Rush

[MrK]

Hold Your Fire (1987)
Force Ten - 8/10
Time Stand Still - 10/10
Open Secrets - 9/10
Second Nature - 5/10
Prime Mover - 10/10
Lock and Key - 5/10
Mission - 10/10
Turn the Page - 6/10
Tai Shan - 1/10
High Water - 3/10

Album rating - 6.7/10

What a weird, wacky album this is. Half of the tracks are legitimately amazing, some of the band’s catchiest work with great lyrics and some are among the worst things they’ve ever done.

• Some fans call this Rush’s adult contemporary album and it’s easy to hear why: it’s very soft, restrained, and adult-themed. It feels like a soft rock album. The thing is: sometimes it really works! The beauty of Rush is that if they write a great song, it doesn’t matter how soft or hard or weird or typical it is: the material still rules. And half the songs are truly beautiful, catchy things.
• Alex is once again pushed to the background here, but thankfully the synths are also toned down in terms of the cheeseball intensity. They’re definitely not turned down, though, as I think there’s more synth here than guitar. When Alex does shine through he really makes it count, though.
• Another album that ends with a whimper in the abysmally earnest and awful Tai Shan and the elongated sigh that is High Water.
• Geddy really sings well here. I think he was a really powerful vocalist during this time period.

 

[mtmccox]

I was connected to my Sonos speaker that combines left and right channels in one, so for a minute or so I was sitting here like "what am I supposed to hear", then I read the video description haha ...

- edit, this is a reply to the drums comparison video

 

[el diablo]

Hold Your Fire (1987)
Force Ten - 8/10
Time Stand Still - 10/10
Open Secrets - 9/10
Second Nature - 5/10
Prime Mover - 10/10
Lock and Key - 5/10
Mission - 10/10
Turn the Page - 6/10
Tai Shan - 1/10
High Water - 3/10

Album rating - 6.7/10

What a weird, wacky album this is. Half of the tracks are legitimately amazing, some of the band’s catchiest work with great lyrics and some are among the worst things they’ve ever done.

• Some fans call this Rush’s adult contemporary album and it’s easy to hear why: it’s very soft, restrained, and adult-themed. It feels like a soft rock album. The thing is: sometimes it really works! The beauty of Rush is that if they write a great song, it doesn’t matter how soft or hard or weird or typical it is: the material still rules. And half the songs are truly beautiful, catchy things.
• Alex is once again pushed to the background here, but thankfully the synths are also toned down in terms of the cheeseball intensity. They’re definitely not turned down, though, as I think there’s more synth here than guitar. When Alex does shine through he really makes it count, though.
• Another album that ends with a whimper in the abysmally earnest and awful Tai Shan and the elongated sigh that is High Water.
• Geddy really sings well here. I think he was a really powerful vocalist during this time period.

I'm not a big fan of this album (although it was the first tour where I saw them live!) but it's interesting to me that your favorite 3 songs are the same as mine. I'm especially curious how you came to your 10/10 rating for Prime Mover? I don't think it was a single and wasn't a fan favorite however it's my favorite song on the album. Like so many Rush songs from this era it starts a bit slow but patience is rewarded as it reaches an emotional crescendo during the "Anything can happen" parts, with Geddy's haunting background vocals sounding like another layer of instruments.

I'm not usually a Lyrics Guy, but you need a heart of stone not to feel some emotion at the lyrics from Time Stand Still and from the first time I heard this album, I always been fascinated by these lyrics from Mission:
If their lives were
Exotic and strange
They would likely have
Gladly exchanged them
For something a little more plain
Maybe something a little more sane

 

[matic22]

I'm not a big fan of this album (although it was the first tour where I saw them live!) but it's interesting to me that your favorite 3 songs are the same as mine. I'm especially curious how you came to your 10/10 rating for Prime Mover? I don't think it was a single and wasn't a fan favorite however it's my favorite song on the album. Like so many Rush songs from this era it starts a bit slow but patience is rewarded as it reaches an emotional crescendo during the "Anything can happen" parts, with Geddy's haunting background vocals sounding like another layer of instruments.

I'm not usually a Lyrics Guy, but you need a heart of stone not to feel some emotion at the lyrics from Time Stand Still and from the first time I heard this album, I always been fascinated by these lyrics from Mission:
If their lives were
Exotic and strange
They would likely have
Gladly exchanged them
For something a little more plain
Maybe something a little more sane

Mission also features one of the most beautiful solos from Alex at the end of it. Especially the version from Snakes and Arrows Live. It's up there with Limelight and The Garden. Another song with top drawer lyrics and the bass/xylophone breakdown at the end of the middle section is downright filthy. Geddy/Neil combo at their best.

