Jump to content

What CA songs are classics?


rushgoober
 Share

Recommended Posts

Ok, been thinking about this lately - let's break down the songs on S&A into two simple categories - which songs do you think are good enough to be considered Rush classics, and what songs are not classics?

 

I understand that it's a bit presumptuous to call a song that came out 3 months ago a "classic," but let's go for it anyway based on how we feel right now. If you want, you can think of it as "songs that are destined to be considered classics in the future."

 

Keep in mind, a song could still be a very good song, or even a GREAT song, but be short of "classic" status.

 

And for fun, do them in order of preference within each category:

 

CLASSIC CA SONGS

 

Clockwork Angels

The Garden

Headlong Flight

Caravan

BU2B

The Anarchist

The Wreckers

 

(coming from someone who was hoping for 1 or 2 great songs on this album, and thinking 3 was too much to hope for, I have SEVEN songs I don't just think are great, but are Rush classics - and the first three from my list below are also great songs. Woohoo!)

 

NOT CLASSIC CA SONGS

 

Wish Them Well

Carnies

Seven Cities of Gold

Halo Effect

BU2B2

 

(Halo Effect is just ok, BU2B2 is pretty worthless)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 4 2012, 12:10 PM)
Ok, been thinking about this lately - let's break down the songs on S&A into two simple categories - which songs do you think are good enough to be considered Rush classics, and what songs are not classics?

I understand that it's a bit presumptuous to call a song that came out 3 months ago a "classic," but let's go for it anyway based on how we feel right now. If you want, you can think of it as "songs that are destined to be considered classics in the future."

Keep in mind, a song could still be a very good song, or even a GREAT song, but be short of "classic" status.

And for fun, do them in order of preference within each category:

CLASSIC CA SONGS

Clockwork Angels
The Garden
Headlong Flight
Caravan
BU2B
The Anarchist
The Wreckers

(coming from someone who was hoping for 1 or 2 great songs on this album, and thinking 3 was too much to hope for, I have SEVEN songs I don't just think are great, but are Rush classics - and the first three from my list below are also great songs. Woohoo!)

NOT CLASSIC CA SONGS

Wish Them Well
Carnies
Seven Cities of Gold
Halo Effect
BU2B2

(Halo Effect is just ok, BU2B2 is pretty worthless)

Seven Cities of Gold is in the wrong spot...

 

 

Caravan

BU2B

The Anarchist

The Wreckers

 

These are all great Rush songs, but not epic like Seven Cities of Gold...sorry Goobs!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Classic:

Caravan

BU2B

The Anarchist

Headlong Flight

The Wreckers

 

Great Songs:

Clockwork Angels

Carnies

Seven Cities of Gold

The Garden

 

Good songs:

Halo Effect

Wish Them Well

 

Probably never hear live again after this show:

BU2B2

 

cool.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Tombstone Mountain @ Sep 4 2012, 10:22 AM)
Seven Cities of Gold is in the wrong spot...


Caravan
BU2B
The Anarchist
The Wreckers

These are all great Rush songs, but not epic like Seven Cities of Gold...sorry Goobs!

No need to be sorry, unless you're saying you're sorry for being wrong. tongue.gif

 

SCOG is a great song, I just don't think it's a classic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And FWIW, the two songs from this album that I think are destined to be undisputed classics in the future, meaning songs that would have to appear on any best of collection from their latter era (or any best of collection that encompasses all Rush eras), are Clockwork Angels and The Garden.

 

Headlong Flight will probably make it as well, and maybe even Caravan, but those two for sure - CA and The Garden are legendary and epic. yes.gif new_thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 4 2012, 06:27 PM)
And FWIW, the two songs from this album that I think are destined to be undisputed classics in the future, meaning songs that would have to appear on any best of collection from their latter era (or any best of collection that encompasses all Rush eras), are Clockwork Angels and The Garden.

Headlong Flight will probably make it as well, and maybe even Caravan, but those two for sure - CA and The Garden are legendary and epic. yes.gif new_thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

Agree 100%.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 4 2012, 12:26 PM)
QUOTE (Tombstone Mountain @ Sep 4 2012, 10:22 AM)
Seven Cities of Gold is in the wrong spot...


Caravan
BU2B
The Anarchist
The Wreckers

These are all great Rush songs, but not epic like Seven Cities of Gold...sorry Goobs!

No need to be sorry, unless you're saying you're sorry for being wrong. tongue.gif

 

SCOG is a great song, I just don't think it's a classic.

Cool Goobs, I respect your opinion.

