Rush: Synth-rock era poll

King Manuel wrote: Ytse_Jam wrote: Obviously 70s Rush are the best, but I do like their 80s stuff too! Power Windows is growing on me a lot in this period.    Obviously 7080s Rush are the best, but I do like their 8070s stuff too!     A Show of Hands was my entry ticket to Rush, which led me to the other synth albums and later to the 70s and the more recent works. A Show of Hands to this day is my most played Rush album. From the list above I went with Signals, although I could as easily have said Grace under Preassure

Signals

It's said a couple of times before, and I'll say it again.

Signals

Signals

Signals, although Grace Under Pressure is a close second.

The only time Rush became interesting, but then they had lost it again by 'Power Windows'...

Atavachron wrote: ^ Always an interesting point; the impact one's age and era has on perception and preference.   For me and my peers, GUP was a horrifying transgression that indicated decay (though I do like PW, Counterparts and of course the great Signals).

My introduction was Exit Stage..left, so it was all about Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves for me. Although I grew to love GUP and Signals, I didn't like them at first. Too much synth, and to my ears at the time too much like pop music and not enough like 'rock' music. As you say, it all depends on when you discovered the band.

GUP is now among my favourite Rush albums, but on first listen I was left very cold indeed. I certainly hated that ice cold production. It's interesting that is regarded as a 'synth' era album, because the guitar is actually very dominant in the mix, screaming to foreground most of the time. It seemed to me that Lifeson was truing to emulate The Edge of U2 at that time.