the band and there are plenty of great tracks on the album. It's great live too.
Great reaction to a great Rush song. This song may not be the cats pajamas to most Rush fans but I love it. Still waiting for a reaction to "Digital Man". It would also be cool if you reacted to the 4 parts of fear by Rush, which consist of 4 separate song.
I dont know if it's the cat's pajamas, but it's at least his comfy slippers. Ty, I keep forgetting about that one
@@JustJP LOL
Love this song and album. This album was when Rush transitioned back into their harder grittier sound, that was most known in the 70’s. And then later with Test For Echo, Vapor Trails, Snakes And Arrows, & Clockwork Angels, are more harder grittier albums.
Love this song a lot and its probably my favorite song of Rush in the 1990s. Very Hard rock and Heavy album Counterparts and Test for Echo too.
New World Man got me liking Geddy’s voice more going forward and listening deeper going backward, music-wise. He did sound more relaxed.
2 coffee Justin sounds borderline sometimes, 3 coffee Justin would be scary... jk. No I’m not. Take care, over caffeination can be unhealthy. Moderation. I love coffee btw.
Rest is better. Love my naps after work :)
Ty David! I rarely go three cups; it's not always a fun time lol
Audio sounds good, my dude. Great reaction. I love this entire album. It was the second CD I purchased when CDs hit mainstream.
Awesome, ty Chris!
When I first heard this song I too felt it was pretty commercial. After repeated playings the complexities began to emerge.
What I had mistaken for a pop tune resolved into a complex work wherein the lads deploy their musical firepower with a greater degree of subtlety.
If this is pop, I'd be okay with that🤭 but yes, the subtlety of their music still comes across in a more conventional song
@@JustJP I gave up trying to classify their music decades ago and just enjoyed the ride. I should also add that I am greatly enjoying your well constructed and meaningful reviews. Especially when reacting to old tunes I'm familiar with. ;-)
@@droopyofthenorthwestmounted Ty for that Droopy :) I'm glad you're enjoying yourself here
Rush was always a mystery back in the day wondering what next album would sound like.
Rush's return to rock, although I'd begun to lose interest in the band at this time and Counterparts was the first Rush album I didn't go out and buy in its week of release. Instead I picked it up a few years later, just out of curiosity, and this was the track that immediately made a great impression. One of Neil Peart's best drum tracks, I think, and a song that came across well in the live arena. If I was to recommend more obscure Rush tracks that deserve more attention, I would pick Middletown Dreams, Bravado, Far Cry and Between the Wheels.
Oh man. Good choices of songs to pick! Middletown Dreams is VERY underrated. I'd like to include Territories alongside it. My jaw dropped during the Clockwork Angels tour when they started playing those songs. With the very first notes, I recognized them, dropped jaw, and practically squealed in excitement as they're my two favorite songs from that album. Far Cry is awesome! I fell in love with that song the moment I started playing it. I'd also like to add in "Dreamline", but not from the studio album. That's nice, but they amped it up in live performances and I think the definitive version is now the one from their "Different Stages" album. In comparison, the studio version sounds like a practice run. Such incredible energy, and the sound is soooo good! That's a great concert song.
@@bobcarn Territories is a great song. I was at the concert that was filmed for the A Show of Hands video, and that one came across really strongly, especially with the visuals. Marathon was another that surprised me with how powerful it sounded live. Dreamline I put alongside Animate, they kind of do the same job in a live set, so I picked Bravado instead from that era. I love the version n the Rio DVD. That, and Different Stages reminded me what a great live band Rush was, because they didn't visit the UK for twelve years, which is why they dropped off my radar a bit. When the R30 tour, and then Snakes & Arrows, came around I was blown away.
After years of being an avid Rush fan, I had lost interest by 88-89, when my interests ran towards more contemporary sounds (Jane's, Pixies, NIN, Killing Joke) and I was surprised how "contemporary" Counterparts sounded when it came out. It sort of reminded me of how Queen responded to punk with News of the World. Rush responded to grunge with this album. Rush had done it before. The difference between Hemispheres and Permanent Waves was the influence of The Police and Talking Heads.
Azabaxe80 I think the Police and Talking Heads influences really show on Signals, and Grace Under Pressure.
@@nickavenoso7851 Very much on Signals, which I still don't remember to fondly. Less so on Grace Under Pressure, which is one of my favourite Rush albums.
This is such a great song for running and working out.
Did anybody else get flashbacks of "See Me, Feel Me" by The Who from those lyrics? ;-]
(Maybe it's just me... remember, weed is legal in Canada!)
This song did get significant air play in Raleigh in the early 80s on FM...so you are right about the air worthiness of Animate.
Thank you Justin! That was great. Glad you liked the song! Rush considers it one of their best, from a song-writing standpoint.
