Jump to content

Song By Song Battle: Counterparts vs. Test For Echo


diatribein
 Share

Recommended Posts

Time for the gluttons for punishment to get some pain in. Expect the haters to have their knives out and for a shitton "All Counterparts except Driven". Obviously, this is not the case for me. I consider Test For Echo to be significantly better than Counterparts, although it should be interesting to see by how much in a track by track battle.

 

Animate < Test For Echo

Stick It Out < Driven

Cut To The Chase < Half The World

Nobody's Hero ≤ The Color Of Right

Between Sun & Moon > Time And Motion

Alien Shore ≥ Totem

The Speed Of Love < Dog Years

Double Agent < Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone < Resist

Cold Fire > Limbo

Everyday Glory < Carve Away The Stone

 

8 to 3 win for Test For Echo. This is no real surprise for me. There are very few songs on Test For Echo that I do not like. Interestingly one of the two songs I dislike on Test For Echo won its battle, Dog Years. I am not one to sit here insulting RUSH songs like others, but I have to say that was a real dog of a battle! The close ones were #4 and #6. I love Nobody's Hero & Totem, but both Alien Shore and The Color Of Right are always favourites of mine when they pop up on my playlists. I really identify with the lyrics of The Color Of Right. The song means a lot to me.

 

I also want to praise one of the songs that receives the most hate on this board. Virtuality is one of my favourite songs, not only from this era, but overall by the band. And it isn't just the awesome guitar riff that I love, I really like the lyrics. I know people constantly bitch about the "net boy, net girl, send your message around the world, put your message in a modem and throw it in the cyber sea..." line, but I think it is not only cute, but actually not so dated that it should be criticized. Yes, yes... more messages sent through the internet via cell phone towers today, but the line speaks to the constant changing of the ways we communicate, but that fundamental human contact remains the same. The methods of communication are always evolving even though the messages don't change significantly. I don't hear criticism for 867-5309/Jenny. I don't hear criticisms for the countless songs from the 60s written about writing letters to love interests. The message in the song is actually pretty timeless to me!

 

Anyway... let's get the hate started. I'm sure many of you are salivating at the opportunity to hurl insults at the 16th album by your alleged favourite band.

Edited by diatribein
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love Test For Echo. I didn't always but I warmed up to it. Yeah even Virtuality. In all honesty it ranks alongside CP really. I like em both

 

Animate < Test For Echo

Stick It Out < Driven

Cut To The Chase >Half The World

Nobody's Hero <The Color Of Right

Between Sun & Moon > Time And Motion

Alien Shore > Totem

The Speed Of Love < Dog Years

Double Agent > Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone < Resist

Cold Fire > Limbo

Everyday Glory < Carve Away the Stone

 

6-5 T4E. But it coulda gone the other way.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate

Driven

Cut To The Chase

Nobody's Hero

Between Sun & Moon

Alien Shore

The Speed Of Love = Dog Years (tie)

Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone

Cold Fire

Carve Away The Stone

 

The Speed Of Love vs. Dog Years ... AKA The Battle of SUCK.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate

Driven

Cut To The Chase

The Color Of Right

Time And Motion

Alien Shore

Dog Years

Double Agent

Resist

Limbo

Everyday Glory

 

5-6

 

But overall I had a much better reaction to T4E the first time than CP. CP is a much more frustrating album, T4E is warm and welcoming, if a bit embarrassing in places.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like Counterparts and don’t dislike Test for Echo (though it’s probably at #3 from the bottom).

 

Animate (I like both but Animate is too strong)

Driven (very easy win)

Cut to the Chase (obliterates both halves of the world!)

Nobody’s Hero (I had to pick one or the other but I didn’t want to pick either)

Between Sun & Moon (tough match between two enjoyables, BS&M squeaks by)

Alien Shore (one of my best on Counterparts, a sure win)

Dog Years (it’s not so bad to me but SoL IS!)

Double Agent (the lyrics on Virtuality help it lose!...I like the music on both though)

LTTA (another tough match for two tunes I like)

Cold Fire (wins the battle of two songs I think are just ‘ok’)

Everyday Glory (wins the battle of two songs I don’t care about)

 

Counterparts: 9

Test for Echo: 2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate > Test For Echo

Stick it Out < Driven

Cut to the Chase > Half the World

Nobody's Hero > The color of Right

Between the Sun and Moon > Time and Motion

Alien Shore > Toten

Speed of Love = Dog years in being shit.

Double Agent > Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone <Resist

Cold Fire > Limbo

Everyday Glory >Carve Away the Stone.