All in all, Mission is one of my favourite post-Moving Pictures Rush songs.

 

[Diesel 11]

Freeze - 1/10
Out of the Cradle - 1/10

What the fuck.

 

[Diesel 11]

Happy to say that Hold Your Fire has risen for me in my estimations.

Force Ten - 8/10
Time Stand Still - 10/10
Open Secrets - 7/10
Second Nature - 4/10
Prime Mover - 7/10
Lock and Key - 6/10
Mission - 7/10
Turn the Page - 10/10
Tai Shan - 5/10
High Water - 9/10

Total: 73%

“Time Stand Still” is a top 5 Rush song.

I’ve really liked “Turn the Page” from the get-go but MAN is that song so much fucking fun, twisting and turning and big and powerful and awesome.

“Tai Shan” isn’t bad, but it doesn’t go anywhere and the pan flute is certainly a choice.

“Second Nature” is in the running for Rush’s worst track. I say track because it’s just straight up not a song. It’s Neil writing a letter to the editor and it’s weird and rambling and not nearly as tight as one comes to expect from The Professor. Sunday revival piano doesn’t help either. I just don’t know what the thought was behind this song and maybe my score is too generous.

I love the primordial, mystical soundscape they built around “High Water” and as I got deeper into Rush’s discography I found myself missing it. I’m actually exactly the person it was made for.

 

[MindRuler]

Time Stand Still - 10/10
Prime Mover - 10/10
Mission - 10/10

The best tracks on the album for sure!

Tai Shan - 1/10

I guess I´m one of the few who likes Tai Shan.
I´d give it a 7 or even 8.
Not sure why it´s getting so much hate. Is it the cheesy lyrics? Or the panflute @Diesel 11? I love the eastern melodies so much In this one, eecially the final part.

 

[Diesel 11]

Not sure why it´s getting so much hate. Is it the cheesy lyrics? Or the panflute @Diesel 11? I love the eastern melodies so much In this one, eecially the final part.

I don’t hate it, I just think it’s an average, kinda middling track. Like I said, not a big fan of the pan flute, and I don’t think the track really goes anywhere. The lyrics are cheesy but they don’t bother me. There are some decent moments; I kinda like the way Geddy sings the last line for instance.

 

[Detective Beauregard]

I'm bored and fatigued by the end of the record (and yes, I listened to the remix).

Wait, there’s a remix?

I'm especially curious how you came to your 10/10 rating for Prime Mover? I don't think it was a single and wasn't a fan favorite however it's my favorite song on the album. Like so many Rush songs from this era it starts a bit slow but patience is rewarded as it reaches an emotional crescendo during the "Anything can happen" parts, with Geddy's haunting background vocals sounding like another layer of instruments.

I'm not usually a Lyrics Guy, but you need a heart of stone not to feel some emotion at the lyrics from Time Stand Still and from the first time I heard this album, I always been fascinated by these lyrics from Mission:
If their lives were
Exotic and strange
They would likely have
Gladly exchanged them
For something a little more plain
Maybe something a little more sane

Prime Mover is one of my favorite Rush songs, and Mission is up there too. Other than these two and Time Stand Still, I don’t remember much else from this album. I’m excited to revisit it.

Prime Mover has such sexy silky bass, and even though it’s tonally a very happy song I love every second of it.

What the fuck.

Lol, even I’m a bit confused by his ratings here. I’m working my way backwards through their discography at the moment (I just started and I’m trying to spend a week or so on each album), and while I don’t have many great memories of Vapor Trails, I can’t imagine either of these songs truly being a 1/10. He was probably just sick of it at that point. I do remember the album being overlong and too much of the same, but as I said, it’s been a long time.

The best tracks on the album for sure!

I guess I´m one of the few who likes Tai Shan.
I´d give it a 7 or even 8.
Not sure why it´s getting so much hate. Is it the cheesy lyrics? Or the panflute @Diesel 11? I love the eastern melodies so much In this one, eecially the final part.

I don’t remember this song at all, but I’m a sucker for Asian stuff. A single gong hit will add 2-3 points in my book.

 

[MrK]

Roll the Bones (1991)
Dreamline - 8/10
Bravado - 10/10
Roll the Bones - 9/10
Face Up - 5/10
Where’s My Thing? - 8/10
Big Wheel - 5/10
Heresy - 4/10
Ghost of a Chance - 10/10
Neurotica - 3/10
You Bet Your Life - 2/10

Album rating - 6.4/10

Rush continues to score half the points and tank the other half!

