len(songs)

Good, but not exceptional, even at this point.

For Tull... Anything from Stand Up to Brick is a good starting place. Minstrel does do well at "summarizing" the "classic Tull" era but in my opinion it's not quite on par with the others from that era (though still quite good). If you're interested in their "folk era", then check out either Songs From The Wood or Heavy Horses (Horses is my favorite of these but a lot of fans disagree); I can't really advise you on anything post-Stormwatch other than that Broadsword is a solid album but NOTHING like Tull up to that point (well, maybe it's similar to A, but what I've heard from A is pretty bad so I'm not exactly anxious to check that one out)

Half The World Neurotica at least has a slight (VERY slight, mind you) thread of melody running through it, Speed Of Love actually has a rather pleasant guitar line and a pleasant (though decidedly unoriginal) atmosphere (largely wasted, but they're there), and Tai Shan is uneventful enough (and lasts a reasonable amount of time) for me not to altogether loathe it (even if it's still pretty bad). But Half The World has none of these things going for it (well, it's short, but it's not as if it helps): no tangible melody, no real atmosphere, no interesting instrumental parts... honestly, there's no redeeming features to it whatsoever. Just awful.

Waves is very good, and potentially top 5, but Hems is my favorite, so there's really no contest.

Grace... it would definitely make my top 5, while Signals tends to hover just below 5th place.

7

Jethro Tull - Stand Up (1969) A New Day Yesterday: 11/15 <Jeffrey Joes To Leicester Square>: 10/15 *Bouree*: 14/15 Back To The Family: 12/15 Look Into The Sun: 11/15 Nothing Is Easy: 13/15 Fat Man: 10/15 We Used To Know: 11/15 Reasons For Waiting: 12/15 For A Thousand Mothers: 11/15 Overall rating: B Track by track: •A New Day Yesterday is a blues song with a great riff (better than anything on This Was) and great guitar and flute solos. I believe it also includes a harmonica, which works alright, though it doesn't add much (in my opinion) to the already solidly good song. •Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square is kind of short and lightweight, but it still works, though I'm not sure it would if it were longer, as it doesn't have much in the way of interesting melody. •Bouree is AMAZING, a "cocktail jazz" (Ian's words) interpretation of an old Bach piece. It has plenty of drive throughout, led by Ian's flute, but eventually going into a jazzier section and even a bass solo (!). Overall it's definitely the best song on here, and in my top 10 of all Tull songs. •Back To The Family features a terrific melody underpinned by a very nice arrangement and complemented by a very nice flute/guitar solo. I swear, this is what rock radio should sound like... ah well, be la vie. It's a great song either way. •Look Into The Sun is a primarily acoustic ballad with some electric underpinnings and a good melody (though it feels a bit awkward in places). Maybe "hardcore" Tull fans wouldn't appreciate such a "lightweight" track, but I enjoy it plenty. •Nothing Is Easy has a neat bouncy rhythm and a great riff, which contribute to a track which I can't see as anything but an absolute classic. If I had to voice one complaint it would be that the vocal melody occasionally feels a bit awkward, but honestly I only notice if I try to concentrate on it, and the song certainly isn't any worse for it. •Fat Man is a somewhat strange Eastern-tinged number with hilarious lyrics... not too much else to say about it but it's a good track either way even if it doesn't quite stand up (heh) to the better songs on the album. •We Used To Know is yet another great song, this time firmly in the "classic rock" mode (and actually featuring the same progression as The Eagles' Hotel California), with a neat guitar solo. Honestly, I can't remember much of it after it's over, but in this case it's great enough while on that I can let it slide. •Reasons For Waiting is a gorgeous acoustic ballad with great flute, organ and string parts to accompany a (once again) great melody. This one is noticeably softer than most of the tracks, but it puts this to good use to create an interesting atmosphere and overall it's probably my third favorite on the album. •For A Thousand Mothers is a bit weaker than the other "main" tracks in my opinion but it still has a nice feeling of intensity to accompany a decent melody before the album closes (after a pause) with a great (as usual) instrumental jam which earns the song an extra point in my book, for what it's worth.

Any Rush fan is a "true" fan... unless they're just pretending to like them... There's nothing wrong with "just" liking the radio hits. A casual fan is just as much a fan as a devoted fanatic. True, it can be annoying to try to discuss more "obscure" songs/albums with a "casual" fan, but that doesn't change that they like their image of the band. After all, we all have our own image of the band, and even if someone's is "incomplete", that doesn't make it any less legitimate.

http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-don-t-feed-the-troll-22.png Proof: he lists Hemispheres as his favorite Rush album but voted No in that thread.

Hmmm... I never though too much about it. Maybe he just had some sort of epiphany after being defeated, who knows :P

Interesting... 7 days before it was released?

But rush fans probably don't want elevator music haha Stop trying to pidgeonhole Rush fans. They're not a homogenous mass; there are plenty of fans who'd rate HYF higher than AFTK or Hems. And don't you go on about "real Rush fans"; I'm sick and tired of that attitude, and it alienates fans without accomplishing anything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spirit_of_Radio:_Greatest_Hits_1974%E2%80%931987