Goose ranks (on?) the 165-Song RUSH Catalog!

[blackhawkrush]

2 hours ago, goose said:

Yes, please.

But before that happens, we'll have to get your review of 'Need Some Love'.  

[goose]

10 hours ago, blackhawkrush said:

But before that happens, we'll have to get your review of 'Need Some Love'.  

 

It's heavy metal fingerprints are all over Natty Sci!

 

ETA:  ...and Cygnus X-1's killer bass intro

Edited October 29, 2023 by goose

[Nova Carmina]

21 hours ago, goose said:

 

161.  Everyday Glory

 

 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

22 hours ago, goose said:

OK, let's get this out of the way.  Here's the rest of Goose's list of Ten RUSH That Would Not Be Missed Had They Never Been Recorded.  All of these are, for me, a consequence of the CD era, where RUSH albums had 12 or more songs instead of 6 to 8.  All these songs do is drag down their respective albums by taking fortune cookie-worthy ideas and stretching them into song-length musings set to the most forgettable music of RUSH's career.  Those songs are:

 

162.  Virtuality 

161.  Everyday Glory

160.  YouBet Your Life

159.  Carve Away the Stone

158.  Wish Them Well

157.  Halo Effect

156.  Bravest Face

 

You did something I did on my list -- you grouped what I like to call the "up-tempo low-intensity happy-rocking album closers" together. I have six in my grouping, and they're at 121-126.  A little higher than on yours -- I figure they're not horrible songs, but while they have some energy, they're basically empty-calorie filler tracks that never would have been included in the days of the 40-minute vinyl albums.

[goose]

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

 

You did something I did on my list -- you grouped what I like to call the "up-tempo low-intensity happy-rocking album closers" together. I have six in my grouping, and they're at 121-126.  A little higher than on yours -- I figure they're not horrible songs, but while they have some energy, they're basically empty-calorie filler tracks that never would have been included in the days of the 40-minute vinyl albums.

And while each song has an admirable theme, there's nothing revelatory in the lyrics.  Add their uninspired backing music and you have the epitome of the CD filler track.

[Rick N. Backer]

From the mid 80s to CA there are, literally, dozens of solid candidates for "the worst Rush song evah."  You could fill several CDs with songs that did not need to be released.   If we want to light the board up, let's go in the opposite direction and list their top 20 songs or top 4 albums.  That's where the battle is.

[goose]

3 hours ago, Rick N. Backer said:

From the mid 80s to CA there are, literally, dozens of solid candidates for "the worst Rush song evah."  You could fill several CDs with songs that did not need to be released.   If we want to light the board up, let's go in the opposite direction and list their top 20 songs or top 4 albums.  That's where the battle is.

Patience, my friend.  Things will get fun around 115 or so

 

[BastillePark]

Oh boy. Another list and the resulting opinions sometimes masquerading as facts about how "bad" or "good" a song is. But I suppose it makes for semi-entertaining reading, so there's that.

 

Someone should do a list that ranks songs strictly based on lyrics so peeps can poo poo that too.

[laughedatbytime]

On 10/29/2023 at 6:57 PM, goose said:

Patience, my friend.  Things will get fun around 115 or so

 

Is that what they're calling AFTK slander these days?

[Mosher]

1 hour ago, BastillePark said:

Oh boy. Another list and the resulting opinions sometimes masquerading as facts about how "bad" or "good" a song is. But I suppose it makes for semi-entertaining reading, so there's that.

 

Someone should do a list that ranks songs strictly based on lyrics so peeps can poo poo that too.

Is that what you're getting from the lists?

That's not what I am getting from the lists at all. I don't think that's what anyone who's been actively commenting is getting from the lists (although who knows, I can only answer for me).

Sure I might joke about someone placing a song I dislike high or one I love low, but that's not what I'm getting from these. I can't imagine anyone deciding to scrap their favorite song in favor of mine- that wouldn't be just weird, it would be unwelcome. These lists are interesting because of the disagreements. That's when I've been learning the most. 

For me the enjoyment is the exercise in re-examining the songs from a band I love and gaining appreciation for ones I disliked, or an understanding of why someone else dislikes one I like. I've learned a lot and there are a number of songs that I've re-visited favorably. 

