Hard to pick one. 'Signals', I guess. Actually, I don't think of myself as a Rush fan, since I don't listen to them too much, anymore. Just coincidentally, though, I listened to 'Grace Under Pressure" last night.
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Readster, I grew up in the late 70s listening to my older brothers Rush albums. My first Rush album purchase was Exit Stage Left. Since then I have recently been collecting used Rush recordings on vinyl. Whatever I can get my hands on. A regular Sat afternoon ritual of mine includes a sound check with the self titled album RUSH, In the Mood. I believe Alex Lifeson is one of Canada's most under rated guitarists. |
I would have a tought time with three of them... Fly by Night was the first Rush album I ever heard, and it is great, but I also love Hemispheres and the self titled Rush. If I was pushed to rate them, Fly By Night would get my first vote, for me, Movng pictures was their first lame album, and everything after was less interesting to me... |
Huge Rush fan here. I Can't just say 1. I'd rate 2112, Moving Pictures, Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres as my favorites. I saw them last year on their 30th anniversary tour. Totally blew me away. They were better than when I'd seen them 20 years ago! I'm very envious of you Mofimadness. I've seen tour pictures of the Ampitheater show in Denver. Just an awesome place to see a show. |
yeah, i agree anything before signals, i just started breaking out some of my old rush albums, i had forgotten how powerful that music is, permanent waves is one of my favorites, but i think all time fave is Hemispheres, with Moving Pictures a close second. But i like them all for differents reasons. this is an awesome thread, thanks for posting. btw, i just bought the live dvd, rush in rio, it is freaking ammazing, almost like being at a rush concert. |
I loved this band. I first heard them when someones mom sent one of my summer camp bunkmates 2112 on eight track. I saw them the first time at the Palladium in New York City on the Permanent Waves tour. I had a painted Rush denim jacket in my teens, it was the Hemispheres album cover. Sadly, I gave it to my girlfriend at her sweet 16 party. I never saw her or the jacket again. Anyway... It is obvious that the greatest Rush album is Farwell to Kings. There is no other choice. Although it had a number of commercial hits I would put Moving Pictures second on my list. Third would be Hemispheres. My favorite Rush single is Subdivisions. Not there best song by a long shot, but it brings such memories to me that it stands out. I recently saw Rush at Madison Square Garden and I saw all the other Rush freaks from High School, but they looked so old. I think that the youngest person there was collecting Social Security. They were very good, but a little too polished. |
Back when I WAS a RUSH fan... it's been about 25 years... I don't now what it was exactly, they seemed so sophmoric and too humanistic for me. But I have to agree with the consenus on Farewell to Kings. I saw them on tour for that album, fall of 1977. Blew me away... but easily impressed at age 16. Unfortunately there were no good pressings of that recording.. it sounded distorted, noisy, rough. Maybe a Canadian import would have sounded better? Also always liked "Trees" from Hemispheres. |
Massive fan in my teenage years. Saw them 9 times or so in a 5 year period from '78 to 83 and met the band a few times. I saw the 30th anniversay show last year and you can hear me singing on Exit Stage Left with the rest of the Glasgow Apollo crowd. :-) Fav. album is difficult but probably Moving Pictures. |
yet another chime in for caress of steel. Used to be a huge fan. For the 2112 tour we skipped school and lit the first dube at exactly 21 to 12 to get the evening started. It was a great show with angel and Max Webster. Lifeson was a huge influence on my early guitar playing, can still hear some traces. |
The quality of their records has declined in recent years, and I'm talking about sound quality, not music quality. They should record to analog tape and digital master and release the record from the analog tape master (as was done in times of old) and release the CD from the digital master for those who don't know anything about dynamics and tonal accuracy. I read recently that Wilco bought up a whole bunch of analog tape from a company that was going out of business... they know it's not the same. A high quality digital master is fine if you're making SACDs or DVDA's, but who's doing that nowadays???? Cheers. |
Ok, I'm resurrecting an old thread here, but I'm a major Rush fan pretty new to Audiogon, so there it is. Here's my rating scale: 10. Absolute perfection all the way through - a masterpiece. 9. Excellent, not one weak track and nearly perfect. 8. Great album, a must-own. 7. Very good album - well worth owning. 6. Not thier best, but still pretty darn good. 5. I don't listen that often, but it's a good album. 4. It's not bad, some weaker material. 3 - It's alright, I'll listen and enjoy it occasionally, but will often skip some tracks. 2 - There are a couple of good or great tracks, but generally fairly weak. 1 - Barely listenable, for completists only, only one or two even halfway-decent tracks. 0 - Just really bad, no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Here's my order of all the studio Rush albums with ratings: Signals - 10 Moving Pictures - 9.5 Permanent Waves - 9 Snakes & Arrows - 8.5 Hold Your Fire - 8.5 Hemispheres - 8 A Farewell To Kings - 8 Rush - 8 Grace Under Pressure - 8 2112 - 7.5 Fly By Night - 7.5 Power Windows - 7.5 Counterparts - 7.5 Caress of Steel - 6.5 Presto - 4.5 Roll The Bones - 2.5 Test For Echo - 2.5 Vapor Trails - 0.5 |
All you Rush fans should check the next Neil Peart. He is 11 year old Tyler Hudson and there is a youtube video showing his progress from ages 2 to 11. He actually plays "The Trees" at age 5! You can see it here. He is now part of a band called MINDWALK whose three members are ages 11 to 15. They cover Limelight and YYZ and make it look easy. My favorite, though, is their cover of King's X song We Were Born to be Loved. |
Well I have to say I am quite supprised at the responses here. I am a huge fan to and although I like all the old stuff I have to say Vapour Trails was absolutly a "Balls to the Wall" album. Sure the production and mix were not the best but we are rating her for music right? Also I love the new Snakes and Arrows. And if we are speaking of sound qualiy, I suggest the hi rez version. Check out my virtual system in another week as I should have my other prints from Rush done to stick on the other wall. |
#1 = Hemispheres. I've been a huge fan since '78 when I saw them when I was 13. I saw them at least 6 times through Permanent Waves and then didn't like MP or anything after for at least 15 years.. I finally warmed up to the post PW work in about '93. when I was a guitar player in a Rush tribute band for 6 years and we played pretty much all of it. But to me... Rush IS album side tales of good vs evil and exploration, both lyrically and musically.... The 15 minute epic songs of the 70s and early 80s are the coolest.. |
HI Rush fans! I had the chance to see Rush live this past Friday night. It was an awesome show to say the least! These guys have not slowed up at all. They played for close to 2 1/2 hours, no warm up band. All of the greats from years past were played as well as 3 or 4 songs from the new Snakes and Arrows. The new stuff sounds as great as the old stuff. If they come your way don't miss 'em! |
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