WELL! That was a close one! The second closest so far, a bit surprising to me, but Grace Under Pressure triumphed in the end, pulling away 52-44 after it stayed within 3 votes for quite some time! A lot of Counterparts fans here, that's for sure. p/g moves on to the next round, and it is now time for a bit of a lighter matchup (the calm before the storm, if you will ):
 
Rush vs. Caress Of Steel
 
Believe it or not, when the mood strikes, I really love the debut album. There's some long lost gems on there, man! "Before And After" being my fav from the album. Not sure how well it is going to fare against the mighty Caress Of Steel with its epics and further tales of By-Tor... but I figure it will either be a neat surprise if it wins, or it will at least be a little easier for you guys. For now. Ragutis, you listening?
 
Have at it! This will be up until Saturday morning at 7:00 EST.
 

Bit unfair of me voting really, since I haven't heard Rush.  But hey, Caress of Steel contains Lakeside Park which is one of my favourite Rush songs so I voted anyway 

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“Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?” – Douglas Adams

CoS has ALWAYS been my #1 favorite Rush album.
Although "Here Again" has ALWAYS been my #1 favorite Rush song.
But this isn't about songs now is it?

 

CoS baby. Winnar because of "I THINK I'M GOING BALD!!! <shriek>"

http://www.brianmckenzie.com is the new project I'm in. Please listen! :) thanks!

HAHA, Sal, you make my life hard brother....

Even this decsion is hard....Though, for me Caress tops alot of albums, including 2112..its tough for me to pick against the debut for personal reasons. That being said, I picked Caress and I'm gonna tell you why. Not a bad song on it. "Lakeside Park" says it all. that song is so deep and people dont even realize it...least all the band...and the real Lakeside Park was a Rush attraction that I visted several years ago and it was JUST like the song...and I smoked on the pier and drank by the lighthouse...it was really cool...I wonder how that will compare to Tai Shan, which me and some freinds from back home will be climbing in August! "Bast. Day" rocks...what can be said...and I think I'm going bald"....though the weakest track is still pretty catchy and likeable....of course, the meat on this album is "The Fountain of Lamneth" and "The Necromancer"....I used to get really stoned and listen to both of those and just get lost in them. I've had this story in my head about what I think it is about. Everytime I hear these songs I get taken away by these fantasy images and characters....maybe I'll write it and post here one day...but both those tracks just take me away to a special place where nothing can hurt me.

The debut has always been strong to me as well. "Here Again" used to be the story of my life...I remember XMAS day 1993 listening to it on repeat and thinking how good my emrald green chuck tayors i just got looked on me....love that song....I love the intro to "Before and After" though dont really like the rest. Obviously "Finding my Way" is a classic, and who doesnt know what "What you're doing" is about...and of course...who cant relate to "Working Man"...All in all a solid album from start to finish...Its better than alot of albums, just not a whole lot of Rush albums...

And theres my take...thanks for reading...

"700 miles from North Carolina for you Dream Theater. You guys fucking Rock!" Me...in the DT DVD and stuff.

Easy one for me (and apparently a lot of people). CoS is one of only two (or three, if you're generous) Rush albums with two epics, can't beat that!

Fountain of Lamneth is a very unknown and underrated epic
 
Necromancer is a great trilogy that I also got to see DT play live
 
Bastille Day kicks some serious ass.
 
Rush has Working Man and No Neil Peart.  The worst album in my account.

This Is Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled...- Steve Wilson, Lightbulb Sun

Caress of steel for moi. Rush is great as well. But Caress is more listenable. at least for me. 

"I'm in a glass case of emotion."

Caress my Steel, baby!

I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Francis Hopkinson, March 13, 1789

THERE'S GREAT DRUMMERS AND THEN THERE'S JOHN RUTSEY!!  THE DEBUT POWNS!!
 

 
 
Just kidding
 
Even though "Here Again" and "Before and After" are classics, I had to go with Caress of Steel.  It's great to see so many people appreciate "Lakeside Park."  One of my favs as well. 
 
Listen to the very end of "I Think I'm Going Bald."  You can hear Geddy scream "Get a haircut, man!"
 
Also, I always thought "The Fountain of Lamneth" was a "Watcher of the Skies" rip-off.  I know they were heavily into Yes and Genesis back in the day, so you can hear the influence.  Thanks again Sal!

ORIGINAL: Chris_2112

Easy one for me (and apparently a lot of people). CoS is one of only two (or three, if you're generous) Rush albums with two epics, can't beat that!

1) Caress of Steel (Although I wouldn't count Necromancer as an "Epic")
2) Hemispheres has the title track and La Villa Strangiato
3) ?

2112 has one, Fly By Night has one (By-Tor), if you consider trilogies epics, then Permanent Waves (Natural Science) has one.  Don't see any with two.

