Board 8 > Reg ranks and briefly talks about all 19 Rush studio albums

Topic List	Page List: 1, 2
Reg 01/21/20 10:00:15 PM #1:	So, doing this is something that's been in the back of my mind for a very long time. I wanted to do songs, but actually compiling the list even to just a point where I can say "I'm happy with this even if it may not be perfect" (even if I cut it to, say, 50) would be a large undertaking for me and frankly I would to not leave the list undone, nor take fucking forever to finish it. At any rate, anybody who's a fan of the band knows that drummer, primary songwriter, and all around great guy Neil Peart died on the 10th. And since then, I have listened to a ton of Rush (even relative to how much I usually listen to them) and thought that this was a good time to do it. I got into this band about 12 or so years ago. While that seems like a little late to be saying this, it really does feel like I grew up with this band's music and really found myself throughout my high school and college years with their music. I also had the absolute pleasure of getting to see them live twice (2011 with the Time Machine tour and 2015 with R40), and one of my biggest regrets will probably always be that I wasn't able to see them when they came to town in 2013. I fucking love this band more than just about anything else in the musical sphere. Regardless, I don't really intend to use this space for full-blown reviews of the albums, I'm not a music critic, etc etc. But I do want to take this chance to talk about a topic that means a fair bit to me, honor my favorite musician and band, and maybe use that as a chance to share and discuss with you guys. And since this is Board 8, the list format is pretty obligatory tbqh. This topic is basically going to go as quickly (or as slowly) as I write about the topics. I have no idea what pace I'm going to go at here, as I haven't pre-written anything beyond this post LOL For now, I'll just jump right in and get the least-good one out of the way. 19. Test for Echo What's Great: About half the album What's not great: The other half For the band, Test For Echo is pretty famously the last thing they did before various circumstances drove them into hiatus in the mid-90s. For me, this was the last pre-Clockwork Angels Rush album I actually got and listened to, just because as I was exploring the rest of their discography, pretty much everything from the 70s and 80s had a song or three that gave a good reason to prioritize checking it out, and Snakes and Arrows/Vapor Trails were the latest. So 90s Rush kind of fell by the wayside, and Test For Echo more than Roll the Bones or Counterparts, which probably hurts it a lot here. It just didn't have the same impact pretty much anything else I heard from them did. And in retrospect, this album also 'feels' really 90s to me. Like if I were to imagine the stereotypical 90s rock album, it probably wouldn't be far from Test For Echo. Ultimately, this album is most notable for having most of the very few Rush songs I actively do not like - Virtuality, Dog Years and Driven are the negative standouts here. On the flip side though, the title track and Resist stand out as notably good among the band's work, with the acoustic guitar versions of Resist that were played live definitely elevating that song to another level. Meanwhile, Test For Echo is just flat out a fun listen, with the lyrics being a relatively on-point commentary even now, though they also occasionally feel pretty cheesy to me. And honestly, being fun is the best way to win my heart, whether it's music, books, games, whatever. Once you get past those two tracks though, you just wind up with an album that is ultimately very forgettable and mediocre when put up next to literally everything else the band did, and I find it hard to envision what kind of reception this album would get if it was done by some other band without the legacy and sheer amount of great stuff Rush has done. <cite>Reg posted [p:933299410] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>So, doing this is something that's been in the back of my mind for a very long time. I wanted to do songs, but actually compiling the list even to just a point where I can say "I'm happy with this even if it may not be perfect" (even if I cut it to, say, 50) would be a large undertaking for me and frankly I would to not leave the list undone, nor take fucking forever to finish it. At any rate, anybody who's a fan of the band knows that drummer, primary songwriter, and all around great guy Neil Peart died on the 10th. And since then, I have listened to a ton of Rush (even relative to how much I usually listen to them) and thought that this was a good time to do it. I got into this band about 12 or so years ago. While that seems like a little late to be saying this, it really does feel like I grew up with this band's music and really found myself throughout my high school and college years with their music. I also had the absolute pleasure of getting to see them live twice (2011 with the Time Machine tour and 2015 with R40), and one of my biggest regrets will probably always be that I wasn't able to see them when they came to town in 2013. I fucking love this band more than just about anything else in the musical sphere. Regardless, I don't really intend to use this space for full-blown reviews of the albums, I'm not a music critic, etc etc. But I do want to take this chance to talk about a topic that means a fair bit to me, honor my favorite musician and band, and maybe use that as a chance to share and discuss with you guys. And since this is Board 8, the list format is pretty obligatory tbqh. This topic is basically going to go as quickly (or as slowly) as I write about the topics. I have no idea what pace I'm going to go at here, as I haven't pre-written anything beyond this post LOL For now, I'll just jump right in and get the least-good one out of the way. 19. Test for Echo What's Great: About half the album What's not great: The other half For the band, Test For Echo is pretty famously the last thing they did before various circumstances drove them into hiatus in the mid-90s. For me, this was the last pre-Clockwork Angels Rush album I actually got and listened to, just because as I was exploring the rest of their discography, pretty much everything from the 70s and 80s had a song or three that gave a good reason to prioritize checking it out, and Snakes and Arrows/Vapor Trails were the latest. So 90s Rush kind of fell by the wayside, and Test For Echo more than Roll the Bones or Counterparts, which probably hurts it a lot here. It just didn't have the same impact pretty much anything else I heard from them did. And in retrospect, this album also 'feels' really 90s to me. Like if I were to imagine the stereotypical 90s rock album, it probably wouldn't be far from Test For Echo. Ultimately, this album is most notable for having most of the very few Rush songs I actively do not like - Virtuality, Dog Years and Driven are the negative standouts here. On the flip side though, the title track and Resist stand out as notably good among the band's work, with the acoustic guitar versions of Resist that were played live definitely elevating that song to another level. Meanwhile, Test For Echo is just flat out a fun listen, with the lyrics being a relatively on-point commentary even now, though they also occasionally feel pretty cheesy to me. And honestly, being fun is the best way to win my heart, whether it's music, books, games, whatever. Once you get past those two tracks though, you just wind up with an album that is ultimately very forgettable and mediocre when put up next to literally everything else the band did, and I find it hard to envision what kind of reception this album would get if it was done by some other band without the legacy and sheer amount of great stuff Rush has done. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
NBIceman 01/21/20 10:00:59 PM #2:	Never clicked the "Track Topic" button so fast in my life. --- https://imgur.com/UYamul2 Spurs - Yankees - Eagles - Golden Knights <cite>NBIceman posted [p:933299439] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Never clicked the "Track Topic" button so fast in my life. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/22/20 7:41:38 AM #3:	NBIceman posted... Never clicked the "Track Topic" button so fast in my life. Glad to hear it! Even without the topics about Neil's death I knew we had at least a few fans on the board, which is one of the reasons I actually went through with doing this. Even if it's at least as much an exercise in self-indulgence, getting a few things off my chest and semi-publicly sorting out some emotions as anything. 18. Rush What's Special: Working Man Why So Low: The lack of Peart shows and hurts. Anybody who's enough of a fan of Rush to know their history doesn't need me to tell them that before Peart joined, they were basically Led Zeppelin disciples. Which was fine. All three of the guys had the technical skill to pull it off. John Rutsey will basically never any respect as a drummer because he was replaced by the greatest drummer to ever live, but this album shows he was at least technically solid - there's really nothing to complain about with the instrumentation and performances on the album. The failing, though, is that Geddy and Alex are not nearly as good of song writers as they are performers, and a lot of these tracks fall into "So stereotypically 70s rock that they don't quite feel like Rush" or "A bit cringey in the lyrics department" (Shoutouts to In The Mood). This album ultimately suffers from a lot of the same forgettable-ness as I complained about with Test For Echo, even if it's more excusable in this case because it was a group of guys in search of a style, and not a long-established band that had been playing together for 20 years. Ultimately, this album does mean a fair bit to me. As I would imagine is fairly common for younger folks who are into older bands, I was introduced to Rush by my dad, who had two Rush CDs. This one and a greatest hits collection. And he absolutely loves Working Man. Or more accurately, as a blue-collar family man type of person, he very strongly identifies with that song. Thanks to him, I was listening to it long before I knew basically anything about music, let alone things that weren't played on the radio. And as I discovered and got into Rush 'properly' as a teenager, it really wouldn't even be a mistake to say I bonded with my dad all over again using this song, just listening to it with him (And using it to get him to listen to some of the lesser-known tracks on other albums) while we sat around and talked about nothing of consequence. If I were ranking individual songs, it'd place far higher than it probably would objectively "deserve" to (And it would deserve to rank decently high to begin with) just on account of that. Unfortunately though, that's just one song. And for my money, the only other standout great song on this album is Finding My Way, which is a fun, high-energy piece that I think best captures the Pre-Peart style of the band (Relatively generic as it may have been), with cool riffs and the best vocal performance on the album IMO. On another relatively high note, Here Again is the band's first attempt at a ballad, and while it doesn't hit the mark nearly as well as some of their later attempts it's definitely good in its own right and does a good job of breaking up the rest of the album and keeping it from being a straight up parade of 70s hard rock. Aside from the aforementioned utter cheesiness of In The Mood (Which can still be fun to listen to, but requires a very specific, well, mood), the rest of this album is solid-but-unspectacular. Which is fine, though if it were the first Rush album I actually sat down and listened to in full (I didn't, even though it was the one my parents actually owned at the time, because I was a dumbass teenager LMAO), I may not have fallen in love with the band the way I did. Even at that age, I was familiar with all of the typical classic rock radio hits courtesy of my parents (I was actually about as big a fan of the Eagles as I could've been at the time considering my age and interest in the finer points of music), and I may very well have written them off as "ordinary classic rock band, with higher-pitched vocals than most bands". Instead I've got something I can respect as the band's roots, and something that gives me a lot more appreciation for Peart's songwriting talents. And even though some of this sounds pretty critical and negative (especially in context of the low ranking), I feel the need to note that I still enjoy this album. I am simply holding it to a far higher standard than I would if $Generic70sBand released it for the same reason I was negative on Test For Echo. Rush is just better than that, even if this album is a very different Rush than the other 18 I will be discussing. <cite>Reg posted [p:933313219] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>NBIceman posted... </cite> <quote>Never clicked the "Track Topic" button so fast in my life.</quote>Glad to hear it! Even without the topics about Neil's death I knew we had at least a few fans on the board, which is one of the reasons I actually went through with doing this. Even if it's at least as much an exercise in self-indulgence, getting a few things off my chest and semi-publicly sorting out some emotions as anything. 