Best of Rush - The Progressive Era (IMHO)
If you look at Rush's catalog its clear they go through a lot of stylistic changes. There's the progressive phase with long songs and complex time changes and nearly impossible to play riffs. Then they shifted and went to a more radio friendly rock and roll style only to switch to a more New Wave friendly keyboard format which eventually resulted in the band reverting back to a more guitar driven style. They're latest studio release (as of this list it is Snakes and Arrows) has really mixed a lot of the progressive riffs into a straight ahead rock and roll style.
You get the idea here... Split the eras of the band and pick the 10 best (IMHO)
This list will focus on a couple different things... First it will only include recordings by Lee/Lifeson/Peart and second, will address the progressive style of the band. This means, from Fly By Night through Hemispheres and will not include any live recordings from this period.
Not an easy task, but I'm gonna try...
If your gonna talk progressive Rush, then this is the logical opener. Its the first time the new direction of the band is heard and the power of the new lyrical direction as well. Simple as that.
Fly By Night / Fly By Night / 1975
An important track for the band to be heard. And may not be their best, but it propelled them forward, so it makes my list.
Caress of Steel is the first time the band fully embraced the progressive side of their style.
In all it's 20 minute glory! All Rush fans know this note for note.
A Passage to Bangkok / 2112 / 1976
Only 3:34 in length, whats up with that?
The closest this era of Rush would get to a bona-fide hit.
Xanadu / A Farewell to Kings / 1977
Often cited as one this era's best tracks ever. I would agree it comes really close!
Cygnus X-1 Book One-The Voyage Prologue / A Farewell to Kings / 1977
My 18 year old sons favorite song! I did a fine job of raising him didn't I? hehehe
Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres / Hemispheres / 1978
Coming in at 18:08, its pretty cool to listen to Book I and II back to back. Impressive!
La Villa Strangiato / Hemispheres / 1978
Highly complex and yet strangely beautiful. Hemispheres was so rough on the band that they abandoned the pressure of getting these styles of songs played and recorded.
10 songs, 88 minutes and 49 seconds. That's almost 9 minutes per song. AWESOME!
Heres the link (UPDATED)...
http://www.podsnack.com/playlists/4f8b8b3870e7dd46bc69e44c8a108163
You get the idea here... Split the eras of the band and pick the 10 best (IMHO)
This list will focus on a couple different things... First it will only include recordings by Lee/Lifeson/Peart and second, will address the progressive style of the band. This means, from Fly By Night through Hemispheres and will not include any live recordings from this period.
Not an easy task, but I'm gonna try...
If your gonna talk progressive Rush, then this is the logical opener. Its the first time the new direction of the band is heard and the power of the new lyrical direction as well. Simple as that.
Fly By Night / Fly By Night / 1975
An important track for the band to be heard. And may not be their best, but it propelled them forward, so it makes my list.
Caress of Steel is the first time the band fully embraced the progressive side of their style.
In all it's 20 minute glory! All Rush fans know this note for note.
A Passage to Bangkok / 2112 / 1976
Only 3:34 in length, whats up with that?
The closest this era of Rush would get to a bona-fide hit.
Xanadu / A Farewell to Kings / 1977
Often cited as one this era's best tracks ever. I would agree it comes really close!
Cygnus X-1 Book One-The Voyage Prologue / A Farewell to Kings / 1977
My 18 year old sons favorite song! I did a fine job of raising him didn't I? hehehe
Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres / Hemispheres / 1978
Coming in at 18:08, its pretty cool to listen to Book I and II back to back. Impressive!
La Villa Strangiato / Hemispheres / 1978
Highly complex and yet strangely beautiful. Hemispheres was so rough on the band that they abandoned the pressure of getting these styles of songs played and recorded.
10 songs, 88 minutes and 49 seconds. That's almost 9 minutes per song. AWESOME!
Heres the link (UPDATED)...
http://www.podsnack.com/playlists/4f8b8b3870e7dd46bc69e44c8a108163
Views: 8
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Niels (Mod) on
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Great!! I love RUSH. I'm going to listen at work tomorrow, though I know and love every track on the list!! (Yeah, I know every note of 2112!!)
By the way, when I was making my "1975-list", I was CERTAIN, that 2112 (and "Rainbow Rising") was released in 1975, but of course it (they) was'nt (were'nt).
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Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on
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Scott, this link is wrong...it takes me to the keyboard era playlist...
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Thanks bro...listening now.
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Permalink Reply by Jon on
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I had fun with "2112" when I was a kid, had to practice drums for 30 minutes a day and one day I started playing "2112". Fun, but pissed of my parents because I wasn't practicing whatever lesson I had that week. Oh, well.
You know, this is a fine list, but I would have included "The Trees" because it was kind of funny, Geddy singing about friggin' trees. Also I would have taken off "Fly By Night" (for some reason I never really liked that song and still don't) and put on "By-Tor And The Snow Dog". It's your list though, so I suppose you're right.
Out of all these albums, my top is "Hemispheres".
And where's the debut, hmmmm? What list would you put that one on?
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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Jon, totally get what your saying. But I probably over-thought the inclusion of Fly by Night simply because it kept them going as a band because it got radio airplay. I prefer By Tor as well, I also considered Making Memories and In The End because I even prefer them over Fly By Night, oh well...
I qualified the debut's exclusion because it not the same progressive style as Lee/Lifeson/Peart (see the comments in the content of the post)
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I did read the post and just didn't care. Still wanted to mention the debut. HA!
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Wow, that took some time to get through. Don't get me wrong, overall, I like it. But for my money, it's just too long winded. I definitely prefer the keyboard era to the progressive era. I have a feeling that makes me an oddball around here. But I don't mind that.
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That comment made me laugh out loud!!!!!
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The music is so complex its likely a matter of the more you listen the more you hear. I prefer this era and the current era from Presto to Snakes and Arrows to the keyboard stuff (which I will post next sometime later). But I do love them all and they all have a prominent place in my catalog.
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