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Monday 22 April 2019

Ranked & Rated: Rush (Alex)

Rush was one of the greatest bands in the history of Rock. In 2016, they gracefully announced their decision to retire. Who could blame them? Across 50 years, The Canadian trio formed of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, constantly evolved, flirting with a miasma of contemporary genres.

19. Presto (1989)

Forgettable and flavourless, Presto amounts to an hour of dull, tepid guitar rock. Although most of the tracks are five minutes or under, they drag greatly. Whatsmore, there is barely any character or colour to be found across the entire runtime - a feature not aided by soulless production choices. Presuming any hardcore Rush Fans want to hold me hostage (A distinct possibility, for reasons that will become apparent) don't ask me to hum a melody from Presto for my release – after multiple chances, I still can't remember anything.

18. Caress Of Steel (1975)

An initial misstep upon early ventures into prog, both of the so-called epics on here are weak, especially in comparison to forthcoming opuses. The Necromancer is made to feel laborious by Peart’s unintentionally hilarious narration, while Fountain of Lamneth is beset by transitions, none of which feel natural. While Bastille Day serves as a roaring opener, both of the remaining rock n roll ditties – Lakeside Park and I think I’m Going Bald - are entirely skippable. Nevertheless, for all the lackluster commercial and critical reception, Caress of Steel acted as a stepping stone for the trio. A crossroads, between vein commerciality or progressive artistry.

17. Roll The Bones (1991)

Chances are, if you have any familiarity with Rush fandom, you won’t have heard nice words uttered about Roll the Bones. Even I won't deny that the song to which the release owes its name, is a humongous embarrassment. Questionable tone choices, particularly Peart’s decision to rap - ‘’No maniacs in polyester slacks, Just the facts, gonna kick some gluteus max, It's a parallax, you dig?’’ - make the single a black spot, in a largely glistening body of work. There are also some throwaways, not worth your time. Looking beneath the awkwardness though, moments like Dreamline, Bravado, Ghost of a Chance, and Neurotica stand among some of Rush’s best 90’s work. A mixed and confusing piece for sure, yet not wholly terrible.

16. Hold Your Fire (1987)

Finally, Rush reached the final stage in their transformation into a synth-led act. Keyboards and bright, glitzy guitar textures have a tendency to become tiresome, with certain moments wholly lacking personality. While I appreciate the experiments with world music, they are not committed to, becoming hasty rehashes of past triumphs. However, where the joyous synth pop ideas are made to feel upbeat and positive, they dazzle. Look to the funk-laden opener Force Ten, the meditative Prime Mover, or the dramatic Lock and Key. Listen to one of my favourites from the synthpop era, Time Stand Still, and tell me Hold Your Fire doesn't have any heart. Although far from a perfect work of art, this piece stands as a grossly misrepresented album, in need of a re-evaluation.

15. Test For Echo (1996)

Amongst the fallout from the ’80s, declining relevance, and a string of critical failures, Rush found themselves confronted with a challenge. How were they to reinvent themselves? The two resulting albums emphasized songcrafting, rather than sprawling, conceptual pieces. Test for Echo holds up as proof of how these musicians can write catchy hooks while being technically multifaceted. Moments in the vein of Driven and Virtuality show their ability to write gnashing riffs, while The Color of Right and Totem are inspiring. Needless to say, the same praise could be given to the preceding album

14. Counterparts (1993)

Proving something of a reinvigorating piece, here's a fan favourite. In the film, Beyond the Lighted Stage, the band say they are immensely proud of their work here, and good for them! Animate and Nobody's Hero are outstanding moments of contemporary rock, while Cut to the Chance and Leave that thing Alone, are innovative and adventurous. We see callbacks to the ’80s splattered across these 11 songs. However, distinct from parts of Hold Your Fire and Roll the Bones, the synth additions are tasteful and engaged. Counterparts and Test For Echo are not going to be anyone's favorite Rush albums. However, they make up a discerning part in a discography which is wide-ranging and varied.

