Reviews

#1036: Sleeping My Day Away

A sequel to #1029:  Lick It Up (In Bed)

RECORD STORE TALES #1036: Sleeping My Day Away

Insomnia ain’t no joke!  As a long time sufferer (since childhood), I have continually sought new ways to fall asleep.  Last time we checked in, I was looking at using my laptop and a small pair of laptop speakers to play music and rock myself to sleep.  I have since revised the setup and experimented some more, with promising results.  Here’s the scoop.

The idea of keeping my laptop near my bed, next to my alarm clock and night-time drinks, was not ideal.  I’ve spilled plenty of night-time drinks so the laptop was not going to suffice as a long term solution for music in the bedroom.  I’m sure kids today have more efficient ways of playing their music wherever they want, but I also require certain minimum levels of quality.  Gotta have stereo, not a single speaker, for one.  The sound quality has to be slightly better than my buzzy, bass-free laptop speakers.  And I have to be able to play my own music, because Spotify doesn’t have what I want.

I looked around for my old Sony mp3 player, but I couldn’t get it to charge.  I had a second Sony too, but it appears to be lost.  So, my parents bought me a new mp3 player for Christmas.  Yes, they still make them!  It’s an off-brand player called a “AiMoonsa”.  The Amazon writeup said it has an “HD” speaker built in.  I don’t know about “HD”, but it doesn’t sound too terrible.  It does violate my stereo rule.  Gotta have stereo.  Of course, stereo is available through the headphone jack.  What’s nice about this player compared to the old Sony is that it has a removable 64 gig SD card.  Easy to swap in and out, and upgrade if desired.  I find swapping just as easy.  I’ll always put my old Kiss albums on my mp3 player, and the rest of the space can be taken up by other favourite bands and new musical purchases.  The only thing about this player is the controls are a little clunky, and it doesn’t display cover art like the Sony did.  But I also only need it to do the bare minimum of work.  That being, playing mp3 files over a pair of speakers while I try to get to sleep.

I needed new speakers, so I ordered the standard Amazon computer speakers, the Amazon Basics USB speakers for $24 bucks.  This is actually my third pair.  I have a set at the lake and you’d be surprised how far you can hear the music up there.  I also have a set at work.  This third set is for the bedroom.

I needed a power source for the speakers, so I grabbed an extension cord and one of those USB cube charges.  A bit jerry-rigged, but it works.

I loaded up the mp3 player with the aforementioned music, including my entire D-A-D collection as gifted to me by Thor.  Lemme tell something people:  D-A-D is a band with a deep, rich discography of awesome tunes!  Latter day stuff like “Empty Head”, “Something Good”, and “Everything Glows” are great tunes!  I put on the D-A-D compilation Good Clean Family Entertainment You Can Trust, and had a Christmas holiday nap.  And yes, “Sleeping My Day Away” was indeed the first track.

It was perfect!  The music sounded good enough (certainly better than when I used to fall asleep to music on cassette in the 80s).  The D-A-D did the trick, as tune after tune rocked me to sleep.  I fell asleep mid-way through the disc and stayed that way for a couple hours.

Now, who’s to say that I wouldn’t have fallen asleep that day even without the music?  It was a good nap though, and I enjoyed falling asleep that way, like I used to.  Jen came in to nap too, and whaddaya know?  Now she’s a D-A-D fan.

Mr. and Mrs. LeBrain fully endorse D-A-D.  Now go get some!

Savatage Albums Ranked: A Collaboration with 80sMetalMan

A collaborative effort with 80sMetalMan!  You can check his list of Savatage Albums – Ranked by clicking here!

Don’t miss:  Savatage SONGS Top Ten with 80sMetalMan!  Click here!

12.  Fight For the Rock (1986)

It would be ridiculous for any Savatage fan to complain about keyboards, Jon Oliva’s main weapon.  However before he really started givin’ ‘er on keys with Gutter Ballet, they employed them heavily on Fight For the Rock with guest Dvoskin on the boards.  These keys over-dominate in the mix and sound tacked on and out of place.  Fight For the Rock could have been higher in the ranking if the band weren’t chasing hits by their own admission.  Nothing wrong with the ballad “Day After Day”, and there are quite a few great Sava-songs on this album.  The production tanks it, sadly.  The band would never make another album this commercial again.

11.  The Dungeons are Calling (1984)

Just a mini-album that followed Sirens.  Highlights include the ferocious title track (what a riff!) and the slower, grinding “By the Grace of the Witch”.  Some of the other songs are a bit thrashy, a bit chaotic, so it’s all a matter of taste.  I don’t think “The Whip” is particularly good but if you wanna get your head bangin’, then go for it.  One of the CD bonus tracks, “Fighting For Your Love”, later became “Crying For Love” on Fight For the Rock.  Good tune and maybe should have been on this mini-album, but also would have softened it if it was.

10.  Dead Winter Dead (1995)

I’m really really sorry about this.  I know it’s the iconic album that launched Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  I just think they had better concept albums.  Not that the concept is flawed but Savatage is a band with four concept albums (or rock operas) and one of them has to come in last.  Tracks like “I Am”, “Doesn’t Matter Anyway”, and “Dead Winter Dead” don’t hold up against superior material.  There’s also an overly long intro.  “This Isn’t What We Meant” and “This Is the Time (1990)” are emotional and awesome though.  I remember being disappointed that Alex Skolnick couldn’t stick around to record another album, and I really missed his greasy metal tone.  That’s not a slight against Al Pitrelli and Chris Caffery who came in to replace him.  It was nice to have the Mountain King, Jon Oliva, back in the band after two albums “officially” out.

9. Sirens (1983)

Not a bad debut by any stretch, with a monumental monolithic title track.  “Holocaust” is pretty awesome, as is “I Believe”, a rare song about aliens.  “On the Run” ain’t bad. “Twisted Little Sister” is a skip like “The Whip”, but the album ends on a strong note with “Out On the Streets”, another early song re-recorded and polished up on Fight For the Rock.

8. Gutter Ballet (1989)

This is so hard to pick “least favourites”. It kills me to put Gutter Ballet here in this position, since the title track is probably my favourite Savatage song of all time.  “When The Crowds Are Gone” would be in the top 10.  Banger “Of Rage and War” would make the top 30 list.  All of those songs are on side one.  Side two is less memorable, though it does feature Savatage’s first foray into conceptual territory.  The final three songs, “Mentally Yours”, “Summer Rain” and “Thorazine Shuffle” form a suite about insanity.  By the next album they were ready to do a full-blown rock opera.

7. Power of the Night (1985)

Raise the fist of the metal child!  The major label debut, produced by Max Norman.  Similar in strength, speed and heaviness to Sirens and The Dungeons Are Calling, the previous two releases.  Heavier than either due to sharp, lethal production work by Norman.  Some killer songs here:  title track, “Warriors”, and “Unusual” are all top tier.  “Washed Out” could be one of the heaviest songs they ever did.  Demonstrating their diversity, it ends on a decent ballad called “In the Dream”.  Really strong album, front to back, with a variety of heavy metal styles.

6. Hall of the Mountain King (1987)

It’s hard to believe that Fight for the Rock came in between Power of the Night and Hall of the Mountain King!  The two are brother records and it sounds impossible that anything came between them.  Mountain King was the breakthrough, with that incredible music video for the wicked title track.  Now produced by Paul O’Neill, the album sounds crisp and heavy.  Nary a wasted track here, with perhaps only the thrashy “White Witch” deserving the skip button.  “Strange Wings” could be the top track, with then-Black Sabbath singer Ray Gillen on backing vocals.  Top five Sava-tune territory.  But then there’s also “Beyond the Doors of the Dark”, very Sabbathy itself (Tony Martin era).  “The Price You Pay”, “Devastation”…what an incredible album!

5. Handful of Rain (1994)

Tragedy strikes.  Founding Savatage guitarist Criss Oliva was killed in a traffic accident.  His original snake-like style, tone, and compositional sharpness would never be heard again.  Ex-Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick came in to do the album and tour, and ex-singer Jon Oliva worked behind the scenes playing virtually everything Alex didn’t.  The band “Savatage” didn’t really play on it.  Doc Killdrums, Steve Wacholtz, was pictured on the sleeve but it was Oliva who played drums (and bass and rhythm guitar).  Lead singer Zack Stevens did an admirable job all over this album loaded with memorable songs.  Perhaps the best of the new songs was the operatic “Chance” featuring Savatage’s first foray into counterpoint vocals:  layers of different lines singing different lyrics and melodies, but all complimentary and building to an explosive climax.  Meanwhile “Taunting Cobras” and “Nothing’s Going On” covered the heavy side of things.  The closing track, “Alone You Breathe” is easily the most emotional.  It revisits parts of their magnum opus Streets: A Rock Opera for added hair-raising impact.