18. Rush What's Special: Working Man Why So Low: The lack of Peart shows and hurts. Anybody who's enough of a fan of Rush to know their history doesn't need me to tell them that before Peart joined, they were basically Led Zeppelin disciples. Which was fine. All three of the guys had the technical skill to pull it off. John Rutsey will basically never any respect as a drummer because he was replaced by the greatest drummer to ever live, but this album shows he was at least technically solid - there's really nothing to complain about with the instrumentation and performances on the album. The failing, though, is that Geddy and Alex are not nearly as good of song writers as they are performers, and a lot of these tracks fall into "So stereotypically 70s rock that they don't quite feel like Rush" or "A bit cringey in the lyrics department" (Shoutouts to In The Mood). This album ultimately suffers from a lot of the same forgettable-ness as I complained about with Test For Echo, even if it's more excusable in this case because it was a group of guys in search of a style, and not a long-established band that had been playing together for 20 years. Ultimately, this album does mean a fair bit to me. As I would imagine is fairly common for younger folks who are into older bands, I was introduced to Rush by my dad, who had two Rush CDs. This one and a greatest hits collection. And he absolutely loves Working Man. Or more accurately, as a blue-collar family man type of person, he very strongly identifies with that song. Thanks to him, I was listening to it long before I knew basically anything about music, let alone things that weren't played on the radio. And as I discovered and got into Rush 'properly' as a teenager, it really wouldn't even be a mistake to say I bonded with my dad all over again using this song, just listening to it with him (And using it to get him to listen to some of the lesser-known tracks on other albums) while we sat around and talked about nothing of consequence. If I were ranking individual songs, it'd place far higher than it probably would objectively "deserve" to (And it would deserve to rank decently high to begin with) just on account of that. Unfortunately though, that's just one song. And for my money, the only other standout great song on this album is Finding My Way, which is a fun, high-energy piece that I think best captures the Pre-Peart style of the band (Relatively generic as it may have been), with cool riffs and the best vocal performance on the album IMO. On another relatively high note, Here Again is the band's first attempt at a ballad, and while it doesn't hit the mark nearly as well as some of their later attempts it's definitely good in its own right and does a good job of breaking up the rest of the album and keeping it from being a straight up parade of 70s hard rock. Aside from the aforementioned utter cheesiness of In The Mood (Which can still be fun to listen to, but requires a very specific, well, mood), the rest of this album is solid-but-unspectacular. Which is fine, though if it were the first Rush album I actually sat down and listened to in full (I didn't, even though it was the one my parents actually owned at the time, because I was a dumbass teenager LMAO), I may not have fallen in love with the band the way I did. Even at that age, I was familiar with all of the typical classic rock radio hits courtesy of my parents (I was actually about as big a fan of the Eagles as I could've been at the time considering my age and interest in the finer points of music), and I may very well have written them off as "ordinary classic rock band, with higher-pitched vocals than most bands". Instead I've got something I can respect as the band's roots, and something that gives me a lot more appreciation for Peart's songwriting talents. And even though some of this sounds pretty critical and negative (especially in context of the low ranking), I feel the need to note that I still enjoy this album. I am simply holding it to a far higher standard than I would if $Generic70sBand released it for the same reason I was negative on Test For Echo. Rush is just better than that, even if this album is a very different Rush than the other 18 I will be discussing. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Nelson_Mandela 01/22/20 8:15:55 AM #4:	Tag --- "A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25 "Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso <cite>Nelson_Mandela posted [p:933313987] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Tag </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Underleveled 01/22/20 10:10:44 AM #5:	Not counting Feedback? --- darkx <cite>Underleveled posted [p:933317300] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Not counting Feedback? </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/22/20 10:29:38 AM #6:	Underleveled posted... Not counting Feedback? Didn't plan on it. May talk about it (and the two concerts I attended) afterwards, but the focus is on the stuff the band actually wrote. <cite>Reg posted [p:933317978] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Underleveled posted... </cite> <quote>Not counting Feedback?</quote>Didn't plan on it. May talk about it (and the two concerts I attended) afterwards, but the focus is on the stuff the band actually wrote. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Snake5555555555 01/22/20 11:57:25 AM #7:	Tag! I've always really liked Rush, but I do understand the criticisms for it. --- What I am about to do has not been approved by the Vatican. https://imgur.com/MmrKwGZ - https://imgur.com/ntWVGyh <cite>Snake5555555555 posted [p:933321590] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Tag! I've always really liked Rush, but I do understand the criticisms for it. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/22/20 8:00:40 PM #8:	17. Caress of Steel Does: Make for a very relaxing, emotional listen Does not: Elevate above its red-headed step-child status There's a fair bit going for this album across the board. I used to be a sucker for historical contexts (I still am somewhat, but I used to be too). Especially when connected to topics that I don't think get sufficiently covered in history classes. Coincidentally, the first track on this album is about the French Revolution. It's a relatively ordinary, riff-oriented piece that wouldn't have really been out of place on either of Rush's previous albums, and there's not much notable about it from a quality perspective, but Bastille Day still hits that thematic sweet spot for me enough to make it fun even so. Meanwhile, Lakeside Park is, for as much as Geddy dislikes it, a piece that does a great job of making me yearn for a childhood and a time period that I didn't have. I grew up in a very stereotypical suburb in a time where the sort of hang-outs Peart reflects on just didn't happen, and the small town, slow-paced mood just didn't really exist around me. And in a world increasingly moving away from that, the most I'll get is songs and stories like this, from a generation of people who did experience it. It's hard to call that emotion nostalgia, obviously, but it still makes me a bit sad. The last two tracks on this album are two of the longest in the band's catalog and a continuation of their foray into the 'concept' art world that they started with By-Tor and the Snow Dog. The Necromancer is a heavily Tolkien-inspired tale which, for better or worse, has never been my cup of tea. Which means that I'm left with a slow-paced, almost bluesy (to start with, at least) jam that ramps up over the next eight minutes and climaxes two thirds of the way through the song. The last four minutes give off that same "three guys jamming" feel, but in a completely different (and far more upbeat) direction, which is about all the song can do to keep from feeling like it's worn out its welcome towards the end. The Fountain Of Lanmeth though, while failing to rise to the level of any of the other epic-length pieces Rush did (spoilers, they're literally all really really good), is a beautiful piece. Even if you ignore the lyrics and the story being told, the instrumentation itself feels like the journey that the lyrics are describing, and it's one that can feel all to short - 20 minutes often seem to pass as if it was ten with this one. (Anybody actually reading this may notice that I only covered four of the five songs on this album. That was intentional, as I realized that while I have a thing or two to say about I Think I'm Going Bald, absolutely none of them are of value in any capacity. It'd be a throwaway writeup for a throwaway song) Snake5555555555 posted... Tag! I've always really liked Rush, but I do understand the criticisms for it. Yeah. That album has definitely got a couple highs to it, but I just feel like they aren't enough to make the album as a whole stand out when compared to the rest of the body of work. The best way to describe it IMO is that it's an immature album. Which, honestly, the same criticism could somewhat be leveled at Fly By Night and Caress of Steel too. If you listen to the band's first four or five albums in order, I feel like you can really feel the growth as they get comfortable writing and playing the songs they want to do and settle in to their dynamics. <cite>Reg posted [p:933343546] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>17. Caress of Steel Does: Make for a very relaxing, emotional listen Does not: Elevate above its red-headed step-child status There's a fair bit going for this album across the board. I used to be a sucker for historical contexts (I still am somewhat, but I used to be too). Especially when connected to topics that I don't think get sufficiently covered in history classes. Coincidentally, the first track on this album is about the French Revolution. It's a relatively ordinary, riff-oriented piece that wouldn't have really been out of place on either of Rush's previous albums, and there's not much notable about it from a quality perspective, but Bastille Day still hits that thematic sweet spot for me enough to make it fun even so. Meanwhile, Lakeside Park is, for as much as Geddy dislikes it, a piece that does a great job of making me yearn for a childhood and a time period that I didn't have. I grew up in a very stereotypical suburb in a time where the sort of hang-outs Peart reflects on just didn't happen, and the small town, slow-paced mood just didn't really exist around me. And in a world increasingly moving away from that, the most I'll get is songs and stories like this, from a generation of people who did experience it. It's hard to call that emotion nostalgia, obviously, but it still makes me a bit sad. The last two tracks on this album are two of the longest in the band's catalog and a continuation of their foray into the 'concept' art world that they started with By-Tor and the Snow Dog. The Necromancer is a heavily Tolkien-inspired tale which, for better or worse, has never been my cup of tea. Which means that I'm left with a slow-paced, almost bluesy (to start with, at least) jam that ramps up over the next eight minutes and climaxes two thirds of the way through the song. The last four minutes give off that same "three guys jamming" feel, but in a completely different (and far more upbeat) direction, which is about all the song can do to keep from feeling like it's worn out its welcome towards the end. The Fountain Of Lanmeth though, while failing to rise to the level of any of the other epic-length pieces Rush did (spoilers, they're literally all really really good), is a beautiful piece. Even if you ignore the lyrics and the story being told, the instrumentation itself feels like the journey that the lyrics are describing, and it's one that can feel all to short - 20 minutes often seem to pass as if it was ten with this one. (Anybody actually reading this may notice that I only covered four of the five songs on this album. That was intentional, as I realized that while I have a thing or two to say about I Think I'm Going Bald, absolutely none of them are of value in any capacity. It'd be a throwaway writeup for a throwaway song) Snake5555555555 posted... </cite> <quote>Tag! I've always really liked Rush, but I do understand the criticisms for it.</quote>Yeah. That album has definitely got a couple highs to it, but I just feel like they aren't enough to make the album as a whole stand out when compared to the rest of the body of work. The best way to describe it IMO is that it's an immature album. Which, honestly, the same criticism could somewhat be leveled at Fly By Night and Caress of Steel too. If you listen to the band's first four or five albums in order, I feel like you can really feel the growth as they get comfortable writing and playing the songs they want to do and settle in to their dynamics. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
