In assembling a thoughtful, rather than random, selection of LPs, I believe there should be some representation of artists to whom I've been exceedingly loyal over the years. A couple that immediately come to mind are The Beatles and Rush. I've already got a (very worn 1976 re-issue) copy of Rubber Soul, so I've covered that base... but what about Rush?
A big question. What should my first (or only) Rush album be on vinyl? For artists I've already spent nearly a lifetime with, and rarely revisit nowadays, I don't think I want to re-buy a lot of albums that may sit on the shelf untouched. So for now I'd like to just aim for a single LP I know I'll play at least fairly often. Here, today, I'm going to think (and write) out loud, and try to work this out with a sort of pros/cons list approach. So bear with me.
I've been a Rush fan for most of my life, ever since my early teens - in the mid-to-late 70's - when I bought 2112 on vinyl (long gone). It wasn't until the late 1990's that I put Rush on the back shelf. Not that I didn't like their music any more (I still attended their concerts); I just happened to prefer a lot of other types of music at the time. Jazz, electronic, classical, lighter prog-rock, some rap and dance-pop. Yeah, all over the place. Anyway, lately I've been thinking that if I'm going to build even a modest-sized, yet respectable, record collection, I should have at least one Rush album on the shelf. And that's a tough decision.
Sure, I've got every Rush studio release, and nearly all their live recordings (hey, they went a bit overboard with the live albums in the 2000's), on CD... but my choice for a vinyl purchase had better be a good one. Something I'm sure that'll see some time on the turntable. Whatever I get, it's going to be from the golden age of Rush... somewhere between (and including) 2112 and Permanent Waves. The earlier albums were building blocks, making bold inroads but losing a step here and there. And the later albums, some of which I do love and respect, felt either commercially overextended or rather average (still good by any other standard) lacking some punch and creativity.
Here's my dilemma: barely a year ago, I upgraded my favourite Rush album to the remastered CD version. Not a huge expense, but you know, that was the third time I'd bought A Farewell to Kings. First on cassette tape back in the 80's, then CD, and on to the remaster. It feels ridiculous to shell out yet again for the same album, even if it's on vinyl. I think some deep rumination is in order:
In my opinion, Farewell is Rush's greatest album. I know, I know... a lot of fans would claim Moving Pictures or 2112 is the pinnacle for the band. I'd argue that Moving Pictures has grown stale for me, and lacks the over-the-top technical prowess and imaginative flair that we hear on Farewell. I guess this is totally subjective for me, so I must make a personal decision. Farewell, to me, perfectly captures the dynamics of Rush's exciting style of prog-rock, from the epic and majestic Xanadu to the chilling sci-fi metal of Cygnus X-1, and demonstrates the band's matured songwriting on "simpler" pieces, Cinderella Man (far better than you remember!) and Closer to the Heart (Rush's first hit single, by the way).
Moving Pictures has become rather boring for me, not necessarily because it's bad, but because I've heard its songs zillions of times, excessive radio airplay the main culprit. I just don't get the fuss over MP any more. Yes, I loved MP for the first several years since its release, but even Power Windows stole some of its thunder, if you ask me. Tom Sawyer was never the big deal to me that it was to everyone else. If anything, Limelight was the star of that album.
Permanent Waves offers some of Rush's greatest hits, The Spirit of Radio, Jacob's Ladder, and Freewill, even the lesser-known tracks like Entre Nous and Different Strings. Even though Natural Science carried on the tradition of the conceptual suite, and certainly had its stellar passages, it never really grabbed me in a big way. I had this record way back, my second Rush purchase after 2112, so there are fond memories there... but I don't think the entire Permanent Waves LP would see much time on my turntable today or down the road.
Then there's Hemispheres... a technical triumph, a tour de force, even. As much as I admire the virtuosity of the band and their achievement in the recording of the ambitious Hemispheres suite, I find it repetitive and a bit dull, at least in sections. There are certainly powerful and catchy bits, but in the end, it's not great in my estimation. Side 2 (on LP) or the second half of the album: all excellent songs, but is the album worth getting if i'll only play half of it most of the time? Probably not.
Now I come back to 2112, my introduction to Rush back in the mid-ish 70's. Visiting a friend's house, I heard the first couple of minutes of the 2112 Overture. I was not hooked just yet, but I was intrigued. I bought the album without ever having heard it (other than that little teaser) and loved the huge sound, the masterful instrumentation, the supremely memorable songs, and especially the high-pitched wail of Geddy Lee. The 2112 suite contains so many iconic Rush moments: classic Neil Peart drum fills, Alex Lifeson's searing guitar leads, and Geddy's unearthly basslines. And as far as I am concerned, side 2 (the second half) of the album possesses some of Rush's coolest songs. Alex and Geddy even contributed lyrics for the first time, on the tracks Lessons and Tears, respectively. A Passage To Bangkok, The Twilight Zone, Something For Nothing. The riffs, the rhythmic magic, Geddy's one-of-a-kind vocals.
Okay, it's looking a bit more clear-cut to me now. If I can't live with another copy of A Farewell to Kings, then 2112 is the one. For now, I'll consider 2112 the Rush album that I'll add to my collection. Maybe not right away, but whenever I find a nice copy... either a gently used early pressing or a newer reissue.
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