drumstruck

Nice results. For the most part, my rankings are close to the group. I rate Caress much higher, Hold your Fire much lower. A little surprised that Red Barchetta took first. As speculated, its likely because there is a lack of dislike, rather than it being an overwhelming favorite. Which songs got the most 10s? (probably a lot are tied) These would be in my top 20... 59. The Fountain of Lamneth 7.7941 75. The Necromancer 7.5 113. Stick It Out 6.5455 These would be considerably higher... 102. In The End 7 143. Virtuality 5.7813 145. Bravest Face 5.7576 148. Hand Over Fist 5.5938 These would be considerably lower... 20. Jacob' s Ladder 8.6765 23. Clockwork Angels 8.5 24. The Camera Eye 8.5

We did something similar to this in another forums years ago. The winner was Natural Science. I'll be interested to see your results.

Wow, no one mentioned Available Light yet. That was the first one that popped into my head.

So I have been occassionally working through the old Spirit of Radio fanzines since they have been so kindly provided. I noticed during the P/G tour that Red Rider opened for some shows. Wait - didn't original (founding!) Rush bassist Jeff Jones play with Red Rider for a stint? When was that (wiki wiki wiki) - hey, he was with that band in 1984. Can anyone confirm that Jeff actually was part of the touring band when they opened for Rush? I guess I don't have a point here, except that after 36 years of being a fan it's cool to learn something new. Has Alex ever commented on this? I wonder if Rush was responsible for getting them on the bill because of Jeff?

I'm always a sucker for ranking lists. Here we go... Rush 5 Finding My Way 8 Need Some Love 5 Take A Friend 3 Here Again 6 What You're Doing 3 In The Mood 6 Before And After 5 Working Man 7 Fly By Night 7 Anthem 9 Best I Can 5 Beneath, Between & Behind 6 By-Tor And The Snow Dog 7 Fly By Night 6 Making Memories 4 Rivendell 3 In The End 8 Caress Of Steel 10 Bastille Day 9 I Think I'm Going Bald 5 Lakeside Park 6 The Necromancer 10 The Fountain Of Lamneth 10 2112 10 2112 10 A Passage To Bangkok 6 The Twilight Zone 6 Lessons 5 Tears 2 Something For Nothing 9 A Farewell To Kings 10 A Farewell To Kings 10 Xanadu 10 Closer To The Heart 6 Cinderella Man 7 Madrigal 2 Cygnus X-1 10 Hemispheres 10 Hemispheres 10 Circumstances 7 The Trees 8 La Villa Stangiato 9 Permanent Waves 10 The Spirit Of Radio 9 Free Will 9 Jacob's Ladder 6 Entre Nous 7 Different Strings 7 Natural Science 10 Moving Pictures 10 Tom Sawyer 8 Red Barchetta 8 YYZ 8 Limelight 10 The Camera Eye 6 Witch Hunt 6 Vital Signs 7 Signals 8 Subdivisions 10 The Analog Kid 8 Chemistry 6 Digital Man 8 The Weapon 7 New World Man 6 Losing It 5 Countdown 3 Grace Under Pressure 7 Distant Early Warning 9 Afterimage 7 Red Sector A 7 The Enemy Within 8 The Body Electric 3 Kid Gloves 4 Red Lenses 4 Between The Wheels 6 Power Windows 8 The Big Money 8 Grand Designs 8 Manhattan Project 8 Marathon 7 Territories 8 Middletown Dreams 8 Emotion Detector 6 Mystic Rhythms 7 Hold Your Fire 5 Force Ten 8 Time Stand Still 7 Open Secrets 7 Second Nature 2 Prime Mover 8 Lock And Key 7 Mission 7 Turn The Page 7 Tai Shan 1 High Water 1 Presto 8 Show Don't Tell 8 Chain Lightning 8 The Pass 9 War Paint 4 Scars 5 Presto 8 Superconductor 5 Anagram (for Mongo) 5 Red Tide 8 Hand Over Fist 6 Available Light 9 Roll The Bones 6 Dreamline 9 Bravado 9 Roll The Bones 7 Face Up 5 Where's My Thing? 6 The Big Wheel 8 Heresy 2 Ghost Of A Chance 4 Neurotica 5 You Bet Your Life 5 Counterparts 9 Animate 9 Stick It Out 10 Cut To The Chase 8 Nobody's Hero 8 Between Sun & Moon 8 Alien Shore 7 The Speed Of Love 7 Double Agent 8 Leave That Thing Alone 8 Cold Fire 9 Everyday Glory 5 Test For Echo 7 Test For Echo 10 Driven 9 Half The World 6 The Colour Of Right 7 Time And Motion 6 Totem 7 Dog Years 5 Virtuality 9 Resist 5 Limbo 6 Carve Away The Stone 4 Vapor Trails 9 One Little Victory 8 Ceiling Unlimited 9 Ghost Rider 9 Peacable Kingdom 7 The Stars Look Down 7 How It Is 6 Vapor Trail 9 Secret Touch 10 Earthshine 10 Sweet Miracle 8 Nocturne 8 Freeze 6 Out Of The Cradle 4 Snakes And Arrows 7 Far Cry 8 Armor And Sword 7 Workin' Them Angels 4 The Larger Bowl 5 Spindrift 6 The Main Monkey Business 7 The Way The Wind Blows 9 Hope 6 Faithless 4 Bravest Face 8 Good News First 8 Malignant Narcissism 8 We Hold On 8 Clockwork Angels 7 Caravan 8 BU2B 8 Clockwork Angels 5 The Anarchist 8 Carnies 6 Halo Effect 4 Seven Cities Of Gold 8 The Wreckers 7 Headlong Flight 8 BU2B2 1 Wish Them Well 7 The Garden 8