4. Poets and Madmen (2001)

The final Savatage, and fourth conceptual album.  Zack Stevens departed and Jon Oliva sang all the lead vocals himself for the first time since Streets (1990).  By this time we were used to big Savatage counterpoint epics, and this time it’s a 10 minute track called “Morphine Child”.  What a massive, plutonium-heavy riff!  All backed by a dramatic, emotional song.  While we did miss Stevens, Oliva more than handled the complex job with a host of backing singers similar to Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  This final album is about an asylum, but it’s more complex than that.  Many great tunes:  “Commisar”, “Drive”, “I Seek Power” and “Awaken” all slay.  At least they went out on a high note.  That counterpoint is the bomb!

3. The Wake of Magellan (1997)

Don’t see the storms are forming, don’t see or heed the warning.  Third conceptual album, and probably a hair better than Poets and Madmen simply because it has both Stevens and Oliva on lead vocals.  Brilliant songs with a nautical theme.  “Turns to Me”, “Complaint in the System”, “Paragons of Innocence”, “The Hourglass”, all great songs.  Not as heavy as their trashy past but many magnitudes more brilliant.  This time the big counterpoint song is the stunning title track, and it is the pinnacle of their counterpoint experiments.  The rapid-fire lead vocals are challenging, exiting and chill-inducing.  The band themselves found it difficult to perform.  A stellar album, lyrically and musically.  Stevens really went out on a high.  He was replaced by a singer named Damond Jiniya who unfortunately never recorded with the band before they went inactive.

2. Edge of Thorns (1993)

Jon Oliva left Savatage.  A shattering loss.  But behind the scenes, he wasn’t gone.  He still wrote and played keyboards.  He just didn’t want to tour, so Savatage brought in a new lead singer named Zack Stevens.  At the time he was compared to Geoff Tate and James LaBrie, but he soon came into his own.  Oliva personally selected him and trained him.  Taking their time, Savatage honed a fantastic album called Edge of Thorns, with a cutting-edge piano-riffed title track that took the fans by storm.  Sounding like a natural followup to Gutter Ballet, the album was stacked top to bottom with great songs both soft and heavy.  The lighter side included the piano ballad “All That I Bleed”.  On the heavy side, we have an epic called “Follow Me”, a thrashy scorcher called “Lights Out”, a dark stomp called “Skraggy’s Tomb” and another called “Conversation Piece”.  Not a conceptual album, but one that ebbs and flows just like one.  Zack’s best.

1. Streets: A Rock Opera (1990)

Grown from the seed that was “When The Crowds Are Gone” from Gutter Ballet, Savatage and Paul O’Neill conceived their first rock opera.  Leaning heavily on the piano, it was a startling change.  Yet song for song and word for word, this is Savatage at their most powerful.  Delving into Christianty, addiction, and miracles, the album was a surprise trip that really captured the imagination.  It’s more than just the story of a down and out rocker named D.T. Jesus.  It’s a story about believing and forgiveness.  The whole thing culminates with “Believe”, a top five Sava-track for certain.  Most of the highlights have ballady qualities, such “A Little Too Far”, “Can You Hear Me Now”, “If I Go Away”, “Heal My Soul” and “Somewhere In Time”.  Meanwhile “Sammy and Tex” covers the thrashy side.  Many songs had to be cut so it could fit onto one CD.  “Stay” and “Desiree” were later released as bonus tracks on other releases.  Also available is “D.T. Jesus”, a slower more soulful version of “Jesus Saves”. There is also a narrated version of the album including a cut track called “Larry Elbows”.  Though the album was a bit of a flop for Savatage, and many fans expressed disappointment in the softening sound, those kinds of albums often turn out to be the special ones.  Streets certainly is.  It’s so powerful it’ll give you chills.

REVIEW: Extreme – “There Is No God” (1994 CD single)

EXTREME – “There Is No God” (1994 A&M CD single)

Extreme’s underrated (extremely underrated!) fourth album Waiting For the Punchline was released in January of 1995.  Yet it was preceded by the 1994 single “There Is No God”, a three track disc with two B-sides included.  Waiting For the Punchline was Extreme’s “back to basics” album.  After the sprawling three sided magnum opus, III Sides To Every Story, Nuno desired to strip things back and funk things up.  Waiting For the Punchline was more raw and groovy, but not as the expense of quality.  Criminally underrated!

The A-side is technically still a non-album track!  The album cut of “There Is No God” is over six minutes; this one is a 4:25 edit.  The opening stuttery guitar remains.  What an awesome drum sound!  Paul Geary played on most of the album (you can tell which ones) and he just had a full, impactful drum sound on this album.  Meanwhile Gary Cherone was singing and writing as strong as ever, turning up the anger dial.  Nuno utilises minimum guitar overdubs (if any) and sounds absolutely wicked here.  His solo is exotic, and there’s no rhythm guitar behind him.  Just Pat Badger laying down the bottom end.  What a killer 90s rock tune, and you don’t really notice the edits until the fade-out.

Second up is a tune called “Never Been Funked”.  Nuno’s using a treatment on his guitar here, giving it an electronic moog-like sound.  This is a basic groove, punchy and to the point.  Not a lot in the way of hooks, just that guitar of Nuno’s, zigging and zagging.  As expected, his soloing and fills are just as bonkers.

The third and final B-side, “Better Off Dead”, is a completely different direction.  Waiting For the Punchline wasn’t a ballad album.  “Better Off Dead” would not have fit, although it has the same ambience as the album.  With minimal accompaniment, Gary and Nuno sing together through the opening.  When the band kicks in, it sounds like Mike Mangini on drums rather than Paul Geary.  (There are no credits.)  It’s a lovely song if a bit meandering.  It’s the longest tune at 5:40.  The outro guitar sounds like Jimmy Page!

Great single to pick up if you’re a fan of Extreme.  Especially if you love Waiting For the Punchline.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Vince Neil – “You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come)” (1992 single)

VINCE NEIL – “You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come)” (1992 Hollywood single)

“Woahow!”

In 1992, post-split, Vince Neil was out of the gates fast with a killer new single, while we had to wait two more years for Motley Crue to make their move.  It certainly seemed that Neil was winning the Crue vs. Vince competition, especially when his Exposed album with Steve Stevens was released in 1993.  We had no inkling that the Crue were brewing something equally strong with John Corabi, but for the time being at least, Vince Neil was the winner of the round.

Vince didn’t have his solo band yet, so the players you hear on “You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come)” might come as a surprise.  It’s 3/4 of Damn Yankees:  Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, and Michael Cartellone.  The track was written by Neil, Shaw and Blades.  Automatically, we know to expect some quality.  This track was recorded for the movie Encino Man (or California Man) starring Paulie Shore and Brendan Fraser.  The soundtrack version (4:27) and a single edit (3:53) are both included here.

“One, two, here we go!”  The tune is a smoker, sharp and with wicked production.  The cocky lyrics perfectly match the upbeat riff, certainly one of the best Shaw/Blades riffs yet composed.  The single/soundtrack version is in fact superior to the final album cut that came a year later, even though that one included Steve Stevens with a seriously cool solo.  This guitar solo ain’t half bad either, of course!  Tommy Shaw is no slouch and it sounds like he’s having fun just losing his mind on guitar.  There’s even more of that nutso finger tapping on the album version vs. the single edit, especially in the bananas intro.

If you like guitar, then you will definitely love one of the B-sides:  a commercial Steve Vai instrumental called “Get The Hell Out of Here”.  Opening with a flurry of notes, the song goes into a riff with some cool call-and-answer lead guitars.  Definitely one of Steve’s more song-like structures, something like Satch is wont to do.  Catchy, straight ahead, with plenty of thrills.  Incredible harmonics!  A great middle ground for those who love lead guitar but find Steve’s regular solo work a little too bookish.

The last song to go over is by a band called T-Ride, who put out one album in 1992.  Joe Satriani called them “the future of metal”, but we’re all allowed to be wrong from time to time.  Their tune here is called “Luxury Cruiser” which was also on their self-titled album.  It’s hard rock for the 90s, and the singer can really wail when he wants to.  It verges on progressive, due to its careening from one different part and tempo to another.  Very technical, but not an amazing song.

Great single to have for the Vai and Vince tracks.  Vai later released his on a compilation of soundtrack music, but otherwise this is a great purchase to fill some gaps in your collection.

4/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Deep Purple – “Woman From Tokyo” (Japanese CD single)

DEEP PURPLE – “Woman From Tokyo” (Originally 1973, 1998 Warner Japan CD reissue)

The 2:56 single edit of Deep Purple’s “Woman From Tokyo” is somewhat of a rarity on CD.  It’s not on the Singles A’s and B’s.  You could get it on a Japanese box set called Purple Chronicle.

The original song was almost six minutes, so half of the tune was chopped out for single release.  The intro is mangled.  The middle section is missing, and cut in such an amateurish way.  The guitar solo is missing.  Rule of thumb:  never cut the friggin’ guitar solo from a Deep Purple song, of all bands!  This is a butcher job of a single edit.  Probably why it never made the cut to Singles A’s and B’s.

