Recommend some Rush albums?

ImpossibleDuck

I really want to get into Rush, can anyone recommend, let's say, their top 3?

Preferrably nothing from the synthesiser period.

Thanks.

PeterIanStaker

OP that's a tough call, only 3? Well, these would be what I'm listening to most at the moment, I bet that other fans on here will give you different ones!

Rush (1974)
A Farewell to Kings (1977)
Moving Pictures (1981)

also:
Snakes and Arrows Live (2007)

Hope this helps.

mike65

All of them of course! :pac:

You could do a lot worse than start with Exit Stage Left - live 1981 and then nip forwards to Rush in Rio 2003.

If you are aware of their "synth period" that suggests you know enough to make your own judgement, no? Also that would mean not listening to Moving Pictures and Grace Under Pressure which would be a sin.

Wooden Jesus

Get moving pictures, then get all of their albums and enjoy

AaronEnnis

The top 3 are 2112, A Farewell To Kings, and Fly By Night, in that order...

But just get everything from Signals and backward!

bnt

Yeesh - you'd think that Rush dropped down a hole in 1984. While I love the albums most-mentioned, I count Presto in my Top 3, Snakes and Arrows is cracking stuff, and I can hardly wait for the cleaned-up remix of Vapor Trails that's on the way.

greendom

They're all brilliant to one degree or another. Permanent Waves has to be the place to start though imo. Don't discount the synth though Power Windows is pretty synth heavy but that doesn't stop it from being a wonderful effort.

mike65

Power Windows was my first Rush studio album (had Exit..) and to quote the Sounds review headline it has "a touch of glass"

JBnaglfar

For getting into Rush, Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves and A Farewell to Kings would be the three I recommend. It's all good tho, so don't be afraid to try out any album. The synth period has some great music too.

GLaDOS

I'd go with 2112, A Farewell to Kings and Moving Pictures myself, though limiting it to 3 albums seems silly

stateofflux

i love 'counterparts' (1993) then 2112 & hemispheres are my other favs

RayCon

ImpossibleDuck asks an Impossible Question !! Limit it to 3 and leave out the "synth" period - are you mad ?!

5 Rush album I could not be without :

1. Signals
2. Moving Pictures
3. Hemispheres
4. Grace Under Pressure
5. 2112

... everything else is fantastic too ... there is no other band like Rush.

johnnyivan

mike65 wrote: »

All of them of course! :pac:

You could do a lot worse than start with Exit Stage Left - live 1981 and then nip forwards to Rush in Rio 2003.

Took the words out of my mouth! That album got me into them. I was a metalhead in 1985, when I heard this it was heavy and sophisticated. I was hooked.

'Live in Rio' DVD is a must. Best live recording I've ever watched. Look up 'YYZ' and RIO on YouTube for a taste. Neil Peart and the band were amazed: "They're singing the instruentals!"

greendom

Great article in today's Guardian that will maybe give you some more ideas.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/mar/24/rush-moving-pictures

Deplasterer

greendom wrote: »

They're all brilliant to one degree or another. Permanent Waves has to be the place to start though imo. Don't discount the synth though Power Windows is pretty synth heavy but that doesn't stop it from being a wonderful effort.

Couldn't agree more, these two for definite & Rush in RIO DVD, sheer class. Go to youtube & listen to Freewill & Entre Nous from Permanent Waves, both underated because of Spirit of Radio from the same album, which is also a masterpiece. Enjoy & go get your tivket for the O2, as will probavly be one & only time they play here.

bradlente

To sum this thread up OP,the recommended albums would have to be:

1.The entire discography of Rush.



That should cover ye:pac:

AnalogueKid

Exit Stage Left is a great starting point, it was the first Rush I ever heard way back in 84 and I haven't looked back since. It has so many essential tracks from the 74-81 period.

As far as studio stuff goes, my favourite period would be 80-89 - their most keyboard heavy material. Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and Signals are three flawless records and were released in 80, 81 and 82 respectively. The keyboards became more prominent thereafter (not to the detriment of the band imo).

For the earlier heavier stuff, go with A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres or 2112.

Enjoy!

galwayrush

Permanent waves got me hooked, then add exit stage left live, and Snakes and Arrows live to get a good feel for them.

groovie

Start with Moving Pictures, why?

1. The first four songs stand up to anything in the Rush catalog, plus they are reasonably short and very popular amongst Rush fans.

2. MP is a little bit 'synthy', so from there you can move forward to more synthy stuff if you find it to your liking or backward to more guitary material.

For the 90's on, Counterparts and Snakes & Arrows are superb imho.

The live albums and DVD's are all excellent.

Go and see them live in Ireland in May btw. You will not regret it. (Haven't seen them live yet myself, but everyone says this so it must be true).

galwayrush

groovie wrote: »

Go and see them live in Ireland in May btw. You will not regret it. (Haven't seen them live yet myself, but everyone says this so it must be true).

I saw them live for the first time on the R30 tour, seen them 13 times since, I waited about 25 years as a fan to see them for the first time, and even with all my expectation, it blew my mind.Impressed me way more than i could have hoped for. Don't miss it.

delbertgrady

I was playing Roll the Bones on the way into work today.
My top three recommendations would probably be Moving Pictures, Signals and Hemispheres.

greendom

From what I can see the only studio albums not mentioned are Caress of Steel, Hold Your Fire and Test For Echo. I would agree that these are among their weaker efforts but they shouldn't be dismissed entirely as they all have their own merits - (Test For Echo's finish after the first song though)

Looking at their live output, I'm surprised All the World a Stage doesn't appear as it's excellent and also a pretty good summary of their first 4 albums, with hardly a keyboard in sight.

greendom

So OP, which if any have you gone for, and what do you think ?

bnt

mike65 wrote: »

Power Windows was my first Rush studio album (had Exit..) and to quote the Sounds review headline it has "a touch of glass"

Power Windows was my first Rush album, studio or otherwise ... and it was released 30 years ago today! (Bugger ... I'm getting old.) I was just starting to play the bass, another bassist said "dude, you've got to try Rush", and PW was in the shops. Grand Designs was the perhaps the 2nd song I ever learned from start to finish, that tells you how important an album this is to me. A few times this year I've put it on thinking I'll just listen to The Big Money, and before I know it I've listened to the whole thing.