A little late to the party... First off - amazing how so many people can listen to the same thing and hear such different results. After getting in several good run-throughs of the whole new VT, I'm not all that impressed. There are definitely some improvements in reducing the harshness and adding some space for all the sounds to come through - especially Geddy's bass. But I'm really surprised that it is still quite harsh and loud. The highs in the vocal and the cymbals still burn a little too hot. So there is the 'master' (levels, clarity), and then there is the 'mix' (new stuff to hear). And some areas of the mix really killed this thing for me. Overall, the in-your-face guitars have been pushed back and softened. The bass overwhelms many parts - the outro of Vapor Trail, much of Secret Touch, parts of Earthshine. Ironic how I originally pined for more guitar solos in the original version, and then they add one in the ONE place where they shouldn't - right over that awesome 'band' solo and huge guitar chords in Ceiling Unlimited. Anywhere but there guys! One other thing is some poppy/happy vocal harmonies that were added. Really didn't fit the mood of most of the album. Especially hurts Ghost Rider. So... an interesting release. Some new stuff to listen for via headphones. But I'll still be cranking the original!

John, just wanted to put a 'thank-you' out there for making these scans available. I have been reading through them and enjoying the walk down memory lane. So true that info like this was difficult to find about the band back in the pre-internet days. Thanks for this and all you do at Cygnus-X1.net

These 2 are really special - no doubt. AFTK was my first Rush album. Cygnus X-1 really clicked something for me. I had just started getting into music beyond top 40 radio and this was quite unbelievable. And then to add "to be continued" at the end of the lyrics - I couldn't wait. Book 2 - Hemispheres did not disappoint. I have the Black Forest boot queued up next for my car iPod. You can feel their exhaustion listening to Hemispheres live (not to mention that whole set!)

I can't resist taking a stab at this... 1. A Farewell to Kings 2. Hemispheres 3. Caress of Steel 4. 2112 5. Permanant Waves 6. Moving Pictures I don't think that top 6 will ever change. 7. Counterparts 8. Power Windows 9. Vapor Trails 10. Presto 11. Signals 12. Fly By Night 13. Grace Under Pressure 14. Clockwork Angels 15. Test for Echo 16. Snakes and Arrows 17. Roll the Bones 18. Rush 19. Hold Your Fire

I was curious to hear from some of the fans who seem to repeatedly score such fantastic seats. I see so many familiar faces in the first few rows. How are you getting these seats? VIP package? And on a more personal level, what is it costing you? What kind of job allows you to follow the band around the country? I always go with friends, so I never did the single-seat thing. And I'm the only one in my group that would shell out the bucks (though I wouldn't afford more than one VIP ticket).

I was not too impressed by The Garden at first. Liked the ending, but it was a bit... overwrought. Then I saw it played live at the Chicago show. Wow! "The Garden Trance" is a perfect description. It clicked, like many Rush songs that need to grow on you. The awesome visuals probably didn't hurt either. If you are not yet a fan of the song and haven't experienced it at a show yet, don't lose hope. You still may end up loving it.

http://www.recordsbymail.com/uploads/08-29-12-LPs/512483-001.JPG My first thought when I got the new Bob Mould CD (back cover)... Hmm CA-ish?

Just wanted to chime in on the Chicago show. Absolutely fantastic. Headlong Flight and The Garden were really the highlights for me. And I've been slow to absorb The Garden - not high on my list of faves at first. But like most Rush, it grows on you. And the live version was truly a masterpiece. Sound and vocals were fantastic. Blackhawks giving the chicken and gorilla a beatdown! What's not to love? (OK the $10 beers - not loving that!)