Thank YOU! This was fun to listen to
This is beautifully crafted track with great instrumentation superbly layered. Loved it.
Sound is great! (Definitely better than recently...)
Great to hear! Ty
Good, very good. A very good lyrics reflection.
The idea of balancing man's need to be strong but find ways to balance it with grace, strength with a gentle touch when needed.
the wonder of Rush is that this, their 14th studio album with still just three musicians, can sound so fresh even today. Animate is a great opener for the album with that wall of sound typical of Rush. 3 coffees and a Rush album, now that's an explosive combination!
Yes it is! 💥
It's so awesome you got to hear this! You're right. It's not a song you play for people when you want to get them into Rush, but it's a great song to play for people who are already getting into them. The early stuff is awesome, but there's also some great sounds and techniques they learned that show up in the later albums like this one. Alex is much more experienced at laying down layers with his guitar and creating a fuller sound, Neil is even more imaginative in how he fills in spaces with percussion effects, and Geddy's bass is even more driving and richer. I especially like the lyrics to this song, as it looks at the duality present in people, talking about how men are expected to embrace seemingly-opposing traits. It's not considered one of their classics by people not well-versed with Rush, but it's recognized by their fans as a definitive song for that period in their career. As a side note.... it's one of Neil's favorites. He said he always felt it was one of the best songs they did and loved it. Again, I'm so glad you got to hear it. Listening to the old classics is awesome, and it's great to switch it up and hear how they evolved! I love your discussions afterward and how you delve into the different aspects of the songs. Your channel is one of my favs!
Thanks so much Robert! I really liked this one a lot; glad I could listen to something a little more "modern" from them!
You dialed it in JP, best sound by a lot in my book. Thanks to you and the listeners for introducing me to this song, not a huge Rush fan but I really appreciate their musicianship and this song is a great example.
Ty Greg, Glad you liked this one as much as me :)
Neil’s groove here is slammin.’ It is a banger, sir. A 3-cup big banger.
☕☕☕
YES! you listen to it all before you speak, a rare gift! thank you!
Absolutely! Gotta listen to the song before I can talk about it :D Ty
Thanks for the lyrical analysis. Gives a new light to this great tune.
Four cup Justin... Midnight Rambler'
Haha, either that or dead
have to say, absolutely amazed by this song, actually prefering the overall atmosphere than their previous one, nice analyse!
It's good isn't it?!
One of my very favorite Rush songs is Marathon because you can equate it so well with life.
Absolutely: deep meaning in their lyrics
@@JustJP yes I have been a Rush fan Most my life Rush/Deep Purple/Scorpions my 3 go to bands and early Journey before Steve Perry after Rolie left his 1st co founded band Santana him and Carlos. The 1st 3 Journey albums still had that Santana feel. Self titled Journey is my favorite it's 7 songs about 37 minutes.A Total Jam Session.
Rush started out as a Hard Rock power trio! This song was a bit of a hybrid, hard rocking slightly progressive power pop rock. IMHO of course...Java up’d Justin is on fire 🔥
Ty Ron! ☕☕
Great reaction JP ! Have you listened to Counterparts album ? Great songs,,, different tempos of songs....great atmosphere. Check out Animate in concert ....especially from the r30 DVD. Rock on 🎵🎶😃
I recommend Show Don't Tell, by Rush, a very funky tune with a killer riff.
Fantastic breakdown of a great Rush tune!
Ty Matt! :D
Is this a banger? Well it sure was fun to see/hear it live. You did an excellent job analyzing the lyrics, btw. I really appreciate the fact that you react to the less obvious Rush songs (I am pretty sure I've seen you do Marathon and The Pass.) Don't get me wrong, I am thankful people are discovering Rush and are keeping the music alive. I just wish more folks would look beyond YYZ, Limelight, Tom Sawyer, 2112, and Xanadu. At any rate, I second the suggestion for Digital Man off of Signals. It's one of those criminally underrated Rush songs. I'd also recommend Driven, Ghost of a Chance, Red Sector A, Secret Touch, and Grand Designs.
Ty Ankaa😊
This reminds me of Freeze because its the one song that can match the drive this song has.
I love Freeze, not so popular, but great drive.
Great review JP! Thanks dude! BTW, that was my brother who requested this song and you gave him a shout out. We both play drums..R.I.P. Neil..
Oh awesome! Thank you (both of you)🥁🥁
Now that you've heard some Rush it's going to be hard to find another band quite as good. They in a league of thier own
This was Rush's "mic drop" during the Alternative/Grunge era. Like, "Fuck you, we can do it better. There." You also got the lyrics right - the entire album is a theme - male vs. female gender roles. Another awesome song off of this is "Cold Fire". And one of my favorite, underrated, powerful song of of this same album is the last track "Everyday Glory".
