Top 3 and filler track(s) on the album Hold Your Fire?

[Red Superstar]

I hope I'm not getting off on the wrong foot by making my very first Rush Forum post an endorsement of Hold Your Fire...but... :P

I've never had a problem with the synthesizer as an instrument, so I'm not immediately allergic to this era of Rush as a whole, as it seems some are.

 

And if one doesn't recognize that most (if not all) Rush albums have at least a thin layer of melted "cheese" on top, then I think there may be some denial involved. I recognize that HYF has a generous helping of shredded cheese sprinkled over it, but it doesn't preclude my enjoyment of it.

 

I enjoy it *almost as much as Power Windows. It contains some songs that I like better than some songs on PW, and visa versa.

I like a lot of the lyrical content on this one. Very introspective, very human lyrics.

 

I'll go WAY out on a limb too, and say that I even enjoy Tai Shan (except for that bad nose-flute sample in the intro, which was waaay over used in the '80s).

[_hi_water._]

Top 3: Force Ten, TSS and Mission

Bottom 3: Tai Shan, Second Nature, and... High Water

[ST3V]

I was required to choose a filler so I just chose my least favorite Tai Shan. I had such a hard time picking my top 3 as well.