Best Rush Album

[Dov65]

Hemispheres..1st Rush album bought through saving up when i was a paper boy..& no i didn't blow away

[sykilz]

For me, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures are probably the two that gave them their immortal status with me, but I personally love Grace Under Pressure, Roll the Bones ( mostly because Dreamline was played on US radio when I holidayed there back in the 90's) , and the live album A Show of Hands because it acts as a great 'best of' the middle section of their career.

(Love them all honestly)

[odysseus]

A Show Of Hands was a massive influence on my teenage self.  Moving Pictures is probably my favourite studio album.  Honorable mentions to Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure and most of the rest of that era.... lol

[spongebob]

I'm also in the 'all of them' camp. There's not a single one I don't like.

Only gripe is the 00's production values. I too wish there was more 'space' in the Clockwork Angels sound - it's such a strong album.

I'd probably have to plump for a live album - the longer, the better! 😀

Am I the only person who loved Ged's ' In Rio' tone?

[Rich]

19 hours ago, Wilco said:

A big fanboy of their 80’s stuff & for a long time Power Windows was my favourite album.

Power Windows still is my favourite. Not a duff moment on it, and a bass tour-de-force.

[TrevorR]

On 10/08/2019 at 20:20, ezbass said:

I love all of their 80s output and even the early 90s (yes, I’m the one person who likes Presto and Roll the Bones).

Make that two of us!

[4000]

Moving Pictures & Farewell to Kings.

Loved them at one time, but kind of lost interest after Signals. I think it didn’t help that I saw them twice (Moving Pictures and Roll the Bones) and they were underwhelming both times. Although the MP gig (Deeside Leisure Centre) was a bassfest, as all I could hear instrument-wise was Geddy’s Ric. Couldn’t distinguish anything Alex played on either gig, it was just a vague wash.

[TrevorR]

On 10/08/2019 at 21:46, Oopsdabassist said:

I have the original and the remixed Vapor Trails and I have to agree with bassassin. the later version is a belter!

It’s also worth finding the remixed versions on Retrospective III - Different from the remastered album and infinitely better than both that and the original. The opening riffing one OLV where Alex seems to be channelling Richard Dale is nothing short of stunning.

Check it out...

 

[ambient]

On 10/08/2019 at 20:20, ezbass said:

I love all of their 80s output and even the early 90s (yes, I’m the one person who likes Presto and Roll the Bones).

They’re my favourite. I do like the last couple too. I suspect they’re one of those bands, where you like the albums best that were your introduction to them; Roll the bones was my introduction. I really love the live album ‘A show of hands’ too.

[TrevorR]

I would guess my top three top albums would be Moving Pictures, Grace Under Pressure and Signals. 

Although id actually be tempted to answer “Any that don’t contain The Necromancer and The Fountain Of Lamneth...” Lakeside Park I’ve always loved but Bastille Day’s the only other track on Caress of Steel that I don’t actively dislike!

[wateroftyne]

For me, I went off them when - IMO - they stopped writing tunes and started sticking riffs together in ProTools. Geddy’s vocal syncopation  becomes jarring, the melodies weak and the DANGANAGANGANAGANAGA bass parts are wearing. There’s the odd gem in there, but I can’t remember the names of half the tracks.

There’s no ‘wait for it...’ instrumental beaks any more, and it’s all a bit dense.

I still love ‘em though, even if they did a couple of tours too many.

 

[Billy Apple]

7 minutes ago, ambient said:

I suspect they’re one of those bands, where you like the albums best that were your introduction to them;

I'd say not. I came in at All The Worlds a Stage, 2112 and Hemispheres. I remember the chat in Middle School and the beaching in the music press when they used synths on Permanent Waves. By then I was a solid punk/Motorhead fan and I abandoned Rush as a bunch of poofters and a lost cause.

I'm getting back to them from a different standpoint. Permanent Waves was the transition, but with Moving Pictures I think they found it all. A bit like the Ace of Spades, it was just a different step. Yes, they've made good albums since, but nothing quite like it in that space and time.

[ambient]

Shouldn’t the title of this thread be ‘what’s your favourite Rush album?’.

These things are all very subjective.

[Billy Apple]

8 minutes ago, ambient said:

Shouldn’t the title of this thread be ‘what’s your favourite Rush album?’.

These things are all very subjective.

Ear plugs don’t work

[Geddys nose]

Moving Pictures for me.

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Geddys nose

[spongebob]

6 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

For me, this is like choosing which child is your favourite. I love 'em all, although I probably play Caress of Steel the least.

New thread idea.....your least favourite Rush album!🤣

[Geek99]

20 minutes ago, spongebob said:

New thread idea.....your least favourite Rush album!🤣

Any ? 😛 not a bad I ever got into 

[KevB]

On 10/08/2019 at 23:48, wateroftyne said:

If ever there was an album crying out for a remix, it's that one.

Indeed, especially after a relatively nicely balanced and 'clean' sounding 'All The World's A Stage' set a benchmark for them. I wonder if too many studio overdubs on Exit have contributed to it sounding like it was recorded with an old sock over the mics.

[KevB]

I'm not sure I've made it all the way through Test For Echo in a single listen since it came out.

[ahpook]

Last year, never really having listened to any Rush before, I decided to explore their back catalogue and spent quite a while listening to all their albums, and there's only two albums I go back and listen to again - Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves.

Edited August 12, 2019 by ahpook

[Bassassin]

4 hours ago, spongebob said:

New thread idea.....your least favourite Rush album!🤣

Easy. Test For Echo. Hard to find a single redeeming feature - leaden, Rush-by-numbers instrumentation, awful, cringeworthy lyrics, Geddy mumbling away, sounding bored to death. The whole thing (uniquely in their career) stinks of contractual obligation.

I suppose the artwork's quite nice.

[Clarky]

Another vote for Hemispheres and Permanent Waves. Which is two

[spongebob]

58 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

Easy. Test For Echo. Hard to find a single redeeming feature - leaden, Rush-by-numbers instrumentation, awful, cringeworthy lyrics, Geddy mumbling away, sounding bored to death. The whole thing (uniquely in their career) stinks of contractual obligation.

I suppose the artwork's quite nice.

I'm not sure which career point is lower.....'Dog Years', or 'I Think I'm Going Bald'! 

I agree, TFE is probably their weakest overall. I still like most of it, though! 

[Bilbo]

The above responses suggest to me that the relationship we have with these albums is very personal and dependent on where we are when we find them. Rush we're an early discovery for me as a Rock fan and I was experiencing their version of Rock virtuosity for the first time at around age 17 (1980). The first LP I recall coming out was Permanent Waves (also 1980) soI already knew about them at that point but I got C of S after hearing them on the Friday Rock Show. I think our memories are linked to our state of mind and experience to date and C of S was a discovery at a point where lots of new things were appearing in my cultural life including non mainstream musics, bass virtuosity and Tolkien. Happy times that I relive on a subconscious level whenever I hear C of S. Interestingly, Caress of Steel predates Punk. 

[gazhowe]

On 10/08/2019 at 23:40, wateroftyne said:

.....A gradual decline from Hold your Fire, and serious patience-testing after Counterparts.

This ^ and not helped by the production on their later albums. Not sure I could decide on a ‘best’ album but my personal favourites are:

1. Grace Under Pressure 

2. Moving Pictures 

3. Power Windows