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

17 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

For me, the height of their power was the ESL concert video version of Xanadu. As far as showcasing what they could do as a trio, it is perfection.

17 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

I've watched that quite a bit lately, and if it's not perfection, it's because it's better than that.  It just seems to me that that performance required total concentration, while the last part of NS on R30 was a show of confidence, they knew they were masters of their domain (no, not in that way) and acted that way, and that they outwardly took pleasure in that and imbued it with a sense of fun.   (Not that it's a simple song for mere mortals.)

I agree with that confidence vs concentration comparison, it's a great point. But that live version of Xanadu gets my "height of their powers" ranking not only because it's a great song, but also because of that concentration, mainly the multi-tasking.

Alex and Geddy both playing doublenecks (and not just to show off -- all those necks are serving the song).

Both are playing lots of notes on their Taurus pedals (check out 4:50 in the video below -- you don't see him, but Geddy is playing those synth melodies with his foot)

Geddy at times is singing, playing bass and playing notes with his feet (6:10 below).

Neil uses every piece of percussion in his arsenal, and again, all in service of the song.

Watching Alex switch back and forth between guitar necks and making it sound seamless -- that takes a shitload of practice (7:50).

It's impressive to hear the boys pull off Natural Science live -- it's a top-10 song for me -- but performance-wise I think Xanadu was on a different level.

On 8/19/2023 at 1:05 AM, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

For me it's Sweet Miracle. Auto skip.

On 8/19/2023 at 6:14 PM, goose said:

 

I find that song beautiful.  Tragedy put Neil on the precipice, and finding love kept him from cashing in.

Completely agree with you about the lyrics. But I tend to be music-first, so songs with good lyrics and boring music usually to fall away for me.

I finished my list a few weeks ago, but when I say "finished" I mean I had every song in a slot where I thought they should go, figuring I'd be moving some songs around later after further analysis, especially those that I hadn't listened to in a while. Or in the case of a few, listened to only once. Ever. My first listen of those few songs never led to a second one.

One thing these lists that you guys have been posting has done is made me go back and listen to some of these forgotten songs, and yeah, a couple of them that were ranked very low got moved up a bit.

3 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

#9      YYZ (MP, 2nd of 7)

 

 

Interesting facts about this song.

 

1). YYZ is the ID code for the Toronto airport

2). The song opens with the Morse code signal for YYZ being played by the band

3).  Unlike US residents, Canadians pronounce the letter z as zed, so this song is often referred to as YY Zed.

 

Oh, and the instrumentation and playing is top notch (any help I could get with alternatives to sublime would be appreciated).  But you already knew that.

This is of course in my top 10 as well. A no-brainer.

5 hours ago, Mosher said:

#165     Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8)
#164     Tears (2112, 6th of 6)
#163     Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11)
#162     What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8)
#161     Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#160     In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8)
#159     Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8)
#158     Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8)
#157     Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10)
#156     Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13)
 

#155     Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13)
#154     BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)
#153     Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11)
#152     Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13)
#151     Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#150     Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)
#149     Half the World (T4E, 11th of 11)
#148     Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)
#147     Red Lenses  (P/G, 8th of 8)
#146    Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10)

#145   Peacable Kingdom  (VT, 11th of 13)
#144   Freeze  (VT, 10th of 13)
#143   Stars Look Down  (VT, 9th of 13)
#142   Lakeside Park  (CoS,  5th of 5)
#141   Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11)

#140  Secret Touch   (VT, 8th of 13)
#139  Totem  (T4E, 10th of 11)
#138  Neurotica  (RtB, 10th of 10)
#137  Spindrift  (S&A, 10th of 13)
#136  Limbo  (T4E, 9th of 11)

#135  Lessons   (2112, 5th of 6)
#134  Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8)
#133  Mission  (HYF, 8th of 10)
#132  I Think I'm Going Bald  (CoS, 4th of 5)
#131  Superconductor  (P, 11th of 11)

#130  We Hold On   (S&A, 9th of 13)
#129  Scars (P, 10th of 11)
#128  Take A Friend  (Rush, 2nd of 8)
#127  Ghost of a Chance  (RtB, 9th of 10)
#126  Resist  (T4E, 8th of 11)
 

#125    Caravan (CA, 11th of 12)
#124    Double Agent (CP, 8th of 11)
#123    Making Memories (FBN, 7th of 8)
#122    Rivendell (FBN, 6th of 8)
#121    Twilight Zone (2112, 4th of 6)
 

