[.ca] Snakes And Arrows (Ltd Ed) (DVD Audio)

Awful. Just plain awful.:
I am, and have always been, a huge huge Rush fan. I have been to upwards of 10 Rush concerts. I have come to "grow" with their music, i.e. I understand that Rush will not put out another 2112, A Farewell To Kings, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, etc. I have actually enjoyed albums such as Counterparts, Test For Echo and Vapor Trails. However, S & A has got to be one of their worst albums. Ever. The album starts off well. Far Cry is a good song, the best on the album. After that, though, it's all downhill. Armor & Sword was very slow and very boring. Workin' Them Angels was also very draggy...no pep. The Larger Bowl, same thing. By the time I got to The Way The Wind Blows, I was thinking that I've heard that song already...that's because all the songs sound exactly the same, and they are all draggy and boring. There are a couple of exceptions. Spindrift is OK, and Malignant Narcissism is cool. But then you have to hear songs like Bravest Face and Good News First in between, and any hope of salvaging the album is lost. I am definitely going to the coming Rush concert on the recent tour. However, knowing how many songs are being played of S & A, this is the first Rush concert I can honestly say I'm not looking forward to. And that truly is a shame. Skip this album. If you are a true Rush fan, just put this album on "ignore". If you are a new Rush fan, pick up one of their earlier albums like 2112 or A Farewell To Kings, or Counterparts and/or Test For Echo if you want newer stuff. But do not get Snakes & Arrows. You'll thank me later.

Takes a few listens to get into...:
Having been a Rush fan since 1975 I have followed the different paths Rush has taken. This latest effort seems to follow on the heels of their Feedback CD as far as raw energy. Many people were against Rush doing cover songs but the renewed vitality on this album is a direct result of the "having a good time in the recording studio" mini album Feedback. No longer is Alex buried in "the mix" below Geddy's bass, keyboards, and vocals - we now have the Alex of old - with screaming solos and interesting chord progressions. Lots of acoustic guitar work too - reminiscent of the "good old days" of Fly By Night, Caress of Steel and A Farewell to Kings. Best 3 songs (not including the awesome instrumentals) are Armor & Sword, Spindrift, and We Hold On. If I could sum up the album compared to the old stuff it would be a cross between A Farewell to Kings, Moving Pictures and Grace Under Pressure. In 20 years they will be counting this Rush disk as one of the bands top 5. I believe Rush have now recorded enough instrumental stuff to put it all out on a "Greatest Instrumental Hits" disk... (in case anyone from Anthem records is reading this).

Reborn Rush:
Having been a Rush fan since 1975, I have very disapointed in the recent ablums ( Test to Echo and Vapor Trails ), but this back to what this trio is all about.The music is much more raw and fresh, back to the era of " Moving Pictures". I read some "true rush fans " saying not to buy album, as it is a waste of money and time, maybe they felt the same way about "Subdivsions"

Best RUSH recording this side of the Atlantic Ocean:
SNAKES AND ARROWS is indeed a RUSH recording for the serious fan, a must-have for the collectors of essential RUSH discography. I say that because though I sometimes pretend to be "the greatest RUSH fan of all times", I do not own every single record, tape, CD, DVD, Tour shirt, program and beer bottle opener ever made. Nor do I know all of the album and tour statistics since 1974. I do know that the band had recorded many of the classic albums (and 8-tracks) overseas in the UK but in recent years had recorded in Canada and the US. I, like most fans, had high hopes for S & A and it turns out that the concert tickets in my area went on sale before the CD release date. Many non-fans would not take the chance but being "the greatest RUSH fan of all times" we wanted to see the guys One Last Time. On May 1, I put on SNAKES AND ARROWS and pretty much skipped through alot of the songs, thinking some of the vocals and writing seemed "Rushed". I know, a silly metaphor. By the second or third listen I liked many of the songs and LOVED "Armor and Sword", "Main Monkey Business" and "Faithless". By the June 23rd show in Bristow, VA I pretty much liked every song and good thing because they played NINE SONGS off of S & A!! Of all the fans I spoke with at the show, the consensus is that this has been the greatest RUSH tour and quite possibly the best RUSH album! And of course when 'other fans' were sitting down for the new stuff, I was on my feet singing every word and shaking my rock-n-roll fist to the sky . . . just like in the good ole days. I guess that makes me the greatest RUSH fan of all times (ever). Sincerely, Seth Talmadge

As strong as ever:
This is a fantastic release from Rush. They are totally energized and on the mark through this entire album. If you remember the Rush of 25 years ago, there are hints of that music in this release, but only hints. This is music for today. This is the evolution of that Rush from 25 years ago. Lyrically, these songs are about today. The things that trouble the world, the things that trouble are hearts and minds. There are not flights of fancy here, just solid rock and words to provoke you. This is a great record whether you've never bought a Rush album before but really love good hard rock, this is a great record if you were a fan 25 years ago but then lost touch with the band and haven't listened to them for a while, and this is an outstanding record if you have been with them for the past 30 years and just keep loving them more and more. All the cool extras, such as the 5.1 mix and the 45 minute documentary make this DVD package worth the price!

• Far Cry
• Armor And Sword
• Workin' Them Angels
• The Larger Bowl
• Spindrift
• The Main Monkey Business
• The Way The Wind Blows
• Hope
• Faithless
• Bravest Face
• Good News First
• Malignant Narcissism
• We Hold On