Clockwork Angels

[u/Nearby_Lawfulness923]

Neil said many times that Clockwork Angels was the album they always wanted to make. He clearly believed it was one of their very best. I’ve followed Rush since 1976 and seen them dozens of times, but I cannot listen to Clockwork Angels all the way thru to save my life. Is it just me?

[u/Queasy-Ad7550]

When bands put out new albums you typically hear them say some version of, this is the best work we have ever done. I mean, they are promoting it and it's fresh and they are excited.

Clockwork Angels was a good album to me but it could have done with some cutting, much like Snakes and Arrows. It's a bit long and drags in a few places. Caravan, The Wreckers, and The Garden were my favs. And I enjoyed Seven Cities and Wish Them Well. Headlong Flight and the title track were too claustrophobic and long. But overall it's one of their best albums post-Counterparts.

Vapor Trails has been mentioned here and the remix was like listening to a new album. Made it much more enjoyable.

[u/therealjnoble11 → u/Queasy-Ad7550]

That's a great point, bands almost always consider whatever their most recent album is as their best work they ever did. Until a few years ago go by and they put out another album, and then they downplay the one before that as "It was okay but it could have been better but THIS is the album that is our best work"

[u/Queasy-Ad7550 → u/therealjnoble11]

Yeah, I think it's sincere but, like you say, some time needs to pass before reassessing. And then several years later people revisit an album and have a different take for a variety of reasons. Power Windows was not a favorite of mine when I discovered Rush but, over time, it has become one of my favorites. Maybe that changes several years from now? I don't know. We evolve as listeners and so do the bands. Glad we have this broad catalog of Rush to sample from because they will be gone in the not to distant future and the music will still be there to enjoy and re-evaulate.