Album after album gettin better. One day neil was interviewing and they asking him which album was the best one he answer the last album we re doin is always my best album because we workin so hard To deliver a better album after an other one some people like much 70s one thats ok but we got to go in defferent style exploring new soundin... I loved hearing that answer at that time.
Forbidden Colours? Really? That’s an incredible song! Buoy off of Mick Karn’s solo album (Sylvian’s bass player) is lovely. You can also find it on Sylvian’s album “All Of This And Nothing.”
Oh absolutely! Love FC (Though not my favorite song on the album). Ty Alan!
Yeah more prog rock! Some more Rush! This is great sounding record. The three before it sound really thin and compressed.
Definitely sounds more full
Paul Hilburger I agree. It's hard for me to listen to the previous 3 albums because of that thin sound.
I love the songs on Presto but the production is hard to get over.
Sub'd for the in depth analysis of this song. It's one my favs, if not #1. I would like to recommend "Leave That Thing Alone" from the same album. They would play it at pretty much every concert since the Counterparts tour.
Ty Alpha!
This song is about a 2 cup of coffee for me too... Very energetic
Yes! :D
Great song from an underrated album.
Thanks for this reaction! I love this song. The bass and the drums are amazing.
My suggestion now is a little different... How about some Eurodance from the 90's? Try Culture Beat - Mr. Vain. Cheers!
Ty Marcio as always!
Pretty cool. It's like very straightforward Rush. Far from my favorite of Rush, but sometimes you just want that right to the point rock and roll; it's almost classy, like super talented prog musicians who don't always need to be flashy. Geddy's vocals in that breakdown part are definitely nice. Sounds like you did a good job interpreting his lyrics too.
Exactly! Shows that they can write a great and straightforward rocker
One of my all time favorites. 2 really big cups for me then... 😉
☕☕ a venti!
There's one word that comes to mind hearing this song, mystical.
How about transcendental? 🤭
Ooooh yes. This was good. I am a little in doubt with the singing and the melodic line. Perhaps I'd rather like this track as an instrumental.
But I am very enthusiastic about this piece. The first three seconds, with those drums ! Thank you.
So, to you, staying up until 9:45 is insomnia ?
Only if its 9:45 the following day 🤭
The sound issues I had have been fixed. Thank you.
Their first post grunge album which brought them back to rocking and away from the synthier period.
Excellent! Thank you John
@@JustJP You're welcome.
Always concise and intuitive analysis
Thanks brother
How about doing the entire Counterparts album JP? It's very consistent.
Perusing RUclips, I got notified that JP is reacting to a Rush song - DROP EVERYTHING! 😁 Great reaction to a great song. I’d like to recommend a ‘deep cut’ of Rush: “Totem”, off of their 1997 “Test for Echo” record. Look forward to it! 👍🏻
Lol! Hope you remember to pick it all back up afterwards 🤭 ty Omar
JustJP Yup, picking up the pieces now. 😁
If you want to complete your journey through Rush, I think that you have to react to something from the album Test for Echo, when Rush became "heavy" again. My suggestions: "Driven" "Dog Years" and "Totem", but all tracks are great.
Great choice! If you like this, try Dreamline for your next Rush reaction :-)
Audio sounds great btw
Ty Graham!
Fantastic!! I love everything you get from this song. To me Rush is the greatest band and a lot of that is because of their ability to create great prog music for the general public that aren't well versed in music theory. When first getting into Rush, I loved this whole album. I'm sure the same will be true for you...AND, since this was track one of the Counterparts album, you might as well react to the rest of it like you did with GG's Octopus. Sound quality is back to a top notch rating. And please, always do more Rush. It will better your life.
If you don't react to the whole album, feel free to try out Rush's song, Faithless, from their 2007 album, Snakes and Arrows. It hits all the sweet spots. You Justin, are a million cups of coffee.
Thanks so much Quinton! Glad the sound is good as well. Oh man, I'm having coffee right now (I'm at 2 cups...)
@@JustJP me too!! Good luck falling asleep tonight.
@@qmiller9haha you as well! #coffeeclub
🖒🖒 The sound is still good on this end. 😲COFFEEEEEEE!!!!
Awesome! Glad to hear it :)☕☕☕
You into David Sylvian? Dude! I'm impressed!
Into him? Hes my favorite artist!😁
@@JustJP Wonderful! I believe Beehive was very influential in the development of what Talk Talk turned into with their last two records. In case this is unfamiliar to you, check Spirit of Eden, although I think you've already gone down that rabbit hole.
Dude, I'm not being patronizing, it just feels so good to hear that someone else out there appreciates Sylvian.