#120    Dog Years (T4E, 7th of 11)
#119    Bravado (RtB, 8th of 10)
#118    The Garden (CA, 10th of 12)
#117    Halo Effect (CA, 9th of 12)
#116    Presto (P, 9th of 11)

#115    Virtuality (T4E, 6th of 11)
#114    Time and Motion (T4E, 5th of 11)
#113   Hope (S&A, 8th of 13)
#112   Armor & Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)
#111   Roll the Bones (RtB, 7th of 10)

#110   Show Don't Tell (P, 8th of 11)
#109   Where's My Thing (RtB, 6th of 10)
#108   Chemistry (S, 8th of 8)
#107   Red Barchetta (MP, 7th of 7)
#106   Available Light (P, 7th of 11)
 

#105   Mystic Rythms (PoW, 8th of 8)
#104   The Pass (P, 6th of 11)
#103   Lock and Key (HYF, 7th of 10)
#102   Losing It (S, 7th of 8)
#101   Anthem (FBN, 5th of 8)

#100   Hand Over Fist (P, 5th of 11)
#99     Main Monkey Business (S&A, 6th of 13)
#98     Open Secrets (HYF, 6th of 10)
#97     Wish Them Well (CA,  8th of 12)
#96     War Paint (P, 4th of 11)
 

#95     The Larger Bowl (S&A, 5th of 13)
#94     Everyday Glory (CP, 7th of 11)
#93     The Way The Wind Blows (S&A, 4th of 13)
#92     Vapor Trail (VT, 7th of 13)
#91     Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 6th of 13)

#90     Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)
#89     Emotion Detector  (PoW, 7th of 8)
#88     Entre Nous (PeW, 6th of 6)
#87     Different Strings (PeW, 5th of 6)
#86     Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#85     Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)
#84     Marathon (PoW, 6th of 8)
#83     Cold Fire (CP, 6th of 11)
#82     New World Man (S, 6th of 8)
#81     A Passage To Bangkok (2112, 3rd of 6)

#80    You Bet Your Life (RtB, 5th of 10)
#79    Headlong Flight (CA, 6th of 12)
#78    Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 3rd of 13)
#77    Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)
#76    Working Man (Rush, 1st of 8)

#75   Bastille Day (CoS, 3rd of 5)
#74   Fly By Night (FBN, 4th of 8)
#73   Heresy (RtB, 4th of 10)
#72   Between The Wheels (P/G, 7th of 8)
#71   Anagram (P, 3rd of 11)

#70    Red Tide (P, 2nd of 11)
#69    The Big Wheel (RtB, 3rd of 10)
#68    One Little Victory (VT, 4th of 13)
#67    Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)
#66    Wreckers (CA, 5th of 12)

#65    Workin' Them Angels (S&A, 2nd of 13)
#64    Alien Shore (CP, 4th of 11)
#63    2112 (2112, 2nd of 6)
#62    BU2B (CA, 4th of 12)
#61    How It Is (VT, 3rd of 13)

#60    Carve Away The Stone (T4E, 4th of 11)
#59    Test For Echo (T4E, 3rd of 11)
#58    Force Ten (HYF, 5th of 10)
#57    Face UP (RtB, 2nd of 10)
#56    The Big Money (PoW, 5th of 8)
 

#55    Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)
#54   The Trees (H, 4th of 4)
#53    Chain Lightning (P, 1st of 11)
#52   Red Sector A (P/G, 6th of 8)
#51    Jacob's Ladder (PeW, 4th of 6)

#50    Witch Hunt (MP, 6th of 7)
#49    Earthshine  (VT, 1st of 13)
#48    The Colour Of Right (T4E, 2nd of 11)
#47    Distant Early Warning (P/G, 5th of 8)
#46    Time Stand Still (HYF, 4th of 10)

#45    Afterimage (P/G, 4th of 8)
#44    The Body Electric (P/G, 3rd of 8)
#43    In The End (FBN, 3rd of 8)
#42    Turn The Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)
#41    Middletown Dreams (PoW, 4th of 8)

#40    Carnies (CA, 3rd of 12)
#39    Animate (CP, 3rd of 11)
#38    Cygnus X-1 (AFTK, 3rd of 6)
#37    Between Sun and Moon (CP, 2nd of 11)
#36    Cut to the Chase (CP, 1st of 11)

#35   Driven (T4E, 1st of 11)
#34   Countdown (S, 5th of 8)
#33   Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)
#32   High Water (HYF, 2nd of 10)
#31   Manhattan Project (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#30   Dreamline (RtB, 1st of 10)
#29   A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 2nd of 6)
#28   Circumstances (H, 3rd of 4)
#27   Grand Designs (PoW, 2nd of 8)
#26   The Weapon (S, 4th of 8)

