Mosher Posted July 28, 2023 Posted July 28, 2023 (edited) #165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8) #164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6) #163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11) #162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8) #161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8) #159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8) #158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8) #157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10) #156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13) #155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13) #154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12) #153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11) #152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13) #151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6) #150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #149 Half the World (TFE, 11th of 11) #148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8) #146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10) #145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13) #144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13) #143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13) #142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5) #141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11) #140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13) #139 Totem (TFE, 10th of 11) #138 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #136 Limbo (TFE, 9th of 11) #135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6) #134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8) #133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) #132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5) #131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11) Things are easily scrambled here. I look at these songs and increasingly it seems arbitrary where I place them. Best I Can is doing well, here. It's basically just a first album song and I drop those pretty far on the whole. Mission used to bore me more than Tai Shan, it's really doing well these days. I Think I'm Going Bald doesn't fit on Caress at all, it's a Neil song written like a pre-Neil song. But it rocks. I have always liked Lessons. Musically it far surpasses the lyrics. Superconductor has dropped over the years. We're going to be waving good bye to Presto songs at a fair clip, now, I think. I'm actually surprised it's the first one I've removed. We're definitely in the section where rankings don't matter. Middling songs as Rush goes, but they're all good songs. Edited July 28, 2023 by Mosher 2
Mosher Posted July 28, 2023 Posted July 28, 2023 10 hours ago, laughedatbytime said: #135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13) #134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11) #133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13) #132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13) #131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11) No Hate. Resist isn't special to me at all. I have no argument with any of this. Stars really annoys me vocally, but even then I am fine with you rating it so much higher. Musically it's quite nice.
laughedatbytime Posted July 28, 2023 Author Posted July 28, 2023 6 minutes ago, Mosher said: #165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8) #164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6) #163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11) #162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8) #161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8) #159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8) #158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8) #157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10) #156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13) #155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13) #154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12) #153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11) #152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13) #151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6) #150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #149 Half the World (TFE, 11th of 11) #148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8) #146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10) #145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13) #144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13) #143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13) #142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5) #141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11) #140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13) #139 Totem (TFE, 10th of 11) #138 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #136 Limbo (TFE, 9th of 11) #140 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6) #139 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8) #138 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) #137 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5) #136 Superconductor (P, 10th of 10) Things are easily scrambled here. I look at these songs and increasingly it seems arbitrary where I place them. Best I Can is doing well, here. It's basically just a first album song and I drop those pretty far on the whole. Mission used to bore me more than Tai Shan, it's really doing well these days. I Think I'm Going Bald doesn't fit on Caress at all, it's a Neil song written like a pre-Neil song. But it rocks. I have always liked Lessons. Musically it far surpasses the lyrics. Superconductor has dropped over the years. We're going to be waving good bye to Presto songs at a fair clip, now, I think. I'm actually surprised it's the first one I've removed. We're definitely in the section where rankings don't matter. Middling songs as Rush goes, but they're all good songs. I think there are 11 songs on Presto, unless they cut one of the songs from later releases out of embarrassment.
