Rush Countdown - Pt. 4

In honor of Rush's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I am posting a countdown of my personal top-twenty favorite Rush songs. In addition, I am ranking all 20 Rush albums in reverse order. Albums and songs 20-16 can be found here, 15-11 here, and 10-6 here.

Albums 5-1

Album #5 - Rush

The eponymous first album, includes some very classic Rush songs including Working Man, In the Mood, What You're Doing, and Finding My Way. 

Album #4 - A Farewell to Kings

This album has some of my favorite Rush songs, including Closer to the Heart (maybe Rush's best known song for their hardcore fans), Xanadu, and the title track A Farewell to Kings. I LOVE the sound!

Album #3 - Test for Echo

This album has largely been dismissed by critics but I think the songs on this album have some very unique to Rush songs. Especially, those that have interesting time changes, like Time and Motion. Also, Neil Peart was ahead of the curve with the whole internet dating in his song Virtuality. But my favorite song on the album is Driven.

Album #2 - Counterparts

You can tell that this album is very high my list just by looking at my top-20 favorite Rush songs. In some ways I think this album was a response to the grunge movement that was happening in America at the time (the album was released in 1993). While not a big fan of the grunge movement, I like almost every song on the album. 

Album #1 - 2112

What can I say? Any fan of rock and roll in the 1970s was aware of 2112. Every garage band wanted to know how to play the beginning of the song.

Songs 5-1

Song #5 - By-Tor and the Snowdog

I can remember the first time I heard this song, I was blown away. While some of this is disputed it is said that Geddy is By-Tor and Alex is Snowdog. In the song there is a battle sequence where you can hear the "growling" bass lines versus the screaming high pitched guitar lines.  

Tobes of Hades lit by flickering torchlight

Netherworld is gathered in the glare

Prince By-Tor takes the cavern to the north light

Sign of Eth is rising in the air

By-Tor, knight of darkness

Centurion of evil

Devil's prince

Across the river Styx, out of the lamplight

His nemesis is waiting at the gate

The Snow Dog, ermine glowing in the damp night

A coal-black eyes shimmering with hate

By-Tor and the Snow Dog

Square for battle

Let the fray begin

Ooh, yeah

The battle's over and the dust is clearing

Disciples of the Snow Dog sound the knell

Rejoicing echoes as the dawn is nearing

By-Tor in defeat retreats to hell

Snow Dog is victorious

The land of the overworld

Is saved again

Is saved again

Song #4 - Driven

As indicated earlier, Test for Echo is one of my favorite Rush albums and this is my favorite song on the album. The lyrics don't exactly make sense, but I love the bass line on this song.

Song #3 - Xanadu

Maybe more than any other, this song demonstrates both the musicianship and fantasy/sci-fi nature  of many Rush songs. 

To seek the sacred river Alph

To walk the caves of ice

To break my fast on honeydew

And drink the milk of Paradise...'

I had heard the whispered tales of immortality

The deepest mystery

From an ancient book I took a clue

I scaled the frozen mountain tops of eastern lands unknown

Time and Man alone

Searching for the lost Xanadu

Xanadu...

To stand within the Pleasure Dome

Decreed by Kubla Khan

To taste anew the fruits of life

The last immortal man

To find the sacred river Alph

To walk the caves of ice

Oh, I will dine on honeydew

And drink the milk of Paradise

Song #2 - 2112

What can I say, 2112. The very best Rush concept song. According to Wikipedia:

"2112" tells a story set in the city of Megadon in the year 2112, "where individualism and creativity are outlawed with the population controlled by a cabal of malevolent Priests who reside in the Temples of Syrinx". A galaxy-wide war resulted in the planets forcefully joining the Solar Federation (symbolized by the "Red Star"). By 2112, the world is controlled by the priests who take orders from giant banks of computers inside the temple. Music is unknown in this world absent of creativity and individuality, but in "Discovery", a nameless man finds a beaten guitar inside a cave and rediscovers the lost art of music. In "Presentation", the man takes the guitar to the priests at the temple, who say, "Yes, we know, it's nothing new; it's just a waste of time", and then proceed angrily to destroy it and banish him. Next, in "Oracle: The Dream", the man dreams of a new planet, established at the same time as the Solar Federation, where creative people live. He awakens, depressed that music is part of such a civilization and that he can never be part of it, and kills himself, in "Soliloquy", originally titled "Soliloquy of the Soul". Another planetary war begins in "Grand Finale", originally named "Denouement", resulting in the ambiguous spoken ending: "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation: We have assumed control". Peart described the ending as a "double surprise ... a real Hitchcock killer".

