I always enjoy the songs I hear on the radio by Rush, particularly their “harder” stuff, like “Working Man,” though in college a friend made me listen to a LOT of their music, which I enjoyed regardless of how light or heavy it was.
What CDs should I get first? The obvious, like 2112 or a greatest hits thing,or what?
hrh
If you want a sampler, get “Chronicles.” It has samples from the first album through “Presto.”
“2112” is a good first album choice, if you like their early “hard” stuff. I’d also recommend “Power Windows” and “Counterparts” for the later music.
For their less heavy side, I strongly recommend Moving Pictures - I’m sure you’ve heard some of the tracks off it, like Tom Sawyer.
For the heavy side, I’m a sucker for the first live album, All The World’s A Stage, which includes most of 2112, and lots of other very seventies sounding music. It’s almost like a best of for the early stuff that won’t become redundant if you decide you need to buy all of their records.
Second ** Moving Pictures**
Third vote for Moving Picturesas a starting point. Get Permanant Waves next. Then go on to get the first 3 albums, in reverse order. You will be hooked by that time, and ready to move forward! Collect the rest, skipping back and forth till you get them all. Truly amazing stuff in their large body of work.
Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore.
[Invite Flames
None of them… Rush is over rated and they don’t need any more money…
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Hands down, their best is “All The World’s a Stage.” I’m a fan, but not a huge fan. I really lose interest in a lot of their later music. I really like “All the World…” though. It’s live, and has their earliest songs, such as Fly By Night, Working Man, Bastille Day, Finding My Way, Lakeside Park, and side one of 2112. Great playing, and great songs. One of the best Classic Rock albums ever.
This is a very tough call. They’ve had at least FIVE major periods of different music types.
It’s true that Moving Pictures is thought to be the high water mark. But I’m mostly a fan of the songwriting from the few albums immediately following it. Signals, Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows all show a stage where they’d stopped concentrating on virtuousity and switched to concentrating on writing good songs. That’s a big plus for me.
Thanks for the input. I’m a bit poor right now, but when the time comes, I’ll probably go with “All the World’s a Stage” first, then “Moving Pictures.”
hrh
Hell, I’ll spring for the first one. Sort of proselitizing.
Permanent Waves is the album recorded preceding Moving Pictures, and that transition is a great place to jump in IMHO. If I were to usher someone into this aural landscape I would go in this order.
PW
Moving Pictures
Hemispheres
Farewell to Kings
Signals
obviously I lean towards their middle-period material and consider everthing from MP back to be seminal.
Their latest, “Vapor Trails” hasn’t made a big impression on me, and while I can listen with interest to all the musical counterpoint going on, I’ve about given up on Geddy writing compelling melodies anymore.
as for the flame toll, you’re late for the party. This band has been tarred and feathered to death on these boards. Buy some RAM and do a search
Some of their very earliest albums are among the best. I thought they verged on being a little too commercial somewhere around where “Tom Sawyer” came out.
Hemispheres
Moving Pictures
Signals
Permanent Waves
I worship Rush yet I find 2112 overrated