#25   YYZ (MP, 5th of 7)
#24   The Spirit of Radio (PeW, 3rd of 6)
#23   Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)
#22   By-Tor and the Snow Dog (FBN, 2nd of 8)
#21   Digital Man (S, 3rd of 8)

#20   The Necromancer (CoS, 2nd of 5)
#19   Seven Cities of Gold (CA, 2nd of 12)
#18   The Fountain of Lamnneth (CoS, 1st of 5)
#17   Territories (PoW, 1st of 8)
#16   The Camera Eye (MP, 3rd of 7)

#15   Vital Signs (MP, 2nd of 7)
#14   Beneath, Between and Behind (FBN, 1st of 8)
#13   Subdivisions (S, 2nd of 8)
#12   The Analog Kid (S, 1st of 8)
#11   Something For Nothing (2112, 1st of 6)
 

#10   La Villa Strangiato (H, 2nd of 4)
#9     Limelight (MP, 1st of 7)
#8     Xanadu (AFTK, 1st of 6)
#7     The Enemy Within (P/G, 2nd of 8)
#6     Freewill (PeW, 2nd of 6)

#5     Kid Gloves (P/G, 1st of 8)
#4     The Anarchist (CA, 1st of 12)
#3     Prime Mover (HYF, 1st of 10)
#2     Hemispheres II (H, 1st of 4)
#1     Natural Science (PeW, 1st of 6)

As promised the remainder of my top ten, all at once. This is LABT's thread and he should end it with his choices (although, of course, my choices are better :)

I have La Villa at 10, which is very very high for an instrumental. But if ever an Instrumental spoke to me it's this one. It's an incredibly lyrical work, and no apologies for it rising so high. I said YYZ was flawless. This transcends the instrumental into the dreamscape Alex was going for. 

Limelight at 9th is low, I love this song. It has been my intro to Rush song for people who aren't into prog and just want rock, but want it to be particularly creative and well written. A perfect rock song.

Xanadu isn't everyone's thing, but it works for me. There are a few moments I'd have them do differently, I think it could have built into even more intensity considering the start. But whatever. It's 8th, that's not shabby. 

The Enemy Within- Grace gets 2 entries in the top ten, the most recent album to accomplish that feat. I know some people don't like the genre experiments, but I do and I love this song. 

Freewill. When I was exploring what I was pretty sure was my agnosticism- really my atheism- this song really echoed my musings. I had several reasons I concluded what I had, all born of my own thinking on the matter, but it was nice to have a song that shared my view. It's easier to be an outlier when you have company. And Geddy shines in this. 

Kid Gloves is my favorite straight up rocker they've ever made. I understand a lot of people dislike this song. I have absolutely no idea why. I'm hoping one of the few people reading this dislike Kid Gloves so they can tell me why. 

The Anarchist. Best song Rush wrote since the 80's, arguably even since 1980. It wasn't my first favorite off CA, that was Seven Cities of Gold (which a lot of people dislike). But The Anarchist is easily top ten for me. On the day I rated these songs it fared particularly well.

Prime Mover. I'd say I'm just messing with you all, but I have always loved this song. My favorite off HYF immediately, and over the years it passed Grand Designs, Territories, Enemy, Kid Gloves, etc. for my favorite of the synth era. It doesn't full on rock. It isn't particularly complex. It's not an amazing epic. The lyrics aren't next level. But whatever. I love Prime Mover. I love the different instruments taking the repeating patterns in the song. It's always top ten. Hate away. :)

Surprise, surprise. A Rush fan has Hemispheres II and Natural Science as their top songs. Shock of the century, right? They trade places all the time so I'll write them here as if that was true on this day (although it was a Natural Science day, it seems). I love the epics, and to my ears these were perfect. 
A not small part of me chooses to regard CA as a singular Jethro Tull style full album epic. I might place that first overall if I let that side win. But it's only lyrically an epic, not musically, so I'll avoid that temptation. A handful of Rush fans might place either song low, but not many. Both of these songs go without saying.

Great job on the list. I know I didn't comment much but I was following the whole way.

25 minutes ago, TheAccountant said:

La Villa is very good but not top 25 material for me.  Not knocking it.  Rush just has better.

 

Limelight - my #6

 

Xanadu - My #9

 

The Enemy Within - clearly in the top 100 but not in the top 25.  Likely not top 50.  Good song but Rush has better.

 

Freewill - My #4

 

Kid Gloves - ok song for me.  Not terrible but nothing I am wild about.  Might, or might not, make my top 100.  Its ok but not special and Rush has better.