Song #1 - Here Again

I guess I like this song because it is different than any other Rush song. You won't find this on any other list of best Rush songs, but it is at the top of mine...so there!

Honorable Mention: The Trees, Circumstances, Distant Early Warning, Superconductor, Dreamline, Roll the Bones, The Big Wheel, Malignant Narcissism.

Rush Countdown - Pt. 3

In honor of Rush's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I am posting a countdown of my personal top-twenty favorite Rush songs. In addition, I am ranking all 20 Rush albums in reverse order. Albums and songs 20-16 can be found here. Albums and songs 15-11 can be found here.

Albums 10-6

Album #10 - Snakes & Arrows - It's no secret to most Rush fans that Neil Peart has issues with organized religion. There is no better example of that than Snakes and Arrows. Throughout the album, Peart's lyrics are focused on the worst parts of religion. The album seems foreboding in some ways, not only in its words but in its music. Yet, despite its sometimes darker subject matter and sound, I actually like this album a great deal. There are three instrumentals on the album as well, and in my opinion they are some of the band's best.

Album #9 - Permanent Waves - This was Rush's first album of the 80s. As the band started in its second decade of music, Permanent Waves was a clear departure from what preceded. Moving away from the Sci-Fi themed epic pieces of the 70s, this album delivers more commercially accessible music. Specifically, the first two songs on the album, The Spirit of the Radio and Freewill would become radio mainstays on the Rush playlist.

Rush Countdown - Pt. 2

In honor of Rush's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I am posting a countdown of my personal top-twenty favorite Rush songs. In addition, I am ranking all 20 Rush albums in reverse order. Albums and songs 20-16 can be found here.

Albums 15-11.

Album #15 - Caress of Steel - When released, Caress of Steel was considered a disappointment, largely because it marked a new direction for the band. Caress of Steel can be viewed as a "Tale of Two Sides." Side one has a more traditional format and contains the #18 song on my top-twenty, Bastille Day. Side two reflects the band's first attempts at "sci-fi," "concept," or "epic" music. I'm not a big fan of side two although, you really get a glimpse of the band's musicianship when you listen to it.

Rush Countdown Pt. 1

In honor of Rush's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (FINALLY, I might add), I am going to be posting a countdown of my personal top-twenty favorite Rush songs. I will also be ranking all 20 Rush albums in reverse order. If you follow this link you can find an interactive list of all 20 albums.

First, albums 20-16.

Album #20 - Power Windows (1985) - Ummmm...I hate this album, I can barely stand to listen to it. This album typifies everything wrong with their synthesizer phase. Next...

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 8

In this series we have been looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here, songs 90-81 here, songs 80-71 here, songs 70-61 here, songs 60-51 here, songs 50-41 can be found here and songs 40-31 can be found here.  In this post we will look at songs 30-21.

This group of ten songs reminds me of what was right and what was wrong with music in the 70s. There are a few good songs on this list, and a clunker or two, but mostly they are just meh. On the other hand, there is once again a diversity of styles in the list. Disco, classic rock, pop rock, and then there is Barry Manilow and Meat Loaf. I am just never sure how to categorize either one. The list looks like this:

30. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Meat Loaf
29. Dance With Me, Peter Brown
28. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late, Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
27. Can't Smile Without You, Barry Manilow
26. Baker Street, Gerry Rafferty
25. We Are the Champions / We Will Rock You, Queen
24. It's a Heartache, Bonnie Tyler
23. Love Is Like Oxygen, The Sweet
22. Hot Child In the City, Nick Gilder
21. Feels So Good, Chuck Mangione

30. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Meat Loaf - I am not going to lie, I like Meat Loaf. I guess I would call his style theatrical rock or operatic rock. Whatever you want to call his style, it is always entertaining. The lyrics to his songs on the Bat Out of Hell album were written by Jim Steinman and they are catchy and often ironic, like those in this song. I have the Bat Out of Hell CD and usually play it when I am on a road trip. Crank it up and let it rip, there is not a bad song on the album.

