Your most fave the 80's synth-era album?

[Segue Myles]

Hold Your Fire, by a country mile.

 

(And I do like all of the synth era albums, a lot).

 

So full-on POP Rush album "by a country mile" over others?

I always wondered what was a Lifeson's role on that album.

 

Yes. Hold Your Fire is magical in sound, balance of production, execution, and musicianship.

 

As I said, I like the others quite well. But Hold Your Fire stands significantly above them, on the whole.

 

If you can't hear Alex's contribution to that album, I don't know what to tell you.

 

It really is. I know this is a weird trio but it belongs in a trilogy of underrated eighties synthy favourites alongside Toto- Fahrenheit and Kansas- Drastic Measures as one of my favourite albums by a band usually renowned more for a totally different style.

 

Also all three play so well together in my opinion. But that's my oddness for you.

[Blue J]

Hold Your Fire, by a country mile.

 

(And I do like all of the synth era albums, a lot).

 

So full-on POP Rush album "by a country mile" over others?

I always wondered what was a Lifeson's role on that album.

 

Yes. Hold Your Fire is magical in sound, balance of production, execution, and musicianship.

 

As I said, I like the others quite well. But Hold Your Fire stands significantly above them, on the whole.

 

If you can't hear Alex's contribution to that album, I don't know what to tell you.

 

It really is. I know this is a weird trio but it belongs in a trilogy of underrated eighties synthy favourites alongside Toto- Fahrenheit and Kansas- Drastic Measures as one of my favourite albums by a band usually renowned more for a totally different style.

 

Also all three play so well together in my opinion. But that's my oddness for you.

 

I should maybe try those others, for the same reason.

 

I think I have heard a bit of the Toto before, actually.

[Brucey]

Signals, but I do really like all four of them.

[Steve Smith]

I have no favourites

 

Everything Rush does is beyond brilliant XXXX

 

Difficult because albums contain many songs, but if I was pushed about individual songs then -

 

1 - Red Barchetta

2 - The Trees

3 - Spirit of Radio

4 - Bastille Day

5 - Anthem

6 - Limelight

7 - Xanadu

8- Fly by Night

9 - Finding My Way (because it was the first on the first album and announced the band's arrival)

10 - Freewill

 

I have not included any instrumentals or side long epics, because that is another debate.

 

You will also notice that nothing after 1981, I apologise very much for that but I sort of lost touch with the band after Signals. I am hoping that I can be educated by more knowledgeable fans post around 1982

 

Just my opinion as always

 

Thanks fellow fans

 

Steve

[Digital Dad]

Signals also my all time favorite. As you may well know by now. If you dont know by now you dont know me.

[goose]

Grace

 

Power Windows

 

 

Signals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HYF

[Duke1]

Windows

Signals

Grace

Fire

 

Marathon, Manhattan, Middletown from Windows, for me these are 3 of my favourite songs from any band since I've been listening to music in the early 70's and all on the One album. Just brilliant.

[goose]

Signals also my all time favorite. As you may well know by now. If you dont know by now you dont know me.

Simply Red? Edited January 26, 2017 by goose

[apetersvt]

The winner is the valedictorian of summer school.

lol

[diatribein]

This is my favourite RUSH era, so I am more than excited to have this serve as my introduction on this forum. My two favourite RUSH albums are Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows, and I have often debated with myself as to which I like more. My problem is that I love every single song on Grace Under Pressure, but even though there are 2 songs I don't like that much on Power Windows, I for the most part, like the great songs from that album more than the ones on Grace Under Pressure. It boils down to the fact that there are more songs in my top 100 RUSH songs from one album, but more in my top 40 from the other. Ultimately I went with Grace Under Pressure, because there is no song on there that I don't want to listen to over and over again, but it is damn close.

 

In order:

 

1. Grace Under Pressure

2. Power Windows

3. Hold Your Fire

4. Signals

 

Signals is the one I like least. There are three songs on that album that I actively dislike, while there are only two I dislike from Hold Your Fire even with a larger pool of songs. Still, Subdivisions and The Weapon are among two of my all time favourite RUSH songs from any era. It is more that I feel the album is hit & miss, unlike the albums that followed it. Hold Your Fire is pretty maligned here, but Prime Mover is in my top 10 RUSH songs ever and I like most of the album as a whole, I guess it is a little disappointing after the two incredible albums that proceeded it, but what album wouldn't be? I think the real drop-off came with Presto which in my opinion was nowhere near the quality of the previous albums. Luckily they bounced back for Roll The Bones.

Edited January 26, 2017 by diatribein

[goose]

This is my favourite RUSH era, so I am more than excited to have this serve as my introduction on this forum. My two favourite RUSH albums are Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows, and I have often debated with myself as to which I like more. My problem is that I love every single song on Grace Under Pressure, but even though there are 2 songs I don't like that much on Power Windows, I for the most part, like the great songs from that album more than the ones on Grace Under Pressure. It boils down to the fact that there are more songs in my top 100 RUSH songs from one album, but more in my top 40 from the other. Ultimately I went with Grace Under Pressure, because there is no song on there that I don't want to listen to over and over again, but it is damn close.

