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Best-Produced Rush album?


Ffej Sector A

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I was just listening to a Rush mix CD I made a while back, and "The Big Money" came on. It got me thinking about how much I really love the production quality of PoW. It is pretty much a perfect album, IMO. I think Peter Collins did a fantastic job with this album, and it definitely gets my vote for best-produced Rush album. It's such a crisp, clean sounding mix and I like the use of the choir and strings in songs like "Marathon" and "Manhattan Project."

 

As for the Terry Brown years, I think his crowning achievement was Moving Pictures. That album just has such a unique sound and atmosphere.

 

What album gets your vote for best-produced Rush album?

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Power Windows and Moving Pictures, possibly the two best produced Rush albums. Actually i think Peter Collins does a really good job on Counterparts too. These (along with signals - not so well produced!) are possibly my most listened to albums.

 

The Rupert Hine years though, no thanks. no.gif 062802puke_prv.gif

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Hmm. I love the recording quality on my MP and PeW CDs but they are the "Rush Remasters" so that probably doesn't count. Counterparts does a good job capturing the "edge" of the grunge sound that was popular in the early 90s and I like the bottom end of the album.

 

As far as worst:

 

Vapor Trails - sounds like it was recorded with mono tape deck with the gain turned up way too high.

 

Presto - If antiseptic could be a sound quality, this album would be the example.

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QUOTE (Broncos730 @ Oct 11 2005, 12:48 PM)
Presto - If antiseptic could be a sound quality, this album would be the example.

I have to agree with that. It's kinda flat which is a real shame 'cos there's some great musicianship (as ever) on that album.

 

Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures get my vote.

 

PW for the way it's captured the completeness of the album. It's one of those albums that needs to be listened to in its entirety to be fully appreciated, the production makes that possible. They managed to pick out all the mega-intricacies of the music whilst not making an overdubbers guide. It's the album that changed the way I listen to music and a WOW album that I use to entice Rush virgins into the fold.

 

MPjust has 'that' sound. I've had this conversation with so many people over the years and we always come back to 'that' sound on the album. The opening drum and synth of Tom Sawyer sets the tone and they don't let up until the last bars of Vital Signs fade out. It was a hard act to follow and judging from the posts on here they didn't do to well (personally I think Signals is ok production wise and a lot of folk are kidded into thinking otherwise 'cos of the rumour that Alex wasn't happy during production)

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Signals for me too.

 

Is it just me or is Counterparts too loud?

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Moving Pictures is perfection in every way.

 

And, I don't understand people saying Signals is poorly mixed. I can turn it up on my headphones to a deafening level and none of the sound is ever lost. It's a well balanced recording IMO.

 

I wish Roll the Bones had been recorded better. I think a lot of Geddy's bass work is placed too much into the background. Especially on Ghost of a Chance. That's why I like the live version of this song better.

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QUOTE (RobK71 @ Oct 11 2005, 09:54 PM)

I also love the production on Test For Echo.

Say what you want about the material, but Test For Echo is a great sounding Rush CD. It has Alex's best guitar sound since Moving Pictures, the bass, drums and vocals sound clear, and there's plenty of punchy bottom end. Put on "Time And Motion" and crank it up!

 

To me, the worst sounding CD is Hold Your Fire. All highs and mids, and no bottom. The overall sound quality is thin and brittle with no balls whatsoever.

 

Who has the Moving Pictures remaster, and is there a noticeable improvement over the first CD release?

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QUOTE (sullysue @ Oct 11 2005, 02:37 PM)
Moving Pictures is perfection in every way.

And, I don't understand people saying Signals is poorly mixed. I can turn it up on my headphones to a deafening level and none of the sound is ever lost. It's a well balanced recording IMO.

I wish Roll the Bones had been recorded better. I think a lot of Geddy's bass work is placed too much into the background. Especially on Ghost of a Chance. That's why I like the live version of this song better.

I don't know about that. On Signals, it's sounds like they put a pillow on the speaker cone of Alex's amp for all the rhythm tracks. It doesn't do me well. I think the best produced album is Permanent Waves. I just played my copy of the original vinyl, and those acoustic guitars on Enter Nous are mixed to perfection. Love PeW forever!!

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a farewell to kings and power windows would definently get my vote for production. they are both very well mixed. actually today i was listening to AFTK and i was thinking how well it was recorded. thats just my opinion though.....
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QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Oct 11 2005, 10:12 PM)
Who has the Moving Pictures remaster, and is there a noticeable improvement over the first CD release?

Yes, quite noticeable. While the original CD release sounds ok, it's sounds a little dull and flat compared to the punch and definition of the remaster.

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QUOTE (thetrees @ Oct 13 2005, 01:21 AM)
a farewell to kings and power windows would definently get my vote for production. they are both very well mixed. actually today i was listening to AFTK and i was thinking how well it was recorded. thats just my opinion though.....

wink.gif" Here ! Here !" wink.gif new_thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

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QUOTE (Jeff Rosso @ Oct 12 2005, 07:40 PM)
QUOTE (sullysue @ Oct 11 2005, 02:37 PM)
Moving Pictures is perfection in every way.

And, I don't understand people saying Signals is poorly mixed. I can turn it up on my headphones to a deafening level and none of the sound is ever lost. It's a well balanced recording IMO.

I wish Roll the Bones had been recorded better. I think a lot of Geddy's bass work is placed too much into the background. Especially on Ghost of a Chance. That's why I like the live version of this song better.

I don't know about that. On Signals, it's sounds like they put a pillow on the speaker cone of Alex's amp for all the rhythm tracks. It doesn't do me well. I think the best produced album is Permanent Waves. I just played my copy of the original vinyl, and those acoustic guitars on Enter Nous are mixed to perfection. Love PeW forever!!

OK. So, now someone has pointed out exactly what it is about Signals that compromises it's sound quality. I put it on, listen with my headphones, and after all of these years of NEVER NOTICING, it's all I can focus on. Thanks, man! sad.gif

 

It's still one of my favorite Rush albums, though. Crapped out sound and all. smile.gif

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QUOTE (plodder @ Oct 11 2005, 01:35 PM)
Signals for me too.

Is it just me or is Counterparts too loud?

Counterparts was the first Rush album that was digitally clipped, but not too badly. T4E moreso, then Vapor Trails received the maximum volume boost.

 

Let's hope that error is not made on the upcoming album. smile.gif

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I have to agree with Ffej. For me the two best produced albums are MP and PW. PW is my favorite album and the choir section on Marathon gives me goose bumps. So maybe I'm biased where that album is concerned.

As for Mp, the sound is so crisp it's like eating musical crackers. You can hear every nuance of that album. Nothing is missed even if you're an auditory moron.

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QUOTE (Ghost of a Rider @ Oct 13 2005, 02:09 PM)
I have to agree with Ffej. For me the two best produced albums are MP and PW. PW is my favorite album and the choir section on Marathon gives me goose bumps. So maybe I'm biased where that album is concerned.
As for Mp, the sound is so crisp it's like eating musical crackers. You can hear every nuance of that album. Nothing is missed even if you're an auditory moron.

goodpost.gif

 

"the sound is so crisp, it's like eating musical crackers"

 

Very nice simile, my friend. The sound is indeed very crisp. That's a perfect description for the sound of MP.

 

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