 

The Anarchist - near the bottom of the barrel for me.

 

Prime Mover - excellent song.  Clearly in the top 100 but where?  Not certain.

 

Hemispheres - decent song but IMO its overrated.  Good but I don't go wild for it.  Likely in my top 100 but down the list.  Not certain exactly where.  

 

Natural Science - a very hard song for me to rank.  The studio version was always sort of there.  Ok but nothing I went crazy for.  Then I heard the live version on Different Stages and was rather impressed.  Then I saw them play it live on the VT tour and was blown away.  Collectively that made me re-evaluate it..  The result is that I have a split personalty reaction to the song - something that rarely happens with Rush songs.  Normally, if I like a song on the album I also like it live.  Dislike it on the album I am also likely not to like it live.  This song is out of that normal pattern.  Its good on the album but still not a song I go wild for.  The live versions though  - o my.  Yum.  So likely to be a top 100 song if we are talking the studio version.  But clearly not top 25.  Likely not top 50.  But the live version is seriously awesome.

18 minutes ago, laughedatbytime said:

The live versions are far superior to the studio version in my opinion.  I think its the R30 version that made it toward the top of the pantheon.   Three supremely great musicians, commanding the stage, maybe not at the height of their power but still toward their peak...there are no words to describe just how great it is.

For me, the height of their power was the ESL concert video version of Xanadu. As far as showcasing what they could do as a trio, it is perfection.

1 hour ago, taurus said:

 

No extra info but would love to know if he ever tried to make contact with the band and if so what year. P/G might have benefited, that was a difficult time with Lilywhite bailing on the project, leaving the band high an dry

I still like P/G, not sure what a different producer could have done to improve it. I listened to DEW and Afterimage the other day and they still hold up.

3 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

Nobody eats the world's best pizza out of a bowl with a spoon, although the sight of real pizza might confuse some New Yorkers.    On the other hand, the quintessential New Yorker eats his New York Sbarro style pizza with a knife and fork.

 

I'll give NY style this though.  It's much better as origami than real pizza.  If only because it actually has nothing to do with how it actually tastes.

Sbarro is pretty awful, for the record. It's shopping mall and airport terminal pizza. Very doughy and bland.

On 8/20/2023 at 9:21 AM, JohnRogers said:

On 8/20/2023 at 9:47 AM, laughedatbytime said:

Well, you think you can fold pizza, it's not the first time I've responded  to your posts.   And it won't be the last time, either.

You should be able to fold a slice of pizza. As opposed to eating it out of a bowl with a spoon like in some cities.

Just now, laughedatbytime said:

I could do that.   But my ten songs, with perhaps one exception, are the most discussed songs in the catalog, and I don't think I really have any new perspectives to provide, especially since I am not a musician and have no insight into that aspect of things that wouldn't be ridiculed by those with such a background.

I don't think you need to be a musician to provide valuable insight on these songs. You're a fan who's been listening to these songs for years, and knowing what time signature a song is in doesn't matter as much as knowing that the band's unique way of constructing songs makes those songs more interesting than those of Bon Jovi.

14 minutes ago, Mosher said:

Dreamline is perfect, no issues with where you have it. If only that promise held true all album.

Dreamline was the first song I heard from RTB and I liked it a lot, and much like Show Don't Tell from Presto it got my hopes up for the rest of the album....

Yeah, no.

1 hour ago, laughedatbytime said:

#15    Cygnus X-1 Book II (Hemi, 4th of 4)

#14    Dreamline (RTB, 1st of 10)

#13    Tom Sawyer (MP, 4th of 7)

#12    The Trees (Hemi, 3rd of 4)

#11    Vital Signs (MP, 3rd of 7)

The last ten will provide scant opportunity for hatred, with only one song not among the favorites with strong consensus here.

Not sure if you've already touched on this, but doing the last ten one song at a time might be fun. But I'd get it if you stuck with the current formula.

Your list compares pretty well to mine. Meaning we generally like and dislike the same types of songs. On the other hand, if TheAccountant posted a list I suspect it would be my list turned upside down.  

1 hour ago, goose said:

Can you guess the one VT track almost always skip? C if U can.  

For me it's Sweet Miracle. Auto skip.

3 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

Note: I posted this one last night... in the wrong thread! I will post #92 tonight, lol.

