From: jaeger@buphy.bu.edu (Gregg Jaeger)
Newsgroups: alt.music.rush
Subject: Re: Neil's depth (was Re: neil's cross?)
Date: 1 Oct 92 20:59:01 GMT
Organization: Boston University Physics Department

In article <1992Oct1.164912.13906@cc.umontreal.ca> tsirbasc@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Tsirbas Christos) writes:

>  The current period: Presto and Roll the Bones.  
>I find the lyrics stagnant, pompous, alternating between smug 
>intellectuality and middle-age angst all the while dealing with 
>issues dear to teenage listeners.  I mean, there are some really good
>tunes on Roll the Bones and Presto, but with the notable exception of 
>Available Light, which I have mentionned is not at all what I would 
>call a typical Rush song, I find the lyrics to be too intellectual, 
>to the point where they are laughable in their pretention.. 
> I also find that he is too often repeating himself, I
> get a feeling of deja vu with the songs.


OK, these are some specifics, but I must say I can't agree, with
the exception of your point about repeated themes. But as I've
said, this is nothing unusual for writers or lyricists. Care
to talk about particular lyrics?

  
>As for those useless first-year philosophy courses.  I think that 
>you could benefit from one, Gregg, perhaps you may discover that 
>Dead guys, like Nietzsche, Heidegger and Aristotle have just as 
>much to add to contemporary debate as Neil does.


Ha. I've already got my B.S. and the equivalent in work to my M.A.
in philosophy. I disagree that these people are particularly relevant
to the contemporary debate. What is pathetic about intro courses is
that the level of discussion is unbearable low (for philosophy,
anyway).


>And now to address the passage of yours that I found to be an outright flame:
>"If when you were sixteen you thought you were having really deep
>thoughts thinking about the lyrics to ``Tom Sawyer'' when you
> were actually having shallow ones then don't blame that on Neil".

>Well, Gregg, first of all, you are in no position to determine the
>kind of thinking that the lyrics to "Tom Sawyer" provided for me, so 
>I'll enlighten you.  The lyrics of "Tom Sawyer" got me to thinking
>about taking a stand on issues and on doing something about said issues.


Good. That's why they're worth listening to and discussing.


>For me, personally, "Tom Sawyer" was a battle-cry that said, "get up off
>your ass, if you want the world to change, you're the one who has to change
>it".  It also got me to thinking about my values.  The song served as a kind
>of catalyst, it got me to examine aspects of my personal values and lead me
>to seek out thinkers that would help me determine these values, and to move
>beyond the lyrics into a whole new direction.  In short, some of Neil's
>lyrics  got me thinking philosophically, but I did not remain on the
>level of simply analysing his lyrics, I went out and sought new
>knowledge, new inspiration, new influences.  I think that you could 
>benefit from a similar process, Gregg, it seems to me that you are 
>fixated on Rush.


On what basis do you think that I've only read Rush lyrics in my life?


I've already got my B.S. in physics, philosophy, and math, and I'm 
a semester and one half from completing my physics Ph.D. I've also
read one hell of alot of literature in the mean time.
(p.s. I don't really think that degrees are
a big deal, but it's the quickest way of demonstrating that I've
picked up quite a few influences outside rock-n-roll).


I'd be interested in what you think I'm missing out on that's so
obvious from the nature of my posts. 


>If you want to flame me because I don't share the same vision of Rush 
>as you do, then flame away, it'll only make you look like an idiot.


It seems that you've already beat me to that one.



Gregg

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Newsgroups: alt.music.rush