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_hi_water._ ranks all 173 Rush songs


_hi_water._
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Whassup? I know it has been quite awhile since I have posted an actual thread on here - life isn't always fun, so I haven't overloaded the forum with polls for that :)

However, I thought it would be fun if I shared my personal ranking of all Rush studio tracks from least favorite to personal favorite. Even with brief descriptions (and possibly ratings?), I won't post daily or too much at a time like I did before - I'll try spacing each ranking out so it keeps people interested.
And, of course, even though I was away from the forum - what's stopping me from revisiting Rush?
As I have revisited each album on repeat, including Feedback - I have found there to be no bad Rush songs - bland, mediocre Rush, sure, but no bad Rush. I really do enjoy most of what these guys put out. 
#173 will be posted... at some point ;)

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3 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

The only choice for #173 is Half the World.

It's been years since I last saw you post about that, lol.

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19 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

The only choice for #173 is Half the World.

You spelled Tai-Shan wrong.  :)

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173. "Half the World," Test for Echo (1996)

Test for Echo - Entry 1 out of 11

 

I'll give out a bit of spoilers for the start - Test for Echo is gonna get slammed pretty hard in terms of being placed on the list. Test for Echo is my least favorite Rush album, as it has a lack of hooks, lack of imaginative instrumentation - and uninspired lyrics. "Half the world is/Half the world was/Half the world thinks/While the other half does" - seems catchy, but damn, doesn't sound that hard to write at all. You can make that case with some other Rush songs, sure, but man - the simplicity really gets on my nerves after a while. Not only the most boring song lyrically, but also a bit boring instrumentally. Booooring. Most of this album really feels like the boys needed to put something out just for the sake of putting things out. Oof, I feel that will be more evident.
 

 

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20 hours ago, grep said:

You spelled Tai-Shan wrong.  :)

 

14 minutes ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

Unless Tai Shan is an.....Anagram. (That was for Mongo)

It’s_hi_time_.that all you elites stop with your snobbery of a great and highly underrated song. I expect Tai Shan gets it’s due somewhere in the Top 15.

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3 hours ago, JohnRogers said:

 

It’s_hi_time_.that all you elites stop with your snobbery of a great and highly underrated song. I expect Tai Shan gets it’s due somewhere in the Top 15.

As usual, you're saying stupid things, Jackie.

 

That said, let's not be silly and place anything from Moving Pictures lower than 15, please.

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3 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

 

Unless Tai Shan is an.....Anagram. (That was for Mongo)


https://new.wordsmith.org/anagram/anagram.cgi?anagram=tai+shan&language=english&t=500&d=&include=&exclude=&n=&m=&a=n&l=n&q=n&k=1&source=adv


Satan Hi

Edited by grep
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9 minutes ago, Rick N. Backer said:

As usual, you're saying stupid things, Jackie.

 

That said, let's not be silly and place anything from Moving Pictures lower than 15, please.

Being the band’s second or third best album it is possible a track or two might be a 16, 17, 18. Especially when you factor in something like Dog Years or Driven cracking the top 15. 

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On 5/12/2023 at 7:31 PM, _hi_water._ said:

173. "Half the World," Test for Echo (1996)

Test for Echo - Entry 1 out of 11

 

I'll give out a bit of spoilers for the start - Test for Echo is gonna get slammed pretty hard in terms of being placed on the list. Test for Echo is my least favorite Rush album, as it has a lack of hooks, lack of imaginative instrumentation - and uninspired lyrics. "Half the world is/Half the world was/Half the world thinks/While the other half does" - seems catchy, but damn, doesn't sound that hard to write at all. You can make that case with some other Rush songs, sure, but man - the simplicity really gets on my nerves after a while. Not only the most boring song lyrically, but also a bit boring instrumentally. Booooring. Most of this album really feels like the boys needed to put something out just for the sake of putting things out. Oof, I feel that will be more evident.
 

 

The only real choice.

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On 5/11/2023 at 2:14 PM, _hi_water._ said:

Whassup? I know it has been quite awhile since I have posted an actual thread on here - life isn't always fun, so I haven't overloaded the forum with polls for that :)

However, I thought it would be fun if I shared my personal ranking of all Rush studio tracks from least favorite to personal favorite. Even with brief descriptions (and possibly ratings?), I won't post daily or too much at a time like I did before - I'll try spacing each ranking out so it keeps people interested.
And, of course, even though I was away from the forum - what's stopping me from revisiting Rush?
As I have revisited each album on repeat, including Feedback - I have found there to be no bad Rush songs - bland, mediocre Rush, sure, but no bad Rush. I really do enjoy most of what these guys put out. 
#173 will be posted... at some point ;)

A metric fudge ton of people will disagree with that but it's ignorant to do so because music is very subjective. Then again a lot of people think what they believe is right and the rest of us are not. à chacun son propre.

