From least-glorious to 'Moving Pictures'

[JohnRogers]

Music is music, music and lyrics are songs.

[Segue Myles]

Well, Moving Pictures is only 2.5 in my book, but I do agree that it's in all probability their objectively best album. Many would make an argument for 2112, but the second side, while incredibly underrated, isn't really Rush's MOST awesome material, though it's still awesome. I've also been known to say that 2112 is Rush's absolute best song, despite the fact that Cygnus X-1 is my personal favorite. However, side one of Moving Pictures is quite possibly the most perfect LP side of music ever pressed onto vinyl.

 

I find your point of view very interesting. However, I love the second side a lot, and MP is just perfect. But I always find MP to be an album of two halves, perhaps more than any Rush album that lacks a full-side epic. So to enjoy one side over the other makes sense.

 

Similar to how I love Tai Shan and High Water.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Well, Moving Pictures is only 2.5 in my book, but I do agree that it's in all probability their objectively best album. Many would make an argument for 2112, but the second side, while incredibly underrated, isn't really Rush's MOST awesome material, though it's still awesome. I've also been known to say that 2112 is Rush's absolute best song, despite the fact that Cygnus X-1 is my personal favorite. However, side one of Moving Pictures is quite possibly the most perfect LP side of music ever pressed onto vinyl.

A 2.5? You should be ashamed.

 

My top three

1. AFTK

2. PeW

2.5. MP

2.75. Signals

3. 2112

[Disk98]

Well, Moving Pictures is only 2.5 in my book, but I do agree that it's in all probability their objectively best album. Many would make an argument for 2112, but the second side, while incredibly underrated, isn't really Rush's MOST awesome material, though it's still awesome. I've also been known to say that 2112 is Rush's absolute best song, despite the fact that Cygnus X-1 is my personal favorite. However, side one of Moving Pictures is quite possibly the most perfect LP side of music ever pressed onto vinyl.

A 2.5? You should be ashamed.

 

My top three

1. AFTK

2. PeW

2.5. MP

2.75. Signals

3. 2112

Oh, all right. You are (begrudgingly) forgiven. :)

[Rush Fan in Michigan]

http://metsguyinmichigan.blogspot.com/2015/03/r40-countdown-at-no-16-vapor-trails.html

 

This week WIll and I are in agreement, with Vapor Trails coming in at No. 16. There are some great songs on there -- "Earthshine" and "How it Is" are my faves. But the whole debate about the sound is vaild and the remix came a little too late for me to rekindle the love. Will and I always liked the live versions of the songs.

[Rush Fan in Michigan]

Deep disagreement this week. I've got Fly by Night at No. 15, but my buddy Will has Counterparts. I think he's dead wrong, but he's got an interesting story behind it.

 

http://metsguyinmichigan.blogspot.com/2015/03/rush-r40-countdown-at-no-15-fly-by.html

[LedRush]

Deep disagreement this week. I've got Fly by Night at No. 15, but my buddy Will has Counterparts. I think he's dead wrong, but he's got an interesting story behind it.

 

http://metsguyinmich...-15-fly-by.html

 

I'm just surprised that you could ask 2 Rush fans to rank the albums and it took this long for CP to be named. I will note that CA also charted at #2. While Will may have a point on the PJ fans, I suspect that a lot of this had to do with RTB, which reversed a long slide of the band's popularity and got the band on very heavy rotation on the radio for the first time since Signals. The reason CP sold less than RTB and charted higher was because as people heard Dreamline, Roll The Bones, Ghost of a Chance and Bravado, they went out and bought the album, giving it a tail. When people heard Stick it Out, Nobody's Hero and Double Agent, they thought these songs aren't very strong, let's go listen to songs that have balls and are actually good.

[Todem]

I just think people weigh lyrics too importantly when it comes to music. To me lyrics aren't music. Music is music. Don't let lyrics ruin the actual song for you. People bitch and moan about Virtuality all the time over the lyrics and it's ridiculous. Just focus on that rocking riff :haz:

 

Only thing I share sentiment with that crowd over is Dog Years, but for me it's those vocals they kill the song

 

I tend to agree. The lyrics don't bother me that much, generally. I think Peart understands what a cliche is, and if he uses them he tries to turn them on their heads a bit. I think a lot of his stuff is clever. On the one hand, you can say it's corny, but when he writes "In the dog days / People look to sirius," I think that's a clever revisiting of the cliche, and I think it's a damned clever pun. What I like about the song is that everything connects nicely. It's not the deepest thing in the world, but if it gets anyone thinking in a new sort of way about the dull routine of their lives and how fast live goes by, what's the harm?