 

93. “Ghost Of A Chance”, Track 8/10 (5:18), Roll The Bones (1991)

Roll The Bones - Entry 8 out of 10

 

On an album where they had an unfortunate misstep with rapping and tried a bunch of other questionable gimmicks, be needed a bar-rock love song. Ewwww, right? Nah, this song is great, and has always stood out to me as a highlight from the album. It has a nice riff and great vocals, and I especially love the chorus - it really fits in well with the conviction of the whole album. "I don't believe in destiny/Or the guiding hand of fate/I don't believe in forever/Or love as a mystical state". Underrated tune.

 

 

Previously on my list...

101. “In The Mood”, Track 6/8 (3:36) - Entry 4/8, Rush (1974)
100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - Entry 10/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)
99. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20) - Entry 2/6, A Farewell To Kings (1977)
98. “Totem”, Track 6/11 (4:58) - Entry 9/11, Test For Echo (1996)
97. “Cut To The Chase”, Track 3/11 (4:46) - Entry 5/11, Counterparts (1993)
96. “Lock And Key”, Track 6/10 (5:09) - Entry 6/10, Hold Your Fire (1987)
95. “The Twilight Zone”, Track 3/6 (3:18) - Entry 3/6, 2112 (1976)
94. “Chemistry”, Track 3/8 (4:58) - Entry 1/8, Signals (1982)
93. “Ghost Of A Chance”, Track 8/10 (5:18) - Entry 8/10, Roll The Bones (1991)

 

How is this album doing?

10. “Face Up”, Track 4/10 (3:54) - #166/173

9. “You Bet Your Life”, Track 10/10 (5:01) - #163/173

8. “Neurotica”, Track 9/10 (4:39) - #159/173

7. “Roll The Bones”, Track 3/10 (5:30) -  #141/173

6. “The Big Wheel”, Track 6/10 (5:13) - #137/173

5. “Heresy”, Track 7/10 (5:27) - #122/173

4. “Where’s My Thing? (Part IV, “Gangster Of Boats” Trilogy)”, Track 5/10 (3:49) - #111/173

3. “Ghost Of A Chance”, Track 8/10 (5:18) - #93/173

This is one of the few gems from RTB, and I have it a little higher on my list. I've always liked it, but when they played it on one of the recent tours it really came to life.

15 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

95. “The Twilight Zone”, Track 3/6 (3:18), 2112 (1976)

2112 - Entry 3 out of 6

 

Nothing much to say about this one, really. A groovy track where the boys pay homage to two of their favorite episodes from some show that nobody's ever heard of. Cool song.

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

101. “In The Mood”, Track 6/8 (3:36) - Entry 4/8, Rush (1974)
100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - Entry 10/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)
99. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20) - Entry 2/6, A Farewell To Kings (1977)
98. “Totem”, Track 6/11 (4:58) - Entry 9/11, Test For Echo (1996)
97. “Cut To The Chase”, Track 3/11 (4:46) - Entry 5/11, Counterparts (1993)
96. “Lock And Key”, Track 6/10 (5:09) - Entry 6/10, Hold Your Fire (1987)
95. “The Twilight Zone”, Track 3/6 (3:18) - Entry 3/6, 2112 (1976)

 

How is this album doing?

6. “Lessons”, Track 4/6 (3:51) - #117/173
5. “Tears”, Track 5/6 (3:29) - #104/173
4. “The Twilight Zone”, Track 3/6 (3:18) - #95/173

This is ranked a little too high for me. It gets skipped more often than not.

49 minutes ago, laughedatbytime said:

 

Into the top 40 we gooooooooo....

 

#165     Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11)

#164     Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13)

#163     The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11)

#162     Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10)

#161     Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13)

#160     Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10)

#159     Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13)

#158     Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10)

#157     Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11)

#156     High Water (HYF,  8th of 10)   

#155     Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13)

#154     Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11)

#153     Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13)

#152     The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13)

#151     Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13)

#150     Scars (Presto, 10th of 11)

#149     Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11)

#148     Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10)

#147     The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13)

#146     War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11)

#145     You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10)

#144     Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10)

#143     In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8)

#142     Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11)

#141     Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11)

#140     Presto (Presto, 6th of 11)

#139     Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11)

#138     Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8)

#137     Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8)

#136     Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8)

#135     Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13)

#134     Resist (T4E, 9th of 11)

#133     Freeze (VT, 11th of 13)

#132     The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13)

#131     Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11)

#130    Double Agent (CP,  9th of 11)

#129    Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8)

#128    Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8)

#127    Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8)

#126    Mission (HYF, 6th of 10)

#125    The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6)

#124    The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10)

#123    Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10)

#122    I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5)

#121    Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11)

#120    Totem (T4E, 7th of 11)

#119    Territories (PoW, 5th of 8)