Here are the answers. Ho Ho Ho! 1. One of Santa's reindeer (3) 2. "bright lights" (1) 3. "angels" (5) 4. "gifts" (2) 5. "feast" (1) 6. "Christ" (1) 7. "snow" (2) 8. "toys" (1) 9. "children" (2) 10. "debt" (1) 1. Losing It, You Bet Your Life, Digital Man ("Dancer") 2. Subdivisions 3. Workin Them Angels, Sweet Miracle, Totem, Double Agent, Ghost of a Chance 4. Hemispheres, 2112 5. Anagram 6. The Pass 7. Bytor and the Snow Dog, Scars 8. Manhatten Project 9. Roll The Bones, Time Stand Still 10. Beneath Between and Behind

OK, last one. Answers from the original Rush studio albums. The number in parenthesis is the number of possible answers. Which Rush songs contain... 1. One of Santa's reindeer (3) 2. "bright lights" (1) 3. "angels" (5) 4. "gifts" (2) 5. "feast" (1) 6. "Christ" (1) 7. "snow" (2) 8. "toys" (1) 9. "children" (2) 10. "debt" (1) Merry Christmas!

OK, here are the answers... 1. Name the Rush songs that contain the title of Rush albums (not counting title tracks). Hold Your Fire - Mission Moving Pictures - Available Light, Workin Them Angels ("moving picture") Signals - Chemistry, Vital Signs Counterparts - Animate ("counterpart") Show of Hands - Prime Mover All the World's a Stage - Limelight (close enough) Snakes and Arrows - Armor and Sword 2. Name the Rush songs that contain the title of other Rush songs. Driven - Time Stand Still Resist - Hand Over Fist, Body Electric, Cygnus X-1, The Fountain of Lamneth , Faithless Mission - The Color of Right Turn the Page - A Farewell to KIngs ("turn the pages") Closer to the Heart - A Farewell to Kings Lessons - Bastille Day, Kid Gloves Tears - The Necromancer, The Fountain of Lamneth, Finding My Way, Everyday Glory, Heresy, Losing It, Countdown, Hemispheres (The) Trees - The Enemy Within, The Analog Kid, Rivendell (The) Pass - The Way the Wind Blows, Ceiling Unlimited, Time Stand Still, Middeltown Dreams, Between the Wheels, Countdown, 2112, Something for Nothing, A Passage to Bangkok, Fly By Night, Best I Can Circumstances - Roll the Bones, The Big Wheel (circumstance) In the End - Anagram Chemistry - The Weapon Weapon - Manhatten Project Freeze - Vapor Trail , Time Stand Still Hope - Sweet Miracle, Faithless, Ceiling Unlimited, Everyday Glory, Bravado, Red Tide, Chain Lightning, Tai Shan, Red Sector A, Red Barchetta, The Fountain of Lamneth, Making memories, Beneath Between and Behind Give yourself half-credit if you got "subdivided" (Subdivisions) from Digital Man

Quiz # 3. This one is a little tougher... Same rules apply. Full answer list will be posted Friday. 1. Name the Rush songs that contain the title of a Rush album (not counting title tracks). (7 album titles, 9 total songs) 2. Name the Rush songs that contain the title of another Rush song. (16 song titles, 54 total songs) Christmas Quiz coming next week!

OK, here are your answers for this week's quiz... 1. Which Rush songs contain "Dog(s)"? (5) 2. "Cat(s)"? (2) 3. "Lion(s)"? (1) 4. "Eagle(s)"? (1) 5. "Bird(s)"? (4) 6. "Rabbit(s)"? (1) 7. "Cow(s)"? (1) 8. "Snake(s)"? (2) 9 . "Fish(es)"? (1) 10. "Rat(s)"? (2) 1. Dog Years, You Bet Your Life, Chain Lightning, Bytor & the Snow Dog, Far Cry 2. You Bet Your Life, Best I Can 3. Scars 4. Dreamline 5. Dreamline, Force Ten, Necromancer , Out of the Cradle 6. Between the Wheels 7. Totem 8. Anagram , Armor and Sword 9. Limelight ("fish"-eye) 10. Subdivisions , The Stars Look Down Still a few more lyric quizzes to come.

