The Darkest Rush Album?

[Mara]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Sep 18 2009, 09:37 AM)

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. "How It Is" is a good example of that very thing. Read separately, the lyrics are utter despair. But the song itself is rather catchy.

[greg2112]

This one is easy --GUP

[Tick]

QUOTE (TheWater @ Sep 18 2009, 05:42 AM)

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

Maybe cause the Pass is about killing yourself ? Just a thought.

[GeddysMullet]

QUOTE (Mara @ Sep 18 2009, 09:53 AM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Sep 18 2009, 09:37 AM) 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. "How It Is" is a good example of that very thing. Read separately, the lyrics are utter despair. But the song itself is rather catchy. "How It Is" is the example of a song with negative and depressing lyrics set to an upbeat and even uplifting tune. I was startled and a bit dismayed when I read the lyrics to that song. The lyrics I had been hearing and singing were only a few words different than the actual lyrics, but they completely changed the meaning of the song. I rather love the perversity of that, and made a conscious decision to continue to hear and sing the song that way.   I don't really think of any of Rush's albums as being particularly dark, possibly because with very few exceptions, even the songs they do that have dark or negative themes have such vitality and spirit. Down but never defeated!

[EmotionDetector]

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

 

...

 

with CARESS OF STEEL as a close second!

 

Both F'N awesome albums!

[tangy]

Really surprised about all the GUP votes. I just don't see it at all.

 

Hell, even the name is probably the most "positive" album title Rush ever came up with.

 

 

[apetersvt]

Gotta be COS musically-wise. The Necromancer is probably the darkest song in the catalogue.

[Tick]

I want to know who voted for the first album and who voted for Permanent Waves?

[tangy]

I should of voted for Feedback!

[fledgehog]

QUOTE (TheWater @ Sep 18 2009, 05:42 AM)

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

maybe cause Superconductor is the darkest song EVAR?

 

anyways, the right answer is clearly Grace Under Pressure

[Tick]

QUOTE (tangy @ Sep 18 2009, 11:59 AM)

I should of voted for Feedback!

Why, cause it was a dark day when they decided to release it ?

[tangy]

QUOTE (tick @ Sep 18 2009, 11:06 AM)

QUOTE (tangy @ Sep 18 2009, 11:59 AM) I should of voted for Feedback!  Why, cause it was a dark day when they decided to release it ?

[Der Trommler]

Many mix up what is meant by dark. To me their bleakest album is CoS. I like a lot of songs on there but it was, by far, an album they'd probably like to forget.

 

Dark, to me, would be P/G without question. AfterImage is the flagship of the album.

[mankad89]

Snakes & Arrows.

[Der Trommler]

QUOTE (mankad89 @ Sep 18 2009, 12:32 PM)

Snakes & Arrows.

?????

[MULTIPLIED REACTION]

Grace Under Pressure

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (Der Trommler @ Sep 18 2009, 12:38 PM)

QUOTE (mankad89 @ Sep 18 2009, 12:32 PM) Snakes & Arrows. ????? S&A is pretty dark lyrically, no?

[Victoria's Ladder]

I voted Vapor Trails.

[rushfanNlv]

Signals both lyrically and musically.

[ReflectedLight]

QUOTE (tick @ Sep 18 2009, 06:58 AM)

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

agreed.

it's almost a lock neil will come back with something less dark as the last and slightly more uplifting and even looking at the world positively.

i said slightly.

[The Big Money]

I voted s&a

[2112Starman]

I have to go with GeddyRulz. I instinctively selected P/G, but then got thinking more about how dark and unforgiving 2112 is.

 

 

2112 it is.

[Wilderness_of_Mirrors]

looks like im part of the majority........

Grace Under Pressssssurreee

[Tick]

QUOTE (ReflectedLight @ Sep 18 2009, 04:22 PM)

QUOTE (tick @ Sep 18 2009, 06:58 AM) Definitely Snakes & Arrows. Its a cynical jaded Neal Peart at his most miserable view of the world and everything in it best. agreed. it's almost a lock neil will come back with something less dark as the last and slightly more uplifting and even looking at the world positively. i said slightly. The way I see it is this. I view dark in terms of an authors views. I think an album like G/P or COS is purely fiction where as Snakes is a dark cynical commentary on the reality of what the author feels about the world he lives in. Its genuine feelings, not fantasy. It comes from his heart but it is what it is...dark.

[Weakly Criminal]