1-0-0-1-0-0-1

On 6/1/2023 at 6:53 AM, Blue J said:

I imagine wherever she is, she is smiling, and free of the sickness that took her- maybe having a rueful laugh and missing us, too. 
 

She was quite a presence here.

 

Oh, and one other thing- she’s definitely listening to Steely Dan right now.

There's "No static at all" where she is.

4 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

Happy birthday, Lorraine...you are missed.

 

. 

Indeed. This thread still chokes me up a bit when I see it.

6 minutes ago, _hi_water._ said:

128. "Halo Effect", Clockwork Angels (2012)

Clockwork Angels - Entry 2 out of 12

 

Seems to be everyone's choice for the weakest song on Clockwork Angels that isn't an interlude track ("BU2B2"). This is the shortest song, which appears as the last track halfway throughout the album, last track on disc one of the vinyl. An easy-sailing short track that very well demonstrates the orchestra the band implements within the album. It has less to write home about in comparison to the rest of the album, but if this is the real weakest link from Clockwork Angels, then it really displays how great of a last effort this album truly is.

 

 

After the first few listens of CA, I would have ranked this as my least favorite. But it's still not a bad song. Not great, but not bad. In other words, I don't think CA has any BAD songs. And that's a pretty good way for a storied band to go out.

My least favorite song on CA is now Seven Cities of Gold. It too is not bad, but I'll dive into it more when it appears on the list.

3 hours ago, Rick N. Backer said:

What do you notice about this list thus far?

It's the same handful of people taking the time to respond to each song. Would like to see more people participating.

Albums you'd expect to see populating the bottom part of the list are there (lots of T4E, Feedback and Presto songs, no MP or PeW yet), though only two from HYF so far, which is interesting.

hi_water will give a song a higher ranking if he likes the lyrics, even if the song is dogshit musically (Second Nature, Larger Bowl). That's his right, of course. It's his list.

19 hours ago, Principled Man said:

Yes, I am indeed a dirty rotten…..

19 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

It would have been worse to put it in the music forum.  Here, it wasn't guaranteed to be what most may have initially thought.

As far as first impressions, where the thread is posted doesn't matter if you first see it in the Recent Topics sidebar, like I just did. All I saw at first was "Rest in Peace, David Gilmour."

16 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

129. "Test for Echo", Test for Echo (1996)

Test for Echo - Entry 7 out of 11

 

Easily the weakest opener of any Rush album - this one just seems to drag along in comparison to everyone else (even the 18-20 minute opening songs really grab you in throughout!). It's totally a great song, though - fun lyrics and a great, heavy riff. Though it is easy to tell just from the first track where the direction with the album was going... there was no direction. Thankfully, there were better songs than this one off of this album.
 

15 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

About right IMO.

 

Some of the lyrics are embarrassing.

They lyrics are indeed cringy -- they were cringy when this album came out in '96, and they're even moreso now. Neil wasn't particularly good at topical lyric writing, and Pye Dubois' collaboration couldn't save this one. Musically, this song is pretty solid. I could see this ranked a bit higher, only because there are still a few T4E songs not yet ranked that should be ranked considerably lower than this one.

12 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

130. "Ceiling Unlimited", Vapor Trails (2002)

Vapor Trails - Entry 4 out of 13

 

A pumping, straightforward rocker that follows the roaring opener "One Little Victory", a triumphant return to the music world. The main riff is oddly reminiscent of U2's "I Will Follow", but is still a banger.

 

7 hours ago, yyz305 said:

I don't know how to explain this, but I get a (good) fuzzy feel when I hear this. I remember when the album came out - I was living in Toronto (all the way from Australia) at the time. This track, along with Peaceable Kingdom (which was your first elimination from Vapor Trails) really stood out then. Hearing Ceiling Unlimited now brings me back to that delightful period of my life. I love this thread, and really enjoy reading everyone's opinion, but there is no way this wouldn't be in my top 50.

Sad to see it go so early!

I like this tune a lot, but I hate that the remix added the guitar solo back in. The boys left it out of the original mix for a reason -- the power chords worked great by themselves.

I'd have ranked this higher.

2 hours ago, Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios said:

I reckon you are secretly hoping that

The Body Electric finishes in the top spot at the No.1 position 😉

It really is a weird song. Someone brought up the lyrics in another thread recently, mocking the "Catch the spirit, catch the spit" lines, but I argued that the quirky lyrics (co-written by Pye Dubois) fit the song perfectly because the whole song is quirky.

The song may have repeated sections, but it doesn't have the typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure that most non-prog pop and rock songs have. It says a lot that Rush's two biggest hits -- Tom Sawyer and Spirit of Radio -- are anything but typical rock songs. They're "accessible" but still distinctly Rush.

