Presto Vs. Roll The Bones

[LedRush]

Inspired by the Counterparts vs. Test for Echo thread, I thought the same comparison is valid here, as the albums share a certain production quality (cough) and songwriting style.

 

So, in a song by song comparison, leaving off one song (or combining two songs) of Presto of your choice, but otherwise comparing the songs in the original track order, how do you compare the albums?

 

I combined the shortest two songs on Presto and compared them to the instruments on RTB making that the oddest comparison, and then put Available Light and Ghost of a Chance head to head because the songs have a similar quality to me. Please feel free to arrange the albums as you like.

 

My list looks like this.

 

Show Don't Tell and Dreamline

Chain Lightning and Bravado

The Pass and Roll The Bones

War Pain" and Face Up

Scars/Anagram and Where's My Thing

Presto and The Big Wheel

Superconductor and Heresy

Available Light and and Ghost of a Chance

Red Tide and Neurotica

Hand Over Fist and You Bet Your Life

[LedRush]

Show Don't Tell < Dreamline - This isn't close for me...Dreamline is the band's best song of the 90s

Chain Lightning < Bravado - A very close call, but Bravado just has more of an emotional impact for me.

The Pass > Roll The Bones - I like RTB, but The Pass is brilliance

War Paint = Face Up - Neither song is very good

Scars/Anagram < Where's My Thing - I like WMT? more than either of the other songs

Presto > The Big Wheel - Presto is a fabulous song, subtle and powerful at the same time.

Superconductor = Heresy - A tough comparison as the songs are so different, but I like them both.

Available Light < Ghost of a Chance - Both are great, but GoaC is just greater...better riff, more impact, and better vocals.

Red Tide < Neurotica - Neither song is great, but Neurotica rocks a bit more and I like the strangeness of it.

Hand Over Fist < You Bet Your Life - See above

 

My count is RTB 6, Presto 2, with 2 ties, but this was very close to a 4, 2, 4 for me.

 

Since the remaster came out, I am liking both albums more, but Presto is getting the bigger boost for me.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Inspired by the Counterparts vs. Test for Echo thread, I thought the same comparison is valid here, as the albums share a certain production quality (cough) and songwriting style.

 

So, in a song by song comparison, leaving off one song (or combining two songs) of Presto of your choice, but otherwise comparing the songs in the original track order, how do you compare the albums?

 

I combined the shortest two songs on Presto and compared them to the instruments on RTB making that the oddest comparison, and then put Available Light and Ghost of a Chance head to head because the songs have a similar quality to me. Please feel free to arrange the albums as you like.

 

My list looks like this.

 

Show Don't Tell and Dreamline

Chain Lightning and Bravado

The Pass and Roll The Bones

War Pain" and Face Up

Scars/Anagram and Where's My Thing

Presto and The Big Wheel

Superconductor and Heresy

Available Light and and Ghost of a Chance

Red Tide and Neurotica

Hand Over Fist and You Bet Your Life

Just going to use your list because it's decent and I'm lazy.

Presto wins 7-3. RTB could only pick up wins with Dreamline, Bravado, and Where's My Thing. AND it barely picked up 2 of those battles.

[Cyclonus X-1]

I prefer Presto because it has some great songs like The Pass and Available Light while Roll the Bones doesn't.

 

The list comparison...

 

Show Don't Tell > Dreamline (don't like Dreamline as much as most people do)

Chain Lightning > Bravado (Bravado is kinda boring)

The Pass > Roll the Bones (I like RtB but The Pass is brilliant)

War Paint < Face Up (WP doesn't get good til the end)

Scars/Anagram > Where's My Thing? (don't like Scars, but Anagram is pretty good)

Presto < The Big Wheel (Wheel is catchy)

Superconductor > Heresy (two bad songs)

Available Light > Ghost of a Chance (AL is great)

Red Tide = Neurotica (both have their ups and downs)

Hand Over Fist < You Bet Your Life (YBYL is my favorite RtB tune)

 

Presto wins 6-3-1.

[EagleMoon]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

[LedRush]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

 

The accessibility of the album and the move towards a more guitar driven sound certainly made RTB reverse the trend of declining popularity of the band...and it remains the most popular post-Power Windows album by far. That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore.

[ZivotSon]

I pass the time by not listening to either.

 

Roll The Bones has more good songs and more bads songs in comparison to Presto.

 

Presto always seemed to me to be Rush's attempt at pop music. I think Anagram works as a pop song, but most of the record is substandard, except for The Pass which is truly great.