NBIceman 01/22/20 8:12:20 PM #9:	I've always had a big soft spot for Fountain of Lamneth even though I can kind of recognize why it's not as highly regarded as their other epics. --- https://imgur.com/UYamul2 Spurs - Yankees - Eagles - Golden Knights <cite>NBIceman posted [p:933344093] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>I've always had a big soft spot for Fountain of Lamneth even though I can kind of recognize why it's not as highly regarded as their other epics. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/22/20 8:46:15 PM #10:	NBIceman posted... I've always had a big soft spot for Fountain of Lamneth even though I can kind of recognize why it's not as highly regarded as their other epics. I do too and I thought I got that across! Like, I had more to say about the other tracks which may seem a bit strange since Fountain of Lanmeth the longest one on the album, but it's the highlight as far as musical quality and enjoyability goes. It's just hard for me to put into words when I can just listen to it (or tell somebody else to listen to it) instead. I really think beautiful is the best word for it though, which is not something I can say about 2112 or either half of Cygnus. It's a very different kind of song and charm, even if the length is comparable. And while I say I like the other ones better, I don't like them significantly more. I think a large chunk of its disrespect comes just from the fact that it's on Caress of Steel instead of one of the more popular albums. Then again, I guess you could make the case that 2112 and Hemispheres got popular because of their epics, so I dunno. <cite>Reg posted [p:933345708] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>NBIceman posted... </cite> <quote>I've always had a big soft spot for Fountain of Lamneth even though I can kind of recognize why it's not as highly regarded as their other epics.</quote>I do too and I thought I got that across! Like, I had more to say about the other tracks which may seem a bit strange since Fountain of Lanmeth the longest one on the album, but it's the highlight as far as musical quality and enjoyability goes. It's just hard for me to put into words when I can just listen to it (or tell somebody else to listen to it) instead. I really think beautiful is the best word for it though, which is not something I can say about 2112 or either half of Cygnus. It's a very different kind of song and charm, even if the length is comparable. And while I say I like the other ones better, I don't like them significantly more. I think a large chunk of its disrespect comes just from the fact that it's on Caress of Steel instead of one of the more popular albums. Then again, I guess you could make the case that 2112 and Hemispheres got popular because of their epics, so I dunno. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/24/20 8:35:53 PM #11:	whoops, been busy last couple days. Will try to get back to this tomorrow <cite>Reg posted [p:933440205] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>whoops, been busy last couple days. Will try to get back to this tomorrow </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/25/20 10:46:21 AM #12:	16. Snakes and Arrows Is good at: Portraying how Rush grew over 33 years together. Would be better if: It gave me a strongly compelling reason to choose it over other Rush albums. My progression through this album, from a "how much I like these as individual songs songs", is a bit strange. The first time I heard it, I clearly remember thinking that Workin' Them Angels, Bravest Face and Malignant Narcissism were the shit and some of the best things Rush had done. Then revisiting the album a year or so later, it was all about Faithless and Far Cry. And this was before I'd heard Far Cry live, which really elevated that song to another level for me with the sheer energy involved, even if it wasn't otherwise that different. I still think those first three tracks are pretty good, but I'm not nearly as high on them as my first impression was. Malignant Narcissim in particular I think stands out among Rush's instrumental tracks, probably only second to the ever-popular YYZ as my favorite among those, at a glance. I do think that The Main Monkey Business is just too long for what it is and gets overly repetitive though, while Hope suffers from the opposite problem - It takes a cool melody (especially since I do enjoy a good acoustic guitar piece from time to time) and it just doesn't take it anywhere in the 2 minutes that it runs. Regardless, this was the newest album at the time that I first really got into Rush, and they were literally still touring for it at the time (Not that I knew that, nor would I have had the opportunity to attend a show even if I had), though by the time I actually got my hands on a copy and listened to it in full I had made my way through a decent bit of both their 70s and 80s material, and I thought I had a grasp of the band already. So this album being pretty different than what I was used to (both stylistically and thematically) came as a bit of a surprise to me even though I should've seen it coming with the stylistic disconnect between their 70s and 80s stuff. But hey, I was a dumbass teenager. And I was introduced to something that, in retrospect, I think can sort of be considered a happy medium between the grand, rock-driven style they had in the late 70s and their more synth-driven, less-'epic' 80s style. Like, I'll freely confess to not being an expert on music or anything, but this album pretty much feels to me like the sort of style 80s Rush would've put out if the synth wasn't a thing. It's a very good album that does a great job of capturing what Rush, as a band, is all about. But that's also part of the reason it doesn't rate higher here. It's well-rounded, all around very solid and has a couple great standout tracks. But everything still to come has either a reason to stand out beyond one or two specific tracks, plain ol' sentimental value that this album doesn't have for me, or both. I never claimed this was an objective ranking, after all. <cite>Reg posted [p:933459946] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>16. Snakes and Arrows Is good at: Portraying how Rush grew over 33 years together. Would be better if: It gave me a strongly compelling reason to choose it over other Rush albums. My progression through this album, from a "how much I like these as individual songs songs", is a bit strange. The first time I heard it, I clearly remember thinking that Workin' Them Angels, Bravest Face and Malignant Narcissism were the shit and some of the best things Rush had done. Then revisiting the album a year or so later, it was all about Faithless and Far Cry. And this was before I'd heard Far Cry live, which really elevated that song to another level for me with the sheer energy involved, even if it wasn't otherwise that different. I still think those first three tracks are pretty good, but I'm not nearly as high on them as my first impression was. Malignant Narcissim in particular I think stands out among Rush's instrumental tracks, probably only second to the ever-popular YYZ as my favorite among those, at a glance. I do think that The Main Monkey Business is just too long for what it is and gets overly repetitive though, while Hope suffers from the opposite problem - It takes a cool melody (especially since I do enjoy a good acoustic guitar piece from time to time) and it just doesn't take it anywhere in the 2 minutes that it runs. Regardless, this was the newest album at the time that I first really got into Rush, and they were literally still touring for it at the time (Not that I knew that, nor would I have had the opportunity to attend a show even if I had), though by the time I actually got my hands on a copy and listened to it in full I had made my way through a decent bit of both their 70s and 80s material, and I thought I had a grasp of the band already. So this album being pretty different than what I was used to (both stylistically and thematically) came as a bit of a surprise to me even though I should've seen it coming with the stylistic disconnect between their 70s and 80s stuff. But hey, I was a dumbass teenager. And I was introduced to something that, in retrospect, I think can sort of be considered a happy medium between the grand, rock-driven style they had in the late 70s and their more synth-driven, less-'epic' 80s style. Like, I'll freely confess to not being an expert on music or anything, but this album pretty much feels to me like the sort of style 80s Rush would've put out if the synth wasn't a thing. It's a very good album that does a great job of capturing what Rush, as a band, is all about. But that's also part of the reason it doesn't rate higher here. It's well-rounded, all around very solid and has a couple great standout tracks. But everything still to come has either a reason to stand out beyond one or two specific tracks, plain ol' sentimental value that this album doesn't have for me, or both. I never claimed this was an objective ranking, after all. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/25/20 11:05:02 AM #13:	I've always really liked Snakes and Arrows. Might even be in my top 5 Rush albums actually. Not entirely sure about that but it's in the running at least. Also we're four albums in and one of my two least favourites hasn't appeared yet (the other being Caress of Steel), so that's something for me to look forward to seeing where it ends up --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933460500] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>I've always really liked Snakes and Arrows. Might even be in my top 5 Rush albums actually. Not entirely sure about that but it's in the running at least. Also we're four albums in and one of my two least favourites hasn't appeared yet (the other being Caress of Steel), so that's something for me to look forward to seeing where it ends up </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Mr Lasastryke 01/25/20 7:55:06 PM #14:	the s/t outright sucks aside from working man imo. as you discuss in the writeup, you can emulate the SOUND of led zeppelin but that doesn't mean you're suddenly going to write another whole lotta love. also, john rutsey is no john bonham. --- Geothermal terpsichorean ejectamenta <cite>Mr Lasastryke posted [p:933480384] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>the s/t outright sucks aside from working man imo. as you discuss in the writeup, you can emulate the SOUND of led zeppelin but that doesn't mean you're suddenly going to write another whole lotta love. also, john rutsey is no john bonham. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bartzyx 01/26/20 12:57:46 AM #15:	I really like their first album. I don't really care that most of it is wannabe Led Zeppelin. "Take a Friend" is the real stand-out track for me. I just hope that my favorite of their early stuff winds up much higher! (I'm sure it will) --- The King is dead. "The general space can always succeed to succeed. He is very deceitful." <cite>Bartzyx posted [p:933491768] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>I really like their first album. I don't really care that most of it is wannabe Led Zeppelin. "Take a Friend" is the real stand-out track for me. I just hope that my favorite of their early stuff winds up much higher! (I'm sure it will) </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/26/20 10:43:21 AM #16:	Panthera posted... I've always really liked Snakes and Arrows. Might even be in my top 5 Rush albums actually. Not entirely sure about that but it's in the running at least. Also we're four albums in and one of my two least favourites hasn't appeared yet (the other being Caress of Steel), so that's something for me to look forward to seeing where it ends up I can see this. It'd be a fair few spots higher if I were trying to rank strictly objectively. Mr Lasastryke posted... the s/t outright sucks aside from working man imo. as you discuss in the writeup, you can emulate the SOUND of led zeppelin but that doesn't mean you're suddenly going to write another whole lotta love. also, john rutsey is no john bonham. I do think sucks is a strong word to be using here. I also think that while Rutsey is no Bonham, I do think he's a solid drummer that could be substituted into a large number of bands from that era (If you put stylistic differences aside) and it'd be a sidegrade at worst. The songwriting is definitely a far bigger issue than the actual music. I can see where you're coming from though. 15. Vapor Trails Great: Mood Maker Terrible: Production Quality Just looking at the list of tracks, I sort of want to rank this album higher than I am. But as I already alluded to, this album is an absolute mess from a production standpoint, to the point that it hurts every single track on it. I know that it got remastered properly at some point, which significantly helps. But knowing that I was originally intended to listen to these songs in the way they are on the original album hurts. A lot. However, this is a very well-known and discussed topic so I won't dwell on it especially hard. Just know that it single-handedly knocked this album down multiple spots. I can absolutely say I unconditionally love every album here outside of the bottom two and there aren't huge gaps basically anywhere anymore, so it could even be more than that depending on my mood. Regardless, this album is a very heavy, in-your-face album broken up by a couple lighter tracks. And most of the tracks here are brilliant at imparting that energy and excitement on the listener (me). Like, I literally get the same rush (No pun intended) and get put in the same state of mind from listening to this album as I do from doing things like watching my favorite sports teams play a close game. The opening track, One Little Victory, also drives this home pretty hard, which is sort of funny. Following it up with Ceiling Unlimited continues the trend. The next track, Ghost Rider, is a slightly different case. I'll start by saying that I absolutely love this track, and if I were ranking individual songs, it'd be top 10, probably just failing to crack top 5. And it's a lot more subdued of a song than the previous two. But it is massively effective at influencing my mood, imparting Neil's sense of loss and frustration and the desire to overcome them myself (Which is undeniably a positive thing). When I heard Neil had died, putting this song on was the first thing I did. Even the other tracks that are supposed to be emotionally heavier, downer pieces (Given that this album was the first one back after the band's hiatus and what happened to lead to that hiatus, it's unsurprising that the aforementioned themes of loss and frustration are pervasive, and there are references to the September 11 attacks in the US, which happened while this album was being recorded) have similar impacts on me. Looking specifically at tracks like Secret Touch, Vapor Trail and Sweet Miracle I think makes my point for me. I suppose the case could always be made that the songs failed to properly hit their mark because of this, or I missed the point, but even then I'll continue looking at these positively, especially in the "You were looking for meaning to overcome the lowest point in your life, and this is what you had after finding it" sense. Regardless, literally the only thing keeping this from being higher is the aforementioned production quality. And the fact that we've already hit the point where I can definitively say I love every album here, and the middle 10-12 albums here (Snakes and Arrows to #4 or 5 or so) could all easily shift around multiple spots some days, if I were to re-make this list. <cite>Reg posted [p:933503159] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Panthera posted... </cite> <quote>I've always really liked Snakes and Arrows. Might even be in my top 5 Rush albums actually. Not entirely sure about that but it's in the running at least. Also we're four albums in and one of my two least favourites hasn't appeared yet (the other being Caress of Steel), so that's something for me to look forward to seeing where it ends up</quote>I can see this. It'd be a fair few spots higher if I were trying to rank strictly objectively. Mr Lasastryke posted... </cite> <quote>the s/t outright sucks aside from working man imo. as you discuss in the writeup, you can emulate the SOUND of led zeppelin but that doesn't mean you're suddenly going to write another whole lotta love. also, john rutsey is no john bonham.