Rush fans: make a list

[Antag]

To save hijacking the jt listening thread, I thought I'd start this in a thread of its own :)  Like the title says, list their studio albums, or the ones you have, best-to-worst (or favourite to least favourite).  Here's my list:

Moving Pictures
2112
Vapor Trails
Snakes & Arrows
Permanent Waves
Counterparts
Hemispheres
A Farewell to Kings
Grace under pressure
Signals
Fly by Night
Caress of Steel
Roll the Bones
Rush
Presto
Test for Echo
Hold your fire
Power Windows

[Philly Q]

Permanent Waves
Moving Pictures
Counterparts
2112
A Farewell to Kings
Vapor Trails
Snakes & Arrows
Fly by Night
Test for Echo
Rush
Roll the Bones
Caress of Steel
Hemispheres
Signals
Presto
Power Windows
Grace under Pressure
Hold your Fire

Or something like that.  I'm pretty happy with the top few and bottom few, but I got a bit confused in the middle.  :?

On the whole, my favourite periods are late '70s/early '80s and the recent stuff.  Not so keen on the '80s synth based stuff, although there were of course many great songs on those albums. :)

[TwilightOdyssey]

Hmm, this will take some thinking.

To be continued ...

[hamfist]

Fly by Night
Hemispheres
2112
Farewell to Kings
Caress of Steel
Moving Pictures
Permanent Waves

I love all these, although don't care much for any of their later work.

[Ian Price]

Mine is really simple.

2112
Permanent Waves

These are the only 2 Rush albums I have heard.

[Modular1]

Moving Pictures
Hemispheres
Permanent Waves
Fly By Night
2112
A Farewell To Arms
Signals
Grace Under Pressure
Snakes And Arrows
Caress Of Steel

Exit Stage Left is a great live album, but ive only included studio albums in the list. this also makes up all the cds that i actually own. if i listened to any of the others much id buy them. but i dont so i wont.

off topic to my other thread on here but the album vapor trails i have to say is possibly the worst mastering ive ever heard on a modern cd. it sounds truly awful. http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13661.0

[Antag]

Exit Stage Left is a great live album, but ive only included studio albums in the list. this also makes up all the cds that i actually own. if i listened to any of the others much id buy them. but i dont so i wont.

Well, if we're making a live album list too :-)

Rush in Rio
Snakes & Arrows Live
Exit Stage Left
R30
Different Stages
All the world's a stage
Show of slit wrists hands

Haven't got Replay x3 yet.

FWIW, Exit Stage Left is the album that got me into Rush & the first one I bought.  I consider it one of my "all-time" top 10, but when taken in isolation I rate Rio & Snakes'n'Arrows higher as they are complete set lists.

Rush in Rio is an absolutely wonderful package - the CD is great, but the DVD is everything a live DVD should be.  Glorious, joyful performance in front of a manic crowd, fantastic set list (the best of all Rush live releases IMO) & the bonus documentary is worth the purchase price alone.

[Antag]

I'm pretty happy with the top few and bottom few, but I got a bit confused in the middle.  :?

Yeah, my top 6 is set but on any given day I could order the next 4 differently & the next 3 & the next 3.  The bottom 2 I'm certain of ;) (FWIW, the only thing keeping Hold Your Fire off last place is the song "Force Ten")

[Philly Q]

FWIW, Exit Stage Left is the album that got me into Rush & the first one I bought. 

Similar for me, but with All The World's A Stage.  I think I bought Permanent Waves just before, but ATWAS was like my "gateway" to all the earlier albums, so I still prefer the versions of the songs on there to their studio counterparts.

And I agree about the Rush In Rio DVD.  I've read complaints about there being too much crowd noise on the audio track, but I think that's nonsense.  The extra features are wonderful, and I can't get over what likeable, intelligent guys the band members are - normally when I watch "rock star" interviews, even with my heroes, I can't help thinking what arrogant and/or stupid dicks they are.   And Alex Lifeson is hilarious! :)

[TwilightOdyssey]

Okay, I can't do it. I can't make a list, and you can't make me! PDT_008

What I will do is list my favourite album from each era of the band, and you can consider them all tied for first.

The Zeppelin Years (Contestants: Rush, Fly By Night, Caress Of Steel): Caress Of Steel
The Prog Years (Contestants: 2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres): Hemispheres
The Police Years (Contestants: Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures): Permanent Waves
The Synth Years (Contestants: Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, Presto): Hold Your Fire
The Return-To-Rock Years (Contestants: Roll The Bones, Counterparts, Test For Echo): Roll The Bones
The Modern Years (Contestants: Vapor Trails, Snakes & Arrows): Snakes & Arrows

Hope I didn't miss anything!

For live albums, I'll pick Different Stages for the awesome 1978 live album.

[Ian Price]

I can't get over what likeable, intelligent guys the band members are

Couldn't agree more Philly. A band that takes French lessons whilst on tour and has fun racing RC cars is good in my books!

[Antag]

Okay, I can't do it. I can't make a list, and you can't make me! PDT_008

Cop out!!  PDT_008 :)

Interesting how you categorized them.  Using your names, I think of them a bit differently:

The Zeppelin Years (Rush, Fly By Night, Caress Of Steel)
The Prog Years (2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres)
The Police Years (Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals, Grace Under Pressure)
The Synth Years (Power Windows, Hold Your Fire)
The Return-To-Rock Years (Presto, Roll The Bones)
The Modern Years (Counterparts, Test For Echo, Vapor Trails, Snakes & Arrows)

Perhaps that has as much to do with my history of being a Rush fan: at the risk of committing heresy, I actually disliked Power Windows & Hold Your Fire - for a time I almost completely lost interest in the band.  It wasn't until Counterparts that I really "came back" to Rush...