[losingit2k]

I went with Roll The Bones. I think its a much better written album, But this was a very good comparison. Both albums are nearly the same. I just think RTB has much better songs. :codger:

[losingit2k]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

 

The accessibility of the album and the move towards a more guitar driven sound certainly made RTB reverse the trend of declining popularity of the band...and it remains the most popular post-Power Windows album by far. That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore.

 

I think Clockwork Angels has taken the Post-Power Windows award from anything that preceeded it.

:codger:

[lifeson90]

Both same extremely high standard by way of writing and performance, just usual trademark differences in sound/style. couldnt differentiate in quality between the two. just awesome rush.

[theredtamasrule]

No comparison. Two shitty albums laying waste to the 90's...do we really need to compare Heresy or Neurotica to Superconductor or Hand Over Fist? No. Why? All of these songs suck.

 

Two awful albums from which one might scrape together a single decent album:

 

Dreamline

Show Don't Tell

The Pass

Ghost of a Chance

Presto

Where's My Thing?

Available Light (maybe...only sorta sucks)

 

 

 

[Narps]

Good1. LOL! :laughing guy: :laughing guy:

[laughedatbytime]

No comparison. Two shitty albums laying waste to the 90's...do we really need to compare Heresy or Neurotica to Superconductor or Hand Over Fist? No. Why? All of these songs suck.

 

Two awful albums from which one might scrape together a single decent album:

 

Dreamline

Show Don't Tell

The Pass

Ghost of a Chance

Presto

Where's My Thing?

Available Light (maybe...only sorta sucks)

Or just Dreamline

[Narps]

Another good1. Anyone else? :drool:

[RushBoingo]

It's sad-ish to see all the hate for these two albums. I get where people have their problems, but they are not that bad. I prefer Presto way more (around the number 11 spot for me) than roll the bones (bottom five) due to the superior song writing (in my opinion). I distinctly remember excitedly popping both albums in whenever I got them, and while presto gave me a good first listen with only one or two dry spots, once the second half of Roll The Bones started, I kind of drifted off and before I knew it, it was over, without much to remember. Anyway, the list.

Show Don't Tell < Dreamline (Both are Awesome, but Dreamline is, well, Dreamline, nothing else to say

Chain Lightning > Bravado (Bravado is bland, Chain Lightning is interesting)

The Pass > Roll The Bones (Both are great, but the pass is just way more amazing, and much closer to my heart ;) )

War Paint < Face Up (War Paint is one of those dry spots, nothing sticks out, while face up is more memorable)

Scars/Anagram < Where's My Thing (Scars is decent, Anagram is not memorable, Where's my thing is terrific)

Presto > The Big Wheel (I enjoy both, but Presto's bridge gets me every time)

Superconductor > Heresy (Easy choice, I love Superconductors overproduced sound to match it's lyrics and it's general speed for the otherwise slower album, Heresy is just kind of cheesy)

Available Light > Ghost of a Chance (Hard Choice, but I like available light just a tad bit better)

Red Tide > Neurotica (I enjoy Red Tide's Piano, Neurotica is the core of the dull songs on RTB (Except for the ending fadeout, that's really cool)

Hand Over Fist < You Bet Your Life (Not much to say, You bet your life is just a bit better)

[Narps]

I know not all of us are old and gray enough to have experienced this but....... opening up A Farewell To Kings hot off the presses, now that was something!

[JohnnyBlaze]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

 

The accessibility of the album and the move towards a more guitar driven sound certainly made RTB reverse the trend of declining popularity of the band...and it remains the most popular post-Power Windows album by far. That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore.

'That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore'?! YOU are a hardcore Rush fan BUT you LIKE Roll the Bones. Others here are hardcore too AND they like Bones too. So how does what you said make any sense?

I'd guess that many are like me too: hardcore Rush fan but not too excited at all about Bones BECAUSE many of the songs don't do much for me. I don't give a shit about how popular they are. As a 41 year old who has been a fan since the age of 8, Rush has not been that popular for most of my life and it NEVER mattered since I almost always got off on the music. Bones doesn't interest me that much musically. So what?

Edited October 11, 2013 by JohnnyBlaze

[Bangster of Goats]

Presto has special nostalgic appeal to me, plus I just think it has better songs. Except for Stupidconductor. A friend once remarked that it sounds like a battery commercial and I tend to agree...

 

Roll The Bones has too many weak or cringeworthy moments, plus they were trying to work in that pop-funk sound getting popular at the time and it just sounds flat to me. But I never was a fan of that pop-funk sound anyway, heh. Dreamline and Ghost of a Chance salvage the album somewhat.

