What Is Your Ultimate Under-rated Top 5 Rush Tunes?

[LedRush]

My top 5 Rush albums came right in a row. PW to PoW. What a run. CA and VT remix might be tied for 6th.

 

Grace is overrated imo. The other 4 and Snakes or Hemis are my top 5. Hemis>Signals what a f***ing run.

 

I like Snakes myself. Better than anything that came before it all the way back to, and maybe including, GUP.

Yep. I enjoy most of it quite a bit. CA is a giant compared to it.

 

On Snakes the songwriting is tighter, and the sound is great. I hope Nick produces their last album

 

CA has too many tracks for me that blend in together. Snakes each song is distinct from one another. Lyrically its better too. The concept in CA is very thin to me. In fact if I didn't already know it was a concept album I wouldnt think rhe songs thematically related.

I can appreciate that, but disagree on the "blending" part. To me, each song is distinct, but I respect your take.

 

In terms of a concept, I've could give a rip about it. I want badass songs

 

Ill say this, SCOG and Halo effect are two of my favorites. In fact they seem so maligned ill vote those as two more underrated songs.

 

They're both great. SCoG is a rocker, and Halo Effect's lyrics are actually pretty moving.

When I hear SCOG I remind myself that when i hit 60, my life ain't over. Ged defies age on that puppy

 

The reason I love CA, and Snakes, is they're both guitar albums. They rock harder than any album since Signals.

In your opinion, are there any cuts from CA that are all-time greats?

 

Actually, I'd say SCoG is one of my favorite Rush tunes.

 

The worst song on the album. Geddy can't sing it and it fails to do what other songs do better.

 

That honor goes to either The Anarchist or The Garden. The opening build up alone is worth the price of admission.

 

I'll take The Anarchist or The Garden over any song on S&A with lyrics other than Far Cry.

[Rick N. Backer]

The Necromancer

The Fountain of Lamneth

Lessons

Wish Them Well

All of RTB and TFE (yeah, I cheated...so what?!?)

 

When RTB (the song) was released I thought my favorite band had returned to their senses. I was mistaken.

[LedRush]

The Necromancer

The Fountain of Lamneth

Lessons

Wish Them Well

All of RTB and TFE (yeah, I cheated...so what?!?)

 

When RTB (the song) was released I thought my favorite band had returned to their senses. I was mistaken.

 

CP disappointed a lot of people.

[Digital Dad]

The Necromancer

The Fountain of Lamneth

Lessons

Wish Them Well

All of RTB and TFE (yeah, I cheated...so what?!?)

 

When RTB (the song) was released I thought my favorite band had returned to their senses. I was mistaken.

 

CP disappointed a lot of people.

 

Yep. Never fully invested myself in either album.

[Digital Dad]

My top 5 Rush albums came right in a row. PW to PoW. What a run. CA and VT remix might be tied for 6th.

 

Grace is overrated imo. The other 4 and Snakes or Hemis are my top 5. Hemis>Signals what a f***ing run.

 

I like Snakes myself. Better than anything that came before it all the way back to, and maybe including, GUP.

Yep. I enjoy most of it quite a bit. CA is a giant compared to it.

 

On Snakes the songwriting is tighter, and the sound is great. I hope Nick produces their last album

 

CA has too many tracks for me that blend in together. Snakes each song is distinct from one another. Lyrically its better too. The concept in CA is very thin to me. In fact if I didn't already know it was a concept album I wouldnt think rhe songs thematically related.

I can appreciate that, but disagree on the "blending" part. To me, each song is distinct, but I respect your take.

 

In terms of a concept, I've could give a rip about it. I want badass songs

 

Ill say this, SCOG and Halo effect are two of my favorites. In fact they seem so maligned ill vote those as two more underrated songs.

 

They're both great. SCoG is a rocker, and Halo Effect's lyrics are actually pretty moving.

When I hear SCOG I remind myself that when i hit 60, my life ain't over. Ged defies age on that puppy

 

The reason I love CA, and Snakes, is they're both guitar albums. They rock harder than any album since Signals.

In your opinion, are there any cuts from CA that are all-time greats?

 

Actually, I'd say SCoG is one of my favorite Rush tunes.

