Roll The Bones/Counterparts/Test For Echo era

[rushnroulette]

Is it just me or is this era sounding better as the years roll on? I'll always love the 70's/80's stuff but I play way more 90's stuff at home.

[Thunder Bay Rush]

Hey, welcome Rushnroulette dude... I know what you mean because I also love the 70s, stuff, but that part of 90s has some great Rush material too. Even though it's "only" 20 years ago, some of those songs bring back some good memories for me. For example, when my two girls were young then (9 & 7), they used to always ask (or demand!) that we play "Roll the Bones" in my truck... over and over and over. They could both do the rap part, word for word...

 

Heresy reminds of me of driving back to Sault Ste Marie from Collingwood back then. I was selling a business and moving (over the course of a few months) and I still remember that being played tune in my car stereo over and over on some of my late-night drives back home.

 

Great music, great memories too!

[Cygnus 2112]

I grew up on counterparts and it's one of my fave RUSH albums. I prefer it to the early stuff like Fly By Night and 2112.

[The Cat 3]

Welcome to TRF!

 

I grew up on "2112" / "A Farewell to Kings" / "Hemispheres".

 

I have to agree with you that these three albums just sound better and better with time.

 

I loved "Counterparts" and "Test For Echo" from the moment they were released and they have both always found their way to the top in my Rush listening rotation.

 

~Cheers, RGLT

[Babycat]

Welcome! :hi:

[EagleMoon]

I agree with you. I've always said that their music was ahead of its time, and this is a prime example.

[Blue J]

Yes- those albums have aged very well, I think. Counterparts is my favorite of the three. It's still a shot in the arm today when I listen to it, compared to some of the territory they had been mining since the mid '80s (and I love those records, too, but they're very different).

[rugen]

Counterparts is very good, roll the bones and test for echo don't have the great sound i would expect and some songs don't do it for me.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Counterparts is very good, roll the bones and test for echo don't have the great sound i would expect and some songs don't do it for me.

I'd agree with this. RTB and T4E have some hidden gems in them but overall I'd say both of them are towards the bottom of the glorious Rush collection.

[rushgoober]

I don't understand how Roll The Bones / Counterparts / Test For Echo is an era other than they were 3 sequential albums. Mostly I don't see how one can make a blanket comment on them as Counterparts is the only album of merit among that list. T4E had some songs with really bad lyrics, but mostly the album just didn't have any great tracks at all. It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless. RTB had Dreamline, an excellent song... and not a lot else! There were a couple other decent songs, but at least half that album was pretty bad. Counterparts was a huge return to form for them, and a great rocking unique album in their catalog.

[theanalogmiddleagedman]

I really like all 3, with Counterparts and TfE much better overall than RtB.

 

I was thinking the other day about how you could make a really good album with the top songs from each album. I hate to admit it, but there are few songs in the era that I would say are not my favorites.

 

My album would be:

 

Dreamlines

Bravado

RtB

Where's My Thing

Animate

Cut to the Chase

Stick it Out

Between Sun and Moon

Leave That Thing Alone

Driven

Half the World

Totem

 

Wow - that was really hard to pick I guess.

[Lerxster]

I don't understand how Roll The Bones / Counterparts / Test For Echo is an era other than they were 3 sequential albums. Mostly I don't see how one can make a blanket comment on them as Counterparts is the only album of merit among that list. T4E had some songs with really bad lyrics, but mostly the album just didn't have any great tracks at all. It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless. RTB had Dreamline, an excellent song... and not a lot else! There were a couple other decent songs, but at least half that album was pretty bad. Counterparts was a huge return to form for them, and a great rocking unique album in their catalog.

 

It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless.

 

Coincidentally, this was going to be my review of your post.

 

:P

[rushgoober]

I don't understand how Roll The Bones / Counterparts / Test For Echo is an era other than they were 3 sequential albums. Mostly I don't see how one can make a blanket comment on them as Counterparts is the only album of merit among that list. T4E had some songs with really bad lyrics, but mostly the album just didn't have any great tracks at all. It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless. RTB had Dreamline, an excellent song... and not a lot else! There were a couple other decent songs, but at least half that album was pretty bad. Counterparts was a huge return to form for them, and a great rocking unique album in their catalog.

 

It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless.

 

Coincidentally, this was going to be my review of your post.

 

:P

 

Rush has made a hell of a lot of great studio albums - 15 to be exact. Four of them, however, just don't make the cut - Presto, RTB, T4E & VT. That's just the reality of the situation. Obviously, YMMV.

[Lerxster]

I don't understand how Roll The Bones / Counterparts / Test For Echo is an era other than they were 3 sequential albums. Mostly I don't see how one can make a blanket comment on them as Counterparts is the only album of merit among that list. T4E had some songs with really bad lyrics, but mostly the album just didn't have any great tracks at all. It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless. RTB had Dreamline, an excellent song... and not a lot else! There were a couple other decent songs, but at least half that album was pretty bad. Counterparts was a huge return to form for them, and a great rocking unique album in their catalog.

 

It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless.

 

Coincidentally, this was going to be my review of your post.

 

:P

 

Rush has made a hell of a lot of great studio albums - 15 to be exact. Four of them, however, just don't make the cut - Presto, RTB, T4E & VT. That's just the reality of the situation. Obviously, YMMV.

Did I forget the :poke:? Just havin a little fun. Coffee?