3 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

132. "Red Tide", Presto (1989)

Presto - Entry 8 out of 11

 

I know, right? A Presto deep cut that escapes my bottom 40! This was one of the few Presto tracks that always stuck with me a bit after listening to it, even though it is still somewhat pedestrian late 80's adult contemporary.  "This is not a false alarm/This is not a test/Nowhere we can fly away/Nowhere we can rest" is definitely one of my favorite moments throughout the album.

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

141. “Roll the Bones” - 4/10, Roll the Bones (1991)
140. “Here Again” - 2/8, Rush (1974)
139. “Between Sun & Moon” - 2/11, Counterparts (1993)
138. “The Stars Look Down” - 3/13, Vapor Trails (2002)
137. “The Big Wheel” - 5/10, Roll the Bones (1991)
136. “Time and Motion” - 6/11, Test for Echo (1996)
135. “Presto” - 7/11, Presto (1989)
134. “Second Nature” - 2/10, Hold Your Fire (1987)
133. “The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)” - 5/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)
132. ”Red Tide” - 8/11, Presto (1989)

 

How is this album doing?

11. “Anagram (for Mongo)” (#172/173)
10. “War Paint” (#162/173)
9. “Hand over Fist” (#158/173)
8. “Superconductor” (#149/173)
7. “Available Light” (#144/173)
6. “Scars” (#142/173)
5. “Presto” (#135/173)
4. ”Red Tide” (#132/173)

2 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

These Presto songs are all just a big gray uninteresting ball of wet newspaper.

This. Another utterly forgettable filler track.

1 hour ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

This and Bravest Face are my least favorites from S&A. I'd have ranked this way lower. Hopefully we'll see Good News First soon because that one ain't great either.

41 minutes ago, Mosher said:

This is interesting because for that album Bravest Face is my worst track, it's in my bottom 10 for all Rush songs. Good News First is in my bottom 12 and it's my second to last on my list for Snakes.

 Yeah, I could see ranking those two that low. I didn't mind Good News First at first but the vocals wore thin real fast.

Quote

But I like Larger Bowl, it's fourth on that album for me. 

That's a song like Second Nature that for me just doesn't feel like a Rush song. It's kind of country-ish or something.

20 minutes ago, _hi_water._ said:

133. "The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)", Snakes & Arrows (2007)

Snakes & Arrows - Entry 5 out of 13

 

Like Presto, this is another album I wish I could really get into more than most people do. Snakes & Arrows is definitely a better album for me, especially when it comes down to lyrical content and its instrumentation. This is a simple, but perky song about social inequalities, and fares well better than most of Presto. Good stuff.

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

141. “Roll the Bones” - 4/10, Roll the Bones (1991)
140. “Here Again” - 2/8, Rush (1974)
139. “Between Sun & Moon” - 2/11, Counterparts (1993)
138. “The Stars Look Down” - 3/13, Vapor Trails (2002)
137. “The Big Wheel” - 5/10, Roll the Bones (1991)
136. “Time and Motion” - 6/11, Test for Echo (1996)
135. “Presto” - 7/11, Presto (1989)
134. “Second Nature” - 2/10, Hold Your Fire (1987)
133. “The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)” - 5/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)

 

How is this album holding up?
13. “Bravest Face” (#171/173)
12. “The Way the Wind Blows” (#160/173)
11. “Spindrift” (#157/173)
10. “Hope” (#150/173)
9. “The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)” (#133/173)

This and Bravest Face are my least favorites from S&A. I'd have ranked this way lower. Hopefully we'll see Good News First soon because that one ain't great either.

5 hours ago, goose said:

Freewill and LaVilla are my top two for sure.  After that it's all pretty fluid.  With so many great songs to choose from, it's based on mood 

So, let's say it's a quarter to eight...what are you feeling?

Happy birthday, launch!

2 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

High Water isn't going to be #1, is it?  

73 is getting concerned!

I'd forgotten what the Blondie song sounded like, hadn't heard it in decades. So I listened.

Not a bad little tune. Still doesn't beat The Cars, though.

16 minutes ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

FINALLY.

 

In case no one's noticed based on my previous annoying posts in this thread, this is a bottom-1 song for me. Maybe even lower than that. Why? Any song that sounds like it was written for Celine Dion does not belong on a Rush record. This is the same band that wrote Hemispheres? That's messed up, man.

4 minutes ago, grep said:

The thing is...I actually like the song.  I don't know why.... I just do.   

22 minutes ago, _hi_water._ said:

134. "Second Nature", Hold Your Fire (1987)

Hold Your Fire - Entry 2 out of 10

 

Besides "Tai Shan", this seems to be the other Hold Your Fire song that gets called for as being filler. With lyrics like "No one is blameless/But we're all without shame/We fight the fire/While we're feeding the flames", no way this is bottom of the list material. Although, it is a ballad like this one where you can really hear Rush get into the phase of needing to put an end to the synths.

