The "Rush" enigma

Mick Jones, Carbon/Silicon, BAD and cetera.
Heston
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The "Rush" enigma

Post by Heston »

What is it with this song? It started life with a different title (Change of Atmosphere) on an album (Kool-Aid) that wasn't a proper release. Then it was a huge Billboard hit in the US, and still seems to have a bit of cult cred to this day. And unbelievably it got to fucking number one in Australia and BAD II were feted like stars! All of this with one of the most crazy mid-song breakdowns in musical history with Mick deliberately singing out of tune. Yet the song made zero cultural impact in the UK, despite being on a double "A" side with the re-release of SISOSIG. Weird how shit turns out.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

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Heston wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 5:19pm
What is it with this song? It started life with a different title (Change of Atmosphere) on an album (Kool-Aid) that wasn't a proper release. Then it was a huge Billboard hit in the US, and still seems to have a bit of cult cred to this day. And unbelievably it got to fucking number one in Australia and BAD II were feted like stars! All of this with one of the most crazy mid-song breakdowns in musical history with Mick deliberately singing out of tune. Yet the song made zero cultural impact in the UK, despite being on a double "A" side with the re-release of SISOSIG. Weird how shit turns out.
Looks like it went to #1 in the UK though (presumably on the strength of the SISOSIG rerelease), but it had to have made some impact? It only made it to #32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (though #1 on the relatively easier Modern Rock charts).
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

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Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I think Rush is their best song by a wide margin. I love all the weird shit in it.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

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matedog wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 6:31pm
Heston wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 5:19pm
What is it with this song? It started life with a different title (Change of Atmosphere) on an album (Kool-Aid) that wasn't a proper release. Then it was a huge Billboard hit in the US, and still seems to have a bit of cult cred to this day. And unbelievably it got to fucking number one in Australia and BAD II were feted like stars! All of this with one of the most crazy mid-song breakdowns in musical history with Mick deliberately singing out of tune. Yet the song made zero cultural impact in the UK, despite being on a double "A" side with the re-release of SISOSIG. Weird how shit turns out.
Looks like it went to #1 in the UK though (presumably on the strength of the SISOSIG rerelease), but it had to have made some impact? It only made it to #32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (though #1 on the relatively easier Modern Rock charts).
Yes, #1 in the UK by default, but to say it never got a sniff of airplay would be an understatement. # 32 on the Billboard chart isn't bad at all when you consider their prior chart positions. Honestly, it never registered the UK.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

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matedog wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 6:40pm
Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I think Rush is their best song by a wide margin. I love all the weird shit in it.
I... possibly agree with this.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

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matedog wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 6:40pm
Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I think Rush is their best song by a wide margin. I love all the weird shit in it.
Wrongo Starr
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Re: The "Rush" enigma

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matedog wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 6:40pm
Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I think Rush is their best song by a wide margin. I love all the weird shit in it.
I don't dislike it one iota, but I'll take any of the singles off the first two albums any day of the week.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 7:04pm
matedog wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 6:40pm
Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I think Rush is their best song by a wide margin. I love all the weird shit in it.
I don't dislike it one iota, but I'll take any of the singles off the first two albums any day of the week.
Totally. Make that any of the singles off the first three albums for me.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Heston wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 7:13pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 7:04pm
matedog wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 6:40pm
Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I think Rush is their best song by a wide margin. I love all the weird shit in it.
I don't dislike it one iota, but I'll take any of the singles off the first two albums any day of the week.
Totally. Make that any of the singles off the first three albums for me.
It's so rare, I like it when we're on the same side of an issue. :kiss:
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

Post by oliver »

I thought it was a little strange that original BAD played it on the re-union tour
Putting a little stick about. Putting the frighteners on flash little twerps

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

Post by Heston »

oliver wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 8:03pm
I thought it was a little strange that original BAD played it on the re-union tour
Same. That just goes to show the clout it had outside of the UK, that it infiltrated the original line up.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

Post by msza2 »

I actually just randomly read the other day that Tom Delong of Blink-182 considers Rush his favorite song of all time. That took me by surprise, though it probably shouldn't have.

I am also in the camp who considers it my favorite BAD song. The main body of the song is amazingly catchy and the weird breakdown in the middle does a great job of delaying gratification and creating an itch to hear the catchy part again. It's pretty brilliant and a gutsy choice by Mick for a song that clearly had hit potential.

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

Post by white man »

Did it not appear in a few movies that were popular with the Teen's around that time.

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

Post by gkbill »

white man wrote:
01 Nov 2022, 10:31pm
Did it not appear in a few movies that were popular with the Teen's around that time.
Hello,

True - Big Daddy and So I Married an Axe Murderer. Big Daddy was pretty big (though notworthwhile) at the time.

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Re: The "Rush" enigma

Post by BostonBeaneater »

Just making sure this wasn’t another thread where doc is pontificating on the sweet singing of Geddy Lee.
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