Counterparts and Alex Lifeson

Counterparts was definitely a great album for the band. And while some people say that they don't like "Everyday Glory" I love it. Lyrically and musically. I felt that Counterparts had a really great flow and Lifeson's guitar was at it's utterly heavy best on this one.

Counterparts has songs I always return to. Once in awhile I'll listen to whole Rush albums, instead of songs, and they tend to be these albums:

Power Windows
Hemispheres
Grace Under Pressure
Counterparts
Hold Your Fire
Permanent Waves

Notice 2112, MP, CoS, AFTK, and Signals are not included.

Counterparts has a ballsy sound I really like, and the songs are strong overall, except for Speed of Love. Only Driven and Test for Echo manage to displace SoL. Otherwise, I could do without T4E. VT has moments, depending on mood, but CP always has songs to fit a mood.

As for instrumentals, LVS > MalNar > Hope > YYZ > BB > MMB > LTTA > WMT> Didacts and Narpets > Limbo

In fact, this may seem like sacrilege to a lot here, but to me, Counterparts > Signals. For the old-school purists, here's how I rate everything post-MP:

PW > HYF > GuP > CP > Signals = Presto = RTB > S&A = VT > Feedback > T4E

You see, the band is really 4-bands-in-one:

1) conceptual prog-rock masters
2) advanced song-writers
3) best synth-rock band
4) hard rockers

For 1) we have CoS to PeW
For 3) we have Signals to HYF
For 2) we have MP, Presto, RTB, CP, T4E
For 4) we have RUSH, FbN, VT, and what looks to be their latest

So in my mind, Counterparts is their best "straight-ahead" rock songwriting album since MP. But MP is so worn out, that CP songs get played much more often.

Honestly, I listen to CttC, SiO, Cold Fire and Alien Shore much, much more than I do to TS, RB, Limelight, and Camera Eye. The old classics have slightly more magic when you listen with a fresh ear in a great mood, but for day-to-day Rush energizing, CP is my fix over MP.

He was the one who recorded the album, but as far as producing goes, it was Peter Collins.

Like I said before, if I had a choice on what producer they should go back to, it is Peter Collins.

He did PoW, HYF, CP, and TFE. All great sounding albums, all well-produced.

I've said this way too many times over, but Power Windows and Counterparts are two of the best sounding Rush albums in the catelog, and certainly the two best non-Broon produced.

I wish I could listen to Counterparts right NOW, but I didn't bring it with me today.

I listened to Counterparts on the way to work this morning. Great album! Alex really shines on this album.

He was the one who recorded the album, but as far as producing goes, it was Peter Collins.

Like I said before, if I had a choice on what producer they should go back to, it is Peter Collins.

He did PoW, HYF, CP, and TFE. All great sounding albums, all well-produced.

I've said this way too many times over, but Power Windows and Counterparts are two of the best sounding Rush albums in the catelog, and certainly the two best non-Broon produced.

Of course, Terry Brown produced the best Rush albums, but I don't think he was Rush's best producer. Peter Collins produced the best sounding Rush albums. It's a fact, Peter Collins is the only producer Rush brought back.

I'm warming up to the new stuff. Alex may not be the best guitarist out there but he's definitely one of the most original.

As time goes by what I realize what I dont like about many of the songs on this album is their standard issue rock pop sound.

There's a few standouts, but the rest just sound so pedestrian to me. I wont even get into how horrid speed of love is, but between sun and moon represents nothing that ive always loved about Rush.

It sounds uninspired much of the time, and I feel this really extended into T4E, a band who's creative well was nearly bone dry. Just making album to fullfil contracts and make money. Neither of them sound to me like a band that was still into what they were doing. Im sure they will always say they were into it because thats what they're supposed to say, but I dont really hear it.

I do hear it a lot more on Vapor Trails, a new kind of fire I hadnt heard in a long time, its just a shame that album sounds like complete.... well... you know.

This post has been edited by trenken on Jul 31 2010, 08:52 PM

Counterparts is in no way "pop-rock". I think it was a breath of fresh air after the stale HYF,Presto and RTB 3 album run.

I do agree that T4E is a good example of when Rush ran out of the creative juice. The songs on that album just kind of plod along, and are a struggle to listen all the way through.

Don't touch Alex's reverb or he'll kill you.