The Song Fight Bulletin Board

We Rush fans are nerds. We notice when it's 9:12 pm, because it's 21:12 military time. There's an obscure song called Lakeside Park off of Caress of Steel. It mentions the 24th of May, which is Victoria Day, a holiday in Canada. Anyway, that's why I waited for today for Rush.

What is your favorite Rush song?

The last album of theirs I bought was Hold Your Fire, which I didn't listen to much, and then I more or less forgot about them until a friend sent me their newest album. It's weird -- they'd made 8 albums (plus another 8 live albums) since Hold Your Fire and I hadn't heard any of them. And I worshiped those guys throughout high school.

For the longest time my favorite song was "Spirit of Radio", but now I think I'd rather listen to "Beneath, Between & Behind".

I'm not familiar with Rush's work, but I know and thoroughly enjoy two instrumentals of theirs, "YYZ" and "La Villa Strangiato". Couldn't call them my favorites though, since I don't know any other Rush songs. Feel free to enlighten me.

Spirit of Radio, Red Barchetta, Tom Sawyer, 2112

Years and years ago, Chumpy ruined 2112 for me by summarizing the plot of the piece:

'So, it's the future, and there are these priests who control everything, and then this guy finds a guitar. And then, um, some aliens land and take over?'

Well, yeah. I guess that's pretty much it.

I didn't know at the time but it's been pointed out Mr. Peart was heavily influenced by that Ayn Rand's Anthem. I'm so over it though, I love all of 2112, almost as much as I did in 7th grade, although I only listen to it to remind myself just how kickass Geddy's voice used to be. I'm a big fan of Spirit of Radio, Working Man, and Limelight, but 2112 is here it's at.

WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL, WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL, WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL.

Picked up Grace Under Pressure my sophomore year in high school when it was new. Never looked back. Unlike many, I did not proceed to throw them under the bus when I started college in the name of bullshit hipster cred. I was sooooo popular in high school. And college.

And I don’t have half a flying fuck to give about what 2112’s plot is or what it’s based on. I’d listen to that if he were rattling off the ingredients of chewing gum.

Having said that, I really don’t need to hear most of the “hits” ever again, now I’m much more into album filler stuff. Stuff like “The Camera Eye” and “Natural Science” and “The Analog Kid” and “Marathon” and “Turn The Page.” And I friggin’ LOVE the Counterparts album. They essentially kept me as a fan after the disappointment of those snoozefests Presto and Roll the Bones.

And these concert Blurays they’ve been releasing lately are fantastic. They have these really amusing cornball short films accompanying them - and it turns out that Ged and Alex are actually pretty good actors!

I still hold out some hope of getting the chance to do a Rush cover for Songfight somehow. I’m not holding my breath.

Clockwork Angels, the novel. Okay sorry, I know jack-all about Rush. "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ" are obvious choices, beyond that I don't know much. I do realize that these guys are musical geniuses/nerds and have much to offer the curious mind.

for those not familiar with Rush, the essential albums are : 2112, Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures. There's great stuff on all of their albums, but those 5 studio albums and the live album "Exit Stage Left" are the cream. As far as concert videos go , they're all good, but 1981 Exit Stage Left is the best IMHO.

Moving Pictures is amazing. The production is phenomenal, and they never made an album that sounded that good again. It has the most hits. Even though Tom Sawyer is an obvious choice and by far their biggest hit, it is not a bad choice. It's such a weird song and yet it's their biggest hit. That 7/8 riff defines 7/8 to me. YYZ is my favorite of their instrumentals.

My favorite song is Cygnus X-1. (you can hear me sing about it in the Berkeley Social Scene song "Front and Center")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EWUlXV8p4Q

I grew up listening to Rush, they were my favorite among all the metal bands I was into. I eventually discovered why I liked them so much more than all the other bands, it was the odd time signatures and long form compositions. They were the gateway band to all the great progressive bands: Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis (for me anyway).

Cygnus X-1 is my pick

honorable mentions: Vital Signs, Jacob's Ladder, the Trees

I've heard a lot of Rush, but I'm not so great at linking the titles to the music in my head. For me I guess it's either "YYZ" or that one that's always on the radio but isn't "Tom Sawyer." You know, it's got that so-so melody carried by some clever time changes, and the lyrics about philosophy and... well, that doesn't narrow it down at all, does it? Let's just go with "YYZ" then.

EDIT: This probably sounds like I'm bashing Rush. I actually do quite like them. I agree with glennny that they're a good "gateway drug" for even harder prog. 2112 as a whole is great, but none of the individual songs on that album stick out in my mind.

Honorable mentions to Subdivisions and Closer To The Heart

My favorite Rush song is The Spirit of Radio

Hemisphere's is my favorite Rush album, by far... "The Trees" is amazing... but "Circumstances" edges it out.