Published on Jun 27, 2005
After 30 years, even an above-average band is typically clinging
to the shreds of past glory, playing smaller and smaller venues and
releasing yet another “Best Of” album. Even the iconic legends like
the Stones and the Who, still touring to large crowds, are mainly
rehashing their past ad-nauseum, launching yet another “farewell
tour” and releasing an overpriced (and uninspired) box set.
For their 30th anniversary, Rush (Geddy Lee – bass & vocals,
Alex Lifeson – guitars, Neil Peart – drums) dug deeply back to
their roots and recorded an EP of covers of the songs they loved
and played in their formative years. The result is a loving homage
to the songs and artists that inspired one of the most consistently
successful acts in music history.
Feedback is refreshing blast of classic rock that never
falls into nostalgia. Some of these songs are rarely if ever played
today — their appearance here is likely the only play they’ll get
in our era, and they are very welcome here. The more familiar songs
are reworked with Rush’s consummate skill, given a slick polish and
the unique Rush signature without ever sacrificing the spirit of
the originals. Their meticulous studio work is legendary, and you
can always count on superb production and sound.
Feedback is no exception.
“Summertime Blues” opens the disc, and is essentially a cover of
a cover (Blues Cheer’s heavy metal remake of the Eddie Cochran
rockabilly classic) with a slight nod to The Who’s version. Rush
plays this one close to the belt, staying pretty close to the Blue
Cheer arrangement right down to the instrumental responses to the
verses. Next up is the first of two Yardbirds covers, a mellowed
down but powerful version of “Heart Full Of Soul.” Lee’s vocal
lacks the lonesome growl of Keith Relf’s original, but still, it’s
a great rendition of this classic. The other Yardbirds track
“Shapes Of Things” packs more punch with a lean, stripped-down
sound, eschewing the echo-chamber sound of the original, so it
truly sounds like I imagine it must have back then, three guys
wailing away in a garage.
They dip into the fertile pool of California folk-rock with two
tracks from Buffalo Springfield. Stephen Stills’ haunting “For What
It’s Worth” seems to pop up in every movie ever made about the
hippie generation, but it sounds great coming from these guys, even
if it’s basically a note-for-note rendition. The other Buffalo
Springfield track, the Neil Young-penned “Mr. Soul,” is my favorite
track on the album. Young’s stoner stream-of-consciousness could be
a soundtrack of the era Lee, Lifeson and Peart are celebrating.
Lifeson’s guitar work is an impeccable homage to Young, and he even
manages to give a tip of the hat to the “other” So.Cal folk-rock
giants, throwing in a riff from The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High.”
A faithful rendition of The Who’s “The Seeker” is another
standout track, as is their revved up version of “Seven And Seven
Is” by the sadly overlooked L.A. band Love. My guess is most of
Rush’s fans, and few people under the age of 50, have even heard
this song, or know of the band that wrote it. Hopefully its
inclusion will inspire a few people to check out the legacy of this
outstanding band. Closing out the disc, the boys pay reverential
respect to Cream’s version of “Crossroads” — dishing out three and
a half minutes of breakneck virtuoso jamming by three of music’s
finest players.
Rush fans and classic rock fans alike will find something to
enjoy in this sonic tour of one of rock’s most fertile time
periods. My only beef was that, at around 30 minutes,
Feedback is too damn short.