Reading Kev’s thread on the top Rush synth songs made me think back to my introduction to Rush. My friend gave me a copy of 2112 and told me to listen to the title song. It was the greatest thing I’d ever heard. I am not exaggerating. I wasn’t new to 20+ minute long songs, but this one stood head and shoulders above the rest. I decided to buy something, but not knowing where to start, went with the old reliable (or not…), the compilation album. In this case, Chronicles, which seemed to be a good career-spanning collection. For reference, the track listing is below. The first disc had a few clunkers at the beginning, but was a solid disc I listened to all the time. The second disc, well, I didn’t know what to make of it. The first three I’d heard all the time on classic rock radio, and agreed that’s what they were: “classics.” But then…. What the hell? Where was the band that kicked ass all over the place on disc 1? How did the guys who did 2112 come up with this stuff? And is this really their greatest hits from this time period? I didn't follow Rush chronologically, since this all took place in the early 90s. Maybe if I did, the musical and stylistic changes would have been more gradual.
I have no idea why I posted this, other than boredom at work.
Disc 1
Finding My Way
Working Man
Fly By Night
Anthem
Bastille Day
Lakeside Park
2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx
What You're Doing (Live)
A Farewell to Kings
Closer to the Heart
The Trees
La Villa Strangiato
Freewill
The Spirit of Radio
Disc 2
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
Limelight
A Passage to Bangkok (Live)
Subdivisions
New World Man
Distant Early Warning
Red Sector A
The Big Money
Manhattan Project
Force Ten
Time Stand Still
Mystic Rhythms (Live)
Show Don't Tell