29. Dance With Me, Peter Brown  - Not a bad song, just not my favorite.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 7

In this series we have been looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here, songs 90-81 here, songs 80-71 here, songs 70-61 here, songs 60-51 here and finally, songs 50-41 can be found here. In this post we will look at songs 40-31. I like this list of songs, it is my favorite so far.

40. Magnet and Steel, Walter Egan
39. Dust In the Wind, Kansas
38. The Closer I Get to You, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
37. You're In My Heart, Rod Stewart
36. Hot Blooded, Foreigner
35. Hopelessly Devoted to You, Olivia Newton-John
34. Last Dance, Donna Summer
33. Sometimes When We Touch, Dan Hill
32. Take a Chance On Me, Abba
31. Jack and Jill, Raydio

40. Magnet and Steel, Walter Egan was one of the many "One Hit Wonders" from the 1970s. I really like this song though.

39. Dust In the Wind, Kansas is a very talented progressive rock band. Their Left-Overture album was one of the first I ever purchased. This song, however, is a bit of a downer and my least favorite of their hits.

38. The Closer I Get to You, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. I think this is a beautiful song, maybe I am getting soft in my old age.

Top Songs of 1978 - Part 6

In this series, I am looking at the top 100 songs from 1978. Songs 100-91 can be found here, songs 90-81 here, songs 80-71 here, songs 70-61 here and finally, songs 60-51 are here.  


In this post I present to you, songs 50-41. Like most of the songs in the top 100, this section brings an assortment of styles and genres. From the hard driving pop of Thunder Island to the Disco/Funk of The Groove Line. From the blues/folk of Slip Slidin' Away to the soft rock of Goodbye Girl. From the R & B of Used Ta Be My Girl to the novelty of Short People. This list has it all! 

50. Thunder Island, Jay Ferguson
49. The Groove Line, Heatwave
48. Slip Slidin' Away, Paul Simon
47. Goodbye Girl, David Gates
46. Love Is In the Air, John Paul Young
45. An Everlasting Love, Andy Gibb
44. Love Will Find a Way, Pablo Cruise
43. Our Love, Natalie Cole
42. Use To Be My Girl, The O'Jays
41. Short People, Randy Newman

#50 - Thunder Island (Jay Ferguson) - Who wouldn't want to be stuck on Thunder Island?

#49 - The Groove Line (Heatwave) - I have to admit that I like this sound. It is very danceable and not strictly disco but really on the funkish side. And...if you watch the video, it's pretty cool to see everyone including the musicians dance together, in sync.

Album Review - El Camino - The Black Keys

I don't think it is a secret that I like music. Music has been a big part of my life over the years. However, when it comes to music, I tend to like the "classic" stuff. You know, classic rock, classic R & B, classic Christian and classic country. You might say I tend to be a little "old school" when it comes to my musical tastes. One of the things I have tried to do lately though, is listen to some "newer" music. This has not been easy for me since there is so much new stuff on the market. Where do I start?

One of the best things to happen to me is dance lessons, especially the West Coast Swing classes. Our instructor plays a lot of "contemporary" music. Whenever I hear a song I like, I ask Josh (the instructor) for the name of the song and the artist/group. I then go home and youtube the artist and listen to some other songs from their discography. I discovered Adele this way. I love her 21 album.

