The Darkest Rush Album?

[2112Starman]

Well, what do you think the darkest Rush album is? To me, it's a hard tie between 2112 and P/G.

[KlanKaos]

I'd say Signals, personally. Some songs aren't that dark, but to me, that album is characterized by the Subdivisions intro.

[SiriusRushFan]

Definitely p/g, I mean damn, this came out at the peak of the Cold War in the 80's.

[rushgoober]

P/G

[mulletst0rm]

Grace Under Pressure. Between the Wheels.

[RUSHHEAD666]

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

 

 

5 votes!

 

 

No doubt about it! GRACE UNDER PRESSURE!

I think SNAKES & ARROWS is second.

 

I have read about "SIGNALS" being a very dark album but I don't see it at all except for "Losing It."

 

How can "Countdown" be a "dark" song?

It's all about the Space Shuttle.

 

Signed,

 

 

"Like the breath of a sleeping white dragon"

 

 

 

Edit: PERMANENT WAVES? NO WAY!!

Edited September 18, 2009 by RUSHHEAD666

[Blenderhead]

I went with CoS. It kind of depends on what you mean by darkest. The lyrics of P/G are certainly the darkest, but CoS is the darkest albums as a whole, in my opinion. Snakes and Arrows is pretty dark as well.

[Sonatine]

GUP, by far, especially with tracks like "Subdivisions", "Red Sector A" and "Distant Early Warning". Probably not quite so relevent now in this post-cold war age, but certainly back in the mid 80s those songs really hit home

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (Sonatine @ Sep 18 2009, 02:30 AM)

GUP, by far, especially with tracks like "Subdivisions", "Red Sector A" and "Distant Early Warning". Probably not quite so relevent now in this post-cold war age, but certainly back in the mid 80s those songs really hit home

I didn't realize Subdivisions was on GUP.

[Sonatine]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 18 2009, 07:33 AM)

QUOTE (Sonatine @ Sep 18 2009, 02:30 AM) GUP, by far, especially with tracks like "Subdivisions", "Red Sector A" and "Distant Early Warning". Probably not quite so relevent now in this post-cold war age, but certainly back in the mid 80s those songs really hit home I didn't realize Subdivisions was on GUP. hahaha... no nor did I,. DOH     For some reason I had that song in my head ... I should have said "Between The Wheels"   (I need my medication lol)

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (Sonatine @ Sep 18 2009, 02:39 AM)

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 18 2009, 07:33 AM) QUOTE (Sonatine @ Sep 18 2009, 02:30 AM) GUP, by far, especially with tracks like "Subdivisions", "Red Sector A" and "Distant Early Warning". Probably not quite so relevent now in this post-cold war age, but certainly back in the mid 80s those songs really hit home I didn't realize Subdivisions was on GUP. hahaha... no nor did I,. DOH     For some reason I had that song in my head ... I should have said "Between The Wheels"   (I need my medication lol) You get a pass . . .                                       . . . this time.

[TheWater]

Presto sounds dark to me... I dunno why, but it does.

[sdhonda]

Signals and Grace Under Pressure, 50/50.

 

Signals is more depressing, if not dark.

[H. P. L.]

Despite being a "return to life" and all that, Vapour Trails is the darkest for me. P/G is known for being "dark", but there's so much energy and joyous playing over there, it's hard for me to categorize it as dark. VT, on the other hand, has some very dark lyrics and themes...

[Stormtron]

The lyrics on GUP are the darkest for sure, but I never got a dark vibe from the music aside from the intro to Between the Wheels.

 

I'd say 2112 just for Soliloquy alone. That section really stands out to me when I think about the album.

[MMCXII]

I'll say the first album because it's pre-Neil which puts it in the "dark ages" of Rush!

[tangy]

vapor trails by a long shot IMO.

 

 

[Tick]

Definitely Snakes & Arrows. Its a cynical jaded Neal Peart at his most miserable view of the world and everything in it best.

