Started listening to Rush, need tips!

[Naikon]

Hello! Since i'm going to see Rush live this summer, Ive started listen intensely to them. I've already heard songs like YYZ, 2112 and Tom Sawyer since a long time back.

And now the two last weeks, Ive started to listen to their latest album "Clockwork Angels", and its fantastic! Love songs like Caravan, BU2B and The Anarchist. Besides songs from Clockwork Angels, im listening to Limelight and The Spirit of the Radio. And this is pretty much everything ive heard from Rush.

Since im seeing them this summer, hit me up with their best songs!

[KevShmev]

You pretty much can't go wrong with their 1976-1985 stretch of:

2112
A Farewell to Kings
Hemispheres
Permanent Waves
Moving Pictures
Signals
Grace Under Pressure
Power Windows

Counterparts from 1993 is also pretty great and should be checked out early on.

Also, they are playing a lot of Power Windows on this tour, so keep that in mind. 

Have fun with this journey; you only get to take it once!

[Naikon]

You pretty much can't go wrong with their 1976-1985 stretch of:

2112
A Farewell to Kings
Hemispheres
Permanent Waves
Moving Pictures
Signals
Grace Under Pressure
Power Windows

Counterparts from 1993 is also pretty great and should be checked out early on.

Also, they are playing a lot of Power Windows on this tour, so keep that in mind. 

Have fun with this journey; you only get to take it once!

Thanks! I thought they would play mostly songs from Clockwork Angels, since its the name of the tour!  I don't wanna see the setlist either, so dont spoil anything!
But you say that they play much from the Power Windows album, i have to listen to it! If you mention any specific songs it would make it easier!

[KevShmev]

They play a lot of Clockwork Angels, too, so fear not.

As for Power Windows, just focus on five of the first six songs (minus Marathon, which got played in '10-'11) and you will likely get most of them at your show.

[jammindude]

There's only 8 songs on the album total, and it's one of their best.   Just get the whole album.

It's not as heavy as CA though.   If you're looking for more "prog" stuff....Hemispheres is Rush at their peak of prog-rock....by far the best of the three side-long tracks they ever wrote. 

The first three "synth-era" albums are all great.   Signals, Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows.     

If you like Clockwork Angels, I would also recommend their last album Snakes and Arrows, which is very similar in feel.   

[philmcson]

I also have a Rush problem; I listen to all songs of Clockwork Angels and Moving Pictures and from other albums, I only listen to one or two biggest hits. Also, I'm somehow repulsed by their 1985-2007 stretch. 

[KevShmev]

It's not as heavy as CA though.   If you're looking for more "prog" stuff....Hemispheres is Rush at their peak of prog-rock....by far the best of the three side-long tracks they ever wrote. 
 

I disagree.  Hemispheres (the song) is great, but cannot touch 2112 (the song).

   If you like Clockwork Angels, I would also recommend their last album Snakes and Arrows, which is very similar in feel.

Well, it is similar in that they both have that modern production (although S&A is a bit clearer than CA, which is muddy at times), but S&A is more streamlined and straight-ahead, while CA shows them stretching out a bit more and not being so predictable with the song structures.  And while S&A has very good songwriting overall, the songwriting on CA is much, much better.  In other words, I do not think they are that similar. 

[SomeoneLikeHim]

2112 (the song) was my first encounter with side-long epics and therefore it will always have a special place in my heart. You owe it to yourself to check it out. I don't think they're playing it this tour though (could be wrong).

[MasterLomaxus]

Discovering RUSH was one of my favorite journey's of all time.  I started off in 03 with Retrospective II. 04 brought about The Spirit of Radio Greatest Hits.  In '05, I got Signals, A Farewell to Kings, Rush in Rio, and Moving Pictures.  In '07, 2112, I got Vapor Trails, Roll the Bones, Caress of Steel, Hold Your Fire, Snakes and Arrows, and Presto.  In '09 I got Power Windows, Hemispheres, and Counterparts.  Last year I got Clockwork Angels.  Aside from 07, I was able to limit myself to a few albums every other year.  I managed to stretch out my journey to almost 10 years.  It was fantastic. 

Once you get past all the "hits" is when it gets real fun, I think.  You find some real cool songs that sometimes get overlooked.  I personally love Snakes and Arrows.  It may very well be my favorite.  I also love synth-era RUSH.  It's their best era I think

[Naikon]

2112 (the song) was my first encounter with side-long epics and therefore it will always have a special place in my heart. You owe it to yourself to check it out. I don't think they're playing it this tour though (could be wrong).

I mentioned it in the first post that Ive already heard and listened to 2112, its indeed great.

Thanks for all tips! Will be listening through Rush the next days!

[wolfking]

You have started a wonderful music journey that will indeed make your life better.

