Although this title may evoke memories of the cartoon dandy Snagglepuss delivering the lines like Thurston Howell III of Gilligan's Island, for me, it is the live album from Rush that was one of the vehicles for putting them into the limelight from the Great White North down to the US and the rest of the world.
"Exit, Stage Left" as an album was revolutionary in that it was not only a moving portrait of a band on the run, but was an escalation of the band as independent maestros of each of their respective talents and instruments: Peart on percussion, Lee on Bass/Synthesizers/Vocals and Liefson on lead guitar. In other words, it was the turning point for the band and for establishing a live watermark for many future band members of other bands to caution. If Rush could do these things live, then the studio question was simply out of the question. Rush has been accused (and sometimes rightly so) for their static performances. However, the reason that they cannot be bouncing around the stage is exactly tied to their art and craftsmanship.
"Closer to the Heart" comes from "A Farewell to Kings," an album that has strong affinities for me for many reasons, and although it became a mainstream hit, it does highlight the Rush of the "Exit, Stage Left" era quite well.
It does beg many questions on a philosophical level as well. What does it mean to be a true craftsman or woman at what cost? We prey upon the faults of others at the market place when they fall below our standards, but often they are just trying to crank out a living as we are. In the Republic of Plato, Socrates in his ironical way of being naive suggests that a "perfect" society would involve everyone doing one thing really, really well and leaving the rest to those who do other things better. Novelty or a novel idea, there is something that rings true. However, in modern society, that sort of excellence comes at a cost. Should we abandon the rest of life's duties to become the "best that we were born to be?"
In either case, I believe, as with the song, that if we produce, with our hearts and with our attention, we can produce the best that we can, and indeed, whether Plato was selling us a Noble Lie or not, it could be better for all of us.
Give it a thunk.
"Exit, Stage Left" as an album was revolutionary in that it was not only a moving portrait of a band on the run, but was an escalation of the band as independent maestros of each of their respective talents and instruments: Peart on percussion, Lee on Bass/Synthesizers/Vocals and Liefson on lead guitar. In other words, it was the turning point for the band and for establishing a live watermark for many future band members of other bands to caution. If Rush could do these things live, then the studio question was simply out of the question. Rush has been accused (and sometimes rightly so) for their static performances. However, the reason that they cannot be bouncing around the stage is exactly tied to their art and craftsmanship.
"Closer to the Heart" comes from "A Farewell to Kings," an album that has strong affinities for me for many reasons, and although it became a mainstream hit, it does highlight the Rush of the "Exit, Stage Left" era quite well.
It does beg many questions on a philosophical level as well. What does it mean to be a true craftsman or woman at what cost? We prey upon the faults of others at the market place when they fall below our standards, but often they are just trying to crank out a living as we are. In the Republic of Plato, Socrates in his ironical way of being naive suggests that a "perfect" society would involve everyone doing one thing really, really well and leaving the rest to those who do other things better. Novelty or a novel idea, there is something that rings true. However, in modern society, that sort of excellence comes at a cost. Should we abandon the rest of life's duties to become the "best that we were born to be?"
In either case, I believe, as with the song, that if we produce, with our hearts and with our attention, we can produce the best that we can, and indeed, whether Plato was selling us a Noble Lie or not, it could be better for all of us.
Give it a thunk.
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