Glad to be wrong about COS. The Necromancer was the only song from it to make my list at 74, but Bastille Day and Lamneth were close and I almost put them on as well. I think COS is an underrated album, and I think those epics are superior to some of the more lauded ones. Lakeside Park is a decent song as well. It is a weird album though. Those epics are trippy, and the sound is a bit messy. But I like it.
Not surprised that I was the high person on Emotion Detector at number 3. This is just a song that I relate to personally, and I think it’s just a really lovely sentiment and one of Neil’s best lyrics. Being honest and introspective with yourself is hard, but being open and and honest with other people and trusting someone else not to crush you is even harder. It’s easier to wrap yourself in cynicism or throw up defensive mechanisms, or go to the other end of the spectrum and be driven by approval and others’ opinions of you.
I love how the whole song comes together, from the more synth and electronic drum driven verse to the explosive chorus, and the tremendous instrumental section that features some amazing bass and one of Alex’s finest solos. Lots of great drumming as well, and vocally this one is right in Geddy’s sweet spot. This is the deepest of Rush cuts in a way, and yet it’s an utterly amazing song to me. The kind of song that sets Rush apart.