A Hill To Die On: What top Rush hit do you hate?

[Weatherman]

Let's stir things up around here!

We all know Rush's stinkers, mostly recorded in the 90s and thereafter.

Better question: Which beloved Rush hit do you hate? What supposedly great Rush song makes you roll your eyes? 

Maybe you don't like the time sig. Maybe you don't like Ged's squeal. Maybe you don't like Al's tone. Maybe you've just heard it too much. 

 

I'll go first: 

1) Freewill. I hate the alternating 6/8 and 7/8 time sig (especially that extra last beat on the 7). I hate the way that Ged's voice doubles the guitar line in the verses. I really hate Al's spastic solo. It's overall bad prog. 

2) Distant second is Closer to the Heart, just because it's overplayed. It wore out its welcome in a way that their other hits didn't. 

 

Share below!

 

 

[JohnRogers]

[Principled Man]

[Union 5-3992]

There was a time I would have said Closer to the Heart or another over played song. But after a recent hiatus from the band, my appreciation for those songs returned. If an annoying song is overplayed, time and distance can warm it back up to me.

 

That said, I'd be fine if I never hear "In the Mood" ever again. Why it was a concert staple for so long is a mystery to me. It's a blight on all those early live albums.

[TheAccountant]

Totally agree that time and distance from an overplayed song will warm it up again for me.  So hard for me to say even an overplayed song like Spirit of Radio would qualify for this.  I don't hate it - its just overplayed.

 

I will pick one that, although not a "hit", is still sort of big song for Rush that I really do dislike.  That song is YYZ.

 

When I first bought and listened to all MP I was like "What were they thinking?  They had 2 excellent songs, then they ruined all the albums momentum with this stinker.  Then they had to get started again with another excellent song.  But all them flow of the album was messed up."  Over time I got to tolerate the song for a while but then it just slowly went down for me.  Now I find it unlistenable - it feels like a jackhammer is being operated next to my head when I try to listen to it.  Plus I stand by what I though originally in that it really wrecks the flow of MP.  Rush were masters of having an album mesh together so one song flowed into the next.  Consequently their albums were almost always much greater than the (excellent) sum of their parts.  Not so with MP.  It does not mesh together for me.  Consequently, despite the presence of Red Barchetta, Limelight and Tom Sawyer (my 5th, 6th and 7th favorite Rush songs) I rank the album much lower than I suspect most would on TRF.  For me it basically a mid tear album.  Worse than 2112, Power Windows, HYF, Presto, FBN, AFTK, S & A and perhaps Counterparts.  About on par with Signals, Hemispheres and Grace Under Pressure..  A bit hard to pick between those last 4 and MP.  So that puts it solidly middle of the pack - slightly ahead of Permanent Waves.

 

So I dislike the song but also it damages the flow of the album  - additional reason to dislike it for me.

 

Not a hit but a song that many do like so its my contribution to the conversation.

Edited April 14 by TheAccountant

[snowdog2112]

Holy moly, haha!

 

I don't post often but I have been checking in more lately in case there's news/rumors about releases this year. But in glancing around at a few threads just now I've seen that Neil didn't care about his playing for many years, there's a thread dedicated to the worst of Rush, and now I see that Freewill and YYZ suck. So I'll leave you guys to your fun and try again later. 

 

 

[invisible airwave]

If we're talking about singles, Superconductor can sod off.

[Union 5-3992]

I did a rookie mistake in college and made YYZ my alarm clock on my phone. That ruined the song for me for years. I finally deprogrammed it only two years ago and like it again. Take it from me, don't ever choose a song you like as a ringtone/alarm. 

Edited April 14 by Union 5-3992

[Nova Carmina]

"Red Barchetta"

 

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I don’t hate any of Rush’s most popular songs. That said, Faithless always irked me just a little. But I don’t really care about it much.

[Maverick]

The Garden 

 

Losing It

 

Resist

 

Not really hits with the general public, but much beloved amongst most Rush fans. I dislike the second and third songs. I outright hate the first. We're talking Sith Lord level hate. 

[goose]

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

The Garden 

 

Resist

 

 We're talking Sith Lord level hate. 

When it comes to disliking these two songs, I'm on board (bored?).

[zepphead]

I'm kinda bored with YYZ and Red Barchetta

[J2112YYZ]

Tom Sawyer.

 

Good song. Just never understood why it's their biggest song? It really doesn't have much of a chorus or a big hook in it like many of their other hits do. It's not even a catchy as some songs from them that never became well known. I guess it being unique musically is what might be it's big appeal. But being musically unique describes the majority of Rush songs. I guess I'm in the "I just don't get it" group when it comes to the songs appeal.

[bluefox4000]

Tom Sawyer (This one i liked.....never loved)

Red Barchetta

Closer To the Heart (again it's alright.