Ready for another? Same rules as Quiz #1. Here's an animal quiz: 1. Which Rush songs contain "Dog(s)"? (5) 2. "Cat(s)"? (2) 3. "Lion(s)"? (1) 4. "Eagle(s)"? (1) 5. "Bird(s)"? (4) 6. "Rabbit(s)"? (1) 7. "Cow(s)"? (1) 8. "Snake(s)"? (2) 9 . "Fish(es)"? (1) 10. "Rat(s)"? (2)

I didn't count Feedback (not Rush lyrics) Here are the answers... 1. Which songs contain the number "thousand"? (5) 2. Which songs contain the number "two"? (8) 3. Three? (3) 4. Four? (2) 5. Five? (1) 6. Six? (1) 7. Seven? (3) 8. Eight? (1) 9. Nine? (2) 10. Ten? (3) Answers 1. Roll the Bones, Xanadu, Lakeside Park, Tai Shan, Armor and Sword 2. Virtuality, The Speed of Love, Open Secrets, Grand Designs, Chemistry, Red Barchetta, Entre Nous, Different Strings 3. Chemistry, The Twilight Zone, The Necromancer 4. Available Light, The Twilight Zone ("four"th) 5. Working Man 6. Cygnus X-1 7. Dog Years, Working Man , Tai Shan ("seven" thousand) 8. In the Mood 9. Countdown, Working Man 10. Force Ten, Lakeside Park, Beneath Between and Behind More quizzes to come...

I stumbled upon a few Rush lyric quizzes I put together some time ago. I thought I would update them and post again. All quizzes will be based on their studio records. Try and answer them without looking up the answers (I already did that for you!) The number in parenthesis is the number of songs that are acceptable answers. Full answer list will be posted Friday. Today's quiz: By the Numbers. 1. Which songs contain the number "thousand"? (5) 2. Which songs contain the number "two"? (8) 3. Three? (3) 4. Four? (2) 5. Five? (1) 6. Six? (1) 7. Seven? (3) 8. Eight? (1) 9. Nine? (2) 10. Ten? (3)

What happened? Everybody give up? The answer is kinetic dreams (What do I win!)

Rush was in a bathtub with Dream Theater and Mike Portnoy farted. Geddy loudly exclaimed, "Wheres My Thing!?!". "It is in Alex's double neck Gibson, which is not the greatest place to find a gigantic wildebeast. Neil said fear the snow dogs or they will kill your family, then outa nowhere came Kurt Cobain shooting heroin in the face. "Ow!" Neil ran screaming, grabbed his drumsticks and his helmet, whipped out his giant spaghetti noodle, and sped out of the studio to go find Terry Brown's apartment. "Oh my gosh! I forgot my...motorcycle keys and my newest lyrics. Well no big deal, Courtney Love will remember them. At that moment, the phone rang "Hello Neil, you left your lyrics back in Toronto and your snowdog is here too. Come get them." Neil replied, "I don't have the soup or shrimp cot to get the lyrics. So mail them here along with my motorcycle keys and kitty litter bags. Meanwhile, Alex was checking his Gibson sandwiches, which tasted similar to broccoli, but still couldn't compare to the soup he had each day. Chicken has protein for Geddy's fingers, giving him the feeling of pride from knowing that he soon would rule the world. "What'a Farcry you'd take the whole pie i had". He scurried away, frantically searching for his lost squirrel, who knows how he got away. And why. He called to his pet Canadian goose, not a creature came, "Why!, Oh why can't I get my silly real goose to run with the Toronto snowdog? An answer came from above. "Because, only good little geese can run into snowdogs whilst charging black squirrels". Geddy decided to pick up the fuzzy little fella while he was still ahead of the game, and promptly shared some popcorn with his bloated, whale - like Marlin and Dory, who were feeling especially thin and crispy, like Lays. "Start a new story, already! Sheesh!" said the start. They muttered aloud, "Jelly babies and crispy Lays can sometimes become yellow, sticky and mushy when left in the rain. Refrigerate your meat, because it really smells bad when you leave it on your grandmother overnight. She's old and incontinent. Andrew MacNaughton took her photograph and sold it to some tabloids. Then, out of a large pink bag he pulled out a big box of gigantic plastic monkey brains and looked around for Geddy Lee who was in Brazil because he left his shoes

Thread resurrected!!! I just noticed this little nuance the other day... A nice little tamborine rhythm can be heard in the second half of each verse during Cold Fire. Damn, it took 14 years for me to hear that!

Opening Credits: Leave That Thing Alone Waking Up: Stick It Out First Day At School: Finding My Way Falling In Love: Analog Kid Fight Song: The Necromancer Breaking Up: Secret Touch Prom: Scars Life: The Fountain of Lamneth Mental Breakdown: Vital Signs Driving: Driven Flashback: Ghost Rider Getting Back Together: Presto Wedding: Sweet Miracle Birth of Child: Rivendell Final Battle: Enemy Within Death Scene: Nocturne Funeral Song: Avaliable Light End Credits: A Farewell to Kings *Disclaimer: Not random. I provided my own soundtrack.