Mosher Posted July 28, 2023 Posted July 28, 2023 3 minutes ago, laughedatbytime said: I think there are 11 songs on Presto, unless they cut one of the songs from later releases out of embarrassment. I'm cut and pasting and then editing. Just missed than. That was the HYF error before. Just sloppy work 1
laughedatbytime Posted July 29, 2023 Author Posted July 29, 2023 34 minutes ago, Mosher said: I'm cut and pasting and then editing. Just missed than. That was the HYF error before. Just sloppy work np 1
_hi_water._ Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 1 hour ago, Mosher said: #133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) One of the hardest takes I have to disagree with on anyone's list so far... this has always been a HYF highlight since I first listened to it. 1
Mosher Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 40 minutes ago, _hi_water._ said: One of the hardest takes I have to disagree with on anyone's list so far... this has always been a HYF highlight since I first listened to it. Oh, I knew this one would be unpopular. I like it much more than I did at first
TheAccountant Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 (edited) On 7/28/2023 at 8:24 AM, laughedatbytime said: A lot of good hate from Power Windows fans here. #165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11) #164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13) #163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11) #162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10) #161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13) #160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10) #159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11) #156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10) #155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11) #153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13) #152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13) #151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11) #149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11) #148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10) #147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13) #146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11) #145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10) #144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10) #143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8) #142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11) #141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11) #140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11) #139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11) #138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8) #137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8) #136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8) #135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13) #134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11) #133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13) #132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13) #131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11) Let the hate flow! I think I know which of today's picks will get the most hate... Hmm. Interesting. A & S is a top 100 song for me. Obviously I would rank it higher than you do. Resist is another song I would rank higher - again, likely top 100. Frzze I would rank much lower. I don't care fo it at all. Much lower for me. The Stars Look Down - another VT dog. The lyrics are not terrible but somehow the music and mixing are terrible. Again, I would rank it much lower. Dog Years would be the very bottom of the list for me. Interesting how I was all over the place with regards to that last batch of songs. Some higher, some lower, none were just right. Looking forward to the next 5. Edited July 29, 2023 by TheAccountant 1
TheAccountant Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, Mosher said: #165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8) #164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6) #163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11) #162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8) #161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8) #159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8) #158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8) #157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10) #156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13) #155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13) #154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12) #153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11) #152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13) #151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6) #150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #149 Half the World (TFE, 11th of 11) #148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8) #146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10) #145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13) #144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13) #143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13) #142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5) #141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11) #140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13) #139 Totem (TFE, 10th of 11) #138 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #136 Limbo (TFE, 9th of 11) #135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6) #134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8) #133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) #132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5) #131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11) Things are easily scrambled here. I look at these songs and increasingly it seems arbitrary where I place them. Best I Can is doing well, here. It's basically just a first album song and I drop those pretty far on the whole. Mission used to bore me more than Tai Shan, it's really doing well these days. I Think I'm Going Bald doesn't fit on Caress at all, it's a Neil song written like a pre-Neil song. But it rocks. I have always liked Lessons. Musically it far surpasses the lyrics. Superconductor has dropped over the years. We're going to be waving good bye to Presto songs at a fair clip, now, I think. I'm actually surprised it's the first one I've removed. We're definitely in the section where rankings don't matter. Middling songs as Rush goes, but they're all good songs. I 100% agree that middling Rush songs are still excellent songs. I would basically agree with you comment about Lessons but not the ranking. Its another top 100 song for me. Best I Can I am fine with that ranking. Mission - another one I would rank higher. Top 100 for me. I Think I'm Going Bald - good point about it being a Neil song but feeling like a pre-Neil song. Basically agree with you. I might have it tiny bit higher but not by much. Basically agee with you on it. Superconductor - surprise, surprise, I would rank it higher. Top 100 for me. Looking forward to the next batch of songs. Edited July 29, 2023 by TheAccountant
