Backtracking

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Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where two old friends take a second listen to influential bands' catalogs. For our first season, we've selected none other than legendary Canadian power trio Rush.

How can we make Backtracking great again? By smashing Like! By stomping subscribe! By slicing up a 5-Star review! If none of those work, why not send us a message to explain why? Contact us via email at the internet address backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush "2112" (1976) Track by Track: The Full Suite and Side Two Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

Rush's 1976 breakthrough "2112", track by track: all seven parts of the title suite, plus "A Passage to Bangkok" and more.

We dig into the mystery release date, the album title, Hugh Syme's cover art and the Red Star of the Solar Federation, and Terry Brown's production. Then "The Twilight Zone", "Lessons", "Tears", "Something for Nothing", and The Best and the Worst.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “2112”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Cold Open to the Ones Without It

0:37: Our Awkward Scripted Openings Suck

3:45: 2112’s Mystery Release Date & the Achievement of Rushiness

6:18: Origins of the Album Title

8:08: Cover Art, the Red Star of the Solar Federation, Hugh Syme, Man Ass & Space Kimonos Revealed

14:43: Production & the Artistry of Terry “Turn That Frown Upside” Brown

21:12 Track One, Part One: “2112: Overture”

29:14: Track One, Part Two: “2112: Temples of Syrinx”

35:30: Track One, Part Three: “2112: Discovery”

42:49: Track One, Part Four: “2112: Presentation”

49:55: Track One, Part Five: “2112: Oracle: The Dream”

55:05: Track One, Part Six: “2112: Soliloquy”

1:05:15: Track One, Part Seven: “2112: The Grand Finale”

1:09:49: Track Two: “A Passage to Bangkok”

1:21:48: Track Three: “The Twilight Zone”

1:28:08: Track Four: “Lessons”

1:35:20: Track Five: “Tears”

1:44:18: Track Six: “Something for Nothing”

1:50:30: The Best and the Worst.

1:54:02: Wrap it up or I’m going to spill my lifeblood ovah.

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What would touch us deeper? A message from you! Contact us with complaints, gripes, annoyances, or artfully rendered man-asses. Our email address is backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush "Caress of Steel" (1975): Bastille Day to The Fountain of Lamneth Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Rush's 1975 album "Caress of Steel", track by track: "Bastille Day", "Lakeside Park", "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth".

The third-album curse, the cover art, Terry Brown's engineering, "I Think I'm Going Bald", concept-album pretension (or lack thereof), and whether "Fly By Night" and "Caress of Steel" should be re-sequenced.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Caress of Steel”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Jammin’ on the 1.

0:29: Look Upon Our Scripted Open, Ye Listener, and Despair

2:40: Third album curse?

5:47: Vital Stats

6:27: Cover art? More like cover fart!

13:04: Engineering, production, and Hairy Terry Brown.

19:36: Track One: “Bastille Day”

33:10: Track Two: “I Think I’m Going Bald”

47:23: Track Three: “Lakeside Park”

59:26: Track Four: “The Necromancer”

1:13:49: Track Five: “The Fountain of Lamneth”

1:33:30: Concept albums, pretension or lack thereof, and the possibility of re-sequencing “FbN” and “CoS.”

1:36:45: The Best and the Worst.

1:40:09: Wrap it up. You reek of ambergris.

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

SOCIALS:

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where two old friends take a second listen to influential bands' catalogs. For our first season, we've selected none other than Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rush.

Space is a cold and lonely expanse, so we want to hear from you! Contact us with etudes, odes, corrections, reflections, or requests for inspections. Our electronic mail address is backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush "Fly By Night" (1975) Track by Track: Anthem, By-Tor, Rivendell Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

Rush's 1975 album "Fly By Night", track by track: "Anthem", "By-Tor and the Snow Dog", the title track and "Rivendell".

We cover the cover art, Terry Brown's production, and Raf's ongoing, doomed case that Led Zeppelin is not good. Then "Best I Can", "Beneath, Between & Behind", "Making Memories", "In the End", and The Best and the Worst.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Fly By Night”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Sing it.

