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Take songs from three weak albums to make one good album


toymaker
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I'm not sure if this can be done. I'm not a huge fan of these records: Presto, Roll the Bones, and Test for Echo. There are a couple other albums that I'm not wild about, either, but these three . . . man.

 

Let's say you can take the best of each and make one good Rush album. 45-50 minutes. Let's say 8-9 songs. What track order? I'm talking about a really strong, rocking (or at least well-crafted), organic sounding album. Nothing too poppy or wimpy . . . It ain't going to be Permanent Waves, but what's the very best Rush album we could make with this stuff?

 

Show Don't Tell Dreamline Test for Echo

Chain Lightning Bravado Driven

The Pass Roll the Bones Half the World

War Paint Face Up The Color of Right

Scars Where's My Thing Time and Motion

Presto The Big Wheel Totem

Superconductor Heresy Dog Years

Anagram Ghost of a Chance Virtuality

Red Tide Neurotica Resist

Hand Over Fist You Bet Your Life Limbo

Available Light Carve Away the Stone

Edited by toymaker
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Dreamline

Driven

Ghost of a Chance

Bravado

 

Show Don't Tell

The Color of Right

Where's My Thing

Red Tide

 

Not sure about The Pass and Time and Motion . . .

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Okay, I’ll go with my 3 least favorite Rush albums: Snakes, Bones, and Test.

 

1. Dreamline

2. Driven

3. Time and Motion

4. The Main Monkey Business

5. The Way the Wind Blows

6. Malignant Narcissism

7. Bravado

8. Test for Echo

9. Where’s My Thing

 

The order is tougher than choosing which 3 from each. I even tested what it sounded like transitioning from T&M to Monkey. And I think it flows just fine.

 

Dreamline opening and Where’s My Thing closing were givens.

Driven following up Dreamline seemed appropriate.

I also didn’t want back to back instrumentals so there’s that.

The couple minutes of Malnar hyperactivity is tempered by the 4.5 minute thoughtfulness of Bravado which follows. I tested that too and it works.

 

Mainly though, the Snakes’ (my least favorite Rush album) tracks weren’t easy to fit with the other songs I chose.

 

This is probably as good as I can get. And it’s good! :)

 

Cool exercise.

 

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Driven

Bravado

Roll the Bones

Available Light

 

Dreamline

The Pass

Chain Lightning

Ghost of a Chance

Test for Echo

 

Thought about it like album sides. Each side gets a heavier TFE song and I mixed the slower songs in so it doesn't drag. TFE as the last track might seem odd, but I don't like when albums end with slow songs.

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Driven

Bravado

Roll the Bones

Available Light

 

Dreamline

The Pass

Chain Lightning

Ghost of a Chance

Test for Echo

 

Thought about it like album sides. Each side gets a heavier TFE song and I mixed the slower songs in so it doesn't drag. TFE as the last track might seem odd, but I don't like when albums end with slow songs.

 

Dig it, but I could never warm up to Chain Lightning

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I would take some songs from these 3 (for me weak) Rush albums: Roll the Bones, Test for Echo and Vapor Trails.

 

Bravado

Dreamline

Ghost of a Chance

Driven

 

Test for Echo

Ghost Rider

Earthshine

Secret Touch

 

I'd have to have Ceiling Unlimited in there.

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This is like the question of 'tell me 3 redeeming things about your adversary'.

 

Sorry, but shit is shit. even if it's less smelly, it's still shit.

 

http://www.humoar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/sht-getting-out-of-hand.jpg

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I think every album has a couple of things that are worthwhile. Dreamline is a great song, and so is Driven. Even if they're not the greatest Rush tunes, I'm just interested in seeing what people think the "best possible" album would be if we mined from the three albums.
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Okay, my least favorite are Caress of Steel, Test for Echo, and the debut. This shouldn’t be too hard.

 

SIDE ONE

 

Bastille Day

Driven

In the Mood

Resist

Lakeside Park

 

SIDE TWO

 

Finding My Way

Test for Exho

What You’re Doing

Working Man

 

Well, it’s not an album I’d listen to often, but I guess it’s not that bad.

Edited by Disk98
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Show Don't Tell - 5:00

Ghost of a Chance - 5:19

Time and Motion - 5:56

The Pass - 4:51

Driven - 4:27

Presto - 5:46

T4E - 5:55

Dreamline - 4:36

 

I think that's a pretty respectable mix of songs...I'd buy that album. A hair over 41 minutes.

Edited by theredtamasrule
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My bottom three are Power Windows, Presto and RTB (for some reason I dislike HYF less; it is a puzzlement to me). My least "unfavorites" (1984 speak) tacks from each... Actually, listening to the virtual album on You Tube, I think it's pretty good; I'm pleasantly surprised; gave me a better appreciation of these tracks. I had to add a 10th track -- Grand Designs -- to even out the sides time-wise.