The B-side “Super Trouper” is also 2:56, but unedited.  That’s just how the song goes, one of Purple’s shortest.  No, it’s not an Abba cover, but both songs were named after Super Trouper stage lights.  Some of Ian Gillan’s lyrics can be interpreted to be about his impending departure from Deep Purple. “I wanna be like I was before, but this time I’m gonna know the score.” A lot of looking in the rear view mirror in this song. A lot of past-tense.

Because of the butcher job on the “Woman From Tokyo” edit, the B-side here outshines the A-side.  The single at least has lyrics.  For collectors and analysts only!

1/5 stars

REVIEW: Tonic – “If You Could Only See” (1997 CD single)

TONIC – “If You Could Only See” (1997 Polygram CD single)

Tonic’s Lemon Parade was not a bad album at all.  Regardless of the strength of its deep cuts, it is now known for one song: “If You Could Only See”.  It put Tonic on the map, and it also put a bullet in their career.  If you’re over a certain age, you remember the powerful and tasteful ballad from when it hit the charts in 1997.  I had the album already.  I bought it when it first came out, after reading a glowing review in the local paper and seeing a used copy pop in at the Record Store.  Finding Jack Joseph Puig’s name in the producer credits got my attention too.

The single for “If You Could Only See” features the well known album version.  Acoustic, but only until the guitars punch in, this is a ballad with crunch and heart.  It’s a true story of an argument that singer Emerson Hart had with his mother, over a woman she did not approve of.  He simply said “If you could only see the way she loves me, maybe you would understand.”  And with that a song was born.  A hit song.

Three live tracks from Amsterdam round out the CD single.  Album opener “Open Up Your Eyes” is not a lightweight live version either, clocking in at over seven minutes.  Guitars drone and cry until they form the song’s main riff.  It’s not an overly heavy live version, just an awesome one where you can hear all the instruments clearly.  It breaks down in the middle, when the band plays at lower volume and gives the guitar space to just jam.  Great tune, and one that deserved more attention.

“Thick” was never one of the album highlights, but the live version is superior.  The vocals aren’t as high pitched, and it’s a more laid back vibe.  Not perfect, but more appealing than the album.  There’s some cool haphazard guitar shenanigans towards the end that are worth checking out.

Shame that “Casual Affair” is the shortest of the live tracks as it kicks the heaviest.  Not as tight or as slamming as the album version, but live versions are what they are.

These are not the greatest live tracks that have ever been put on a single, but certainly a welcome addition to any Tonic collection.  Their use of slide guitars and acoustics instruments separated them slightly from the rest of the competition.  Vintage live by the original lineup, and why not.

3/5 stars

REVIEW: Def Leppard – Def Leppard (2015 Japanese + Classic Rock fan pack edition)

Part Forty-Seven of the Def Leppard Review Series

DEF LEPPARD – Def Leppard (2015 Sony Japan + Classic Rock fan pack edition)

As with anything these days, you often have to buy multiple copies to get “all the songs” (only for them to be reissued in a box set later on).  The Classic Rock “fan pack” edition of 2015’s Def Leppard has plenty of bonuses (which we’ll get into) including two exclusive versions of songs.  The Japanese CD has an exclusive demo.  Gotta catch ’em all.

Def Leppard are in a comfortable niche now and their self-titled 2015 album easily could have been another “ia” titled construction, next to Pyromania, Hysteria and Euphoria.  Hell even 1992’s Adrenalize was originally to be titled Dementia.  Def Leppard is another “ia” album, but it’s notably closer to matching the quality of Hysteria better than most of their records since.  Upon dropping the laser after a long period of neglected, the album comes to life.  The hooks are remembered, and stand the test of time.

“Let’s Go” pretends to be another re-write of “Sugar” before going into an unexpected lush pop chorus.  Not a “Sugar clone at all, but something new for Leppard combining their trademark sound with bubblegum.  The Classic Rock fan pack comes with a bonus single edit, shorter by a minute.  “Dangerous” is straight-up Leppard, like “Photograph” or “Promises” all over again.  This song smokes, just like the previous hits in the same mold.

Funky Queen-like bass isn’t far out of Def Leppard’s range.  “Man Enough” is kind of goofy and might have worked better with just about any other lyrics.  When the song gets going, it starts to bang.  This is the kind of song that will divide people:  some will think it’s a highlight, others will say it stinks.

An album highlight is the first ballad “We Belong”.  It’s a gentle song recalling the softer moments on Slang, but what makes it unique is that all five Def Leppard guys sing lead vocals for the first time.  Truly an outstanding track, made more special by the vocals.  Even a non-fan can appreciate the different textures the voices add.  Phil is gritty, Sav is smooth, and they all bring extra dimensions.  Classic rock’s bonus tracks include an alternate version with just Joe Elliot singing.  It’s interesting because his solo take is different from the other singers.

“Invincible” is a rare Rick Allen co-write, a blazer like Pyromania-era Leppard, without the screaming.  That’s the only difference.  “Invincible” is otherwise vintage-style, including a quintessential Phil Collen guitar solo.  Moving on to “Sea of Love”, this one stretches out melodically.  The guitar riff keeps it rooted in Def Leppard, but the intro and chorus are something else.

The first mis-step is the ballad “Energize” which sounds like a Euphoria reject, something that came out of a computer.  Thankfully “All Time High” does the real energizing.  Back to a Pyromania style of rock, and the solos is right out of the 80s.

“Battle of My Own” is more like acoustic Led Zeppelin.  Quite unlike Leppard’s early acoustic experiments in 1992.  The psychedelic vocals and Zeppish riffs really set it apart.  This is definitely something that could have followed Hysteria, and probably right up the charts.

A fun rocker steals the “Don’t Shoot Shotgun” riff and turns it into “Broke ‘N’ Brokenhearted”.  There might be a touch of Leppard’s recent country influence coming through on the chorus.  This seamlessly goes into “Forever Young” which, in the past, might have been left as a single B-side.  A good B-side admittedly.  “Last Dance” goes back to acoustic, this time for a ballad like “Two Steps Behind”.  Don’t forget “Two Steps Behind” was a B-side as well, and “Last Dance” would probably work well in that format.  Interesting, the Japanese CD’s bonus track is a demo version of “Last Dance” with Rick Savage, its writer, singing lead.  This is probably the best of the two versions because on a long album like this, additional lead singers help keep things interesting.

Two songs remain, both unusual.  “Wings of an Angel” uses the penultimate slot to deliver a dark, understated rock song.  Then “Blind Faith” goes Beatles, with strings, bluesy guitars, and the kitchen sink.  Totally a “Walrus” kind of song.  A good closer, albeit very different for this band.

Sometimes I like to think of Def Leppard albums in terms of pre and post-Hysteria.  To me, Adrenalize was not the followup that Hysteria deserved and I think Def Leppard knew that.  Adrenalize was more like a bonus disc, or a Reload to the original Load.  Because of the sad passing of Steve Clark, the band had to deliver and so they kept things safe.  But Leppard are an experimental band, and if they weren’t dealing with another series of hardships, I think they would have progressed beyond Hysteria.  They did on Slang, but by that time grunge had washed the slate clean and Def Leppard made their sound more alternative and more organic to adapt.  Slang was not the sequel that Hysteria would have got either.  Maybe Def Leppard is the closest we have to a proper followup.

4/5 stars

 

Previous:  

  1. The Early Years Disc One – On Through the Night 
  2. The Early Years Disc Two – High N’ Dry
  3. The Early Years Disc Three – When The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Live at the New Theater Oxford – 1980
  4. The Early Years Disc Four – Too Many Jitterbugs – EP, singles & unreleased
  5. The Early Years Disc 5 – Raw – Early BBC Recordings 
  6. The Early Years 79-81 (Summary)
  7. Pyromania
  8. Pyromania Live – L.A. Forum, 11 September 1983
  9. Hysteria
  10. Soundtrack From the Video Historia – Record Store Tales
  11. In The Round In Your Face DVD
  12. “Let’s Get Rocked” – The Wait for Adrenalize – Record Store Tales
  13. Adrenalize
  14. Live at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
  15. Retro-Active
  16. Visualize
  17. Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits / Limited Edition Live CD
  18. Video Archive
  19. “Slang” CD single
  20. Slang
  21. I Got A Bad Feeling About This: Euphoria – Record Store Tales
  22. Euphoria
  23. Rarities 2
  24. Rarities 3
  25. Rarities 4
  26. Cybernauts – Live
  27. Cybernauts – The Further Adventures of the Cybernauts (bonus disc)
  28. X
  29. Best Of (UK)
  30. Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection
  31. Yeah!
  32. Yeah! Bonus CD With Backstage Interviews
  33. Yeah…Nah!  (Record Store Tales)
  34. Songs From the Sparkle Lounge
  35. “C’Mon C’Mon” (picture disc)
  36. Taylor Swift & Def Leppard – CMT Crossroads (DVD)
  37. B.Sides
  38. Yeah! II
  39. Yeah! Live
  40. Mirror Ball: Live & More (Japan bonus track)
  41. iTunes Re-recordings
  42. Viva! Hysteria (DVD and CD 1)
  43. Viva! Hysteria (CD 2 and Bonus features)
  44. Viva! Hysteria (Japanese import)
  45. Slang (2014 Deluxe bonus tracks)
  46. “Helen Wheels” (from The Art of McCartney)

Next:  Thanks for reading!

