JohnRogers Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) This list was inspired by a friendly debate that Laughedatbytime and I where having while almost high-jacking a Clockwork Angels thread. Also the greatness of the Synth Era is a subject not covered enough in this forum. For my purposes the Synth begins with Grace Under Pressure and ends with Test for Echo. You might say it ends with Counterparts or Roll the Bones but you’d be wrong. Without further a due I present the Essential Songs of the Great Synth Era. Grace Under PressureDistant Early WarningRed Sector ARed LensesBetween the Wheels Power WindowsThe Big MoneyGrand DesignsManhattan ProjectMarathonTerritoriesEmotion DetectorMystic Rhythms Hold Your FireForce TenTime Stand StillSecond NaturePrime MoverLock and KeyMissionTurn the Page PrestoShow Don’t TellChain LightningThe PassScarsPrestoAnagram (for Mongo)Hand Over FistAvailable Light Roll the BonesDreamlineBravadoWhere’s My ThingThe Big WheelGhost of a Chance CounterpartsAnimateNobody’s HeroLeave that Thing Alone Test for EchoDrivenHalf the WorldThe Color of RightTotemDog YearsResistLimboCarve Away the Stone You may like this post showing your approval of the list but there is no need for comment or debate. In fact 73 can just lock this thread now. Edited June 4, 2015 by JohnRogers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhawk2112 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) Looking back and recalling how many diehard fans that started with Rush in the 70s completely lost their chit in 1982, I'd have to say The Synth Era started with Signals... :drool: So, this list...includes songs that may or may not have actually had a synth on them? Edited June 4, 2015 by Bhawk2112 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stone and a hard place Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 exactly, seems to me as well signals was really the start of the synth era and in my opinion ended with hold your fire. but of course I may be wrong. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRogers Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 exactly, seems to me as well signals was really the start of the synth era and in my opinion ended with hold your fire. but of course I may be wrong.As I stated above you are both wrong. I feel that Signals is the last of the Terry Brown guitar era. The synth blew up big with GUP. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Signals FOR ME starts with Signals. So.....yea. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRogers Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Well Mick you are wrong but let's play with this for a moment and presume you are correct. All that would mean is four songs minimum from Signals would make the list further solidifying the greatness of the Syjth Era. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedRush Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 You nailed CP as the worst album and got the great songs from T4E, so I'll forgive you for having no idea what the synth era is. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merely Space Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Another vote for synth era starting with Signals. It may be TB produced, but that's when synths started dominating the sound of songs, and there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Rush faithful of the time. When it ends is a little more open for debate. Certainly through HYF. I remember the pre-release press for Presto touting a back to basics, stripped down approach, but the album certainly has plenty of keys on it. I don't think they really stripped out the keys until Counterparts. But somewhere in there. But, yes, there's some great stuff in there. I especially enjoy the early synth period, up through PoW. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) We all have views....but there are synths all over Signals.........so i don't see how you say it doesn't start there. but this forum confuses me daily so...... ;) Mick Edited June 4, 2015 by bluefox4000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRogers Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Another vote for synth era starting with Signals. It may be TB produced, but that's when synths started dominating the sound of songs, and there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Rush faithful of the time.Signals with Terry Brown at the helm was a natural progression from Moving Pictures, I don't recall a gnashing of teeth. GUP was like an explosion of synthesizer vomit a clear departure from what came before. You nailed CP as the worst album and got the great songs from T4E, so I'll forgive you for having no idea what the synth era is.My list my rules...LONG LIVE PRESTO!!! EMBRACE THE DARK LORD OF THE SYNTH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I have never considered signals to be synth era and to me its debateable if gup is either. Both of those discs whole having more and more keys were real heavy on the reggae influences. I cant recall any reggae influence post gup at this moment? Imo the end the reggae era is the begining of the synth years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhawk2112 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Signals with Terry Brown at the helm was a natural progression from Moving Pictures, I don't recall a gnashing of teeth. There was plenty. The divide in the 80s between anything "heavy" and anything "pop" was the synthesizer. I vividly remember copies of Van Halen's 1984 smashed and thrown away by several folks in denim jackets. As soon as Subdivisions started off the album there were a ton of people going "WTF IS THIS?" Granted, yes, GUP was more of a departure, and I also remember a fellow in a denim jacket telling me that "Rush sold out to techno-pop, dude," and then started a quite lengthy dissertation on the superiority of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest while also heaping praise on new bands such as Motley Crue. IMO, TB produced Rush peaked with Moving Pictures. There's been so much advancement in technology re:remixing so that over time things get so much better...but the original release of Signals sounded like it was recorded in a coffee can. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 This list was inspired by a friendly debate that Laughedatbytime and I where having while almost high-jacking a Clockwork Angels thread. Also the greatness of the Synth Era is a subject not covered enough in this forum. For my purposes the Synth begins with Grace Under Pressure and ends with Test for Echo. You might say it ends with Counterparts or Roll the Bones but you’d be wrong. Without further a due I present the Essential Songs of the Great Synth Era. Grace Under PressureDistant Early WarningRed Sector ARed LensesBetween the Wheels Power WindowsThe Big MoneyGrand DesignsManhattan ProjectMarathonTerritoriesEmotion DetectorMystic Rhythms Hold Your FireForce TenTime Stand StillSecond NaturePrime MoverLock and KeyMissionTurn the Page PrestoShow Don’t TellChain LightningThe PassScarsPrestoAnagram (for Mongo)Hand Over FistAvailable Light Roll the BonesDreamlineBravadoWhere’s My ThingThe Big WheelGhost of a Chance CounterpartsAnimateNobody’s HeroLeave that Thing Alone Test for EchoDrivenHalf the WorldThe Color of RightTotemDog YearsResistLimboCarve Away the Stone You may like this post showing your approval of the list but there is no need for comment or debate. In fact 73 can just lock this thread now. Dude? No enemy within? Imo the best tune on gup followed by between the wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J2112YYZ Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 exactly, seems to me as well signals was really the start of the synth era and in my opinion ended with hold your fire. but of course I may be wrong. Yep, synth era was Signals through Hold Your Fire. It the OP thinks Presto through T4E qualify as part of that then he needs to get his hearing checked or someone needs to remind him of what a guitar sounds like. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRogers Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 A terrible omission on my part. I beg forgiveness and leniency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnRogers Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) exactly, seems to me as well signals was really the start of the synth era and in my opinion ended with hold your fire. but of course I may be wrong. Yep, synth era was Signals through Hold Your Fire. It the OP thinks Presto through T4E qualify as part of that then he needs to get his hearing checked or someone needs to remind him of what a guitar sounds like.Syth Era ends with T4E. I have spoken. Now what is the reggae era aboot? WTF??? Edited June 4, 2015 by JohnRogers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tas7 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I don't think there are any more keyboards on Signals than there are on Moving Pictures, just the production is different. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleMoon Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I don't think there are any more keyboards on Signals than there are on Moving Pictures, just the production is different. Yeah I don't quite get that about Signals being the start of the synth era. There were quite a few keyboards on MP. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital Dad Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 You nailed CP as the worst album and got the great songs from T4E, so I'll forgive you for having no idea what the synth era is. Haha True dat. Synth "era" for me is basically Sector 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymaker Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 For me it starts with Power Windows, because that's when the synth shots started to become distracting, when listening to a Rush album started to sound like hanging out in a video game arcade. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianice Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 You nailed CP as the worst album and got the great songs from T4E, so I'll forgive you for having no idea what the synth era is. Haha True dat. Synth "era" for me is basically Sector 3. Sector 3 is KILLER :rush: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexMike Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 IMO, the synth era truly began with the final track on MP. That song sounds like the inspiration and stepping stone to Signals, the first full album of what I'd call the synth era. After 4 albums of progressively more dominant keyboards, Presto started the next chapter of the Rush sound and a gradual return back to more guitar based songs. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tombstone Mountain Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Presto started the next chapter of the Rush sound and a gradual return back to more guitar based songs.Albeit a thin, tinny start. But hey, ya gotta start somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
presto123 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Signals is definition of synth era. Listen to the sequencer on The Weapon. It's SOOO prominent. Even Alex talks about how the guitar got pushed back in the mix on this record to make room for the synths. Synth era ended with HYF in my book. There were keys after that, but mainly background and texture. Don't know how anybody could call CP and T4E synth era????? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Signals is definition of synth era. Listen to the sequencer on The Weapon. It's SOOO prominent. Even Alex talks about how the guitar got pushed back in the mix on this record to make room for the synths. Synth era ended with HYF in my book. There were keys after that, but mainly background and texture. Don't know how anybody could call CP and T4E synth era????? This. Every word. Mick 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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