[Stormtron]

I only like about three songs from each album, but the bad songs on RtB are worse.

[circumstantial tree]

Initially, I thought Presto was "OK". Since Hold Your Fire was a such a great album (to me), I knew it would be hard for whatever follow up to come close to it. For a long time I thought Roll the Bones was better than Presto, but Presto stayed with me longer, so I choose that one.

[LedRush]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

 

The accessibility of the album and the move towards a more guitar driven sound certainly made RTB reverse the trend of declining popularity of the band...and it remains the most popular post-Power Windows album by far. That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore.

'That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore'?! YOU are a hardcore Rush fan BUT you LIKE Roll the Bones. Others here are hardcore too AND they like Bones too. So how does what you said make any sense?

I'd guess that many are like me too: hardcore Rush fan but not too excited at all about Bones BECAUSE many of the songs don't do much for me. I don't give a shit about how popular they are. As a 41 year old who has been a fan since the age of 8, Rush has been not been that popular for most of my life and it NEVER mattered since I almost always got off on the music. Bones doesn't interest me that much musically. So what?

 

I didn't intend to imply (nor do I think I did) that all hardcore Rush fans think the same way. However, I believe that this album is received much worse by hardcore fans than by casual ones.

[LedRush]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

 

The accessibility of the album and the move towards a more guitar driven sound certainly made RTB reverse the trend of declining popularity of the band...and it remains the most popular post-Power Windows album by far. That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore.

 

I think Clockwork Angels has taken the Post-Power Windows award from anything that preceeded it.

:codger:

 

I agree.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

 

The accessibility of the album and the move towards a more guitar driven sound certainly made RTB reverse the trend of declining popularity of the band...and it remains the most popular post-Power Windows album by far. That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore.

'That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore'?! YOU are a hardcore Rush fan BUT you LIKE Roll the Bones. Others here are hardcore too AND they like Bones too. So how does what you said make any sense?

I'd guess that many are like me too: hardcore Rush fan but not too excited at all about Bones BECAUSE many of the songs don't do much for me. I don't give a shit about how popular they are. As a 41 year old who has been a fan since the age of 8, Rush has been not been that popular for most of my life and it NEVER mattered since I almost always got off on the music. Bones doesn't interest me that much musically. So what?

 

I didn't intend to imply (nor do I think I did) that all hardcore Rush fans think the same way. However, I believe that this album is received much worse by hardcore fans than by casual ones.

Ahhh I see. That may be true. But the casual fan probably couldn't name more than 2 or 3 songs off that album. Hell, if I only had heard Dreamline and Bravado I'd probably think the album were pretty damn good

[LedRush]

Presto is my least favorite Rush album. I only really like The Pass and Presto. The rest of the songs I usually skip. The only song from RTB's that I don't care for is Face Up. RTB's songs are very singable IMO.

 

The accessibility of the album and the move towards a more guitar driven sound certainly made RTB reverse the trend of declining popularity of the band...and it remains the most popular post-Power Windows album by far. That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore.

'That may be why it receives all the hate from the Rush hardcore'?! YOU are a hardcore Rush fan BUT you LIKE Roll the Bones. Others here are hardcore too AND they like Bones too. So how does what you said make any sense?

I'd guess that many are like me too: hardcore Rush fan but not too excited at all about Bones BECAUSE many of the songs don't do much for me. I don't give a shit about how popular they are. As a 41 year old who has been a fan since the age of 8, Rush has been not been that popular for most of my life and it NEVER mattered since I almost always got off on the music. Bones doesn't interest me that much musically. So what?

 

I didn't intend to imply (nor do I think I did) that all hardcore Rush fans think the same way. However, I believe that this album is received much worse by hardcore fans than by casual ones.

Ahhh I see. That may be true. But the casual fan probably couldn't name more than 2 or 3 songs off that album. Hell, if I only had heard Dreamline and Bravado I'd probably think the album were pretty damn good

 

That's how a lot of people bought and enjoyed albums until the early 2000s. They'd hear a couple of singles and buy it and see if they liked the rest. From GuP-Presto, Rush didn't really have anything that got too popular on the radio. But RTB had a monster hit in Dreamline, and very good radio play in Ghost of a Chance, and good radio play for Bravado and RTB. They even had other songs like Heresy on the radio a bit. This album brought in a lot of new fans or fans that had abandoned Rush in the synth days. Still today, when I force my group of friends (casual to very casual fans) to go to a Rush concert every year, they look for songs from basically 3 albums: PeW, MP and RTB.

[Del_Duio]

PRESTO all the way, but I don't think RTB is half as bad as most everybody else here does.