TheAccountant

I would not say they have been overlooked. They gave their place in history, mostly as a footnote to the better bands / metal that dominated the 80's. That being said, I still do have their Eye of the Tiger and Vital Signs records (note - I said records, not CD's) and every once in a (very) rare while they do get pulled out and listened to. So, yes, I gues I do have a (very small) soft spot for them.

The Def Leppard version. For me its a no brainer.

As has been said by many before me, this is just one of the best albums of all time. The Who may not be metal per sae but they could be metalish and if one listens to any live recording, such as Live at Leeds or any boot you are lucky enough to get, or watches any DVD of them in their heyday (e.g. Live at the Isle of Wright, Live at Kilburn, Live at Charlton etc) you quickly come to appreciate how powerful they were in a live setting. Great band, great album. Where would rock music be without them?

By a very slender hair I would pick Moving Pictures over Permanent Waves. That might change tomorrow however. Signals I also like a great deal but it falls to third place as it is held back by the 2 songs I like the least from these 3 albums (Chemistry and Countdown). Talk about 3 great albums - wow!

Superb indeed!!! Like all 3 a lot but strangely its a fairly easy pick. In order of preference my vote would be: 1. 2112 2. AFTK 3. Hemispheres Love the title track to 2112 plus Something for Nothing and Bangkok. Like the rest of the album. Love Xanadu, Closer to the Heart and strongly like the rest of AFTK. There is something about the construction of these 2 albums that just makes them feel right for me. As good as the songs are, the flow of the songs on these 2 albums helps the albums click with me. For example, if 2112 side 2 started with Bangkok and Something followed by the other 3 songs it would make the album weaker IMO. I would feel that the album would have just sort of died, for lack of a better phrase. By having the 3 "lesser" (again IMO) songs in between Bangkok and Something it allows for a pause, which enables you to appreciate those 3 songs, catch your breath and then enjoy the slow start and then absolutely ripping nature of the bulk of Something. AFTK has a similar pattern to it. Try mixing up the order of the songs. As great as they still would be I feel that the album would lose something. Hard to explain. As for Hemispheres, love Circumstances, The Trees & La Villa. For some reason I am not that crazy for Hemispheres. It sort of drags the album down for me and since it such a big part of the album the awesome side 2 just can't make up for it. I like the song - just that much when compared to 2112, Xanadu, La Villa or X-1 (all of the other "long" songs from these 3 albums). With fewer songs on it, the order of the songs comes into play with the album to a lesser extent than the other 2 albums so that also does not help it when matched up against 2112 and AFTK.

Voted for S & A. Lot of good songs (Far Cry, Armor & Sword, Workin' Them Angeles, The Larger Bowl, The Main Monkey Business, The Way The Wind Blows, Hope & We Hold On). The others are ok. No songs I really don't like. Test for Echo is a good solid album with a number of songs that I like (esp. Resist) but unfortunately the album is dragged down by Dog Years which I now just skip over. Can't take the song. Still it would be in 2nd place for me. Vapor Trails is not one of my favorites. I have tried but just don't care for the album. Perhaps it is the production. Then again, sometimes it takes me some time to get to like some Rush albums and / or songs. Took me the better part of 20 years to get to like Presto and Counterparts but now I like both a lot. If it takes 20 years and I get to like the album thats fine. Hopefully it will age like those two (or like a good wine). Till then Vapor Trails is in last place amount these 3.

TS - I agree. Like it a lot HW - Weakest song on the album (IMO). Don't really care for it. On a side note, my reaction to the album is a little like the original poster. It too takes me back to the fall of 1987 when I was 21 and in college. Those were some of the best days of my life (to paraphrase Bryan Adams in "Summer of 69"). Interestingly, it is HYF and Def Leopard that got me into Rush. That statement alone must be generating a few comment like "Yeah, if I had to listen to Def Leopard I would want to run right out and get HYF and become a Rush fan". Not exactly. Back in those days Def Leopard was my favorite group by far. I still like them for their first 3 albums and have seen them twice in recent years (2011 and 2009). Both were real good shows (2011 with Heart who also rocked and 2009 with Poison who likewise rocked). What happened was this. In the fall of 1987 Def Leopard was out on tour supporting Hysteria (yuck - not big on it even back then). I was seeing them with Tesla at the Rochester (NY) War Memorial. While waiting for the show they were, naturally, playing the usual stuff over the PA system. Now I have to say, by way of background, that I liked Rush but did not own any of their albums at this point. Also, the only good radio station in town (96.5 WCMF - is it still good??) played a lot of Rush and had 3 songs from HYF in regular rotation so I could at least identify the big 3 off HYF. All of a sudden Force 10 starts playing on the system. I was like "yeah, good song, I would rather hear Time Stand Still however." After it went off, on comes TSS. I remember the crowd gave out a big roar of approval. After that went off some other song came on and I was like "don't know the song at all but its real good". Then some other song came on and I was like "Dam, I don't know who this is but its really good. Sort of sounds like the group from the last song." Then another song came on and I was like "Dam this is another really good song. Sort of sounds like the group from the last couple of songs which, now that I think about it, sounds like the group the did Force 10 and TSS. Is this all Rush?? If so, man they really rock!! Is this all from their new album? If so I should hear Lock and Key at some point" Right on cue on came Lock and Key. At that point I was hooked and made up my mind to get HYF. Bought it and Power Windows the next day. By the way, if you are wondering if I was the answer is no. yes (only 1 or 2) but no. Don't know who made the decision to play all of HYF over the PA system that night. Def Leopard, the venue, the promoter or none of the above. I chose to give credit to Def Leopard and thats why I say it was Def leopard that helped get me into Rush. By the way, 2 last things. They were not playing other albums in their entirety that night. And both Leopard and Tesla put on good shows that night.