 

Youtubin’: PS Audio – PS Audio’s new CD player

Paul McGowan, co-founder and CEO of PS Audio, is a genius when it comes to audiophile-level sound and equipment.  99% of what he talks about is far beyond my understand and/or budget.  (PS Audio’s new FR-30 loudspeakers run about $30 grand USD a pair.)  However, Paul is so personable and knowledgeable, that I recommend his videos to non-audiophile peasants like myself.  He answers fan questions every day, and offers tours of the PS Audio listening rooms. In this video, Paul reveals that PS Audio are planning a new CD player for 2023 or 2024. The current “parts pandemic” is a very real thing and he goes into detail on the problems this causes. Fascinating guy, interesting video.

RUSH – RANKED! All the albums in order, by LeBrain #2 of 2

Jonathan was so psyched for these lists that he wrote almost 8000 words. Me, I could barely get to 1500. For that I apologise. It has nothing to with the subject at hand, that being the ranking of all 20 Rush studio albums. It’s simply a matter of being burned out after 10 years of writing every single day. So here’s my list — not as comprehensive as Jonathan’s but hopefully enjoyable for you to compare and contrast.

My history with Rush goes back to 1994 and starting at the Record Store. I had been wanting to get into Rush since the 1990 release of the Chronicles compilation, but found the back catalogue intimidating. Finally I bought Counterparts, my first Rush and followed it with Chronicles, Signals, 2112 and Roll the Bones. I was off to the Rush Races. After some reflection, here’s how I feel about the Rush catalogue today. This list is very fluid and might be different by this time next year — but the bottom five are likely to remain there forever.

Let’s do this!

Jonathan’s list can be found by clicking here.

20. FEEDBACK (2004) This covers mini-album is one I never go back to. I remember being super psyched hearing “Summertime Blues” blasting from my car radio on a summer evening in 2004. After the initial blast subsided and I heard the EP, I was simply underwhelmed by Rush’s covers of classic rock influences. “Summertime Blues” is only the tune that I really liked. One interesting thing that I remember clearly: once we sold out of the initial shipment of Feedback EPs, it took weeks to get restocked by the distributor. This led us to wonder if the EP was a limited edition and was already sold out. Fortunately that was not the case, but clearly they didn’t print enough CDs to fill demand.

19. TEST FOR ECHO (1996) On the day of release in 1996, one of our customers purchased Test For Echo, hated it, and attempted to return it a few hours later. One problem: he had destroyed the disc in the meantime. Don’t ask me how. But that disc was hammered and he was furious we wouldn’t take it back after such abuse. He was a little wiener but despite his shitty demeanor, he didn’t get his money back. We offered him an exchange for another copy, but he hated the album so much, he declined and departed my store swearing never to shop there again. Good riddance, but I did have to agree with him that the album sucked. The only difference was, as an actual Rush fan, I kept my copy. Shite: “Dog Years”.

18. PRESTO (1989) This album was considered a bit of a return to form after so much synth on Signals through to Hold Your Fire, a span of four albums (not counting the unassailable Moving Pictures). Sure sure, I get why fans were happy to hear the jazzy-rock of “Show Don’t Tell” without a lot of keyboards clogging up the works. I find Presto to be a collection of mostly unmemorable material. “The Pass” is a total keeper, but I don’t need the rest.

17. CARESS OF STEEL (1975) Apologies all around. It’s impossible to rank Rush album without ruffling a few feathers. Something has to go at 17. Caress is a heavily harsh listen; fight me. It’s simply a matter of taste. You either love this complex brutality, or you prefer something else. No big deal. I find Geddy’s vocals to be a bit too far on the harsh side here, and the music is pretty impenetrable without putting in the work.

16. POWER WINDOWS (1985) An album that just never grabbed me. Loved “Marathon”, disliked “Big Money”. Found it a little herky-jerky, though the music video was undeniably cool. “Manhattan Project” is majestic and “Mystic Rhythms” is classic but I never come back craving the rest. With most of these songs present on various Rush compilations, Power Windows tends to gather dust.

15. HEMISPEHERES (1978) “Rush have songs about trees talking to each other, how different parts of the brain works and outer space bullshit,” said Ricky from the Trailer Park Boys. That could be a Rolling Stone magazine review as well. It’s not bad but it certainly is difficult to penetrate. This is probably Rush at their most progressive though mileage will vary.

14. RUSH (1974) John Rutsey, doomed to underappreciation under the shadow of Neil Peart, but special in his own way. The original Rush was less progressive and more jammy, to the delight of all who own their debut album Rush. “What You’re Doing” was a pissed off middle finger made even more so by Skid Row’s cover in the 1990s. Of course it also contains the monolithic “Working Man”, one of the most massive pieces of granite that Rush ever chiseled out of the Canadian shield. A monster!

13. SNAKES & ARROWS (2007) Though a fine late period Rush album with beautiful acoustic passages, Snakes & Arrows has a lot to compete with. It ranks lower than those other albums due to its length. Rush went in without limitations, utilized three instrumentals, and ended with an album that might have been able to lose a couple songs. “Armor and Sword” is a clear highlight, as is closer dynamo “We Hold On”. Rush have some of the best closing songs!

12. HOLD YOUR FIRE (1987) I love most of Hold Your Fire, but man this album just overstays its welcome. It’s not the keyboards, it’s the last couple songs. “Tai Shan”, “High Water”, no perhaps those could have been left for B-sides. “Mission” is amazing, “Time Stand Still” is a delight (as is Aimee Mann) and “Prime Mover” kicks. The synths are at their peak here, but that’s not an intrinsically bad thing. Alex got to come back into focus on the later albums with some incredible guitar work. Ultimately this was as far as Rush could go in that direction before experimenting once again.

11. VAPOR TRAILS (2002) Another album that a few disgruntled customers returned, but not due to the quality of the music. This time it was the production they hated; the brickwalled mix. This album is overblown to the point of near-distortion, and so was actually remixed a few years later in an alternate version. That version is probably your preferred listen, but there is something to be said about the sheer brutality of Vapor Trails. Rush’s heaviest album, overall? Peart’s triumph, after suffering so much loss in his life, that much is certain. A long album again, but there is a lot to love here including “Ghost Rider”, “Vapor Trail”, “Secret Touch” and closer “Out of the Cradle”. A very important album for if Rush weren’t feeling it anymore, that would have been the end.

10. FLY BY NIGHT (1975) I’m a sucker for “Rivendell”. Geeky goodness all around. It feels young, naive and innocent and that only lasts a moment in a lifetime. “Bytor” is a wicked ride through the arctic frost. “Anthem” needs no introduction or explanation. While not flawless there is so much to love on Fly By Night. There’s even a 5.1 mix to check out, one of several Rush albums released in surround sound.

9. CLOCKWORK ANGELS (2012) What a final album by a band; any band for that matter. Rush’s first true concept album from start to finish, with an accompanying novel? Why hadn’t somebody thought of this before! “The Wreckers” and “Headlong Flight” are absolute masterpieces, with the latter recalling early Rush circa “By-tor”. Many people point to album closer “The Garden”, with full orchestra, to be one of the band’s all time unsung best moments. It is quite a shame that it had to be the final Rush album ever, but so few bands go out on highs like this.

8. ROLL THE BONES (1991) Simply terrific album that succeeded where Presto failed: delivering great, memorable Rush songs. The playing was still dexterous complexity to the power of three, but the songs were better honed. Highlights included “Dreamline”, “Bravado”, “Ghost of a Chance” and the title track. Regardless of the rapping. Did you know they considered getting John Clease to do that “Jack, relax, get busy with the facts” rap? I might have liked that.

7. GRACE UNDER PRESSURE (1984) A natural evolution from Signals (1982), this followup had a chillier ambience but plenty more great synth-tinged rock. Upon first hearing it, I was obsessed with the cybernetic “Red Sector A”. I still am. There is much to love on this 80s afterimage. A looming iceberg of 80s progressive rock, Grace Under Pressure is essential to my collection.

6. PERMANENT WAVES (1980) With hindsight, sort of a transitional album. The last of the long epic songs, for a long time. Four stone cold classics: “The Spirit of Radio”, “Freewill”, “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Natural Science”. “The Spirit of Radio” really foreshadows the direction Rush would go in the near future. A fantastic album, and easy to fall for quickly.