13. Power Windows (1985)

A common complaint often leveled against the ’80s, is its obsession with cheese. When applied to a group of prog musicians who spent the 70s wearing robes and waging a war to be weird, that really stands out. For all my tastes are worth though, I consider myself something of a cheese enthusiast, and I’m here to tell you that this album has gained an unfair reputation. Power Windows demonstrates courage, as every moment is brought to life with glimmering synths and energetic hooks - traits demonstrated by Big Money, Manhattan Project and Mystic Rhythms, among others. I’ll admit that there is not an adequate amount of flavours here to supplement and complement one another. Still, provided you’ve got a taste for cheesiness, give this album a try. Moreso than any release I’ve mentioned before, it's drastically overlooked!

12. Rush (1974)

Sans a few exceptions, Rush’s debut marked the only time in their career when they played straightforward Rock n’ roll! It’s the only album not to feature Neil Peart, a key dynamic to the acts future ambitions. Rather, John Rutsy’s style of drumming was appropriate for the riff-based, school hall swing vibe perfected here. Despite all that, Rush stands high, as a great album to supplement the urge for guitar rock, no pretensions needed! Furthermore, I would dare any Prog fan to tell me they don’t occasionally find themselves jamming’ on Workin’ Man or In the Mood. While naïve, this debut marks a glimpse into the humble beginnings of an act whose journey has taken them a long way.

11. Signals (1982)

Noted for beginning the Canadian power trio’s near decade long experiment with Synth Rock, here is also one of their darkest works. Live staple Subdivisions, reflects society-wide feelings of terror. The deep, abrasive synth textures seen on The Weapon and Countdown lend strikingly to the feelings of helplessness felt across the world. Meanwhile, moments in the vein of The Analog Kid, Chemistry and Digital Man, ruminate on the cyber age, their vivid compositions, sending the mind whirling with images of futuristic landscapes, always keeping an air of menace present. Signals took Rush’s sound in ambitious new directions while reflecting their socially conscious side. Nearly forty years later, it remains strikingly pertinent.

10. Snakes And Arrows (2007)

Who could have dreamed that Rush would end their career by making some of their most impressive music? Snakes and Arrows is another unified piece, encompassing forceful anthems – Far Cry, Workin’ Them Angels, Spindrift - contemplative acoustic moments – A Larger Bowl, Faithless, The Way the Wind Blows – and four instrumentals, each more impressive than the last. Further, in contrast to the more personal tone of the last few albums, here we saw them returning to their habit of ruminating on big concepts like morality, religion, and philosophy. Rather than becoming preachy, it demonstrates nuance and perspective. Far from being a depressive dirge, it’s detailed and hopeful. ‘That’s faith enough for me’

9. Clockwork Angels (2012)

Clockwork Angels was Rush’s final album. Set in a ‘steampunk-inspired world lit only by fire’ it follows one man's quest through the mythical and mysterious. Don’t fret If you don’t understand a word I just wrote, I don’t either. Peart released a novel accompanying the album and detailing the story. Compositionally, everything proves instrumentally intricate and emotive. Moments in the vein of The Anarchist, Headlong Flight, Wreckers and Carnies proved the trios ability to stay commanding. Meanwhile, Halo Effect, Seven Cities of Gold, Wish Them Well and The Garden gorgeously utilize orchestras. Overarchingly, this creation served as a fine ending to a musical livelihood, imbued with classics.

8. Fly By Night (1975)

A beautiful sense of humbleness surrounds album no.2. With one foot planted firmly in the stripped-down charm of their debut, and another in the envisioned nature of later works, it's difficult not to look back on the album and grin with enthusiasm. Anthem, Best I can and Fly By Night still show glimpses of the amateur naivety which made self-titled so fun, while By-Tor and the Snow Dog, Rivendell and In The End show steps towards concept-centered writing. Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee have honed their craft thanks to a routine of non-stop touring, while Neil Peart adds an extra-special dynamic to the bands sound. While fans may have not realised it at the time, this album showed that Rush had not yet begun to impress. As far as showing potential is concerned, Fly By Night excels.

