The RUSH discography

I've always thought All The Worlds a Stage is one of the best live albums of all time.... Raw, powerful and balls out rockin!! Opening with Bastille Day is just RAW!!! The extended version of By Tor is fab......


I always thought they cut 2112 because they simply couldnt put out a longer set without union hastle.... stage crew and such are unionized....


Gotta love the try fold gate sleeve on this album....

A FAREWELL TO KINGS (September 1977)

A Farewell To Kings marks the beginning of the second phase of Rush, as they lean more towards the progressive rock camp and leave the straight up hard rock/metal tunes behind. For many bands, this would prove to be a major stylistic shift...but for Rush, it just sounds like a logical progression from a band that were maturing by leaps and bounds on every release.

The flow of the record is similar to other Rush albums of the period, a couple epic tracks interspersed with shorter songs. The difference here is that Rush scored their first minor league radio success with "Closer To The Heart", a tune that would remain a concert staple on most of their tours.

The real heart and soul of this album lies in the track Xanadu. Inspired by the epic poem Kubla Khan, Xanadu is the most mature extended Rush composition to date and one of their most memorable. The introduction is a wonderful blend of atmospheric sounds (bells, guitar volume swells, synth effects), before kicking into high gear. The tune then barrels along through a myriad of time changes and shifts in mood, it's really an "experience"; in the best sense of the word. This song also contains some of Lifeson's most impressive guitar work to date, he was always an accomplished shredder, but this tune shows him as a master of tone and touch as well.



The other short songs on the album include the title track (which features a lovely classical guitar intro), the aforementioned Closer To The Heart and yet another over-baked ballad in Madrigal. It also contains one of the most underrated songs in Rush' early career....Cinderella Man.

Cinderella Man really doesn't sound like Rush, it's very different than their normal style...but it works beautifully. The lyrics (by Lee) are based on the Frank Capra film Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. A wonderful acoustic driven song, this is a tune that I would love to see them revisit one of these days.



The second epic is the album closing Cygnus X-1. Here Rush enters full-on sci-fi mode, telling the story of a trip through a black hole. Musically, this song is a punisher...the opening bass line is VERY memorable and sets up a nice groove before all hell breaks loose. This is actually one of the heaviest tunes they recorded during this era and features a balls out performance by Lee. This song would provide the story seed for the following album Hemispheres.



Farewell has always seemed like an underrated album to me, partially because of following in the footsteps of 2112. However, it's a great album that rewards repeated listening. One of those albums that always sounds fresh when I listen to it again.

great album...."Madrigal" is avery interesting tune. "Cygnus X-1" and "Xanadu" are probably my favorites. The bells/chimes on "Closer To The Heart" are pretty kewl too.

Songs like CTTH though played continuously on classic rock radio never grow old. I like this shift in style, it feels more natural though maybe that's just from hearing it so long.

Listened to this album, after I read the review, and it is an excellent album.

Like S.D. stated it is a natural progression, does not sound forced.

The songs are epic, have multi layered meanings, and of course the musicianship is top notch.

Another classic Rush album......

"There is unrest in the forest, there is trouble with the Trees..."

HEMISPHERES (released Oct 1978)

Rush closes out the 1970's with this release, sort of a sister album to 2112 in spirit. Like that record, side one is an extended song suite with side two containing individual tracks. Another iconic Hugh Syme album cover adds to the proceedings.

The only problem, is that at least in my opinion, the title track just doesn't completely gel on this one. 2112 was such a watershed album and side one on that record was so successful and influential, it might not have been the greatest idea to revisit this particular well.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good track, but it just never seems to coalesce into a complete idea. There are some fantastic sections to the song and some great riffs here and there, but all in all it's not enough ideas to merit an 18 minute song. A couple standout segments are the opening instrumental, Lifeson's masterful solo and the closing acoustic segment Sphere, which I've always loved. This song has grown on me over the years, I enjoy it more now than ever before, but I still think it's just slightly inferior to the two albums that precede it.

An interesting note about the recording. The band was pushing themselves to record this album in complete takes, Geddy has stated that it was a bad idea because they spent so much time getting perfect performances that they left the vocal tracks to the last minute. When Geddy started recording vocals he came to the realization that all the instrumental tracks were too high, they had been recording a half-step above standard tuning the entire time. This made the vocals incredibly hard to complete because Geddy had to sing even higher than usual.

When the album was finished the band said they decided to never attempt to record anything that complex again.

Side two

Circumstances kicks things off. A relatively straight-ahead rocker, this song sounds like it could have been written a couple albums back. Regardless, it's the only real "single length" song on here and one of the final "rave up" tunes Rush would record. Circumstances was brought back into the setlist a couple years ago, proving that Rush is never afraid to dust off an old chestnut and give it an airing in a live setting.



The Trees is probably one of the most discussed songs in the entire Rush discography. Rush hit upon an instant classic here. No matter what you think the lyrics are really about, the music completely sells it. The moment the finger-picked acoustic guitar begins you're hooked. The great thing about this tune is that it's extremely complicated structurally, but you never get the feeling they are showing off, it all works to tell the story. I've always considered this to be a sister track to Xanadu in that regard.