5. A FAREWELL TO KINGS (1977) Two words monumental and majestic. Those words come up a lot, but look! “Closer to the Heart”! “Xanadu”! “A Farewell to Kings”! “Cygnus X-1”! Rush were challenging themselves and the listener. A Farewell to Kings must rank in the Rush top five for the sheer magnitude of its song for song firepower.

4. COUNTERPARTS (1993) Huge feels for this early 90s triumph. Rush seemed to be honing in on a sound, starting with Presto. Roll the Bones got them closer to the mark. Counterparts was it, the target. Bullseye. “Animate” is a top tier Rush track, as is “Nobody’s Hero” based on a number of true stories. “Double Agent” is different and grooving, and “Everyday Glory is another magnificent Rush album closer. Nothing bad can be said about Counterparts except that it was a difficult album to top, as Test For Echo proved.

3. 2112 (1976) Sci-fi metal? Don’t mind if I do! 2112 is Rush’s most coherent concept, though only half an album’s worth. The story is well executed and nearly all highlight. The rest of the album ain’t bad either with “A Passage to Bankok” being a masterful example. A Rush album that should find a home in every household with taste. I received this as a gift for my 23rd birthday.

2. MOVING PICTURES (1981) If you were going to point to one album as “the” Rush album, it would have to be Moving Pictures. “Tom Sawyer” is “the” Rush song, and one cannot live to the fullest without “Vital Signs” and “Limelight”. If that wasn’t enough, get some “Red Barchetta”, “Witch Hunt”, “The Camera Eye” and immortal instrumental “YYZ”. Just a magnificent

1. SIGNALS (1982) With “Subdivisions” as my gateway to the holy trinity, this #1 pick should come as no surprise. Signals was an early Rush purchase of mine, after Counterparts, 2112, and Roll the Bones. This album has some serious rich synth songs such as “Countdown” and “Losing It” with some good old fashioned Rush gallop on “The Analog Kid”. Not to be underestimated is “The Weapon”, with synth ticking like clockwork. Everything on this album rules, no filler, and if you don’t like synth then just stop buying Rush after, like 1979. The end.

RUSH – RANKED! All the albums in order, by Jonathan Lee #1 of 2

Rest in peace Jason aka “Jonathan Lee”.

Ladies and Gents I present to you RUSH!

So this one was a bit tougher than our KISS ranking/review. Mainly because I had to go back and listen to a good bit of the catalogue. I haven’t listened to some of this damn stuff in years. But I must say it was nice to go back and revisit some of this stuff. Some, not so nice. I have changed my thinking on quite a few albums in 2022. Some for the better, some dropped down. And of course some will stay the same as they always were. But enough of the introduction. Let’s get on with the show!

Jonathan Lee

20. FEEDBACK (2004)

Well, I’m not spending much time on this one. It is dead last for a reason. For one I don’t like these songs to begin with so I damn sure didn’t neeed Rush to remind me of this. Now in their defense they have surely earned the right to do as they want and I’m sure they had fun. Too bad I didn’t have fun listening to this fucking mess. But I guess if I had to pick a song off of this disaster…I will go with the cover of the Yardbirds’ “Heart Full of Soul” but it’s nothing great by no means. Alright enough time on this. I don’t see playing this album/EP ever again. 2/10

19. VAPOR TRAILS (2002)

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this one either because it just never clicked well with me. I will say get the remixed version if you have the original, because it sounds much better. Okay, the lead off track “One Little Victory” is a total kickass rocker and I like it but I don’t go back to it much, just like I don’t this album. The next track “Ceiling Unlimited” I never play. It’s just there. Next. “Ghost Rider” is pretty damn cool. One of the better ones on this for sure. It almost has that “Ghost of a Chance” feel to it but not as good. Next is “Peaceable Kingdom” and this one is a nice heavy one with some killer groove going on. One of my favs from this album. Wish they did more like this one. “The Stars Look Down” is a good one and I like how it flows. A solid track for sure. Love the mystical feel of it. Next we have “How It Is” and I find this one to be one I just skip. The slow part is nice but the other parts just don’t fit at all. Next we have the title track which I like pretty much. It has some damn good bass from Mr Lee. “Secret Touch” is one I skip sometimes. They do that funky stuff again and as always the parts where they don’t do that are great but I just can’t ignore parts of the song now can I? Now when they keep that bass and drum and guitar all in one steady funk groove I can deal with, but it’s when they stop and do different things and only one part stays funky. I don’t know. Hard to explain. It’s like a bass solo in the song that doesn’t need to be there. Okay, now you get “Earthshine” which I think was supposed to be the single, but don’t quote me on that. Either way I do like this one lots! Everything gels quite nicely. Winner. “Sweet Miracle” is just kind of there. Nice vocals by Geddy though. I don’t mind this song at all. It probably should have been the one they sent to radio. Okay next is “Nocturne” which I do not like at all. It’s a mess. Next. “Freeze” is another mess. Next. They close with “Out of the Cradle” and this isn’t nothing to write home about either. Just thrown together and lifeless. So I score this album pretty low at a 3.5/10 and Presto beats it by a hair because of the awesome album cover. LOL!

18. PRESTO (1989)

Oh, boy… This album just sounds like it is trying to hard to be something it isn’t. Nothing feels right about it. I suppose I like “The Pass” alright. The title track is decent. I probably like “Red Tide” and “Hand Over Fist” the best off of this album. But that’s about all I can do with this. I actually expected to go a lot tougher on this album because I may like it a tad more than I used to. But it is ranked right where it belongs. I can’t see playing this again no time soon. 3.5/10

17. FLY BY NIGHT (1975)

Yeah, I know. I’ll catch heat for this one but I just never got into this album. The only really great song on it is “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” and oh I LOVE that song. I also like “Rivendell” quite a lot and “In The End” is decent, but the rest, it just bores me. I never have liked the title track. Sorry, not sorry.  I will say that is one beautiful album cover though. But sadly this is where the blue owl lands in the ranking for me. 4/10

16. SIGNALS (1982)

This album isn’t one of my faves by any means and I’ll cut this one short because this is one I accidentally left out of the review/ranking and I want to get this done. We open with “Subdivisions” and a classic and my favorite song on the album. This sounds like it could have perfectly fit on Moving Pictures.
A timeless song we have right here. Next up we move to “The Analog Kid” and this song just sounds rushed and I just never cared for ir much. Next up is “Chemistry” which is much better. This one is nicely put together. The music has a nice groove to it and everything just works. A very well done track. Now we come up to “Digital Man” and this one is alright. I don’t really listen to this track. It’s just alright. Now flip things over to side two and continue with “The Weapon” and yeah, this song doesn’t do much for me. I don’t dislike it but nothing I go to. The song that was sent to radio and I don’t think it did well even there. I can see why. It just isn’t a very good song. Sounds sleepy except when it kicks in, and that doesn’t save it either. I like it alright so let’s just leave it at that. We now move to “Losing It” and I like the spaced out sounding intro and this is a nice relaxing song and my second favorite off the album. I dig it. Now we come to the closing track “Countdown” and it would be my third favorie. It has a “Subdivisions” feel to it but without the groove. These last 2 songs saved me from ranking this album super low but it’s still gonna be pretty low. I’ll give this one a score of 4.5/10

15. POWER WINDOWS (1985)

And this could be higher if it wasn’t for “The Big Money” which is in my top five of worst Rush songs ever. That song is one reason this is so low. But I also don’t like much of this album at all. “Grand Designs” is just fucking awful. I’m not even wasting time on it. “Manhattan Project” is really nice though. I’ve always loved this song. So relaxing and mystical. Sad it had to end up on this album. It is just too good to be surrounded by all this crap. “Marathon” is pretty cool though. Seems like the songs that start with the letter “M” saved this album. Because now you move on to “Territories” and it isn’t awful by no means but seems thrown together. I don’t like the drum sound on this either. Well the letter “M” saves the day again because though not great, “Middletown Dreams” is pretty damn cool. I like how it is all put together in structure. Next up is “Emotion Detector”.  It’s alright once it kicks in and gets going but the intro is awful. But it does get going thankfully. And to close the album you get what, ahhhh another great “M” song again to save the day AKA “Mystic Rnythms”, which I find very nice and a good closer. So I guess this album isn’t as bad as I remember it. I would give it a 5/10. Seems a accurate score since I like half of it.

14. CARESS OF STEEL (1975)

Okay… I’m not gonna go easy on these first few songs so if you love this and get offended easily you will want to roll by this one. I do not like “Bastille Day” and “I think I’m Going Bald” is just absolutely fucking terrible. “Lakeside Park” sounds like some bad southern honky tonk session. I do not like this stuff. This RUSH album is the only one I know of that has so many bad songs in a row. Okay finally one I do like AKA “The Necromancer” which is mysterious and creepy. I love what Alex does on guitar with this one. I always play this one all the way through, all 3 parts of it. I was so happy to hear this after that terrible start to this album. It’s like it took them a bit to get going and quit messing around. “The Fountain of Lamneth” is next and this one is even more epic with it consisting of six parts. I enjoy this one quite a lot as well. Not as much as “The Necomancer” but pretty damn close. I will say thank goodness for these two epic pieces or this would be ranked almost dead last if not last. I’ll give this one a 5.75/10. I actually almost put it a tie with Power Windows but no way can I do that with the two epic pieces on here. Which if you think about it I actually rank this album quite high considering it was a 0/10 until “The Necromancer” came on.

