# Best Rush album? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874 "2010-10-12T08:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/21 "2010-10-13T03:52:36Z")
In no particular order: Signals Presto Test For Echo ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/22 "2010-10-13T04:47:13Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > > [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > > > Gotta go with Presto. I always throw it on when I need a lift. Energy is contagious! > > I’m glad to hear you say that! It’s probably my favorite as well. I’m sure it’s not a popular choice, but there’s something very evocative about it, and it’s a very well-formed album; usually I have no interest in skipping any tracks. The thing that makes _Presto_ so unique among Rush albums is how _open_ the sound is. Most Rush music is so dense and has so much going on (and I love that), but every song on _Presto_ just seems to have so much space/breathing room. I suspect producer Rupert Hine had a lot to do with that - he also produced the following album, _Roll the Bones_, which was also fairly open-sounding, though not to the degree _Presto_ was. They went back to Peter Collins (who had produced the two albums prior to _Presto_) for _Counterparts_, and the sound got all thick and dense again. My pick for best? For me it’s a tie between _Hemispheres_ and _Permanent Waves_. Though I think _Snakes & Arrows_ is pretty damned good too. ---
**Author:** ![bigmacdaddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@bigmacdaddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigmacdaddy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/23 "2010-10-13T21:40:13Z")
Moving Pictures ftw ---
**Author:** ![MrFloppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@MrFloppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFloppy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/24 "2010-10-14T18:32:41Z")
A Farewell To Kings Permanent Waves Moving Pictures ---
**Author:** ![skargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@skargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skargo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/25 "2010-10-15T21:04:58Z")
I sat first row center at the Baltimore Arena, and I was almost in a trance watching Neil bang on the drums, I have seen MANY concerts and the musical display he puts on, along with Geddy and Alex is incomparable! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/26 "2010-10-19T04:03:03Z")
Moving Pictures is one of the All-Time great Albums Permanent Waves\>Moving Pictures\>Exit Stage Left …Rush ruled the world during that stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/27 "2010-10-19T04:25:13Z")
Toss-up between _Permanent Waves_ and _Moving Pictures_. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/28 "2010-10-19T19:42:26Z")
Moving Pictures Presto Hemispheres Snakes and Arrows Saw them perform live just a few weeks ago. Still amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/29 "2010-10-19T19:59:25Z")
Would picking one of their live albums be cheating? If not, I would say “A Show of Hands”. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/30 "2011-01-13T04:53:33Z")
At risk of resurecting a slightly old thread, I’ve decided to expand my Rush collection on the iPod. Are there any albums that are really worth listening to after Roll The Bones (and if so, which ones)? For compilation albums, Chronicles makes a nice “Rush starter kit” as it pretty much has every big hit. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/31 "2011-01-13T04:59:06Z")
1. Permanent Waves 2. Moving Pictures 3. Power Windows 4. 2112 “The Trees” ruins _Hemispheres_ for me, because the lyrics are so unbelievably fucking stupid I can’t get past them. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/32 "2011-01-13T05:00:24Z")
It’s hard to pick one, but I’ve got to go with Moving Pictures. > [@msmith537](#): > > At risk of resurecting a slightly old thread, I’ve decided to expand my Rush collection on the iPod. Are there any albums that are really worth listening to after Roll The Bones (and if so, which ones)? I highly recommend Counterparts. I would probably put it in my top 10 favorite albums. Test For Echo is also really good, and has a similar sound to Counterparts. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/33 "2011-01-13T05:12:01Z")
2112 Moving Pictures Exit…Stage Left Fly By Night I pretty much stopped following them after they got really synth heavy. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/34 "2011-01-13T05:31:42Z")
Signals ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/35 "2011-01-13T05:51:26Z")
My first thought was _Moving Pictures_. Then somebody mentioned \*Hemispheres \*and _Permanent Waves_. And I’ve always liked _2112_. _A Farewell to Kings_ was pretty good too. Man, those guys really put out some great tunes, didn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/36 "2011-01-13T06:30:21Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > At risk of resurecting a slightly old thread, I’ve decided to expand my Rush collection on the iPod. Are there any albums that are really worth listening to after Roll The Bones (and if so, which ones)? I already mentioned it upthread, but I’ll say it again: _Snakes & Arrows_, their most recent full album. It really is good. _Three freakin’ instrumentals!_ It occurs to me that, this being 2011, I’ve been following this band for a bit over _30 years_, ever since a friend in 8th grade had me listen to “Freewill”. Wow. I look at all the other bands I was a huge fan of when I was 14-18 years old and learning how to play the guitar and bass — The Beatles, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden — I’d put those records on and plug in my guitar or bass and just play along with them for hours and hours. But eventually I just got tired of playing those songs, and stopped buying the records. But Rush… man, I’ve played along with Rush more than any other band, and I just _can’t_ get tired of them. Their songs just never “wear out”. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/37 "2011-01-13T13:58:07Z")
Yeah, me too. My friend Dave was into them and turned me onto them and I was lost. It was between Signals and Grace Under Pressure so…1983, I guess? And I saw them on the GUP tour (floor seats for $12.50!). It would be a tough call for best. They had so many different approaches to albums. I might go with Roll the Bones because I have a thing for randomness and chance (surprisingly). ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/38 "2011-01-13T23:38:36Z")
I really like Snakes and Arrows too. Of course there’s not much I don’t like when it comes to Rush. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/39 "2011-01-13T23:53:24Z")
I can"t pick a favorite as it depends on my mood - and I have every studio album. However, I will say that I found **Rush in Rio** to be an amazing live album. That crowd was so into it that they were singing to the _instrumentals_! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Doctor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874/40 "2011-01-13T23:58:09Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Yeah, me too. My friend Dave was into them and turned me onto them and I was lost. It was between Signals and Grace Under Pressure so…1983, I guess? And I saw them on the GUP tour (floor seats for $12.50!). > > It would be a tough call for best. They had so many different approaches to albums. I might go with Roll the Bones because I have a thing for randomness and chance (surprisingly). And Styx, I would say. (Yep, have the album, went to the concert - it was awesome!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rush-album/556874.md?page=3)