• Once again, the opening few tracks are all great! Dreamline is wonderful, Bravado so restrained yet perfect, and the title track is still one of their catchiest songs ever (despite the stupid rap). Even a bad pitch-shifted rap can’t knock my enthusiasm for the song.
• We get a fun instrumental with a sweet riff break halfway through and some amazing fills by Neil.
• Ghost of a Chance is another perfect track that could only have existed at this moment in time. Alex’s solo is heavenly, easily one of his best.
• And then…there’s the other half of the album that ranges from kinda lame (Face Up, Big Wheel) to purely forgettable (Heresy) to poor choices and experiments (Neurotica, Bet Your Life). But at the very least it’s good to see they were having fun?

 

[MrK]

I'm not a big fan of this album (although it was the first tour where I saw them live!) but it's interesting to me that your favorite 3 songs are the same as mine. I'm especially curious how you came to your 10/10 rating for Prime Mover? I don't think it was a single and wasn't a fan favorite however it's my favorite song on the album. Like so many Rush songs from this era it starts a bit slow but patience is rewarded as it reaches an emotional crescendo during the "Anything can happen" parts, with Geddy's haunting background vocals sounding like another layer of instruments.

Prime Mover is just awesome! Great vibe, great chorus, great playing and singing - it's just an amazing slice of synth-era Rush.

Mission also features one of the most beautiful solos from Alex at the end of it. Especially the version from Snakes and Arrows Live. It's up there with Limelight and The Garden. Another song with top drawer lyrics and the bass/xylophone breakdown at the end of the middle section is downright filthy. Geddy/Neil combo at their best. All in all, Mission is one of my favourite post-Moving Pictures Rush songs.

Mission is another absolute gem. I'm sure these songs get overlooked because they are on a much maligned synth album, but they are incredible pieces of songwriting.

“Time Stand Still” is a top 5 Rush song.

It's a perfect song. I don't know if I'd rate it anywhere near the top, but it is absolutely one of the truest testaments to the guys' songwriting abilities.

“Second Nature” is in the running for Rush’s worst track. I say track because it’s just straight up not a song. It’s Neil writing a letter to the editor and it’s weird and rambling and not nearly as tight as one comes to expect from The Professor. Sunday revival piano doesn’t help either. I just don’t know what the thought was behind this song and maybe my score is too generous.

I don't think I'd put it in the running for "worst Rush track", but it's certainly completely forgettable and has bad lyrics. As I am typing this I literally cannot remember what it sounds like.

I love the primordial, mystical soundscape they built around “High Water” and as I got deeper into Rush’s discography I found myself missing it. I’m actually exactly the person it was made for.

This song does absolutely nothing for me. It's the Rush equivalent of a babbling brook. Except I enjoy the sound of a peaceful babbling brook more.

Wait, there’s a remix?

Yes! It's better, but it can't save the weak songwriting.

Prime Mover is one of my favorite Rush songs, and Mission is up there too. Other than these two and Time Stand Still, I don’t remember much else from this album. I’m excited to revisit it.

Go back and listen to at least Force Ten and Open Secrets. The rest is throwaway.

Lol, even I’m a bit confused by his ratings here. I’m working my way backwards through their discography at the moment (I just started and I’m trying to spend a week or so on each album), and while I don’t have many great memories of Vapor Trails, I can’t imagine either of these songs truly being a 1/10. He was probably just sick of it at that point. I do remember the album being overlong and too much of the same, but as I said, it’s been a long time.

I find both of those songs absolutely grating. Nothing is catchy about them and it's like Geddy is actively trying to sing the (poor) lyrics in the most annoying way possible. Honestly, I should boost my rating for Tai Shan, because as terribly lame as it is: it's more listenable than these two.

I don’t remember this song at all, but I’m a sucker for Asian stuff. A single gong hit will add 2-3 points in my book.

Those will be 2-3 more points than it deserves...

 

[MrK]

2112 (1976)
2112 - 10/10
A Passage to Bangkok - 7/10
The Twilight Zone - 7/10
Lessons - 5/10
Tears - 3/10
Something for Nothing - 8/10

Album rating - 6.6/10

Boy oh boy, should they have just made this an EP.