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Mosher

[goose]

^^^ 

[goose]

2 hours ago, BastillePark said:

 But I suppose it makes for semi-entertaining reading, so there's that.

Ding ! Ding ! Ding!

 

This is just entertainment.  

[goose]

On 10/28/2023 at 12:39 PM, Derek19 said:

With Rush's "Test For Echo Tour" being their first without an opening, and a backup band, group, and artist, maybe, it's one reason why "Geddy", "Alex", and "Neil" sounded so well, and looked tight as ever.  On, and from "Counterparts", "Snakes & Arrows", and "Clockwork Angels", I've had "the Speed of Love", "Bravest Face", and "Halo Effect" as their lowest songs.  "You Bet Your Life", is bottom ten on my list.  If anyone hasn't been following, so far, here is Goose (Allen)'s list.

 

156. Bravest Face, song #10/13, "Snakes & Arrows (2007)"

157. Halo Effect, song #6/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

158. Wish Them Well, song #11/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

159. Carve Away the Stone, song #11/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

160. You Bet Your Life, song #10/10, "Roll the Bones (1991)"

161. Everyday Glory, song #11/11, "Counterparts (1993)"

162. Virtuality, song #8/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

163. the Color of Right, song #4/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

164. the Speed of Love, song #7/11, "Counterparts (1993)"

165. Madrigal, song #5/6, "A Farewell to Kings (1977)"

Thanks for keeping track, Derek!

 

I'll add 155 thru  as Songs That Collapse Under the Weight of Odd  Vocal Choices.  Each of these has elements I really like, but something about the vocals just get under my skin so I avoid listening to them in their entirety.

 

155. Seven Cities of Gold  -  I love the bass work, and initially liked the song a lot

154. The Big Wheel  - "Looking for loooove" is just too much to take

153. Spindrift - Love them music, but the vocals are grating and the chorus is meh

152.  Half the World - Well...it's really the lyrics the even Geddy's earnestness can't save

151. Ceiling Unlimited - It was really bad when I caught it live, and I just can't shake that disappointment

 

My buddy's and I got into RUSH in high school, and we played their album incessantly.  It was 1979, yet for some reason, it was strictly Archives, All the World's A Stage, and 2112.  Then Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures were added to the mix.  The Kings Hemispheres stuff didn't really enter my consciousness till a decade later or so, and I was really surprised by the sound of the albums when I finally heard them.  I didn't care for the vocals, the themes, the lyrics.  Especially on Kings.  That holds true for much of the material to this day.  So...

 

150. Cygnus X-1 Book 1 - I know I'm in the minority but I just don't like the Kings Era wail that Geddy employed.  It pains me to put the song here because the music is masterful, but it fits the theme of vocal choices that cause me to skip forward.  

 

 

[BastillePark]

2 hours ago, Mosher said:

Is that what you're getting from the lists?

That's not what I am getting from the lists at all. I don't think that's what anyone who's been actively commenting is getting from the lists (although who knows, I can only answer for me).

Sure I might joke about someone placing a song I dislike high or one I love low, but that's not what I'm getting from these. I can't imagine anyone deciding to scrap their favorite song in favor of mine- that wouldn't be just weird, it would be unwelcome. These lists are interesting because of the disagreements. That's when I've been learning the most. 

For me the enjoyment is the exercise in re-examining the songs from a band I love and gaining appreciation for ones I disliked, or an understanding of why someone else dislikes one I like. I've learned a lot and there are a number of songs that I've re-visited favorably. 

 

I was mostly being facetious. I enjoy reading what other people think is a good song or not. What I don't enjoy are the people who clearly state that a song in a particular spot is wrong. Or the people who write off whole swaths of Rush records. Like "anything from Signals on isn't very good". 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

13 hours ago, goose said:

Thanks for keeping track, Derek!

 

I'll add 155 thru  as Songs That Collapse Under the Weight of Odd  Vocal Choices.  Each of these has elements I really like, but something about the vocals just get under my skin so I avoid listening to them in their entirety.