#118    Cut to the Chase {CP, 7th of 11)

#117    Alien Shore (CP, 6th of 11)

#116    Red Lenses (p/g, 8th of 8)

#115    The Color of Right (T4E, 6th of 11)

#114    Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 5th of 10)

#113    BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12)

#112   Mystic Rhythms (PoW, 4th of 8)

#111   The Pass (Presto, 4th of 11)

#110   What You're Doing (Rush, 5th of 8)

#109   Digital Man (Signals, 7th of 8)

#108   Nobody's Hero (CP, 5th of 11)

#107   Need Some Love (Rush, 4th of 8)

#106   Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6)

#105   Carve Away the Stone (T4E, 5th of 11)

#104   Vapor Trail (VT, 9th of 13)

#103   Virtuality (T4E, 4th of 11)

#102   Chain Lightning (Presto, 3rd of 11)

#101   Before and After (Rush, 3rd of 8)

#100   Different Strings (PeW, 6th of 6)

#99     The Fountain of Lamneth (CoS, 4th of 5)

#98     Bravado (RTB, 4th of 10)

#97     We Hold On (S&A, 6th of 13)

#96     Tears (2112, 5th of 6)

#95     Lessons (2112, 4th of 6)

#94     Red Tide (Presto, 2nd of 11)

#93     Marathon (PoW, 3rd of 8)

#92     Lock and Key (HYF, 5th of 10)

#91     Working Them Angels (S&A, 5th of 13)

#90     Limbo (T4E, 3rd of 11)

#89     Where's My Thing?  (t4\, 3rd of 10)

#88     The Necromancer (CoS, 3rd of 5)

#87     Making Memories (FBN, 8th of 8)

#86     Hope (S&A, 4th of 13)

#85     Kid Gloves (p/g, 7 of 8)

#84     Halo Effect (CA, 11th of 12)

#83     Countdown (Signals, 6th of 8)

#82     The Body Electric (p/g, 6th of 8)

#81     Lakeside Park (CoS, 2nd of 5)

#80    Finding My Way (Rush, 2nd of 8)

#79    Prime Mover (HYF, 4th of 10)

#78    Animate (CP, 4th of 11)

#77    Test for Echo (T4E, 2nd of 11)

#76    Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 3rd of 11)

#75   Cold Fire (CP, 2nd of 11)

#74   Carnies (CA, 10th of 12)

#73   How It Is (VT, 8th of 13)

#72   Afterimage (p/g, 5th of 8)

#71   Between Sun and Moon (1st of 11)

#70    Turn the Page (HYF, 3rd of 10)

#69    Secret Touch (VT, 7th of 13)

#68    7 Cities of Gold (CA, 9th of 12)

#67    Show Don't Tell (Presto, 1st of 11)

#66    The Main Monkey Business (S&A, 3rd of 13)

#65    Sweet Miracle (VT, 6th of 13)

#64    The Wreckers (CA, 8th of 12)

#63    Rivendell (FBN, 7th of 8)

#62    Malignant Narcissism (S&A, 2nd of 13)

#61    New World Man (Signals, 5th of 8)

#60    Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)

#59    Caravan (CA, 6th of 12)

#58    Wish Them Well (CA, 5th of 12)

#57    Fly By Night (FBN, 6th of 8)

#56    The Big Money (PoW, 2nd of 8)

#55     Ghost Rider (VT, 5th of 13)

#54     Earthshine (VT, 4th of 13)

#53     Roll The Bones (RTB, 2nd of 10)

#52     One Little Victory (VT, 3rd of 13)

#51     Beneath Between and Behind (FBN, 5th of 8)

#50     In the End (FBN, 4th of 8)

#49     Between the Wheels (p/g, 4th of 8)

#48     Nocturne (VT, 2nd of 13)

#47     Losing It (Signals, 4th of 8)

#46     Best I Can (FBN, 3rd of 8)

#45    Cinderella Man (AFTK, 5th of 6)

#44    A Passage to Bangkol (2112, 3rd of 6)

#43    Red Sector A (p/g, 3rd of 8)

#42    Force Ten (HYF, 2nd of 10)

#41    Closer to the Heart (AFTK, 4th of 6)

 

#40    A Farewell to Kings (AFTK, 3rd of 6)

#39    Far Cry (S&A, 1st of 13)

#38    Manhattan Project (PoW, 1st of 8)

#37    Ceiling Unlimited (VT, 1st of 13)

#36    The Camera Eye (MP, 7th of 7)

 

Well, we complete three albums with this group, S&A, PoW, VT, and introduce the second to last album to the list, Moving Pictures, leaving Hemispheres the only album without a song gone.    I think I'd move The Camera Eye up upon further review, perhaps into the top 20.    I might move AFTK down but not far, I love Alex's guitar sound on AFTK perhaps more than any other album.    This overcomes perhaps some overwrought lyrics.    Can't wait to see what goose has to say about some recent picks...