0:17: Scripted open brought to you by the team that brought you “The World’s Wildest Police Chases.”

3:08: Tell us about your infant ears, Raf.

4:22: Cover art, ya’ll.

11:08: Production, and that rapscallion Terry Brown.

17:27: Raf once again tries to argue that Led Zeppelin is not good. SAD!

18:35: Track One: “Anthem”

33:32: Track Two: “Best I Can”

41:24: Track Three: “Beneath, Between, Behind”

50:16: Track Four: “By-Tor and the Snow Dog”

59:00: Track Five: “Fly By Night”

1:07:35: Track Six: “Making Memories”

1:14:42: Track Seven: “Rivendell”

1:22:26: Track Eight: “In the End”

1:34:25: Coming in for a landing with The Best and the Worst.

1:37:00: Wrap it up, losers.

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Rush "Rush" (1974) Track by Track: Finding My Way, Working Man Dec 29, 2023

Show notes

Rush's 1974 debut, "Rush", track by track: "Finding My Way", "In the Mood", "Working Man" and a lot of Led Zeppelin talk.

We cover the production and that 8-track sound, the band lineup and the cover art, then contemporaneous albums and Genesis's "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." The Best and the Worst to close, because we cannot help ourselves.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Rush”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: The opening so cold you’d better grab your mittens.

0:36: “These scripted intros are ridiculous!”

3:30: Tell me of your homeworld, Usul.

4:06: Production, Studio, and that 8 Track Sound

5:08: This is first of many discussions about Led Zeppelin, and their influence on the band.

6:08: Band Personnel

7:44: Cover Art

9:07: Track One: “Finding My Way”

22:48: Track Two: “Need Some Love”

30:30: Track Three: “Take A Friend”

41:40: Track Four: “Here Again”

48:12: Track Five: “What You’re Doing”

1:04:57: Track Six: “In The Mood”

1:14:29: Track Seven: “Before and After”

1:23:56: Track Eight: “Working Man”

1:38:12: Discussion of contemporaneous albums, influences, and Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.”

1:42:35: The Best and the Worst.

1:44:05: Wrap it up, nerds.

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

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We want to hear from listeners… dear God, please! Contact us with comments, corrections, hilarious anecdotes, solicitations for bitcoin, and your favorite Rush concert photos. Our electronic mail address is backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush Eras Explained: Bell Bottoms to Black Tees, Season Premiere Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

Before a single track, we carve the Rush catalog into eras: Bell Bottoms, Space Kimonos, Skinny Ties, Black Tees and beyond.

Dan and Raf each map out their Rush eras from 1974 onward, wander into Morphine and Boston for reasons that seemed good at the time, and admit up front that there are "some real stinkers." The era playlists are below.

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Hilarity

0:14: Inaugural awkward scripted intro.

4:28: What is an era? And why are we talking about Morphine and Boston?

6:30: Dan’s Era 1: Bell Bottoms 1974 — 1976

16:28: Dan’s Era 2: Space Kimonos 1977 — 1981

29:30: Dan’s Era 3: Skinny Ties 1982 — 1987

39:45: Dan’s Era 4: Black Tees 1989 — 1997

46:29: Dan’s Era 5: In the End 2002 Onward

48:50: Raf’s Era 1: Birth 1950 — 1974

50:50: Raf’s Era 2: Adolescence 1974 — 1975

52:10: Raf’s Era 3: Exploration 1975 — 1980

53:12: Raf’s Era 4: Application 1981 — 1988

56:29: Raf’s Era 5: Back to Basics 1989 — 1993

57:57: Raf’s Era 6: The Abyss 1996 — 2002

1:00:50: Raf’s Era 7: Rebirth 2004 Onward

1:05:25: A balanced appreciation of Rush's productivity and endurance; "some real stinkers." There are different seasons, different moods, and different Rush eras. And some bullshit neuroscience.

1:16:21: Wrap it up, jerks.

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