 

155. Seven Cities of Gold  -  I love the bass work, and initially liked the song a lot

154. The Big Wheel  - "Looking for loooove" is just too much to take

153. Spindrift - Love them music, but the vocals are grating and the chorus is meh

152.  Half the World - Well...it's really the lyrics the even Geddy's earnestness can't save

151. Ceiling Unlimited - It was really bad when I caught it live, and I just can't shake that disappointment

 

My buddy's and I got into RUSH in high school, and we played their album incessantly.  It was 1979, yet for some reason, it was strictly Archives, All the World's A Stage, and 2112.  Then Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures were added to the mix.  The Kings Hemispheres stuff didn't really enter my consciousness till a decade later or so, and I was really surprised by the sound of the albums when I finally heard them.  I didn't care for the vocals, the themes, the lyrics.  Especially on Kings.  That holds true for much of the material to this day.  So...

 

150. Cygnus X-1 Book 1 - I know I'm in the minority but I just don't like the Kings Era wail that Geddy employed.  It pains me to put the song here because the music is masterful, but it fits the theme of vocal choices that cause me to skip forward.  

 

 

 

The singing in Ceiling Unlimited never struck me as annoying or odd. I really like that song and have it ranked waaaaaay the hell higher.

 

The others in this grouping, yes, prime examples of Geddy trying too hard to put emotion into Neil's lyrics. That's a whole other topic right there, actually -- I think Neil lost his way as far as writing song lyrics on the later albums, especially S&A and CA where he found himself writing wordy anti-religion rants that Geddy had to somehow edit into something he can sing, and by the time he was done with them they didn't sound like Neil lyrics anymore.

 

As for Cygnus X-1, I always put aside Geddy's singing on those earlier albums. Anything pre-PW is going to find Geddy not yet in total control of his voice, and I can deal with it because the music is so damn good.

[Derek19]

You are welcome, Goose (Allen).  From "Clockwork Angels", I've had "Seven Cities of Gold" tied for the lowest with "Halo Effect". 

 

150. Cygnus X-1: Book One - the Voyage, song #6/6, "A Farewell to Kings (1977)"

151. Ceiling Unlimited, song #2/13, "Vapor Trails (2002)", and "Vapor Trails (Remixed) (2013)"

152. Half the World, song #3/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

153. Spindrift, song #5/13, "Snakes & Arrows (2007)"

154. the Big Wheel, song #6/10, "Roll the Bones (1991)"

155. Seven Cities of Gold, song #7/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

156. Bravest Face, song #10/13, "Snakes & Arrows (2007)"

157. Halo Effect, song #6/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

158. Wish Them Well, song #11/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

159. Carve Away the Stone, song #11/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

160. You Bet Your Life, song #10/10, "Roll the Bones (1991)"

161. Everyday Glory, song #11/11, "Counterparts (1993)"

162. Virtuality, song #8/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

163. the Color of Right, song #4/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

164. the Speed of Love, song #7/11, "Counterparts (1993)"

165. Madrigal, song #5/6, "A Farewell to Kings (1977)"

[Mosher]

8 hours ago, goose said:

Thanks for keeping track, Derek!

 

I'll add 155 thru  as Songs That Collapse Under the Weight of Odd  Vocal Choices.  Each of these has elements I really like, but something about the vocals just get under my skin so I avoid listening to them in their entirety.

 

155. Seven Cities of Gold  -  I love the bass work, and initially liked the song a lot

154. The Big Wheel  - "Looking for loooove" is just too much to take

153. Spindrift - Love them music, but the vocals are grating and the chorus is meh

152.  Half the World - Well...it's really the lyrics the even Geddy's earnestness can't save

151. Ceiling Unlimited - It was really bad when I caught it live, and I just can't shake that disappointment

 

My buddy's and I got into RUSH in high school, and we played their album incessantly.  It was 1979, yet for some reason, it was strictly Archives, All the World's A Stage, and 2112.  Then Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures were added to the mix.  The Kings Hemispheres stuff didn't really enter my consciousness till a decade later or so, and I was really surprised by the sound of the albums when I finally heard them.  I didn't care for the vocals, the themes, the lyrics.  Especially on Kings.  That holds true for much of the material to this day.  So...

 

150. Cygnus X-1 Book 1 - I know I'm in the minority but I just don't like the Kings Era wail that Geddy employed.  It pains me to put the song here because the music is masterful, but it fits the theme of vocal choices that cause me to skip forward.  