13. A FAREWELL TO KINGS (1977)

This one I had to go back to, believe it or not, just for the few tracks I haven’t played in awhile like the opener. Then I played it and I was like, oh yeah, I know this song like the back of my hand. And let’s just call this what it is, a great fucking opener. It is what you want in a opening track. I’m not a big fan of the jumping jack-like part that Geddy sings. Like the up and down chant thing. But other than that small gripe, great song. Now we move on to the masterpiece aka “Xanadu” which I prefer live off of Exit, but without this I don’t get that, so no way can I overlook the studio version because it is great as well. Another Rush song that is in my top four of all time (Exit version) and that will never change. It is the first song I ever took LSD to and it was one of the greatest experiences in my life. I wouldn’t do it again but it was everything and then some at 18. Oh the things I seen that night under the stars! I’ll never be the same and I’m glad of it. Next! Okay the short but sweet “Closer To The Heart” which I don’t play much. Meaning I don’t go to it. But if it comes on I’m not changing it either. I like it just fine. Now this next song I had to refresh my memory with “Cinderella Man” because it’s been a couple years since I heard this and I must say I kind of get why. I’m not a big fan of this song. It has that jumping jack thing going on again. I do love it when it is slowed down though. Wish they would have done it all that way. Next is “Madrigal” another one I had to listen to because I just couldn’t remember it. And it’s a nice slow one. It’s no “Tears” but it’s decent. And then they close it out with “Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage” which has always been a bit of a iffy song to me. The intro is a bit silly. And to be split into three parts I find it should have been longer than just a little over ten minutes. It also takes a bit to get going. So I really see it as a eight minute song and that just didn’t need three parts. This easily could have just been one song. “Xanadu” is longer as a single song off this album. Plus to be honest I don’t find this song that great until like 3:30 point and on. So yes, in that sense it is a great 7 1/2 minute song which should have been longer because once it gets going t kicks total ass but it ends too soon. I mean I like it, please don’t confuse this as me slandering it I just feel they could have done more with this song. So where to I score this album? I’ll give it a 7.5/10 but without “Xanadu” and we at a 6/10.

12. TEST FOR ECHO (1996)

And here comes your surprise pick! I love this album! The lead off title track I find to be very well done. Nice and myseterious with a steady groove and some hard hitting parts. Nothing I dislike about this song. So let’s move to “driven” which is one of my favorite Rush songs ever. I love every damn thing about it and still a song they played at almost every tour after. And I can see why. It has a good live feel to it. So we doing great so far. Two for two! Can it keep up? “Half the World” is a nice laid back slow rocking tune. I dig it. I’m starting to wonder why I beat up on this album before. I don’t feel this bad about it. But of course I’m only three songs in so let’s see if that stands. Okay now this song “The Colour of Right” and this is some damn nice drum work by Mr. Peart. Again, I’m beginning to question what I didn’t like about this album because so far I like all four songs. Can it go five in a row? Yes it can because I really like “Time and Motion” and let’s go ahead and knock out then next one as well since I like it just fine.  “Totem” is the total happy Rush song. Damn. That is six in a row. I know I’m mad contrarian for this so far but that would be me hey?! I think I made this abundantly clear with my love for Hot in the Shade and Crazy Nights by KISS.  Anyway, forwards we go! “Dog Years” is a cool jamming song. Strange lyrics and for sure not some of the best. But I like the jam in this. They sound ready to go! Okay, so we come to “Virtuality” which I find to be a good heavy rocker but they doing that funky thing I don’t like! But still a killer song of you ignore that! Geddy is singing this perfectly! Let’s keep going! “Resist” is a total classic. Another one they played live a lot. And like “Driven” I can see why. It has that play me fucking live feel to it. And it works live and it works damn well here as well. You turn the lights down and get in the zone. Okay as we’re coming close to a end, I know some of you are like “Thank God”. LOL. But hey, you still reading! Okay now we get “Limbo” and this one is on that magical ride that they love to do! And I love when they do it! This song is a beautiful fucked up journey. One that I will take with them at any time. So the end is here with “Carve Away The Stone” and it is one I find that I skip. I don’t hate it I’m just not moved by it much. The riffs and solo are killer though and it’s alright. So now where do I score this one? Well with all that praise you would assume sky high but see I’m not going to do that because the songs I like a lot but do I love a lot of them? Perhaps not. So I will give this one a 7.5/10 which is still high!

11. GRACE UNDER PRESSURE (1984)

Now this is one album I like a lot. How I rank it will be challenging because this is the Rush album where it has some of my favorite Rush songs ever, and some not so great. This will make it tricky to put in the rankings. I will feel bad that I can’t move it higher,because a few songs hold it down from that. But I’ll do my best! So it opens with “Distant Early Warning” which is one of my favorite Rush songs of all time. I love the lyrics and the meaning behind it. The song structure is one of perfection just like the next song “Afterimage” which continues in fine form. The lyrics on this album are some of the best. It is one of the darker albums by Rush but I tend to enjoy those a lot. This one is no exception. Up next is my favorite song off the album aka “Red Sector A” which not only covers some really deep subject matter the fucking music is just spot on. This album came out so strong with  three of my faves in a row. I will always go back to this album for these three songs alone but there is much more to unwrap here so we’ll move on to “The Enemy Within” which closes out side one. And what a way to end a perfect side! While not as strong as the previous three tracks it’s still a pretty damn nice song. I like how it slows down and then picks back up. A solid track. Now let’s flip it over to side two and see what awaits. No way could it top side one right? Yes, that would be right. It doesn’t. “The Body Electric” is a song I do not care for. It just has a bad intro. It does have its moments once that terrible intro is done and Geddy starts singing, but it still lacks. The chorus is nice with 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 but it doesn’t stay together. It moves around too much. Not in a good progressive way, more in a mess way. So let’s move to “Kid Gloves” which isn’t doing much for me. It’s just there. I think this one is the worst on the album. Next. “Red Lenses” is as bad as the previous track. This album makes no sense to me in the regard of how strong it starts and then just falls asleep on side two. Thankfully the closing track “Between the Wheels” wakes things up! A really great song! I love the keyboards in this one. They simple but creepy! And the groove of this song is damn sweet! Great closer! So now how do I rank this? Well…the songs I like, I LOVE. So they push this up higher for being so strong. I’ll go with a 8/10

10. HOLD YOUR FIRE (1987)

This one may surprise some people as it is often looked down upon in the Rush discography but I really like a lot of this on here. See they got it right on this one where as they failed on Presto.  I love the opening track “Force Ten” not only a great song but a great opening track to a album. It just has that feel to it. Next up is “Time Stand Still” which is another song I enjoy quite a lot. I love the breakdowns in this song. Plus it has the lovely Aimee Mann who has such a elegant voice and one I have always loved. Up next is “Open Secrets” which I also like quite a lot! This album was never low for me but it has went up quite some. I just love it. You know it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a contrarian pick or two in the mix. Ha. So let’s see… What do we have next? Ahh yeah, “Second Nature” another one I like quite a bit! Hey! I told you I love this album! Okay, maybe not love but I like it quite a lot! “Prime Mover” is a nice one as well. It has a good groove and I love the harmonies. The clean acoustic that comes in adds a lil’ special touch as well. Next up we have “Lock And Key” and it comes in with some amazing vocals by Geddy. Love the keys in it as well. Then it kicks in and rocks you a little and has some of the best lyrics as well by Neil. I love this song. The almighty “Mission” comes next and ohhh is this gooood.  This song makes me feel good. It’s like a song of hope. It makes you reach out to things that make you feel good inside. It makes me happy. Now the next song “Turn The Page” is cool as well. I swear I can’t believe how much I like this album now. As I said, I’ve always dug it but not this much lately. Moving on to “Tai Shan” which is the one song on here that I do not care for. I don’t hate it by no means but I just don’t find it up to par with the rest. I do skip this one sometimes. I appreciate what they were trying to do with it but it just doesn’t grab me much. Now for the closing track “High Water” which I almost put in the same category as “Tai Shan”.  It just doesn’t go anywhere. But I don’t dislike it. So having said all that… I will give Hold Your Fire a solid 8/10