7. A Farewell To Kings (1977)

‘’For I have dined on honeydew, and drunk the milk of Paradise!’’ exhales Lee on Xanadu. Therein lies the crux of where Rush lay in their musical development. Arguably the strangest piece in their entire discography, A Farewell to Kings saw them in the midst of their prog days. One part futuristic and another traditionalist, this is one of their harder to broach creations. Yet it becomes an absolute delight once fully comprehended. The title track opens on a light plucking of classical guitar, before exploding into life with a poetic reflection on ancient civilisations. Closer To the Heart inspires with luscious acoustics and thoughtful considerations on creativity. Soon, we encounter Cygnus X-1-Book One-The Voyage – an epic about a space explorer whose ship loses control and plunges into a Supermassive Black Hole. Fascinatingly dense, brilliantly composed and a prelude to future achievements, for all the lack of accessibility, there remains heaps of ambition.

6. Vapor Trails (2002)

The late 1990s were plagued by tragedy for Neil Peart, seeing him lose both his daughter and wife. This immediately sent Rush into hiatus. It might have been permanent. Vapor Trails is an album of stoicism. Aside from painting an aural picture of overcoming pain, soaring anthems and instrumental ferociousness – properly brought to life by the remixed pressing - saw them proving why they still matter. From the exciting drum patterns opening One Little Victory to the inspiring harmonies which close Out of the Cradle, everything screams ‘’you will not write us off the page. We’re still here’’. Dealing brutally with the loss, as evidenced by Ghost Rider and Earthshine, the piece proves contemplative yet hopeful. The prevailing feeling is not one of despair, it's one of bravery. In reviewer circles, we often talk about comebacks – this feels like the release the term was invented for.

5. Grace Under Pressure (1984)

Experimenting with world, calypso and reggae influences, while keeping a hypnotically dark tone, Grace Under Pressure is a masterpiece. Distant Early Warning begins on an obsessively melodic note, the Police-esque beats lending a diverse quality, while the lyrics comment on the imperfections we all possess as humans. Afterimage is a striking song about losing a friend, The Enemy Within excellently deals with the subject of crushing inner doubt, while The Body Electric and Between the Wheels make a return to the themes of technological paranoia. Then there’s Red Sector A, a song about real life experiences Lee’s parents endured during the Holocaust. Our frontman once commented of his mother ‘’She didn’t believe that if there was a society outside the camp how they could allow this to exist’’. By no means an easy topic to write about, it's executed with care. Grace Under Pressure deals with difficult subjects, yet bears optimism. How do we survive difficult, awful and degrading situations? ‘‘not giving in to security under pressure, not missing out on the promise of adventure, not giving up on impossible dreams’’

4. Hemispheres (1978)

Despite only being only four songs in length, they serve as a beautiful indictment of the results of giving three Tolkien obsessed, technically skilled, innovative minded nerds, full creative freedom. Cygnus, Part 2 opens, describing in rich detail, our voyagers encounters, upon being transported back in time, past the event horizon, through the eye of the Supermassive Black Hole. Moving through multiple transitions, each more glorious than the last, the epic inspires sensations of wonder and awe. Circumstances is a sprightly, philosophically minded anthem. Soon, we are granted to a fascinating song about the adventures of the Trees, serving as a metaphor about man’s struggle with his oppressors. Finally, just to supplement the strangeness at its heart, the album finishes on a twisting and diverse instrumental titled La Villa Strangiato – An Exercise in Self Indulgence. Rush would soon go on to create a few albums which straddled the line between their intricately dense 70’s work and their pop-centered 80’s creations. Hemispheres was an excellent way to end an era.

