The news today is depressing, so I think I'm going to focus on something that whipped up much discussion in my Twitter feed yesterday: the band Rush. Charles C. W. Cooke is a noted Rush Denier:
@SonnyBunch Rush are awful.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) June 17, 2015
But as Ace of Spades notes in a response to my post yesterday about Neil Peart's silly and seemingly ignorant political blustering, coming to grips with the fact that Rush has made some pretty solid music is part of growing up:
For those who like Rush -- which, I'm surprised to say, now includes me (I recently decided to put away my childhood, identity-building hatred of Rush in my steamer trunk of Childish Things and just admit I liked Spirit of Radio and Limelight and Distant Early Warning) -- the revelation that another aging boomer rocker of doubtful current cultural relevance thinks Teh Democrat Party is Awesome is as surprising as the next unwanted hair discovered growing from one's nostril.
Liking Rush is no sin! They've made some solid, catchy tunes that double as musically complex suites (listen to the drumming during "Tom Sawyer" sometime; Peart, one of the best rock drummers in the world, has said it's a challenge to play live each and every time). As a favor to Charlie and others who have yet to put away their childish distaste for the Canadian power rock trio, allow me to suggest five essential Rush albums.
"Moving Pictures," the beginners' Rush album
"Moving Pictures" may not be Rush's best album, but it's certainly the album with the songs recognized by the most people. "Tom Sawyer" is a classic rock staple for a reason and "Limelight" is, as Ace correctly notes, a great song. But there are also some slightly deeper cuts worthy of praise ("Red Barchetta" is in the running for my personal favorite Rush song) and we get some solid instrumental action with "YYZ".
"Hemispheres," the Rushiest Rush album
As I noted on Twitter yesterday, "Hemispheres" is basically the ur-Rush album. The first track is an 18 minute sequel to a song from a previous album. The album closes with a (totally amazing) nine-and-a-half minute instrumental. And in between they popped in one of their best singles, "The Trees." "Hemispheres" is 36 minutes of Rush in its purest form. It's like freebasing Rush. Be careful. It might shut your brain down.
"Different Stages," the best live Rush album
Every Rush fan has their favorite live album (and there are a ton to choose from), so I imagine this may be the most controversial inclusion on this list. But you're hard pressed to find a better mix of Rush songs from the early-1970s to the mid-1990s. The first two discs are largely drawn a single show during their 1997 tour, while the third comes from a 1978 show at London's famed Hammersmith Odeon. I'm not hugely fond of the band's 90s output, but this compilation does a good job of choosing not only highlights from those albums but also songs that sound really good live. It helps that the first disc closes out with a complete performance of the title track from "2112." Speaking of which...
"2112," the nerdiest Rush album
I mean:
I can't say I blame people who know nothing of Rush but "2112" for making fun of the band. But the 20-minute, six-part suite that is the first song on the album is a pretty fun bit of musical storytelling. Is it excessive? Who's to say. Neither you nor I, that's for sure.
"Signals," the best synth-Rush album
Some Rush fans were confused and angered when the band entered its "synthesizer period," and I get that. But there's some great stuff on this album, including classic rock radio staples like "Subdivisions." My favorite track is "The Analog Kid," though: a propulsive rock tune about a young man searching for his place in the world. Solid Dude Rock.