Best and Worst Song on Each Album

[_hi_water._]

I don't know if it was the mix or their sound or a combination of things but the mid '80s GUP/PW songs on the CA tour sounded a little rote and dull, not anything like they did on ASOH or the bootlegs I heard from the GUP/PW tours. Alex doesn't really look all that excited during The Body Electric on the DVD

The audience was pretty excited! :dweez:

[Mosher]

My current bests and worsts:

Rush

B: "Working Man"

W: "Need Some Love"

 

Fly By Night

B: "Beneath, Between, and Behind"

W: "Rivendell"

 

Caress Of Steel

B: "The Fountain Of Lamneth"

W: "Lakeside Park"

 

2112

B: "Something For Nothing"

W: "Tears"

 

A Farewell To Kings

B: "Xanadu"

W: "Madrigal"

 

Hemispheres

B: "Hemispheres"

W: "The Trees"

 

Permanent Waves

B: "Natural Science"

W: "Different Strings"

 

Moving Pictures

B: "Limelight"

W: "Red Barchetta"

 

Signals

B: "The Analog Kid"

W: "Chemistry"

 

Grace Under Pressure

B: "Kid Gloves"

W: "Red Lenses"

 

Power Windows

B: "Territories"

W: "Emotion Detector"

 

Hold Your Fire

B: "Prime Mover"

W: "Tai Shan"

 

Presto

B: "Chain Lightning"

W: "Available Light"

 

Roll The Bones

B: "Dreamline"

W: "Ghost of a Chance"

 

Counterparts

B: "Between Sun and Moon"

W: "The Speed Of Love"

 

Test For Echo

B: "Carve Away the Stone"

W: "Virtuality"

 

Vapor Trails

B: "Earthshine"

W: "The Stars Look Down"

 

Feedback

B: "Seven and Seven Is"

W: "For What It's Worth"

 

Snakes and Arrows

B: "Far Cry"

W: "Bravest Face"

 

Clockwork Angels

B: "The Anarchist"

W: "BU2B2"

 

 

[Malignant Narcissist]

It is amazing how varied the member's preferences are. We really are all hearing things very differently. Good thing we all agree on Rush!

[Mosher]

It is amazing how varied the member's preferences are. We really are all hearing things very differently. Good thing we all agree on Rush!

 

I think that speaks very well of the band, that they were strong in do many areas that every hated song is loved by a few here.

[The Analog Cub]

Best

Worst

 

Working Man

Need Some Love

 

By-Tor

Rivendell

 

Bastille Day

I Think I'm Going Bald

 

2112

Lessons

 

Xanadu

Madrigal

 

Natural Science

Entre Nous

 

Limelight

Vital Signs

 

The Analog Kid

Chemistry

 

Between The Wheels

The Body Electric

 

Marathon

Grand Designs

 

Lock And Key

High Water - yeah I think it's worse than Tai Shan

 

erm..The Pass?

Hand Over Fist

 

Dreamline

Neurotica

 

Nobody's Hero

The Speed Of Love

 

Test For Echo

Dog Years

 

Secret Touch

Out Of The Cradle

 

Armor And Sword

Bravest Face

 

Headlong Flight

Wish Them Well - BU2B2 does not count.

[_hi_water._]

New list, because why not?

 

 

 

Rush (1974)

Most Favorite: "Working Man" ​+ "Here Again"

Least Favorite: "Need Some Love" + "Take A Friend"

 

Fly By Night (1975)

Most Favorite: "Anthem" + "Fly By Night"

Least Favorite: "Rivendell" + "Making Memories"

 

Caress Of Steel (1975)

Most Favorite: "Bastille Day" + "The Necromancer"

Least Favorite: "I Think I'm Going Bald" + "The Fountain Of Lamneth"

 

2112 (1976)

Most Favorite: "2112" + "A Passage To Bangkok"

Least Favorite: "Tears" + "Lessons"

 

A Farewell To Kings (1977)

Most Favorite: "Cygnus X-1: Book 1 - The Voyage" + "Closer To The Heart"

Least Favorite: "Madrigal" + "Cinderella Man"

 

Hemispheres (1978)

Most Favorite: "La Villa Strangiato" + "Cygnus X-1: Book 2 - Hemispheres"

Least Favorite: "The Trees" + "Circumstances"

 

Permanent Waves (1980)

Most Favorite: "Natural Science" + "The Spirit Of Radio"

Least Favorite: "Different Strings" + "Entre Nous"

 

Moving Pictures (1981)

Most Favorite: "Red Barchetta" + "Limelight"

Least Favorite: "Vital Signs" + "The Camera Eye"

 

Signals (1982)

Most Favorite: "Subdivisions" + "The Analog Kid"

Least Favorite: "Countdown" + "The Weapon"

 

Grace Under Pressure (1984)

Most Favorite: "Red Sector A" + "Distant Early Warning"

Least Favorite: "Red Lenses" + "Afterimage"

 

Power Windows (1985)

Most Favorite: "Emotion Detector" + "Marathon"

Least Favorite: "Territories" + "Middletown Dreams"

 

Hold Your Fire (1987)

Most Favorite: "Time Stand Still" + "Mission"

Least Favorite: "Tai Shan" + "Second Nature"

 

Presto (1989)

Most Favorite: "The Pass" + "Show Don't Tell"

Least Favorite: "Scars" + "Anagram (For Mongo)"

 

Roll The Bones (1991)

Most Favorite: "Dreamline" + "Roll The Bones"

Least Favorite: "You Bet Your Life" + "Heresy"

 