[VarianStar]

P/G

[Mara]

QUOTE (SiriusRushFan @ Sep 18 2009, 12:14 AM)

Definitely p/g, I mean damn, this came out at the peak of the Cold War in the 80's.

Agree. One of my very favorite Rush albums, but a dark theme indeed.

[goose]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 18 2009, 01:15 AM)

I went with CoS. It kind of depends on what you mean by darkest. The lyrics of P/G are certainly the darkest, but CoS is the darkest albums as a whole, in my opinion. Snakes and Arrows is pretty dark as well.

Those were the two that came to mind for me, and went with CoS as well. Grace is getting the attention, but while there are some gloomy lyrics, the music and artwork doesn't strike me all that dark.

 

Alex's ska-infused playing is anything but dark, and tracks like Kid Gloves, Enemy Within, and Body Electric are downright peppy. Red Lenses has that funky base line and feels more ironic than dark to me. Even Afterimage, with its theme of loss, feels more like a celebration of life than a funeral dirge.

 

 

[vital signz]

QUOTE (goose @ Sep 18 2009, 08:44 AM)

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 18 2009, 01:15 AM) I went with CoS.  It kind of depends on what you mean by darkest.  The lyrics of P/G are certainly the darkest, but CoS is the darkest albums as a whole, in my opinion.  Snakes and Arrows is pretty dark as well. Those were the two that came to mind for me, and went with CoS as well. Grace is getting the attention, but while there are some gloomy lyrics, the music and artwork doesn't strike me all that dark.   Alex's ska-infused playing is anything but dark, and tracks like Kid Gloves, Enemy Within, and Body Electric are downright peppy. Red Lenses has that funky base line and feels more ironic than dark to me. Even Afterimage, with its theme of loss, feels more like a celebration of life than a funeral dirge. I'm with Goose

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (2112Starman @ Sep 17 2009, 11:05 PM)

To me, it's a hard tie between 2112 and P/G.

 

I had the knee-jerk reaction of answering Grace Under Pressure, which is the traditional answer to this question, but then I got to thinking about 2112... very dark, too! On Side One we have the hero's hopelessness and subsequent suicide, and a cynical ending where the bad guys win. Not much optimism there, and even some of the tracks on Side Two sound pessimistic.

 

 

 

[Mara]

QUOTE (vital signz @ Sep 18 2009, 08:55 AM)

QUOTE (goose @ Sep 18 2009, 08:44 AM) QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 18 2009, 01:15 AM) I went with CoS.  It kind of depends on what you mean by darkest.  The lyrics of P/G are certainly the darkest, but CoS is the darkest albums as a whole, in my opinion.  Snakes and Arrows is pretty dark as well. Those were the two that came to mind for me, and went with CoS as well. Grace is getting the attention, but while there are some gloomy lyrics, the music and artwork doesn't strike me all that dark.   Alex's ska-infused playing is anything but dark, and tracks like Kid Gloves, Enemy Within, and Body Electric are downright peppy. Red Lenses has that funky base line and feels more ironic than dark to me. Even Afterimage, with its theme of loss, feels more like a celebration of life than a funeral dirge. I'm with Goose It's Distant Early Warning and Red Sector A that define the album for me.

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (goose @ Sep 18 2009, 07:44 AM)

Grace is getting the attention, but while there are some gloomy lyrics, the music and artwork doesn't strike me all that dark. Alex's ska-infused playing is anything but dark, and tracks like Kid Gloves, Enemy Within, and Body Electric are downright peppy. Red Lenses has that funky base line and feels more ironic than dark to me. Even Afterimage, with its theme of loss, feels more like a celebration of life than a funeral dirge.

This is all true. When it gets labeled as "dark," I think that's mostly because of lyrics and the overall lyrical theme of the album. And I think the music - and definitely the pastel cover - were an overt attempt to make it "brighter."

 

Interesting: I think it was Geddy who said he and Alex have had great success writing music which intentionally contrasted with Neil's intended message. Upbeat music for a downer message, slow acoustic music for uplifting messages, the use of major or minor keys, etc.