I like that last five. I have Camera Eye a little higher but I like that you have the other four ranked that high.

1 hour ago, _hi_water._ said:

96. “Lock And Key”, Track 6/10 (5:09), Hold Your Fire (1987)

Hold Your Fire - Entry 6 out of 10

 

Side B of Hold Your Fire opens up with an intense synth intro where Geddy sings "I don't want to face the killer instinct/Face it in you or me". Holy hell, the bass on this album is uncharted. The guitar solo on this track is strong, and stands well up against the synths. Excellent synth-heavy track!

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

101. “In The Mood”, Track 6/8 (3:36) - Entry 4/8, Rush (1974)

100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - Entry 10/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)

99. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20) - Entry 2/6, A Farewell To Kings (1977)

98. “Totem”, Track 6/11 (4:58) - Entry 9/11, Test For Echo (1996)

97. “Cut To The Chase”, Track 3/11 (4:46) - Entry 5/11, Counterparts (1993)

96. “Lock And Key”, Track 6/10 (5:09) - Entry 6/10, Hold Your Fire (1987)

 

How is this album doing?

10. “Tai Shan”, Track 9/10 (4:17) - #165/173
9. “Second Nature”, Track 4/10 (4:36) - #134/173
8. “High Water”, Track 10/10 (5:33) - #112/173
7. “Turn The Page”, Track 8/10 (4:55) - #106/173
6. “Open Secrets”, Track 3/10 (5:38) - #102/173
5. “Lock And Key”, Track 6/10 (5:09) - #96/173

1 hour ago, laughedatbytime said:

Major disagreement here.  You have it at #96, I have it all the way up at #92...

I have it way higher than both of you. HYF is one of my least favorite Rush albums but this is a solid tune regardless.

1 hour ago, _hi_water._ said:

97. “Cut To The Chase”, Track 3/11 (4:46) - Entry 5/11, Counterparts (1993)

Counterparts - Entry 5 out of 11

 

A song like this one really showcases that Counterparts was a well-produced 90's album. Alex soars with clean, swinging riffs while Geddy plays with a rumbling bass and excellent vocals. The solo at 2:43 transitioning into a heavier part of the song at 3:09 is one of the album's highlights for sure. I'd like to rate this one higher, but there's definitely some more favorable tracks from this magnificent album.

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

101. “In The Mood”, Track 6/8 (3:36) - Entry 4/8, Rush (1974)
100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - Entry 10/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)
99. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20) - Entry 2/6, A Farewell To Kings (1977)
98. “Totem”, Track 6/11 (4:58) - Entry 9/11, Test For Echo (1996)
97. “Cut To The Chase”, Track 3/11 (4:46) - Entry 5/11, Counterparts (1993)

 

How is this album doing?

11. “Double Agent”, Track 8/11 (4:52) - #143/173

10. “Between Sun & Moon”, Track 5/11 (4:37) - #139/173

9. “The Speed Of Love”, Track 7/11 (5:02) - #126/173

8. “Alien Shore”, Track 6/11 (5:45)  - #114/173

7. “Cut To The Chase”, Track 3/11 (4:46) - #97/173

Way too low. It's a nice heavy track, and in the solo Alex abandons the "less is more" approach he started adopting on GUP and lets it rip.

11 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

 

Same. A pretty forgettable rack for me.

2 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

Like a B cup?

Actually, Totem is more like a pair of fake double-Ds. At first look you're like, not bad, but then you realize there's not much substance there and your attention wanders.

(My typos are annoying in that the mistake is not an obviously misspelled word, but a different correctly-spelled word. They're not easy to pick up at first, and then you hit Submit Reply...)

16 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

Closing in on the best of the best.   These are all really good songs at this point.Over 100 songs in:

 

#60    Clockwork Angels (CA, 7th of 12)

#59    Caravan (CA, 6th of 12)

#58    Wish Them Well (CA, 5th of 12)

#57    Fly By Night (FBN, 6th of 8)

#56    The Big Money (PoW, 2nd of 8)

I think I have Fly By Night about there, Wish Them Well is way lower, the other three are higher. Caravan and Clockwork haven't worn out their welcome for me, they're fun listens.