3. Moving Pictures (1981)

Most Rush rankings tend to put this one at the very top, and I can see why! As well as bearing some of Rush’s most notable songs, Moving Pictures also has some of their most overlooked. The entire experience is joyous, thoughtful and carefully crafted, combining pop hooks with prog sensibilities. We open on the distinguishable Tom Sayer, the melodic phrases and instrumental flourishes, working their magic. Red Barchetta is amazingly playful, yet cleverly composed, the careful changes letting every musician shine, keeping the listener enticed. YYZ is a prominent moment, which despite being an instrumental is uniquely memorable and commanding. Aside from dazzling instrumentals, lyrics are poetic. Limelight and The Camera Eye, are particularly thoughtful, describing the tyrannies of fame, contemplating life ‘’outside the gilded cage’’, musing in one particularly relatable line ‘’one must put up barriers to keep oneself intact’’. Witch Hunt deals with the notion of racism, likening it to the superstition of medieval times: ‘’Quick to Judge, quick to anger, slow to understand, prejudice and fear walk hand in hand’’. Closing the album is Vital Signs, the ambiguous wordplay seemingly stressing how we are at our best when allowed to express creativity. Considering the ease with which this album adopts influences, stuns with intricacy or summons an emotion, I’d say Rush are suited to be the act delivering that message.

2. Permanent Waves (1980)

Electrifying riffage opens Permanent Waves with The Spirit of Radio transporting the listener to another world. Lee, Lifeson, and Peart set out their mission statement on this anthem: ‘’Making modern music can still be open-hearted, not so coldly charted it’s really just a question of your honesty’’. Every second inspires with its impassioned poetry about the glory of music, and precise, heartfelt playing. Even if you’ve never heard of this band in your life, you have almost certainly heard this song crackling over your radio. People often forget about the album as experience though. Freewill is equally as lively and encouraging as the opener, so much so that you tend to forget you are listening to contemplations on a tremendously intricate philosophical concept. Jacobs Ladder steadily twists and turns through moments of ambiance to seconds of trouncing punch. Following this, Entre Nous proves a rare case of a realistic love song, its stark melodies proving uplifting, while reflecting on the fragility of relationships. Different Strings is as serious as the album gets, the classical acoustic guitar strumming lending an air of mystery while the words play out like a mournful tale of days long left in the past. We end on Natural Science, its spiralling rhythms and variable transitions, lending magically to the images of natural phenomena described throughout the closer. The album as a whole is enough to leave anyone in awe at how something can be so simultaneously complex and accessible. That’s certainly the effect it has on this writer. Still, ‘’one likes to believe in the freedom of music’’

1. 2112 (1976)

Picture the scene. Rush, while courting a fanbase, are falling short commercially. They are facing the being kicked off their label and returning to a life of obscurity. Their last hope depends on them making an album with short, catchy singalong rock anthems, and less experimentation. By some act of mercy, the three-piece were given one last chance. How did the resulting album turn out? Well, Tears is a beautiful acoustic ballad. A Passage to Bangkok and The Twilight Zone are guitar driven, yet unique. Even Lessons and Something for Nothing are great, proving incredibly well written. Of course, these are hardly examples of their most accessible material, yet it would surely take a ridiculous amount of bravery to defy the label’s demands. Poignantly, said bravery might explain why Rush open 2112 with a 20 minute, conceptual, operatic opus set in a dystopian future, where creativity has been outlawed by cruel and vicious tyrants. Every section in the story, from our introduction to the Priests, to the eventual overthrow of the dystopian order, is performed with the utmost passion and defiance. Through sharp, abrasive instrumentals, each musician is able to capture in vivid detail, an image of a future, dictated by corporate megalomaniacs. 

Far from dragging, the piece takes you on a journey through the strange and stimulating, taking you to the heart of Rush’s mission to be genre-defining. At first glance, the concept seems ridiculous, yet considering execution and poignancy, we are willing to forgive an indulgence in absurdity. Everything feels sincere and earnest. Undoubtedly, the principal victory of 2112 is what it represents. Despite being doomed to failure, thousands flocked to buy the record and concert tickets. Notwithstanding their vein predictions, the managers and music publishers had lost, conceding defeat to creativity and handing Lee and co. complete creative control over future projects. Due to the legacy of this initially career-risking experiment, we are left with a body of work which is both miscellaneous and cohesive. Thanks to three Canadians willingness to take a leap into the unknown, we are left with an act whom, despite still being somewhat overlooked, are adored by dedicated fans around the world. ‘’Attention All Planets of the Solar Federation! Attention All Planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control, we have assumed control, we have assumed control’’

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