laughedatbytime Posted July 29, 2023 Author Posted July 29, 2023 The next 5; #165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11) #164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13) #163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11) #162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10) #161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13) #160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10) #159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11) #156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10) #155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11) #153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13) #152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13) #151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11) #149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11) #148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10) #147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13) #146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11) #145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10) #144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10) #143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8) #142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11) #141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11) #140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11) #139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11) #138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8) #137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8) #136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8) #135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13) #134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11) #133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13) #132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13) #131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11) #130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11) #129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8) #128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8) #126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10) A lot of fodder for hate here, so much so that I'm not even sure which of these will draw the most. Fire away! 3
Mosher Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 27 minutes ago, laughedatbytime said: #130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11) #129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8) #128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8) #126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10) A lot of fodder for hate here, so much so that I'm not even sure which of these will draw the most. Fire away! Well, obviously Middeltown Dreams is far too low. I have it 41st, 4th off Power Windows. But it has risen a lot over the decades, maybe you just need more time? :) Chemistry I have around the same area, a bit higher. Here Again is much much much lower. I don't rate the first album all that high on the whole. Fine song for another band. Mission I just killed, so you and I see it in the same zone. You'll get hate, but I agree. Double Agent I have in basically the same spot as well. You'll see it soon. 2
Mosher Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 #165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8) #164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6) #163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11) #162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8) #161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8) #159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8) #158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8) #157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10) #156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13) #155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13) #154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12) #153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11) #152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13) #151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6) #150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #149 Half the World (TFE, 11th of 11) #148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8) #146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10) #145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13) #144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13) #143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13) #142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5) #141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11) #140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13) #139 Totem (TFE, 10th of 11) #138 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #136 Limbo (TFE, 9th of 11) #135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6) #134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8) #133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) #132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5) #131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11) #130 We Hold On (S&A, 9th of 13) #129 Scars (P, 10th of 11) #128 Take A Friend (Rush, 2nd of 8) #127 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 9th of 10) #126 Resist (TFE, 8th of 11) Not much to say about We Hold On, it's just an average song, as Rush goes, for me. I clearly am not into Ghost or Resist like so many here, but to me they are also just Rush-average songs. Scars listed here baffles me. There's a lot I don't like about it. But I guess what I like, which I like a lot, balances it into a middle song. It's a song of great contrast for me. They haven't written many where I love elements and loathe others. Take A Friend dropping out leaves only Working Man off that first album. Something about this song has always placed it above all the other fine rockers off that album. Maybe it's the fact it feels like it doesn't fit on this album, musically. It stood about. Working Man of course fits beautifully, but it remains far superior because it is just phenomenal in it's fiery execution. Take A Friend has very little fire. I should have it below Finding My Way, all things being equal. But they aren't equal. The things Alex does on Take A Friend set it apart for me. 2
TheAccountant Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 9 hours ago, laughedatbytime said: The next 5; #165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11) #164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13) #163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11) #162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10) #161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13) #160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10) #159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11) #156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10) #155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11) #153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13) #152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13) #151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11) #149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11) #148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10) #147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13) #146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11) #145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10) #144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10) #143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8) #142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11) #141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11) #140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11) #139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11) #138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8) #137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8) #136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8) #135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13) #134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11) #133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13) #132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13) #131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11) #130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11) #129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8) #128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8) #126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10) A lot of fodder for hate here, so much so that I'm not even sure which of these will draw the most. Fire away! Not a lot of hate or disagreement her. Double Agent is one of the weaker songs from CP. Feels about right. Chemistry - feels about right. Here Again - eels about right Middletown Dream - must respectfully disagree with this one. Easy top 100 song. Very enjoyable. Weird song in one way. I know the band has said they viewed it as a hopefully song - I (and I believe many others) view it as a said song. But IMO its good. Mission - another easy top 100 song. I would rank it higher. Hey, I agreed with you on 3 out of the last 5 songs. That rate of agreement is a bit unusual. Next please. 1