@@Azabaxe80 no worries man! I could listen to Sylvian aaaaaall day . Havent really listened to much of Talk Talk, though I have listened to Mark Hollis solo
@@JustJP The Hollis record was a continuation from "Spirit of Eden" and "Laughing Stock". Interestingly enough, I was never able to appreciate Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" until I had learned to love later-period Talk Talk. Being as you are into Sylvian, those two records (and the Van Morrison, of course) will be very easy to appreciate.
BTW, Animate is a fine song. By the time it came out, however, Rush was no longer a concern for me. Talk Talk, Catherine Wheel (there's a connection between those two bands, if you care to look for it) and Alice in Chains were.
please do "Nobody's Hero" from the same album :)
The song is about the X chromosome and its influence on the Male... the Anima .. the unconcious female side of a man
Rush are awesome, but you know who else is Awesome, yes that's right... Magnum with "In the Beginning"... Also RIP Neal Peart.
Counterparts is a very good album!
If you like this and it sounds like you do you might be like a lot of us that liked the newer Rush more than the older rush now before anyone gets to become a hater on me I love all rush but I prefer the newer Rush maybe that's because I became a fan during the presto tour but you've got to check out more of counterparts and roll the bones too and then see if that's your taste
Hey JP, could you review Mother And Child Divided by Porcupine Tree. Preferably the live version. You won't know what will happen to you!!
All RUclipsrs I ask, give a heart-like, no one reviews the song though 😅
This is a positive song. The musicianship is there, its the guys that I love. As musicians they did develop all through their career.
There is an elephant in the room. There is a difference between divine and very good. For I have dined on honey dew, and drunk the milk of paradise.
By the way, sounds are very good.
Writing the lyrics for this album, Peart had revisioned his manhood, the way he used to see feminility, including his own feminine side. Also reprogramming his view to homossexuality, in the beautiful song "Nobody's Hero".
Comparing Geddy's vocals to the early years of Rush, he improved his technique along the years, avoiding those critical high notes. That's why you noticed he singing more comfortably and tuned. I guess his vocal chords thanks a lot!
I used to play "Animate" with one of my bands. Not hard as other Rush songs, but still, a little demanding in drumming technique. Well, it's Peart, right? Why it had to be easy? LOL
Animate is a great song! But, from Counterparts album, I still prefer "Stick it out".
Interesting background on this one, ty Luiz! And yes, I wouldn't want less than demanding 😁
How do you get RUclips to not ban your videos due to copyrighted music as I hear they have been very strict lately, best wishes
Ty. I dont monetize anything here; no reason to come after me I suppose
JustJP People don’t have to try to monetize on RUclips to get in trouble, and you cannot monetize because you’re using copyrighted content in your videos.
We can’t even monetize our own original music on RUclips without getting the proper licenses first! I’ve tried. It’s expensive to get the proper licenses.
I’ve had two friends get warnings from RUclips when they downloaded live concert videos they shot, because certain artists canvass RUclips (or they have bots doing it) and notify RUclips that a user is violating their copyright. RUclips then removes these videos and sends warnings that the third time this happens, the entire RUclips contents of the channel and the channel will be deleted! Ouch!
The Eagles are one band I know of that does this. I don’t know any others offhand but one of my friends who has gotten over 5 million hits on his live videos (and never tried to monetize) has had two warnings. The same is true with my other friend but I can’t remember which artists objected to her live videos. Both took high quality videos.
Videos don’t have to be live for copyright holders to object and ask for them to be removed, but whenever possible, it’s a good idea to try to get permission. Of course at a big arena show this is usually not possible.
Big kudos to the artists who allow videos to be posted on RUclips. They’re free promotional tools for concerts. In artists’ defense, I can understand why some may not want their shows recorded with poor sound and video quality and want to control how their music is presented.
I guess you’ve most likely encountered some notifications that your videos were violating copyrights since you’ve had to cut up videos a few time to get them to play.
Nando Some artists have restrictions on their copyrights and don’t allow uploaded videos. Most do not have restrictions. One way to find out is to do a search of an artist’s videos and if you see a lot of them from different RUclips channels (and they’re not all official), it’s a safe bet the artist allows them.
I would like to watch Rush's guys reacting this video reaction. Funny.
🤭
No coffee, No workee.
Ps, This song has just the right amount of torquee! Sorry, just screwing around. 🖖🐾
The puns are strong with this one 🤭
JustJP :Yoda: Funny puns this one thinks he writes. More pungent thinks I..stinks they do, hmm.
A gem. Check out Far Cry.
Bruh Dream Theatre is basically a Rush cover band lol. Not in the literal sense obviously but they are heavily influenced by Rush and in fact they play several Rush covers in every concert they perform. To me saying Rush sounds like DT is like saying I look like my younger brother...
Lol! I hear ya. Ty Wendy
Does this song really seperate itself from any other. No thrills! Another "run of the mill", rock song.
The anima the female within the male