This Is Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled...- Steve Wilson, Lightbulb Sun

Well, I'm bummed to see that CP lost the last round, but at least there was a strong showing for it!
 
I'm happy to be on the "winning" side of this battle!   Me personally, a much more difficult battle between Rush albums would've been if you would've put the debut album up against Roll the Bones or Vapor Trails....or maybe even Test for Echo (don't tell Keith!  ) I personally would have to say that I hold Rush in second to last position, just in front of RtB. But I digress...
 
I'll take Caress of Steel over Rush any day!
 
BTW Sal, thanx for doing this - it's a lot of fun, and hopefully those younger fans who don't aren't familiar with Rush will learn at least a little something!

Ever wonder if DT is gonna ever play your city or why they haven't played there yet? Click here to find out.

I voted for CoS for a simple reason.

Rush without NP isnt Rush


There are a few goodies on the debut album...but CoS easily outshines it.

Suddenly you were gone
From all the lives you left your mark upon.
R.I.P. Keith

Not even close! Caress of Steel is a favorite of mine.  What I like about this album is that there are many moods represented, and Geddy's singing.  Classic Rush.  Damn I need that rumored Jan 10th 1976 soundboard boot!

About time I changed the sig, huh?

Easy to me.......Caress of Steel!

  Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is the best.

ORIGINAL: zedsdead

ORIGINAL: Chris_2112

Easy one for me (and apparently a lot of people). CoS is one of only two (or three, if you're generous) Rush albums with two epics, can't beat that!

1) Caress of Steel (Although I wouldn't count Necromancer as an "Epic")
2) Hemispheres has the title track and La Villa Strangiato
3) ?

2112 has one, Fly By Night has one (By-Tor), if you consider trilogies epics, then Permanent Waves (Natural Science) has one.  Don't see any with two.

Dude, A Farewell to Kings - Xanadu and Cygnus X-1. That's why I said, if you're generous! Personally, I consider both to be epic in nature.

No contest here.  CoS IMO is the best album of the first period of Rush.  Yes even better than 2112.  There really isn't a bad song on the album.  The Necromancer and The Fountain of Lamneth are awesome.

ORIGINAL: zedsdead

ORIGINAL: Chris_2112

Easy one for me (and apparently a lot of people). CoS is one of only two (or three, if you're generous) Rush albums with two epics, can't beat that!

1) Caress of Steel (Although I wouldn't count Necromancer as an "Epic")
2) Hemispheres has the title track and La Villa Strangiato
3) ?

2112 has one, Fly By Night has one (By-Tor), if you consider trilogies epics, then Permanent Waves (Natural Science) has one.  Don't see any with two.

AftK? Xanadu and Cygnus X-1.

ORIGINAL: Moog
Also, I always thought "The Fountain of Lamneth" was a "Watcher of the Skies" rip-off.

Wow I have never made that connection.  I can see what you mean about the opening riffs of both songs.  It doesn't really bother me though.  Just like it doesn't bother me that Never Enough sounds like Muse or the opening riff of Home sounds like Tool.

edit... Meant to add that I really would love to hear Rush pull Before and After out of the closet to really surprise people.  As cheesy as the chorus is I love it.  "Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah!"

Caress of Steel.  The Necromancer is my favorite of their longer tunes, second only behind Subdivisions as the tops all time for Rush. 
 
The rest of the songs are excellent as well.

As long as I got rock n roll, I'm forever young

ORIGINAL: Chris_2112

ORIGINAL: zedsdead

ORIGINAL: Chris_2112

Easy one for me (and apparently a lot of people). CoS is one of only two (or three, if you're generous) Rush albums with two epics, can't beat that!

1) Caress of Steel (Although I wouldn't count Necromancer as an "Epic")
2) Hemispheres has the title track and La Villa Strangiato
3) ?

2112 has one, Fly By Night has one (By-Tor), if you consider trilogies epics, then Permanent Waves (Natural Science) has one.  Don't see any with two.

Dude, A Farewell to Kings - Xanadu and Cygnus X-1. That's why I said, if you're generous! Personally, I consider both to be epic in nature.

 
Good point.  Not in the tradition sense of epic structure, but I agree that they do have the epic sound.

This Is Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled...- Steve Wilson, Lightbulb Sun

Rush is one of my favorite Rush albums.  I know it will lose, but I have to vote for it.  I listen to it every now and then and I can't help but wonder why so many people dislike it.  So many good memories attached to that cd. 

Two albums I only very rarely pull out.  I voted for the debut, if only by process of elimination.  CoS is ponderous to me, and hey, it was the album that *almost* sunk the band (they were under label pressure after its disappointing results, and fortunately 2112 did much better).
 
--matt

ANYTHING but that first album.  That one, along with Caress of Steel, are the two Rush albums I never bought on CD.
 
--Kev

Finally an easy one. Caress of Steel hands down.

