LedRush Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 QUOTE (Slaine mac Roth @ Jun 16 2005, 02:06 PM) I've gone for Fly By Night here but it was a very tough choice as each album has its plusses and minuses. FLY BY NIGHT: For: As has been said, there is great consistency across the album. I like every single one of them (Including Rivendell) but, for me, the standouts have got to be Anthem, By-Tor, Making Memories and In the End. The Geddy and Alex play with the same youthful exuberence as they did on the debut but there is an added maturity about their playing - probably as a result of Neil's influence which permeates the entire release. Against: This is difficult to put into words. My main problem (and its barely a problem really) is that there is a naivete about the album. If it was like the innocence that surrounded the debut, there wouldn't be a problem. As I said, I can't really put it nto words. Also, at times, the production seems a little too rough and ready for such polished songwriting. CARESS OF STEEL: For: Where do I start? Cos has so much going for it. The band's playing shows an added maturity from FBN. They may not have retained the youthful exuberence (although this does come through on Bastille Day), the added skill more than makes up for it - Neil's drumming, in particular, shows a finesse that was lacking on FBN. CoS can, I think, be considered as Rush's most ambitious album (which, for me, leads to its downside but more of that later). Clearly, the band are tighter as a unit and are able to feed off each other. Against: CoS is, ultimately, overambitious! To my mind, they didn't give themselves enough pre-production time before embarking on such an ambitious project. Furthermore, I don't think they had enough actual studio time to do the material (which is phenomenal) justice. As such, the sound isn't really up to scratch and would have benefited from a week or so more's polish. This results in the album that I think, sonically, has aged poorly although the material holds up. Fianlly, as an afterthought, CoS also features too many overdubs - just try to count the guitars in Return of the Prince. There you have it, my appraisal of the these two pivotal releases. I'm sure 99.999% of you will disagree so all I'll say is I love your analysis, which I largely agree with. But I'll choose CoS as it is one of my favorite albums period. The Necromancer is probably my favorite song, dark, atmoshperic and brooding. Then expolive and exciting. Then calming yet powerful. It's like By-Tor with a better story being told musically. FBN is great, but it has a few songs that are just very good and not great. CoS only has one "Bald". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedRush Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 QUOTE (Schro @ Jun 20 2005, 03:50 PM) I decided to take this poll. And now I have 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back - thanks for that. I voted FBN, but only by a nose. Actually my hand was hovering over the Caress button. Honest. But in my corner of the music world, we have a saying: "The cd player doesn't lie." In my mind I can make a case for liking CoS a bit more, but the fact is, FBN hasn't left the 6 cd changer in my car for 3 years. And Caress finds it's way in there in a normal rotation. So I had to go FBN. Interestingly, I have this same problem with MP and Signals. On paper I like MP more, but Signals get 3 times the play easy. Weird. Schro I love this concept. I check number of plays on iTunes all the time with this type of thinking in mind. However, because I listen to music every night as I fall asleep, music conducive to sleep gets many more plays than loud, upbeat music. So even though I like early rush more than Synth Rush, synth rush gets more plays. Also, when I play music in the car, upbeat gets more plays than sleepy, for obvious reasons. FBN is a better car album than CoS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushlady23 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 QUOTE (D-13 @ Jun 16 2005, 01:48 PM) Caress of Steel is my favourite album from Rush. period. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Listening to these 2 back to back today actually. Man FBN is such a tough listen for me......don't know why. By-Tor comes on and all I can think is......Shut up, shut up, Shut up. Can't stand ANYTHING except Anthem and the Title Track. COS Has been and always will be their best 70's album for me. Love it......don't know why it has the rep it does.....perfect album to me Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastille Dave Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 My two favorite tracks from both albums combined are Anthem and Bytor, but Rivendell takes FBN down, even below CoS. So I voted CoS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Ways Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Not even close for me. I rarely listen to FBN but listen to CoS pretty regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animate Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 COS, easy. Most of the weight has to be given to the epics, and The Necromancer and Lamneth are each more interesting then By-Tor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYM86 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Fly By Night any day of the week. Caress of Steel is by and large a joke to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spock Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 FBN fer sure. For me, I've always imagined these guys just forming, realizing they're on to something, and that energy just blasts out of the speakers. I know it took CoS to get to 2112, but I hear my first instanciation of as we've come to know them in By-tor. Great multi-part song with GREAT guitar solo in the middle, great blues playing following the great solo, cool (and cryptic) lyrics (took me quite a few years to track down The Sign of Eth)...I think this was the true proto-RUSH tune that paved the way for CoS. And, (please lower your guns), the first three songs on CoS just don't come across as strong. Necro-Lamneth certainly save the day, but the production/volume/power of Bastille-Bald-Park just doesn't hit me the same as FBN. But, hey! That's just one more opinion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwoods89 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I think Fly by Night is the better album overall, but Caress of Steel has so much going for it as well. The last two tracks on Caress are absolutely mind blowing musically and almost had me voting for Caress instead of Fly. The only reason I would say Fly by Night is better is mainly due to the consistency, which seems like what most everyone else is saying that voted for Fly as well. Either way, whichever album you prefer, they are both works of art and are to be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losingit2k Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Fly by Night. Hands done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powderfinger Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 QUOTE (rushgoober @ Jun 15 2005, 10:16 PM) Even though I've had these two Rush albums since the early 80's, I must admit that I hadn't listened to them in years and years. I had always remembered them as really good, but