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I prefer the album mixes by a mile. I didn't even like Caravan or BU2B all that much when they released them as singles, but now I think they are both really good songs. I was actually pretty shocked by how much better a re-mixing could make them. I don't care to ever listen to the singles versions again.

Hemispheres Permanent Waves Moving Pictures Power Windows Clockwork Angels

1) La Villa 2) The Main Monkey Business 3) Where's My Thing? 4) Hope 5) YYZ 6) Leave That Thing Alone 7) Malignant Narcissism 8) Limbo

It's really close, and depending on which mood I'm in, I'll like one over the other one day, and switch it the next. But, if I had to pick one, I'd go with the 80's by a hair.

I think it's both, but probably more the second of the three. I've heard Geddy say that they will write a riff that sounds cool that just happens to be in an odd time, and I've also heard him say (less frequently) that they like to throw odd time signatures in every once in a while.

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jun 20 2012, 03:08 PM) Rush and CA are pretty much awesome all the way through. Caress of Steel and S&A are both about 60% awesome. FBN blows VT away by a hundred million miles. The first three! Gotta go with Goobs on this one. By far my favorite out of the six is Clockwork Angels, but Vapor Trails is so bad, that it actually taints the final three irreparably. Besides, Caress of Steel is better than Snakes and Arrows.

QUOTE (Terrapin @ Jun 23 2012, 08:33 PM) Apologies to everybody out there who are pretending to like this thing, but the songwriting, vocal melodies, song structures, arrangements are an example of a band that are completely devoid of any ideas as regards a musical future... The mastering is so bad that the individual instruments and vocals are difficult to hear. Quite obviously, to anybody with a pair of ears this album has been cut and pasted beyond belief and not particularly well No, it doesn't "Kick Ass" and no, it's not their best since... ? To be honest, I would prefer to read the novel than to have to listen to Pearts backing band trying to come up with some dodgy music in an effort to support his narrative. "In the fullness of time" this album will go down as sucking as much as the rest of the Rush catalogue since "Signals" I remember reading on this forum how great "Snakes and Arrows" was, only to be slagged of a few moths later, once the childish euphoria wore off.. CA is truly awful... you'll all agree with me in a few years - or through the "fullness" of time...

QUOTE (Jmo2112 @ Jun 24 2012, 10:17 PM) The Garden is the perfect album closer. If this were to be Rush's last album I think that would be a beautiful sentiment to end with. Kind of gives me the same kind of eternal/timeless vibe as Vital Signs. I love Vital Signs! It was my favorite closer before The Garden. And I think the order of the songs is perfect. Life is full of ups and downs. One minute you're saying that, on the whole, it's been great, and the next you're saying that life stinks. The Garden sees the protagonist come to grips with the fact that life is short...so love hard.

Went with 10 out of 10. To me, the only band that beats Rush are The Beatles, but they started in the sixties, so, given this poll's parameters, Rush are the best.

What a cool thread! I mowed the lawn yesterday and seriously thought about putting CA through the lawn mower test too, but felt like getting it over with quickly before it rained, so I passed. But looking forward to next time! Incidentally, the first time I ever listened to a Rush album all the way through was while I was mowing the lawn. I had just gone to a Waxy Maxies in the mall and purchased Moving Pictures on cassette. I popped it into my walkman and cranked it. I had only heard Tom Sawyer before that. I became a Rush fan that day, while mowing!

This is my favorite review so far. I, too, was expecting another Snakes and Arrows (a good album, but nowhere near their classics IMO), but what I got was am album firmly ensconced among their five best, IMO). For me, it's second only to Moving Pictures.

QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 15 2012, 09:35 PM) After about 30 listens its better than the debut, T4E, VT, S&A and thats it. After the first few listens I was just blinded by listening to new Rush and would have ranked it higher at that time, but its sinking in now that the song writing still is just too safe and not adventurous enough for me. Meaning too many songs have really dull choruses, too many standard issue chord progressions, Geddy just playing linear scales for fills all the time rather than what he used to do in the past, his vocals being not even close to what they were, Neil playing way too many standard 4/4 beats and Alex just playing power chords and not really decorating the songs like he used to. "Alex just playing power chords and not really decorating the songs like he used to." This one actually bothers me too. I miss the Alex of old, who was constantly adding so many unique sounds to the songs. That being said, I happen to think the songs on CA are so strong that, despite Alex's style, it's still right up there with Moving Pictures for best Rush album ever.

I wholeheartedly agree!

Best since Moving Pictures.

QUOTE (treeduck @ Jun 15 2012, 02:45 PM) QUOTE (Ya_Big_Tree @ Jun 15 2012, 02:43 PM) I absolutely love the new album. In fact I can't stop listening to it. When I heard The Garden it just had a profound impact on me I actually found my eyes tearing up which hasn't happened since I first heard Secret Touch off vapor trails. The guitar, the vocals the words it's all so perfect. Well done boys. I hope they play it live this tour. Who says it's the last album? I hope not, but if it is the last album, that's one HELL of a way to go out.

1) Moving Pictures 2) Clockwork Angels 3) Permanent Waves 4) Hemispheres 5) Hold Your Fire 6) Counterparts 7) Grace Under Pressure 8) 2112 9) Power Windows 10)Caress of Steel 11) Rush 12) Signals 13) Roll the Bones 14) Test for Echo 15) A Farewell to Kings 16) Snakes & Arrows 17) Fly by Night 18) Presto 19) Vapor Trails 20) Feedback

As great as album-closing Rush songs tend to be, and as much as I love Working Man, La Villa, Natural Science, Vital Signs, Mystic Rhythms, and Everyday Glory, I think The Garden tops them all. It touches deep emotions that no other Rush song ever has. What do you think?