Now the best tune on the album...

La Villa Strangiato is a tour de force performance for Lifeson and is one of the best instrumental rock songs of all time. I can't even fathom how many times I've jammed this tune over the years, anytime I get in the mood to hear Rush this is one of the first songs I end up spinning. The guitar solo in this song is a masterpiece and one that I've studied for years...anytime I hear someone complain about Lifeson, I play this tune to shut them up. This song still appears in live sets to this day.



As a whole, Hemispheres is a little lower down my list of favorite Rush albums, but it's still an essential release. The album was another huge success and was their 4th gold album in a row.

Rush would go through major changes on their next album, leading to the most popular era of their career.

Love this album, it was one of the last Rush albums I got growing up.

I admit it was an album I had to spend a lot of time with, it didnot hit me immediatley lilke their previous albums had.

As with every Rush album up to this point, I love it. Nothing much more to add, really.

Another great Rush album.... what else can be said?

I had alot of frustrations learning "La Villa Strangiato" and rarely ever played it correctly all the way through. Did have my moments though here and there. I tried recently to revisit that song while just gofing off on my kit and it was "strange". Parts I struggled with in my youth, I nailed and parts that were a breeze in my youth, I floundered.

This album means alot to me because it was during the time that I was going from the kid playing along to merely records and occasionally jamming with other players to the kid who was asked to jam with older teens/adults and become a member of an actual band.

In retrospect, this being Rush's last hurrah with epic concepts. The album holds a special place in the ol' noggin and even the heart. When they changed gears on the next album. I put more focus on other bands and that changed focus on the style of playing that I would pursue.

Oh and thanks Shawn......I had to look up the meaning of this word, "coalesce" and how to pronounce it even, sheesh bro.

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As with every Rush album up to this point, I love it. Nothing much more to add, really.

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Another great Rush album.... what else can be said?

Lazy bastards.

S.D. wrote:

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As with every Rush album up to this point, I love it. Nothing much more to add, really.

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Another great Rush album.... what else can be said?

Lazy bastards.

LOL!!!! Yeah, a bit lazy on that response!

Not one I ever got into. Something in the vocals always got on my nerves here, Geddy has a strange voice to start and on here, maybe it's that trying to sing in a higher pitch you mention, it seems worse. But I love La Villa, i'm not a big fan of straight instrumentals yet this one keeps my attention.

AFTK - Title track, Xanadu, Cinderella Man Cygnus. This whole albums is good!!!!!!


Hemispheres - That's funny that you mention Sphere. For some reason it sounds tacked on to the end, to me. Side two is GREAT!!!! Circumstances is a killer rock track!!!!! The rest speaks for itself...... excellent!





I find this to be another SOLID album!

favorite Rush album, favorite Rush tour setlist as well. They performed most of the 2112 album and AFTK, all of Hemispheres and the usual medley of the earlier stuff. It's the first tour where they were able to play for 2+ hours.

Time to play catchup also on the Rush thread. Considering the band was following up what is the universally loved "2112", one could understand if Rush stubbed its toe on their next effort. The thing is, this is the band Rush that we're talking about. Granted "A Farewell To Kings" is not "2112', it's still a really good album. There really isn't a bad track on this album, though "Madrigal" and "Cygnus X-1" get less spins from me. My favorite tracks in order are, "A Farewell To Kings", "Closer to the Heart", "Xanadu", "Cinderella Man", "Madrigal" and the closer "Cygnus X-1".

I also agree that the opening track suffers from being a little too long. I like parts of this 18 minute epic, but I do find myself either skipping the opening track and getting to the meat and potatoes of the album, which are the next three tracks. "The Trees", "Circumstances" and La Villa Strangiato" are all brilliant.

Favorite Rush albums to this point:

1. 2112
2. Rush
3. Fly By Night
4. A Farewell To Kings
5. Hemispheres
6. Caress of Steel

"...for the words of the prophets were written on the studio wall, concert hall."

PERMANENT WAVES - (released Jan 1st, 1980)

Permanent Waves is a true watershed album for Rush, they successfully made the leap to a more commercially accessible sound while losing none of their creativity or compromising at all. It's truly amazing that only 6 years had elapsed since the release of the debut, because by the time P.W. came out they had matured into a completely unique band.

The unfortunate thing is this album is a little forgotten these days (aside from the two singles), probably due to the massive success of Moving Pictures a year later...it deserves to be revisited.

The Spirit of Radio is one of the most bizarre radio hits of all time. There are more time changes in the introduction than most songs have in their entirety. But Lifeson's guitar introduction is so memorable, it immediately hooks you into the song and it's all so effortless you can groove right along and not even notice how complex it is. This song has been a perennial concert favorite ever since.

Free Will was another minor league radio hit and it's another fantastic song. Lifeson again kicks off the proceedings with a signature guitar lick and another memorable riff. This track is a great example of how far their songwriting had improved in such a short time, here everything truly falls into place...Peart's lyrics, Geddy's interpretation of them, the arrangement. This also features one of my favorite Lifeson guitar solos...a complete MONSTER solo!

