Recommend me some Rush!!!

[LTE777]

Hi All,

Always wanted to get into Rush but they have far too many albums.

Can you guys please recommend me say the 3 top albums I should check out, maybe their best albums or socially accepted as the best?

Would appreciate as I value to collective knowledge on DTF!!!!

Cheers!

[Gadough]

Power Windows
Permanent Waves
Moving Pictures

The first one is a DTF favorite; the other two are their most accessible, most commercially successful, and easiest to listen to albums.

[wkiml]

probably will get slagged for this, but they have numerous greatest hits/prospective collections..I would suggest one of these since it will introduce you to all of the bands sounds over the 30 year career....

[wolfking]

Can't pick 3, sorry;

Permanent Waves
2112
Grace Under Pressure
Moving Pictures
Roll the Bones
Signals
Counterparts

[Nick]

probably will get slagged for this, but they have numerous greatest hits/prospective collections..I would suggest one of these since it will introduce you to all of the bands sounds over the 30 year career....

I hate to say it, but you might be correct. Although I naturally want to suggest Moving Pictures (even though it's not my favorite, it's an obvious starting point) a greatest hits package will give you 1 or 2 CDs full of music, as opposed to 40 minutes on the classic studio albums and give you a good grasp of their large body of work.

[Jamesman42]

probably will get slagged for this, but they have numerous greatest hits/prospective collections..I would suggest one of these since it will introduce you to all of the bands sounds over the 30 year career....

I hate to say it, but you might be correct. Although I naturally want to suggest Moving Pictures (even though it's not my favorite, it's an obvious starting point) a greatest hits package will give you 1 or 2 CDs full of music, as opposed to 40 minutes on the classic studio albums and give you a good grasp of their large body of work.

This, and either way, the music will be awesome, so...you can't go wrong any way.

[KevShmev]

As the biggest Rush fan on this forum , I would say to definitely start with Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves.  For the third, I would say either Hemispheres, 2112 or A Farewell to Kings. 

Power Windows is awesome, but might be a bit strange at first if someone is a huge hard rock or prog fan.

I wholeheartedly disagree with ever starting with a live album or greatest hits.

[skydivingninja]

Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, and A Farewell to Kings.  If you're really into 80s synthesizers, get Power Windows.

I disagree with starting on a greatest hits.  Live albums it depends, I guess.

[YtseJamittaja]

Moving Pictures
Permanent Waves
Signals

and you can try newer ones too, Snakes & Arrows and the newest Caravan and BU2B, I really like this ones!! 

[ZBomber]

A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves.

THE GREATEST SERIES OF ALBUMS EVER!

But Moving Pictures is a good starting point as well.

[Silver Tears]

Just listen to 2112.

[Nick]

Oh Kev, you do know this means a fight to the death right?

[King Postwhore]

Oh Kev, you do know this means a fight to the death right?

I'm in too.  King Kong Shmegland

[skydivingninja]

I wish I could participate, but I can't.  But I think Splent could give you guys a fight.

[Sigz]

To be perfectly honest, all you really need from Rush is a good greatest hits compilation.

[ZBomber]

To be perfectly honest, all you really need from Rush is a good greatest hits compilation.

 

[The Letter M]

I would suggest getting their first three live albums - they're all great collections songs from their first three periods. All The World's A Stage, Exit...Stage Left and A Show Of Hands are all single CDs packed to the brim with amazing songs from their first twelve albums, many of them some of their greatest hits and fan-favorites! If you like most of the songs from each album, you can seek out their respective studio releases from those periods.

After that, definitely get Different Stages, as you get the entirety of "2112" played live, some good tunes from Counterparts and Test For Echo, as well as some older hits, and a 3rd disc of an old show from the A Farewell To Kings Tour.
Actually, if you really want to sample Rush with a single purchase, I'd get this first. You get a double-disc dose of later Rush and a single-disc serving of early-to-middle Rush.

-Marc.

[contest_sanity]

After that, definitely get Different Stages, as you get the entirety of "2112" played live, some good tunes from Counterparts and Test For Echo, as well as some older hits, and a 3rd disc of an old show from the A Farewell To Kings Tour.  Actually, if you really want to sample Rush with a single purchase, I'd get this first. You get a double-disc dose of later Rush and a single-disc serving of early-to-middle Rush.

-Marc.

Different Stages is a really great recommendation!

[wkiml]

To be perfectly honest, all you really need from Rush is a good greatest hits compilation.

 

I don't get why people are always so negative about these collections   Chronicles   is a great way to get familiar with the band its a collection of songs from the first 12 albums and should give anyone trying to get into a band a sample of what the band is about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicles_(1990_album)

By saying only listen to albums  1 2 and 3 aren't you pigeon-holing a specific sound....Rush has changed their sounds so often that I feel its a good representation of their music

[ZBomber]

To be perfectly honest, all you really need from Rush is a good greatest hits compilation.

 

I don't get why people are always so negative about these collections   Chronicles   is a great way to get familiar with the band its a collection of songs from the first 12 albums and should give anyone trying to get into a band a sample of what the band is about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicles_(1990_album)

By saying only listen to albums  1 2 and 3 aren't you pigeon-holing a specific sound....Rush has changed their sounds so often that I feel its a good representation of their music

I was giving the thumbs down to Sigz saying the greatest hits is ALL you need from Rush.