Counterparts (1993)

Most Favorite: "Animate" + "Everyday Glory"

Least Favorite: "The Speed Of Love" + "Double Agent"

 

Test For Echo (1996)

Most Favorite: "Test For Echo" + "Driven"

Least Favorite: "Virtuality" + "The Color Of Right"

 

Vapor Trails (2002)

Most Favorite: "Earthshine" + "Sweet Miracle"

Least Favorite: "Peaceable Kingdom" + "The Stars Look Down"

 

Feedback (2004)

Most Favorite: "Heart Full Of Soul" + "The Seeker"

Least Favorite: "Seven And Seven Is" + "Shapes Of Things"

 

Snakes & Arrows (2007)

Most Favorite: "Faithless" + "Far Cry"

Least Favorite: "Spindrift" + "The Way The Wind Blows"

 

Clockwork Angels (2012)

Most Favorite: "The Garden" + "Headlong Flight"

Least Favorite: "BU2B2" + "Halo Effect"

Edited June 8, 2021 by _hi_water._

[SeñorPieuPieuPieu]

Here's my go at it.

 

All Ws should be assumed to mean least best, as opposed to I actually do not like the song unless otherwise denoted.

* - I do not like this song

 

Rush

B: Working Man

W: Take A Friend

 

Fly By Night

B: By-Tor and the Snowdog

W: Rivendell

 

Caress of Steel

B: The Necromancer

W: Fountain of Lamneth

 

2112

B: 2112

W: Tears*

 

A Farewell To Kings

B: Cygnus X1

W: Madrigal

 

Hemispheres

B: Cygnus X1 Book II

W: Circumstances

 

Permanent Waves

B: Jacob's Ladder

W: Freewill*

 

Moving Pictures

B: The Camera Eye

W: Vital Signs

 

Signals

B: The Analog Kid

W: Chemistry

 

Grace Under Pressure

B: Kid Gloves

W: The Body Electric

 

Power Windows

B: Middletown Dreams

W: Emotion Detector

 

Hold Your Fire

B: Time Stand Still

W: When China Sings*

 

Presto

B: Red Tide

W: Hand Over Fist

 

Roll The Bones

B: Dreamline

W: Roll The Bones

 

Counterparts

B: Leave That Thing Alone

W: The Speed of Love

 

Test for Echo

B: Limbo

W: Totem

 

Vapor Trails

B: Secret Touch

W: Sweet Miracle

 

Snakes and Arrows

B: Malignant Narcissism

W: Faithless*

 

Clockwork Angels (This one's kind of hard for me because I genuinely do not like this album at all.)

B: The Anarchist

W: The Garden*

[_hi_water._]

W: Sweet Miracle

W: Sweet Miracle

:rage:

[Mosher]

W: Sweet Miracle

W: Sweet Miracle

:rage:

 

I said the same thing- and changed it right before posting. Almost had three of us to hang.

[SeñorPieuPieuPieu]

W: Sweet Miracle

W: Sweet Miracle

:rage:

 

[ST3V]

W: Sweet Miracle

W: Sweet Miracle

:rage:

well, ones gotta be the worst right?

[Weatherman]

Here's my go at it.

 

All Ws should be assumed to mean least best, as opposed to I actually do not like the song unless otherwise denoted.

* - I do not like this song

 

Permanent Waves

B: Jacob's Ladder

W: Freewill*

 

 

At last! Someone else who thinks Freewill is annoying AF.

When your vocal exactly doubles your bass part -- and the time sig is in alternating 6/4 with 7/4 and even occasional 8/4 -- then you need to rethink the composition.

[SeñorPieuPieuPieu]

Here's my go at it.

 

All Ws should be assumed to mean least best, as opposed to I actually do not like the song unless otherwise denoted.

* - I do not like this song

 

Permanent Waves

B: Jacob's Ladder

W: Freewill*

 

 

At last! Someone else who thinks Freewill is annoying AF.

When your vocal exactly doubles your bass part -- and the time sig is in alternating 6/4 with 7/4 and even occasional 8/4 -- then you need to rethink the composition.

 

It's one of the exceedingly rare instances where I think Geddy's voice is detrimental to the whole piece. You could delete Freewill from the album and it wouldn't suffer at all. Or rework it to be a solid instrumental piece.

 

Now hold on while I put on this nomex suit.

[Xanadu3663]

To be honest, Cygnus X-1 Book:2 is my fav on Hemispheres

[Xanadu3663]

To be honest, Cygnus X-1 Book:2 is my fav on Hemispheres

[Weatherman]

Here's my go at it.

 

All Ws should be assumed to mean least best, as opposed to I actually do not like the song unless otherwise denoted.

* - I do not like this song

 

Permanent Waves

B: Jacob's Ladder

W: Freewill*

 

 

At last! Someone else who thinks Freewill is annoying AF.

When your vocal exactly doubles your bass part -- and the time sig is in alternating 6/4 with 7/4 and even occasional 8/4 -- then you need to rethink the composition.

 

It's one of the exceedingly rare instances where I think Geddy's voice is detrimental to the whole piece. You could delete Freewill from the album and it wouldn't suffer at all. Or rework it to be a solid instrumental piece.

 

Now hold on while I put on this nomex suit.

And we didn't even mention Alex's spazzy, unstructured, flurry-of-random-16th-notes first-draft solo. God that infuriates me, given how talented he is.

The only thing worth saving from the song is perhaps the prechorus ("A planet/of playthings/we dance/on the strings..."). I also like Neil and Ged's rhythm section during the solo. Both should've been parts of different, better songs.