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

141. “Roll the Bones” - 4/10, Roll the Bones (1991)
140. “Here Again” - 2/8, Rush (1974)
139. “Between Sun & Moon” - 2/11, Counterparts (1993)
138. “The Stars Look Down” - 3/13, Vapor Trails (2002)
137. “The Big Wheel” - 5/10, Roll the Bones (1991)
136. “Time and Motion” - 6/11, Test for Echo (1996)
135. “Presto” - 7/11, Presto (1989)
134. “Second Nature” - 2/10, Hold Your Fire (1987)

 

How is this album holding up?

10. “Tai Shan” (#165/173)
9. “Second Nature” (#134/173)

FINALLY.

In case no one's noticed based on my previous annoying posts in this thread, this is a bottom-1 song for me. Maybe even lower than that. Why? Any song that sounds like it was written for Celine Dion does not belong on a Rush record. This is the same band that wrote Hemispheres? That's messed up, man.

Arkin and Peter Falk were perfectly cast in The In-Laws. And the part of Aaronow in Glengarry Glen Ross was perfect for him. RIP.

2 hours ago, Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios said:

I Love Time & Motion and would place it as high as in my Top 80 ⭐️

Definitely top-100 at least. Top-3 from this album, IMO.

https://www.mlb.com/news/domingo-german-perfect-game-vs-athletics

2 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

137. "The Big Wheel," Roll the Bones (1991)

Roll the Bones - Entry 5 out of 10

 

Another tune that seems to be going nowhere other than straightforward, this time from Roll the Bones. It's definitely a lot better than the few I've went through so far, which were all ill-advised, gimmicky tracks. I like the lyrics on this one, though - "Well, I was only a kid, on a holy crusade/I placed no trust in a faith that was ready-made/Take no chances on paradise delayed/So I do a slow fade."

 

 

Previous tracks I've covered:
141. “Roll the Bones” - 4/10, Roll the Bones (1991)
140. “Here Again” - 2/8, Rush (1974)
139. “Between Sun & Moon” - 2/11, Counterparts (1993)
138. “The Stars Look Down” - 3/13, Vapor Trails (2002)
137. “The Big Wheel” - 5/10, Roll the Bones (1991)

 

How is this album holding up?

10. “Face Up” (#166/173)
9. “You Bet Your Life” (#163/173)
8. “Neurotica” (#159/173)
7. “Roll the Bones” (#141/173)
6. “The Big Wheel” (#137/173)

 

I still have yet to uncover "Dreamline", "Bravado", “Where’s My Thing? (Part IV, “Gangster of Boats” Trilogy)", "Heresy", and "Ghost of a Chance".

 

What are your thoughts?

30 minutes ago, grep said:

Someone got a flat.

This one could have been ranked lower. Half of RTB ranked in the bottom-40 seems about right, though.

26 minutes ago, _hi_water._ said:

Here's my Vapor Trails ranking so far:

 

13. “Peaceable Kingdom” (#164/173)

12. “Out of the Cradle” (#155/173)

11. “The Stars Look Down” (#138/173)

 

Songs left: "One Little Victory", "Ceiling Unlimited," "Ghost Rider," "How It Is," "Vapor Trail," "Secret Touch," "Earthshine," "Sweet Miracle," "Nocturne," and "Freeze (Part IV of "Fear")".

 

Edit: I'll make sure to add this kind of thing for my future posts!

 

 

Yeah, that works! I'm not sure you need to list all the remaining songs from the album, but that's up to you. Recapping the songs already ranked is nice info to have.

1 hour ago, _hi_water._ said:

138. "The Stars Look Down," Vapor Trails (2002)

Vapor Trails - Entry 3 out of 13

 

Time to get rid of the one that people often consider the throwaway track from Vapor Trails. A heavy, straightforward rocker that doesn't overstate its welcome - though maybe the only issue with this one is that it is the most overly simplistic track from the album, and it really just ain't as heavily layered as the others. A good tune nonetheless.

Also, I am more thankful for the remixed version when the falsetto is slightly grating in the original mix.
 

1 hour ago, laughedatbytime said:

Pleasant enough song.  I'd have it higher, but it seems like a reasonable ranking overall.

Agreed.

1 hour ago, _hi_water._ said:

138. "The Stars Look Down," Vapor Trails (2002)

Vapor Trails - Entry 3 out of 13

 

May I offer a suggestion? I like that you indicate that this is the third song from this album to make it to the list, which is very useful in illustrating, at this current position, how strong or weak an album is in your overall ranking. I wouldn't mind also seeing the other two songs from VT that you've already listed, and where you ranked them. We can then see how other songs from the album is doing at a glance.