9. RUSH (1974)

The one that started it off to us all and introduced us to all the great music over the years. “Finding My Way” is a kick ass opening track. Some good riffing by Mr. Lifeson. The song itself has one of the best rock grooves ever laid down. The second track, not so good. Seems a bit cheesy to be a Rush song. Lyric-wise anyway. It does have a pretty kicking groove which this album seems to focus on. It isn’t a song I skip by no means. Once again Alex is solid as fuck with that solo. This was one of the albums I had to go back to because I just forgot songs like this third track “Take a Friend” which by the way is a damn cool tune. I can’t over-specify the groove on this album. It’s a head nodder for sure. “Here Again” I really love. I like the slow pace of this one. Let’s just say I’ve been known to smoke a joint or two to this one. This is one of my all time favorite Rush songs that sadly gets overlooked. And if you can’t move to “What You’re Doing” you don’t have a fucking pulse. This one just jams! “In The Mood” seems like a song Ace Frehley or Gene Simmons could have written. Just has that old KISS groove. The solo even has a Ace feel to it. The drums have that Peter feel. Good stuff. Now we get a slow beautiful one with “Before and After” which is just fucking perfect. I love the chord breakdowns in this. I just wish they would have kept it slow like at the start. Not that I don’t like the rest. Especially the drums and Alex coming in with that kicking groovin’ solo. Winner. And to close things out we get “Working Man” which is in my top  five Rush songs ever. I love every fucking thing about this song. It just leaves you wanting more and you hate to see the album come to a end. So where do I put this one score wise? A very solid 8.5/10 which maybe isn’t so solid considering I’m leaning more towards a 8.5/10 than 8/10. Yep, it’s that damn good. Not bad for a debut aye?

8. ROLL THE BONES (1991)

Okay first things first. Let’s just get this out of the way by saying this is one of the best album covers ever. I love the way the colors all come together nicely and the art is amazing. Now can the album live up to the cover? Let’s see… So this starts out with “Dreamline” one of my favorite Rush songs and one of the greatest album openers ever. It just comes in and kicks your ass! I fucking love this song! It needs no more than that! Next we have “Bravado” which is another fave. This song just comes at you and doesn’t let go. It is so addicting! Two back-to-back great songs! Can they stay at this level?! Well up next we have the title track and I’m kind of 50/50 on this one. I like some of it so much and other parts I don’t. Mainly that silly rap part ruins it. The chorus is nice and relaxing. That synth keyboard that jumps at you is pretty silly as well but I still can enjoy this song. I just wish it could be redone and fixed in a proper way and it would be top notch. After this one we come up on “Face Up” which is pretty cool. It’s not great but not bad by any means. It has a steady rocking groove. It’s a nice one. Next we have “Where’s My Thing” which I always skip. I just don’t care for this, minus the slower parts and the faster grooving parts. But that funky part is a no-go. I never like when Rush does this. Thankfully they never did it much. Again, like “Roll The Bones” they could have took this and made it great by removing the silly parts. But hey, just my thoughts. Onto side two we head. The opening track “The Big Wheel” kicks things off and it’s a pretty rocking song. Has a good driving feel to it. I dig this one quite a bit. They probably should have sent this one to radio. It has that feel. Okay onwards we go to “Heresy” which is a nice one. A total underrated sleeper tune. Has a magical peaceful feel to it. They keep it simple and it works perfectly. This album did well but should have done much better. But now we come to my favorite song off the album, “Ghost of a Chance”, and I just can’t specify how much I feel this one It has moved me since the day I was given the pleasure of hearing it. I still play this one so much. They were onto something with this one. A fucking masterpiece track. As is the following track “Neurotica” which I find a very unique and different song for Rush. I wish they would have done more songs like this. It’s perfect. Now we close it out with “You Bet Your Life” and they end it on a pretty good note. Not one of the better songs on the album and that chorus chant is annoying but other than that a decent track. So what do I rank this one… How about a good 8.5/10

7. SNAKES & ARROWS (2007)

I use to always call this one and Vapor Trails the twins. But this is soooo much better so it’s the good twin. The leadoff track “Far Cry” is fucking killer. Such a damn opener! And then you get “Armor and Sword” which is also a damn amazing track and maybe my fave on the album! I love everything about this one. The music in this one just makes me want to melt! Now the third track “Working Them Angels” kicks in and by the intro I’m like iunno.. Then BAM! WIN! I also think this would have been perfect for Clockwork Angels not just because of the title (though that helps) but because of the feel of it. Sounds perfect for that album. “The Larger Bowl” comes up next and man is this good. I love when Alex has his acoustic moments. He is just so good. This song should have been a huge hit for them. Then we come to “Spindrift” and it’s a total win. Dark and heavy. I swear it is so good that Michael and I did this because I seriously forgot just how much I love this album. This one will be going in my car tomorrow. Now let’s move on to “The Main Monkey Business” which is a bit silly but Rush likes doing this sometimes. They always got along as a group so they had fun. Nothing wrong with that! The song though despite the silly title is actually anything but silly. It has that nice dark groove going on like most of this album. Yet it’s not done in a depressing way it’s more of a watch us have our dark fun and take you with us for the ride. It’s a really special album to me just filled with greatness one track after the next. I’m telling you midway through this review of this album that it’s going to be way up there on the list. I love this so much. But until we get there let’s keep going and we come to “The Way The Wind Blows” and they just don’t let up. This one has a nice blues feel and some nice jamming going on. And man that solo! I dig it! Okay let me try and speed things along because I could write for ages about this album. So on we come to “Hope” which is just what it feels like. Hope. This makes you feel like everything is going to be okay. Some sweet work here by Mr. Lifeson. He’s too good for words. So we’ll carry on to “Faithless” and this one I heard they caught some flack for. It is talked about for being anti-religion. So what, it’s their business and beliefs. I like this song just fine. It also has some amazing work by Alex. This really does feel like his album. Like this is his baby. Well congrats on this baby! Okay so what comes next is “Bravest Face” which just like everything so far wins. Everything just gels so well together on this album. It keeps the pace and sounds like a album should. This is not a album where you can just pick songs. You need it as one. It feels like it was recorded that way when albums meant something and flowed together. And we now come to “Good News First” and good news this is! Comes in and rocks right off! More dark grooves here. Fucking fantastic! Damn I’m running out of praise here. LOL. This is a long album! And I’m glad of this! Okay now we coming close to the end and the song “Malignant Narcissism” (great damn title btw) comes up and this one has them in a funky yet dark space and it works! Some great ass jamming right here! Alex just shines his ass off in this one. Well I did call this his baby. lol. Okay after a long and amazing journey we come to the closer “We Hold On” and this one is the one closes it out nicely and letting you know we’ll be back! Now how do I score this. Well high as kites of course. I give this a 9/10 and I was very close into moving this above 2112 but I’ll leave it here but it’s on your ass 2112!

original cover

6. 2112 (1976)

The holy grail I like to call it. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this one for one reason. I just don’t feel I will do it enough justice. I’ll give it a small go though. The opener. Fucking 2112, MAN. THAT IS WHAT GOT ME INTO RUSH! I heard this at like 15 (I’m 27 now) and I just sat there blown the fuck away trying to take it all in as much as possible. I played this over and over and over for weeks. I don’t even think I got to “A Passage To Bangkok” for days on end. I had a friend at the time who said you know there are other tracks on here. I was like yeah in time. In time. Right now I’m dealing with this and I want it instilled in my mind for life. And I think I accomplished just that. Now back to “Passage To Bangkok” with all it’s greatness. The drums in this. The riffs. The lyrics. Geddy’s vocals. All perfect. This is one reason I wasn’t gonna say much about this album because as you can see I’m finding it hard to go against the grain and call it anything but perfect just like “The Twilight Zone” is. That is one of the best damn intros I have ever heard. They pull me in so deep when they do these slow paced songs yet move it to a total different area and then back to it. That is called great fucking musicianship skills. They don’t mess up one single damn thing. Okay, finally one that isn’t perfect. The song “Lessons” just doesn’t fit in on this album. I’ve never cared for it much which will stop this album from being a 10/10. But “Tears” is next and it is in my top 10 all time Rush songs. Everything about it is sheer perfection. I have no words for it. None. So to close it all down we get “Something for Nothing” which features some of the nicest acoustics laid down by Mr. Lifeson. They kick it in and go out on fire. Alex does his thing on this one. That solo is sick! So now time to score this one. Well I’ll go with a 9/10

5. MOVING PICTURES (1981)

Where to even start? Okay let’s begin with no matter how many times I hear “Tom Sawyer” I never get tired of it. It just stays fresh and never dated to me. What a damn opening track! Next we move on to “Red Barchetta” which is a straight up masterpiece. I never thought about cars so much until I heard this. It reminds me of that cartoon The Jetsons. But this time we have the Rush car in space with us cruising to all the horizons beyond anywhere the mind could take us! Damn, what a song. Coming up we move to “YYZ” which is not only one of the greatest instrumentals ever but I didn’t know ’til many years later it was named after this —-> YYZ dates all the way back to the Morse Code railway stations along the Canadian National Railway, which had two-letter identifiers. The code for the station in Malton, Ontario, was YZ, which is where Pearson sits today—hence YYZ.  Pretty damn cool hey?! And now we reach the end of side one with “Limelight” which is another song I never tire of no matter how much I’ve heard it over the years. It stands out as something I could hear today (even with the classic sound) and think man this is fucking great. Well, that’s because it damn well is just that. GREAT!

