So after playing all 19 albums I now have the impossible task of ranking them in order of favorites. Originally I thought I like them in order of phases, but that is not absolutely true, as your mood can even determine which album suits better. All albums have their highs and some would probably change position if I do this again (which I won't). So the most important factor is what does the album to me. Some of them I know better than others, so that already impacts placing. But let me just start not with the worst, but least good to me.
19. Vapor Trials
The album that had no songs that stuck with me really. All decent and well, but a bit uneventful for my taste.
18. Roll the Bones
Some good songs and this tour among my top five favorite shows ever. Yet as a total it can't beat the ones above it.
17. Clockwork Angels
A decent farewell. I saw rankings having this on one even. Well to me it never really spoke. Some good songs, but a storyline that doesn't exite either. Maybe I hoped for more this being a concept album.
16. Test For Echo
More good songs, just overall not their best still. If they kept the level of the first three songs going, probably a few positions higher on my list.
15. Presto
The last LP I bought of them and some very good songs. Overall we ar egetting in stronger album territory, still also some songs that being not there would have made it an overall stronger LP.
14, Grace Under Pressure
I bought this one on LP years after release, but didn't play it all that often. Actually holding some strong songs and the synth years were not weak indeed.
13. Permanent Waves
This is much lower than many people rank the album. Two reasons, I don't have a history wit this album really and second look at the ones released before and after it, this is a dip in form
12. Signals
An album opening with Subdivisions really deserves a top ten place. I guess Chemistry and Digital Man prevented that. Losing It was the biggest re-discovery for me over the weekend, what a beautiful song that is.
11. Snakes & Arrows
For me by far their best album of this century. Reason is simple the songs speak much more to me here. Many great ones and an album that can stand proud next to any other Rush album.
10. Rush
This one is hardest to rank as it is a different animal still before Neil Peart joined. A great seventies hardrocking album as such which holds some classic songs they played live until the end.
9. Fly By Night
Rush turning towards their progmetal years. A bit rough around the edges several gems you must know on this one. The long song (By-Tor...) still not fully settled I thought
8. Counterparts
This is an extremely well balanced hard rocking Rush of the later years. I was even surprised how I liked the full album again from Animate all the way down to Everyday Glory.
7. A Farewell to Kings
So I did not rank their four progmetal albums 1-4. This is mainly my least favorite of the four as Side A is magic and Side B is not. Placed a bit low really for an album holding Xanadu and Closer to the Heart.
6. Power Windows
This one I liked so much better in retrospective than I imagined. Here all 8 songs hit the bull and this synth style works very well for them. Definitely one I shall go back to more often.
5. Moving Pictures
Overall their most favorite album to many and with a reason. A band like Rush delivering hits here. Top songs from start to almost finish as I think Vital Signs is slightly below par.
4. Caress of Steel
One of the wonders in music, why is this album so often slagged by fans and critics? All songs leave their own mark and The Fountain of Lamneth is the first full side song. Apart from that it is one of the first progmetal albums ever released, so bonus points for that.
3. Hold Your Fire
Usually appearing in the ranks 15-19 it is one of my absolute favorites. It is all about the timing, the history, the first live show. And then it is helped by the songs as well. Definitely my go back to album if I go for more poppy Rush. And yes that one guitar tone in The Mission still gives me the shivers.
2. Hemispheres
If an album holds your second best long song, your second best instrumental (after YYZ) and best short song (The Trees) a number two is a logical place. One of the go back to albums. One of their all time classics you simply must have heard.
1. 2112
The title track of this album must have been the song getting me hooked on prog epics. Until the day of today I can hear it over and over. When side B holds five good songs to make it a complete LP it is my number one indeed. Actually before starting thisi weekend, I knew this much 2112 would be hard to kick of the number one spot and no album managed to do so indeed.
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