 

Side 1 (running time 25:40)

Dreamline

Bravado

The Pass

Middletown Dreams

Marathon

 

Side 2 (running time 26:53)

Grand Designs

War Paint

Ghost of a Chance

Mystic Rhythms

Available Light

Edited by Rutlefan
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My bottom three are RTB, CP, and FBN, so...

 

Side 1: 24.9 minutes

 

Anthem

Fly By Night

Cut To The Chase

Roll The Bones

Where's My Thing?

Beneath Between and Behind

 

Side 2: 23 minutes

 

Dreamline

Nobody's Hero

Double Agent

By-Tor And The Snowdog

 

About 48 minutes, a little long for the LP era standards, but perfect length by today's standards. 10 songs too, perfectly digestible amount.

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Shitty albums include: Presto, Snakes, and probably RTB

 

Here's the playlist

 

side 1

 

Dreamline

Far Cry

Roll the Bones

Malignant Narcissism

Dreamline (live)

 

Far Cry (live)

Show Don't Tell

The Main Monkey Business

Interlude by special guest Monty Python--The Sound of John Denver being Strangled

Dreamline (extended dance version)

 

I wouldn't buy it.

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Okay, I’ll go with my 3 least favorite Rush albums: Snakes, Bones, and Test.

 

1. Dreamline

2. Driven

3. Time and Motion

4. The Main Monkey Business

5. The Way the Wind Blows

6. Malignant Narcissism

7. Bravado

8. Test for Echo

9. Where’s My Thing

 

The order is tougher than choosing which 3 from each. I even tested what it sounded like transitioning from T&M to Monkey. And I think it flows just fine.

 

Dreamline opening and Where’s My Thing closing were givens.

Driven following up Dreamline seemed appropriate.

I also didn’t want back to back instrumentals so there’s that.

The couple minutes of Malnar hyperactivity is tempered by the 4.5 minute thoughtfulness of Bravado which follows. I tested that too and it works.

 

Mainly though, the Snakes’ (my least favorite Rush album) tracks weren’t easy to fit with the other songs I chose.

 

This is probably as good as I can get. And it’s good! :)

 

Cool exercise.

 

It's all about the order. One thing a few of Rush's albums could learn a lesson or two about it flow. Of course, I've heard many worse cases of bad flow from other bands, but it ain't easy! Openers should set the tone for the general idea of what's to come, and often they want to get your blood pumping too. Closers should have some sense of finality about them, if not a bit of drama to close things off, and tracks need to compliment each other with grace so every transition feels intentional and highlights the two songs forming it nicely. These are of course just guidelines more than rules, as many a great album has been made by breaking a few of them (or a lot of them), but it's best to learn them and use them before you go around toying with them or ignoring them!

 

Sorry for the rambling, I wholeheartedly agree with you about the order.

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Okay, I’ll go with my 3 least favorite Rush albums: Snakes, Bones, and Test.

 

1. Dreamline

2. Driven

3. Time and Motion

4. The Main Monkey Business

5. The Way the Wind Blows

6. Malignant Narcissism

7. Bravado

8. Test for Echo

9. Where’s My Thing

 

The order is tougher than choosing which 3 from each. I even tested what it sounded like transitioning from T&M to Monkey. And I think it flows just fine.

 

Dreamline opening and Where’s My Thing closing were givens.

Driven following up Dreamline seemed appropriate.

I also didn’t want back to back instrumentals so there’s that.

The couple minutes of Malnar hyperactivity is tempered by the 4.5 minute thoughtfulness of Bravado which follows. I tested that too and it works.

 

Mainly though, the Snakes’ (my least favorite Rush album) tracks weren’t easy to fit with the other songs I chose.

 

This is probably as good as I can get. And it’s good! :)

 

Cool exercise.

 

It's all about the order. One thing a few of Rush's albums could learn a lesson or two about it flow. Of course, I've heard many worse cases of bad flow from other bands, but it ain't easy! Openers should set the tone for the general idea of what's to come, and often they want to get your blood pumping too. Closers should have some sense of finality about them, if not a bit of drama to close things off, and tracks need to compliment each other with grace so every transition feels intentional and highlights the two songs forming it nicely. These are of course just guidelines more than rules, as many a great album has been made by breaking a few of them (or a lot of them), but it's best to learn them and use them before you go around toying with them or ignoring them!

 

Sorry for the rambling, I wholeheartedly agree with you about the order.

:goodone:

 

I've posted several times regarding track order, specifically in reference to Clockwork Angels. A re-ordering, with a bit of trimming, made it a great album for me.