We now approach side two of the album and many seemed to overlook this side because of how great side one was/is and I just never got that because I find it just as strong. No, it doesn’t have the radio staples we have all come to know but let’s not forget how important this album is as a whole. And what better way to start it than with the astonishing epic “The Camera Eye” which showed us where Rush were heading so to speak. I even hear elements of Hold Your Fire in this. Heavier yes, but you hear where they going in the future. I didn’t mind it at all! This is a great song with so many spaced out sounds and progressive change ups. Man it just wins! As the 2nd song comes up aka “Witch Hunt” you begin to feel like you are on this magical journey where only Rush can take you. I have my own thoughts and beliefs in this song so I’m going to keep that personal. Take what you will from it. Let’s just say the way they I have a soft spot for the darker side of things. Oh, did I mention how much I love this song. Okay, well you get it! Next to close the album we have “Vital Signs” and if i have to choose a weak spot on this album it would be this song. I don’t dislike it but I do tend to fast forward it to the middle part and let it play out because then it’s great! So having said all this I give this album a solid 9/10. This makes it my fifth fave Rush album!

4. COUNTERPARTS (1993)

They back! That’s what I remember feeling when track one started. “Animate” is in my top 10 Rush songs ever! I FUCKING LOVE THIS ONE SOOOOO MUCH! ALL OF IT!  I could go on forever about this song! But I’ll keep it together and move along to “Stick it Out” which has that heavy dark punch to it. Great riffs going on in this one. Solid fucking track. Just like “Cut to the Chase” is a damn punch you out one! Man this album is so damn full of energy and riffs and amazing solos. You can tell they missed rocking out. They took it organic on this one. Up next we have “Nobody’s Hero” which is a deep song about AIDS and one that was needed. Dokken did it with “Kiss of Death” and that was amazing and so is this one by Rush. A straight up fucking gem. Damn can this album do any wrong? We gonna find out. Let’s keep moving. Now we reach “Between Sun & Moon” and yep, you guessed it. Another fucking winner. This album just won’t stop winning! Let’s see if it continues! So now we come to “Alien Shore” and where as not quite as good as the ones before it, still a damn good song! Again, it’s that funky part that rubs me the wrong way that I spoke on in a previous album review. But other than that a damn great song! So what do we have next… Ahhh.. “The Speed of Love” a very nice song that has all the lyrics of a great ballad but the music is grooving and Rush made this work damn well. Yeah, they pretty good at making things work aye? So we got “Double Agent” up next and this one is perfect. Seems to be the theme of this album! Now we come to the instrumental “Leave That Thing Alone” where the funky thing finally works! This is a fucking jamming song right here my friends. Crank this one up and zone out! And now we get to have a “Cold Fire” and if this is what fire is cold then freeze it for me because I want some! What a fucking song! LOVELOVELOVE!!! Man I knew I loved this album but i truly did forget just how damn much. This is such a damn gem. So let’s see how they close out things with “Everyday Glory”. Okay they slow it down and it is a good way to say bye for now. It feels like a farewell, see you later song. I like it lots. The lyrics are so damn good as is Geddy’s vocals. So now the tough part… Where do I score this? Well it’s getting the 9.5 and it’s closer to a 10 than a 9 if that helps you any. This album is one of my go to Rush albums for sure. Great stuff!

3. CLOCKWORK ANGELS (2012)

Sigh… Sadly the last Rush album but if this had to be it man did they go out on a high note! This kicks off with “Caravan” a nice rocker. They keep it simple and get right to it. They sound as strong as ever. A killer fucking opening track. On to “BU2B” which is heavy as fuck! They on that dark ride again that I love so much! GREAT SONG! Next up is the title track which I feel could have been on Hold Your Fire if it wasn’t as heavy. Maybe it’s the intro. But yeah a heavy one here with a melody that holds it down in a good way. Lot going on in this song. They do this quite well as I’m sure you are aware of. Solid fucking track. Now up is “The Anarchist” which is full of movement. This album has a dark feel but it seems they pace it up and keep it on the verge of let’s fucking party! It’s like they see the rainbow they just coasting towards it at their own pace. Something like that! Okay now to “Carnies” which is them taking you to the amusement park for all the rides. No, you don’t want to get off and you do not want this day and night ever to end. You are with Rush! Staying with them we go to “Halo Effect” which kind of makes me sad and miss Neil. More on that later though. But yeah just something about this song that touches me. It’s like good as you can be you still look back on the fool that you was. You never to good to look back on things and say damn, this is that song. Alright, so now we come to “Seven Cities of Gold” and this one reminds me of some old classic Rush. That riff sounds like this could have been on the debut album. They went back with this one! Geddy sounds fucking awesome! Good stuff! Moving on with the show we come to my secnd favorite song off this album AKA “The Wreckers” and I just can’t put into words how much I enjoy this song so I won’t even try. I’d only fail. Just know it’s perfect. I almost feel like this could have been off of Permanent Waves because yes it’s that damn good. The chorus is one of the best they have ever done. THANK YOU RUSH! So now we take a trip on a “Headlong Flight” and man what a fast fucking rocking tune! Man they kick ass on this album. Let’s just say I’m glad this flight wasn’t cancelled! I think this might be the fastest Rush song ever. They damn metal as fuck on this one. I LOVE IT. So now we come to “BU2B2” and it’s a short lil’ number that is alright but not much going on here. But a nice little Geddy moment. It’s cool for what it is. Would have liked it to be longer and seen where it could have went. But it’s cool. Now we come to “Wish Them Well” and this song hits me as I have had to let some people go in my life and just well, wish them well. I won’t go much into that. It’s a bit painful and personal. Okay and now we come to the end… Like literally the end. The last Rush song ever to close an album. This is it. It pains me to even start this song because not only is it the end but it’s so heartfelt and reminds me of Neil so much and my favorite song on the album. So it needs no introduction. It closes the book. and it is the perfect song. So as we come to the end I just want to thank you Geddy, Alex, and of course Neil. Thank you for all that you guys have given me. I love you all more than words can ever express. It’s been one magical journey and one I will never forget and one I will stay on. Thank you RUSH. Thank you. And now I’ll score this… Fuck this feels like saying goodbye. I knew this was going to happy. In tears now with “The Garden”. I give this a 10/10. That’s all I got. Cheers.

2. HEMISPSHERES (1978)

Now this is how it should have been done on Farewell To Kings because “Cygnus X-1 Book II – Hemispheres” is fucking perfect! A total epic masterpiece! I love this song beyond. It’s right up there with “2112” as far as the epic songs go. Yes, I love it that much. I actually listen to it more now than “2112”. Some of the best chord progressions I have ever heard. Now on to “Circumstances” which is a good ass kicking song. Always liked it from the day I heard it. This album reminds me so much of 2112. Just in structure and the whole way it is done. “The Trees” is just as beautiful as “Tears” even when it kicks in it retains it’s beauty. The subject matter is wild as bats but I love that about it! Tree’s arguing and getting jealous of one another! And to close out this amazing album we get my favorite Rush instrumental ever (though again, I do prefer it live on Exit) “La Villa Strangiato” a song that needs no introduction. The total buildup and then the breakdown middle is just glorious as it gets. PERFECT. So now where do I score this one? Well here we go. A PERFECT 10/10 and tied for my all time favorite Rush album. So there you go!

1. PERMANENT WAVES (1980)

This one is going to be ranked high. I love everything about this album. The two opening tracks which were huge on the radio and still are kick it off and I love them to this day and never get sick of either one. Of course I’m speaking of “The Spirt of Radio” and “Freewill” which both are just so built for hard rock radio. And I don’t think either ever left the live RUSH set from the day they dropped. That is what you call hey, we know these are damn staples. Next up is my favorite RUSH song of all time aka “Jacob’s Ladder” which I don’t know how or why it became this but it has been for years and I just don’t see it ever changing. There is just something about it to me. I can’t explain it, so I won’t. I chose it by “Freewill”! Just like I choose “Entre Nous” as one awesome ass fucking song! Alex being all godlike as he’s so good at. And as we move on to the beautiful “Different Strings” you just feel it all pull you in and you look at this album and say is this even possible for something to be this good? Apparently the answer is yes. Straight up craftsmanship right here Ladies and Gents. In every musical sense imaginable. And if that wasn’t enough you get “Natural Science” to close it all down in sheer perfection. I swear, my only problem with this album… I never want it to end. Not ever. The score here is 10/10 which makes it tied with just one more album in the catalogue as my favorite/s.

 

Thank you Jonathan for almost 8000 words of Rush extravagance!  I will go tomorrow with my own Rush list!  — Mike