Another way I have discovered some of the newer music is through Facebook. I have friends that post music videos regularly and I try to listen to the stuff I am not familiar with, just to see if I like it. I also see what my twenty-something sons are listening to, they both generally have good taste in music. Although, there are some genres they listen to that I don't care for (mostly hip-hop), I have gained appreciation for some contemporary music through them. My son Aaron put me onto Mumford & Sons. Their Babel album is excellent.

And finally, I read a lot about culture and entertainment online, so I pick up information about new artists and groups that way as well. That's how I discovered John Legend. I love his music. His Once Again album should be on every ipod! I also learned about the Black Keys by reading about their Grammy Awards. I recently downloaded their El Camino album and can't stop listening to it. It is VERY good.

In light of my recent musical discoveries, I wanted to review a few of the albums I mentioned. I hope some of my, how shall I say, "more mature" readers will check out the music! First up is El Camino by the Black Keys.

D.C. Talk - What if I Stumble

One of my favorite "Christian" groups...

Bryan Duncan - Lies Upon Lies

From the Strong Medicine CD, one of my favorites.

Monk & Neagle - Beautiful You

You can believe this all happened by random chance if you choose...not me...

Bryan Duncan - Strollin' on the Water

Strollin' on the water
High over every care
Strollin' on the water
Sinking no longer
Let me rise above the high tide
I can do it, I'll do it, yeah
I know where my strength comes from

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney turned 70 today! Wow, all of my favorite musicians are getting old. While he will always be remembered as a member of the Fab Four, his musical genius is not limited to his time in the Beatles. I am a product of the 70s by that I mean that the decade of my teen-aged years when I really started listening to music was the 70s. The Paul McCartney music that I associate with most, is his music during this time. So my video tribute to Paul contains songs from that time period.

First up, Sir Paul's contribution to the James Bond series. Live and Let Die.

Next up, one of my favorites, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. It is a quirky little song.

Maybe I'm Amazed.

My Love.

 
Silly Love Songs.

Band on the Run

Jet.

Listen to What the Man Said.

Let Em In.

Not a Wings song, still a great tune (and released in 1970). Hey Jude.

I hope you enjoy!

Bryan Duncan - Step By Step

Another one of my favorite Bryan Duncan songs...

Good advice...

Saturday Night Video Theme: Let's Kiss

Someone recently asked me if I kiss on the first date? Since I don't kiss (or not) and tell, I will instead say...

I don't feel the need to give such secrets away
You think maybe I need help though I know i am right, all right
I'm just better off not listening to friends advice

When they insist on knowing my bliss, I tell them this
When they want to know what the reason is
I only smile when I lie, then I tell them why

Because your kiss, your kiss is on my list

On the other hand I have been told before to, "shut up and kiss me!"

Tom Jones does Prince: "Kiss"

 Sixpence None the Richer: "Kiss Me"

I am not a big Faith Hill fan, but she is easy on the eyes..."This Kiss"

Bryan Duncan - Love Takes Time

There are many great Contemporary Christian artists and many more great songs being written today. However, I have always been partial to "old school" CCM (Contemporary Christian Music). I particularly have a fondness for Bryan Duncan. His website is here and his wikipedia page is here.

Bryan is a Dove Award and Grammy Award-winning singer who started his career in 1973 with the Jesus music group the Sweet Comfort Band. After the band split-up in 1984, Bryan started his solo career. Since then he has released numerous solo albums and sold over a million records.

What sets his music apart for me is its soulful sound. Some of his music is borne out of the struggles he has had in his life for which he has been very transparent. On his website in the behind the songs section, Duncan tells of how he found himself depressed and disillusioned with his life.

He writes:

I was sincere in my proclamation of the Gospel in song, though tainted with my own self-centeredness, my faith was genuine. But I forgot that from the beginning God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.

This song opens with “have you ever been lied to?” I was referring to the way I was flattered into believing that I was somehow immune to human frailties because I was doing “Gods work.”

The best lies lie in flattery! You believe it because you want to...I bought the idea that my work was enough. The sacrifice of time with those you love has additional requirements in truly seeing each other.

Here's the video of that song, one of my favorites.