Rush: Subdivisions

[handsomeharry]

@Toxylon

Not a lot of love for the synth-y mid-80’s Rush here, it seems. I happen to love Power Windows and especially Hold Your Fire, precisely because on those albums, Rush shed the clunky Hard Rock-stumbles-into-New Wave, faux-Police style for the ultimate Prog Pop soundscape - clean, precise, masterfully executed, melodic, hooky and just poppy enough. Rush has reinvented itself over and over again because they have to. Their music so insular and tight they can’t go on very long without drastic changes in style. That I’m a bassist may explain why losing raunchy guitars didn’t impact me much. And Geddy never sounded better than with the Wals of the 80’s.

Mind you, I have all Rush albums until Vapor Trails and I listen to most all of them (on Presto and Roll the Bones, the ultra-smooth, tight 80’s Prog Pop turned into looser, blander 90’s Pop Rock, them being the lesser efforts IMHO).

Subdivisions is a huge shivers-down-my-spine song to me. Countdown is really bad, possibly the worst Rush ever made.

I kind of like Countdown. As for the worst, they have a lot of dogs, but, IIRC their worst is Kid Gloves. Maybe Analog Kid, IMHO.

[Infovore]

@handsomeharry

I kind of like Countdown. As for the worst, they have a lot of dogs, but, IIRC their worst is Kid Gloves. Maybe Analog Kid, IMHO.

My vote for worst Rush song has to be Virtuality from Test for Echo, which includes these deathless lyrics:

Net boy, net girl
Send your impulse 'round the world
Put your message in a modem
And throw it in the cyber sea

People who aren’t used to using computers were so cute back in the '90s when they tried to use the “lingo”…but seriously, Neil, what were you thinking?

[Hentor_the_Barbarian]

@handsomeharry

I kind of like Countdown. As for the worst, they have a lot of dogs, but, IIRC their worst is Kid Gloves. Maybe Analog Kid, IMHO.

Wow, you’ve included two of my favorites in your list of dogs. For me, if we’re sticking to the 70s and 80s, I’d go with Tears, Something for Nothing , or maybe Madrigal.

[Infovore]

@Hentor_the_Barbarian

Wow, you’ve included two of my favorites in your list of dogs. For me, if we’re sticking to the 70s and 80s, I’d go with Tears, Something for Nothing , or maybe Madrigal.

Oh, are we sticking to 70s and 80s? If so, I vote for everything from their first (pre-Neil Peart) album.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@Infovore

Oh, are we sticking to 70s and 80s? If so, I vote for everything from their first (pre-Neil Peart) album.

Yeah, that album just plods along, doesn’t it? Even the single “Working Man” is like audio sandpaper to the ears. Ye gods that early 1970’s heavy riff for the chorus…DUHN-duhn-DUHN-duhn-DUHN-duhn-DUHN-duhn…unlistenable.

[snowthx]

@Infovore

My vote for worst Rush song has to be Virtuality from Test for Echo, which includes these deathless lyrics:

Net boy, net girl
Send your impulse 'round the world
Put your message in a modem
And throw it in the cyber sea

People who aren’t used to using computers were so cute back in the '90s when they tried to use the “lingo”…but seriously, Neil, what were you thinking?

I am going to have to second this. It’s hard enough to get my family to like anything Rush, but when this comes on thru the rotation on a road trip, I do have to FFWD to the next song.

[Gatopescado]

@Quimby

I just wanted to thank this thread for reminding me of some great Rush songs I haven’t listened to in years.

You wanna have some real fun? Go back and listen to* Best I Can* and just try to deny you air-guitar’d.