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Jun 12 2012, 07:30 AM) I'll say this for "The Garden" - it nearly brought me to tears, and that's not a reaction I've ever had from a Rush song. It's an emotionally beautiful coda to all which came before it - on the album, and in the lives of Rush and their fans. We're left feeling grateful for the journey the album took us on, and for the lifelong journey the BAND has taken us on.

QUOTE (theredtamasrule @ Jun 12 2012, 08:50 PM) Many, many listens under my belt & read thru the lyrics a couple of times. Don't know if I'm the kind to give a track by track review but here are my thoughts on the album as a whole: The first thing I noticed, and Corgan mentioned it in his interview w/Ged & Al, is the spirit, energy and sense of urgency in the playing by all three. I'm not sure where they found their inspiration but it's pretty evident that they know something special is developing and the playing is intense, powerful and precise. I'm a drum geek and of course something else that stood out to me is Peart's playing. It's simply phenomenal. It's such a shock after several years of seeming safe playing on the last few albums. I'm guessing he's finally internalized the work over the past few years and now he's letting that great technique loose with fire and purpose. Fill after fill, double bass blast after double bass blast...this is his freshest, most bombastic (and I mean that in the best possible sense) playing in a very long time. This recording captures the energy of a young Peart being channeled and controlled by his new sense of time and mastery of the kit. This is the drum hero I remember. The whole of CA is strewn with memorable riffs, melodies and lyrics; I find myself humming, whistling and singing CA, Anarchist, Carnies, Halo...hell, the entire damn thing throughout the day. Personally the era of Presto - TFE is a bit of a dry run of albums, they seemed to be more focused on melody and typical pop/rock tunes rather than stretching instrumentally...I found a big chunk of that work uninspired and lacking that something special. Well here on CA I think all of that work has come to full fruition by marrying their craft of structure and catchy melodies with flat out kick ass musicianship and intensity...just like the Rush I know and love up to HYF (some will argue this but, hey, it's my review). This here is Rush in full flight shaping a great song and injecting it with soul and passion and precision. In the end I feel something different on CA that I haven't noticed in a very long time from...a sense that they're not afraid to, well, be Rush. They've let loose, rocked out and produced one of their best albums. I love the whole thing from beginning to end. Yes, definitely to all the above. Is it just me, or does CA, despite it's length, and because of it's top-to-bottom brilliance, absolutely fly by when you're listening to it? I guess time flies when you're having fun!

CA is so good from top to bottom that it's difficult to pick my four favorites, but right now I gotta agree with Presto-digitation. Clockwork Angels The Anarchist The Garden The Wreckers with a "just missed it" nod to Carnies

I just pulled into the driveway a couple of minutes ago and there it was, sitting on my front porch. I haven't listened to anything yet, aside from the old versions of Caravan and BU2B, and the Headlong Flight single. I'm gonna put it in the cd player, sit back, open up the magazine, and soak up every song. See you later.

QUOTE (Lerxster @ Jun 5 2012, 04:15 PM) QUOTE (Captain Avatar @ Jun 5 2012, 03:58 PM)QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jun 5 2012, 03:12 PM) QUOTE (D3strukt @ Jun 5 2012, 04:09 PM) already listened to it. Those that are holding out are silly. Have fun waiting though. I'm not being silly. I don't want my first listen to be via crappy-sounding compressed mp3s. I'm not a seven-year-old waiting for Christmas morning. I can wait a week to hear it. This. But the excitement is building with every glowing review I'm reading here! Well the glowing reviews are actually calming me down in one sense because I kind of feel closer to the album. What is now killing me is the lucky Europeans who are receiving their fan packs. What a time not to be living in Europe!! So, in the other sense then, knowing folks have the cd, the reviews keep building excitement that can't be rewarded since I'm trying to stand pat and let my first listen be on my Yamaha towers. With the booklet and lyrics in front of me for that first listen. BLASTING......... I could handle waiting out the leak, but peoples getting their cd's already?? That's entirely something else. That's more than I bargined for. I'm checking amazon to see if maybe possibly it could have somehow in error shipped to me too Some kids are getting their Xmas presents early. Maybe if I listen to the Caravan and BU2B leaks, that could hold me. I know I could find them, man Yeah, I hear ya man. I ordered the fan pack as well, and keep checking the mailbox to see if it's there yet...but to no avail.

Man, I haven't listened to the album yet, but if you're saying you love it this much, and only have those minor issues with it, then I am REALLY looking forward to it! You and Trenken are kind of like the Simon Cowells of this forum, and I mean that in a good way. You guys keep it real, don't pull any punches, and are brutally honest. And the fact that both of you have given CA rave reviews means I'm almost certainly in for a real treat.

I still haven't listened to the album, since I'm waiting to hear it on cd, but I'm kinda surprised to see "Halo Effect" rated so low by so many, given that it got huge props by a reviewer. I've been really looking forward to hearing this song ever since reading this glowing review: Can you possibly tell that a song is destined to become a classic the first time you hear it? Possibly - and if, for some reason, Halo Effect doesn't make it into the pantheon of all-time Rush greats, it'll come damn close. Over a gorgeous, double-tracked acoustic guitar figure, Geddy Lee sings richly, even-tempered and marvelously expressive. The track surges into a section of stomping power trio goodness, but the overall framework is acoustic, soon laced with elegant strings. "What did I do before there were words?" Lee asks, bathed in a breathtaking glow of cellos that carry him - and us - away. I know people just have different tastes, but I'm surprised by such a drastically different opinion.

QUOTE (metaldad @ Jun 5 2012, 03:15 PM) I am waiting until the 12th to hear a c.d., not some leaked bullshit over 3 inch speakers