</quote>I do think sucks is a strong word to be using here. I also think that while Rutsey is no Bonham, I do think he's a solid drummer that could be substituted into a large number of bands from that era (If you put stylistic differences aside) and it'd be a sidegrade at worst. The songwriting is definitely a far bigger issue than the actual music. I can see where you're coming from though. 15. Vapor Trails Great: Mood Maker Terrible: Production Quality Just looking at the list of tracks, I sort of want to rank this album higher than I am. But as I already alluded to, this album is an absolute mess from a production standpoint, to the point that it hurts every single track on it. I know that it got remastered properly at some point, which significantly helps. But knowing that I was originally intended to listen to these songs in the way they are on the original album hurts. A lot. However, this is a very well-known and discussed topic so I won't dwell on it especially hard. Just know that it single-handedly knocked this album down multiple spots. I can absolutely say I unconditionally love every album here outside of the bottom two and there aren't huge gaps basically anywhere anymore, so it could even be more than that depending on my mood. Regardless, this album is a very heavy, in-your-face album broken up by a couple lighter tracks. And most of the tracks here are brilliant at imparting that energy and excitement on the listener (me). Like, I literally get the same rush (No pun intended) and get put in the same state of mind from listening to this album as I do from doing things like watching my favorite sports teams play a close game. The opening track, One Little Victory, also drives this home pretty hard, which is sort of funny. Following it up with Ceiling Unlimited continues the trend. The next track, Ghost Rider, is a slightly different case. I'll start by saying that I absolutely love this track, and if I were ranking individual songs, it'd be top 10, probably just failing to crack top 5. And it's a lot more subdued of a song than the previous two. But it is massively effective at influencing my mood, imparting Neil's sense of loss and frustration and the desire to overcome them myself (Which is undeniably a positive thing). When I heard Neil had died, putting this song on was the first thing I did. Even the other tracks that are supposed to be emotionally heavier, downer pieces (Given that this album was the first one back after the band's hiatus and what happened to lead to that hiatus, it's unsurprising that the aforementioned themes of loss and frustration are pervasive, and there are references to the September 11 attacks in the US, which happened while this album was being recorded) have similar impacts on me. Looking specifically at tracks like Secret Touch, Vapor Trail and Sweet Miracle I think makes my point for me. I suppose the case could always be made that the songs failed to properly hit their mark because of this, or I missed the point, but even then I'll continue looking at these positively, especially in the "You were looking for meaning to overcome the lowest point in your life, and this is what you had after finding it" sense. Regardless, literally the only thing keeping this from being higher is the aforementioned production quality. And the fact that we've already hit the point where I can definitively say I love every album here, and the middle 10-12 albums here (Snakes and Arrows to #4 or 5 or so) could all easily shift around multiple spots some days, if I were to re-make this list. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/26/20 7:19:51 PM #17:	I think One Little Victory was the first Rush song I ever heard that wasn't something I heard on the radio but had no idea who it was until years later --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933524348] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>I think One Little Victory was the first Rush song I ever heard that wasn't something I heard on the radio but had no idea who it was until years later </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/26/20 8:43:12 PM #18:	14. Fly By Night Heavy: Nostalgia, Style Light: Cohesion This album is famous as Peart's first work with the band. It's also quite famous for showcasing highly varied styles across its 8 tracks. From the somewhat harder rock-style tracks like Anthem, more normal, radio-friendly things like Fly By Night, the acoustic Making Memories, the ballad Rivendell, and the band's first long multi-part, By-Tor and the Snow Dog. This album was a band in search of a direction and a style after adding their new drummer. Like, I know I said literally the exact same thing about the self-titled before, but it's true again here, and it sticks out even more with how many different things they try and Peart being the primary lyricist, as opposed to the "disciples of Led Zepplin" that they let guide them before. Regardless, I've mentioned before that my introduction to Rush was that my dad had the Self-Titled debut and a Greatest Hits compilation album that covered things from Working Man to Time Stand Still. The second track on that CD, and the first new one for me, was Fly By Night. I was absolutely sold on the song being great at first listen. Working Man was the first Rush song I'd heard and enjoyed, but Fly By Night was the one that convinced me that I should listen to more of this band (And it didn't even turn out to be my favorite on the disc, even at first impressions! More on that when we hit the relevant album(s), but it's also why I didn't immediately bother my parents to buy me a copy of this album). But it does mean that, especially as far as reflecting on Rush as a band goes, the track holds very heavy nostalgia value for me. Fitting, for something that Peart wrote reflecting on a key moment in his own life. Similarly (Though I want to hold off on discussing this in any real detail until we get to 2112), I went through an Ayn Rand phase once and Anthem is the first of several tracks Peart wrote that are clearly inspired by her. So even if I don't consider the philosophies involved, that's another very clear tie to that point in my life that I do like being able to have a reminder of and reflect on. Great song, though. Very catchy and easy to listen to, even in a vacuum. The last song warranting special mention here is probably the second most famous on the album (Behind the title track), By-Tor and the Snow Dog. Part 1 is a very upbeat introduction, using its lyrics to set the stage for the story it wants to tell, and the last minute reprises those riffs to tell the conclusion to the story. And I would go so far as to call the primary riff used there iconic among Rush fans. But it's really the middle six minutes that are critical to this song. The long instrumental segment that covers a battle and the aftermath. A violent, loud piece (Complete with a sound that I can really only describe as a roar being used throughout) giving way to something that really gives the feeling of somebody surveying a dead battlefield. Overall, I'd go so far as to say that the band somewhat missed the mark with this song, though - It's solid, but it's also clearly their first foray into a new style, and more than a bit unrefined. It sets the stage for a bunch of utterly brilliant stuff going forward though, so I'll always like it if only on those grounds. Remember when I said I was going to be brief with these writeups? Neither do I. Oops. <cite>Reg posted [p:933528884] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>14. Fly By Night Heavy: Nostalgia, Style Light: Cohesion This album is famous as Peart's first work with the band. It's also quite famous for showcasing highly varied styles across its 8 tracks. From the somewhat harder rock-style tracks like Anthem, more normal, radio-friendly things like Fly By Night, the acoustic Making Memories, the ballad Rivendell, and the band's first long multi-part, By-Tor and the Snow Dog. This album was a band in search of a direction and a style after adding their new drummer. Like, I know I said literally the exact same thing about the self-titled before, but it's true again here, and it sticks out even more with how many different things they try and Peart being the primary lyricist, as opposed to the "disciples of Led Zepplin" that they let guide them before. Regardless, I've mentioned before that my introduction to Rush was that my dad had the Self-Titled debut and a Greatest Hits compilation album that covered things from Working Man to Time Stand Still. The second track on that CD, and the first new one for me, was Fly By Night. I was absolutely sold on the song being great at first listen. Working Man was the first Rush song I'd heard and enjoyed, but Fly By Night was the one that convinced me that I should listen to more of this band (And it didn't even turn out to be my favorite on the disc, even at first impressions! More on that when we hit the relevant album(s), but it's also why I didn't immediately bother my parents to buy me a copy of this album). But it does mean that, especially as far as reflecting on Rush as a band goes, the track holds very heavy nostalgia value for me. Fitting, for something that Peart wrote reflecting on a key moment in his own life. Similarly (Though I want to hold off on discussing this in any real detail until we get to 2112), I went through an Ayn Rand phase once and Anthem is the first of several tracks Peart wrote that are clearly inspired by her. So even if I don't consider the philosophies involved, that's another very clear tie to that point in my life that I do like being able to have a reminder of and reflect on. Great song, though. Very catchy and easy to listen to, even in a vacuum. The last song warranting special mention here is probably the second most famous on the album (Behind the title track), By-Tor and the Snow Dog. Part 1 is a very upbeat introduction, using its lyrics to set the stage for the story it wants to tell, and the last minute reprises those riffs to tell the conclusion to the story. And I would go so far as to call the primary riff used there iconic among Rush fans. But it's really the middle six minutes that are critical to this song. The long instrumental segment that covers a battle and the aftermath. A violent, loud piece (Complete with a sound that I can really only describe as a roar being used throughout) giving way to something that really gives the feeling of somebody surveying a dead battlefield. Overall, I'd go so far as to say that the band somewhat missed the mark with this song, though - It's solid, but it's also clearly their first foray into a new style, and more than a bit unrefined. It sets the stage for a bunch of utterly brilliant stuff going forward though, so I'll always like it if only on those grounds. Remember when I said I was going to be brief with these writeups? Neither do I. Oops. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/28/20 4:53:57 PM #19:	Fly By Night, meet Bump By Afternoon --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933610844] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Fly By Night, meet Bump By Afternoon </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bartzyx 01/28/20 7:15:56 PM #20:	"Best I Can" is the best song on that album --- The King is dead. "The general space can always succeed to succeed. He is very deceitful." <cite>Bartzyx posted [p:933616657] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>"Best I Can" is the best song on that album </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/28/20 7:33:15 PM #21:	Panthera posted... Fly By Night, meet Bump By Afternoon yeah, sorry, haven't (and won't) be able to sustain the 1/day pace since I'm writing more than 4x as much about each album as I planned to when I decided to do this lmao Bartzyx posted... "Best I Can" is the best song on that album For once, I'm having trouble seeing this one! Like, I think it's good (And probably my #3 or 4 on the album depending on how I feel about it compared to By-Tor at any given moment), for sure. But it feels a lot like a middle ground between Anthem and Fly By Night imo and I'm just not seeing what it does better than those two \_()_/ 13. Hold Your Fire Excellent: Lyrics and themes Awful: Consistency, Low Points I have such mixed feelings on this album. Mostly, the quality of the songs on the album itself is so mixed. About a third of the album is fucking brilliant, another third is good but not standout, and the last third is really just bad, especially by Rush standards. In that regard, it's basically a massively superior Test For Echo, which suffered the exact same problem, but its highs weren't nearly as high, and even its middle ground wasn't nearly as good. But if you do force your way through the bad here, you're rewarded with some of Rush's absolute best songs, as well as a very cohesive album - in terms of both style and theme. I'll start with the bad here, and get it out of the way - Tai Shan is notoriously bad (Though I'm sure it has its fans...), and I don't think it needs any introduction or discussion on that. High Water is just thoroughly dull on every front. There's nothing compelling about any of the lyrics or instrumentation there and I'm just left with feelings of "why did I spend my time listening to this instead of literally anything else". (Best way to enjoy this album: Turn It Off after Turn The Page) Meanwhile, by contrast, Lock And Key has a very clear direction and a very clear (if overly explored) theme. But it's a very repetitive song that feels to me like it drags on excessively long, even if it's only five minutes long. And the solo section, while as