TheAccountant Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 (edited) On 7/29/2023 at 10:00 AM, Mosher said: #165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8) #164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6) #163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11) #162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8) #161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8) #159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8) #158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8) #157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10) #156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13) #155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13) #154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12) #153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11) #152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13) #151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6) #150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #149 Half the World (TFE, 11th of 11) #148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8) #146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10) #145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13) #144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13) #143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13) #142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5) #141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11) #140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13) #139 Totem (TFE, 10th of 11) #138 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #136 Limbo (TFE, 9th of 11) #135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6) #134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8) #133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) #132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5) #131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11) #130 We Hold On (S&A, 9th of 13) #129 Scars (P, 10th of 11) #128 Take A Friend (Rush, 2nd of 8) #127 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 9th of 10) #126 Resist (TFE, 8th of 11) Not much to say about We Hold On, it's just an average song, as Rush goes, for me. I clearly am not into Ghost or Resist like so many here, but to me they are also just Rush-average songs. Scars listed here baffles me. There's a lot I don't like about it. But I guess what I like, which I like a lot, balances it into a middle song. It's a song of great contrast for me. They haven't written many where I love elements and loathe others. Take A Friend dropping out leaves only Working Man off that first album. Something about this song has always placed it above all the other fine rockers off that album. Maybe it's the fact it feels like it doesn't fit on this album, musically. It stood about. Working Man of course fits beautifully, but it remains far superior because it is just phenomenal in it's fiery execution. Take A Friend has very little fire. I should have it below Finding My Way, all things being equal. But they aren't equal. The things Alex does on Take A Friend set it apart for me. We Hold On is a decent song (IMO) but not outstanding. I think it would just crack my top 100. Scars is a good song. Easy top 100 for me. Take a Friend feels about right for me. Ghost of a Chance I would rank a bit lower but not drastically lower so basically it feels about right. Resist is another top 100 song for me. Lower part of the top 100 but top 100 none the less. So I would have it a bit higher then you do. Looking forward to the next batch of songs. Edited July 31, 2023 by TheAccountant
laughedatbytime Posted July 29, 2023 Author Posted July 29, 2023 13 minutes ago, TheAccountant said: Not a lot of hate or disagreement her. Double Agent is one of the weaker songs from CP. Feels about right. Chemistry - feels about right. Here Again - eels about right Middletown Dream - must respectfully disagree with this one. Easy top 100 song. Very enjoyable. Weird song in one way. I know the band has said they viewed it as a hopefully song - I (and I believe many others) view it as a said song. But IMO its good. Mission - another easy top 100 song. I would rank it higher. Hey, I agreed with you on 3 out of the last 5 songs. That rate of agreement is a bit unusual. Next please. I don't know how anyone can view Middletown Dreams as a hopeful song, its one of the more depressing songs in the catalog. While I believe they're well written, they project an image of the mass of people, as privileged as any in history, filled with ennui and malaise, leading lives of quiet desperation, so to speak. I don't think most people are that way, nor should they be. Though the music is nothing special, the lyrics take this one down for me. I realize others' opinions might vary, but this is how the song speaks to me. 1
TheAccountant Posted July 29, 2023 Posted July 29, 2023 2 minutes ago, laughedatbytime said: I don't know how anyone can view Middletown Dreams as a hopeful song, its one of the more depressing songs in the catalog. While I believe they're well written, they project an image of the mass of people, as privileged as any in history, filled with ennui and malaise, leading lives of quiet desperation, so to speak. I don't think most people are that way, nor should they be. Though the music is nothing special, the lyrics take this one down for me. I realize others' opinions might vary, but this is how the song speaks to me. I agree with you about the lyrics projecting an image of people living lives of quiet desperation. Almost wasted lives. For me its a very sad song (not said song - sorry about the typo in my OP). Yet I know I have read that the band viewed it as hopeful song. One that spoke of a hope for a better & brighter future. That the middle aged madonna would go an paint up a creative storm someplace (for example). When I first read that the band saw it as a hopeful song I was totally puzzled. Still puzzled that the band could see it that way - and its been many years since I read that. But I give the lyrics credit for giving me such a powerful reaction - even if its totally the opposite of what they intended. 1
laughedatbytime Posted July 29, 2023 Author Posted July 29, 2023 43 minutes ago, TheAccountant said: I agree with you about the lyrics projecting an image of people living lives of quiet desperation. Almost wasted lives. For me its a very sad song (not said song - sorry about the typo in my OP). Yet I know I have read that the band viewed it as hopeful song. One that spoke of a hope for a better & brighter future. That the middle aged madonna would go an paint up a creative storm someplace (for example). When I first read that the band saw it as a hopeful song I was totally puzzled. Still puzzled that the band could see it that way - and its been many years since I read that. But I give the lyrics credit for giving me such a powerful reaction - even if its totally the opposite of what they intended. Yeah, I find (and have always found) it depressing and hopeless, which is why I don't enjoy it and don't return to it.