Jacob's Ladder is the first "epic" on the album. Stylistically similar to the arrangments on Hemispheres and Kings, it's a multi-layered track that goes through several mood changes during it's 9 minute running time. Starting off as a bizarre march, it evolves into a slow, heavy, brooding number that captures the tone of Peart's lyrics perfectly. This song is criminally underrated.




Entre Nous is a great little pop-rock tune, another good example of how the complexity of the arrangement is hidden by the overall groove. I've always loved the way it switches to acoustic guitars in the chorus. Another completely forgotten Rush song and one they thankfully added back into their setlist on the Snakes & Arrows tour.



Different Strings. Now, Rush ballads have always been a point of contention, but in this case it's a really great song. The reason this one works is the arrangement, there's a bit of a jazz vibe in the mid section...and it closes out with a killer groove (that is unfortunately cut short by a fadeout).

Natural Science is yet another "lost classic" Rush song. This tune is a monster, the most progressive and intense piece on the album. Not many bands would attempt songs as different as Entre Nous and Natural Science on the same album...but Rush makes it all work as a seamless whole. This song was also revived on recent tours.



I don't think I really appreciated this album when I was younger, it's not as "immediate" as a record like 2112 or Moving Pictures...it takes a little while to sink in. Over the years I've noticed these grower albums tend to end up favorites of mine.

This one's up there with my favorite albums ever, not just in the Rush catalog. All killer and no filler; even the ballad is good this go around!

Not much else I can say, as SD almost always outdoes me in the articulation category.


And semi-related, Devin Townsend's cover of Natural Science is one of my favorite cover versions as well.

I'm with you SD - I liked some of it when I was younger, but not as much as Moving Pictures (which I heard first)...... great album that has aged well

My older brother had this album in his collection and I feel in love with it. This was the first Rush album I heard and just immediately loved every tune on the album.

I had no idea about time changes, jazz, etc, all I knew is the album was different then most of music I had been listening to at that point ( I was 13 so my music vocab was not all that expensive yet)

Lyrically it was very human topics, and spoke of experiences, emotions I could relate to and 'Entre Nous' is still a song that I can relate to, all these years later.

Interesting album, then and now

Still a great listen to this day and a very nice lead in album to the one that would break them open.

From the first song to the last a complete album. I believe that Different Strings is the production experiment song on this album. Entre Nous is a killer song that I like to drum along to....... pretty from Jacob's Ladder on is where I still play along to it.

"Exit the warrior, today's Tom Sawyer he gets high on you..."

MOVING PICTURES (released Mar 12, 1981)

Very simply, this is my favorite Rush album and a certified classic. I still remember hearing Tom Sawyer on the radio late one night and I became instantly obsessed. The DJ didn't say the name of the band so I called the station to find out what it was. I was 10 years old and had just become a Rush fan for life...

Alot of people had the same reaction I did to Tom Sawyer. There is something almost supernaturally catchy to that tune. It's actually heavy as hell, but sounds very commercial at the same time. A song that can appeal to numerous audiences...enough technical wizardry for the prog fans, enough melody for the AOR radio stations. After leading this direction on Permanent Waves, they finally hit the bullseye, the perfect combination they had been looking for. Tom Sawyer STILL sounds just as awesome now as it did in 1981, great songwriting doesn't date.

Red Barchetta was another fave tune as a kid, the whole sci-fi edge to the story clicked with my interest in writers like Richard Matheson and Ray Bradbury. One of Peart's best storyteller moments. Most of the songs on this album became concert favorites, this one was no different.



YYZ is basically the perfect rock instrumental and I played it TO DEATH for years and years. All of the bands prowess is on display, but unlike the countless attempts by others since...Rush had the songwriting chops to back up their instrumental chops. The version of this song on Rush In Rio is amazing, hearing the crowd sing the melody and even the guitar lines!

Limelight is another classic radio hit and kicks off with one of Lifeson's best riffs. Honestly, there's not much need to go into more detail, if you don't hear the greatness your not listening.

what a classic album side, huh?

Side Two kicks off with my personal favorite song, The Camera Eye. This is basically the last extended Rush song...and it's a whopper. This song both tips the hat to the future (the primarily synth driven segments) while still carrying on the tradition of heavy riffs alternating with acoustic parts. Every single second of this song is amazing, I've studied it for years, dissecting it...listened to it and tried to focus only on specific instruments...then focus only on the production, etc. No matter how many times I play it though, it always blows me away. Lifeson's guitar solo is genius and the bass Geddy lays down underneath it is some of his most kick ass playing.



Witch Hunt. I have always loved the creepy vibe of this song, Rush at it's darkest. Lifeson's guitar tone is just HUGE on this song and Peart really works in so many different layers to the arrangement. Another tune that was tailor made for the stage.

Vital Signs is a tune I wasn't that crazy about when I was younger, but I love it now. You can hear the fascination with "The Police" style rhythms that Rush would explore further on Signals.

Moving Pictures is most definitely an "album", it becomes something greater when you listen to the entire album in a row instead of just cherry picking songs. Some recordings seem to have a life of their own, Moving Pictures is definitely one of them.

The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts and has surpassed quadruple platinum status.