technically solid as ever from Lifeson, feels disjointed at best. The song just manages to be a lot less than the sum of its parts, which is impressively bad in music. I'll also take this chance to talk about Second Nature, which I don't have quite as low an opinion of as the other three songs I mentioned here - I actually think it's generally pretty solid. Good instrumentation, and I feel like the lyrics really hit the mark. But at the same time, I find it really jarring to listen to, sort of like the lyrics were just laid over the rest of the song without any regard for rhythm or flow. It bothers me, and I can't like the song as much as I want to because of that. On the good side though, Time Stand Still, Force Ten, and Mission are all among the absolute top tier of things Rush has ever done. Mission, in particular, easily stands out as top three among every song Rush has written in my book. The concept of idolizing other people/their lifestyles and the pitfalls therein is a concept that hits very close to home for me, especially having seen a few examples of people close to me where either everything was built on lies to begin with or there was something making it unsustainable and everything came crashing down around them. I lost a good friend because of that when I was a kid, which leads the song to resonate with me very strongly. The last half of the song (Basically the last verse and the instrumental sections surrounding it) are absolutely just peak music in general, let alone Rush. I'll try to be brief with Force Ten and Time Stand Still, since they're the famous tracks on this album, but suffice to say that I find both tracks very easy to listen to, with Force Ten being exciting and fun and Time Stand Still being a very atmospheric piece and lyrics discussing a theme that resonates with me more every year of my life. Even if my introduction to the song was back in my early high school days, where I didn't feel the same way about it as I do now. The remaining three songs also exist, and are also 'pretty good'. In particular, I want to like Open Secrets more than I do. I think it's a really fun track that does some cool things, but I listen to it and I'm left wanting more. I think it hits the lonely feeling really well in both the lyrics and the music, which is objectively a good thing, but it means the song misses a bit with me where it probably shouldn't. Prime Mover and Turn The Page, meanwhile, are just all-around very solid, which basically means they're the ones that get left out here. I have basically nothing negative to say about either, but they don't shine as brightly either. <cite>Reg posted [p:933617416] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Panthera posted... </cite> <quote>Fly By Night, meet Bump By Afternoon</quote>yeah, sorry, haven't (and won't) be able to sustain the 1/day pace since I'm writing more than 4x as much about each album as I planned to when I decided to do this lmao Bartzyx posted... </cite> <quote>"Best I Can" is the best song on that album</quote>For once, I'm having trouble seeing this one! Like, I think it's good (And probably my #3 or 4 on the album depending on how I feel about it compared to By-Tor at any given moment), for sure. But it feels a lot like a middle ground between Anthem and Fly By Night imo and I'm just not seeing what it does better than those two \_()_/ 13. Hold Your Fire Excellent: Lyrics and themes Awful: Consistency, Low Points I have such mixed feelings on this album. Mostly, the quality of the songs on the album itself is so mixed. About a third of the album is fucking brilliant, another third is good but not standout, and the last third is really just bad, especially by Rush standards. In that regard, it's basically a massively superior Test For Echo, which suffered the exact same problem, but its highs weren't nearly as high, and even its middle ground wasn't nearly as good. But if you do force your way through the bad here, you're rewarded with some of Rush's absolute best songs, as well as a very cohesive album - in terms of both style and theme. I'll start with the bad here, and get it out of the way - Tai Shan is notoriously bad (Though I'm sure it has its fans...), and I don't think it needs any introduction or discussion on that. High Water is just thoroughly dull on every front. There's nothing compelling about any of the lyrics or instrumentation there and I'm just left with feelings of "why did I spend my time listening to this instead of literally anything else". (Best way to enjoy this album: Turn It Off after Turn The Page) Meanwhile, by contrast, Lock And Key has a very clear direction and a very clear (if overly explored) theme. But it's a very repetitive song that feels to me like it drags on excessively long, even if it's only five minutes long. And the solo section, while as technically solid as ever from Lifeson, feels disjointed at best. The song just manages to be a lot less than the sum of its parts, which is impressively bad in music. I'll also take this chance to talk about Second Nature, which I don't have quite as low an opinion of as the other three songs I mentioned here - I actually think it's generally pretty solid. Good instrumentation, and I feel like the lyrics really hit the mark. But at the same time, I find it really jarring to listen to, sort of like the lyrics were just laid over the rest of the song without any regard for rhythm or flow. It bothers me, and I can't like the song as much as I want to because of that. On the good side though, Time Stand Still, Force Ten, and Mission are all among the absolute top tier of things Rush has ever done. Mission, in particular, easily stands out as top three among every song Rush has written in my book. The concept of idolizing other people/their lifestyles and the pitfalls therein is a concept that hits very close to home for me, especially having seen a few examples of people close to me where either everything was built on lies to begin with or there was something making it unsustainable and everything came crashing down around them. I lost a good friend because of that when I was a kid, which leads the song to resonate with me very strongly. The last half of the song (Basically the last verse and the instrumental sections surrounding it) are absolutely just peak music in general, let alone Rush. I'll try to be brief with Force Ten and Time Stand Still, since they're the famous tracks on this album, but suffice to say that I find both tracks very easy to listen to, with Force Ten being exciting and fun and Time Stand Still being a very atmospheric piece and lyrics discussing a theme that resonates with me more every year of my life. Even if my introduction to the song was back in my early high school days, where I didn't feel the same way about it as I do now. The remaining three songs also exist, and are also 'pretty good'. In particular, I want to like Open Secrets more than I do. I think it's a really fun track that does some cool things, but I listen to it and I'm left wanting more. I think it hits the lonely feeling really well in both the lyrics and the music, which is objectively a good thing, but it means the song misses a bit with me where it probably shouldn't. Prime Mover and Turn The Page, meanwhile, are just all-around very solid, which basically means they're the ones that get left out here. I have basically nothing negative to say about either, but they don't shine as brightly either. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
NBIceman 01/28/20 7:40:08 PM #22:	Mission is incredible. That's my entire contribution to discussion of this album. --- https://imgur.com/UYamul2 Spurs - Yankees - Eagles - Golden Knights <cite>NBIceman posted [p:933617687] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Mission is incredible. That's my entire contribution to discussion of this album. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/28/20 7:46:50 PM #23:	Reg posted... I have such mixed feelings on this album. Mostly, the quality of the songs on the album itself is so mixed. About a third of the album is fucking brilliant, another third is good but not standout, and the last third is really just bad Yeah that about sums it up for me I'm officially amazed that Roll the Bones hasn't been listed yet --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933617939] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Reg posted... </cite> <quote> I have such mixed feelings on this album. Mostly, the quality of the songs on the album itself is so mixed. About a third of the album is fucking brilliant, another third is good but not standout, and the last third is really just bad</quote> Yeah that about sums it up for me I'm officially amazed that Roll the Bones hasn't been listed yet </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/28/20 7:58:56 PM #24:	NBIceman posted... Mission is incredible. That's my entire contribution to discussion of this album. Literally the most accurate thing I've read today (that I didn't write myself) I don't think it's necessarily an unpopular opinion, either. But it's that good Panthera posted... I'm officially amazed that Roll the Bones hasn't been listed yet \_()_/ <cite>Reg posted [p:933618405] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>NBIceman posted... </cite> <quote>Mission is incredible. That's my entire contribution to discussion of this album.</quote>Literally the most accurate thing I've read today (that I didn't write myself) I don't think it's necessarily an unpopular opinion, either. But it's that good Panthera posted... </cite> <quote>I'm officially amazed that Roll the Bones hasn't been listed yet</quote>\_()_/ </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/29/20 8:57:19 PM #25:	This is probably going to be the most controversial writeup in this topic, and it will probably come across more negative than intended. I don't really give a fuck, but I will take the chance to remind you before you read this writeup that I still love this album, just like (more than) the ones that came before it, and just like (but not quite as much as) the 11 that will come after. 12. Hemispheres Clocking in with just four tracks and a hair over 36 minutes of runtime, this is Rush's second shortest album (Only beating out Permanent Waves by about 30 seconds). It opens with an absolutely awe-inspiring tale of reason vs passion, with the predictable and appropriate ending of "why not both?". Well, putting literary qualities of the story aside, the song riffs for a couple minutes before jumping into the story, forgoing any introduction for anybody who didn't listen to the first half, then introduces the central characters over the song's primary riff and gives them each solos, and part three continues the trend of the first two acts before giving way to a quiet and despairing bit heralding the conclusion of the story. Then all at once, the despair ceased, and the song peaked. Though for as strong as it ends, the best word I have to describe the second half of the Cygnus duology is "repetitive". It's a fantastic song, but it falls back too strongly on its bread-and-butter riff and melody a bit much for my tastes, and why I ultimately consider the song inferior to 2112 (Even if I do consider it the second best of Rush's multi-part pieces) The middle segment of this album features the very famous (And quality) The Trees and the much less famous (And much less quality) Circumstances. The Trees tells a very charming-yet-sad tale over a catchy (if somber) tune. I've got no complaints about the song, and its popularity suits its quality, even if I'm less high on it than most fans (I do know some people that cite it as their favorite Rush song <_<). Circumstances, meanwhile, is material that wouldn't be out of place on either of the band's first two albums. It's another relatively bleak tune about the time Peart spent in London, and the flop that was, but it still makes for a good listen. I actually think Geddy's voice stands out on this track and carries a lot of force behind it that suits the song really well. The fourth track, La Villa Strangiato, is "quite something". Honestly, the best comparison I have for this song is literally the topic you're reading right now. It's repetitive, it's style over substance, and it's way too fucking long for what it is. But you still sit down and listen to the entire thing when it comes up because it's pretty fun. The main riff is iconic among Rush fans, the entire thing is catchy as fuck. Just, why the fuck is this over nine minutes long? Would hold this song in much higher regard if it wasn't, but as-is it kind of anchors the album in a lot of ways. Which is probably an absolutely incredible, borderline-heretical thing for me to say as a Rush fan. But it's how I feel. Rush can and has done better than this. Stylistically, this album is the prime example of what Rush was all about in the 70s. It's got everything - Excess, grand tales, top-tier quality from all three instruments, the classic power trio format, everything. If Rush did it in the 70s, you can find a good example of it in this album. It's just, uh, for as much as I love the epics, I'm a bit more of an 80s Rush guy when it comes to raw preferences (As evidenced by the fact that the only 80s album to show up so far is Hold Your Fire, while the only remaining 70s albums are 2112 and A Farewell to Kings) <cite>Reg posted [p:933666564] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>This is probably going to be the most controversial writeup in this topic, and it will probably come across more negative than intended. I don't really give a fuck, but I will take the chance to remind you before you read this writeup that I still love this album, just like (more than) the ones that came before it, and just like (but not quite as much as) the 11 that will come after. 