• The title track is one of the most iconic songs in history and it’s all justified. Is it the best Rush song? No, but it’s just so insanely classic. It’s too long, it’s a bit too drawn out, the story is barely there, but it’s still an easy 10/10. And still way, way better than The Astonishing.
• It’s a shame I have to give a whole album rating, because Side B is such a massive drop off in quality. All the songs feel like b-sides, except for Something From Nothing.
• The lyrics on tracks 2-5 are really, really bad. Luckily, the music on Bangkok and Twilight Zone saves them quite a bit (Oriental riff not withstanding). There is no saving Alex and Geddy’s lyrical contributions.
• And let’s be real, I’m being a bit generous with those ratings.

 

[el diablo]

2112 (1976)
2112 - 10/10
A Passage to Bangkok - 7/10
The Twilight Zone - 7/10
Lessons - 5/10
Tears - 3/10
Something for Nothing - 8/10

Album rating - 6.6/10

Boy oh boy, should they have just made this an EP.

• The title track is one of the most iconic songs in history and it’s all justified. Is it the best Rush song? No, but it’s just so insanely classic. It’s too long, it’s a bit too drawn out, the story is barely there, but it’s still an easy 10/10. And still way, way better than The Astonishing.
• It’s a shame I have to give a whole album rating, because Side B is such a massive drop off in quality. All the songs feel like b-sides, except for Something From Nothing.
• The lyrics on tracks 2-5 are really, really bad. Luckily, the music on Bangkok and Twilight Zone saves them quite a bit (Oriental riff not withstanding). There is no saving Alex and Geddy’s lyrical contributions.
• And let’s be real, I’m being a bit generous with those ratings.

I saw Rush live about a dozen times between the Hold Your Fire and Test for Echo tours and Something for Nothing is way up there on the list of songs that I lament never getting to see played.

 

[Diesel 11]

Rush continues to score half the points and tank the other half!

I agree, but I'm afraid that once again our scores contrast each other's:

Dreamline - 9/10
Bravado - 8/10
Roll the Bones - 7/10
Face Up - 7/10
Where's My Thing? - 7/10
The Big Wheel - 9/10
Heresy - 6/10
Ghost of a Chance - 5/10
Neurotica - 8/10
You Bet Your Life - 5/10

Total: 71%

"Dreamline" and "Bravado" are classics for a reason, although I don't think "Bravado" fully sticks the landing. The title track is good, but it has a shelf life and I'm not as enamored by it as I was at first. I actually like the rap quite a bit. It's fun.

"Face Up" is a lot of fun, but I wish there was more meat on its bones. Same with "Where's My Thing?". "The Big Wheel", meanwhile, has a ton of great stuff going on. Slamming riff juxtaposing the more reserved verses and little changes with each moment. The chorus annoyed me at first but now I love it. It's soft and calm and Neil's lyrics are pretty memorable.

"Heresy" has some good stuff but it never really takes off and the bridge is just whatever.

"Ghost of a Chance" is the album's nadir for me. The riff sounds so lackluster and almost ugly. The verses are better but not great. The switch to the chorus is cool but it feels disconnected from what came before. Alex's solo though is fantastic and really raises the entire song. Not so much that I think it's great, but it does save it from what would have been an easy 4.

"Neurotica", meanwhile, I think is groovy and fun. I should hate the chorus but it clicks with me. I wanna sing along. "You Bet Your Life" is forgettable but I don't hate when it's on.

Too many ups and downs with this one. Counterparts, meanwhile, has only gotten better for me.

 

[Jer]

@Diesel 11, are you seriously re-reviewing all the Rush records after just doing a discography walk a couple of weeks ago? If you have meaningful score deltas then I’d be concerned about how volatile your opinions are.

I was pretty generous with Hold Your Fire in my review. It’s an uneven album for sure, with embarrassing amounts of synth and lots of merely OK filler tracks, though it’s got some gems too. Still a good album on the whole, but it can’t hold a candle to its neighbors.

 

[Diesel 11]

@Diesel 11, are you seriously re-reviewing all the Rush records after just doing a discography walk a couple of weeks ago? If you have meaningful score deltas then I’d be concerned about how volatile your opinions are.

I’ve been listening to Rush pretty much non stop since I began the reviews with only a few breaks in between. Some songs didn’t jump out at me at first. For instance, I gave “Hemispheres” a 9 last year, but since then it’s been one of the songs I’ve been most obsessed with and I realized after the review that it had grown on me. Same with “High Water”, etc.

There was enough wiggle room there that I decided to go through the albums again and see where they stood now. There have been fluxtuations in score but I think this was necessary for me to feel confident in my ratings, because some while I was writing the review were pretty difficult to parse. Presto especially made me wish I had a different rating scale.

