The Darkest Rush Album?

[GeddyLeeRoth]

1. Snakes & Arrows

2. Signals

3. Caress Of Steel

4. Grace Under Pressure

5. 2112

[mankad89]

VT seems like a no-brainer at first, but it's actually an album of hope and perseverance. Aside from some songs, anyway (Freeze, How It Is come to mind). Edited September 20, 2009 by mankad89

[priest_of_syrinx]

p/g

[Earthshine]

Grace Under Pressure. I could not stand it when it first came out. Even now I have to be in the mood for it. Edited September 21, 2009 by Earthshine

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Sep 18 2009, 11:07 PM)

2112? It does end well despite the suicide.

It does??? The ominous and mechanical "We have assumed control" repeated three times? Is the assuming-of-control a good thing? Not considering the source. Whether it's delivered by the Priests or by the return of the "Elder Race," the message is clear: Individual Man loses to the collective.

 

 

[Rush Cocky]

I said Snakes and Arrows.

 

I still like it very much, but if it was lass dark lyrically, it would be in my top 3.

[ILSnwdog]

2112 just ahead of Grace Under Pressure. Both have songs with dark concepts, but 2112 just sounds more ominous.

 

[girlfriend in a coma]

QUOTE (2112Starman @ Sep 17 2009, 11:05 PM)

Well, what do you think the darkest Rush album is? To me, it's a hard tie between 2112 and P/G.

I'm not really sure what the point is to answer the question when the first poster stole my answer.. :/

[the masked drummer]

COS based on the music, GUP based on lyrical content.

[LeaveMyThingAlone]

Are we talking lyrics? If so, I give it to Grace Under Pressure

 

If we're talking Music, I go with Counterparts and/or Caress of STeel

[trenken]

Well I picked GUP. I try to make sure im not anywhere near any knives when I listen to that album. S&A is a very close second though. That album isnt just negative, but its just downright mean to a lot of people in this world.

 

[mankad89]

Not sure how 2112 can be considered darker than GUP. They were still kids when 2112 was released and it's a cartoon compared to the real-life issues addressed in GUP...in fact, Between the Wheels alone is darker than anything on 2112, and then there's songs like Afterimage.

[priest_of_syrinx]

QUOTE (mankad89 @ Oct 6 2009, 08:10 PM)

Not sure how 2112 can be considered darker than GUP. They were still kids when 2112 was released and it's a cartoon compared to the real-life issues addressed in GUP...in fact, Between the Wheels alone is darker than anything on 2112, and then there's songs like Afterimage.

and Red Sector A, and Distant Early Warning...

[JDL2112]

It took like 1 second to hit GUP...but I can see Signals also to some degree.

[Rush Cocky]

I don't get what you all are seeing as so dark with GUP...

 

Edited October 7, 2009 by Rush Cocky

[mulletst0rm]

QUOTE (Rush Cocky @ Oct 7 2009, 11:31 AM)

I don't get what you all are seeing as so dark with GUP...

A glaring shortfall of optimism to be found in any of the tracks perhaps.

[Rush Cocky]

QUOTE (mulletst0rm @ Oct 7 2009, 12:43 PM)

QUOTE (Rush Cocky @ Oct 7 2009, 11:31 AM) I don't get what you all are seeing as so dark with GUP... A glaring shortfall of optimism to be found in any of the tracks perhaps. That's true of at least half a dozen albums I can think of.   So why single this one out?   Again....

[mulletst0rm]

Just some of the reasons I chose P/G over others:

 

Rush - Adolescent rock songs

Fly By Night - Band having fun on the run (Making Memories)

Caress of Steel - Wistful recollection ala Lakeside Park

2112 - A Passage to Bangkok (Party on Garth!)

A Farewell to Kings - Closer to the Heart

Hemispheres - Apollo and Dionysus kiss and make up in the end, and all is well for humanity.

Permanent Waves - It can be viewed as a quasi-cynical look at music as industry, but The Spirit of Radio in the end celebrates the power that music has in framing your life.

Moving Pictures - Everyman superhero Tom Sawyer makes the world safe for individualism.

Signals - Humanity sends it dreams to the stars in a magical, fire-belching white beast.

 

Grace Under Pressure - Humanity will be crushed under the weight of its own fears. We're all doomed, and even the robots will die scared and alone.

 

I could go on, or even make other arguments for bleaker themes on other albums. But P/G is just what it is to me--pretty hopeless.

 

[Texas King]

Lyrically - P/G

Musically - COS

 

Voted COS.

[J2112YYZ]

Nothing really.

 

I would vote for GUP or S&A if I had to choose. But on the whole I don't think Rush is dark at all.

Edited August 22, 2017 by J2112YYZ

[WildKineticDreams]

It's gotta be Grace Under Pressure for sure. It was right in the middle of the synth era and the lyrics and music are a product of the time. Signals is dark but not as dark, Power Windows definitely has a warmer, brighter sound, etc.

[J2112YYZ]

It's gotta be Grace Under Pressure for sure. It was right in the middle of the synth era and the lyrics and music are a product of the time. Signals is dark but not as dark, Power Windows definitely has a warmer, brighter sound, etc.

 

Besides Losing It which I think is more sad than dark, what on Signals is dark? The Weapon maybe?

[Lorraine]

None

 

Gratefully, rush isn't that type of band. Too many fans were saved from the brink of despair by their music for them to be one of those bands.

[J2112YYZ]

None

 

Gratefully, rush isn't that type of band. Too many fans were saved from the brink of despair by their music for them to be one of those bands.

 

There's nothing wrong with being one of those bands. A lot of dark music has really been there for me when I needed it.

 

But yeah, Rush never presented anything in a dark manner.

[Del_Duio]

Oh c'mon TC, you know how that rabbit feels.