[Lowdz]

Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, and A Farewell to Kings.  If you're really into 80s synthesizers, get Power Windows.

I disagree with starting on a greatest hits.  Live albums it depends, I guess.

I would normally agree with this statement but with Rush's everchanging sound it may help the OP if he could then say "I preferred early Rush, synth Rush or "modern" Rush". As it is he may listen to a couple of albums, not get into it, and never listen to Rush again, which would be a shame. Saying that, the better songs won't always be on the Best ofs.

My top 3 would be
1. A Farewell to Kings
2. Moving pictures
3. Roll The Bones

but I love most of the pre 1995 albums, especially 2112, Grace, Permanent Waves, PowerWindows.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Listen to all of it.

But i recommend getting an album from each 'era'

rock era:

Rush
Fly By Night
Caress of Steel
2112

'classic' era:

A Farewell to Kings
Hemispheres
Permanent Waves
Moving Pictures

synth era:

Signals
Grace Under Pressure
Power Windows
Hold Your Fire

'return to roots' era

Presto
Roll the Bones
Counterparts
Test for Echo

'comeback' era

Vapor Trails
Snakes and Arrows
and coming soon, Clockwork Angels

Pick one from each to really get a feel of what Rush is about

[Nick]

Coming soon? You saw that Ged now says the earliest we'll see the new album is the winter of 2011, right?

[skydivingninja]

If you want to pick an album from each of those "eras," go with this:

2112
Moving Pictures
Power Windows
Counterparts
Snakes and Arrows

[The Letter M]

If you want to pick an album from each of those "eras," go with this:

2112
Moving Pictures
Power Windows
Counterparts
Snakes and Arrows

So...what you're saying is their better albums are things that have plurals in them? Actually... *looks at the list above and realizes all but 8 of their albums have plurals in them somewhere*... Ha!

-Marc.

[contest_sanity]

Coming soon? You saw that Ged now says the earliest we'll see the new album is the winter of 2011, right?

Sweet -- that's just a few weeks from now.

[Nick]

If you want to pick an album from each of those "eras," go with this:

2112
Moving Pictures
Power Windows
Counterparts
Snakes and Arrows

Although I prefer A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves to Moving Pictures, I still think MP is the album anyone getting into Rush should start out with, so this list is perfect.

[Nick]

Coming soon? You saw that Ged now says the earliest we'll see the new album is the winter of 2011, right?

Sweet -- that's just a few weeks from now.

No, the one that comes at the END of the year.

[contest_sanity]

Coming soon? You saw that Ged now says the earliest we'll see the new album is the winter of 2011, right?

Sweet -- that's just a few weeks from now.

No, the one that comes at the END of the year.

Ah, I see what you meant.  I don't think I would ever read the phrase "Winter of 2011" as meaning December of 2011.

[The Letter M]

Coming soon? You saw that Ged now says the earliest we'll see the new album is the winter of 2011, right?

Sweet -- that's just a few weeks from now.

No, the one that comes at the END of the year.

Ah, I see what you meant.  I don't think I would ever read the phrase "Winter of 2011" as meaning December of 2011.

Really? I usually read seasons as being the beginning of them, so the beginning of "Winter of 2011" would be December 21st, 2011, even though it'd only lay 10 days in the year, where as the majority of the season would be in 2012.

Either way, Clockwork Angels will likely come out between November 2011-February 2012. Or so we can only hope.

-Marc.

[contest_sanity]

Ah, I see what you meant.  I don't think I would ever read the phrase "Winter of 2011" as meaning December of 2011.

Really? I usually read seasons as being the beginning of them, so the beginning of "Winter of 2011" would be December 21st, 2011, even though it'd only lay 10 days in the year, where as the majority of the season would be in 2012.
-Marc.

I guess you're doing it correctly, but, for whatever reason, I've never thought of it that way.  On topic: LTE777, you definitely should make Counterparts a part of your haul.

[Gadough]

I disagree with recommending A Farewell to Kings as a starting point. I love the album, but it's way too proggy and downright weird at times to be an effective way to get someone into Rush.

[Kosmo]

I've also been introducing myself to Rush these past few months, i listened to Moving Pictures first and got hooked right away.
So yeah, atleast get Moving Pictures!

[BanksD]

I'd personally recommend

2112
Hemispheres
Moving Pictures

[ytserush]

Oh Kev, you do know this means a fight to the death right?

AH HA HA HA HA!


The key to understanding Rush is start at the beginning.
Listen to all of it chronologically. The band essentially grew up musically in public.


Rush
Fly By Night
Caress of Steel
2112
All The World's A Stage
A Farewell to Kings
Hemispheres
Permanent Waves
Moving Pictures
Exit...Stage Left
Signals
Grace Under Pressure
(Grace Under Pressure Tour)
Power Windows
Hold Your Fire
A Show Of Hands
Presto
Roll the Bones
Counterparts
Test for Echo
Different Stages Live
Vapor Trails
Rush In Rio
(Feedback)
(R30)
Snakes and Arrows
Snakes And Arrows Live
Caravan/BU2B (single)