At the end of the day, Rush is a band you need everything by.  I think get a sample from each era;

Permanent Waves
Farewell to Kings
Grace Under Pressure
Power Windows
Roll the Bones
Counterparts

But really, just work your way though every album.

[Phoenix87x]

Here's some of my favorite Rush songs (in no specific order)

1. Middletown dreams
2. Sub-divisions
3. Different Strings
4. Losing it
5. Entre nous
6. Natural Science
7. After image
8. Mystic rhythms
9. Anthem
10. A passage to Bangkok
11. The necromancer

I would start with 2112 and then just work your way to Hold your fire. That's my favorite Stretch

You have started a wonderful music journey that will indeed make your life better.

Agreed 100%
 

[jammindude]

2112 is indeed fantastic.    To me though, it does feel a bit disjointed.   Like they took 5 or 6 unrelated ideas and tied them all together with an Overture.   Hemispheres sound *MUCH* more cohesive...like it was written to be an actual song. 

It's the story that makes 2112 amazing.   But even in that department, Hemispheres excels. 

[ColdFireYYZ]

You pretty much can't go wrong with their 1976-1985 stretch of:

2112
A Farewell to Kings
Hemispheres
Permanent Waves
Moving Pictures
Signals
Grace Under Pressure
Power Windows

Counterparts from 1993 is also pretty great and should be checked out early on.

Also, they are playing a lot of Power Windows on this tour, so keep that in mind. 

Have fun with this journey; you only get to take it once!

All of those albums are near perfect. I think that may be my favorite run of albums by any band/artist ever. If it wasn't for Tai Shan and High Water, I'd include Hold Your Fire in there too. I'd recommend any one of those to someone who's new to Rush (except maybe Grace Under Pressure, which wasn't as immediately enjoyable to me as the others were. However, it's now one of my favorites.)

[King Postwhore]

You're going to get too many ideas from everybody.  Some love the "Progressive" era, some the "Synth".  I love both and am a huge fan.  Go with Kev's suggestion, it is very varied and encompasses everything I love about Rush.  Soak it all in.  Enjoy!!

[Cedar redaC]

I've only bought half of Rush's discography, but so far, I haven't found any of it bad. This thread reminds me that I need to complete my collection soon.

As far as the Prog/Synth/Modern eras of Rush goes, I've found good stuff in each of them. I don't see why some people bag on the Synth era because it has some of their best stuff.

[Unlegit]

I recommend at least 1 album from each of their eras. So I say get the debut, 2112, Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, Power Windows, Counterparts, and Clockwork Angels. After you've digested those, it's pretty much whatever eras you like best, and fill in the rest as you go along. Honestly, I'm a fan of pretty much all their eras, but their prog and synth eras are the best.

[KevShmev]

For fans at the time, I think the synth era was too much of a departure from both their hard rock sound and their progressive influences.  I do sometimes wonder how I would have reacted had I been a fan at the time albums like Power Windows and Hold Your Fire were released.  A friend of mine - who is a few years older than me and who became a fan around 1977 or 1978, I think - said that he was so turned off by Hold Your Fire that he skipped that tour (I think that is the ONLY time he has not seen Rush on a tour since the late 70s).  He came around to liking that record, but he really disliked the sound of it when it first came out.

[?]

I'm a fairly new Rush fan, so I'm not the best to give recommendations. However, I started with Clockwork Angels like you, and out of the other albums I've heard my favorites have been 2112 and Hemispheres, so you might enjoy them as well.

[Big Hath]

my Rush journey was roughly:

"Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta" and "YYZ" on a CD-R from my brother
Retrospective I & II
Vapor Trails
Different Stages
Moving Pictures
2112
Roll The Bones
Permanent Waves

then the rest in large hauls

[ytserush]

You're going to get too many ideas from everybody.  Some love the "Progressive" era, some the "Synth".  I love both and am a huge fan.  Go with Kev's suggestion, it is very varied and encompasses everything I love about Rush.  Soak it all in.  Enjoy!!

Exactly why I don't usually get involved in these.

Besides, I always say start with the first one and follow their developmental journey the way it was meant to be.

[Naikon]

Yesterday was the concert, and it was great! It was Rush's first fesitival gig for over 37 years.
The setlist was great, I had heard all the songs except one.

+
The concert was great, obviously Rush is a great live band.
Cool stage
I loved all the songs!

-
They only had 2h15m playtime, so I was missing some songs like BU2B and the full 2112.
The audience was a bit tame, many were probably there just to hear YYZ and Tom Sawyer.


10/10 would see them again!

[sueño]

Taking notes...  Rush is in my area this summer; new for me, too.

[sueño]

Okay.  I like Rush (even though Geddy's voice is a little high for my general taste).       

I've listened to Clockwork Angels and Signals   

[SomeoneLikeHim]

Slowly getting into them as well. I think "A Farewell to Kings" is my favorite album so far.