_hi_water._ Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 (edited) oops Edited July 30, 2023 by _hi_water._
laughedatbytime Posted July 30, 2023 Author Posted July 30, 2023 The next 5: #165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11) #164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13) #163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11) #162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10) #161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13) #160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10) #159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11) #156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10) #155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11) #153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13) #152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13) #151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11) #149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11) #148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10) #147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13) #146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11) #145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10) #144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10) #143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8) #142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11) #141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11) #140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11) #139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11) #138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8) #137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8) #136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8) #135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13) #134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11) #133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13) #132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13) #131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11) #130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11) #129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8) #128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8) #126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10) #125 The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6) #124 The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10) #123 Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10) #122 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5) #121 Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11) Don't expect too much hate here but fire away! 1
Mosher Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 #165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8) #164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6) #163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11) #162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8) #161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8) #159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8) #158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8) #157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10) #156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13) #155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13) #154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12) #153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11) #152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13) #151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6) #150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #149 Half the World (TFE, 11th of 11) #148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8) #146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10) #145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13) #144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13) #143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13) #142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5) #141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11) #140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13) #139 Totem (TFE, 10th of 11) #138 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #136 Limbo (TFE, 9th of 11) #135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6) #134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8) #133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) #132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5) #131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11) #130 We Hold On (S&A, 9th of 13) #129 Scars (P, 10th of 11) #128 Take A Friend (Rush, 2nd of 8) #127 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 9th of 10) #126 Resist (TFE, 8th of 11) #125 Caravan (CA, 11th of 12) #124 Double Agent (CP, 8th of 11) #123 Making Memories (FBN, 7th of 8) #122 Rivendell (FBN, 6th of 8) #121 Twilight Zone (2112, 4th of 6) I like every one of these songs without issue. Not every song can be the same, and from here on out the quibbles are minor. There will still be weak lyrics coming up. Geddy will make more vocal choices that bug me. Alex will be left to the side more than he should be on occasion. But every song from here on out is, to me, a very good song. These 5 are lower because some tracks just will be. It will be a bit before the songs that cannot be exchanged for these show up. If you think some of these should be 20 spots higher- no worries. On another day they would have been. 2
Mosher Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 26 minutes ago, laughedatbytime said: The next 5: #165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11) #164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13) #163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11) #162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10) #161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13) #160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10) #159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11) #156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10) #155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11) #153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13) #152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13) #151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11) #149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11) #148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10) #147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13) #146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11) #145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10) #144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10) #143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8) #142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11) #141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11) #140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11) #139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11) #138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8) #137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8) #136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8) #135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13) #134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11) #133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13) #132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13) #131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11) #130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11) #129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8) #128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8) #126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10) #125 