 

In order:

 

1. Grace Under Pressure

2. Power Windows

3. Hold Your Fire

4. Signals

 

Signals is the one I like least. There are three songs on that album that I actively dislike, while there are only two I dislike from Hold Your Fire even with a larger pool of songs. Still, Subdivisions and The Weapon are among two of my all time favourite RUSH songs from any era, It is more that I feel the album is hit & miss, unlike the albums that followed it. Hold Your Fire is pretty maligned here, but Prime Mover is in my top 10 RUSH songs ever and I like most of the album as a whole, I guess it is a little disappointing after the two incredible albums that proceeded it, but what album wouldn't be? I think the real drop-off came with Presto which in my opinion was no where near the quality of the previous albums. Luckily they bounced back for Roll The Bones.

Funny, because for me HYF was the drop-off and Presto a rebound. Basically for me it follows the increase and decrease of synth use and guitar clarity.

[toddlimelight]

It's a no brainer, the correct answer is:

Signals (produced by Terry Brown, still has that powerful Rush signature sound, Geddy's bass still has that full powerful sound,..this album sounds like Rush with more keyboards,several great tunes)

Grace Under Pressure (the production sounds wimpy, Geddy's diminished bass is noticeable, Kid Gloves and Red Lenses are dumb, this album and the next two don't sound like Rush to me)

Power Windows (Getting into wimpier territory, I do like the drums a lot in Big Money...very creative how Neil comes up with his fills, Geddy's bass sounds better, not powerful, but snappy or punchy)

Hold Your Fire (this is the only Rush album I don't own...and for good reason. What happened guys? Some super lame-o songs...Lock and Key? Tai Shan? Really? Where's Alex? No guitar? Was he home writing songs for Victor? My granny owns this album...plays it on her turntable. What's up with Geddy's hairdo? Embarrassing guys.

[Drummerrobin]

I clearly have the unpopular opinion here. My list goes:

 

1. Hold Your Fire - As I love a lot of electronic/ synth-based music, I have no problem with the guitar being less dominant. And when Alex does play (which is far more of the time than some people claim), it's frikkin amazing stuff imo. His solos in Open Secrets, Lock and Key and Mission are some of his all time best work I think.

2. Power Windows

3. Grace Under Pressure

4. Signals - I find this album a bit overrated personally. Never particularly cared for the last 2 songs, especially Countdown. Don't dislike the album by any means but it's definitely my least favourite of the synth era.

[prolix]

1. Power Windows

2. Signals

3. Hold Your Fire

4. Grace Under Pressure

Edited January 30, 2017 by prolix

[Lurkst]

4 very good albums. I picked Signals as I like the way it bridges 70s and 80s Rush in a different way to the previous 2 LPs, but I couldn't argue with any of the 4 winning this poll.

 

[Todem]

Signals

Power Windows

Grace Under Pressure

Hold Your Fire

 

All 4 albums are in my top 8 of all time........how bout dem apples???

 

Permanent Waves

Hemispheres

Moving Pictures

Signals

Power Windows

Grace Under Pressure

2112

Hold Your Fire

[toddlimelight]

Signals just has more stronger, better tunes: Subdivisions, Analog Kid, Digital Man, New World Man, Countdown

[lifeson90]

I might go so far as saying HYF the ONLY 'synth' rush album, for me is only album virtually dominated by Ged's keyboards in sense Al seems to work around them most of the time, as opposed to vice versa.

 

GUP & PW still driven mostly by Al's guitars for me although obvs a whole lot of good synth work goin on.

 

I love Ged's synths. Things of beauty.

 

 

[Leanne]

Signals

Hold Your Fire

Grace Under Pressure

Power Windows

[Super25Smasher]

Love them all but i voted for Grace Under Pressure.

[The K Man]

Power Windows, which is probably my 4th favorite Rush record after 2112, Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves. It's just a flawless record.

 

Grace Under Pressure is my favorite sounding of the remaining three, but the songwriting on Side 2, with the exception of Between the Wheels, isn't that great, so it's hard for me to put it ahead of Signals or Hold Your Fire.

[Rick N. Backer]

Signals > Grace Under Pressure > Power Windows > Hold Your Fire

[goose]

Signals > Grace Under Pressure > Power Windows > Hold Your Fire

For me, I think it's this...

 

Overall Song Quality:

 

Power Windows (well-crafted lyrics, melodies, song structures) > Grace Under Pressure/Signals/Hold your Fire (each of these three has a couple of weaker tunes)

 

Overall Performance Quality:

 

Grace Under Pressure (Excellent guitar work by Alex, great vocals) > Power Windows/Signals > Hold Your Fire (just too many unnecessary synths and gutless guitar sound choices)

 

Overall Sound/Production Quality:

 

Grace Under Pressure (balanced instruments with plenty of space, clear and crisp guitars) > Power Windows/Hold Your Fire > Signals (like listening through "wads of cotton")

 

Overall Best Song:

 

Signals (Subdivisions)

[Mystic Slipperman]

I'm with the underdog apparently..

 

Hold Your Fire.

 

1) HYF

2) Signals

3) Power Windows

4) Grace

 

Those rankings are extremely close to each other.

[HalfwayToGone]

Moving Pictures FTW, and it isn't on the poll for some reason, but it's loaded with synth, came out in '80 or '81 and there's not a second of filler on it. YYZ has probably the least synth on it, and it still has some. Of the ones on the poll, I'd rank them in chronological order. HYF was the last studio album I actually bought and owned until CA came out. I still don't have my own copy of anything from presto through S&A except the live stuff. I only completely skipped the presto tour though, and CP was when I had my only "holy shit, I'm talking to Alex and Geddy!!!" moment.