Is there anybody listening
Is there anyone who sees what's going on
Read between the lines,
criticize the words they're selling.

as much as I do love the first album, I have to go with CoS. I love Caress, The Necromancer, The Fountain of Lamneth, all great songs. It's funny to me how this album, when it came out, didn't go over allthat well. If I remember correctly, it was dubbed the, "Down the Tubes" tour. Anyway, great album.

I love Here Again and Working Man. It's actually a nice album, but Caress of Steel doesn't have a bad second in it, IMO.

Another easy one for me....CoS.

The only song I don't really care for is I Think I'm Going Bald, but I still never skip over it.  The Necromancer and The Fountain of Lamneth are among my favorite Rush epics, and Bastille Day is a great album opener.  And who can forget Lakeside Park?  I wish Rush would play more from this album nowadays, but too bad it's very unlikely for it to happen.

The debut is great, but nowhere near the genius of CoS.

Wow, 54-6 so far.  CoS better enjoy this--it's probably going to have the most dominating first round result, which is ironic because I suspect it would lose to virtually any other Rush album. 
 
I'm thinking this one won't have nearly as interesting a finish as the CP/GUP battle!
 
--matt

 Well, I can't say as this one is a big surprise so far. I hope you guys are enjoying the 'easy one'. Caress might just earn the bye spot if this keeps up - it has 90% of the vote so far after 60 votes. Kings had 87%.

Oh well, nice to see 6 people like the debut.  I think I will throw it on right now, been a while since I heard it. And here's a treat for y'all, some of you may remember this little edit I made a while back:

http://home.cogeco.ca/~salmacis/All Of Geddy's YEAHS from the first album.mp3

Can we get a Geddy part II??
 
All of his ohhhsss and ahhhhsss from VT!!!

After picking up 2112 on LP for $1 and falling in love with Rush, the next two albums I got (in a discount tape bin) were Fly by Night and Caress of Steel for like $2 each brand new...

Long story short, I played these tapes so much that within a matter of months Fly by Night broke in a tape player I had at my job at the time and Caress of Steel got stuck in the tape player of my old Bronco forcing me to dismantle (and unfortunately destroy) the player (as a postscript, that led me to pick up my first car CD player and a used copy of Fly by Night that was the first CD I listened to on it... I replaced Caress with a copy on LP that is still the only way I have to listen to the album. Maybe it's about time to pick the CD up)...

Anyways, I feel that Caress is where Rush really started coming into their own and was a precursor to the golden era that started with 2112. It's got the early rawness mixed with the middle epicness and kicks my ass every time so, yeah, it gets my vote...

I do enjoy the debut though... Maybe had I bought that at the time instead of Caress my vote would be different. But it ain't.

What pretension! Everlasting peace. Everything must cease.

Definitely Caress Of Steel for me.  The debut album has it's moments and, let's face it, without that one, we wouldn't have any of the ones that came after, but it's just not "Rush" enough for me most of the time.

CoS, on the other hand, is a *great* album.  I love listening to The Necromancer through headphones and it doesn't hurt that Lakesie Park mentions my birthday, the 24th of May.

Oh yeah, and Fountains Of Lamneth is just

edit: I can't spel

Sal, That is the funniest damn thing I think I have ever heard.....
CoS for me...no contest

"Plus ca change,
Plus c'est la meme chose".

71 - 10 right now, that is the exact score of the Kings vs FBN poll. Last 24 hours on this one and then its on to something that will be much closer.

OH....do you smell that...














































I smell a comeback!


























Or not....time to move on to the next one...stick a fork in her!

"700 miles from North Carolina for you Dream Theater. You guys fucking Rock!" Me...in the DT DVD and stuff.

Sal: OH YEAH! That was great! I missed that the first time you posted it, apparently.

I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Francis Hopkinson, March 13, 1789

ORIGINAL: Salmacis

71 - 10 right now, that is the exact score of the Kings vs FBN poll. Last 24 hours on this one and then its on to something that will be much closer.

 
My guess is 2112 vs. Hemispheres

This Is Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled...- Steve Wilson, Lightbulb Sun

First off, CoS.  Reason: Neil Peart.

ORIGINAL: zedsdead

ORIGINAL: Salmacis

71 - 10 right now, that is the exact score of the Kings vs FBN poll. Last 24 hours on this one and then its on to something that will be much closer.

My guess is 2112 vs. Hemispheres

Since he used the first album, I think one of these two has a bye.  Unless he's also using Feedback, which cancels the bye.  That leaves us with Roll the Bones, Test For Echo, Hold Your Fire, 2112, Hemispheres, and Feedback.  Hmm...

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Sorry it's hard to choose which one is better because in the end both of these albums arn't that great! But Caress of Steel isnt exactly like a Led Zeppelin album its like a RUSH album.  [sm=MrT.gif]

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