Fordgalaxy Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 According to this article, there isn't a truly bad Rush album, just varying degrees of inspired genius. When asked for the definition of “guts” in a long-ago magazine profile, author Ernest Hemingway replied that he meant “grace under pressure.” With that, he not only coined a popular phrase but unwittingly named the 10th studio album released by Rush, which arrived some 55 years later, on April 12, 1984. The title of Grace Under Pressure may have seemed like an admission of an embattled state of mind within Rush. After all, their sound was evolving away from the heavy prog of yesteryear towards more commercial forms, which alienated some of their fans, particularly as they embraced technology. But the truth was far less complex, and the album’s title simply alluded to the escalating Cold War tensions of the mid-'80s, and their role in inspiring many of the themes penned by Neil Peart.Ironically, the lyrics designate Grace Under Pressure as one of Rush’s bleakest, most pessimistic albums. That stands in direct contrast to the clean production concocted by the band and engineer Peter Henderson, who had replaced original choice, Steve Lillywhite, in a pinch. These bright sounds were, of course, largely executed on the virtual battalion of synthesizers which had captured Rush frontman Geddy Lee's imagination of late.Synths provided much of the melodic thrust on Grace Under Pressure over Alex Lifeson’s once-pivotal guitar. And yet, the infinitely-versatile six-string god was clearly complicit with Rush’s technology-obsessed agenda, because he abandoned power chords and showy solos for sharp strums that evoked jazz and reggae ( "). Regardless of their composite parts, new songs like "Distant Early Warning," "Afterimage," " " and "Between the Wheels" were all assembled to Rush’s typically exacting and meticulous standards. Yet they somehow managed to combine inventive arrangements with easily digestible hooks, even as they delved into the predominantly dark and disconcerting lyrical concepts. No wonder, then, that Grace Under Pressure easily duplicated the No. 10 Billboard placing of its predecessor, Signals (if not the Top 5 achievements of Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves) while cruising to platinum certification. Rush’s commercial musical direction through the '80s remains a topic of hot debate within their fan base. But a single spin of Grace Under Pressure is enough to remind us there’s no such thing as a truly bad Rush LP. There are simply different versions of inspired genius, fit to suit a sweep of musical tastes. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thizzellewashington Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 How do we define "bad"? There are definitely Rush albums that are weak or mediocre, but every one of their albums has at least a handful of great songs. Test for Echo is their weakest album IMO and even that one has Driven, Virtuality and Resist. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 According to this article, there isn't a truly bad Rush album, just varying degrees of inspired genius. When asked for the definition of “guts” in a long-ago magazine profile, author Ernest Hemingway replied that he meant “grace under pressure.” With that, he not only coined a popular phrase but unwittingly named the 10th studio album released by Rush, which arrived some 55 years later, on April 12, 1984. The title of Grace Under Pressure may have seemed like an admission of an embattled state of mind within Rush. After all, their sound was evolving away from the heavy prog of yesteryear towards more commercial forms, which alienated some of their fans, particularly as they embraced technology. But the truth was far less complex, and the album’s title simply alluded to the escalating Cold War tensions of the mid-'80s, and their role in inspiring many of the themes penned by Neil Peart.Ironically, the lyrics designate Grace Under Pressure as one of Rush’s bleakest, most pessimistic albums. That stands in direct contrast to the clean production concocted by the band and engineer Peter Henderson, who had replaced original choice, Steve Lillywhite, in a pinch. These bright sounds were, of course, largely executed on the virtual battalion of synthesizers which had captured Rush frontman Geddy Lee's imagination of late.Synths provided much of the melodic thrust on Grace Under Pressure over Alex Lifeson’s once-pivotal guitar. And yet, the infinitely-versatile six-string god was clearly complicit with Rush’s technology-obsessed agenda, because he abandoned power chords and showy solos for sharp strums that evoked jazz and reggae ( "). Regardless of their composite parts, new songs like "Distant Early Warning," "Afterimage," " " and "Between the Wheels" were all assembled to Rush’s typically exacting and meticulous standards. Yet they somehow managed to combine inventive arrangements with easily digestible hooks, even as they delved into the predominantly dark and disconcerting lyrical concepts. No wonder, then, that Grace Under Pressure easily duplicated the No. 10 Billboard placing of its predecessor, Signals (if not the Top 5 achievements of Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves) while cruising to platinum certification. Rush’s commercial musical direction through the '80s remains a topic of hot debate within their fan base. But a single spin of Grace Under Pressure is enough to remind us there’s no such thing as a truly bad Rush LP. There are simply different versions of inspired genius, fit to suit a sweep of musical tastes.Great review of GUP. :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 How do we define "bad"? There are definitely Rush albums that are weak or mediocre, but every one of their albums has at least a handful of great songs. Test for Echo is their weakest album IMO and even that one has Driven, Virtuality and Resist.You tell'em, Net Girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J2112YYZ Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I don't think they have any bad albums. Bad songs certainly but no overall bad albums. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entre_Perpetuo Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 According to this article, there isn't a truly bad Rush album, just varying degrees of inspired genius. When asked for the definition of “guts” in a long-ago magazine profile, author Ernest Hemingway replied that he meant “grace under pressure.” With that, he not only coined a popular phrase but unwittingly named the 10th studio album released by Rush, which arrived some 55 years later, on April 12, 1984. The title of Grace Under Pressure may have seemed like an admission of an embattled state of mind within Rush. After all, their sound was evolving away from the heavy prog of yesteryear towards more commercial forms, which alienated some of their fans, particularly as they embraced technology. But the truth was far less complex, and the album’s title simply alluded to the escalating Cold War tensions of the mid-'80s, and their role in inspiring many of the themes penned by Neil Peart.Ironically, the lyrics designate Grace Under Pressure as one of Rush’s bleakest, most pessimistic albums. That stands in direct contrast to the clean production concocted by the band and engineer Peter Henderson, who had replaced original choice, Steve Lillywhite, in a pinch. These bright sounds were, of course, largely executed on the virtual battalion of synthesizers which had captured Rush frontman Geddy Lee's imagination of late.Synths provided much of the melodic thrust on Grace Under Pressure over Alex Lifeson’s once-pivotal guitar. And yet, the infinitely-versatile six-string god was clearly complicit with Rush’s technology-obsessed agenda, because he abandoned power chords and showy solos for sharp strums that evoked jazz and reggae ( "). Regardless of their composite parts, new songs like "Distant Early Warning," "Afterimage," " " and "Between the Wheels" were all assembled to Rush’s typically exacting and meticulous standards. Yet they somehow managed to combine inventive arrangements with easily digestible hooks, even as they delved into the predominantly dark and disconcerting lyrical concepts. No wonder, then, that Grace Under Pressure easily duplicated the No. 10 Billboard placing of its predecessor, Signals (if not the Top 5 achievements of Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves) while cruising to platinum certification. Rush’s commercial musical direction through the '80s remains a topic of hot debate within their fan base. But a single spin of Grace Under Pressure is enough to remind us there’s no such thing as a truly bad Rush LP. There are simply different versions of inspired genius, fit to suit a sweep of musical tastes. Author's clearly never ventured past HYF 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thizzellewashington Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I would consider the following albums to be lower-tier:RushFly by NightPrestoRoll the BonesTest for Echo And there are probably 20 all-time great songs between those albums still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas King Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 (edited) They don't have crappy albums, but definitely some subpar albums. Edited April 16, 2018 by Texas King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughedatbytime Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Bad albums? Only two in my opinion, Presto and Snakes. And even Snakes has Far Cry, so it wasn't a complete waste of matter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil1972 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Bad albums? And even Snakes has Far Cry, so it wasn't a complete waste of matter. Was going to say the same thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Bad is in the ear of the beholder. i for instance think these are kinda bad Vapor TrailsGrace Under PressureClockwork Angels but......they have their fans. so....que sera sera Mick 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRogers Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I don't think they have any bad albums. Bad songs certainly but no overall bad albums.End the thread here, move on... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geddy Jazz Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 There is no good or bad in Art appreciation ...everything is a matter of taste...who likes what :finbar: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Bad is in the ear of the beholder. i for instance think these are kinda bad Vapor TrailsGrace Under PressureClockwork Angels but......they have their fans. so....que sera sera MickDoris Day has no bad albums? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordgalaxy Posted April 16, 2018 Author Share Posted April 16, 2018 Bad is in the ear of the beholder. i for instance think these are kinda bad Vapor TrailsGrace Under PressureClockwork Angels but......they have their fans. so....que sera sera MickDoris Day has no bad albums?Maybe, but she for sure didn't lose her singing ability in her later years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lifeson90 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Closest got to bad album for me Clockwork Angels,3 or 4 tracks just a bit sub for me. Mindyou rest of album brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick N. Backer Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 "Bad" as compared to what? Every other album released? Sure, then one of my favorite bands doesn't have "bad," albums IMO. But HYF is "bad" compared to MP. RtB is "bad" compared to PeW. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diatribein Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Moving Pictures and Roll The Bones are 5 & 6 on my personal RUSH album Top 10! If Roll The Bones is less good it is not by a lot! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red3angel Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 All the albums are top shelf. Even hyf and sna. Today I played caress on a car trip and felt so proud that I discovered this band. All the albums are unique. Random listening to signals or fly make me drop my jaw. They aren’t a normal rock band. Their geniuses and I think they balance each other. I also think ca ranks up with the first 7 albums. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. JD Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 I like them all. I’ve always said that any Rush is good Rush. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil1972 Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 (edited) All the albums are top shelf. Even hyf and sna. Today I played caress on a car trip and felt so proud that I discovered this band. All the albums are unique. Random listening to signals or fly make me drop my jaw. They aren’t a normal rock band. Their geniuses and I think they balance each other. I also think ca ranks up with the first 7 albums. Agreed with it all except the part about SnA being top shelf. It's the only Rush album I actively avoid, with the exception of about 4 songs. Well, and about 1/2 of Roll the Bones. Edited April 18, 2018 by Wil1972 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Bad Rush albums?Hold Your Fire, Counterparts, Presto, Vapor Trails for starters. Snakes N Arrows seemed OK at first but repeated plays showed it up to be unmemorable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Bad Rush albums?Hold Your Fire, Counterparts, Presto, Vapor Trails for starters. Snakes N Arrows seemed OK at first but repeated plays showed it up to be unmemorable.The metal ones are the best ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeaveMyThingAlone Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Only Rush album I'd call bad is Vapor Trails. The song quality combined with the production makes it that. Other than that, there are average albums (HYF, T4E, Snakes), good albums, and masterpieces. One bad album out of twenty-something is pretty damn impressive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyg7133 Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 I will stand by my opinion of t4e which has not changed since it came out. It's a brutal album. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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