Wait, what were you guys talking about?

XM Radio is airing the premiere of the new Rush Album, “Snakes & Arrows,” in bits and pieces over the course of a day or two. I just listened to the program in its entirety on one of our local hard-rock stations.

I dig the album. Like most of Rush’s later stuff, some people will find it inaccessible. I think it just demands more from the listener than some of their earlier stuff, but it’s well worth the demands it makes.

May 1st… it’s like waiting for Christmas!!!

I thought it was you who said that a friend had an XM and XM does have a streaming website. It doesn’t have all the XM channels, but it does have the ones doing Rush this weekend. You still have to pay a lesser subscrition fee to be a full member, but they often have a free trial offer up for their web only access.

Seriously, not worryin’ about it. Tonight at 8 p.m. one of the local hard-rock stations will be broadcasting the world premiere of the album, complete with interviews. And it’ll be available for purchase this Tuesday.

WHOO-HOO!!!!!!!!

Rush is all over the XM radio rock stations with clips from the new album, interviews and lots of other stuff to promote the release. You should turn it on….

Oh, wait…

You haven’t set yourself up with the coolest thing to hit radio since FM yet? You mentioned a friend of yours that had one. Maybe he’ll let you give it a listen. I’m not the biggest Rush fan, but it does sound pretty cool.

I’m right their with you, my friend. I’ve often been amused by criticisms that “such-and-such artist” isn’t “what he/she/it/they used to be.” I think that frequently comes from people who formed an emotional attachment to said artist’s earlier output and can’t let go. They want their favorite artist to remain frozen like a fly in amber.

That said, I’ll admit that Rush’s music, just to use an example, is somewhat less experimental than they were in their early days. I think that’s a natural outgrowth of maturing as an artist and as a person, though. They’ve narrowed their focus to those things that really, really interest them. And what they lack in raw, unbridled excitement these days they make up for with complex, nuanced music. Geddy’s replaced his signature scream with a more refined approach and frankly, I don’t think his vocals have ever sounded better. Alex has decided to eschew guitar solos but he hasn’t lost his incredible sense of melody and creative use of hammers, bends, pulls, and tremolo. Neil has simplified his approach to drumming but it’s just as powerful as ever, if not moreso.

“So says the pro-wrestling fan.”

Why, yes, I do speak from a position of masterful taste. I’m even getting Foley’s new book this week when I get my next paycheck. Your point?

I like it when a band’s albums DON’T sound alike. R.E.M.’s great for that. I know a few people that despised Metallica’s last, but Frantic and Some Kind Of Monster are classic. Not Sandman level, granted, but I still like ‘em. (Just as an aside, my favorite of theirs is Of Wolf And Man.)

I haven’t heard any Rush in a very long time. I knew a guy in college who I swear could wear a different Rush shirt every day for two weeks with no repeats.

Their last album of original material, “Vapor Trails,” was synth-free. And the two albums before that, “Counterparts” and “Test for Echo,” were lighter on the synth than the albums that preceded them.

And I really can’t see how anyone can say the songs on any of those albums sounded interchangeable. On “Counterparts,” muscle-rock like “Stick it Out” co-existed with the more pop-like “Everyday Glory.” “Test for Echo” gave us a memorable ballad in “Resist” and powerful epic-strength stuff like “Roll Away the Stone.” “Ghost Rider,” a song from “Vapor Trails,” sounded most unlike anything Rush has ever done with its country-music twang.

Jerry Chandler: “Yeah, I’m kind of a pre-synth Rush snob. I also rubbish the post Black Album Metallica works. I just have better taste then most people.”

So says the pro-wrestling fan.

Anyone else got any wrong opinions that need to be corrected?