 

It is a totally new sounding Rush song, and it kicks major ass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 4 2012, 12:10 PM)
Ok, been thinking about this lately - let's break down the songs on S&A into two simple categories - which songs do you think are good enough to be considered Rush classics, and what songs are not classics?

I understand that it's a bit presumptuous to call a song that came out 3 months ago a "classic," but let's go for it anyway based on how we feel right now. If you want, you can think of it as "songs that are destined to be considered classics in the future."

Keep in mind, a song could still be a very good song, or even a GREAT song, but be short of "classic" status.

And for fun, do them in order of preference within each category:

CLASSIC CA SONGS

Clockwork Angels
The Garden
Headlong Flight
Caravan
BU2B
The Anarchist
The Wreckers

(coming from someone who was hoping for 1 or 2 great songs on this album, and thinking 3 was too much to hope for, I have SEVEN songs I don't just think are great, but are Rush classics - and the first three from my list below are also great songs. Woohoo!)

NOT CLASSIC CA SONGS

Wish Them Well
Carnies
Seven Cities of Gold
Halo Effect
BU2B2

(Halo Effect is just ok, BU2B2 is pretty worthless)

Nailed it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (They Bow Defeated @ Sep 4 2012, 01:25 PM)
Undisputed Classics:
The Garden

Classics:
Clockwork Angels
Headlong Flight
The Anarchist
Seven Cities of Gold
The Wreckers
Caravan

Great Songs:
Halo Effect
BU2B

Good songs:
Wish Them Well
Carnies
BU2B2

Bad songs:
n/a smile.gif

Nice one dawg!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Classics

 

Caravan

BU2B

Clockwork Angels

The Anarchist

The Wreckers

Headlong Flight

The Garden

 

Great Songs

 

Carnies

Halo Effect

Seven Cities Of Gold

 

Good Songs

 

BU2B2

Wish Them Well

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 4 2012, 12:10 PM)
Ok, been thinking about this lately - let's break down the songs on S&A into two simple categories - which songs do you think are good enough to be considered Rush classics, and what songs are not classics?

I understand that it's a bit presumptuous to call a song that came out 3 months ago a "classic," but let's go for it anyway based on how we feel right now. If you want, you can think of it as "songs that are destined to be considered classics in the future."

Keep in mind, a song could still be a very good song, or even a GREAT song, but be short of "classic" status.

And for fun, do them in order of preference within each category:

CLASSIC CA SONGS

Clockwork Angels
The Garden
Headlong Flight
Caravan
BU2B
The Anarchist
The Wreckers

(coming from someone who was hoping for 1 or 2 great songs on this album, and thinking 3 was too much to hope for, I have SEVEN songs I don't just think are great, but are Rush classics - and the first three from my list below are also great songs. Woohoo!)

NOT CLASSIC CA SONGS

Wish Them Well
Carnies
Seven Cities of Gold
Halo Effect
BU2B2

(Halo Effect is just ok, BU2B2 is pretty worthless)

Perfect list! I agree with everything you said, although I like Halo Effect more than Seven Cities of Gold, but all of the classics you mentioned are spot on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I don't know who determines what the "official" classics are. Somebody somewhere at sometime decided that "Stick It Out" is a Rush classic. It's a good song, but I don't think it's up there with "Spirit", "Tom", "Barchetta" or "Sub", etc.

 

I think that ten years from now (or so) when Rush and the label release a "Best of"/"Greatest Hits" including newer Rush songs, the two from "CA" that will definitely make their way onto a compilation will be "Caravan" and "Headlong Flight". "BU2B" and "The Wreckers" would be back-up possibilities.

 

That's not to say that "Caravan" and "Headlong" are the absolute best songs on the album. I myself think that "Headlong" is right up there with "Working Man" and "Spirit" and the biggest Rush songs. Others think "The Garden" and "Clockwork" rank up there.

 

I think it will take at least one more studio album to get a "Best of the latest era" release. The songs that would appear on that? "One Little Victory", "Earthshine", "Ghost Rider", "Nocturne", "Far Cry", "Working Them Angels", "The Larger Bowl", "Main Monkey Business", "Caravan", "BU2B", "Headlong Flight", "The Wreckers" and 4 songs from the 2017 album.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ Sep 4 2012, 09:56 PM)
What exactly IS a "classic"?

Based on the "Rush Gold Standard", that is, songs that are included on their Gold/Restrospective collections, you would expect 1-3 songs to be included on a future major release. Shockingly, Roll The Bones is represented by four tracks on Restrospective 3. But we'll dismiss that as an anomaly.

For the next Collection, I imagine the record label would award a full 3 songs to Clockwork Angels, given the band's positive attitude toward it, and the generally glowing reaction from fans and critics.