 

Counterparts wins easily.,

 

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate > Test For Echo

Stick It Out < Driven

Cut To The Chase >Half The World

Nobody's Hero > The Color Of Right

Between Sun & Moon > Time And Motion

Alien Shore > Totem

The Speed Of Love = Dog Years

Double Agent < Virtuality (the lyrics didnt age well, but the riff is awesome)

Leave That Thing Alone < Resist

Cold Fire > Limbo

Everyday Glory < Carve Away the Stone

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate < Test For Echo

Stick It Out < Driven

Cut To The Chase >Half The World

Nobody's Hero > The Color Of Right

Between Sun & Moon < Time And Motion (best track of the lot)

Alien Shore > Totem

The Speed Of Love < Dog Years (people look too serious)

Double Agent > Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone > Resist (I'll take a grooving instrumental over Tai Shan meets Braveheart)

Cold Fire > Limbo

Everyday Glory = Carve Away the Stone (I never let either disc play out)

 

Counterparts wins 6-4 with one abstention

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate

Driven

Cut To The Chase

Nobody's Hero

Time And Motion

Alien Shore

The Speed Of Love

Double Agent

Resist

Cold Fire

Everyday Glory

Edited by Freeze
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate > Test For Echo

Stick it Out < Driven

Cut to the Chase > Half the World

Nobody's Hero > The color of Right

Between the Sun and Moon > Time and Motion

Alien Shore > Toten

Speed of Love = Dog years in being shit.

Double Agent > Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone <Resist

Cold Fire > Limbo

Everyday Glory >Carve Away the Stone.

 

Counterparts wins easily.,

 

Mick

 

I used to like T4E a lot but last time I tried it I hated it. Counterparts is easily a great album, but for all its strengths I like Roll The Bones and Presto more. But saying that, Cold Fire and Everyday Glory are top ten Rush songs for me.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate > Test For Echo

Stick it Out < Driven

Cut to the Chase > Half the World

Nobody's Hero > The color of Right

Between the Sun and Moon > Time and Motion

Alien Shore > Toten

Speed of Love = Dog years in being shit.

Double Agent > Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone <Resist

Cold Fire > Limbo

Everyday Glory >Carve Away the Stone.

 

Counterparts wins easily.,

 

Mick

 

I used to like T4E a lot but last time I tried it I hated it. Counterparts is easily a great album, but for all its strengths I like Roll The Bones and Presto more. But saying that, Cold Fire and Everyday Glory are top ten Rush songs for me.

 

T4E is a lame attempt to continue going Alt. Rock. Which they already did well on CP. so the record comes off a bit pointless.

 

but yea Presto beats both these.

 

Mick

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate Test For Echo

Stick It Out Driven

Cut To The Chase < Half The World

Nobody's Hero The Color Of Right

Between Sun & Moon Time And Motion

Alien Shore Totem

The Speed Of Love Dog Years

Double Agent Virtuality

Leave That Thing Alone Resist

Cold Fire Limbo

Everyday Glory Carve Away The Stone

 

Easiest one yet. You can defend Virtuality all you want...babies and puppies are "cute"...I don't want my rock music lyrics to cause a cringe-fest. The great riff can't save it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Counterparts automatically loses for having the cringemaking, buttock-clenchingly embarrassing Nobody's Hero.

I knew you were different in your musicality.
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Counterparts automatically loses for having the cringemaking, buttock-clenchingly embarrassing Nobody's Hero.

I knew you were different in your musicality.

 

:laughing guy:

 

I still enjoy that song though.

 

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Counterparts automatically loses for having the cringemaking, buttock-clenchingly embarrassing Nobody's Hero.

I knew you were different in your musicality.

 

:laughing guy:

 

I still enjoy that song though.

 

Mick

Once you get past that initial verse, the song shines, IMO.

 

 

(And it's the clumsy phrasing, not the content, for the record)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Counterparts automatically loses for having the cringemaking, buttock-clenchingly embarrassing Nobody's Hero.

I knew you were different in your musicality.

 

:laughing guy:

 

I still enjoy that song though.

 

Mick

Once you get past that initial verse, the song shines, IMO.

 

 

(And it's the clumsy phrasing, not the content, for the record)

 

Yes, the sentiment behind the "song" is noble and worthy, but written in such a ham-handed, awkward and childish way that it just makes me wince.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can it be like a real battle, with casualties and subsequent burials and everything? If so, great thread.

 

Driven >>>>> Counterparts

The entirety of TFE > Counterparts

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Animate

Driven

Half The World

The Color Of Right

Between Sun & Moon

Totem

The Speed Of Love

Double Agent

Resist

Limbo

Everyday Glory

 

I think I’ll make a new playlist with those choices!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...