For REAL Rush fans only please

[gearHed289]

Yeah, I'll chime in for Tears as well. Love that song and the Mellotron swells.

[Garden Dreamer]

On the subject of GUP being the first non-Broon album and that being part of why my fanaticism waned... the most telling aspect is how much better the songs from GUP, Power Windows and HYF sounded live as compared to the studio versions (to my ears). And how they heck did they manage to not film the Signals tour?!

[yamishogun]

On the subject of GUP being the first non-Broon album and that being part of why my fanaticism waned... the most telling aspect is how much better the songs from GUP, Power Windows and HYF sounded live as compared to the studio versions (to my ears). And how they heck did they manage to not film the Signals tour?!

I thought GUP sounded flat compared to the amazing sonics of PW, then back to flat on HYF. I like the live HYF much more than the album.

But I think the worst sounding album of the 1980s was Signals. It sounded muddy and a major reason I like that less than GUP or PW. I've never heard the remaster but tempted to buy it now if someone says the sound is better.

[gearHed289]

I thought GUP sounded flat compared to the amazing sonics of PW, then back to flat on HYF. I like the live HYF much more than the album.

But I think the worst sounding album of the 1980s was Signals. It sounded muddy and a major reason I like that less than GUP or PW. I've never heard the remaster but tempted to buy it now if someone says the sound is better.

GUP was thin sounding to me. I thought PoW sounded great, and that HYF sounded pretty much like outtakes from those sessions. I'll have to re-visit. Maybe it was more the songs themselves. I remember thinking HYF and A Show of Hands may have been partly for contract fulfillment to finish their Mercury deal.

As far as Signals, I've read a few interviews with Alex where he mentions they were having a hard time finding a place for the guitar to sit, with the increasing predominance of keyboards. Probably why he veered toward that super shimmery sound with the Signature guitars and GK amps shortly thereafter.

[dropforge]

I thought GUP sounded flat

GUP was thin sounding

You guys are nuts. Maybe you need to TURN. IT. UP.

[Garden Dreamer]

You guys are nuts. Maybe you need to TURN. IT. UP.

I don't know if I'd call GUP flat or thin but there's something off, and that something is the Broon touch. It just sounds... weaker. And part of that too is the phasing out of analog synths and the addition of the Steinberger bass.

Yeah, in hindsight, GUP sounds pretty kickin' today when you compare it with HYF (now that one was thin!), Presto or Roll the Bones. But back then, after hearing the previous 8 albums in real time, there was a definite change to the sound that didn't sit well with my ears. I'm okay with it today, though.

[yamishogun]

You guys are nuts. Maybe you need to TURN. IT. UP.

True. I thought it sounded better when I listened in my walkman loud, although the LP should be better. Song wise, I like PW just a bit more than GUP.

[Score2112]

Huge Rush fan, and consider everything up to and including Grace Under Pressure fantastic classic period. Of course, there's great stuff that came later, and stuff, um, not so great. Anyway, my list:

Rush - "Before And After"
Fly By Night - "In The End"
Caress Of Steel - "The Necromancer"
2112 - "2112"
A Farewell To Kings - "Xanadu"
Hemispheres - "La Villa Strangiato"
Permanent Waves - "Freewill"
Moving Pictures - "Red Barchetta"
Signals - "Subdivisions"
Grace Under Pressure - "Afterimage"
Power Windows - "The Big Money"
Hold Your Fire - "Prime Mover"
Presto - "Show Dont Tell"
Roll The Bones - "Ghost of a Chance"
Counterparts - "Animate"
Test For Echo - "Test for Echo"
Vapor Trails - "Earthshine"
Snakes And Arrows - "Workin them Angels"
Clockwork Angels - "The Anarchist"

[Ken Baird]

I thought GUP sounded flat compared to the amazing sonics of PW, then back to flat on HYF. I like the live HYF much more than the album.

But I think the worst sounding album of the 1980s was Signals. It sounded muddy and a major reason I like that less than GUP or PW. I've never heard the remaster but tempted to buy it now if someone says the sound is better.

Wow, Signals was muddy sounding??? I guess everyone hears things differently but I love the sound of that album and find it more than clear enough for my ears--one of my favourite albums of all time actually. I think that what you must like about the Rush albums after that is that they did seem to have more high end and louder vocals, more separated keyboards, more highs out of the guitars etc which would seem more clear, and is good for what it is, but different. Signals is more of a "mid-range" kind of sound which I really like.

[Ken Baird]

GUP was thin sounding to me. I thought PoW sounded great, and that HYF sounded pretty much like outtakes from those sessions. I'll have to re-visit. Maybe it was more the songs themselves. I remember thinking HYF and A Show of Hands may have been partly for contract fulfillment to finish their Mercury deal.

As far as Signals, I've read a few interviews with Alex where he mentions they were having a hard time finding a place for the guitar to sit, with the increasing predominance of keyboards. Probably why he veered toward that super shimmery sound with the Signature guitars and GK amps shortly thereafter.

Yes, that's right, how you describe the "super shimmery" sound that he used after Signals. I like that sound and still find it works--it kind of "comes out and grabs you", but I still like the sounds on Signals. Even the synths on Signals, being more analog than digital have less "shimmer" than they did later. I like both approaches, but prefer the sounds, production and especially the songs on Signals. I'm not saying I don't like the albums that followed, I like all of them, but Signals has something special for me.