Headlong Flight seems to be the signature song, as the single that accompanied the release of the album. It's pretty much a given.

Of course, you can regard Caravan in a similar light, as it was the first representative of the new work.

For a third choice, it gets muddy. I imagine that the band might prefer including the groundbreaking The Garden. But the title track has emerged as a fan favorite. And The Wreckers has been chosen as the second single.

 

The last of my 2 cents: IMO, none of the songs on CA will reach "classic" status as defined by "Tom Sawyer", et al, because none will receive enough mainstream exposure to capture the public's imagination. Not that several songs aren't completely deserving of lasting public acclaim.

But sometimes exposure happens in strange ways. Refer to "Don't Stop Believing" and "Candle in the Wind."

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Mr. IsNot @ Sep 4 2012, 10:57 PM)
To be honest, I just can't see anything post-HYF as a classic.

The Pass

Dreamline

Animate

Nobody's Hero

Far Cry

Armor & Sword

Clockwork Angels

The Garden

 

Those EASILY, and then also arguably:

 

Cut to the Chase

Stick It Out

Workin' Them Angels

The Main Monkey Business

Hope

Malignant Narcissism

Caravan

Headlong Flight

BU2B

The Anarchist

The Wreckers

 

Songs that a lot of people think are classics that I don't think are anywhere close:

 

Available Light

Bravado

Roll the Bones

Driven

One Little Victory

Earthshine

Secret Touch

 

And someone above mentioned The Larger Bowl - sorry, but I don't know in what universe anyone other than a very small group of people would consider that a classic by any standards. no.gif

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure what we're being asked here. Are "classics" our personal favorites? Songs that will become concert staples? Tracks likely to end up on some "greatest hits" comp? Tunes a la Spirit and Sawyer that the whole crowd at a given show will recognize? I guess I'll go ahead and make lists for all of those categories.

 

Classics for me: The Anarchist, Carnies, Caravan, Wish Them Well.

 

Set-list mainstays: Headlong Flight.

 

"Greatest Hits": Headlong Flight, Caravan, The Wreckers.

 

Crowd pleasers: None.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (sitboaf @ Sep 5 2012, 12:39 AM)
Headlong Flight seems to be the signature song

Of course, you can regard Caravan in a similar light

For a third choice, it gets muddy.

I imagine that the band might prefer including the groundbreaking The Garden.

But the title track has emerged as a fan favorite.


Good Post. I like the way you broke that down. I agree with Headling Flight...it's probably the most high octane song they've ever done, it sucks you in and doesn't leg go. Some parts sound like thrash to me--not a bad thing. Alex Lifeson at his peak, Neil and Geddy are just laying it down. CLASSIC

 

I giggled to myself when I first heard Clockwork Angels, because I couldn't believe the enormity of it. It is epic in everyway. Is it Xanadu or Camera Eye, Natural Science? No, it's not as long as those efforts, but equally absorbing, and just as grand in ambition and scope. A new sounding kind of EPIC for Rush that is cinematic, and musically off the charts. A CLASSIC.

 

In response to your assertion that it's a "fan" favorite, consider how Neil has stated that he wants to play this song forever and hope's it never comes off the setlist.

 

The Garden, for obvious reasons. There is no question about this one. See above. It's the touchy feely Rush song.

 

Now, here's the song that I include in on the CLASSIC shelf that is highly derided on multiple threads--Seven Cities of Gold.

 

Goober has his Armor and Sword (a song he thinks is like one of the best ever 062802puke_prv.gif just kidding, kinda), I have this one. In my mind, Armor and Sword is best described by Tony R--"a bloody awful dirge". Seven Cities of Gold it appears, is looked upon in the same vein by many here, though it is far from a dirge.

 

SCOG is a creation from the album that takes me back to the early years of the band. I find Geddy's voice inspired on this track. It soars. The overdubbed vocals evoke a similar feel that I've heard before from the band--"distant as a comet or a constellation", love that lower voice almost speaking those words.

 

However, a lot of people complain about understanding the words and simplicity of the song. Tony R. really racked up Geddy on this one as well in his review of the album: "There are a couple of tracks, though not terrible, are not quite up to the standard of the rest; Seven Cities Of Gold which features an atrocious vocal" rofl3.gif

 

Anyway back to the reason I think it's a Classic. It tells a great story. It has a killer chorus, and ultimately a kick ass bass expo. It borders on caucophony, trippy (how is that not epic Goober?), and the guitar work is perfect for such a song. This fits my paradigm of greatness. A song tha begs for another listen to discover something new. 1022.gif

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...