Quoted from Honch:Accolades aside, his "opinion" of their music can't be wrong. Talent doesn't always translate to enjoyable music for everyone. It's obviously very subjective, but to me, Geddy Lee makes my ears bleed, and all the awards and record sales on the planet will never change my mind.
It's kind of funny how everyone tries to convince each other of what they enjoy is the correct choice and that only someone with no ear for talent couldn't see it. I'll give you your point about Rush being talented, but don't you dare try and tell me that lima beans are delicious. I don't care how many awards they win at the farmer's markets.
This is something a lot of people forget. Recognition of talent/achievement/ability does not necessarily equate to ENJOYMENT of the products of that talent. For example, as a die-hard Jazz fan I can appreciate and respect the achievements and enduring musical influence of Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman, but I find the music mostly unlistenable.
In fact, I think the reverse is also true. For example, Motley Crue is fairly marginal in terms of musical ability (sorry, it’s true - in fact, Mick Mars used to “win” Guitar World “Worst Guitarist” polls in the 80s), but that does nothing to prevent the stupid grin I get every time I hear “Shout at the Devil”!
(Oh, and your opinion of Rush is very common, and of course valid. In fact, a lot of us Rush fans would say that the vocals are the least favorite aspect of the music; at the same time we also see how Geddy’s distinctive approach is crucial to the overall sound - it’s a weird thing to reconcile, and I can’t think of another band that forces me to do so quite like Rush.)