[Cygnus 2112]

Unlike some people here(most people) I actually enjoy all of Test For Echo including The Colour Of Right, Dog Years, Virtuality and Carve Away The Stone.

[canadianice]

I don't understand how Roll The Bones / Counterparts / Test For Echo is an era other than they were 3 sequential albums. Mostly I don't see how one can make a blanket comment on them as Counterparts is the only album of merit among that list. T4E had some songs with really bad lyrics, but mostly the album just didn't have any great tracks at all. It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless. RTB had Dreamline, an excellent song... and not a lot else! There were a couple other decent songs, but at least half that album was pretty bad. Counterparts was a huge return to form for them, and a great rocking unique album in their catalog.

 

It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless.

 

Coincidentally, this was going to be my review of your post.

 

:P

 

Rush has made a hell of a lot of great studio albums - 15 to be exact. Four of them, however, just don't make the cut - Presto, RTB, T4E & VT. That's just the reality of the situation. Obviously, YMMV.

No it is not, it is simply your reality of the situation, and you don't speak for everybody else.

[ShlappinDahBass]

Yup. Big fan of Counterparts and Test for Echo. I even have to admit, You Bet Your Life, from Roll the Bones, is awesome. :outtahere:

[ILSnwdog]

I don't understand how Roll The Bones / Counterparts / Test For Echo is an era other than they were 3 sequential albums. Mostly I don't see how one can make a blanket comment on them as Counterparts is the only album of merit among that list. T4E had some songs with really bad lyrics, but mostly the album just didn't have any great tracks at all. It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless. RTB had Dreamline, an excellent song... and not a lot else! There were a couple other decent songs, but at least half that album was pretty bad. Counterparts was a huge return to form for them, and a great rocking unique album in their catalog.

T4E doesn't have any great tracks? The title track, Driven, and especially Time And Motion are epic tunes in my book! Sure, there is a lot of filler on T4E, but I have those three songs ranked as some of my all time favs.

[Tommy Sawyer]

Huge fan of the Presto-T4E era (yes, Presto is included )

 

My favs are Red Tide, Ghost of a Chance, Cold Fire, and Virtuality :haz:

[RushBoingo]

Yeah the 90s era (Presto included) is my second favorite, only lesser to the synth era (Sig-HF). I think a good reason for playing the 90s albums more is because they have more of a standalone track feel to them, where you can be satisfied to listen to a couple of songs and stop, where-as you would not want to be interupted on albums like CA, PW, or AFOK.

[troutman]

I don't understand how Roll The Bones / Counterparts / Test For Echo is an era other than they were 3 sequential albums. Mostly I don't see how one can make a blanket comment on them as Counterparts is the only album of merit among that list. T4E had some songs with really bad lyrics, but mostly the album just didn't have any great tracks at all. It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless. RTB had Dreamline, an excellent song... and not a lot else! There were a couple other decent songs, but at least half that album was pretty bad. Counterparts was a huge return to form for them, and a great rocking unique album in their catalog.

 

It wasn't horrible, but I find it fairly worthless.

 

Coincidentally, this was going to be my review of your post.

 

:P

 

Rush has made a hell of a lot of great studio albums - 15 to be exact. Four of them, however, just don't make the cut - Presto, RTB, T4E & VT. That's just the reality of the situation. Obviously, YMMV.

 

The reality is,

 

You just need to get the hell out of the VW young man! :smoke: :P

[Yooper]

Here's why they're my go to albums. Can I run on a treadmill and listen to them? Yes. Ever run and listen to 2112? Eternity is right there in your ears. I like to listen to rock and i guess that's why the songs on these three keep me going.

[Thunder Bay Rush]

I think Bravado is my favourite song from R T Bones. LOVE Alex's solo near the end... it's piercing. Not a lot notes, but sounds so good. I was surprised to see him play it on a Telecaster on the Rush in Rio DVD. I thought it was a "Strat" solo.

 

From Presto, Show Don't Tell.

 

From Counterparts - Animate... Heavy guitar tune.

[Sin City]

Nope. Bones has some good tracks and a few clunkers. Counterparts and test for echo are records from a band out of ideas and dying on its arse.There's a handful of decent songs-not outstanding- on two albums worth of material. Horrible, horrible records. Said it before, but for Neils tragedies, they wouldn't be here now had they carried on in that vein. Just my opinion guys and gals.

[Mika]

I was introduced to Rush just as Counterparts came out, so obviously I'm going to be biased towards this album! Each time I hear the opening of 'Animate', it takes me right back, and I'm astonished that it's been 20 years now! It still sounds fresh and 'new', so to speak, to me. [And Counterparts has now slipped to being just slightly on the side marking the first half of Rush's recording career - isn't that crazy?] It's such a great album, and very good listening from beginning to end, or as stand-alone songs, as well. I still get goosebumps with 'Everyday Glory'!

 

Other than the 'hits', I didn't know much about Roll the Bones or Test for Echo (which is kind of weird, considering T4E should have been the first album for me to be able to anticipate) until this past summer when I crammed all of Rush's songs onto my ipod and permanently hit 'random'. I've really grown to like these albums, and it's been interesting having them unfurl, so to speak - these songs that are new-to-me seem to pop out so that each time a different part catches my attention ("oh, hey, this has a nice guitar part here" or "Geddy sings that line really nicely"). I'm happy these are now on my musical horizon!