My love for you grows with every post

Anyone who sings the praises of CA gets you all puffy down there.

more like this

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2530073424_81d054be18_m.jpg

 

Very true. That rock looks to be about an inch and a half big on my screen.

 

Even smaller on mine.

[JohnRogers]

I'll have to ponder this tonight while closing the cigar lounge. I suspect it will be heavy on Power Windows, HYF and Presto. Perhaps some VT, S&A and CA will make the list.

 

How It Is - Vapor Trails Remixed

 

Open Secrets - HYF

 

Red Lens - Grace Under Pressure

 

Marathon - Power Windows

 

Red Tide - Presto

[Rick N. Backer]

The Necromancer

The Fountain of Lamneth

Lessons

Wish Them Well

All of RTB and TFE (yeah, I cheated...so what?!?)

 

When RTB (the song) was released I thought my favorite band had returned to their senses. I was mistaken.

 

CP disappointed a lot of people.

 

Not me. PoW and especially HYF ended my relationship with the band. Now, if I'm in a Rush mood, I can enjoy something from all of their albums. But I don't find myself craving much from the PoW - VT run.

[Wil1972]

I love everybody's responses, but there are a few mentioned that got PLENTY of attention from the band or radio. Distant Early Warning? That was all over MTV and radio. Presto? That was a single on radio and has been played in concert. Territories? I don't think that was a single, but it has been given plenty of love by the band live. I was more talking about those songs the were ignored by both the band and by radio/video channels. If you prefer to post not so obscure songs, go right ahead though as I love reading people's lists:)

I agree with Distant Early Warning...waaay too loved to list IMO For me, I could've skipped over more liked songs such as the one tour played Presto (was that even a single?) and Territories...so now I will...

 

1. Cut to the Chase

2. Entre Nous

3. Good News First

4. Cinderella Man

5. Dog Years

 

I love all 5 ...backlash be damned. :P

 

 

Yes, the song Presto was a single. I remember hearing it on rock radio. I believe it was the third single released and faded pretty quickly.

 

 

EDIT: Actually, I guess it was the second single and charted one position higher than The Pass. Huh, never would have guessed.

 

https://en.wikipedia...(album)#Singles

 

Now I'm mad they never bothered making a video for the title track. It would be impossible to be worse than the train wreck Superconductor.

Hey I like Superconductor...

I'm strictly going by the video. The song I like.

 

Ah cool. :-)

[Wil1972]

The Necromancer

Everyday Glory

Afterimage

Chemistry

Red Lenses

 

I really like Red Lenses. Always thought it was one of the better songs on GuP. Certainly better than Between the Wheels or Afterimage, which I think are the weakest songs on that one.

 

 

Oh man, Between The Wheels features my favorite Lifeson solo of all time. Goosebumps on goosebumps. haha

I certainly like Between the Wheels, but it gets plenty of love by fans and Rush set lists to be underrated...just sayin'. :D Great solo for sure.

 

Oh yea, I know BtW is not underrated, just drawing a comparison between it and Red Lenses, which I feel is underrated. BtW is a "bathroom song" for me. And that is super rare at a Rush show! The only other song I can remember feeling that way about at a Rush show was "Faithless" which is just boring as hell.

[Wil1972]

Mine:

 

in no particular order

 

Available Light

Vapor Trails

Garden Road

Between Sun and Moon

Chemistry

Between Sun and Moon = Alex channeling his inner Billy Gibbons. I think of ZZ Top when I listen to his guitar work on that for some reason.

 

 

Great song. I would love to hear Neil's take on the lyrics as it seems to be one of the most misunderstood. It's been a while since I analyzed it, but I seem to recall that I thought it was a take on the creative unconscious or universal mind. Kind of similar with what the Police did with Synchronicity. I always thought that the subject was a little strange coming from Neil giving his stance on religion and such.

 

Pye Dubois wrote the lyrics.

 

http://www.cygnus-x1...ounterparts.php

 

 

Says in the liner notes that Peart also helped. A collaboration. Anybody else got a take on the lyrics to Between Sun and Moon? Can't really make sense of the Why The Sun? line. How does that tie into creative unconscious? Maybe I'm off base and it's just a song about celestial wonder?