7 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

98. “Totem”, Track 6/11 (4:58), Test For Echo (1996)

Test For Echo - Entry 9 out of 11

 

Easily one of the album's highlights for me. To me, this is most sonically interesting one to my ears off of Test For Echo - a jaunty tune that has plenty more layers of instruments in comparison to the rest of the album. Pantheism and secular humanism are certainly interesting topics for Rush to dive into, especially on an album like this one. Shame that after this song, Neil makes lame dog metaphors and writes a song about modems - lovely, timeless album, huh?

 

 

Previously on my list...

101. “In The Mood”, Track 6/8 (3:36) - Entry 4/8, Rush (1974)

100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - Entry 10/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)

99. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20) - Entry 2/6, A Farewell To Kings (1977)

98. “Totem”, Track 6/11 (4:58) - Entry 9/11, Test For Echo (1996)

 

How is this album doing?

11. “Half The World”, Track 3/11 (3:43) - #173/173
10. “Virtuality”, Track 8/11 (5:44) - #170/173
9. “Dog Years”, Track 7/11 (4:55) - #169/173
8. “The Color Of Right”, Track 4/11 (4:48) - #152/173
7. “Carve Away The Stone”, Track 11/11 (4:06) - #148/173
6. “Time And Motion”, Track 5/11 (5:01) - #136/173
5. “Test For Echo”, Track 1/11 (5:56) - #129/173
4. “Limbo”, Track 10/11 (5:29) - #123/173
3. “Totem”, Track 6/11 (4:58) - #98/173

5 hours ago, TheAccountant said:

Outside the top 100 for me.  Not certain exactly where but lower.

Same. A pretty forgettable rack for me.

ORFie is missed, no doubt. One of the nicest people we've had here.

36 minutes ago, _hi_water._ said:

99. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20), A Farewell To Kings (1977)

A Farewell To Kings - Entry 2 out of 6

 

Damn, this album is weird. There's an eleven minute song about milk and honeydew, and a ten minute song about flying into black holes. Now we have a four minute song paying tribute to the movie Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. "Cinderella Man" is certainly a progressive piece of rocking out, although the guitars are just a little bit scratchy for my taste. This does much better live, especially where Geddy yells "make it funky!"

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

101. “In The Mood”, Track 6/8 (3:36) - Entry 4/8, Rush (1974)
100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - Entry 10/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)
99. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20) - Entry 2/6, A Farewell To Kings (1977)

 

How is this album doing?

6. “Madrigal”, Track 5/6 (2:35) - #147/173

5. “Cinderella Man”, Track 4/6 (4:20) - #99/173

Pretty good song, I like the solo section. I don't have my list handy but I think I have it ranked a little higher than this.

3 minutes ago, _hi_water._ said:

100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13), Snakes & Arrows (2007)

Snakes & Arrows - Entry 10 out of 13

 

Wow, they realllly closed this album with a banger. Neil goes on a rampage with the toms, Alex has some of the most interesting guitar elements throughout the whole album, and Geddy's voice is perfectly mixed. Why is it only this low? - that is because of the embarrassing splice that can be heard at 1:18 in. Woops!

 

 

 

Previously on my list...

101. “In The Mood”, Track 6/8 (3:36) - Entry 4/8, Rush (1974)
100. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - Entry 10/13, Snakes & Arrows (2007)

 

How is this album holding up?

13. “Bravest Face”, Track 10/13 (5:12) - #171/173
12. “The Way The Wind Blows”, Track 7/13 (6:28) - #160/173
11. “Spindrift”, Track 5/13 (5:24) - #157/173
10. “Hope”, Track 8/13 (2:03) - #150/173
9. “The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)”, Track 4/13 (4:07) - #133/173
8. “Good News First”, Track 11/13 (4:51)  - #121/173
7. “Workin’ Them Angels”, Track 3/13 (4:48) - #115/173
6. “Armor And Sword”, Track 2/13 (6:36) - #109/173
5. “The Main Monkey Business”, Track 6/13 (6:01) - #108/173
4. “We Hold On”, Track 13/13 (4:13) - #100/173

 

Lots of interesting takes are awaiting in the 90's, just awaiting to heat this thread! Oh - what's this? #99? Oh, boy! Looks like this one will heat the thread for sure!

Another "uptempo low-intensity happy-rocking album closer." Not a bad song but I often hit Stop before it starts.

16 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

I completely agree that the opening to BTW is off putting and drags the song down quite a bit.

Disagree, I think the whole song is killer, and it was Rush's last great album closer before we got The Garden. We saw a lot of filler track closers between GUP and CA.