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Okay, I’ll go with my 3 least favorite Rush albums: Snakes, Bones, and Test.

 

1. Dreamline

2. Driven

3. Time and Motion

4. The Main Monkey Business

5. The Way the Wind Blows

6. Malignant Narcissism

7. Bravado

8. Test for Echo

9. Where’s My Thing

 

The order is tougher than choosing which 3 from each. I even tested what it sounded like transitioning from T&M to Monkey. And I think it flows just fine.

 

Dreamline opening and Where’s My Thing closing were givens.

Driven following up Dreamline seemed appropriate.

I also didn’t want back to back instrumentals so there’s that.

The couple minutes of Malnar hyperactivity is tempered by the 4.5 minute thoughtfulness of Bravado which follows. I tested that too and it works.

 

Mainly though, the Snakes’ (my least favorite Rush album) tracks weren’t easy to fit with the other songs I chose.

 

This is probably as good as I can get. And it’s good! :)

 

Cool exercise.

 

It's all about the order. One thing a few of Rush's albums could learn a lesson or two about it flow. Of course, I've heard many worse cases of bad flow from other bands, but it ain't easy! Openers should set the tone for the general idea of what's to come, and often they want to get your blood pumping too. Closers should have some sense of finality about them, if not a bit of drama to close things off, and tracks need to compliment each other with grace so every transition feels intentional and highlights the two songs forming it nicely. These are of course just guidelines more than rules, as many a great album has been made by breaking a few of them (or a lot of them), but it's best to learn them and use them before you go around toying with them or ignoring them!

 

Sorry for the rambling, I wholeheartedly agree with you about the order.

:goodone:

 

I've posted several times regarding track order, specifically in reference to Clockwork Angels. A re-ordering, with a bit of trimming, made it a great album for me.

 

With Clockwork, I’d trim that down to seven songs. The other five tracks I don’t care about. There’s nothing I dislike on it though (like some stuff I feel negatively about on Snakes and Bones).

 

But yeah, if I were to put those seven CA tracks into an order I like, it’d take a bit more consideration.

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I was thinking that another possible thread might be "The ultimate Rush proto-prog metal compilation" - what tracks would you include? You are allowed to take sections of side long tunes like 2112, Necromancer, etc. What's the heaviest album you could compile?
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My least favorite 3: Test For Echo, Caress of Steel, Vapor Trails

 

One Little Victory

Bastille Day

Vapor Trail

Test For Echo

Half The World

How It Is

Lakeside Park

Secret Touch

Driven

Earthshine

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I was thinking that another possible thread might be "The ultimate Rush proto-prog metal compilation" - what tracks would you include? You are allowed to take sections of side long tunes like 2112, Necromancer, etc. What's the heaviest album you could compile?

 

Not a fan of dissecting bands by genre. Metal, prog, rock, whatever. This is the TRUE reason why the PeW 70s/80s nonsense argument persists. Vivisection!

 

Good is good whatever it is.

 

By-Tor fits fine on an album with Strangiato and Limelight.

 

In short, I bet such a thread would do great as TRF generally likes separating this and that into categories.

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I was thinking that another possible thread might be "The ultimate Rush proto-prog metal compilation" - what tracks would you include? You are allowed to take sections of side long tunes like 2112, Necromancer, etc. What's the heaviest album you could compile?

 

Not a fan of dissecting bands by genre. Metal, prog, rock, whatever. This is the TRUE reason why the PeW 70s/80s nonsense argument persists. Vivisection!

 

Good is good whatever it is.

 

By-Tor fits fine on an album with Strangiato and Limelight.

 

In short, I bet such a thread would do great as TRF generally likes separating this and that into categories.

 

Sure, but what about those days when you want a) Rush and b) something damned heavy? Forget the genres - what tunes fit together just for sheer holyjeezum heaviness?

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I was thinking that another possible thread might be "The ultimate Rush proto-prog metal compilation" - what tracks would you include? You are allowed to take sections of side long tunes like 2112, Necromancer, etc. What's the heaviest album you could compile?

 

Not a fan of dissecting bands by genre. Metal, prog, rock, whatever. This is the TRUE reason why the PeW 70s/80s nonsense argument persists. Vivisection!

 

Good is good whatever it is.

 

By-Tor fits fine on an album with Strangiato and Limelight.

 

In short, I bet such a thread would do great as TRF generally likes separating this and that into categories.

 

Sure, but what about those days when you want a) Rush and b) something damned heavy? Forget the genres - what tunes fit together just for sheer holyjeezum heaviness?

 

Then I pick a specific album which shows where they are at a specific time in their lives. And usually it’s a single overall mood. One of those moods being “heavy stuff”.

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