a bit challenging and not nearly as accessible as what came afterwards. Recently, I tried my hand again at Caress of Steel, to find out that I loved it, with the exception of I Think I'm Going Bald and The Necromancer, which I think are ok, but considerably weaker than the other tracks. It took me a few days to get up the guts to tackle Fly By Night, thinking that this one was going to be even more of a challenge to fathom. To my shock and surprise though, I LOVED it! I even rate it higher than Caress, but it's a tough call. I think that Bastille Day, Lakeside Park and The Fountain of Lamneth are stronger songs than any song on Fly By Night, but I have to give the prize to Fly By Night on consistency alone, as I think every single track is strong. Admittedly, it has a slightly raw early feeling and Geddy could sometimes sing a little more clearly, but I think they really kicked some ass on this album. I kind of assume that most people prefer Caress, but I'm not really sure, hence the poll. Lemme know what you think! P.S. - Please only participate in the poll part if you've heard both albums, otherwise it kind of defeats the purpose... I love Bastille Day and Lakeside Park, but I'm a much bigger fan of Fly By Night. Fly By Night is just such a blast to listen to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILSnwdog Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Fly By Night was my first Rush album. Perhaps I have a romantic attachment to it because of that...but I strongly prefer FBN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dream-Theater*#2358 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I love both albums, but the songs on Caress of Steel are just EPIC!!! The Necromancer is pure pre-thrash metal! It's great! The Fountain of Lamneth has so many great parts (my favorite parts are No One at the Bridge, Panacea, and Bacchus Plateau). Bastille Day and Lakeside Park are also awesome songs (Lakeside Park is very underrated IMO). It's a shame that they haven't played anything from the album in over 30 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeddyLeeRoth Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Holy crap you dragged out an old poll! Fly By Night is better and more focused. Caress is ambitious and has its moments, but too much of the music isn't as engaging and fleshed out. They did COS in a week or something and it shows. COS is still a classic, but FBN is one of the best Rush albums, after your MPs and 2112s, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shreddy Lee Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) QUOTE (GeddyLeeRoth @ Aug 2 2012, 02:33 AM) Holy crap you dragged out an old poll! Wow, yeah. But hey, since it's already here... Easy choice for me: Fly By Night. I consistently place it at the #2 spot in my album rankings, that's how much I love it. I think the absolutely amazing lineup of Anthem, Best I Can, BB&B, By-Tor, and Fly By Night is pretty damn hard to beat. Though it may have that sort of "early" feeling, the songs are still classics and represent some of what I love best about Rush. Making Memories is an often overlooked gem that I really enjoy (with a great bassline!) I know Rivendell takes a lot of flak, it is the clear weak link, but I don't think it's bad, certainly not enough to drag down the album in any way. It's a decent enough shot at making that kind of song. In the End seems like a refugee from the first album, but is a solid rocker. I do like Caress of Steel as well, but for me it's just no contest between these two. COS places at about 8th or 9th for me. I enjoy the epics the most, and I seem to have a higher opinion of The Necromancer than most, as it's probably my favorite on the album, with the incredible instrumental display in the middle portion. It took me a while to warm up to The Fountain of Lamneth, but now I really like it. Bastille Day is good but not great, and Lakeside Park and I Think I'm Going Bald are just okay. So it's a good album, but it just can't stand up to the barrage of excellence that FBN provides. In fact, I'd argue that COS in places sounds more raw or unpolished than FBN. Though I like the epics, it always strikes me how they seem to be made up of completely separate parts that were stuck together, with no real connection between them. Edited August 2, 2012 by Shreddy Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexmai Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) Imagine if Rush did begin their career with Fly by night (with Peart and prog), including the best songs from debut album on it... that FBN version could have success and help COS being accepted? Edited August 2, 2012 by Alexmai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushgoober Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 QUOTE (GeddyLeeRoth @ Aug 1 2012, 11:33 PM) Holy crap you dragged out an old poll! Seriously! I noticed when I went into the thread that I'd already voted in this poll, so I searched then to see if I had posted in it. It turns out I was the OP, but like from SEVEN years ago! Thankfully, my opinions on the matter are exactly the same today. The songs on COS that are great are much better than anything on FBN, but FBN wins because it's consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 QUOTE (Ancient Ways @ Aug 1 2012, 08:23 PM) Not even close for me. I rarely listen to FBN but listen to CoS pretty regularly. Same here. CoS far outshines FbN in my book. There's much more interesting music and musicianship throughout CoS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Sawyer Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Caress of Steel is far more consistent than the up-then-down Fly By Night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJH Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I voted for fly by night.Spent allot of hours learning all those songs as a kid in my bedroom.bought a cry baby wah pedal.Great guitar riffs on that one!!...the first album,with the Neil.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav77 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Fly By Night for me but it could change the second i press "add reply"....so.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animate Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 QUOTE (Gav77 @ Aug 3 2012, 02:40 PM) Fly By Night for me but it could change the second i press "add reply"....so.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAccountant Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Man, this an easy poll!! FBN by a country mile! Its not even close. FBN is loaded with good songs. Anthem, Rivendell (yes - you read that right - Rivendell, I like the song), In the End, the wonderful Beneath, Between & Behind, the equally wonderful FBN and the magnificent By-Tor. Even Best that I Can and Making Memories are not totally horrible. COS? Thankfully it has the wonderful Bastille Day and Lakeside Park. After that it goes way down hill with I think I'am going Bald which I don't really care for and The Necromancer and The Fountain of Lamneth both of which I really don't care for at all. Totally one side match up (for me anyway). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 A draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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