Rush

They have lots of awesome tunes, but my favorites (in terms of being both demanding and nice) are "La Villa Strangiato", "Freewill" and "YYZ".

Also check "Anthem", "Bastille Day", "2112 Overture/The Temples Of Syrinx", "The Spirit Of Radio", "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight" and "The Analog Kid". "Leave That Thing Alone" is another great one but IMO it only works with fresh strings because the bass tone is very prominent there.

 

Id stick with "the analog kid", "yyz", "hemispheres", and "natural science". All great tunes just like every other rush song. I am so biased.

 

Circumstances, YYZ, Analog Kid, Anthem, Distant Early Warning, Show Don't Tell, and Driven- Those are all pretty challenging. But straight foreward.

Turn the Page, The Pass, and Force Ten- Geddy does alot of double stopping in these songs.

2112, The Fountain of Lamneth, and Cygnus X-1- Not so hard, but challenging to remember because they're so bloody long

La Villa Strangiato is just a really challenging song. Specifically the bass solo.

Hope this helps,

Mark

 

Especially with Rush there will be lots of differing opinions as to which era was/is best but my favorites in no particular order are Signals, Moving Pictures, Hemispheres & Grace Under Pressure.

 

Albums:

Fly By Night
Caress Of Steel
2112
A Farewell To Kings
Hemispheres
Moving Pictures
Exit Stage Left (Most incredible live album ever)
Presto
Roll The Bones
Counterparts
Test For Echo

That pretty much narrows down about 50% of the albums. But all have great songs that will help you're playing. And they're just incredible

 

YYZ, 2112, La Villa Strantiago

 

EDIT: Albums,
2112!!!
Moving Pictures
Hemispheres
A Farewell To Kings

there all good though

 

Nobody has mentioned the best investment: RUSH IN RIO!! This double DVD is simply awesome.

As for "regular" albums, "Moving Pictures" is their magnum opus to me. I also like "Different Stages", "Exit... Stage Left", "Permanent Waves", "2112" and "All The World's A stage" (Very raw-sounding live album!) But I think that, for starters, the best option is "Chronicles", a double CD that documents the band's career up to 1989.

P.S.: The best Rush song ever for me is "La Villa Strangiato" and it was originally released in "Hemispheres".

 

Alvaro:

The R30 DVD is incredible as well. DEFINATELY an investment.

Mark

 

Of course I'm aware of it, Mark. Right now it's in my wish list. Thank you!

 

Digital Man has one of the best bass lines in it....

 

Yes definitely get the DVD!!!

I almost listed Chronicles but you're right, if someone is just starting out, there's no better place than with that double set.

Still think more of these lists need Signals to be included, but then I guess others probably see some missing material in my list!

 

"La Villa Strangiato", "YYZ" and "Freewill". "Driven" and "Leave That Thing Alone" are also awesome.

 

What about RED BARCHETTA or TOM SAWYER ?

 

I've always had trouble picking favourites because I seem to go through "different stages".

Just get them all!

Plus Geddys solo album "My favourite headache"


But to break my faves into a CD length era of 4 studio albums each era,

1)
Anthem
By Tor and the Snow Dog
Bastille day
The Necromancer
The fountain of Lamneth
2112
Something for nothing

2)
Xanadu
Closer to the heart
Cygnus X-1 Book1
The trees
La Villa Strangiato
The spirit of radio
Freewill
Jacobs ladder
Red Barchetta
Witch hunt
YYZ

3)
Subdivisions
The analog kid
New world man
Distant early warning
Red Sector A
Between the wheels
Manhattan Project
Marathon
Territories
Middletown Dreams
Mystic Rhythms
Force Ten
Time stand still
Turn the page
High Water

4)
Show don't tell
The pass
Presto
Dreamline
Bravado
Roll the bones
Where's my thing?
Animate
Nobodys hero
Double agent
Everyday glory
Driven
Half the world
Resist
Virtuality

I'm still waiting on more albums so I can include most of Vapor Trails. It's awesome.

Rush in Rio is a must