 

I don't mind the words of Virtuality, but I am disappointed that the chorus sounds like a commercial for chewing gum or laundry soap or something. Like sooooo many Rush songs that start hopefully (Chain Lightning and Big Wheel always pop into my coconut when I think about this), Virtuality starts rockin' and then just stumbles into something that sounds like a mediocre jingle.

 

I think I should have clarified my post a bit better. I don't hate the lyrics of Dog Years like a lot of people do (cause I never paid them mind). I hate the song like everyone else but for a different reason: those annoying vocals

 

And yeah, Big Wheel. Start out with that awesome guitar riff in the verse, then transition to a keyboard washed "looking for loooooooooove".

 

Chain Lightning is one of the more listenable songs on Presto, cause Alex does a good job with the guitar, but it has the same problem as Big Wheel. Starts out good and rocking then goes to a wussy chorus.

 

The Yin and Yang of Geddy and Alex...right there in a nutshell. It is what made the band interesting on these albums. It was a tug of war. Alex wants to rock while Geddy wants to make melody. Throw in the book reading hermit who writes cool lyrics and play the crap out of the skins....

 

That's Rush.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Todem

[Rush Fan in Michigan]

We're at No. 14 in the R40 countdown. I've got "A Farewell to Kings," forever marred in my mind by the 8-Track tape version I had in my youth. My buddy replies with "Snakes and Arrows."

 

 

http://metsguyinmich...s-at-no-14.html

[Rush Fan in Michigan]

I just think people weigh lyrics too importantly when it comes to music. To me lyrics aren't music. Music is music. Don't let lyrics ruin the actual song for you. People bitch and moan about Virtuality all the time over the lyrics and it's ridiculous. Just focus on that rocking riff :haz:

 

Only thing I share sentiment with that crowd over is Dog Years, but for me it's those vocals they kill the song

 

I tend to agree. The lyrics don't bother me that much, generally. I think Peart understands what a cliche is, and if he uses them he tries to turn them on their heads a bit. I think a lot of his stuff is clever. On the one hand, you can say it's corny, but when he writes "In the dog days / People look to sirius," I think that's a clever revisiting of the cliche, and I think it's a damned clever pun. What I like about the song is that everything connects nicely. It's not the deepest thing in the world, but if it gets anyone thinking in a new sort of way about the dull routine of their lives and how fast live goes by, what's the harm?

 

I don't mind the words of Virtuality, but I am disappointed that the chorus sounds like a commercial for chewing gum or laundry soap or something. Like sooooo many Rush songs that start hopefully (Chain Lightning and Big Wheel always pop into my coconut when I think about this), Virtuality starts rockin' and then just stumbles into something that sounds like a mediocre jingle.

 

I think I should have clarified my post a bit better. I don't hate the lyrics of Dog Years like a lot of people do (cause I never paid them mind). I hate the song like everyone else but for a different reason: those annoying vocals

 

And yeah, Big Wheel. Start out with that awesome guitar riff in the verse, then transition to a keyboard washed "looking for loooooooooove".

 

Chain Lightning is one of the more listenable songs on Presto, cause Alex does a good job with the guitar, but it has the same problem as Big Wheel. Starts out good and rocking then goes to a wussy chorus.

 

The Yin and Yang of Geddy and Alex...right there in a nutshell. It is what made the band interesting on these albums. It was a tug of war. Alex wants to rock while Geddy wants to make melody. Throw in the book reading hermit who writes cool lyrics and play the crap out of the skins....

 

That's Rush.

 

Perfect.

 

But I have to confess that "The Big Wheel" is one of my favorites.

[The Analog Cub]

We're at No. 14 in the R40 countdown. I've got "A Farewell to Kings," forever marred in my mind by the 8-Track tape version I had in my youth. My buddy replies with "Snakes and Arrows."

 

 

http://metsguyinmich...s-at-no-14.html

 

That's about where I would put AFTK. Album's too inconsistent for me. The highs are really high but the lows are also very low.

[Rush Fan in Michigan]

It's interesting to me that there are very few songs where Rush opens up and jams. We know they don't vary too much from the original versions. But "Closer to the Heart" seems to consistently one of those songs, along with "Bravado." I always wonder why those two lend themselves to that.

 

I confess that I don't really care for "Cygnus" apart from that killer riff.

[Rush Fan in Michigan]

Here's where we are so far, with No. 14 being AFTK for me and S&A for Will

 

 

 

No. 15: Fly by Night (Dave) and Counterparts (Will)

No. 16: Vapor Trails (Both of us)

No. 17: Rush (Dave), Hold Your Fire (Will)

 

No. 18: Feedback (Dave), Rush (Will)

No. 19: Snakes & Arrows (Dave), Caress of Steel (Will)

No. 20: Caress of Steel (Dave), Feedback (Will)

Edited March 8, 2015 by Rush Fan in Michigan