I still stand by the reviews, because I everything there is true to what I felt while reviewing them, but my appreciations for songs can evolve with time, and I’m currently looking to see where they have. I wouldn’t take it too seriously. If Knick wasn’t going through these right now I would’ve made a post at the end of my journey summing everything up, from the albums to the songs, what’s grown on me, what’s not, etc. I might still do that. Most of the album scores have stayed within the same ballpark.

 

[el diablo]

Presto especially made me wish I had a different rating scale.

Because it sucks?



(just kidding - but it's really not my cup of tea)

 

[Diesel 11]

Because it sucks?



(just kidding - but it's really not my cup of tea)

Lol no. I think it's a good album that rarely becomes great and some songs I almost wanted to add a decimal to the score. "Hand Over Fist" is the only song there that I actively don't care for. It's a passive album compared to the more active ones Rush made before.

 

[Detective Beauregard]

@Diesel 11

I recall Counterparts not only being Rush’s best ‘90s-2000s album, but also one of their strongest records overall. But it’s been a while since I’ve heard it.

Because it sucks?

(just kidding - but it's really not my cup of tea)

Haha, I don’t recall Presto being a very good album, either (but again, it’s been a while).

 

[MrK]

I saw Rush live about a dozen times between the Hold Your Fire and Test for Echo tours and Something for Nothing is way up there on the list of songs that I lament never getting to see played.

Is that a song they play frequently?

"Face Up" is a lot of fun, but I wish there was more meat on its bones. Same with "Where's My Thing?".

Definitely. These songs feel half-finished at best, even when they're fun. Unfortunately this was pretty common in latter era Rush albums.

"The Big Wheel", meanwhile, has a ton of great stuff going on. Slamming riff juxtaposing the more reserved verses and little changes with each moment. The chorus annoyed me at first but now I love it. It's soft and calm and Neil's lyrics are pretty memorable.

Over 15 years of listening to this album and I still find it pretty annoying. It's actually decently catchy, but Geddy's delivery of "looking for lo-uh-ove" really kills me. Definitely a song that might grow on me, but maybe give me another 15 years.

"Ghost of a Chance" is the album's nadir for me. The riff sounds so lackluster and almost ugly. The verses are better but not great. The switch to the chorus is cool but it feels disconnected from what came before. Alex's solo though is fantastic and really raises the entire song. Not so much that I think it's great, but it does save it from what would have been an easy 4.

I don't hear any "ugliness" in the riff at all! Sure, it's not the greatest thing in the world, but it's a decent little emotive bluesy thing. It probably gets repeated a bit too much, though. I actually think the switch into the chorus, when paired with the lyrics, is genius. The chorus itself feels dreamy and perfect for the theme and it does the typical Neil thing where it feels like it's going to meander but then the lyrics come together at the end. I also adore Alex's little Maiden-ish riff at the end of the chorus.

This is definitely a song that grew on me, but I think it's easily the best tune on the album. Alex's solo is incredible.

"You Bet Your Life" is forgettable but I don't hate when it's on.

God, those run-on nonsense jumbled phrases throughout are lamer than any part of the rap in the title track.

Presto especially made me wish I had a different rating scale.

Because it sucks?

Lol no. I think it's a good album that rarely becomes great and some songs I almost wanted to add a decimal to the score. "Hand Over Fist" is the only song there that I actively don't care for. It's a passive album compared to the more active ones Rush made before.

Haha, I don’t recall Presto being a very good album, either (but again, it’s been a while).

Okkkkkkkk then...


Presto (1989)
Show Don’t Tell - 8/10
Chain Lightning - 8/10
The Pass - 9/10
War Paint - 5/10
Scars - 8/10
Presto - 5/10
Superconductor - 4/10
Anagram (For Mongo) - 3/10
Red Tide - 6/10
Hand Over Fist - 2/10
Available Light - 10/10

Album rating - 6.1/10

Another wayward 80s album with a stacked Side A, a mostly bad Side B, but some very nice bright spots!

• For all the talk of this record “returning to the guitar-driven sound” it sure still lacks a lot of guitar in a lot of songs. Alex shows up in a big way for some riffs and fiery solos, but I still wish he was more prominent.
• Neil once again turns in some of his best, most profound lyrics and some of his worst, but boneheaded experiments (here’s looking at you, Anagram).
• The good here is really good, especially the heartfelt The Pass and Geddy’s amazing vocal on Available Light (also one of the Neil’s best lyrics). The first two tracks are quite good and Chain Lightning’s lyrics are incredibly sad in retrospect.
• Scars probably gets shit on a lot, but it’s a hell of a fun time and the drums and bass are just incredible.