 

I tend to agree with you but some songs are pretty close to bad imo.

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172. "Anagram (for Mongo)", Presto (1989)

Presto - Entry 1 out of 11

 

Oh yeah - Presto... another album that is about to get slammed a bit. 1989/1990 was a rough period for music - the 80's were up and the 90's were entering the arena. At this point, many groups didn't know which direction their songs needed to go into, thus resulting in uninspiring material. To me, Rush seems to have fall into this hole at this point in time. A song like "Anagram (for Mongo)" seems to fit the perfect description of boring and very uninspiring. There is nothing that strikes me about this song musically - and the lyrics are... very odd. "There is tic-toc in atomic/Leaders make a deal/The cosmic is largely comic/A con they couldn't conceal." Bland.
 

 

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I swear to everyone I made a list before creating this thread. It's a coincidence two of the songs mentioned in the thread already made the bottom two. I can assure you the next one should be different (unless you take a shot at guessing which one is next!)

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17 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

I swear to everyone I made a list before creating this thread. It's a coincidence two of the songs mentioned in the thread already made the bottom two. I can assure you the next one should be different (unless you take a shot at guessing which one is next!)

 

It's not a coincidence. These two songs are, according to the FDA, Generally Recognized As Unsafe.

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171. "Bravest Face," Snakes & Arrows (2007)

Snakes & Arrows - Entry 1 out of 13

 

The 'filler' tracks, which should've been trimmed off of Snakes & Arrows - were very dull. They all felt like mid-tempo jam sessions that almost anyone could've wrote. "Bravest Face" has some of my least favorite Ged vocals on record, and outside of the chorus - the lyrics don't seem very fitting for whatever Neil was approaching here. "I like that world, it makes a wonderful song/But there's a darker point of view/But sadly just as true/For so many among us." Yeah... not my favorite. 
 

 

Edited by _hi_water._
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21 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

172. "Anagram (for Mongo)", Presto (1989)

Presto - Entry 1 out of 11

 

Oh yeah - Presto... another album that is about to get slammed a bit. 1989/1990 was a rough period for music - the 80's were up and the 90's were entering the arena. At this point, many groups didn't know which direction their songs needed to go into, thus resulting in uninspiring material. To me, Rush seems to have fall into this hole at this point in time. A song like "Anagram (for Mongo)" seems to fit the perfect description of boring and very uninspiring. There is nothing that strikes me about this song musically - and the lyrics are... very odd. "There is tic-toc in atomic/Leaders make a deal/The cosmic is largely comic/A con they couldn't conceal." Bland.
 

 

I’m enjoying your analysis so far and am looking forward to reading your reviews on each & every track 👍🙂

( 🤔 For me this is 173 and I’d place Half The World around 140 ) 

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4 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

171. "Bravest Face," Snakes & Arrows (2007)

Snakes & Arrows - Entry 1 out of 13

 

The 'filler' tracks, which should've been trimmed off of Snakes & Arrows - were very dull. They all felt like mid-tempo jam sessions that almost anyone could've wrote. "Bravest Face" has some of my least favorite Ged vocals on record, and outside of the chorus - the lyrics don't seem very fitting for whatever Neil was approaching here. "I like that world, it makes a wonderful song/But there's a darker point of view/But sadly just as true/For so many among us." Yeah... not my favorite. 
 

 

I think every time I post a listing, I will also post all of the tracks we've gone through so far. That way people can catch up a little easier...?


173. “Half The World” 1/11
172. “Anagram (For Mongo)” 1/11
171. “Bravest Face” 1/13

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3 hours ago, _hi_water._ said:

I think every time I post a listing, I will also post all of the tracks we've gone through so far. That way people can catch up a little easier...?


173. “Half The World” 1/11
172. “Anagram (For Mongo)” 1/11
171. “Bravest Face” 1/13

Yes, thanks. This will help. I enjoy reading your analysis...

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On 5/13/2023 at 7:13 PM, JohnRogers said:

( MP) Being the band’s second or third best album it is possible a track or two might be a 16,17,18 

Yep for me the track Vital Signs doesn’t even break into my Top 30. 
I like it but I prefer much more plenty of other top tier :rush: tracks  😎

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My prediction - Tai-Shan is going to be #2, with Cinderfella Man getting the top spot.

Edited by grep
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