The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6) #124 The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10) #123 Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10) #122 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5) #121 Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11) Don't expect too much hate here but fire away! Well I guess we see Twilight Zone similarly. As well as Bald. The other songs I have quite a bit higher. Everyday Glory is around 20 spots up, so readily interchangeable with my next 5 on another day. And I'm a weird outlier on Face Up and Big Wheel. They are both 50-60 spots higher. Even as I listen I can hear why people can't get on board. But whatever. I really dig those two tracks a lot. 2
_hi_water._ Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 7 hours ago, Mosher said: #125 Caravan (CA, 11th of 12) Woahhhh whaaa?
Mosher Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 Just now, _hi_water._ said: Woahhhh whaaa? It's no slight on Caravan- I absolutely love that entire album. But I'm in the zone where I like all the songs, and as Clockwork goes I like all the others more. 3 Clockwork tracks are in my top 40, of which 2 are top 20 and 1 is actually 4th overall.
TheAccountant Posted July 31, 2023 Posted July 31, 2023 12 hours ago, laughedatbytime said: The next 5: #165 Half the World (T4E, 11th best of 11) #164 Good News First (S&A, 13th of 13) #163 The Speed of Love (CP, 11th of 11) #162 Tai Shan (HYF, 10th of 10) #161 Bravest Face (S&A, 12th of 13) #160 Second Nature (HYF, 9th of 10) #159 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #158 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #157 Anagram (for Mongo) (Presto, 11th of 11) #156 High Water (HYF, 8th of 10) #155 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #154 Stick It Out (CP, 10th of 11) #153 Peaceable Kingdom (VT, 13th of 13) #152 The Larger Bowl (S&A, 9th of 13) #151 Out of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #150 Scars (Presto, 10th of 11) #149 Superconductor (Presto, 9th of 11) #148 Heresy (RTB, 9th of 10) #147 The Way the Wind Blows (S&A, 8th of 13) #146 War Paint (Presto, 8th of 11) #145 You Bet Your Life (RTB, 8th of 10) #144 Open Secrets (HYF, 7th of 10) #143 In the Mood (Rush, 8th of 8) #142 Time and Motion (T4E, 10th of 11) #141 Hand Over Fist (Presto, 7th of 11) #140 Presto (Presto, 6th of 11) #139 Available Light (Presto, 5th of 11) #138 Emotion Detector (PoW, 8th of 8) #137 Take a Friend (Rush, 7th of 8) #136 Grand Designs (PoW, 7th of 8) #135 Armor and Sword (S&A, 7th of 13) #134 Resist (T4E, 9th of 11) #133 Freeze (VT, 11th of 13) #132 The Stars Look Down (VT, 10th of 13) #131 Dog Years (T4E, 8th of 11) #130 Double Agent (CP, 9th of 11) #129 Chemistry (Signals, 8th of 8) #128 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #127 Middletown Dreams (PoW, 6th of 8) #126 Mission (HYF, 6th of 10) #125 The Twilight Zone (2112, 6th of 6) #124 The Big Wheel (RTB, 7th of 10) #123 Face Up (RTB, 6th of 10) #122 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 5th of 5) #121 Everyday Glory (CP, 8th of 11) Don't expect too much hate here but fire away! What??? The Twilight Zone at 125??? Must respectfully disagree. For me its in the top 100. The Big Wheel & Face Up - no significant disagreement. Same with I Think I'm Going Bald. Everyday Glory at 121? How do you rank the best song (not by a lot, but it is the best) from CP at 121? I must respectfully disagree there. Easy top 100. Hey, I agreed with you on 3 of the 5. But the 2 that I did not agree with you on are real head scratchers to me. Looking forward to the next batch. 1
TheAccountant Posted July 31, 2023 Posted July 31, 2023 12 hours ago, Mosher said: #165 Need Some Love (Rush, 8th best of 8) #164 Tears (2112, 6th of 6) #163 Stick It Out (CP, 11th of 11) #162 What You're Doing (Rush, 7th of 8) #161 Here Again (Rush, 6th of 8) #160 In The Mood (Rush, 5th of 8) #159 Before and After (Rush, 4th of 8) #158 Finding My Way (Rush, 3rd of 8) #157 Second Nature (HYF, 10th of 10) #156 Bravest Face (S&A, 13th of 13) #155 Sweet Miracle (VT, 13th of 13) #154 BU2B2 (CA, 12th of 12) #153 Speed of Love (CP, 10th of 11) #152 Good News First (S&A, 12th of 13) #151 Madrigal (AFTK, 6th of 6) #150 Faithless (S&A, 11th of 13) #149 Half the World (TFE, 11th of 11) #148 Out Of the Cradle (VT, 12th of 13) #147 Red Lenses (P/G, 8th of 8) #146 Tai Shan (HYF, 9th of 10) #145 Peacable Kingdom (VT, 11th of 13) #144 Freeze (VT, 10th of 13) #143 Stars Look Down (VT, 9th of 13) #142 Lakeside Park (CoS, 5th of 5) #141 Leave That Thing Alone (CP, 9th of 11) #140 Secret Touch (VT, 8th of 13) #139 Totem (TFE, 10th of 11) #138 Neurotica (RTB, 10th of 10) #137 Spindrift (S&A, 10th of 13) #136 Limbo (TFE, 9th of 11) #135 Lessons (2112, 5th of 6) #134 Best I Can (FBN, 8th of 8) #133 Mission (HYF, 8th of 10) #132 I Think I'm Going Bald (CoS, 4th of 5) #131 Superconductor (P, 11th of 11) #130 We Hold On (S&A, 9th of 13) #129 Scars (P, 10th of 11) #128 Take A Friend (Rush, 2nd of 8) #127 Ghost of a Chance (RTB, 9th of 10) #126 Resist (TFE, 8th of 11) #125 Caravan (CA, 11th of 12) #124 Double Agent (CP, 8th of 11) #123 Making Memories (FBN, 7th of 8) #122 Rivendell (FBN, 6th of 8) #121 Twilight Zone (2112, 4th of 6) I like every one of these songs without issue. Not every song can be the same, and from here on out the quibbles are minor. There will still be weak lyrics coming up. Geddy will make more vocal choices that bug me. Alex will be left to the side more than he should be on occasion. But every song from here on out is, to me, a very good song. These 5 are lower because some tracks just will be. It will be a bit before the songs that cannot be exchanged for these show up. If you think some of these should be 20 spots higher- no worries. On another day they would have been. I would likely have Caravan much lower. Keep in mind that I find CA almost unlistenable up to Halo Effect. Then it takes off. But before that song I sort of have to struggle to listen to it and that absolutely applies to this song. Double Agent - no drastic difference with you on this. Making Memories would likely crack my top 100 so I would have it somewhat higher than you. Rivendell definatly cracks my top 100 as does Twilight Zone.
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