Sorry bunch?? Stinkers?? Not even close. Power Windows and HYF were the 1st 2 Rush albums I ever bought (got them at the same time) and have always liked them. Presto I did not like at all when it came out. Saw the tour and that did not help. The album basically went into storage until after the VT tour when The Pass ignited a little interest in that one song. The rest of the album was still a clunker. Then I saw them play the title cut on the last tour and that got me to go back and listen to the album again. It was at that point that the album shot up in my rankings and now it also sees regular service in my CD player. In short, all 3 are really good albums. Want some stinkers? Try self titled, Caress of Steel and VT. (IMO that is) I voted for HYF. As much as I now like Presto it still does not come close to the other 2. Power Windows has 8 strong songs. HYF has 9 strong songs. Yes thats 9 - I like Tai Shan. The only one I don't like is High Water. You can argue the merits of the individual songs but in the end 9 beats 8. Plus, if you want to get into the merits of the songs HYF has Time Stand Still which is the strongest song from all 3 albums. Strongest single song plus 9 v. 8 adds up to a HYF vote.

Voted for Rush in Rio. Love the energy from that awesome crowd. Love the setlist. Love the bands energy. Great show. 2nd place for me is a tie between All the Worlds a Stage and Different Stages. Hard to argue with 2112 in its entirety or with Rush playing it when it was new and Rush young. Both are great albums!! 3rd place for me is A Show of Hands. Like it a lot but just not as much as the 3 in front of it. For me, in last place is Exit Stage Left. For some reason I really just don't like this album. I have boots from the same time period that are MUCH better, IMO. Two last comments. 1. I have noticed with all of the live albums I have (both Rush and from other groups) that I want to hear the crowd on the live album. If I don't then its a strike against the album. If I hear the crowd it makes me feel like I am at the show, it brings the energy of the show to me. With the first 3 albums above you can. With A show of Hands IMO I hear the crowd less. Exit Stage Left I just feel the crowd less. Perhaps that's why I do not care for this album as much as the others. 2. I have also noticed that I usually prefer live albums that are recorded in one location. That way I get the show - warts and all. Again, I feel like I am there. If I get a "greatest hits of the tour" I lose something. It may be the best of the best but it just does not feel right. The Rio show was just that. One sitting, warts and all. All the Worlds a Stage was at least in one location. Different Stages was in several locations but most of it was in one show in Chicago. Plus the 3rd CD was all one show in London. A Show of Hands loses something for having been spread out over several shows and years. Exist Stage Left - I don't recall for certain but somehow it feels like it was recorded in several locations.

Went with Workin' Them Angels by a hair over The Main Monkey Business, Far Cry and Armor and Sword. Album has a bunch of other really good songs on it as well (The Larger Bowl, The Way the Wind Blows, Hope & We Hold On) A good solid album I have enjoyed from the start.

Went with ghost Rider over Peaceable Kingdom, 1 Little Victory and Earthshine. Not an album I really like much but I keep hoping that one of these days it will catch fire with me. Hey, Counterparts and Presto I disliked when they came out and now I like them both a lot. If it takes 20 years like it did with Presto that's fine with me.

Went with Resist. Best song on a fairly solid album that I liked when it came out and still do thereby ending the streak at 3 that I had had of not liking an album and having it grow on me, liking an album when it came out and then losing interest in it. One major exception with this album however. Dog Years The song makes me howl in pain like a werewolf in London. Actually I would rather listen to Werewolf in London the listen to Dog Years which is, IMO, the worst Rush song by far. In fact I would go so far as to say that its not a bad Rush song - its just plain a bad song. Other than that abomination this is a good, solid album.

This was another album that I did not get into when it came out. Was greatly impressed by the song writing but it just did not click for me. So much so that I used to call this album Counterfarts. Saw Rush on this tour and, just as seeing Rush on the Presto tour had not helped my opinion of that album, the show did not help my opinion of this album. Like Presto the album went to the back of the stack and it saw little play. In recent years however this album, again just like Presto, has enjoyed a renaissance and is now seeing regular duty in my CD player. Went with Cold Fire although I easily could have gone with the equally brilliant Nobody's Hero, Alien Shore, The Speed of Love or Everyday Glory. Or perhaps even with Between the Sun and Moon - although that song loses points with the "ahh yes to yes to ahh ahh to yes, why the sun why the sun" lines. Why inflict those lines on an otherwise great song?