 

Most of Clockwork Angels (ya knew it was coming, lol)

 

I went Popular with fans cause aside from Tom Sawyer Rush has never been popular in my country with non-fans (at least while i was coming of age)

 

Mick

[bytor11]

On 4/15/2024 at 10:19 AM, bluefox4000 said:

 

Most of Clockwork Angels (ya knew it was coming, lol)

 

Mick

 

I'll never understand the love for this album. A band who, over the course of their career, espoused never looking back musically, made an album that is so full of rehashed music and story (its a terrible re-make of the 2112, Kevin J Anderson is widely considered a hack) and it's topped off with Geddy singing waaaaaay out of range. I like a few songs from it but for the most part, its a big nope from me.

[bluefox4000]

9 minutes ago, bytor11 said:

 

I'll never understand the love for this album. A band who, over the course of their career, espoused never looking back musically, made an album that is so full of rehashed music and story (its a terrible re-make of the 2112, Kevin J Anderson is widely considered a hack) and it's topped off with Geddy singing waaaaaay out of range. I like a few songs from it but for the most part, its a big nope from me.

 

 

I've been saying this since 2012.  songs lack any memorable hooks.  it sounds like shit.  Hamfisted story.

 

but everyone DROOLS over this mess.

 

lol.

 

Mick

Edited April 17 by bluefox4000

[Weatherman]

1 hour ago, bluefox4000 said:

 

 

I've been saying this since 2012.  songs lack any memorable hooks.  it sounds like shit.  Hamfisted story.

 

but everyone DROOLS over this mess.

 

lol.

 

Mick

I couldn't even get through CA. I couldn't get through Vapor Trails either. 

Snakes and Arrows: made it through -- great production -- but I was bored.

[Weatherman]

1 hour ago, bytor11 said:

 

 (its a terrible re-make of the 2112, Kevin J Anderson is widely considered a hack) 

Kevin J. Anderson is interesting in that he dictates ALL his stories, mostly while hiking. 

I mean, that's time-efficiency, and it's good for health. But I don't know how good it is for balancing all the elements of a complex story. 

[lifeson90]

Any of 2 or 3 on CA, probably Halo Effect if pushed to name one

[thizzellewashington]

Roll the Bones and Fly by Night are the ones I can do without hearing again. Most of the "hits" I still really enjoy and haven't gotten tired of.

[Timbale]

I don't actively hate any of the big hits, but...

 

I'm with Geddy on Fly By Night....never have understood the appeal of that one as a perennial radio fave.  It's fine as a "it's our 2nd album and we're 21 years old" or whatever...but I find it kind of cloying - especially the chorus.

 

I feel similar about In The Mood - it is what it is, and I'm fine with it...but I never need to hear it again.  I feel like they played a shortened, piss take version through much of the 80s because they felt they had to play something off the 1st record...but I could have done without it.

 

Closer To The Heart I enjoy as a song...but Geddys's vocal on the AFTK version kinda bugs me.  It has an affected quality I don't enjoy.  The version on ESL is glorious, and is my go-to.

 

I don't hate Tom Sawyer...but I'll never go out of my way to listen to it.  Mostly that's because it's grossly overplayed...but also, "mean mean stride" and "mean mean pride" right off the top irks me.  I just don't think it's a good lyric...and the repeat of "mean" really rubs me the wrong way.  I will never ever switch a radio station if Limelight or TSOR are playing...but I actually have flipped by Tom Sawyer more than once.

 

[Weatherman]

23 hours ago, Timbale said:

...but also, "mean mean stride" and "mean mean pride" right off the top irks me.  I just don't think it's a good lyric...and the repeat of "mean" really rubs me the wrong way. 

 

It's okay. Not his best, not his worst.

I will always thank the random person on here who pointed out that "the space he invades he gets by on you" is a reference to the Space Invaders video game.

[Timbale]

18 hours ago, Weatherman said:

It's okay. Not his best, not his worst.

I will always thank the random person on here who pointed out that "the space he invades he gets by on you" is a reference to the Space Invaders video game.

I also like "he knows changes aren't permanent/but change is", which I would bet everything is Peart and not Dubois. I think it's just more of a "standard" rock lyric than a lot of their work, which might be part of its success.  "The world is, the world is, love and life are deep" is just kind of nonsense ...which lots and lots of rock lyrics are.  It just sticks out to me because of who it is.  To contrast it to the chorus of 2nd biggest hit on the album...they're like night and day.  The idea inside of "those who which to be...those who wish to seem" is thought provoking while also being catchy.  

[goose]

On 4/20/2024 at 11:24 AM, Timbale said:

 "The world is, the world is, love and life are deep" is just kind of nonsense ...

If one considers poetry nonsense.  I think it  fits nicely within the context of the larger lyric.