12. Hemispheres Clocking in with just four tracks and a hair over 36 minutes of runtime, this is Rush's second shortest album (Only beating out Permanent Waves by about 30 seconds). It opens with an absolutely awe-inspiring tale of reason vs passion, with the predictable and appropriate ending of "why not both?". Well, putting literary qualities of the story aside, the song riffs for a couple minutes before jumping into the story, forgoing any introduction for anybody who didn't listen to the first half, then introduces the central characters over the song's primary riff and gives them each solos, and part three continues the trend of the first two acts before giving way to a quiet and despairing bit heralding the conclusion of the story. Then all at once, the despair ceased, and the song peaked. Though for as strong as it ends, the best word I have to describe the second half of the Cygnus duology is "repetitive". It's a fantastic song, but it falls back too strongly on its bread-and-butter riff and melody a bit much for my tastes, and why I ultimately consider the song inferior to 2112 (Even if I do consider it the second best of Rush's multi-part pieces) The middle segment of this album features the very famous (And quality) The Trees and the much less famous (And much less quality) Circumstances. The Trees tells a very charming-yet-sad tale over a catchy (if somber) tune. I've got no complaints about the song, and its popularity suits its quality, even if I'm less high on it than most fans (I do know some people that cite it as their favorite Rush song <_<). Circumstances, meanwhile, is material that wouldn't be out of place on either of the band's first two albums. It's another relatively bleak tune about the time Peart spent in London, and the flop that was, but it still makes for a good listen. I actually think Geddy's voice stands out on this track and carries a lot of force behind it that suits the song really well. The fourth track, La Villa Strangiato, is "quite something". Honestly, the best comparison I have for this song is literally the topic you're reading right now. It's repetitive, it's style over substance, and it's way too fucking long for what it is. But you still sit down and listen to the entire thing when it comes up because it's pretty fun. The main riff is iconic among Rush fans, the entire thing is catchy as fuck. Just, why the fuck is this over nine minutes long? Would hold this song in much higher regard if it wasn't, but as-is it kind of anchors the album in a lot of ways. Which is probably an absolutely incredible, borderline-heretical thing for me to say as a Rush fan. But it's how I feel. Rush can and has done better than this. Stylistically, this album is the prime example of what Rush was all about in the 70s. It's got everything - Excess, grand tales, top-tier quality from all three instruments, the classic power trio format, everything. If Rush did it in the 70s, you can find a good example of it in this album. It's just, uh, for as much as I love the epics, I'm a bit more of an 80s Rush guy when it comes to raw preferences (As evidenced by the fact that the only 80s album to show up so far is Hold Your Fire, while the only remaining 70s albums are 2112 and A Farewell to Kings) </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/30/20 10:30:38 AM #26:	I love the first two songs on Hemispheres, but The Trees is just okay and La Villa does little more than bore me --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933686423] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>I love the first two songs on Hemispheres, but The Trees is just okay and La Villa does little more than bore me </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SuperbVEVO 01/30/20 11:45:31 AM #27:	Just wanted to come in to say roll the bones is automatically the best because it has a rapping skeleton <cite>SuperbVEVO posted [p:933689240] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Just wanted to come in to say roll the bones is automatically the best because it has a rapping skeleton </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Zylothewolf 01/30/20 12:16:13 PM #28:	I thought that Presto wouldve shown up by now. Tag --- Ngamer64: Zylo, you're making less sense every day. Advokaiser >Me <cite>Zylothewolf posted [p:933690539] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>I thought that Presto wouldve shown up by now. Tag </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/30/20 12:35:01 PM #29:	Panthera posted... I love the first two songs on Hemispheres, but The Trees is just okay and La Villa does little more than bore me Bore is a strong word for LVS I think, but I can totally see it. One of the more overrated songs the band has done for sure. <cite>Reg posted [p:933691344] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Panthera posted... </cite> <quote>I love the first two songs on Hemispheres, but The Trees is just okay and La Villa does little more than bore me</quote>Bore is a strong word for LVS I think, but I can totally see it. One of the more overrated songs the band has done for sure. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/30/20 8:51:57 PM #30:	LVS is just...I don't know. I've listened to it plenty of times but I feel like I can't even remember a second of it even after I just listened to it a second ago. Nothing about it ever registers as more than just background noise to me. I'm not sure why, it doesn't stick in my head enough for me to even have a clear reason. --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933712309] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>LVS is just...I don't know. I've listened to it plenty of times but I feel like I can't even remember a second of it even after I just listened to it a second ago. Nothing about it ever registers as more than just background noise to me. I'm not sure why, it doesn't stick in my head enough for me to even have a clear reason. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
KanzarisKelshen 01/31/20 6:00:47 PM #31:	You guys don't remember the Powerhouse riff? I'm surprised! It's so iconic I just about jumped out of my chair the first time I heard it come up. --- Shine on, you crazy diamond. <cite>KanzarisKelshen posted [p:933751350] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>You guys don't remember the Powerhouse riff? I'm surprised! It's so iconic I just about jumped out of my chair the first time I heard it come up. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/31/20 8:40:01 PM #32:	11. Roll The Bones This album has already come up as one certain readers may be surprised to have not seen yet. It fails to crack the top ten or top half, but ultimately I am super fond of this album in ways other Rush fans may not be. Even with a lot of lyrics that wouldn't generally suggest it, I find this album very, very relaxing to listen to, even when the guitars and harder styles come into play. And contrast an album like Hold Your Fire that takes a good chunk of bad in with the great, this album takes the very-slightly-less great in with the pretty good across the board. Like, let's take the worst songs on this album. For my money, those are the more silly style and fast-moving You Bet Your Life and Face Up. Frankly, I consider both songs pretty vapid lyrically, especially considered to a lot of other things Peart wrote, and not the strongest musically. But for the worst tracks on an album, you can do far worse than having fun little cheesy listens. And I actually, unironically, really love the "I'm in a groove now / or is it a rut / I need some feedback / but all the lines are cut / I get so angry, I keep my mouth shut" verse in Face Up. It feels good to listen to that one. And in the same vein, Roll The Bones is a very fun (And better than the previous two) track that's marred by Geddy deciding that expiermenting with rap was fun and smart. Seriously, that segment is dumb. But the rest of that track is very good. And then on top of that, this album actually has good songs too. I know, Rush writing good songs, who knew? But I do consider Dreamline and Bravado to both be utterly brilliant pieces (Even if not quite as much so as, say, Mission), and both Heresy and Ghost of a Chance are pretty great as well. It's a set of emotional tracks, ranging from themes like loss or love to the literal end of the Cold War and the Eastern European aftermath (Reminder: I am a sucker for the historical tales). This album has a relative middle ground as well, but when it's got solid peaks and the aforementioned valleys are as fun as they are, suffice to say they're good. Where's My Thing? in particular is a catchy little instrumental number that stands out as being pretty decent even among Rush's instrumental tracks (Which do a great job of putting a lot of the band's raw talent on display) <cite>Reg posted [p:933757914] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>11. Roll The Bones This album has already come up as one certain readers may be surprised to have not seen yet. It fails to crack the top ten or top half, but ultimately I am super fond of this album in ways other Rush fans may not be. Even with a lot of lyrics that wouldn't generally suggest it, I find this album very, very relaxing to listen to, even when the guitars and harder styles come into play. And contrast an album like Hold Your Fire that takes a good chunk of bad in with the great, this album takes the very-slightly-less great in with the pretty good across the board. Like, let's take the worst songs on this album. For my money, those are the more silly style and fast-moving You Bet Your Life and Face Up. Frankly, I consider both songs pretty vapid lyrically, especially considered to a lot of other things Peart wrote, and not the strongest musically. But for the worst tracks on an album, you can do far worse than having fun little cheesy listens. And I actually, unironically, really love the "I'm in a groove now / or is it a rut / I need some feedback / but all the lines are cut / I get so angry, I keep my mouth shut" verse in Face Up. It feels good to listen to that one. And in the same vein, Roll The Bones is a very fun (And better than the previous two) track that's marred by Geddy deciding that expiermenting with rap was fun and smart. Seriously, that segment is dumb. But the rest of that track is very good. And then on top of that, this album actually has good songs too. I know, Rush writing good songs, who knew? But I do consider Dreamline and Bravado to both be utterly brilliant pieces (Even if not quite as much so as, say, Mission), and both Heresy and Ghost of a Chance are pretty great as well. It's a set of emotional tracks, ranging from themes like loss or love to the literal end of the Cold War and the Eastern European aftermath (Reminder: I am a sucker for the historical tales). This album has a relative middle ground as well, but when it's got solid peaks and the aforementioned valleys are as fun as they are, suffice to say they're good. Where's My Thing? in particular is a catchy little instrumental number that stands out as being pretty decent even among Rush's instrumental tracks (Which do a great job of putting a lot of the band's raw talent on display) </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ZeroSignal620 01/31/20 9:32:17 PM #33:	Tag --- Formerly known as Raven 2 http://card.psnprofiles.com/1/ZeroSignal620.png <cite>ZeroSignal620 posted [p:933760118] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Tag </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/31/20 9:36:54 PM #34:	Reg posted... This album has already come up as one certain readers may be surprised to have not seen yet I wonder who that could be! I really like Dreamline and Neurotica. Rest of the album is...okayish? I don't really have strong feelings about it, it's easily the album I've listened to the least (well, besides Clockwork Angels which I haven't actually listened to yet...hmm, maybe I should change that while it's on my mind). It's near the bottom of my personal list more by process of elimination than actual dislike. --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933760323] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Reg posted... </cite> <quote> This album has already come up as one certain readers may be surprised to have not seen yet</quote> I wonder who that could be! I really like Dreamline and Neurotica. Rest of the album is...okayish? I don't really have strong feelings about it, it's easily the album I've listened to the least (well, besides Clockwork Angels which I haven't actually listened to yet...hmm, maybe I should change that while it's on my mind). It's near the bottom of my personal list more by process of elimination than actual dislike. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/31/20 10:16:45 PM #35:	Panthera posted... Clockwork Angels which I haven't actually listened to yet pls fix this very great album if only evidenced by the fact that it hasn't shown up here yet. <cite>Reg posted [p:933761861] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Panthera posted... </cite> <quote>Clockwork Angels which I haven't actually listened to yet</quote>pls fix this very great album if only evidenced by the fact that it hasn't shown up here yet. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 01/31/20 10:21:03 PM #36:	I am in the process of fixing it right now actually! --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933762048] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>I am in the process of fixing it right now actually! </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 01/31/20 10:23:37 PM #37:	Good decision! <cite>Reg posted [p:933762152] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Good decision! </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Underleveled 01/31/20 11:35:00 PM #38:	Oooh, no mention of Neurotica. One of my favorite deep cuts from the band. --- darkx <cite>Underleveled posted [p:933764582] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Oooh, no mention of Neurotica. One of my favorite deep cuts from the band. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 02/01/20 8:14:34 AM #39:	Underleveled posted... Oooh, no mention of Neurotica. One of my favorite deep cuts from the band. I could've. I'm trying to not write like 1k words per album like I was trending towards because that just makes getting motivated to write hard. Would like to finish this topic at a reasonable pace <_< And just off the cuff, I feel like Heresy and Ghost of a Chance sort of hit the same high notes that Neurotica does, but better. <cite>Reg posted [p:933774220] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Underleveled posted... </cite> <quote>Oooh, no mention of Neurotica. One of my favorite deep cuts from the band.</quote>I could've. I'm trying to not write like 1k words per album like I was trending towards because that just makes getting motivated to write hard. Would like to finish this topic at a reasonable pace <_< And just off the cuff, I feel like Heresy and Ghost of a Chance sort of hit the same high notes that Neurotica does, but better. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 02/02/20 1:49:18 PM #40:	Did you know that Rush is the name of a band --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933828132] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Did you know that Rush is the name of a band </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 02/02/20 2:15:50 PM #41:	Panthera posted... Did you know that Rush is the name of a band You sure? I thought it was the name of an album... 10. Presto The previously ranked Roll The Bones was the band's successor to Presto, and honestly I view the albums as pretty similar in a lot of ways. Stylistically, it was the band moving away from the synths that drove them throughout the 80s, and returning to showcasing Lifeson's guitar as the forefront of the music. Quality-wise, it's another very consistent album that has definite peaks, but nothing really in the way of valleys. I'm probably least a fan of War Paint and Hand Over Fist on this album, and really, I don't have much in the way of negative things to say about them. They basically just never really clicked with me in a way that makes them stand out. But if I were to do a ranking of the songs on this album, the top two would be pretty well set, and the bottom two would be set, and literally everything else would fluctuate wildly from day to day. It's all damn good material, though the flip side to that is that not much of it stands out as noticeably better than anything else. Let's talk about the amazing though. The Pass is almost certainly the most popular and well-liked song on this album, and for damn good reason. It's utterly brilliant. It's depressing as fuck (Appropriate to its subject matter). But it conveys the emotions incredibly well, and really feels like it's coming from somebody who had been on the brink, even though Peart wrote it before the losses he actually suffered. And even though I've never had those feelings myself and had yet to lose anybody in that way at the time I first heard it, it hit me incredibly hard. And furthering the intense, depressing vibes, I find Red Tide to be one of the more underrated things the band has done - I don't recall it ever getting any notable love or popularity, but it hits a lot of the same high quality points as The Pass, even if it doesn't score quite as high in my book. The subject matter is obviously different, and it doesn't hit quite as hard, but it's still a very intense piece that sends a clear message on a topic that is a lot more controversial than it should be. The rest of the album is incredibly solid top to bottom as well. Songs like Scars, Superconductor and Anagram (For Mongo) provide more upbeat, easy listening to contrast the depressing vibes of the best tracks on this album. Presto strikes a very good emotional middle ground to tie the album together and bridge the two halves of it. Available Light does a great job of closing the album with the same sort of mood as the best of the album, but falls just a bit short in comparison to those two. But overall, for anybody who was alive and following the band throughout the 70s and 80s, I can only imagine how much of a breath of fresh air this was after the 80s, especially with the way it put a more guitar-oriented style front and center and lets Lifeson show what he's really made of, something he'd continue doing a great job with throughout the 90s and 2000s as well. I'd just say this album is basically Snakes and Arrows on crack, as far as quality goes. The most negative thing I have to say about it is that, on an emotional level, this isn't an album I'm always up to listen to. <cite>Reg posted [p:933829121] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Panthera posted... </cite> <quote>Did you know that Rush is the name of a band</quote>You sure? I thought it was the name of an album... 10. Presto The previously ranked Roll The Bones was the band's successor to Presto, and honestly I view the albums as pretty similar in a lot of ways. Stylistically, it was the band moving away from the synths that drove them throughout the 80s, and returning to showcasing Lifeson's guitar as the forefront of the music. Quality-wise, it's another very consistent album that has definite peaks, but nothing really in the way of valleys. I'm probably least a fan of War Paint and Hand Over Fist on this album, and really, I don't have much in the way of negative things to say about them. They basically just never really clicked with me in a way that makes them stand out. But if I were to do a ranking of the songs on this album, the top two would be pretty well set, and the bottom two would be set, and literally everything else would fluctuate wildly from day to day. It's all damn good material, though the flip side to that is that not much of it stands out as noticeably better than anything else. Let's talk about the amazing though. The Pass is almost certainly the most popular and well-liked song on this album, and for damn good reason. It's utterly brilliant. It's depressing as fuck (Appropriate to its subject matter). But it conveys the emotions incredibly well, and really feels like it's coming from somebody who had been on the brink, even though Peart wrote it before the losses he actually suffered. And even though I've never had those feelings myself and had yet to lose anybody in that way at the time I first heard it, it hit me incredibly hard. And furthering the intense, depressing vibes, I find Red Tide to be one of the more underrated things the band has done - I don't recall it ever getting any notable love or popularity, but it hits a lot of the same high quality points as The Pass, even if it doesn't score quite as high in my book. The subject matter is obviously different, and it doesn't hit quite as hard, but it's still a very intense piece that sends a clear message on a topic that is a lot more controversial than it should be. The rest of the album is incredibly solid top to bottom as well. Songs like Scars, Superconductor and Anagram (For Mongo) provide more upbeat, easy listening to contrast the depressing vibes of the best tracks on this album. Presto strikes a very good emotional middle ground to tie the album together and bridge the two halves of it. Available Light does a great job of closing the album with the same sort of mood as the best of the album, but falls just a bit short in comparison to those two. But overall, for anybody who was alive and following the band throughout the 70s and 80s, I can only imagine how much of a breath of fresh air this was after the 80s, especially with the way it put a more guitar-oriented style front and center and lets Lifeson show what he's really made of, something he'd continue doing a great job with throughout the 90s and 2000s as well. I'd just say this album is basically Snakes and Arrows on crack, as far as quality goes. The most negative thing I have to say about it is that, on an emotional level, this isn't an album I'm always up to listen to. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
NBIceman 02/02/20 2:46:29 PM #42:	Agreed 100% on Red Tide. I've always been surprised at how little-known that piece is. --- https://imgur.com/UYamul2 Spurs - Yankees - Eagles - Golden Knights <cite>NBIceman posted [p:933830276] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Agreed 100% on Red Tide. I've always been surprised at how little-known that piece is. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 02/03/20 7:15:12 PM #43:	Presto is decent --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933889555] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Presto is decent </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Metal_DK 02/03/20 7:56:12 PM #44:	moving pictures 1 --- Casual Revolution 2007 - 2016 <cite>Metal_DK posted [p:933891310] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>moving pictures 1 </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 02/03/20 9:10:30 PM #45:	Metal_DK posted... moving pictures 1 Hell no 9. Moving Pictures Sorry, but this album isn't the GOAT, and I actually find it wildly overrated by the multiple people I know who think it is. It's certainly Rush's most radio-friendly album, and has several of their most popular songs. Such as the less-than-stellar Tom Sawyer. Like, honestly, song's fine. But even though I know this is wrong of me, I can't bring myself to really like it simply on account of the sheer amount of undeserved love it gets. Like, this is Rush's most popular song? Really? In what universe does that actually make sense? Instead of ranting about that though, this album is still pretty damn good. The rest of the first half shines super brightly as some of Rush's better material. Red Barchetta in particular is the song on the album that actually deserves something close to the level of praise Tom Sawyer gets, Limelight is also very high quality with a particularly standout guitar solo, and YYZ is just a pure demonstration of instrumental quality and (As I previously said) is the best instrumental piece the band did in my opinion. Super catchy and memorable, a very high level of technical skill on display, and doesn't drag on too long or overstay its welcome. Pretty ideal in a lot of ways. Then there's the back half of the album, which is a lot less radio-friendly (and thus less popular) than the front, but still quite good. The Camera Eye is the last of Rush's long, multipart tracks, though it's usually not grouped with the rest on account of basically just having two halves instead of an actual series of parts or a story, instead just playing some cool riffs while contrasting the more modern, younger New York to the rich history of London, though honestly it looks more like highlighting the hustle and bustle common to all major cities rather than drawing differences between the two cities mentioned by name. I dunno though, I'm not a critic. Vital Signs actually was released as a single, but never caught on for whatever reason. Shame, because it's really solid. But it's also not really the same style as the rest of the band's material to that point, let alone the album itself, which is basically the only explanation I've got for that. The last track to discuss here is about the worst kind of person/event. The lynch mobs Witch Hunt so clearly describes show up throughout history. Religion, xenophobia, whatever else. The "immigrants and infidels", as Peart so clearly put it. Regardless, fuck the internet for making said mobs so much easier to assemble and over much sillier things, even if they're less explicitly violent. Also, fun fact. This was my second Rush album, and I picked it above a lot of the others I may have been more interested in from the songs I already knew because I knew it was the most popular one. Since I haven't mentioned that in a while, my progression was (off the top of my head, may be mixed up on the middle stuff) Permanent Waves -> Moving Pictures -> Grace Under Pressure/Fly By Night -> 2112/Rush/Hemispheres -> A Farewell To Kings/Hold Your Fire/Signals -> Roll The Bones/Presto/Counterparts -> Power Windows/Snakes And Arrows/Caress of Steel -> Test For Echo/Vapor Trails -> Clockwork Angels (Which was released about 18 months after I first listened to Test For Echo and Vapor Trails, just to give a timeline on how long it took me to get through the existing discography). Just looking at which of these albums have and have not shown up in the bottom half of this list, I think it's pretty clear that there's not much of a bias between how early/late I was introduced to something and how much I like it, relatively speaking. <cite>Reg posted [p:933894511] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Metal_DK posted... </cite> <quote>moving pictures 1</quote>Hell no 9. Moving Pictures Sorry, but this album isn't the GOAT, and I actually find it wildly overrated by the multiple people I know who think it is. It's certainly Rush's most radio-friendly album, and has several of their most popular songs. Such as the less-than-stellar Tom Sawyer. Like, honestly, song's fine. But even though I know this is wrong of me, I can't bring myself to really like it simply on account of the sheer amount of undeserved love it gets. Like, this is Rush's most popular song? Really? In what universe does that actually make sense? Instead of ranting about that though, this album is still pretty damn good. The rest of the first half shines super brightly as some of Rush's better material. Red Barchetta in particular is the song on the album that actually deserves something close to the level of praise Tom Sawyer gets, Limelight is also very high quality with a particularly standout guitar solo, and YYZ is just a pure demonstration of instrumental quality and (As I previously said) is the best instrumental piece the band did in my opinion. Super catchy and memorable, a very high level of technical skill on display, and doesn't drag on too long or overstay its welcome. Pretty ideal in a lot of ways. Then there's the back half of the album, which is a lot less radio-friendly (and thus less popular) than the front, but still quite good. The Camera Eye is the last of Rush's long, multipart tracks, though it's usually not grouped with the rest on account of basically just having two halves instead of an actual series of parts or a story, instead just playing some cool riffs while contrasting the more modern, younger New York to the rich history of London, though honestly it looks more like highlighting the hustle and bustle common to all major cities rather than drawing differences between the two cities mentioned by name. I dunno though, I'm not a critic. Vital Signs actually was released as a single, but never caught on for whatever reason. Shame, because it's really solid. But it's also not really the same style as the rest of the band's material to that point, let alone the album itself, which is basically the only explanation I've got for that. The last track to discuss here is about the worst kind of person/event. The lynch mobs Witch Hunt so clearly describes show up throughout history. Religion, xenophobia, whatever else. The "immigrants and infidels", as Peart so clearly put it. Regardless, fuck the internet for making said mobs so much easier to assemble and over much sillier things, even if they're less explicitly violent. Also, fun fact. This was my second Rush album, and I picked it above a lot of the others I may have been more interested in from the songs I already knew because I knew it was the most popular one. Since I haven't mentioned that in a while, my progression was (off the top of my head, may be mixed up on the middle stuff) Permanent Waves -> Moving Pictures -> Grace Under Pressure/Fly By Night -> 2112/Rush/Hemispheres -> A Farewell To Kings/Hold Your Fire/Signals -> Roll The Bones/Presto/Counterparts -> Power Windows/Snakes And Arrows/Caress of Steel -> Test For Echo/Vapor Trails -> Clockwork Angels (Which was released about 18 months after I first listened to Test For Echo and Vapor Trails, just to give a timeline on how long it took me to get through the existing discography). Just looking at which of these albums have and have not shown up in the bottom half of this list, I think it's pretty clear that there's not much of a bias between how early/late I was introduced to something and how much I like it, relatively speaking. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Underleveled 02/03/20 9:15:22 PM #46:	Aww damn, there goes my #1. Vital Signs is one of my favorite album closers ever. --- darkx <cite>Underleveled posted [p:933894764] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Aww damn, there goes my #1. Vital Signs is one of my favorite album closers ever. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 02/03/20 9:22:06 PM #47:	Vital Signs is great, and like I said it absolutely mystifies me as to how that track didn't catch on in general. It is overshadowed by the Limelight/Red Barchetta/YYZ trio (And Tom Sawyer if you're talking straight popularity I guess), but I don't think it's that far below those songs quality-wise. Of the albums I've already covered, I think I'd put it as my second favorite closer behind Working Man, with the Fountain of Lanmeth being not far behind. Of the remaining 8 though, I'd say five have better closers. Which ones are up to your imagination until we get there, but I am totally willing to take predictions <_<. <cite>Reg posted [p:933895092] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Vital Signs is great, and like I said it absolutely mystifies me as to how that track didn't catch on in general. It is overshadowed by the Limelight/Red Barchetta/YYZ trio (And Tom Sawyer if you're talking straight popularity I guess), but I don't think it's that far below those songs quality-wise. Of the albums I've already covered, I think I'd put it as my second favorite closer behind Working Man, with the Fountain of Lanmeth being not far behind. Of the remaining 8 though, I'd say five have better closers. Which ones are up to your imagination until we get there, but I am totally willing to take predictions <_<. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Panthera 02/04/20 1:22:27 AM #48:	Witch Hunt might be my favourite Rush song these days --- Meow! <cite>Panthera posted [p:933904487] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>Witch Hunt might be my favourite Rush song these days </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 02/04/20 10:18:19 PM #49:	8. 2112 Ok, yeah, I promised I'd talk about it here. So I went through an Ayn Rand phase that was triggered by me being forced to read Anthem in high school. This was, by complete coincidence, shortly after I got into Rush. And even without actually being told, the inspiration in a lot of Peart's lyrics were clear. None more clear than the title track here. 2112 was, shall we say, "very heavily" inspired by Anthem. And, well, I was into it at the time. I was a dumbass teenager, not even old enough to drive. But I thought Rand's core philosophy was cool, especially the more I read into it as a teenager. Let me reiterate that before I proceed: as a teenager (And not even one old enough to drive). And on top of that, I thought it was super cool that a musican thought highly enough of Rand to let her influence his songwriting. It was pretty self-perpetuating for a little while, as I went through the closed system of 10th grade studying her work and others. And today, I just look back on myself at that age and think "what a fucking moron". I mean hell, I was not that far removed from that phase when I first came to board 8, and I am pretty sure that people who knew me then look back at me and think "what a fucking moron". I do (though for different reasons than this)! Regardless, I grew out of my Rand phase pretty quickly, as soon as I realized that philosophy was incompatible with the real world. Which, I'd come to learn several years later, Peart went through exactly the same growth and realization. He's obviously got a much better way with words than I do, so I'll just quote him here: For me, [the work of Ayn Rand] was an affirmation that its all right to totally believe in something and live for it and not compromise. It was a simple as that. On that 2112 album, again, I was in my early twenties. I was a kid. Now I call myself a bleeding heart libertarian. Because I do believe in the principles of libertarianism as an ideal because Im an idealist. Paul Therouxs definition of a cynic is a disappointed idealist. So as you go through past your twenties, your idealism is going to be disappointed many many times. And so, Ive brought my view and also Ive just realized this libertarianism as I understood it was very good and pure and were all going to be successful and generous to the less fortunate and it was, to me, not dark or cynical. But then I soon saw, of course, the way that it gets twisted by the flaws of humanity. Anyways, 2112. Fucking fantastic song. And the prime example that I can enjoy and appreciate good music, even if it promotes themes (or alludes to literature that promote themes) that I detest and strongly disagree with. One of Rush's absolute best. So let's talk about the second half of the album. It's obviously significantly weaker than the front side. Very hard not to be. Lessons and Tears are the big drag-down points here (And coincidentally, Peart wrote neither), and the best I feel like saying about either is that Lessons has a pretty cool guitar solo. Both are otherwise dull to the point of bad, and drag the album from phenomenal to "merely" great. The Twilight Zone is another song that connects back to 14 year old me, if for no other reason than my English teacher at the time (The same one that had his class reading Rand LOL) was a fan of the television show and we watched and studied more than a handful of episodes as part of the course. The song itself captures the mood of the show (And especially the episodes it references) very well. And Something For Nothing is another piece that is clearly (if less blatantly) Rand-inspired. In true Randian fashion, it takes the self-centered, self-made person thing way too far to be a philosophy worth subscribing to, but it's catchy as hell and comes with a great riff and puts together a great package. A Passage To Bangkok is just sort of there, to the point where even though I listened to this album just before starting to write this, I totally forgot to mention it until I was going back and proofreading it before posting. Definitely not actively bad (especially in the way some other songs on this album are), but not good enough to escape being just plain forgettable apparently. That's pretty bad on me LOL This is the singular album (by any artist/band) I have the strongest emotional and nostalgic ties to, and it is ties to a part of my life I tend to look back decently fondly on. I just wish I could look at why I connect to this album so much and have any thoughts about it other than "damn, I was a naive brat back then". There's always the Twilight Zone for that, at least. But as-is, I'm just left with a damn good album that I'm surprisingly capable of looking at unclouded by aforementioned nostalgia. <cite>Reg posted [p:933946140] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>8. 2112 Ok, yeah, I promised I'd talk about it here. So I went through an Ayn Rand phase that was triggered by me being forced to read Anthem in high school. This was, by complete coincidence, shortly after I got into Rush. And even without actually being told, the inspiration in a lot of Peart's lyrics were clear. None more clear than the title track here. 2112 was, shall we say, "very heavily" inspired by Anthem. And, well, I was into it at the time. I was a dumbass teenager, not even old enough to drive. But I thought Rand's core philosophy was cool, especially the more I read into it as a teenager. Let me reiterate that before I proceed: as a teenager (And not even one old enough to drive). And on top of that, I thought it was super cool that a musican thought highly enough of Rand to let her influence his songwriting. It was pretty self-perpetuating for a little while, as I went through the closed system of 10th grade studying her work and others. And today, I just look back on myself at that age and think "what a fucking moron". I mean hell, I was not that far removed from that phase when I first came to board 8, and I am pretty sure that people who knew me then look back at me and think "what a fucking moron". I do (though for different reasons than this)! Regardless, I grew out of my Rand phase pretty quickly, as soon as I realized that philosophy was incompatible with the real world. Which, I'd come to learn several years later, Peart went through exactly the same growth and realization. He's obviously got a much better way with words than I do, so I'll just quote him here: <quote>For me, [the work of Ayn Rand] was an affirmation that its all right to totally believe in something and live for it and not compromise. It was a simple as that. On that 2112 album, again, I was in my early twenties. I was a kid. Now I call myself a bleeding heart libertarian. Because I do believe in the principles of libertarianism as an ideal because Im an idealist. Paul Therouxs definition of a cynic is a disappointed idealist. So as you go through past your twenties, your idealism is going to be disappointed many many times. And so, Ive brought my view and also Ive just realized this libertarianism as I understood it was very good and pure and were all going to be successful and generous to the less fortunate and it was, to me, not dark or cynical. But then I soon saw, of course, the way that it gets twisted by the flaws of humanity.</quote> Anyways, 2112. Fucking fantastic song. And the prime example that I can enjoy and appreciate good music, even if it promotes themes (or alludes to literature that promote themes) that I detest and strongly disagree with. One of Rush's absolute best. So let's talk about the second half of the album. It's obviously significantly weaker than the front side. Very hard not to be. Lessons and Tears are the big drag-down points here (And coincidentally, Peart wrote neither), and the best I feel like saying about either is that Lessons has a pretty cool guitar solo. Both are otherwise dull to the point of bad, and drag the album from phenomenal to "merely" great. The Twilight Zone is another song that connects back to 14 year old me, if for no other reason than my English teacher at the time (The same one that had his class reading Rand LOL) was a fan of the television show and we watched and studied more than a handful of episodes as part of the course. The song itself captures the mood of the show (And especially the episodes it references) very well. And Something For Nothing is another piece that is clearly (if less blatantly) Rand-inspired. In true Randian fashion, it takes the self-centered, self-made person thing way too far to be a philosophy worth subscribing to, but it's catchy as hell and comes with a great riff and puts together a great package. A Passage To Bangkok is just sort of there, to the point where even though I listened to this album just before starting to write this, I totally forgot to mention it until I was going back and proofreading it before posting. Definitely not actively bad (especially in the way some other songs on this album are), but not good enough to escape being just plain forgettable apparently. That's pretty bad on me LOL This is the singular album (by any artist/band) I have the strongest emotional and nostalgic ties to, and it is ties to a part of my life I tend to look back decently fondly on. I just wish I could look at why I connect to this album so much and have any thoughts about it other than "damn, I was a naive brat back then". There's always the Twilight Zone for that, at least. But as-is, I'm just left with a damn good album that I'm surprisingly capable of looking at unclouded by aforementioned nostalgia. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Reg 02/04/20 10:25:19 PM #50:	nostalgia and self-loathing be damned, I am not writing anywhere near that many words on any of the top seven <cite>Reg posted [p:933946428] in Reg ranks ... [t:78350728]...</cite> <quote>nostalgia and self-loathing be damned, I am not writing anywhere near that many words on any of the top seven </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Board 8 > Reg ranks and briefly talks about all 19 Rush studio albums (+) Yeah! (+)

Board 8 > Reg ranks and briefly talks about all 19 Rush studio albums