[Phlakaton]

Yes, that's right, how you describe the "super shimmery" sound that he used after Signals. I like that sound and still find it works--it kind of "comes out and grabs you", but I still like the sounds on Signals. Even the synths on Signals, being more analog than digital have less "shimmer" than they did later. I like both approaches, but prefer the sounds, production and especially the songs on Signals. I'm not saying I don't like the albums that followed, I like all of them, but Signals has something special for me.

Signals has always been that way for me too. It has all the right sound for what it is... just a perfect marriage for that record. Plus the songs are all hot.

[trurl]

I think Signals sound fantastic. G/P was the start of the slide into a sterile polite Rush I didn't care for.

[arise_shine]

If you're going to use the slash notation to abbreviate "Grace Under Pressure", it's "p/g". #notatruerushfan

Also, GUP may have started to sound "sterile polite" sonically, the music was anything but. It's so dark! Almost every song is in a minor key, and Alex's guitar parts are so pissed off.

And I love the "wall of sound" production of Signals. Everything is so fat.

[trurl]

If you're going to use the slash notation to abbreviate "Grace Under Pressure", it's "p/g". #notatruerushfan

Well, technically that's Grace Next To Pressure, or Grace After Pressure I tend to do it G/P just to maintain the flow of letters as it appears written. I get the point though.

[Phlakaton]

Well, technically that's Grace Next To Pressure, or Grace After Pressure I tend to do it G/P just to maintain the flow of letters as it appears written. I get the point though.

Are we this anal? Jeeesh. Who gives a rat's...

[gearHed289]

Also, GUP may have started to sound "sterile polite" sonically, the music was anything but. It's so dark! Almost every song is in a minor key, and Alex's guitar parts are so pissed off.

It's actually kind of a depressing album! I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just the subject matter was pretty dark. Definitely an album of the times, as we were seemingly on the verge of nuclear holocaust.

[Genital Giant]

I'm going to go up to Grace Under Pressure, because for me that was their last great album until Clockwork Angels.

Rush: Working Man
Fly By Night: In The End
Caress of Steel: The Fountain of Lamneth
2112: 2112
A Farewell To Kings: Xanadu
Hemispheres: La Villa Strangiatto
Permanent Waves: Natural Science
Moving Pictures: Tom Sawyer
Signals: Subdivisions
Grace Under Pressure: Distant Early Warning

[yamishogun]

I'm not saying I don't like the albums that followed, I like all of them, but Signals has something special for me.

Interesting. For me, Signals was a small down point considering the two albums before and the two albums that followed even though solid.

Maybe I asked this before but is it my ears that are defective or is there somewhat of a muddy production? Especially compared To PeW, MP and PW.

[trurl]

Muddy is subjective but I think Signals sound miles better than Grace and on a par with the 2 preceding albums. Grace may be brighter but that's not really a good thing. The drum sound on Grace, imho, sucks.

[Haruspex Carnage]

Rush - i guess Working Man (in general don't like this album)
Fly By Night - i guess By-Tor (ditto s/t)
Caress of Steel - Fountain of Lamneth (hands down)
2112 - 2112 (runner up: The Twilight Zone, cheesy fun)
A Farewell To Kings - Cygnus X-1 (runner up Xanadu)
Hemispheres - Cygnux X-2 (runner up: La Villa...)
Permanent Waves - Jacob's Ladder (runner up: Natural Science or that's switched gahhhh)
Moving Pictures - The Camera Eye (runner up: Red Barchetta)
Signals - Digital Man (runner up: Losing It...so many good on this one though, might be a favorite)
Grace Under Pressure - Between the Wheels (runner up: Afterimage)
Power Windows - Manhattan Project (runner up: Territories)
Hold Your Fire - High Water (runner up: Force Ten or Mission)
Presto - Available Light (runner up: The Pass)
Roll The Bones - Where's My Things? Pt 4 (runner up: Bravado or Ghost of a Chance)
Counterparts - Double Agent (runner up: Leave That Thing Alone or Cold Fire)
Test For Echo - Limbo (runner up: Totem or Virtuality)
Vapor Trails - Vapor Trail (too many are good on this one too though i think to list)
Snakes and Arrows - Spindrift (runner up Armor And Sword or Malignant Narcissism, not a big fan otherwise)
Clockwork Angels - BU2B (way too many here good too though; runner up would be: The Wreckers)

i'd definitely fall into the prog/prog-pop category with them.

[ytserush]

I really envy those who can cherry pick favorite songs and favorite albums. I'm never able to do that.

But I will say I'd put up Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels up against any three studio albums they've ever recorded.

[Rocinante30]

Fun thread, I think I will play as well My favorite song on any given album seems to keep changing over time but IF i had to pick, the moment it would be

Rush - Before and After
Fly By Night - In The End
Caress of Steel - The Fountain of Lamneth
2112 - 2112
A Farewell to Kings - Xanadu
Hemispheres - Cygnus X-1 Book II
Permanent Waves - Natural Science
Moving Pictures - Red Barchetta
Signals - The Analog Kid
Grace Under Pressure - Between the Wheels
Power Windows - Territories
Hold Your Fire - High Water
Presto - War Paint
Roll the Bones - Ghost of a Chance
Counterparts - Double Agent
Test for Echo - Half the World
Vapor Trails - Peaceable Kingdom
Snake & Arrows - The Main Monkey Business
Clockwork Angels - The Garden