 

 

You and I both have issues with Geddy's vocal choices at times. It's interesting how we differ based on what the song itself does to lift beyond that issue.

 

For example I love Seven Cities. I know it's reviled by many, but it's one of my favorites of Clockwork. I have larger vocal issues all over VT and Snakes that would be much lower.

 

Cygnus I get. The music is cool and lifts the song much much higher for me, but the shrieking is intense.

 

Although I like the Big Wheel, you cited the part I don't like at all, so I get that. Same opinion on Spindrift.

 

Ceiling is purely a vocal issues for me like a lot of that era. 

 

Agreed on Half, but I think I had it much higher

[Nova Carmina]

This disrespect for "Ceiling Unlimited"! It's an outrage!

 

[interior voice: Maybe you're wrong, and the vocals are, in fact, cringey for some listeners?]

 

[other interior voice: Shut up! When I want introspection, I'll let you know!]

 

An outrage, I say!

[goose]

1 hour ago, Nova Carmina said:

This disrespect for "Ceiling Unlimited"! It's an outrage!

 

[interior voice: Maybe you're wrong, and the vocals are, in fact, cringey for some listeners?]

 

[other interior voice: Shut up! When I want introspection, I'll let you know!]

 

An outrage, I say!

 

When it comes to RUSH, it's funny what I will give a pass to and what I won't.  Parallel to that is what songs make an intense emotional connection with me vs. which don't, and that's probably the deciding factor.

[Mosher]

6 hours ago, goose said:

 

When it comes to RUSH, it's funny what I will give a pass to and what I won't.  Parallel to that is what songs make an intense emotional connection with me vs. which don't, and that's probably the deciding factor.

Agreed. With any song there could be many routes to a connection with me. A vocal can save or kill a song. Lyrics can save a horrible band. Great playing can save terrible lyrics. And the converse is true. Any failing among these can kill a song for me. 

I can't explain why one song is saved by something I like despite something I hate, or why a song with a great part is killed by another. 

Color of Right is a song saved by the vocal and the emotion. Stick it Out (good music) was killed by the refrain "Stick it ouuut". Does this make sense? Not really. It doesn't have to. 

I give the debut a hard time for the lyrics- but I do want to be clear about that. The playing is fantastic. It rocks from start to finish in the best way. I used to say, even recently, that if that was the only kind of music they ever made I'd think they were good but might own nothing by them, maybe just a greatest hits at most. 

That's not true, though. That's me still comparing them to the Rush I was introduced to. I had every Roth era Van Halen album at one time. I had Aerosmith albums. AC/DC. And so on. Obviously I don't need strong lyrics. (no slight- each of those bands did 'okay' at times, but they all fall hard at others).
So if Rush were only ever the band that made that first album, I'd love that band anyway. A clear case of music saving bad lyrics. 

So I'll go on hating Stick it Out and Loving Color of Right. 

So there you have it. I was so full of right I couldn't see what was true.
 

[goose]

Time to venture into the synth era.  The stretch of Signals thru Hold Your Fire saw the increasing use of synthesizers and keyboards, as well as Neil rejecting fantasy writing in favor of exploring a range of social issues.  The early two synth era albums have aged well for me, the other two not so much, especially HYF.  Each has songs I really like or even love, but each also has a song or two that just doesn't do it for me.  Here's Goose's Not So Magnifi-synth Seven:

 

149. Tai Shan (A bit much, isn't it?)

148. Force Ten  (Too many 80s Casio noises)

147. Territories (Better people, better food, and better beer?)

146. Between the Wheels (Those keyboards are just grating)

145. The Weapon (Too meandering for me, and the lyrics don't do it for me)

144. Manhattan Project (I do love the "Pilot of Enola Gay flying out the shock wave..." moment)

143. Chemistry (Another meandering tune with little dynamics)

[Mosher]

58 minutes ago, goose said:

Time to venture into the synth era.  The stretch of Signals thru Hold Your Fire saw the increasing use of synthesizers and keyboards, as well as Neil rejecting fantasy writing in favor of exploring a range of social issues.  The early two synth era albums have aged well for me, the other two not so much, especially HYF.  Each has songs I really like or even love, but each also has a song or two that just doesn't do it for me.  Here's Goose's Not So Magnifi-synth Seven:

 

149. Tai Shan (A bit much, isn't it?)

148. Force Ten  (Too many 80s Casio noises)

147. Territories (Better people, better food, and better beer?)

146. Between the Wheels (Those keyboards are just grating)

145. The Weapon (Too meandering for me, and the lyrics don't do it for me)

144. Manhattan Project (I do love the "Pilot of Enola Gay flying out the shock wave..." moment)

143. Chemistry (Another meandering tune with little dynamics)

Agreed that some of the flashy beeps, bells, and blasts of synth age poorly. But they clearly don't lose me like they lose you.

 

Force Ten is overindulgent for sure. Love the song, but it's dropped big time over the years. I hate that synth intro to Between the Wheels, but the rest is so good I have it far higher. Tai Shan? Okay, that's fair. To me it works as an intro to an epic, but instead just continues like it's enough for a song in itself. 

Chemistry is the least of these (Tai Shan excepted). It's goes nowhere.

 

The Weapon, Manhattan Project, and Territories? Oh man. You're killing me, Goose. 

 

The Weapon is a song that has risen over the years, initially I found it weaker. But I love it now.  The way it keeps driving forward.

Manhattan- that part you mentioned- that's what the song is all about! Building to that moment, the payoff is everything. 

And Territories is one of my favorites. That lyric you mention may not be strong, but it's intentional. It's simple because the assertion is that the mentality saying those things is simple. That lyric is a direct challenge to a simplistic mindset. Someone might disagree, of course, but it's well written for the intent I think. Of course, that song spoke to this adolescent perfectly, so I'm biased. It's my Subdivisions.

Edited November 2, 2023 by Mosher

[Derek19]

From "Hold Your Fire", I've had "Tai Shan" as the lowest, and on my list, bottom two.

 

143. Chemistry, song #3/8, "Signals (1982)"

144. Manhattan Project, song #3/8, "Power Windows (1985)"

145. the Weapon (Part II of "Fear"), song #5/8, "Signals (1982)"

146. Between the Wheels, song #8/8, "Grace Under Pressure (1984)"

147. Territories, song #5/8, "Power Windows (1985)"

148. Force Ten, song #1/10, "Hold Your Fire (1987)"

149. Tai Shan, song #9/10, "Hold Your Fire (1987)"

150. Cygnus X-1: Book One - the Voyage, song #6/6, "A Farewell to Kings (1977)"

151. Ceiling Unlimited, song #2/13, "Vapor Trails (2002)", and "Vapor Trails (Remixed) (2013)"

152. Half the World, song #3/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

153. Spindrift, song #5/13, "Snakes & Arrows (2007)"

154. the Big Wheel, song #6/10, "Roll the Bones (1991)"

155. Seven Cities of Gold, song #7/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

156. Bravest Face, song #10/13, "Snakes & Arrows (2007)"

157. Halo Effect, song #6/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

158. Wish Them Well, song #11/12, "Clockwork Angels (2012)"

159. Carve Away the Stone, song #11/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

160. You Bet Your Life, song #10/10, "Roll the Bones (1991)"

161. Everyday Glory, song #11/11, "Counterparts (1993)"

162. Virtuality, song #8/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

163. the Color of Right, song #4/11, "Test For Echo (1996)"

164. the Speed of Love, song #7/11, "Counterparts (1993)"

165. Madrigal, song #5/6, "A Farewell to Kings (1977)"

Edited November 2, 2023 by Derek19

[Nova Carmina]

51 minutes ago, Mosher said:

The Weapon, Manhattan Project, and Territories? Oh man. You're killing me, Goose. 

 

 Yeah, yeah -- what he said!

 

That solo in "The Weapon"! The build-up! The slow burn! The vibes!

 

Okay on the HYF stuff, of course . . . As much as I like Power Windows, I was that disappointed in HYF.

[goose]

33 minutes ago, Nova Carmina said:

 Yeah, yeah -- what he said!

 

That solo in "The Weapon"! The build-up! The slow burn! The vibes!

 

The Visage!  The Fade to Grey!