 

 

Also, I wonder if "bonfire lights in the mirror of sky" from Between Sun And Moon is the same thing as "wilderness of mirrors" from Double Agent. Seems to me these two songs are discussing the same subject somewhat.

 

I think I remember reading Neil say something to the effect that Pye was a little more abstract in his writing, and Neil brings order to Pye's disorder. I am guessing this was one of Pye's more impressionistic lyrical offerings, outside of "Force Ten".

As to the wilderness of mirrors line, I think it was explained in the tour book for the CP Tour, I would have to dig my tourbook out and refresh my memory.

And musically I think this was inspired by The Who, but I see the ZZ Top thing too.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Wil1972

[Segue Myles]

Actually,replaying some of CA, these songs are grossly underrated, and stand tall alongside the best of their seventies work (well...almost):

 

The Wreckers

Seven Cities Of Gold

Wish Them Well

 

Love these three songs a lot. WTW is like a throwback to their more straightforward seventies tunes like Something For Nothing, Lessons or most of Fly By Night.

 

The other two approach the quality of AFTK, and all three are better than the whole of side 2 of Hemispheres.

 

(Aside from The Anarchist and Halo Effect, I probably rank CA higher than Hemispheres now...but I haven't played them back to back...I could do myself a favour and do so today!).

 

Clockwork Angels has of late really grown on me. My love of seventies Rush as overtaken eighties Rush and I noticed I love the Alex heavy side more than the synths. CA is pretty much the follow up to Moving Pictures in terms of how I see it's greatness.

 

Still not keen on the production but I loved the album when it came out and now I remember why!

 

 

[presto123]

Mine:

 

in no particular order

 

Available Light

Vapor Trails

Garden Road

Between Sun and Moon

Chemistry

Between Sun and Moon = Alex channeling his inner Billy Gibbons. I think of ZZ Top when I listen to his guitar work on that for some reason.

 

 

Great song. I would love to hear Neil's take on the lyrics as it seems to be one of the most misunderstood. It's been a while since I analyzed it, but I seem to recall that I thought it was a take on the creative unconscious or universal mind. Kind of similar with what the Police did with Synchronicity. I always thought that the subject was a little strange coming from Neil giving his stance on religion and such.

 

Pye Dubois wrote the lyrics.

 

http://www.cygnus-x1...ounterparts.php

 

 

Says in the liner notes that Peart also helped. A collaboration. Anybody else got a take on the lyrics to Between Sun and Moon? Can't really make sense of the Why The Sun? line. How does that tie into creative unconscious? Maybe I'm off base and it's just a song about celestial wonder?

 

 

Also, I wonder if "bonfire lights in the mirror of sky" from Between Sun And Moon is the same thing as "wilderness of mirrors" from Double Agent. Seems to me these two songs are discussing the same subject somewhat.

 

I think I remember reading Neil say something to the effect that Pye was a little more abstract in his writing, and Neil brings order to Pye's disorder. I am guessing this was one of Pye's more impressionistic lyrical offerings, outside of "Force Ten".

As to the wilderness of mirrors line, I think it was explained in the tour book for the CP Tour, I would have to dig my tourbook out and refresh my memory.

And musically I think this was inspired by The Who, but I see the ZZ Top thing too.

 

 

Thanks! I looked up the CP Tourbook and here is a quote from Neil:

 

"Wilderness of mirrors" is a phrase from T.S.Eliot's "Gerontion," and was also applied by former CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton to describe the world of espionage-hence the twist on "Double Agent," reflecting the clandestine workings of dreams and the subconcious. Disinformation or intelligence? Let the mirror decide.

 

Reflections in a wilderness of mirrors; a kind of theme. Not reflections in the conventional sense of looking back -- certainly one can also reflect upon the present and future -- but more in holding a mirror up to our hidden selves, to human nature and its doings in the world, and to the tradgedies and inspirations of everyday life. Heavy stuff, I suppose, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun with it! That's the secret, if there is one.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like my interpretation of the lyrics was pretty darn close. The secret workings of the subconscious mind.

Edited April 14, 2016 by presto123