This album is the complete reverse of Presto for me. Presto I did not like at all when it came out and it was only recently that I have gotten into it. Roll The Bones I loved when it came out but it has slowly but steadily fallen in the rankings over the years and now it gets very little time in my CD player (more than VT or Caress of Steel however). At this point there are only 3 songs on the album I enjoy and they are Dreamline, Bravado & The Big Wheel. Went with Dreamline.

This was an album that I really did not get into at all when it came out. Saw them on the tour and that did not help generate much interest in the album. Basically the album was put near the back of my Rush collection and almost never played. Then I saw the on the VT tour and hearing The Pass ignited a little interest in that song at least. Fast forward in time to the Time Machine tour and Presto really impressed me. So much so that I went back and really started listening to the album, It was almost like it was a new album to me. Very pleasant to discover that after close to 20 years there was this album that I had totally ignored but now I greatly enjoyed it. Sort of going into a gold mine that you thought had been a bust and suddenly finding a large vein of ore. Over the last year or two I have really come to appreciate this overlooked and forgotten gem. One gem stands out however and that is the title track. Voted for Presto.

Went with Time Stand Still. Fairly easy pick and thats not a knock on the other songs. They are all very good (yes that includes Tai Shan - I happen to like it a lot). Its just that Time Stand Still is so good

Back in the 80's when I first got the album I would have said either The Big money, Manhattan Project or Mystic Rhythms. Over time Marathon joined that group. The during the last year the rest of the songs joined the group so this is another hard album to pick from. Went with Grand Designs just because.

Perhaps the hardest one to pick so far. This was an album that it took me some time to warm to and when I did there was a front running pack consisting of Distant Early Warning, Afterimage, Red Sector A & The Enemy Within plus a second pack, well back, consisting of the rest of the album. As so often happens to me with Rush, it took me a while to appreciate both the album and some of the songs within it. When I saw them on the R30 tour and they played Between the Wheels it opened my eyes and got me to go back and really pay attention to the album. At that point Between the Wheels joined the lead pack and for a while became my pick. In the years since Between the Wheels has lost its status as the hands down pick but is definitely in the lead pack. On any given day any of the 5 songs in the lead group could get my vote. Went with Afterimage but like I said, if I was voting tomorrow that vote might change.

Subdivisions for me. Analog Kid, New World Man & Losing it are bunched together in pursuit but they don't really come that close (no insult intended - its just that Subdivisions is that good). The order between them seems to change on day by day basis. Then the rest are in second pack well behind them.

Went with Limelight by a hair over Tom Sawyer and Red Barchetta.

Best song? Natural Science. If the poll asked for my favorite song then I will chose Freewill.

2112 for me. Not the 1st Rush album I bought, not even close (probably owned at least 6 other albums before I bought it - perhaps more) but once I got it, it just took over the top spot and has never given it up. Other albums may make an occasional run at it but they can never equal or surpass it. It's like a race horse that takes a big lead and just goes into cruise control. Every so often some other horse from the pack will put a burst of speed and come up close. At that point 2112 picks up the pace and leaves that horse, magnificent as it may be, in the dust. Lots of great albums in the pack but none match it. IMO that is. By the way, S & A does need to be added to the poll. Good album but even if it was there 2112 would still be in control. Oh, and S & A would most likely not be in second place either.

Best song. La Villa Strangiato. If the poll asked for my favorite song my vote probably would have gone to Circumstances. Or perhaps The trees. Or perhaps LVS. Strangely the title track trails all of the above in the race for favorite song on the album. Hey, that just my taste (or lack of). Most likely would go with Circumstances.

Another hard album to rank. In the end I voted for Xanadu. Closer to the Heart is a very close second followed by Cygnus. Since I have already voted for win, place and show from this album I won't try to figure out how the rest of the pack finished.

2112!!! What an incredible song!! As great as Something for Nothing is, 2112 simply blows it away. All of the other songs are excellent but these 2 and esp 2112 - wow. By the way, let me make this clear, IMO its not just The Overture & The Temples of Syrinx that make 2112 (although if that was the song it might still be the best song on the album), its the rest of the song. As incredible as those 1st 2 parts are, then to slow down into Discovery (I always get a vision of a slightly confused Ales turning a guitar around in hands and trying to figure out how to play it during this part of the song) then speed up into Presentation with a conversation going on within the song plus changes in speed within this portion of the song, then change the tempo again into the Oracle, then slow down into Soliloquy and then the ripping Finale - incredible genius is the best way to describe it. All of these changes take the song to another level that go way beyond the magnificent power of The Overture and Temples. In my opinion the Oracle is a grossly overlooked portion of this song. It builds in power till Geddy lets lose with: "Home to tear the Temples down" "Home to change". Awsome. Gee, get the feeling that I like this song? Think I made that clear.